And away we go! California has been getting hit hard with tons of rain and snow in the high country these past few weeks. My husband was kind enough to get me a weekend away (sans kids and husband) for a recent birthday, to Mammoth Mountain. I hadn’t been in the mountains for the past two years or snowboarding for the past four years, but as soon as I stepped off the plane and into this snow filled winter wonderland, I was back into my Colorado element.
Beautiful blue skies
Favorite cut out one piece from Target perfect for Apres ski!
Bundled up in a Columbia faux fur jacket
My friend and I landed at the Mammoth airport on a Thursday afternoon. We quickly grabbed our bags and hopped on the WESTIN shuttle and took the quick ride into Mammoth village. We arrived at the Westin, checked in and were greeted with glasses of champagne, bonus! This girls’ trip was off to a good start. I had only been to Mammoth once before, many many years ago so I didn’t really know what to expect. Turned out that our hotel was just steps from the village. The village is small but really quaint.
Our first night we headed out to CAMPO for some seriously delicious Italian. We sat at the bar and I devoured the fra diavlo. SO good. If you’re in the mood for Italian this restaurant is a must. After dinner, we turned in early so we’d be ready for the next day.
First morning out was a cold one! It was basically a whiteout. We grabbed our gear and headed to the slopes. It was the Friday of the holiday weekend so not many people had shown up plus the mountain had just gotten dumped on.. small crowds plus fresh powder equals an awesome day. Despite visibility being pretty poor up top, all the powder made up for it. We finished our day and grabbed a cocktail at the Main Lodge for a little people watching. After that we cruised back to the hotel and decided to soak in the hot tub. Being in a hot tub surrounded by snow is always a bit of a rush, the contrast between freezing and hotttt. For dinner that night we decided to dine in at WHITEBARK which is within the Westin. Excellent atmosphere! A little bit dark and rustic and the food was great, we noshed on sushi.
Day two was full of big, bright blue skies. The temperature had warmed up about 10 degrees as well. It was a beautiful day, I found myself in awe of the contrast of almost turquoise skies and the glistening white snow. Just an amazing day all around. The lines were longer but we rode singles all day and got so many runs in. And it turns out that being on a snowboard after 4 years is just like riding a bike 🙂 After snowboarding we grabbed a drink at Canyon Lodge then took the gondola back into the village. We headed back out for dinner craving tacos. We peeked into Gomezs and it was packed, the wait was forever but somehow we got really lucky and snagged a table in the bar. Some of the best tacos I’ve had were at Gomezs. The service was prompt, food delicious and just a fun atmosphere.
The next day we packed it up and took the quick shuttle to the airport and headed home. It was the quickest getaway but it was prefect and what I needed coming into 2017. Being in the mountains with the beautiful snow and royal blue skies just clears the mind. I came back feeling refreshed and so ready to see the hubs and kiddos. If you’re in California and looking for an easy winter getaway I can’t recommend Mammoth enough!
Thanks for reading.. Friday eve!
xo
Christie
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