If you're a private pilot, getting to Mammoth by air can save you a ton of traffic and time -- and the Sierra views from 10,000 feet are world class. But for all the obvious reasons like wind, snow, visibility, terrain and turbulence, flying into KMMH can be challenging. I interviewed my favorite pilot tp get his top tips for general aviators. Because I'm me I've taken the editorial liberty of 'extending' his comments. Read on for his advice, my commentary, and more fantastic pics and videos of our Eastern Sierra flying fun.

Mammoth is really just a small town. Maybe this isn't obvious when you and 10 million of your besties are standing in the queue at Chair 1. But it really is true. And even though its such a small town, Mammoth partners with a ton of transportation agencies to provide some big city transport. Whether you want to get into Yosemite for a hike, to Reno's airport, or home to SoCal because your flight was cancelled, Mammoth's transportation partners can get you there.

At Sonenalp and Apogee, we are lucky to have fantastic parking as compared to most Mammoth properties. Sonenalp offers 2 garage spaces per condo (plus a couple extra for guests) and Apogee has a private 2 car garage plus exterior parking for 2 more vehicles. This kind of expansive parking is unheard of, and SO necessary in winters that can see 30 feet of snow per year.

But what do you do if even *that* amount of parking isn't enough?

​One of the best benefits of our rentals is location: close to the mountain, on a very well-maintained road (you'll appreciate this on snowy days) and conveniently located very close to Mammoth's year around Trolley system stops.

Although most of our guests bring at least one car and park it in our secure garage, some guests opt to use Mammoth's convenient, free, public transport system to get around town. This is especially a good idea in winter, when roads can be treacherous and parking in town can be difficult due to snow.

I'm gonna be totally honest, I was skeptical about this place. Seriously-- I feel that way about almost anyplace that has the word 'outlet' in the title. So yah, I profiled this place based just on the name. And later, when they started building, I was even more concerned. Location, lack of parking, size all confirmed my worries. But man, was I wrong-- at least about some of it.

I love it when my friend Karen, who also happens to be my real estate agent, calls me. Usually, she's planning a trip by my house, or we're coordinating a bluebird slopes day. But this call came a little out of the blue. Not pre-text, no warning. Just her number on my caller ID. "You know how you thought you'd never get into John's new project? she asked. "Someone backed out ... but you've gotta get up here to check it out." We had wanted to buy into this project for a while, but had been half-heartedly looking at other places since Mountainside had been sold out for over a year.

There are lots of reasons that I love heading to the backside of Mammoth Mountain-- sunny afternoons, no crowds, long runs, fresh snow, breathtaking vistas, wind protection. But my favorite reason head to the Northwest face is The Outpost. (Fair Warning: Getting to the backside is a commitment and you will need to take the inexplicably speedy, tiny-chaired, 2-man lift #12).

I often get requests for suggestions on how to get back and forth to the airport and, like most things Mammoth, that's not a super simple question to answer. 

There are a few options... Some much better than others.