India, Dec. 6 -- On a crisp December day (by Los Angeles standards), I traveled five-and-a-half hours north to Mammoth Lakes in search of even colder weather and a taste of some of the snowiest conditions in the U.S. It was there that I met Gabe Taylor, a professional snowboarder turned Mammoth brand content manager, for a little tour of his own personal paradise.

"I went to school in Colorado and sat next to a kid who was talking about snowboarding, and I didn't know anything about snowboarding," said Taylor, who looks and sounds like the quintessential kind-hearted snowboard dude. He explained how he took up the sport for the very first time at the age of 18. "It sounded fun. He dragged me up the mountain the next day, and it changed m...