 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, this is my first post on your forums.
I need info please.
My friends and I are starting to plan our winter adventures for next season, and our current destination of choice is Mammoth Mountain, California.
We are looking at renting a house for a couple of weeks as there will probably be at least six people in the group, however at least one person will NOT be riding.
With this in mind I want to find a house that is close to the town centre so there is stuff to do for those not riding up on the hill.
From looking at maps online, the town looks quite spread out, so which area should I be looking at? I presume “the village” is out of town?
We would rather travel I little each morning/evening to get to and from the hill and be near to the shop, restaurants, bars etc in the evening, so don’t mind a short travel to the lifts each day if necessary.
We will also be taking a few days in LA before travelling to Mammoth, so any other info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Jon
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi Jon
Mammoth is spread out, and although there are ski buses you will be so much better served with your own wheels so make this a priority.
To get quickly to the best skiing you will be driving out of town for 10 mins so don't worry about where you stay too much in that regard. The whistler-style village bit is actually quite small and pretty dead at night - you are probably better off in the actual town.
The mountain is HUGE and if the snow is good as good as any i have ridden.
If you get time, cross-country skiing around the lake at the far end of town is beatiful and the scenery stunning.
LA - Santa Monica/Venice Beach is the only place to stay - relatively easy to get around and no chance of accidently driving into South Central.
Do the Warner Bros. tour - we saw Will Smith and Tom Hanks!
If you have an option San Fran is accessable from Mammoth and would make for a great last few days to your trip (much nicer than LA!). If you go book the Alcatraz night tour tickets way in advance.
Good luck (im jealous)
Si
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks for your reply and the info Si.
Can I ask where abouts in Mammoth town you have stayed on previous visits?
I will definately be taking your advice about LA; we don't want to end in Compton by mistake!!! I actually stayed in SF for a few days when going to Tahoe a couple of years ago, and visited Alcatraz (although not a night, I bet that was quite an exprience after dark). I'm not a city person, but found SF to be a great place.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If I were in a group of 6 or more, I'd rather stay relatively central in town, and close to the ski bus route.
Yes, a car is more flexible. But having to wait for 5-6 people to get ready each morning pretty much took that perceived flexibility completely away. And say if I want to make a short day or two during my stay, I'd rather not deal with the trouble of waiting around for the car. I can just take the bloody ski bus! That's just me though.
The good news is, the bus does go through the main drag of the town. So even if you're a few blocks away from it, you can still walk there to catch the bus.
And after dinner and a few pints, who wants to worry about driving back to the house? So I'd say walking distance to the town is a high priority.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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About LA: It's a super spread out city, so pick your lodging close to where you want to visit. Or, instead of staying at LA itself, you may consider staying a little north on the coast like Santa Monica as sugggested above. Another option, rather than spending the time in LA, make a short detour to either Palm Spring or Death Valley and spend a couple days there instead.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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mertle, I have always found that renting a condominium near the Canyon Lodge is the way to go. We have always had a car, and it's tough getting around Mammoth without one. I have always liked the 1849 Condominiums, across the street from the lodge. Mammoth as a town is quite spread out, not like the European resorts, so staying in town really does not have an advantage, as you still will have to drive around town.
San Francisco is at least six hours from Mammoth, and can be more if certain mountain passes are closed, so check with the California Highway Patrol before planning such a venture. They have a website.
As an LA resident, there is something for everybody here. I like to send people to the Foghorn Hotel in Marina del Rey. It's on a small bayside beach, walking distance to the Cheesecake Factory, ten minutes to the airport, and five minutes from the freeway which can take you most anywhere. I would also recommend Palm Springs or Palm Desert for a couple of days to unwind in the warm desert.
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I'll assume you'll have at least 1 car - you need to be able to get around town and you'll soon get fed up with bus for supermarket runs or to go to restaurants and bars. Plus the early birds can get out early park up and be standing in line on a powder day. There really isn't a town centre (except maybe Vons supermarket)though Intrawest will try and convince people that the usual formulaic Village is the heart and soul of the holiday experience.
Mammoth is a decent size (getting on for a fair sized euro resort) and high so it does get slammed with snow most years but this also mean the upper mountain can get storm closed - however wind does mean great wind pockets  The topgraphy isn't always obvious with little sub peaks and it can be well worth a bit of exploring.
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I want to find a house that is close to the town centre so there is stuff to do for those not riding up on the hill.
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There is no town centre as such ....the town is very typical US style which is strung out over a largeish distance along the major roads with groups of shops/restaurants here or there. You need a car to get about (in my view). It is not the sort of place where anybody would say that they were about to pop into town for a walk round the shops.
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We would rather travel I little each morning/evening to get to and from the hill and be near to the shop, restaurants, bars etc in the evening, so don’t mind a short travel to the lifts each day if necessary.
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My guess is that you will be driving in the evening unless you have a set of very enthusiastic walkers in your group or you strike it very lucky with a set of good bars/restaurants close to where you chosse to stay
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've been to Mammoth 3 times now in the last 11 seasons Feb this year being the latest. Great place.
Try www.vrbo.com for house rentals.
The last 2 times we stayed at Discovery 4 condos not far from Canyon lodge about 3/4 mile walk to the new village complex good for bars and food.
Buses round town are ok and cabs are reasonable. It is walkable from the village to the bottom of town with plenty of shops and more bars and restauants on the way.
Regards stuff to do for non riders a car would be good, not much to do otherwise around town.
Drive from LA is about 6 hours with plenty of places to stop on the way and take photos some spectacular stuff.
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Thanks for all your input guys and girls. I shall do some more research, but I may come back with some more questions later. Thanks again 
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