Skiing out of LA?

So. Looks like on way or another the small town mount washington valley kid is moving to LA for awhile. Possibly to santa monica. It's for work of course; starting a career blah blah blah....

It seems to me that all the good skiing is pretty far out. But then again it kicks EC skiing's ass. I'll be under the normal constraints of a lowly employee. Those being limited funding and time off. I just like to strategize my season's early so as to get the maximal quality skiing in. And of course I need to distract myself from the pit of stress that is job wrangling.

The whole weekend warrior thing to mammoth sounds like it would be way crowded and expensive as hell. Are ski clubs a gaper-only option? I'm contemplating whether it's smarter to try to max out vacation time and head to alta for a week each time a huge system rolls in. i.e. calculated stormchasing.


Feel free to point and laugh or give me a regional JONG.

I live in Santa Monica and go to Mammoth about 2-3 weekends a month - and it's not so warrior as you would imagine. Basically, the drive isn't much longer than the one to Big Bear, thanks to traffic on the 10 or on that 2 lane winding road up that backs up and can take hours.

What do you look like? You might want to pm CS about a season pass... that's the only way Mammoth is affordable.

Otherwise, Baldy has a pass for only $100 and is worth getting, if it's a snow year there.

Sounds like a good plan, but you might have some problems when you hit the ocean.




ZZZZING!

Quote:

---

What do you look like? You might want to pm CS about a season pass.

---

.....trouble.....

get a pass at baldy (119), then hook-up w/mags for lodging/rides when Mammoth calls. Tix will be $68 this year?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Barnballs

.....trouble.....

get a pass at baldy (119), then hook-up w/mags for lodging/rides when Mammoth calls. Tix will be $68 this year?

---

Trouble? Hitting the ocean? My dashing good looks?

I really am a JONG. Can someone please translate?

I take it MVP club is well past it's enter date?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Barnballs

.....trouble.....

get a pass at baldy (119), then hook-up w/mags for lodging/rides when Mammoth calls. Tix will be $68 this year?

---

Not sure what the Intrawest deal is with trying to sell off Mammoth- but if they have some sort of local discount card where you pay $40 to activate, like Whistler- you could get one at Stratton or Tremblant before moving West and then could get 25% off tix all season at Mammoth. I don't know if this is feasible- just an idea as 25% off $68.00 is pretty good. But may want to check intrawest.com first.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dromond

So. Looks like on way or another the small town mount washington valley kid is moving to LA for awhile. Possibly to santa monica. It's for work of course; starting a career blah blah blah....

It seems to me that all the good skiing is pretty far out. But then again it kicks EC skiing's ass. I'll be under the normal constraints of a lowly employee. Those being limited funding and time off. I just like to strategize my season's early so as to get the maximal quality skiing in. And of course I need to distract myself from the pit of stress that is job wrangling.

The whole weekend warrior thing to mammoth sounds like it would be way crowded and expensive as hell. Are ski clubs a gaper-only option? I'm contemplating whether it's smarter to try to max out vacation time and head to alta for a week each time a huge system rolls in. i.e. calculated stormchasing.




Feel free to point and laugh or give me a regional JONG.

---

The local mountains (San Gabriels) are killer on a good snow year like 04/05. From Santa Monica take the 10 freeway out to Baldy or Hwy 2 up to Waterman (no lift service anymore). Either one has great terrain.Big Bear is really flat, don't waste your time. Mammoth is about 5 hours and by far your best option. June is also an option,their pass is like 250$.You can always fly to Reno or SLC for the weekend pretty easily. Thats my 2 cents,good luck!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by flatlander420

The local mountains (San Gabriels) are killer on a good snow year like 04/05. From Santa Monica take the 10 freeway out to Baldy or Hwy 2 up to Waterman (no lift service anymore). Either one has great terrain.Big Bear is really flat, don't waste your time. Mammoth is about 5 hours and by far your best option. June is also an option,their pass is like 250$.You can always fly to Reno or SLC for the weekend pretty easily. Thats my 2 cents,good luck!

---

I was just checking out some photos of the San Gabriels. I had no idea there were mountains relatively close to LA that were that un-crappy. I was just in LA last week thinking "if only it snowed up there." I guess I wasn't so far off.

Barnballs: $119 pass to Baldy? Do you meant he discount card? It looks like the pass is $250 but I could be missing something.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dromond

I was just checking out some photos of the San Gabriels. I had no idea there were mountains relatively close to LA that were that un-crappy. I was just in LA last week thinking "if only it snowed up there." I guess I wasn't so far off.

---

The San Gabriels/San Bernardinos are a kick ass little range. LA's so warm usually they don't get much snow. But if you have a year like 04/05, it can go off. Baldy was open until Memorial Day this year and they don't even make snow.

Even better, there's some really good mountain biking in those mountains too. I think Tuffy rides in SaMo all the time also.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yogachik

...You might want to pm CS about a season pass...

---

^^^What's this? :confused: ^^^



It seems to me that L.A. has a lot better access to skiing than Santa Barbara does. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're in S.B. don't you have to come south to cut over to the 395?

I wouldn't count on the local mountains being that great. I can count on one hand the number of great winters in the local mountains since I can remember. On the other hand, if it is a good winter, Baldy and it's surrounding OB can be great.

The drive to Mammoth is totally worth it. Check the pics in AD's post from Mammoth in October - freaking October!!! Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

Baldy is sweet when the snow is good, and they're cheap if you pick up local discounts (sports chalet had $25 vouchers last season) and close. Head to Mammoth when it starts dumping.

Quote:

---

Trouble? Hitting the ocean? My dashing good looks?

---

Trouble, as in using someone else's pass. It's easier to park a UHaul packed with fertilizer and ammonia at a terminal in LAX then getting past the nazi-lifties at Mammoth.

CS-leaving?

Or get ducttape's pass--he'll be in class all winter.

Since the cheap Mammoth pass deadline is long gone, I wouldn't buy a pass anywhere, and instead spend the season exploring. Mammoth is well worth the drive, but the local areas can be fun too. Baldy has by far the best terrain, but it very rarely has enough snow to make it worth skiing. If you're going to ski there bring rock skis, because no matter what the snow report says, you're going to hit rocks (and lots of them).

Mountain High is the most convenient of the modern resorts (it's probably less than 1.5 hours from SM). Because of that it is totally overcrowded. I would strongly advise against skiing there on a weekend. However, they have nightskiing 7 days a week, which is great for those time when you want to go skiing after work.

Bear Mountain and Snow Summit are a little bit over 2 hours away in Big Bear. The two resorts are owned by the same company and share lift tickets. Snow Summit targets a wealthier clientel, and as a result ends up having lots of skiers, and not so many snowboarders. The mountain itself is pretty boring with lots of wide, gentle cruisers. However, it is one of the few places in the region that consistently has moguls (on a single, 600 vertical foot run). Bear Mountain has been pushing their park the last few years, and I have to say that they've built up a pretty amazing park (everything except the halfpipe). There are lots of truly innovative features in all sizes. I've skied a lot of different resorts, and none of them have parks like Bear's. The downside of this is that there are a lot of really obnoxious snowboarders ("Dude! Get out of my way!!"). They sell a cheaper season pass for Sun - Fri, so it is often a little bit less crowded on Saturdays (at least off the bunny hill). The tree skiing at Bear is also pretty easy to get to (if there is snow), and well worth exploring.

If I was a new guy in the area, I would explore most of the region during Nov - Jan, and then probably spend the rest of the season making day trips to Bear, and weekend trips to Mammoth.

Oh yeah, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm a full-time instructor at Bear, so it's the resort I know best, and I happen to think that it's a pretty ddcool place to ski (although it's obviously not even remotely near the same class as Mammoth). Let me know when you're up at Bear and I'll try to give you a tour.

slc round trip from LAX is usually b/w $100-$140

gas to mammoth, probably about the same

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SponsoredByDuctTape

It seems to me that L.A. has a lot better access to skiing than Santa Barbara does. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're in S.B. don't you have to come south to cut over to the 395?

---

Yep. The worst part of the drive is getting through Montecito and down to Ventura during the Friday evening rush. It depends on how much of LA you have to drive through, but I'd say SB is good for an extra half hour to an hour over living in the city. Make that two hours if the 126 is flooded like it was a couple times last winter.

On the weekends when it wasn't dumping in Mammoth I had a blast in the San Bernardino backcountry last year. That was the first year I'd been up there, so I'm probably deluding myself about how good it'll be in a typical season.

Mammoth is totally sweet

Don't forget about June Mtn (usually have special offers, long after mammoth's have stopped). There is also good BC access from there as well. Good luck in shitty so cal

When I lived fulltime in LA from 2002-2004 here's the directions to ski the best resort from LA.


405N - 5 N - 4 East - 99 North - 88 East - Kirkwood.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tuffy109

slc round trip from LAX is usually b/w $100-$140

gas to mammoth, probably about the same

---

Yeah, I was thinking that. And tickets to Alta are cheaper than to Mammoth ;) Did I mention I've skied in NZ and europe but never out west? Pathetic, I know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Superstar Punani

When I lived fulltime in LA from 2002-2004 here's the directions to ski the best resort from LA.


405N - 5 N - 4 East - 99 North - 88 East - Kirkwood.

---

Sweet, that's a 20 hour daytrip... without skiing. (I do seriously wish to ski at Kwood, though.)

I think exploring and going where it's cheap and/or good will end up being the best option for me this year. Thanks for the info everyone. I'm sure I'll be paying for you gas and sleeping on your couches in no time :biggrin:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Superstar Punani

When I lived fulltime in LA from 2002-2004 here's the directions to ski the best resort from LA.


405N - 5 N - 4 East - 99 North - 88 East - Kirkwood.

---

the best part was the aussies making fun of the smell of your car.

that drive SUCKS.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Superstar Punani

When I lived fulltime in LA from 2002-2004 here's the directions to ski the best resort from LA.


405N - 5 N - 4 East - 99 North - 88 East - Kirkwood.

---

Did that drive for the 04-05 season. I concur with the Tuffguy, THAT DRIVE SUCKS. HOWEVER, the drive to mammy isn't much better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DJSapp

Did that drive for the 04-05 season. I concur with the Tuffguy, THAT DRIVE SUCKS. HOWEVER, the drive to mammy isn't much better.

---

STOP WHINING! It can be done, except your gas bill is 2nd to your rent at $500/month.

My typical weekend was:

Friday
3:30pm: Leave M-Beach
6:00pm: Finish the first 30 miles of the 405, Hit the 5.
8:00pm: Lost Hills / 46 exit. Gas up.
11:00pm: Sac Town
12:30am: Aussie House

Sat:
THAAAAANKS FOR CALLLLLLLLLLLING KIRKWOOD IT IS 5:30 IN THE EARLY MORNING AND LET'S SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU TODAYSki Bell to Bell

Sun:
Ski bell to bell
4:30pm - Pound 4 red bulls and a double orange mocha frapuccino
11:00pm: Arrive at M-Beach.

Monday:
Rock up to work at 10:30, close my office door, sleep til 1pm, surf the internet til 3, do 15 minutes of work and go home at 5.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Superstar Punani

STOP WHINING! It can be done, except your gas bill is 2nd to your rent at $500/month.

My typical weekend was:

Friday
3:30pm: Leave M-Beach
6:00pm: Finish the first 30 miles of the 405, Hit the 5.
8:00pm: Lost Hills / 46 exit. Gas up.
11:00pm: Sac Town
12:30am: Aussie House

Sat:
THAAAAANKS FOR CALLLLLLLLLLLING KIRKWOOD IT IS 5:30 IN THE EARLY MORNING AND LET'S SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU TODAYSki Bell to Bell

Sun:
Ski bell to bell
4:30pm - Pound 4 red bulls and a double orange mocha frapuccino
11:00pm: Arrive at M-Beach.

Monday:
Rock up to work at 10:30, close my office door, sleep til 1pm, surf the internet til 3, do 15 minutes of work and go home at 5.

---

Oh my god, you're poor car. Someone put it out of it's misery.....

so can I catch a ride?



:p

Mt.High has season passes starting at about $150. www.mthigh.com Two mountains East & West. Park is pretty rad on West. East is nice when they get snow. They manufacture alot of snow there. Usually open from Oct to April. 1st resort in Ca open last year. 45 min from Santa Monica. Night Sessions. Big Bear is a bit of a longer drive because the 10 is a parking lot, and the back road is a back road. But its nice, lots of space, nice runs, keeps you interested. Stay away from Ski Sunrise (across the street from High) they are never open, but sell season passes (huh?) Mammoth is Mammoth, you know the rest. Few hour drive. Tahoe aint too much further along.

The High pass is worth it because you can just run there after work and pull sessions for nothing basically.