Little Black Book: California Ski Bunny

From January through March, Amber Feld travels the world producing fashion shows on behalf of Showroom Seven/Seventh House PR's roster of powerhouse clients. This creates a serious problem: She misses ski season. But she found her answer in Mammoth, a friendly mountain town five hours by car (or 70 minutes by plane) from LA or SF, where the chairlifts run through late spring. Last year, she skied on the Fourth of July.

MAMMOTH, California – Any given weekend starts fireside at the Sierra Nevada Lodge and ends with me picking up a sandwich for the drive home. The in-between time is filled with gondola rides, tree skiing, trick-spotting, and making a go of it on runs like Cornice, Climax, Dave's, and Chairs 22 and 23. Break at McCoy Station for lunch. Recoup at hot springs just a few miles away.

Here's the full lowdown.

WHERE TO STAY

Sierra Nevada Lodge
64 Old Mammoth Rd.; +1-760-934-2515
I love staying here whenever I come up for the weekend. It's cheap, cheerful, and smells like cinnamon. Count on a roaring fireplace, drinks, and a couple games of pool in the cozy old bar.

WHERE TO EAT

Nevados
6024 Minaret Rd.; +1-760-934-4466
Nothing beats a seat at the bar for fine dining with a local vibe.

Nick-N-Willy's
76 Old Mammoth Rd.; +1-760-934-2012
I love the sandwiches and pizzas here. Many a time I have had both in one sitting (I recommend the Mexican slice). After skiing on Sunday, I go by and get a big sandwich for the drive home, and eat it while cruising through the Mojave with a setting sun.

Steller Brew & Deli
3280 Main St.; +1-760-924-3559
Drop in on your way to the mountain for good strong coffee, breakfast burritos, vegan scones, and bacon chocolate croissants.

Z Ranch
4 Alpine Cir.; +1-760-934-4492
Good food at reasonable prices and a special every night of the week (Monday Mickeys and Burgers, Taco Tuesday, Wing Wednesday...you get the idea).

WHERE TO SHOP

Kitteredge
3218 Main St.; +1-760-934-7566
Kitteredge has everything a skier could need, including an amazing selection of skies and boots. If you drop off your skis for a wax or tune-up, they will be ready by 7 a.m. the next day.

Wave Rave Snowboard Shop
3203 Main St.; +1-760-934-2471
Wave Rave is to snowboarders what Kitteredge is to skiers: Heaven. Now is a good time to pick up hoodies for spring weather on the mountain.

WHERE TO DRINK

A-Frame Liquor
3453 Main St.; +1-760-934-6715
A-Frame is a convenient little liquor shop located on Main Street. Gotta love the bucket of beers near the cash register on ice.

Clocktower Cellar
6080 Minaret Rd.; +1-760-934-6330
One of the many good dive bars in the middle of town, this beer and whisky joint is at the bottom of Alpenhof Lodge.

Mammoth Brewing Company
94 Berner St.; +1-760-934-7141
Support the local brewery and stop by for a tasting of seasonal beers. Of course, I like the Real McCoy Amber.

The Tap
3499 Main St.; +1-760-924-8020
If you're not too wiped out from the mountain, get beer and play a few rounds of Wii bowling, darts, and pool.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

How to Get There

Most people drive to Mammoth from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) is six miles from Mammoth Lakes and is served by Alaska an Horizon Airlines.

MAP IT

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