52 weekend getaways: Ski and winter

Snowshoeing at Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort

Today, the sport of snowshoeing is enjoying a surge of popularity, marked by a 30% spike in snowshoe sales between 2005 and 2008, according to SnowSports Industries America, a nonprofit trade group representing snow sport businesses.

So, in the middle of a late-winter storm, I traveled to this 9,000-acre winter resort near Soda Springs to see why almost 6 million Americans take part in what seems like the most leisurely of snow sports.

-- Hugo Martín

Planning your trip:

Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays; daily passes $25, snowshoe rentals $21; (800) 500-3871, www.royalgorge.com.

(Hugo Martin / Los Angeles Times )

Feb. 20, 2010 4:51 PM PT

Before the face-lift, Mammoth was known for its rustic charms. It was a hodgepodge of hotels, strip malls and mom-and-pop eateries, but that didn’t bother most of the skiers and snowboarders who came only for the mountain experience. Thanks to an average of 33 feet of snow and 300 days of sunshine each year, the experience was usually good.

The resort took a transformative step in 2008 when Mammoth Mountain teamed with Patina Restaurant Group in an effort to improve its culinary offerings. To make the slopes more convenient, Horizon Air began nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to the Mammoth Yosemite Airport.

-- Hugo Martín

Planning your trip:

www.visitmammoth.com/

(Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)