How I took my family of five skiing in America on the cheap

Are you itching to take your kids skiing this season but can’t get past the exorbitant prices? Well, perhaps you should think about planning a trip overseas instead. Yes, we're serious. 

If you ask any one of my three children what their favourite moment of our five-day stay in Mammoth was, you'll never get the same answer.

They range from, “the magic carpet”, “my first black run”, “100 percent Hugs Ice Cream” and “Woolly's Tube Park”. More often than not, it ends with a deafening screech, “Muuummm, when are we going back?”. 

Well, sooner than later perhaps. You see, I just spent a few precious hours online trawling and planning our next ski trip, and I’ve realised that the cost of taking a family of five to Australia’s snowy alps is on par with a trip overseas.* Which would you rather?

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

Image: Supplied

RELATED: ‘We’re going on a 5-week European holiday with just carry-on luggage’

A bit about Mammoth 

Look, I get it: taking a family skiing can be an adventure in itself with all the gear and cold temperatures and, yes, the cost. Why complicate it with flights and kids high on jet lag? Well, I have two words for you. Why not? 

Mammoth Ski resort is like a snowy wonderland for kids of all ages. It sits on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range about a five hour drive (six with stops) from LAX, the closest international airport.

Yes, only one flight. We hired a car and shoved-in our family of five, 10 bags, two ski bags and a cluster of neck pillows and drove through the majestic desert-meets-mountain scenery.

We arrived a day after a ripping storm dumped a silly amount of soft, glorious snow - the kids were next-level excited. We checked into a two-bedroom homely and clean apartment at The Village, and the kids were straight onto the balcony - sans gloves - pegging snowballs.

The Village is literally in the middle of the, well, village, you walk out the door and there’s restaurants, ice-cream shops and coffee.

Turn around, and the gondola to the ski area is right there - no ski tubes or buses or long traffic lines (anyone who’s left NSW’s ski slopes on a Sunday afternoon knows what I am talking about). 

RELATED: Teen fined over ridiculous baggage hack

Let's go skiing...

Now, to give you some context, it’s been four years since our last ski holiday for my sons, Jimmy, now 10 and Hugo, now 8. Our daughter, Arabella, was just eight-months-old when we went to Whistler, Canada, and now, at five, is primed to ski wherever her brothers go.

This place is set up for families so everything is easy; ride that free gondola to the base of Canyon Lodge and you can seamlessly book daily lessons and hire skis. 

While the kids embraced lessons for three days, my husband, Tom, tackled the mountain - the skiable terrain is quite literally mammoth at 3500 acres with 28 lifts holding it all together - from easy greens to mid-mountain blues and up top, there’s groomers and sweeping bowls and bumps.

Mammoth boasts one of the longest ski seasons in North America and typically opens from November to May, so there are plenty of cheaper deals for non-school holiday visits. 

At the end of each ski day, Tom and I kicked back on the sun-soaked terrace at Canyon Lodge, apres in hand, and waited for our three to finish up their lessons. Yep, putting them in ski school means you get some quality adult time, too.

Eating and ice cream

The food is where you can seriously save some cash. We cooked most nights in our apartment - there’s a Vons supermarket a five-minute drive from The Village - and one night we shared the monstrous fajitas at Mexican restaurant, Gomez.

We also frequented the Old New York Deli & Bagel Co for lunch for their supersized sandwiches as the affordable prices lured us back. And, of course, each day was completed by a trip to Hugs Ice Cream (tip: try their banana splits).

Image: Supplied

Hit the tube park

The other upside of an overseas ski resort: they cater to non-skiers and Mammoth is bursting with plenty of other activities.

We spent an entire afternoon at Woolly's Tube Park and while the boys raced each other down the big kid’s lanes, Arabella and I hung out on the mini ones. Also on offer is Mammoth Ice Rink, Mammoth Rock N Bowl, and Minaret Cinemas is D'Place. 

I once heard someone describe Mammoth as a unicorn ski resort with bluebird days, powder snow and zero lift lines but, for me, the unicorn description is best saved for the ultimate - affordable - family ski holiday and it’s only a flight away. 

*The one caveat to my calculation - it’s minus the flights.

Originally published as How I took my family of five skiing in America on the cheap