Mammoth Lakes trip advice

Hi all (and Hank, in particular),
I'm thinking of driving down to Mammoth Lakes mid week (~March 15). I've
never seen the backside of Sierra Nevada and it would make a nice break from
always skiing the same Tahoe trails. Tamarack Lodge seems like the place to
stay: has a high-end restaurant and it's located right on the trail system.
Are there any other sights/eateries/ski stops that people can recommend? My
wife only skates, so we won't be going BC unless the crust comes early ;-)
Bob

Well, my name isn't Hank, but I'll weigh in. Go to to Bodie on the
way. Remember that Brady Bunch where they go to the ghost town and
they get locked in the jail? It's like that place.

bt (hoping that it snows enough down here on Friday so I can ski here
instead of having to go to the same old boring Tahoe trails - the ones
with hundereds of kilometers, snow measured in meters, immaculate
grooming - you know the ones)

sknyski wrote:

Well, my name isn't Hank, but I'll weigh in. Go to to Bodie on the
way.

Bodie is a wonderful place to visit. The roads to Bodie are not plowed
and I would not recommend trying to get there. Call the Mono Lake
Committee at (760) 647-6629 to check on raod status.

Ski Exuberantly,

Hank

Mammoth Lakes, California

Thanks for the info, Hank. Sorry to hear about your ribs. Maybe we'll see
you at B&A, WC, or GLC ;-)
Bob

wrote in message
oups.com...
We have lots of snow. See

http://www.flickr.com/photos/w6sx/109819453/

Excellent skiing. Snow will not be transformed next week unless there
is a drastic change in the weather.

Tamarack restaurant is very nice and bit high-end. Lots of other
restaurants in town. Burgers and Angles are lower-end sit down.
Whiskey Creek is fun place to eat. Good Life Cafe is great for lunch,
closed for dinner.

Best XC shop in town is Brians. Bit off main road, but anyone can tell
you how to find it.

Forest Service grooms trails for snowmobiles. Trails are pretty empty
mornings mid week and are great for skating. See

http://www.mammothnordic.com/grooming_report.htm

If you click on CLICK HERE it will show you where the snow cat is in
realtime. Glass Flow area shown on the map in blue is for XC only, no
snowmobiles. It is a nice ski and easy way to get a feel of back
country without the normal overhead.

Wish I could go for a ski with you, but unfortunately took a
parking-lot pratfall last week and bruised rib cage has me taking an
unplanned break from skiing.

Ski Exuberantly,

Hank

Mammoth Lakes, California

Hank, amazing pics, i checked your slideshow.
Mountains galore. wow.
Nothing like that here in the good old midwest.
may have to make a summer trip -- when do you recommend? July?
JK



wrote in message
oups.com...
We have lots of snow. See

http://www.flickr.com/photos/w6sx/109819453/

Excellent skiing. Snow will not be transformed next week unless there
is a drastic change in the weather.

Tamarack restaurant is very nice and bit high-end. Lots of other
restaurants in town. Burgers and Angles are lower-end sit down.
Whiskey Creek is fun place to eat. Good Life Cafe is great for lunch,
closed for dinner.

Best XC shop in town is Brians. Bit off main road, but anyone can tell
you how to find it.

Forest Service grooms trails for snowmobiles. Trails are pretty empty
mornings mid week and are great for skating. See

http://www.mammothnordic.com/grooming_report.htm

If you click on CLICK HERE it will show you where the snow cat is in
realtime. Glass Flow area shown on the map in blue is for XC only, no
snowmobiles. It is a nice ski and easy way to get a feel of back
country without the normal overhead.

Wish I could go for a ski with you, but unfortunately took a
parking-lot pratfall last week and bruised rib cage has me taking an
unplanned break from skiing.

Ski Exuberantly,

Hank

Mammoth Lakes, California

32degrees wrote:

Hank, amazing pics, i checked your slideshow.
Mountains galore. wow.
Nothing like that here in the good old midwest.
may have to make a summer trip -- when do you recommend? July?
JK

I didn't realize that the slide show was still up on Flickr.

The area shown is at the eastern border of Yosemite National Park.
Tioga Pass, the entry road, is normally closed until Memorial Day and
some years doesn't get cleared until early July. Last year the area
shown in the slides was snow covered until early July. The slide
labled "Sunshine Rhonda on Mt Dana" shows Dana Meadows which
traditionally has super crust skate skiing into June.

So best bet for this area and all of the high Sierra Nevada is late
July and August. The snow may be gone earlier, but later lets things
dry out a bit.

Ski Exuberantly,

Hank

Mammoth Lakes, California

There's a lot to be seen from the road and on day hikes, but if you like
to go far beyond the roadway for an overnight or two or three, bring a
backpack, well broken-in hiking boots and the ten essentials and
arrive early some morning to get a site camping permit. Dana Meadows is
a pretty spot, and there are plenty of other options in and around
Yosemite. To avoid the biggest crowds, we often went north out of
nearby Tuolumne Meadows, also on Tioga Pass Road coming in from the
eastern Sierra highway (395). BTW, Mammoth is not far down 395, and
there are some great day hikes up behind the Tamarack x-c ski area
trails - get a feel for what it would be like to ski there - and some
spectacular overnights to be had going northwest via the shuttle from
the Mammoth alpine ski area around the Sierra Crest trail. Hard to miss
in that whole area. In fact, if you ever have two or three weeks free,
rent a car in LA or SF and make a western circle southwest thru the
Grand Canyon, up thru Bryce/Zion and Moab, thru Utah to the Tetons and
Yellowstone, across into Oregon and back down thru Shasta, and the
Sierra. Something of a tourist's route, but a spectacular one.

Gene

wrote:

32degrees wrote:

Hank, amazing pics, i checked your slideshow.
Mountains galore. wow.
Nothing like that here in the good old midwest.
may have to make a summer trip -- when do you recommend? July?
JK

I didn't realize that the slide show was still up on Flickr.

The area shown is at the eastern border of Yosemite National Park.
Tioga Pass, the entry road, is normally closed until Memorial Day and
some years doesn't get cleared until early July. Last year the area
shown in the slides was snow covered until early July. The slide
labled "Sunshine Rhonda on Mt Dana" shows Dana Meadows which
traditionally has super crust skate skiing into June.

So best bet for this area and all of the high Sierra Nevada is late
July and August. The snow may be gone earlier, but later lets things
dry out a bit.

Ski Exuberantly,

Hank

Mammoth Lakes, California