As a former member of a ski team I've had the opportunity to ski every major ski resort in North America. If I were to rate ski resorts based soley on terain and conditions I would have to rate Mammoth No. 1. The high elevation and abundant snowfall make for consistantly excellant conditions and a long season. With regard to the terain they have one of the most accurate rating systems. Expert is expert and advanced is advanced, not some over hyped intermediate run. Although there have been major improvements in mammoths night life and lodging, it still lags behind other major destination resorts. If skiing is your first priority then mammoth is for you.
Pros: terain, conditions, inexpensive
Cons: parking, nightlife
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