Did you just decide that you want to live in a ski town like Mammoth Lakes but are unsure how? Have you always wanted to move to a ski town but never seriously looked into it? If you answered yes, then you came to the right place.
The ASO Mammoth team loves living in Mammoth Lakes and enjoying the snow and scenery of the Eastern Sierra. However, just because we love living in Mammoth Lakes doesn’t mean living here or in a ski town is for everyone nor does it mean we can tell you if you should move to one. We can tell you what to expect and help you make an informed decision though, and that’s exactly what we’ve done below. Check it out!
Finding Work
While some people do find excellent full-time jobs with resorts, hotels, and other businesses within ski towns, this post is aimed at people who want to move to town to enjoy skiing and snowboarding over everything else. Accordingly, we’ve focused this section on finding work that will keep the bills paid while still leaving you with plenty of time on the mountain.
If this is the type of job you’re looking for, then the first place you’ll want to look is at the town’s ski resort. Not only do employees of ski resorts get heavily discounted or even free lift tickets, but their proximity to the mountain makes it much easier to squeeze in time to ride. Plus, some resorts even offer housing for their employees and if you find work with a resort group then you may be able to find work at other mountains through their network.
While there is no guarantee on what benefits you’ll get working for a ski resort, the wide range of jobs and proximity to snow makes their job pages a great place to start.
If you can’t find the right fit at a resort, then you can also look into service jobs such as waiting tables or bartending. These jobs offer decent pay, but the real value here is the flexible schedules that leave plenty of time for skiing and snowboarding.
If you have experience that makes you unique such as time spent as a mechanic or snowmaker, then be sure to leverage those skills into a better position!
Finding Housing
While seasonal jobs are common, affordable housing in ski towns for those workers is not. Most ski towns have high housing costs due to the often remote locations as well as the value of the properties there, but that doesn’t mean that finding housing is impossible.
Your first move is to find anyone who already has housing within your network and work your way from there. You’ll be much more successful at finding roommates if you know someone with a lease or a lead on a lease, but if you know no one in town then your next bet is to make friends with the locals. While Craigslist and Facebook are good places to find postings for housing, there may be more options on local forums that can be accessed after speaking with locals from the area either in person or online.
While your options will most likely be limited, do some research on the local public transportation and look for housing with access to it. Doing so will help you keep your transportation costs reasonable as well as protect your car if you have one. If you do have a car, then you may be able to find more affordable housing further away from the mountain granted that your vehicle is reliable enough to drive through winter conditions.