Last weekend, we drove up to Mammoth Lakes to go on our last vacation in the area – at least, our last vacation there for a long time. After we move to Colorado, we’ll be exploring Colorado resort towns and we likely won’t fly back to Mammoth for awhile. We all love Mammoth so, so much; therefore, this trip was bittersweet. We did all of our favorite things while we were there and even squeezed in a new activity or two.
Resort Accommodations
First things first, after our nearly six-hour drive, we checked into the Westin. In our opinion, this is the best place to stay in the winter. There is underground parking (which is great, when you get up the hill to it – we had to put chains on the car to get up the hill on this trip!), ski valet, a heated pool and hot tubs, a bar/restaurant, champagne upon checkin (after 2pm), and, best of all, it’s right by the gondola that transports you to Canyon Lodge. We stay in a larger two-bedroom villa, which fits our family well since Irene still sleeps in a crib in the bathroom. The villa has a full kitchen, hooks and space for all of our ski gear, two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, giant windows with amazing views, a table big enough to seat us all, two balconies, and a fireplace.
The Village and Gondola
After settling in, we picked up the kids’ ski rentals and handed them off to the Westin ski valet (directly under the gondola) and then walked and played in The Village. It was snowing and the outdoor ambiance was perfect. We also took a free ride on the gondola up to Canyon Lodge and back, which Irene loved doing then and throughout the trip.
On our last day in Mammoth, I took the three Littles for a ride on the town trolley while Dan loaded the car for our trip home. This was a free activity and they loved it! We picked it up at the base of the Westin steps, right across the street from The Village.
Powder Ski Days
We spent two days on the mountain and both of them were powder days. Overall, there was much less snow than last year, but the weekend that we were in town, it snowed FEET. So, we didn’t have bluebird days and we didn’t get to the upper and top mountain runs (they were closed), but we made the best of it and definitely had more access to deep untouched powder than we’ve possibly ever had. Irene attended child care in The Village all day and the three Bigs attended ski school out of Canyon Lodge all day.
The kids – the girls, especially – are getting so great at skiing, especially for their age and the limited amount of time they’ve spent on skis. By the end of day two, Vivian was consistently keeping her skis parallel – and close together! Lillian was more-often-than-not keeping her skis parallel. Both can confidently ski blue/black runs while linking turns and remaining in control. They learned so much about powder skiing. And William learned enough that next time, he’ll be ready to hit the bigger runs off the chair lifts. We’re so proud of them and they are so proud of themselves. And best of all – they love skiing and being out in the snow, even when the weather isn’t so great.
Dan and I skied as much of the mountain as we could. At times, visibility was so poor, it was very discombobulating. We stopped once each day to eat lunch and grab a drink. On the first day, we ate outside (in the freezing temperatures!) at The Mill (that was the first time I’d ever eaten a salad with ski mittens on) and on the second day, we secured a window seat inside at Tusks in the Main Lodge.
Sledding
On our one full non-ski day while in Mammoth, we went sledding in the morning and tubing in the afternoon. The best place to sled in town is at Shady Rest Park. This year, the sledding hill did not have enough coverage, so we went sledding in the forest on the other side of the park, which I think turned out better than sledding on the normal hill. We didn’t have to walk as far, it was shady, and it was beautiful to be in the trees. The kids could have sled here all day long.
Tubing
I took the three Bigs tubing at Woolly’s Tube Park while Irene napped and Dan rested. We absolutely love tubing here because there are no crowds or lines, the runs are long, and the views are breathtaking. There is a new mountain coaster now there, too, but it was closed due to snow when we were there.
Drive Home Sights: Schat’s and Manzanar
The night before we left Mammoth, the 395 was completely closed down due to snow and white-out conditions. Luckily, it opened in the morning. The road was fully covered in snow for nearly the entire drive down to Bishop. Thankfully, we had tire chains on our car (they were required anyways).
In Bishop, we made the requisite stop at Schat’s Bakery to buy bread and to pretend to ride on their outdoor mechanical horses.
Our last stop on our rainy drive home was at Manzanar National Historic Site, a place that we’ve driven through many times, including on our Fall 2023 trip to the area, but never been in. We watched the video in the visitor center, toured the exhibits, earned Jr. Ranger badges (well, the girls did), and drove the auto tour (again). It was an interesting and educational visit and I’m glad that we finally got to fully experience it.
Goodbye Mammoth
I have been going up to Mammoth since I first moved to California 21 years ago. Back then, I was a single 22-year-old renting a room in San Clemente. Dan started going up to Mammoth in his mid-20s with coworkers from Disney. I went on trips to Mammoth with my roommate, ex-boyfriend, close friends, brother, sister, mother, and then, eventually, Dan and our four children. It was where Dan first told me he loved me. It’s where three of our kids learned to ski. It will always hold the most special place in my heart. It’s time, now, though, to explore Colorado resorts. Thank you for the memories, Mammoth. I will treasure my time spent here forever.
The Chambers Family - A.D. 