2nd Annual Mammoth MLK Weekend

Same condo, same weekend, same families (Hongs and Tippetts)…but big difference between 2021 and 2022!!!

I still pre-booked the kids’ ski school, the condo and the adult lift tickets way in advance of our January 13-17 ski vacation. I called 800-MAMMOTH in October 2021 and spoke with a customer service rep for over an hour to sort out reservations. The website wouldn’t let me book because it was too early in the season. I’m glad I called when I did because a friend tried to book kids’ ski lessons for Presidents’ Weekend a month in advance and nothing was available.

So…unlike 2021, the 2022 ski season has a significant amount of fellow skiers on the slopes! And advanced reservations are highly recommended. http://www.mammothmountain.com.

We stayed at San Sierra again, same condo we rented in 2021. 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, perfect for 2 families, 8 people total. 5 minute drive from Canyon Lodge and 5 minute drive to Mammoth Village. $968 per family for 4 nights.

Group ski lessons for the kids this season were a “full” day, from 10-3PM this year. The kids were in skill-based groups of up to 6 total. We paid for lessons for 2 days, then skied with the kids on the last day. It was about $350 per kid, per day, and that included lessons, rental equipment, lift passes and lunch.

4 nights of meals: we ate at Shelter Distilling in the village the first night http://www.shelterdistilling.com, each family picked a night to cook and on the final night, we ordered Mammoth Pizza and Co http://www.mammothpizzaco.com. Shelter Distilling was a great find for families. First come, first served seating; great kids menu; huge portions; good beer. For our night to cook, we just went to the local Vons instead of hauling ingredients from home. And Mammoth Pizza and Co, while expensive, was a good option for the final night.

Each morning, our friend Scott Tippett would drive to the Black Velvet coffee shop and pick up oat milk lattes for the adults and these ridiculously good waffles for the kids http://www.blackvelvetcoffee.com. Excellent find!

Lift lines were busier this year, but at least masks weren’t required to be worn outside in line like in 2021. Masks were required indoors, but you did not need to provide proof of Covid vaccination.

All in all, we love this destination for it’s location (6 hour drive from Orange County, CA), the vertical, restaurants and ski instructor expertise. Highly recommend…but be prepared to spend more than a few coins on lift tickets, lessons, etc. Definitely one of the more expensive ski vacations we take each year!!!!