It’s Snow Season Again in the Sierra

Mammoth Mountain was the first ski area in the Western United States to open this season, thanks to late-October storms that left two to four feet of snow on its slopes. With last weekend’s snowfall there is still a base of three to four feet as the resort gears up for the winter.

Average annual snowfall on the mountain is 18 feet. Thirty lifts transport thousands of skiers to the maze of downhill runs. Other skiers tour Mammoth’s scenic countryside over cross-country trails.

But skiing isn’t Mammoth’s only wintertime attraction. Visitors can ride through the snow on a dog sled, a horse-drawn sleigh or a snowmobile. Or they can sightsee in a hot-air balloon equipped with a basket mounted on skis that skim over the snow during landing. Other sports options are ice skating, snowshoe walking and sledding.

The main draw of this resort town is its 11,053-foot inactive volcano that offers 3,500 acres of gentle-to-steep terrain for downhill skiers. Thirty percent of the slopes are designed for beginners, 40% for intermediates and 30% for advanced skiers. The longest run is 2.5 miles.

Even if you don’t ski, it’s worth a ride to the summit of Mammoth Mountain in a pair of gondolas for a sweeping vista of the Eastern Sierra. Take Gondola 1 from the Main Lodge to Mid-Chalet where refreshments are available, then continue to the mountaintop on Gondola 2. Round-trip sightseeing tickets are $6, children $3.

For skiers, all-day lift tickets cost $35, half-day $25. Children pay half price, except those 6 years and under, who ski free. Skiers 65 and older also ride the lifts without charge.

A new 10-X Ticket Book costs $290 (children $145) and lets you ski for 10 days at Mammoth and neighboring June Mountain any time during the season. Lower priced three- to five-day consecutive midweek, non-holiday tickets also are available.

You’ll find midweek lift and lodging packages at Mammoth Mountain Inn, which is a few steps from Main Lodge and the slopes. The per-person rate begins at $189 for three days/three nights in a hotel-type room or $260 in a condo suite, including lift tickets.

Regular per-night hotel room rates (single or double) at the inn are $69/$125 midweek, $85/$140 on weekends. Some suites accommodate up to 13 guests and cost $200 midweek, $255 weekends. Call toll-free (800) 228-4947 or (619) 934-2581 for reservations.

The 214-room Mammoth Mountain Inn is at the Main Lodge ski area about six miles from the town of Mammoth Lakes, where there are many other accommodations in motels, condos and cabins.

This season you can ride free to and from the slopes and around the town aboard a fleet of Mammoth Area Shuttle (MAS) buses. All are equipped with racks for skis and snow boards.

Several companies offer activities in the snow, and you can book them through Mammoth Adventure Connection at the Mammoth Mountain Inn. Call (619) 934-0606.

Especially popular are the dog sled excursions that depart from the inn through the woods to Minaret Vista. Mush with the huskies for a half hour ($27.50; children 12 years and under $16.50) or an hour ($60.50, children $27.50). Kids under 3 are free.

You also can take a romantic dog-sled ride in the moonlight that begins with champagne and ends with dinner at the inn’s Mountainside Grill or Yodler restaurant. The outings are operated by Dog Sled Adventures. Call (619) 934-6270.

The same company runs a team of sled dogs at Sierra Meadows at the edge of town. That’s also where sleighs pulled by pairs of draft horses make excursions on Friday, Saturday and holiday evenings. Some include hot spiced wine and cider, others feature hearty ranch-style dinners after the ride. Call (619) 934-6161 for rates and reservations.

Guided hourlong horseback rides over rolling hills along Mammoth Creek also are offered at Sierra Meadows. And you can rent skis, boots and poles and take lessons for cross-country ski touring, as well as arrange for snowmobile rentals.

DJ’s Snowmobile Adventures has rentals and guided tours along U.S. 395 at Smokey Bear Flat, where there are 50 miles of trails to explore. Half hour guide outings cost $20 with one rider, $30 with two; hourlong excursions are $40 single, $55 double. Snowmobiles can be rented for $55 per person half-day, $85 full day; minimum age to ride alone is 16 years. For more information, call (619) 935-4480.

For a bird’s-eye view of the snowcapped Sierra, board the hot-air balloon that drifts over Mammoth from its launch site at Main Street (California 203) and Old Mammoth Road. Up to six adults ascend on the early morning flights. A one-hour aerial adventure costs $135 per person, or $150 with champagne brunch. Children 12 years and under pay half price. Contact High Sierra Ballooning at (619) 934-7188.

Winds may carry the balloon over the Mammoth Lakes basin, where Tamarack Lodge Resort on Twin Lakes is a nordic ski center. More than 25 miles of groomed trails radiate from the rustic resort that has 11 rooms in the lodge and 26 cabins. Nightly rates range from $60/$165 weekdays, $70/$185 weekends and higher on holidays. Call (800) 237-6879 for reservations.

Cross-country ski equipment can be rented and lessons are available at Tamarack Lodge Resort. Use of the trails on U.S. Forest Service lands costs $12 per day, youth and seniors $8, kids 10 years and under free. Free shuttle buses go to and from town.

You don’t need to be a skier or lodge guest to dine at the resort’s cozy Lakeside restaurant, one of the most popular in Mammoth. Other local favorites for food include Whiskey Creek, Roget’s, The Mogul, Giovanni’s (pizza), Berger’s (hamburgers) and O’Kelly & Dunn.

The Town of Mammoth Lakes runs a visitor information center that is open daily in the Village Center Mall on Main Street (California 203) between Center Street and Manzanita Road. It continues to operate a lodging referral service established by the defunct Mammoth Lakes Resort Assn. Call toll-free (800) 367-6572 for more information.

The Mammoth Mountain Ski Area publishes its own Travel Planner for the winter season. Call (619) 934-2571 for a copy.

For more information about cross-country ski trails, good spots for sledding and frozen lakes for ice skating, contact the U.S. Forest Service ranger station and visitor center in Mammoth that is open daily except Sundays: (619) 934-2505.

Get to Mammoth Lakes from Los Angeles by driving north on Interstate 5 and California 14 to join U.S. 395, then continue north to the California 203 turnoff. Round trip is 640 miles.