“Mammoth” offers Great Skiing/Activities, Dining “The Mogul”, Fitness/Spa “Snowcreek” & more (3/09)
MAMMOTH LAKES: Spring Ski Get-Away 2009
When the economic weather is down, the best cure is often an indulgent get-away. Have you thought of Mammoth for a Ski Vacation? Here are some great reasons to get your friends and family together and go now:
Getting there: By car, it is just over 300 miles from Los Angeles, or from San Francisco. We opted for the 1-hour flight out of LAX, on Horizon Air. This new flight has a limited time introductory fare of $79. each way, through April 12, 2009. There is one flight a day, arriving at Mammoth Yosemite Airport at 3:25 p.m., and the return flight arrives at LAX at 5:10p.m. More info at
www.horizonair.com
Getting around: Once there, it was a short cab ride to town. We found Mammoth Cabs were waiting at the airport, with a van to hold us and our equipment, for just over $10. per person… and front door service. This privately owned, friendly cab company also offers rides around town for about $5 per person. Contact them at (760) 914-1548.
The Slopes: We planned for a few days on the mountain and paced ourselves accordingly. Mammoth Mountain is one of the largest and most popular ski areas in California, not only because of the beautiful weather (avg. 300 sunny days/year) and snowfall (over 400 inches a year, avg.), but because Mammoth Mountain is more than a ski resort; it is a massive, full facility operation with something for everyone: 
Mountain Stats: Summit elevation 11,053 feet, with a vertical rise of 3,100 feet. 150 named trails, 3,500 acres to ski, with the longest run or 3 miles. There is an uphill capacity of 54.000 rides per hour on 28 lifts including 2 high-speed detachable Six-packs, 10 Quads, 7 triples, 3 Doubles, 3 Gondolas and 3 Surface lifts. Runs are well groomed, including some summit runs. Terrain is nicely balanced for expert, advanced, intermediate and beginner. This includes both skiers and snow-boarders.
Facilities: 4 day lodges, 10 sports shops, 12 rental/repair shops, 2 on-hill snack bars, 4 food courts/cafeterias, ski and snowboard school, race department, lockers, slope side hotel and condo accommodations, 5 restaurants, 7 bars, child care and game room.
More info at
www.MammothMountain.com
Skiing: There is something ethereal about getting on the first run around 8:30 in the morning, when the air is crisp, there are no crowds, and the snow is perfect. Through the night, grooming machines have prepared the runs with the texture and surface we skiers crave and desire. And every run felt like we were gliding on clouds, or “slicing through icing“, as one local called it. After a fresh snowfall, there is powder for everyone, and enough variety and selection as to avoid mid-week lift lines.
Spring is ideal for ski weather, and this year Mammoth has seen the best snow coverage in years.
Variety and Options on the mountain: With all of the chairs and runs on Mammoth Mountain, a skier can become overwhelmed with choices.
The first day started with beginner and intermediate runs. After all, the snow was falling, and we enjoyed the enclosed comfort of a gondola ride up the mountain. From the Main Lodge, the Panorama Gondola takes riders up to the peak of the mountain, with the option to get off halfway up, at McCoy Station. This is an ideal stop for lunch, a drink, restroom, view or rest.
This Gondola also provides rides to the top for those who chose not to ski, but love the view or enjoy a meal at the summit.
After a day of fresh fallen snow, the new powder was beautiful and alluring. On this day, we took the 10-minute Village Gondola ride, over the homes and condos to Canyon Lodge. From there, the Canyon Express quad chair got us to a selection of runs that allowed both variety and challenge for much of the day. We favored chair 10, Goldrush Express, for its long, wide, groomed runs and chances to weave through the trees. What a rush! Another favorite, chair 5, whisked me to a mountain peak from which I could chose from 4 levels of difficulty.
One of the newer chairs, 9 (Cloud Nine Express) carries 6 riders swiftly up, high above Eagle Lodge. For the adventurous, there is an entire backside of Mammoth, with chairs 13 and 14, accessing a variety of “bowls” and black-diamond runs. For more challenging runs, take the Gondola to the top or Chair 23 and chose from a variety of expert terrain. There are some great steep runs including Dave’s Run, Scotty’s Run and the Cornice Bowl. They are all black diamond runs and part of the Cornice is groomed which provides a fantastic run! Another great note is that one can find a blue run just about from any chair or lift on the mountain so one never gets stuck.
Don’t miss the new built up Village right where you catch the Gondola to take you up the mountain. A variety of stores, shops, restaurants/pubs and more.
While enjoying Mammoth on downhill skis, it was easy for us to appreciate why this is such a captivating resort for so many. There are daily mountain tours for those who want to learn more about the mountain, there is cross-country skiing, snowmobile tours, summer hiking and over 100 miles of rider-designed biking trails, with uphill access via shuttle and gondola.
Biking on the mountain has become increasingly popular recently, and last year the heart-pounding Deep End Wall Ride was added, guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping.
More Sports: Summer offerings at Mammoth also include California’s highest golf course, an 18-hole forest-lined fairway; rock-climbing and Zip Line; alpine lakes and streams offer fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. And, don’t forget that Mammoth Resort is close to Yosemite National Park.
Ski Gear: For those who fly into Mammoth and choose not to haul their gear with them, the convenient choice is to rent your equipment. A long-standing favorite rental shop in Mammoth for locals as well as visitors, is The Ski Renter. Conveniently located on the corner of Hwy. 203 and Old Mammoth Road, I discovered a bit of history and tradition in a rental shop that caters to beginners, intermediate and expert skiers and boarders.
The Ski Renter has been around for 35 years and is the longest single owner ski rental shop in Mammoth. They specialize in complete packages, including any and all clothing necessary for the current weather conditions. What’s more, all equipment is expertly hand tuned on site. As a bonus, there was a 20% off coupon in the local Map and Ad paper, saving a nice chunk of change for rentals and repairs at The Ski Renter.
Shuttle: Carrying gear and equipment to and from the slopes can be a struggle, even if you drive. You’ll have to load your vehicle with skis, poles, boots and passengers, then park and walk to the slopes. The Mammoth Lakes Bus Transportation, aka shuttle, eliminates drive and parking problems, with ease in getting around and with very short waits.
When the snow comes down, streets and sidewalks are quickly plowed, allowing easy access through town.
The Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Orange lines run every 15 minutes, through and around town, and right to the slopes. Trolleys run through the village till 1 a.m. Buses run on snow, ice and clear, and will carry skis and gear. All for free. www.VisitMammoth.com/transit
Snowcreek Athletic Club: As a special treat, two of us broke from our group and discovered the indulgent offerings of the Snowcreek Athletic Club, not far from town center, adjacent to beautiful meadows, walking and biking paths. This huge facility includes steam rooms, whirlpools, indoor swimming pool, full size gym, billiard and ping pong tables, outside decks, smoothie bar, lounging areas, bistro/bar and gift shop.
There are year-round basketball, volleyball and racquetball leagues. Classes include pilates, yoga, cycle fit, core conditioning, water aerobics, swimming, children’s classes and mixed martial arts. Snowcreek’s fully equipped sports center features state-of-the-art equipment, free weights, full range workout machines, and cardio rooms with televisions to watch your favorite sports or news show. There is a professional fitness staff and personal training sessions available.
But, the featured amenity at Snowcreek is the world-class spa sanctuary in Mammoth, called the Double Eagle Spa at Snowcreek.
As a new addition to Snowcreek Athletic Club, the Double Eagle Spa offers more than 40 types of unique spa services including a variety of massages, facials, body treatments, manicures, pedicures and a natural-based hydrating spray tanning treatment.
We made an appointment for the extraordinary 50- minute deep tissue massage (many massages can be done with 80 minutes as well). Each of us received a treatment. Richard was treated to a sample of hot-stone and warmed oil massage. The room was quiet, the massage was intense and the results were long lasting. Ah, the perfect sore muscle solution. The therapists were fantastic and we highly recommend a treatment there. Todd’s therapist, Gina, provided a relaxing Vichy shower & exfoliation with my preferred scent, which lasted about 25 minutes, followed up by an incredible deep tissue massage. This combination was a perfect ending after skiing and working out.
Skiing is a sport that can be demanding on the body, particularly the legs. Having a massage after skiing, we found, dynamically rejuvenates the body, relaxes the muscles and provides for noticeable improvement in ski performance the following days.
On your visit to Mammoth, whether you ski or not, we strongly recommend a special treatment at Double Eagle Spa. It will top off your trip and you will feel amazing. Also, if you get a 50-minute treatment, you can enjoy complimentary access to the Fitness Club and its facilities.
Dining: Restaurant choices in Mammoth are abundant and accessible. Each has its own unique charm and menu selection. One night, for instance, we were in the mood for spicy food, and we discovered the only Thai restaurant in town was a short walk from our condo, Thai’d Up on Old Mammoth Road.
With a view of the mountains, this quaint Thai restaurant offers the popular pad Thai, curries, stir-frys and spring rolls, but also features award winning eclectic Asian wings, veggie, shrimp, tofu, chicken, beef or pork main courses, and daily specials. Add any of the meats or shrimp to either the stir-fry, curry or pad Thai dishes. They offer beer and wine, with wine pairing suggestions on the menu. And, of course, deserts.
The chef’s philosophy, “Our fresh, made to order dishes represent a harmoniously combined marriage of centuries old eastern and western influences, creating an approachable menu with flavors that are uniquely THAI.” Lunch and dinner.
www.thaidup.net
Don’t miss the best pizza in town at Giovanni’s located at 437 Old Mammoth Road (next to the Von’s Shopping Plaza). With an assortment of salads, pasta, wings and incredible pizzas with all types of toppings, you cannot go wrong. More at
www.giovannismammoth.com or call them at 760-934-1-GIO.
On another night, after skiing, a workout and massage at Snowcreek Athletic Club, we were in the mood for fine dining. After placing a reservation at the Mogul Restaurant, we were in for a treat. This unique, alpine style restaurant has been around since 1971, with an indoor cook-to-order grill, an extensive salad bar, smartly assembled wine list and full, premium bar.
What impressed us most about the menu was there were so many great choices that one can combine and create his/her own order.
Though Mogul is known for the best steaks in town, we opted for an all-out seafood fare to split, made up of combinations that we created. With that, our dedicated server spiced and grilled our selection, in front of us. We chose lobster tail, crab legs, shrimp and large scallops. Yum. Ordering fresh seafood in a mountain resort, while not regional, turned out to be a good call. Each item was cooked to perfection, accompanied by generous side dishes. And, yes, we simply had to visit the popular and bountiful salad bar.
We made all attempts to leave room for the incredibly tempting deserts that were offered, but made a realistic choice to visit again, and taste the sweets.
This is one restaurant that will leave you satisfied. Selection, ambiance, preparation, staff and portions were all outstanding. Highly recommended, with great reviews. www.themogul.com
We had been searching for a great referral for some fine dining and this is the place. One other place that we heard about was called Nevados. However, after speaking with the manager Tim, his cocky and rude attitude turned us off. Luckily, we ended up finding The Mogul.
Overall: Mammoth is a year-round retreat area, with boundless offerings in a gorgeous setting. It is the skier’s choice mountain, particularly for Winter and Spring skiing in California. As a full facility resort with miles and miles of runs, Mammoth certainly lives up to its name. The only critique found was with the lift operators and ski patrol leniency. The lefties (lift operators) were mostly teenagers and it seemed like most of them were working just to get their free ski lift ticket. Our survey found that only 1/3rd of the operators actually initiated in a welcome or hello while getting on the chairlift. That definitely could be improved as we have been to other resorts where every lift operator said hello or was friendly and personal.
The other downfall was the laxed rules by the Ski Patrol with people going too fast or reckless on the mountain. I, Todd, personally was brushed by an out of control snowboarder and witnessed and heard of a few other similar incidents. When reporting this to the head of Ski Patrol and actually finding the culprits, the supervisors just had a small chat to be careful. A more strict warning or pulling of one’s ski ticket would help reduce the risk of these young snowboarders skiing to fast and dangerously. All of these involved snowboarders and my assumption and what I heard from some locals was that it was in the best interest to do nothing even with the safety issues than sacrifice possible other snowboarders not to come thus losing money. Hopefully something will change in their policies before someone gets seriously hurt or killed by a reckless snowboarder.
Flying in, getting around, renting equipment, dining and reserving a hotel or condo is a lot simpler than expected. And there are package deals that combine the flight, lodging and lift tickets all in one. We even found lift tickets specials at COSTCO.
So book the one-hour flight, or drive the five plus hours to this great Ski Resort and enjoy yourself.
For complete list of Mammoth lift and lodging packages, please visit
www.MammothMountain.com or call 800- MAMMOTH.