As Soon As We Leave It Starts to Snow - LAist Goes to Mammoth

We just got back from a five day trip to Mammoth. It was hot, it was hot, it was...hot. 65 degrees each day on the mountain. So hot that people were stripping down and sweating it out. Mammoth hasn't had good snow in almost three weeks so conditions were a little slushy, a little fussy, a little less than perfect. However - what could be more superb than midweek riding when everyone else expects the snow to be awful so they all stay home? Couldn't be better.

Ten Reasons Why Mammoth is a Must:
1) The five-hour trip through the desert is gorgeous & bizarre. We still don't get how the desert just turns into snow in a matter of minutes, but we dig it.
2) Seriously, it only takes five hours to get to excellent snow.
3) The three ride parks are first rate & you'd be hard pressed to find anything as good on the West coast.
4) The nightlife is getting better, but who really cares when you can hot tub, wet/dry sauna, and lap pool the night away in your well-priced, dog-friendly hotel that also offers free breakfast every morning?
5) Biodiesel shuttles (biodiesel, hooray!) to and from the mountain are free and run regularly.
6) The Auld Dubliner has the best on-tap selection & the best curry fries in the Eastern Sierras.
7) When you tire of Auld Dubliner, you can stumble across the path to Hennessey's or make your way to Lakanuki Tiki Bar which offers an odd-yet-cool tropical/snowy experience - and excellent grub.
8) While good pizza abounds, nothing is as divine as the tiny local pizza dive Nic & Willie's - they also serve their own fine beers.
9) Did we mention the hot tubbing and saunaing after a long day of snowboarding? The free hot chocolate? Free wi-fi? Free breakfast?
10) Did we mention the ride parks? The jumps? The rails? The pipes? The oustanding web of runs that take you all over the mountain and back again?

It's safe to say we didn't want to leave, although it seems the mountain was glad to see us go. We weren't an hour out of town before things got much cooler and the weather forecast is now predicting snow -- glorious snow.

Photos, travel details & ticket info after the jump...