by vlahides on March 9, 2009
Soaring above the Ansel Adams Wilderness in the saw-toothed eastern Sierra, Mammoth Mountain is California’s best ski resort, bar none. High above tree line with a base elevation over 8000ft, Mammoth is actually a dormant volcano, and from atop the sky-punching 11,053ft-high summit, you can see clear across the entire state to the Coastal Range. Three miles of wide-open bowls stretch across the mountain’s 3500-acre face, some nearly vertical with gulp-and-go chutes, others gently sloping, ideal for ballroom-style shooshing.
The cross-country center looks like a scene from a snow globe, with 19 miles of groomed trails wending through dense pine forests dotted with icy-blue lakes. At its center is the Tamarack Lodge, a vintage 1930s log-cabin-like lodge surrounded by rustic cabins. Downhill skiers do better staying at the Village at Mammoth or the new Westin Monache, both near nightlife and walkable to the village gondola, which whisks skiers to the base of the mountain. Alas, the town of Mammoth Lakes is strictly utilitarian—a patchwork of condo complexes, subdivisions, and strip malls—but with skiing so great, who cares?
When you’re driving through such majestic scenery, you hardly notice the clock. I made the seven-hour trek from San Francisco last week—and the time flew by. US 395 is among California’s most spectacular roads, rivaled in beauty only by coastal Hwy 1.
Mono Lake always catches me off guard. As US 395 wends south along the Walker River, your eye grows accustomed to whitewater, tall pines, and narrow mountain passes. Everything rises so high around you that you forget you’re at elevation. Then suddenly the sky opens up and the Mono Basin unfurls a thousand feet below in eerie vastness. At the South Tufa Trail, you can sit on this bench and apprehend space in ways not possible in the city.
I’m forever amazed how few Northern Californians make the trip to the eastern Sierra. Whenever I need to hit the reset button, to find new perspectives on day-to-day life, this is one of my favorite places to go. The mountains hang like curtains from heaven. Everything is so big, it’s impossible to judge distance. Consciousness snaps into the present.
Nothing beats the exhilaration of skiing in a Sierra snow storm, but after three days of powder-skiing, my legs burned out and I was ready for home. On the way, I detoured north around Lake Tahoe to see the snow depth at Donner Pass, near Sugar Bowl ski area. At one point during last week’s storm, snow fell at a rate of two inches per hour, dumping a whopping four feet in a single 24-hour period. That house in the above image is buried to the second floor eaves. Spring skiing will be fantastic this year.
by vlahides on January 14, 2009
The competition for the Best Job in the World is sweeping the internet. Send in your 60-second video showing why you should be the caretaker of a tropical island off the Great Barrier Reef, and win a six-month stint that pays a whopping US$103K, plus some serious perks, including round-trip airfare; housing in a three-bedroom villa with swimming pool; and all the outdoor activities you could possibly imagine. The ‘work’? Twelve hours a week of blogging, shooting images and video of your fun and fabulous life. Tourism Queensland is genius. Frankly this is the most brilliant PR idea I’ve ever heard of. Demand is so intense that their servers keep crashing. Even an Amazing Race Winner is applying. I’m thinking about it. I’m qualified too. Right?
That’s me on that camel in the Sahara, a couple weeks ago. I’ve a serious case of culture shock. Australian film director (and kick-ass song-writer) Tony Jackson took the picture. I shot the following video clip in Marrakech in the olive souk (Arabian covered market). Donkeys are ubiquitous in Morocco, and the only effective means of goods-transport. Vehicles can’t navigate the thousand-year-old, winding alleyways of the medinas (old cities). Sometimes a donkey meets another donkey and freaks out, as happened here. Marrakech is stressful. I much prefer Fez. Next month I’m off to Madagascar, the furthest place on the globe from California.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtbmxLw9W-I&hl=en&fs=1]
Back home, the Bay Area weather is shockingly spring-like. Skiing is off my radar till rains blow in coastside and dump fresh snow in the Sierra. Until then, if you’re looking for someplace to travel near home, I’d suggest an overnight in Monterey County—they’re desperate to fill beds. You can score some killer deals, from Carmel Valley to Big Sur.
I’m so out of touch with where the hell I am—season, latitude, hemisphere—and in five weeks’ time I’ll be crossing the Mountains of Madagascar during the summer rains. Before then, London. I’ll do my best to post now and then, but until April I’m on a wild ride. Stay tuned.
by vlahides on January 11, 2009
It’s time to play hooky. The huge storms that drenched the Bay Area brought eight feet of snow to Tahoe—and it’s not Sierra cement, but bona fide feather-light powder, a rarity in Northern California. Don’t hesitate. In the words of Horace, “Seize the day! lest the years imprison us.” Blow off work on Thursday, when the forecast calls for fair skies and temps in the 40s. But if you’re a serious off-piste skier, skip out on Wednesday, the last chance for squeaky-dry snow until the next big Alaskan storms blow—which may not happen again this season. Go now.
For extensive reviews and insight into the resorts, read my North Lake Tahoe ski guide; and South Lake Tahoe ski guide. If you’re a snow snob, review current ski conditions. And check road conditions before setting out. (While driving, call 800-GAS-ROAD for highway information.)
As for the much-hyped best job in the world, I’ve determined that it’s not, actually. A close read of the terms and conditions reveals that Tourism Queensland will own all the winner’s intellectual property for the entire six-month stint. That means, were I to win the post, I couldn’t write a book about the experience. Paradise must always have a dark side, or else it wouldn’t be paradisical. Why go through heaven and hell, only to tell half the story? Besides, I dare say, I’ve already the best job in the world. Off to London tomorrow. More news soon.
by vlahides on November 25, 2008
I’m on an adventure. I begin this post at SFO, en route to Morocco where I’m to shoot the pilot of a new international TV series. And guess what? I’m the presenter. The show follows Lonely Planet writers as we discover off-the-beaten-path locales for adventurous travelers. I can’t quite wrap my head around the implications of this (nor do I want to), but I do know that the next three weeks will change my life.
I can’t speak publicly of the broadcaster or distributor, but I will say this: they are household names. The show will be a 13-episode series. I’ll host at least two, potentially more. It will premier next autumn in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America; then will be distributed worldwide by ___. I’ll keep you posted as things develop. I must say, I’m psyched to be one of our city’s first international ambassadors following Obama’s election. It’s a good time to be an American abroad!
On the subject of our fair city, did you know that until recently, SFO was the only airport in America that had zero advertising? Instead our lovely terminals were adorned exclusively with well-curated art installations. Then, around the year 2000, nasty Clear Channel quietly began blighting our public commons—with no public comment period that I ever heard about. Since then, billboards and kiosks have multiplied like cancer cells in the domestic terminal, ruining the aesthetic. The international terminal remains mostly untouched—for now. SFO is owned by the city, and belongs to us. Speak up. Reclaim public art.
But I can’t think about SF at present. I’m writing from seat 12-J, aboard UA930, somewhere over Hudson Bay, just wrapping up the cheese course of my supper—and I’m having such a fabulous time in business class (a rare indulgence) that I don’t even want to pop an Ambien. (For the record, and from the point of view of an expert, United’s premium-cabin service needs upgrading, but it sure beats economy.) Expect silence from me till at least mid-December, when I return from North Africa. Meanwhile, remember to remove the wishbones from your holiday turkeys before roasting to ensure long, even slices of breast meat. And a very happy Thanksgiving to all! —John
