Our stay in Mammoth marked the end of an era for our family ... and we sure didn't want let that go to waste. This was a time for fun, snow, and friends. After a great visit with the Dolloffs in Arizona, we were once again longing for friendly faces, and we were thrilled that the Michelyras were not only letting us use their Mountain Ski Chalet (my term, not theirs), but they were joining us as well. We hadn't seen them since Santa Fe in November, and the thought of Nate being able to run, play, and have fun with his best bud simply warmed our hearts.
And we couldn't have asked for a better time to visit! We had never been to Mammoth during the winter. We'd been several times during the summer months, but this place truly comes to life when the snow starts falling. We kept hearing folks talk about how it had been a bad snow season ... but you could have fooled us!
But, it wasn't all snowball fights and snow angels. We got serious too! Our first Sunday in Mammoth, we threw on some snow shoes (most of us for the first time) and trekked up a mountain to some of the most beautiful views I'd seen in months!
That Tuesday, we left the hard work the to the machines and amused ourselves on some pretty hard core tubing hills.
The boys also had a blast goofing around on a random roadside sledding hill. Mark also gave Nate his first impromptu snowboarding lesson! And yes, that "boy" in the first picture is Mark.
Our second weekend, we doubled down on the snow sports with a group cross country ski outing! As with the snowshoeing, this was a first for most of us. But, not ALL of us! Rachel and Nate had rented some skis and checked out the trails earlier in the week, so they became our resident Nordic skiing experts.
I spent more time on my back on the ground than I had intended (especially on the modest hills). That said, the snow must bring out the thespian in me because I could have won an Emmy for my "dying turtle" impression.
As fun as the sporty parts were, this trip wasn't just about adventure. We had some local beer ...
We got in a few good game nights ...
We drank some local beer ...
We took Bailey for lots of walks in the snow ...
We drank some local beer ...
A good time was truly had by all. But, as with the trip itself, all good things come to an end. Our second Sunday, we said a tearful goodbye to Mark, Tevis, and Miles, and we prepared ourselves for the last scene of this amazing show.
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