Mammoth is the weekend the boys talk about all year. They ski about five hours a day in group lessons with their buddies, taught by Mammoth's certified instructors, helmets on, with their most dads on the mountain the whole time. Cozy winter wonderland, low stress, high memories.

Between runs there's sledding, tubing, snowmen, s'mores, hot chocolate, board games and movies, most meals happen together at the Captain's Condo, our larger townhome home base — where the dads have turned cooking for each other into a full-blown culinary arms race.

Dads don't have to ski; plenty sled, run the kitchen, or take one easy groomer and call it a season.

This is an A La Carte trip - not included in the annual dues.