Mammoth Mountain Stats:

Top Elevation: 11,053 ft
Bottom Elevation: 7,953 ft
Vertical Rise: 3,100 ft
Area Size: 3,500 acres
Longest Run: 3 miles
Terrain Park: Yes
Halfpipe: Yes

Mammoth is the real deal. It’s a huge mountain with every type of terrain. Cliffs, jumps, rails, trees, steeps, jibs, spines, and slaloms are all there. Plus, it is only 5 hours from Los Angeles. It may seem like a much farther drive than the 2 hours to Big Bear, but the two can’t be compared. A fresh powder day in Mammoth can change your life. Powder in Big Bear is when the fake snow blowers spray the same patch for too long. That being said, Mammoth isn’t a winter wonderland without fault. It is $80 for an Adult All Day lift Ticket and it will probably cost a clean, crisp hundred dollar bill by the time you finish reading this post. Here are some ways to cope with this stunning cost.

ads from Shopzilla

Cheapskate Option A:
Make the most of your day and your money! Stay away from the base lodges, $10 beers, and most importantly the crowded lifts. In Mammoth, that means the Main and Canyon Lodges…unless you are ready to call it a day. Off the beaten path, there are lifts which can give you access to amazing terrain with mininal lift lines. Chair 14 is a great spot…if you can find it. The only way to get to it is to go down the backside of the very top of the mountain. It services unlimited untracked tree runs and there is no waiting at the bottom. Beware…to get back to civilization from Chair 14, you will need to ride down the steeps off the front peak of the mountain and on some days it can be pretty hairy.

Chair 23 is another chair which has no waiting. That is probably because it is a ridiculously steep lift which goes over jagged rocks and insanely steep cliff runs only to drop folks off in a freaky-ass icy bat cave atop the massive mountain. Once you get off the lift, some of the most challenging runs on the mountain are ready and waiting.

Cheapskate Option B:
Don’t wanna spend all that cash on a lift ticket? Then don’t! It is very possible to ride a whole day without being asked for a ticket. The hardest part is getting on that first lift. That is because once you get up to the Mid-Mountain lifts, they stop checking tickets because they assume that everyone must have already had their ticket checked at the base lifts. Even if you get called out for not having a ticket, it’s not like you will be forced to flee the scene with your board strapped on. Most of the lift operators are chill and will be sympathetic to the guy that “forgot” to buy a ticket.

Another choice for the frugal boarder is the “2 for 1″. If you plan on boarding or skiing 2+ days at the same resort you can buy your ticket and keep it from being scanned or stamped. At the end of the day just return it and say that you hadn’t used it yet and you would like to get a voucher for another day. Many lift operators just go for the visual check and don’t bother physically or digitally marking your ticket. Once again the mid-mountain lifts will be your best bet for avoiding the ticket scanners. Don’t worry, Mammoth has plenty of these lifts and are much less crowded anyway. Just make sure you return it the same day that you buy it and you have a decent excuse. A good excuse would be that you bought the ticket right before you found out that your buddy hurt himself and you have to leave with your ride. Most of the employees in Mammoth are international folks who are on a “work abroad vacation” so chances are that they will play along with your silly games.

Tags: Snowboarding · Travel · Ramblings ·