Mammoth, Tahoe, or Jackson?

J

Jordyn

Member
So the NZ season is wrapping up in the next few weeks and like the thread says, I'm trying to decide where to do the next ski season. I've spent a couple winters in CO skiing vail, breck, keystone, abay, and all that good stuff but I'm looking to try a new place.

Any advice on what ski town would be best for...

- snow quality/terrain

- type of people

- challenging your ski level

- nightlife

- overall vibe

- ability to get around without a car

Any and all help is welcomed, +k for sure
 
I've never actually been to any of them, but personally I'd go to Jackson because it's Jackson.
 
Well i live in tahoe, but get free passes to mammoth so i think i can help.

1) I think Mammoth beats any mountain in tahoe. no contest. There is also June mountain close by for when mammoth gets super crowded

2) I think both have cool people. Mt rose in tahoe has the biggest assholes out of any ski resort ever. Northstar and mammoth both have some of the coolest people out of any ski resort ever

3) Tahoe would probably challenge your ski level more than mammoth. Mammoth really only has the cornice runs

4) I dont really know the nightlife in Mammoth. In tahoe it depends where you are. Northstar has a good town at the bottom of it. Reno is about 20 minutes away from tahoe and has great night life

5) Maybe its cause i live here, but i think the vibe is awesome! but only with half the people, versus mammoth where its not as strong, but everyone has it

6) if you want to get around without a car, go mammoth. They have the gondola from the hill to the town, and you can ski down during the winter. there are busses everywhere. If you live in tahoe the mountains are all spread out and you will need a car for sure.
 
this...im the one that gives him passes

mammoth's village has something going on every single night
 
I lived in Tahoe for 6 years, and skied Squaw. Now I live in socal, and ski Mammoth 3 weekends a month, from mid-Nov until May.

I love Mammoth, but I don't see it beating Squaw. Mammoth has great terrain, don't get me wrong, I am lucky to ski it. There is lots of great stuff in the TOTW, P4/Philippe's/Kiwi area, head chutes, Hangers/Varmits/MJB's......I actually think Mammoth's steeps are very underrated. But there is no way it beats Squaw. Squaw has FAR more steep terrain, and has a better variety of steep terrain. Squaw is also a more featured mountain, with many more cliffs to jump off. Mammoth has a longer season, but Squaw always went to Memorial Day when I lived there, even in the normal years. Both mountains get lots of snow, and it is of the sticky variety, meaning good coverage on the steeps.

One of the occasional problems with Mammoth is that the wind can turn a blower pow day up high into a windbuff day. It is still sick, but not quite what you want. I have gotten plenty of blower pow days on the top at Mammoth, but the wind can ruin things. I saw fewer days when the wind packed the upper mountain at Squaw, more days where you got the top in pow.

The wind at Mammoth can also be good. It can smooth things over well, and keep you skiing nice, buffed out steeps for weeks after a storm. Mammoth's wind is definitely both a blessing and a curse.

Having said that, there are some storms that come in as rain for Squaw, and snow for Mammoth, due to the elevation.

I ski Mammoth because driving 11 hours combined 3 weekends a month is doable. Driving the 17-18 hours combined 3 weekends a month, which is what it takes to get to Tahoe from socal, is not. If I were given a choice of whether to ski Mammoth or Squaw, all other things being equal, I would choose Squaw in a second. I love Mammoth, but I really miss the mountain at Squaw. As great as Mammoth is, Squaw is better for non-park rats.

There are other things to consider though: I prefer Squaw for storm day skiing. You can lap Red Dog, KT, and Squaw Creek, and got tons of pow in the trees. You can also go into the enchanted forest. I love Mammoth storm days, but it is mostly chairs 22 and 25, so I would rather ski Squaw on those days. Having said that, I have heard that the low Squaw pass prices have really changed things, making big lines on storm days.

Overall, all other things being equal, I would choose Squaw over Mammoth skiing wise. I still love Mammoth, but Squaw just has better terrain. I like Squaw better on pow days. If I were going to quit my job, and ski bum again, I would choose Tahoe/Squaw in a heartbeat.

I don't have Jackson beta, but everyone knows it's a sick mountain.

As others have mentioned, Mammoth Lakes does have a very good bus transit system. You can get away without a car there.
 
Mammoth get's the most snow and has the most terrain to choose from. (Assuming you're picking one Tahoe resort).

Mammoth and Tahoe are typically going to have far more tourists than Jackson and can get far more crowded on average. All 3 areas are pretty chill you just gotta put yourself out there and find em.

Jackson is far ahead of anywhere in Tahoe or Mammoth when it comes to steeps and pushing the limits of your ability.

Mammoth and Tahoe both crush Jackson in terms of nightlife. Both have a generally younger and more party oriented crowd. Usually finding something at night is not a problem in Tahoe or Mammoth. Jackson has some charector to it and has some cool bars but it's not a party place.

Tahoe you don't NEED a car but I'd say its better to have a car in Tahoe than Mammoth or Jackon. Mammoth you can find a place right by the resort and you're good to go, besides it's a fairly small place and nothing is ever really too far away. Jackson having a car would be least important to me.

 
Jackson's people are the absolute worst to tourists. Those people hate pretty hard. I havent been to Tahoe, so i cant help ya there, but Mammoth definetly gets a ton of snow, and has a awesome bus system that takes you to all the bases of the Mt. also, that place is freaking gynormus and offers a fair amount of everything, including a top notch park. The only problem is dealing with all the rich LA folk.

Thats my pretty limited imput, but if i were you, i would choose mammoth.
 
I haven't been to Jackson, but tahoe and mammoth are both equally nice.

Mammoth is one of the most uniquely beautiful places to ski, but in the middle of nowhere. I haven't partied there much, just spent a little time at a couple university ski lodges up there with my girl at the time so it was nice for that. the town is small. but seriously, my jaw dropped the first dime driving into it. huge lake, reflecting supremely white mountains with so few trees it's just...gah. go there sometime.

Tahoe is just absolutely massive and relatively close to San Fran (2.5-3 hr drive at speed limit, going 80+ the whole way is easily possible). I would personally choose squaw over mammoth just due to the scene and cheapness of the employee hostel next to the gondola ($10 a night I think is the apprx price, I didn't work there I just happen to be friends with a lot of people who work there). I lived there for 3 months and I would definitely do it again. It's a bit expensive but there are a lot of small towns surrounding lake tahoe and a lot of people to meet in every one of em. some cool shows around the area.

really a coin tosser...you can find sick terrain at both, and both are touristy as fuck. I know at least in tahoe the pow will get skied out by noon on a thursday...and not just by locals. but if you reside in either you know that live is good for the time you're there. enjoy.
 
anyone saying mammoth get more snow then tahoe has no idea what you are talking about, and are prob. making a stupid assumption based on how long there season is, quality due to elevation yes, quantity no. bestsnow.net read up
 
i would go north lake tahoe and ski squaw or alpine. i would go alpine b/c cheaper pass, terrain doesn't get skied out as fast, and a pretty dope park as well. find some amigos/amigas and get em to drive you around.
 
then why was mammoth declared to have most snow this year? they got like 40 feet so you obviously have no idea what your talking about.

they had most snow in the united states
 
Move to Driggs (just over the pass from Jackson). Start riding in October when it starts snowing. Teton pass is best ski resort you'll never go to. Hit up Jackson after a big storm if you really want to. Get free "bro bumps" at Targhee for easy access to the goods. If you do it right, you'll never spend a cent on lift tickets. Stop riding towards the end of July or whenever you decided to move back. You won't party - but you'll have the best season of your life.
 
Tahoe city is where you want to be, squaw big mountain, northstar park, and alpine for both.nightlife best in reno probably is isnt too far. But that town is full of chill people when its not full of people on vacation.
 
Mammoth got more than 40 feet this year. In fact Mammoth got 669 inches this year, which is almost 56 feet.

Squaw got 810 inches, so clearly that beat Mammoth.

Who declared that Mammoth had the most snow last year? It is flat out not true. As I said before, Squaw got 810 inches, which is 67.5 feet. Snowbird also go over 800 inches I believe.

 
lol Squaw got that much at a windloaded spot on the upper mtn.

mammoth measures there;s at the baselodge... thhat makes for a pretty damn large difference.
 
They don't measure it at the base. They measure it at 9000 feet. The base is at 8000 feet.

During the 6 years that I skied Squaw everyday I actually thought they under counted more than over counted.

In Mammoth's case, I would say they are about accurate.

Usually, when Squaw would say 18 inches, that meant around 24.

Squaw beat Mammoth for snow last year, that is just the way it is.
 
i dont ski squaw a whole lot...but i live in tahoe and i get free passes to mammoth and they were all saying mammoth most snow in the united states.....i just have a hard time believing squaw had more when northstar had way less than mammoth and squaw and northstar are like right next to each other
 
Tahoe takes a car but South Lake has nightlife. Mammoth takes no car but has less nightlife. You will be stoked on either choice to be honest.
 
Alpine is usually a better barometer for Squaw's snow than Northstar. I don't know why Northstar is so different. Crested Butte always had that situation, sort of a donut effect. The backcountry around Crested Butte always got more snow than the resort. I don't know that for a fact, but I have heard it from plenty of Butte locals.

I believe there was a period where Mammoth had the most snow in the US. It did not finish on top, but still had an awesome year.

Neither Squaw nor Mammoth measures at the base. I give Mammoth a bump in total, because they measure 1/3 of the way up, while Squaw goes 2/3. Squaw probably has half of it's terrain above 8,200 feet, so it is not as bad of an estimate as it could be. I give Mammoth a bump compared to Squaw, but not enough to make up for a 141 inch disparity.

Regardless, last year was insane. I skied more pow at Mammoth than I had a right to. I followed Squaw's season at UnofficialSquaw.com, and could not believe how great it was. This was one of the all-time best Sierra seasons, no doubt about that.
 
Tahoe Local,
If you dont have a car, head to mammoth. I dont have a car here and it get's difficult. Plus if you went to Mammoth your only 3 hours from most places in Tahoe and can day trip or weekend trip no problem. Hit up Regional's for couches, i've got 7.
Jackson is killer though.
 
Strong post n00bs

Bro bumps= green pass?=habu= free vert?

thanks to op for not consdering UT

the mo mos outlawed nightlife

and all the jackson locals were chill to me, but I dont look like a touron or gapers
 
My vote goes for Jackson. I did a winter and a half at Alta/Snowbird, which has both amazing terrain and unmatched snow, and Jackson is the only mountain I've been to which gives Little Cottonwood Canyon a serious run for its money.
However, there are two downfalls to Jackson:1.) It's a very expensive places to live... which makes ski bumming difficult, and I don't think they have employee housing2.) Jackson gets a good amount of snow each year (500 inches, give or take), but if you want AMAZING snow, Jackson can be hit or miss.
Oh, one serious plus to Jackson is the elk field. Right next to square in down Jackson is a massive valley, which is protected, and serves as a summer feeding ground for elk. Though you wont see many in the winter, come spring, you'll see troves of elk heading into the field. It's cool man.
 
This thread is hilarious. Bunch of people arguing the merits of Mammoth vs. Squaw, snowpack levels, features when it's utterly meaningless because the obvious answer is Jackson.
 
I think you meant mammoth.

I've skied all the places. Here is my inside scoop, Jackson and Mammoth are mountains, Tahoe is an area. Remember that. I think Mammoth and Jackson are both better mountains than any of the Tahoe mountains but what happens when you get tired of skiing the same shit for 30 days in a row? You can't really move out of Mammoth and or Jackson (grand targahee exception) like you can in tahoe.

You mentioned Jackson because you probably heard it's gnarly and awesome? Well it is, it's my favorite mountain for sure, but I wouldn't trade it for tahoe in any aspect. Tahoe has over 7 large resorts and 4? smaller resorts. As far as terrain is concerned I've skied most of jackson and I will say that Kirkwood, squaw and Alpine all compete as far as difficulty of terrain. Tahoe get's the most snow of any of the resorts as well. I'm no longer a person who only looks at the mountain and says I want to be a bum here because of it's steep as runs. Yes, that plays the biggest factor but you have to also look at what else each place has to offer. If you ski park and are a rat mammoth without a doubt. If you have vast backcountry knowledge and like steeps Jackson. Tahoe is more of the best of both worlds in my opinion. I mean then again I did just come from skiing colorado to having a 783" year in Tahoe. In short you really can't go wrong wherever you go just know that even if you do choose Tahoe or Mammoth they are very drivable for a weekend.

Something else to consider.........passes @ mammoth and Jackson are absurdly expensive
 
Why is everyone only mentionening squaw for Tahoe? I love squaw just as much as the next bro but seriously on a (Non windy) powder day I would much rather be @ krikwood where I don't have 2+hour waits for lift lines. I can't speak for alpine meadows as I haven't been there on a weekend powder day as last season was my first in Tahoe.
 
Kirkwood is sick, but it is a bit far. It is a drive from south side, let alone the north side.

For Tahoe, I would recommend Squaw/Alpine simply because of the access. You can live in Tahoe City, or Truckee, and be very close. Kirkwood means making a bit of a drive every day, and that road will sometimes close.

Jackson is awesome, but I have heard it is expensive, and a tough place to ski bum. The skiing is insane, but you have to make it work living wise.

Mammoth passes are either cheap, if you are in the MVP club, pretty cheap, if you are not but buy it before the end of April(or May, can't remember which), or VERY pricey. I would recommend working on the mountain part time for a pass. At Squaw, you could ski instruct part time, and you only had to give them 25 days. I don't know if that is still the case. If Mammoth will let you be a part time instructor, that might be the way to go. Otherwise, you will be paying a ton for your pass.
 
This thread is full of bad advise... make your own decisions and you will be happy... the mountain and town you choose should be suited to you not all these gapers that claim to know things

For the record: I had a mammoth pass for five years before moving to tahoe, where I now own a home.
 
1.) Move to Tahoe City. 2.) Ski Squaw full time and Alpine occasionally. 3.)Party a good amount of the time. 4.) Be happy.
 
-jackson-jackson-jackson-jackson-jackson-jackson
mammoth is a very close second but the snow gets wet when it's sunny, the steeps are closed while it's snowing and there isnt as much steeps, not a big population of people living there though they are very chill, not as good of a bar sceen, and the bus is okay but doesnt kill it as hard as jackson
 
you hung out with the wrong people in jackson, i have partied a lot in all three and jackson owns tahoe and mammoth in partying, like ten fold, or more
 
I'm just going to throw this out there, even though it isn't really in your list of things...
But coming from someone who has lived in a lot of places...
I'm entirely 100% sold on living/staying in Mammoth (only other places I would consider are Jackson and squaw if the career opportunity was there).
Reason being is that the female population here blows away any other that I have ever encountered. There are soooo many in the 22 - 28 year old age range and every single one of them is awesome and wonderful and serious about what they do. We have dinners and all hang out together and there isn't really any drama (even when it happens that quite a few have dated the same fellows). Everyone is super supportive and on any given day you can be skiing with some of the best female skiers in the world.
I
 
You can't honestly say that, maybe in northlake but southlake is a totally different story than jackson. Shit last time I was in jackson I took a jamo shot with T rice on St. Patty's day and still consider Tahoe better.

To each their own I guess.
 
Because the OP asked for advice. Why are you so hostile?

There are some very legitimate factors being discussed which could help the OP decide what to research.
 
Damn, guys. Blown away by all the solid advice here, really appreciate all the time everyone put into answering the thread. I'm leaning toward mammoth but this gives a lot good things to think over in the next couple months and at the end of the day, it seems like any of these ski towns would be sweet. So yeah, thanks again, this is super helpful and I'll for sure be getting to everyone with +k
 
You will be happy with any of those choices. If you come to Tahoe I would stay in South Lake if you want to go out and have a good time at night. North Lake gets pretty quite. Either way it will probably be a little bit busier then Wanaka.
 
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