Family Travel with Colleen Kelly | Mammoth Lakes, California | Season 7 | Episode 705

(energetic music) - [Colleen Kelly] Mammoth Lakes, California is a gateway to the majestic and awe-inspiring Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Mammoth Mountain, which was formed from a super volcano that erupted 750,000 years ago, is a destination for outdoor explorers.

(energetic music) Mammoth Lakes has all kinds of activities on and off the mountain, for your next family adventure.

Home to one of the largest ski resorts in the western United States, Mammoth Mountain has more than 3,500 acres of skiable terrain, and has 150 named trails.

The longest rundown is three miles, and with an average snowfall of 400 inches, the mountain is impressive for skiers and snowboarders alike.

I'm Colleen Kelly, and this is "Family Travel."

Welcome to Mammoth Lakes, California!

(energetic music) My name is Colleen Kelly, and when I was single, I lived abroad and traveled the world.

Then I became a parent, and wondered how would I ever travel again?

So I set out to find a new way to travel and get back to exploring the world, family style.

I'm here to guide you on how to get the most out of your family vacation.

Pack your bags and join me, Colleen Kelly.

We're going on vacation!

"Family Travel with Colleen Kelly” is sponsored by (dramatic orchestral music) - [Narrator] "Family Travel" brought to you in part by: Ted Tetzlaff Law, attorneys for your personal and business needs.

- [Colleen] Truly a unique family experience, this resort town is more like a small village.

And it's compact enough for your family to travel easily between destinations.

(upbeat music) And getting to Mammoth Lakes is easy, with flight options seasonally to Eastern Sierra Regional Airport.

Or arrive at Mammoth Yosemite Airport, which is only 10 minutes from downtown.

My trip out to Mammoth Lakes was postponed and unfortunately my family couldn't reschedule the trip.

However, I was more than game to take on what Mammoth Lakes had to offer.

And with the help of some local friends, I was able to try it all.

First, I tried my best to ski the mountain, but in the end I left it up to the experts to show us how it's done.

And I learned about the mountain on a high-flying mode of transportation.

Next, I got going on the fast moving tubes at Woolly's Tube Park.

On our next adventure, I took a snowcat to the top for a unique winter activity.

Then off the mountain, I relaxed in the village by visiting a local distillery that specializes in made-from-scratch food, and spirits.

And we ended up indoors to rock and roll at a bowling alley with a special surprise on the second floor.

And finally ending the trip with a wild ride up to Minaret Vista!

What to pack?

Check those snowboards and skis.

Airlines typically allow passengers one ski or snowboard bag and one boot bag per person.

And wheeled bags are definitely recommended.

Pack the right clothing.

Layers are the key to packing light and keeping the whole family warm.

Waterproof ski jackets and pants are essentials to keeping out the cold on the slopes.

Remember these extra items, like hand warmers, lip balm, and goggles for skiing, if the temp is dipping below freezing.

Our first stop was of course, skiing.

(fast paced music) Locals from Mammoth Lakes gave us the insight on their favorite mountain activity.

- I started skiing when I was four years old.

I just love Mammoth because there's all of the opportunity for different levels of skiers.

- I grew up skiing here and so it's a fun time to bring them here and to experience the mountain, and all the variety of terrain.

They grew up skiing the beginner slopes and have progressed to intermediate and more advanced runs.

And there's just a little bit for everybody and it's a really fun mountain to learn on.

- I am trying to get into some crazier stuff, but for now I'm just staying in the lower.

- My name's Emily, and I work for the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra Adaptive Ski Program here at the mountain.

And I've been skiing since I was really little.

My job is to teach people with disabilities how to ski and snowboard.

So, anybody who needs our services, we can provide equipment and take 'em out and teach 'em how to ski, snowboard, or any other form of sliding on the snow.

I think is the most prime beginner terrain for learning 'cause we've got our nice easy flats and our good mellow beginner chair.

Even for those beginners that have some experience, can come up here and see the bigger views and ski, what our little ones refer to as the big mountain.

- I've been coming to Mammoth since I was a teenager.

I pretty much grew up how to ski and snowboard or you know, Yosemite actually at Badger Pass.

Coming to Mammoth, I have always known this to be my ski and snowboard haven.

Top of my list of favorite things to do in Mammoth Lakes is snowboard.

- My favorite run I've grown to love, is just right behind us here at Facelift, and it's called West Bowl.

And it's the run that I think for my own personal development has given me the most versatility.

So, each day is a little different.

Each time we get snow, it changes.

It's just challenged me a little bit more.

But that's like kind of the cool thing about our whole mountain, is that I've learned to appreciate all different types of snow conditions, from the beginning of the season through the end of the season.

- [Colleen] And finally it was my turn to take a run down the mountain.

(fun, upbeat melody) That was unbelievable.

But now it's time for apres-ski time.

Oh, already ready for me.

All right, I'll meet you all downstairs.

It's gonna be great.

My favorite part of a ski vacation, is the apres-ski.

And in Mammoth Lakes, they have it down to a science.

Here at Mountainside Bar and Grill, I found the perfect place for a cozy fire, a beautiful mountain view, and my favorite drink to unwind after a day of skiing, and chilly weather.

I wasn't that great, but I made it down the mountain and every time you keep doing it, you get more proud of yourself, you get more confidence.

I didn't do so great in this episode, but I'm gonna work on it.

I'm getting there, again.

(upbeat melody) Skiing is just one of the ways to explore the mountain, go for a ride to the top on the gondola, and take in the breathtaking 360 degree views.

We spoke with Anna Allen, who has been working on the mountain for 38 years, to tell us more.

- Gondola was originally built in 1965, I believe, and that original gondola only took you halfway and then they built the second half of it.

The process of it being built was incredible because, think of the 1960s and the equipment that they had in order to be able to come all the way up here to 11,053 feet.

That's really amazing to think how they could bring up this equipment that back in those days, and even when I was here and they rebuilt this equipment, my husband actually was involved with construction on the mid station in 1998 when they were rebuilding that section.

'Cause they actually built the top section first and then the lower section second for the rebuild.

(fun, upbeat music) At the top of Mammoth Mountain we definitely have runs that are advanced runs and we have runs that we call double black diamonds.

Those are expert runs.

Those are the ones that you have to be a super strong skier or snowboarder in order to be able to be comfortable on those.

When you are at the top of Mammoth Mountain, the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range runs behind us.

It's one of the longest mountain ranges in the country and one of the most iconic in the entire world, in Sierra Nevada.

'Cause in the Sierra Nevada you have Mount Whitney, which is the highest point in the continental United States.

It's a hundred miles south of us.

Then Yosemite, which is directly across behind us, we can't see into Yosemite, but Yosemite is directly behind us.

(rhythmic melody) - Next stop was Woolly's Tube Park, where I went on an epic ride.

I'm Colleen Kelly, and we're snow tubing in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Here we go!

Oh my gosh!

(giggling) Wow!

I am on the mountain with a former Olympic skier.

I've never met an Olympic skier before.

Stacey Cook, and I'm super excited first of all to meet you.

So tell me a little bit your background.

- Well, I grew up in actually Lake Tahoe, so a little bit north of here, but in a mountain town.

And the mountain was my daycare as a child.

So, my brothers and I would rip around the mountain as kids and we spent from sun up to sundown playing.

And with that amount of play and that passion for being outside, I ended up getting pretty good at at ski racing.

And took that career as far as I could and spent 15 years on the National Team and went to four Olympic games.

- [Colleen] Four Olympic games?

- Yes.

- Wow!

- (laughing) - Oh my gosh, I can't believe that.

That's amazing!

And now you run this mountain here?

- I run Woolly's Tube Park.

Mammoth Mountain was one of my sponsors when I was competing.

I was on the junior team here and made the national team out of Mammoth Mountain and they continued to be a sponsor and support me.

So after retirement, it was a pretty natural transition to step into a different role with this company.

Not a sponsored athlete, but manager of this wonderful business.

- Wow.

- And it was humbling at first to go from being at the top of the world to working at a tube park, but I absolutely love it.

- Okay, so tell us about this park.

'Cause I'm super excited to be snow tubing.

- So we have eight, normally eight tubing lanes.

In the springtime, we drop those numbers down as the snow kind of melts out.

Two of the lanes are rolly and fun.

Three of 'em are flat for our youngest guests that get a little bit scared.

We have the magic carpet that takes everyone to the top.

So we take the work out of it for the guests.

- I like that.

- (laughing) And we turn adults into kids as well.

They start hooting and hollering and having the best time while they're here.

They don't expect it to be as fun as it is.

- Oh, anytime you can go snow tubing, that's like amazing.

- Well, we get off to about 35 miles per hour.

- [Colleen] Really?

- [Stacy] Yeah.

In the fastest conditions.

- [Colleen] Wow!

Doesn't look like that.

- You get a lot of really awesome reactions at the bottom, on people's first ride down.

- [Colleen] Yeah, it's just fun.

It's fun for families.

- [Stacy] Yes.

- And all ages too, like you just said.

I mean a lot of people can do this.

It's not something that's, you're limited for the most part.

- Yes.

We get everything from kids birthday parties, up to like bachelor parties.

And then we've had, this year, I think our oldest participant was 86 years old.

- [Colleen] Oh my gosh, that's great!

- [Stacy] Yes.

- [Colleen] Yeah so you can do it at any age.

(upbeat music) So I'm excited to go tubing.

Do you wanna check it out?

- Let's go do it!

- All right, let's go.

(rock music) First, we grabbed a tube and took the magic carpet up to the top of the hill.

And Stacey wasn't kidding.

This run was not just for kids.

It was a tremendous adventure.

I went over these woo things.

Apparently I didn't use some good language.

She's gonna spin me!

Aargh !

Holy (audio silence)!

(giggling) Oh my God!

Oh my god, this is so extreme!

Holy (audio silence)!

Huh (laughing) Oh, I'm a little dizzy.

But that was fun.

(laughing) Oh, there's different levels.

I'm gonna go again.

(laughing) It was phenomenal.

It was incredible.

and I would suggest it for every family.

I think that was my favorite part.

So today we're in Mammoth Lakes village where you can shop, you can eat, and you've got direct access straight to the mountain.

(fun, upbeat melody) And to kick off our day in the village, I met with a little adventurer with a big personality.

As a mom, what do you think of Mammoth Lakes, like for kids?

- I think it's a great place.

It's outside, it's safe, it's open.

You can see your kids.

You can spend so much time doing fun things with them.

- [Colleen] I feel like they're also not on like phones, especially (indistinct) - [Heather Anderson] Correct.

- [Colleen] Right.

- [Heather Anderson] They get to explore, they get to climb on snowbanks climb on rocks, walk around.

They have some freedom that you don't get in a big city or a big, you know... - Little towns.

Your kids can go anywhere sometimes.

- [Colleen Kelly] Yeah, well I noticed a lot of kids there are just like climbing up these little, you know, mountains of snow.

Is that what kids like to do?

- Yep.

- Yeah, always - Like to do fun things, messy things and even risky things.

- [Heather Anderson] Little bit of risk, huh?

- Mom's like, yeah, a little bit of risk here We don█t want too much risk.

- I take a lot of risk.

- Oh, okay.

(laughing) - Other kids might not.

- Okay, but your mom's there.

So we're all good as mothers.

- [Colleen] Yes, we get this.

- My dad lets me take a lot of risks.

- Oh yes, dads do that, yeah.

Mom's we're... - Little more protective, huh?

There's a lot to see and do in the village, but we made our way to Shelter Distilling.

Here in Mammoth Lakes, everyone is a thrill seeker, whether it be on the mountain or trying a new 'one of a kind' spirit locally grown in California.

Karl Anderson, a co-owner at Shelter Distilling talked to us about his search for the taste that perfectly sums up the experience at Mammoth Lakes and his approach to a sustainable way to happy hour.

- So today I'm with Karl, the co-founder and co-owner of Shelter Distilling in Mammoth Lakes.

And this place is so cool.

How did this get started and why did you think there was a need to have this in Mammoth Lakes?

- So my partners and I worked at a brewery here in town for a long time.

Combined 25 years of brewing experience.

And we kind of hit this level where we wanted to elevate the beer scene.

We've done all that.

We kind of wanted to take it to the next level, which is whiskey and gin and craft cocktails.

Mammoth is this cool little town where it's got a lot of funk, but it has a little bit of elevated modern and it's kind of coming in more and more.

But when we started in 2017, there wasn't really anything like this in town.

We wanted to bring something a little more upscale, elevate the cocktail scene, which didn't exactly exist at the time.

So we created the cocktail area.

We do beer as well 'cause we could do beer before and we're really good at it.

We also make cider.

- After a long day of skiing, you know, you're like, okay, I just need to do that apres-ski thing.

- Totally.

- You know, and beer's great, you know, beer here, which is awesome.

But to have like a little cocktail like this is pretty cool.

'cause it's a long day of skiing like I said.

- Absolutely.

We have the gondola that comes right down to the village.

We have a ton of skiers that come up, enjoy their day on the hill, come down, enjoy a cocktail, grab a pizza or a burger or whatever to go with their drinks and you know, have a great time here.

- And you can do this with families too?

- Absolutely.

We love kids.

We make a bunch of kid crafted sodas, from scratch.

One of the cool things we do at the bar is everything that we serve, we make.

So that's beer, that's cider.

All the alcohol we make right there.

This is our only location.

And then we do all the syrups and the bitters ourselves as well.

We do gins, vodkas, a bunch of whiskeys.

We do rum.

We kind of run the gamut.

We kind of made, the whole premise of this place was to kind of imitate the craft beer bar where they have a bunch of different styles, but we wanted to do it with spirits instead.

So our cocktail program is based off of our spirits.

And when the bartenders tell us, Hey, we wanna do this kind of drink, we go, all right, let's figure out how to make that kind of spirit so that we can add it to that drink.

Wood from of the bar, the tables, they all came from the Valentine Preserve, which is this local ecology area in our town that they've been studying for years and years and years.

And they had a big windstorm knocked down all these aspens.

We planed them, we sanded 'em.

We did all the... - You did not?

- Yeah, absolutely.

- Really?

You made all this from some trees that got knocked down?

- Fallen trees in the area.

- That's incredible.

Well, I had no idea when I walked in here that I was gonna walk into this.

And that makes this place very special.

- Thank you.

- in my opinion.

Karl, thanks for sharing your passion with me.

This was incredible.

- Thank you very much for coming.

And if you're ever in Mammoth Lakes, come down to the village, bring your family.

- Yeah, you gotta check this out.

It's pretty cool.

Pretty amazing.

- [Colleen] It is chilly out there.

Warm up with an indoor activity to break up the cold weather festivities.

Your family will thank you.

It could be as easy as grabbing a bite to eat that also is a fun activity for everyone.

(lilting music) So everybody knows if you're a parent and you wanna go out to eat, you have to have some activity for the kids.

They've got the meal that you can enjoy, but you've got bowling for the kids.

So the kids are happy and everybody's happy.

And it's fun activity for families.

Mammoth Lakes Rock ‘N█ Bowl has something for everyone and it's a perfect place for families to throw a few strikes and maybe a couple of gutter balls, but end the night right with a surprisingly upscale treat.

And I met a few new friends to kick off the day with some friendly competition.

(upbeat music) The Brasserie is a fine dining French restaurant with stunning views right above the Rock ‘N█ Bowl.

And after bowling, it was a delight to share an upscale meal with my new friends.

(upbeat music) All right, so we just went bowling.

But we're having a beautiful meal with these great views.

But I have an idea.

I think we should do something adventurous.

What about going on snowcat and going snowshoeing?

Would you be up for that?

- Could be.

- All right.

- Cheers to a laugh - Cheers to adventure, I love it.

And if you want to have one of the most unique excursions that Mammoth Lakes has to offer, take a ride at the mountain in your own guided snowcat.

(rock music) I didn't know what I was going into with this snowcat which is this giant machinery.

So I did it.

And I think that's what life's about, right?

It was just taking little chances.

And once you take this mammoth piece of machinery up the mountain, you can enjoy what the locals consider hiking.

Snowshoeing.

This ancient practice is one of the best ways to get outside with friends.

Enjoy the beauty of winter while surrounded by Mammoth█s geological wonders, far beyond the reach of ordinary vehicles or human-powered travelers.

After that excursion, I was looking for something more fast paced.

(rock music) Today we're at Mammoth Snowmobile Adventures and we are getting ready to ride.

(engine roaring) These high powered machines go over 40 miles per hour.

And I was born to drive fast.

These sleds go where ordinary vehicles and hikers can't.

You will see the unseen, the Joffrey pine forest and wide open expanses of unfiltered mountain views at Minaret Vista.

Snowmobile is like an adrenaline rush.

It was fantastic.

I think all of us, as a crew, had the best time.

(fast paced music) Safety is a priority at Mammoth Snowmobile Adventures.

So after a quick safety lesson with Damon, our guide, we hopped on our sleds and made our way up the mountain.

All right, I'm here with Damon, my guide.

I've got so much adrenaline right now just coming up and then looking at this, where are we?

- We are currently at Mammoth Mountain, which is right behind us.

And this is the Minaret Vista.

We're looking at the Minarets right out there.

It's the Shark Tooth Mountains.

We are just over the ridge from Yosemite National Park, which is pretty amazing.

As the crow flies, we're only about 10 miles away.

- Wow.

- And this is also the boundary of two major watersheds.

So we're at a very significant spot in the Sierras.

It's the San Joaquin Watershed.

And the Owens Watershed.

- It is stunning.

- It is amazing.

- Like when we took this trip up here, when we came to this, I was just like, oh my gosh, took my breath away.

Honestly, I just feel very blessed right now.

You can take kids on these rides.

It's not just adults, correct?

- Absolutely.

We take a lot of kids on our trips, so it's safe enough to take anyone five years or older.

It's pretty awesome.

The parents can either put the kid in front of them or behind them.

Kids get to enjoy the view.

We got some hot cocoa back at base for them when they're a little chilly.

But there's all these beautiful spots that we can take families to, take photos, have snowball fights, make snow angels, and like the kids just have a blast.

- And what an adventure.

- I know.

And they cannot be on their phones, I'm guessing?

No.... - I mean, pictures.

- We'd let everyone know, put your phones away.

You might lose it, first of all, like it's a pretty bumpy ride, so you might lose the phone.

But secondly, just enjoy the view, you know?

We'll stop when it's time to take photos and just enjoy your trail ride.

- That's what I love about it.

Yeah, I feel like you're, you're getting off the grid from all the daily life that we we have and we have to get through.

- Absolutely.

- And you're just enjoying adventure and nature, so this is amazing.

Thank you for this gift.

- Absolutely, you're welcome.

- I'm hoping to jump on again.

Is it okay?

- Oh, of course.

We're gonna go for a little bit more of a rip.

- Maybe a little faster.

- Oh yeah, I like that.

[Both] (laughing) - Alright, let's go.

- Alright, let's go.

(fast paced music) (lilting music) - That's what makes life so great, right?

You see these incredible vistas you've never seen before and it was just unbelievable.

And I feel blessed.

And don't forget to take photos.

You're making some great memories with your family that are going to last a lifetime.

Preserve them by taking loads of photos while you are together.

Create a photo book of each destination that your family visits to keep them from fading.

And be sure to capture video for a chance to get those action shots coming down the slopes.

- We have a variety of everything.

There's young shredders, there's families.

Mammoth is a laid back vibe, and we've got such good snow and such good weather, the wide variety of terrain.

And we have powder days, but we also, the next day will be a sunshine day.

- So the reason I do this job is because I want to show families that they can get out there and just enjoy being a family together.

And that's why I started the show.

Well, that wraps up our time in Mammoth Lakes, California.

On this trip, we made the most of our time here skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and tubing, while also carving out time to enjoy delicious food and a little friendly competition.

All in all, Mammoth Lakes is ideal for families like mine that love fast-paced action and adventure, but also know how to chill out.

I'm Colleen Kelly.

Enjoy making memories on your next family vacation.

- I'm Colleen Kelly and this is “Family Travel.” Welcome to Mammoth Lakes, California.

Oh, I'm supposed to pull it.

So today we're in, oh wait, you were a little off.

I noticed that, yeah.

What do we say in Mammoth?

It's rad.

What's the words you guys use?

- Cool.

- Cool.

All right so today we're at Mammoth Lake Adventures.

Thank you.

Alright, so today we're at, today we're at, Ugh.

All right.

Today, so we're at the Mammoth Stowmobile Adventures What is wrong.. - [Director] Snowmobile Adventures - Adventures, thank you Just an average day at the office.

That's right.

(lilting music) - [Colleen] “Family Travel with Colleen Kelly” is sponsored by (dramatic orchestral music) - [Narrator] Ted Tetzlaff, attorneys for your personal and business needs.

- [Colleen] For more information on upcoming destinations and projects, visit familytravelck.com.

- Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram.

We'd love to hear from you.

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