Ski California
My excitement when I received the phone call was palpable. While I’ve skied much of Colorado, I’ve never had the opportunity to ski the World Renowned resorts of the High Sierra Nevada Mountains. Now I was about to pack my bags for the Great Californian ski road trip! On this trip we were to visit Mammoth Mountain in the Mammoth Lakes region, then off to Lake Tahoe to ski Squaw Valley, Northstar and Diamond Peak. I was itching to leave and my biggest decision was whether I would take my skis or snowboard with me.
On arrival into Los Angeles after a very comfortable flight with American airlines, we collected our cars and set off in convoy through the Mojave Desert and past the Airplane Graveyard that was quite eerie. On to Bishop where we stopped for a quick lunch before ascending into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. The change in scenery was dramatic as we drove higher, and the temperatures plummeted. Driving into the Mammoth Lakes region was nothing short of spectacular. Mammoth lies at entrance to Yosemite national park and is a busy resort summer and winter with the Mammoth Lakes offering unbounded recreational opportunities. I thought how amazing it would be to head over in the summertime and will certainly be recommending it to my future clients.
Mammoth Mountain ski resort is the perfect resort that offers easy access from Los Angeles with either a picturesque dive through the Mojave Desert or a flight into Mammoth itself and a short drive to the resort. Just as easy is the drive from San Francisco, giving two access points for Australian travellers. An excellent resort for a few days up to a week of skiing in one dedicated spot, the mountain offers enough terrain to keep all level of skier happy. The area is roughly split into three with the Eagle area being the most popular place for families to stay, the Village area the place for those wanting more nightlife and variety, and on mountain at the Mammoth Mountain Inn for the hardcore skiers wanting direct ski access and first dibs up the hill on those blissful powder days.
Twenty-eight lifts efficiently whisk patrons up the hill so there is never a long wait and with over 75% of the mountain catering to intermediate and above level skiers there is terrain aplenty for those who love steep and deep as I do. I just didn’t have enough time to explore it all and salivated each time I rode up a chair and looked down upon the wonderful off piste sections between the trees and the steeps. https://www.mammothmountain.com/winter/mountain-information/lifts-trails/trail-map
The beauty of Mammoth is that you have a variety of accommodation to choose from, ranging from staying on mountain at the Mammoth Mountain Inn as we did, ski in/ski out with regular transfers into town, or staying in town in either hotel or apartment style accommodations that cater to all budgets. While we were there, we visited a few properties starting with the beautiful Westin Mammoth for those wanting a luxury ski experience with its amazing outdoor heated pool and five star service. Other properties visited included The Juniper Springs Lodge, Village Lodge, The Sierra Nevada Lodge, which hosted many a Hollywood legend and pays homage to its famous past, and for something different, the Tamarak Lodge which offers individual cabins situated by the lake in the forest. All had their own charm and individual flair.
The town of Mammoth is spread over quite an area with guests having the choice of staying on mountain, in the village (The Village Inn) or slightly further out. The Village area had a great atmosphere with fire pits, a great variety of restaurants and shops and a gondola taking clients up the mountain to access the terrain. We ate at Gomez Mexican restaurant which reportedy has the largest tequila selection in the United States. The food was divine, and the margaritas went down very well indeed! The Mammoth Brewery was another gem with their wonderful share plates and selection of home brew beers to taste. We had a wonderful evening here getting to know each other and really savouring the delights of the region. I never knew mac ‘n cheese could be so good!
On mountain Yodler restaurant and bar was fantastic and their pretzel with dips is the perfect starter to any meal, while Tusk’s on the mountain offered a wide variety of food ranging from fresh salads and soups to the all-time favourite burgers and pizza. In town, Jimmy’s Taverna offered up some of the best Greek food that I had ever tried. It is a wonderful establishment that takes pride in the food it serves, and the sommelier has so much passion and attention to his craft that you can’t help but feel the love in every sip of wine that he recommended. For a quick bite on the go, Schat’s Bakery is a local legend offering up all manner of baked deliciousness as well as local jams and produce at a reasonable price. All the prices were very reasonable for a resort town and of course being America, the servings are very generous.
There is so much nightlife on offer in Mammoth ranging from bars such as the quintessential Clock tower bar at the Alpenhof hotel where we had a great pool challenge with the locals, to smaller wine bars and local hangouts, a bowling alley, movie theatre, ice skating and ice hockey just to name a few. We spent a great afternoon tubing at Woollies which was more fun than I had anticipated, and other activities on offer included snowshoeing, snow mobiling, ziplining, cross country ski touring areas as well as relaxing in the many hot springs dotted around the town.
Our drive from Mammoth Mountain in California across to Lake Tahoe on State Highway 395 took us a little longer than expected due to heavy snowfalls the night prior and road closures over the high passes, but we took advantage of the drive by stopping along the way and taking in the grand vistas of the snowy peaks and lakes that became apparent as we drove. While we were not able to stop at Conway lookout or Bodie State Park which housed a ghost town from yesteryear, we did lunch at the historic Bridgeport Inn where we said hello to the ghost of Sarah in room 16, a young lass who, wearing her wedding dress, took her own life when she heard of the death of her fiancé in an accident. These are the stories that bring small towns to life.
North Lake Tahoe offers every kind of skiing experience you could want. The lake is flanked by 11 different downhill resorts ranging in size and feel, from the larger Squaw Valley, Heavenly and Northstar to the smaller more intimate mountains, there really is something for everyone. You have the opportunity to stay on snow at some resorts while others offer the perfect day out. Clients can pick and choose depending on their budget; however, it was apparent to me that a car was necessary to help get around as there didn’t seem to be one bus service taking you to a variety of the mountains. Some resorts offer a mountain shuttle service but with free parking and excellent roads, having a car gives more freedom to discover and explore the wonderful resorts on offer.
We stayed at the Granlibakken lodge which was only a short drive from both Squaw Valley and Northstar resorts which we skied on consecutive days. This was a great base and the lodge itself offered a variety of accommodations and excellent facilities including a heated pool. We also stayed at Mourelatos, right on the shores of the lake in Tahoe Vista. The scenery was simply stunning and with a fireplace in the room it was an inviting and cosy place to spend the night after a hard day on the mountain. Again, only a short drive up to the ski resort of choice, if offered the perfect place to relax and rejuvenate and only being a short drive from Squaw Valley it made perfect sense to use it as our base.
I loved the feel of Squaw Valley with its great village atmosphere and non-stuffy approach. A huge resort offering a great variety of terrain, it was a fabulous day with our guide Bart showing us around the hill. Steep and deep, just as I like it and more exposed than other resorts due to its height, it is more prone to lift closures due to high winds, but on a powder day it would literally “go off”! While we only had one day to ski here and only scratched the surface of the terrain, it is certainly a resort I would love to go back to and that you could easily spend a week exploring. Great Apres ski included the Chamois Bar which was recently voted the best Apres bar in North America, and I can tell you, I really enjoyed my warm sake that I had there! Decked out in all manner of ski paraphernalia, it was relaxing and welcoming and after a hard ski day, offered the perfect way to ease into the evening. https://squawalpine.com/
Northstar is more upmarket with the accommodation right on the mountain and smattering of more exclusive galleries and shops. It reminded me more of the villages you find at Vail and Aspen and had a quaint ice-skating rink in the village area that was very popular with the kiddies.
Our guide here, Kevin, made sure we covered the best of the runs on the day, giving us the challenging terrain that we were craving, while other instructors lead my colleagues to areas that suited their needs and experience yet still allowed them to get a good feel for the mountain. We had a wonderful lunch at the Smokehouse, which as the name suggests, specialises in BBQ. It was a great way to cap off a morning of hard skiing and boarding. https://www.northstarcalifornia.com
Diamond Peak at Incline Village, Lake Tahoe was an absolute surprise. What a gem of a resort! Catering to intermediate and advanced skiers it offers steep and deep terrain in a smaller style resort. No great lift lines and lots of great tree skiing when the conditions are right. The biggest selling point however is the view from the Snowflake lodge, with the deck situated to give you the best vantage point over Lake Tahoe and surrounds. We were there on a blustery, snowy day but I can only imagine the views on a beautiful Bluebird day with the deep hues of the sky melding into the glacial waters of the pristine lake. It would be just magical. The ski down from Diamond Peak seems as if you are skiing into the Lake itself and on a clear day it would be simply magic!
With a base elevation at 6700 feet and highest lifted point at 8540 feet, it offers great groomed and off piste runs that are not for the feint hearted. This was perhaps my favourite mountain and perfect for a day on the slopes. Just a short drive from South Lake Tahoe and Reno alike It really is a diamond that I was most grateful to find. Six lifts take you up to the highest points, while one surface lift caters specifically for the beginner skiers on the lower mountain. Most of the runs are flanked by trees helping to give not only perspective on a low visibility day but also act as a buffer to the winds. What the resort lacks in area, it makes up for in heart and quality of the runs. https://www.diamondpeak.com/
Ski passes for the resorts were affordably priced, and some of the larger ski resorts have passes allowing you to ski multiple areas such as Squaw Valley and Alpine meadows which will soon be linked by a gondola. There are also ski passes that allow you to ski multiple areas both in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and South America such as the Icon and Epic passes which represent excellent value.
The Icon pass allows you to ski up to 38 different destinations over two different passes and while they both include the same list of 38 iconic destinations, the Ikon Base Pass comes with fewer days and limited blackout dates (think holiday breaks). The Ikon Pass provides more days to play and no blackout dates. The Epic pass is similar with access to 22 resorts in Australia, Canada the USA and Japan. Clients can pick the pass that covers their favourite resorts and choose between the Australian pass or the US Version. Either way, all the passes represent excellent value for money for those powder hounds intent on getting bang for their buck over multiple resorts.
Lake Tahoe, like Mammoth Lakes, offers year-round activities with the lake being the central focus of these in the Summer and the Mountains in the Winter. The area transforms from a Winter wonderland to a Summertime Party with all manner of water sports, hiking and outdoor pursuits on offer. A short 3 hour or so drive from San Francisco or a 45-minute drive from Reno, it offers easy access and an easy add-on for travellers from Australia looking for something a little different. Perfect for those who, like me, have grown up watching American movies depicting lazy summers by the lake, and wanting to experience this for themselves.
The whole area around Lake Tahoe offers so much variety and diversity in restaurants and bars, that one could never get to them all. We had fabulous Italian at Whitecaps Pizza and a great meal at both the Tahoe Mountain Brewing and Bridgetender, so much on offer all with that famous American hospitality and huge servings.
Overall, California offers so much for both winter and summer pursuits, it’s not just about the cities and theme parks, there is just so much more on offer. I was so happy to have been invited to see for myself just how truly amazing these areas are. I know for one, that future clients of mine will be enlightened as I was as to the true beauty of the region.