Mammoth is 5-6 hours away. It is a drive, but it is worth it. I went to school in Santa Barbara, and got up to Mammoth usually 3 weekends a month, for about 3 days most of the time. Back then you could get an early bird pass for 600 in june. We had a deal where you could pay about 200 at the begining of the year and have a cabin to stay in all winter up there. There would often be like 20-30 people there, but it was worth it. I think the MVP passes are grandfathered-in only now, so sorry if you missed that boat. 485 for a full season pass to mammoth is the best deal anywhere.