Category Archives: Family

Discover the Joy of Spring Skiing With Kids

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Photo by Alexa Miller

We didn’t have to wait all ski season long for those 30 -degree days to warm to 40 and 50 but there’s just a different vibe when it’s April versus February. “Spring is in the air!” I started skiing in California when I was six. My parents forced me out in the worst possible conditions- and I hated them for it- and I thought I hated skiing. Here I was, being practically blown off the lift with crystals forming in my runny nose, and my folks sat all cozy in the warm daylodge waiting for my ski lesson to end. Grrrrrr. Then came spring and I nearly forgot the previous months of torture. Less layers, sunglasses, juice instead of hot cocoa, sunshine instead of frostbite, smiles instead of tears. If it weren’t for spring skiing, I may have turned out differently.

Decades later, I have the luxury my parents didn’t. Living along the Wasatch Front, I can pick and choose the days I want to ski. Despite my hardcore ski attitude being crushed by a less-than stellar winter, I’m not about to take my kid rock climbing when there’s still snow on the ground. At 8, I drag her out every chance I get and she happily follows. Spring skiing with kids is the only way to go.

spring skiing with kidsPhoto by Alexa Miller

Start Spring Skiing With Kids When They’re Young

The love affair began at 3 for her. I didn’t want her to have my childhood experience. I wanted Sage to love me, love skiing. Here in Utah, Sage could have the ultimate first experience(s) that I didn’t get. She’d be hooked. Because if she wasn’t, well, I would miss her on those powder days. If she didn’t love skiing, not only would I be disappointed that she didn’t share my passion but I’d be destined to pay hundreds of dollars over the years for babysitters. Not only does late spring offer stellar weather and incredible resort deals on everything from lodging and lifts to meals and shopping but what better time to drag the kids onto the hill? No crowds, no traffic to interrupt your beginner flow, cheap lessons, cheap rentals, warm soft snow in which to crash-land, and no chill to freeze tiny fingers and toes. Plus, we have all of those funky names for the snow in the spring- mashed potatoes, creamed corn, sugar, death cookies (globs of snow that refreeze over night), slushy, mush, slop- and wild spring events like pond skimming, dummy downhills, skiing in costumes, outdoor concerts at the base, and tailgating barbecues in the parking lot. What’s not to love about skiing? I calculated. Sage’s first season would be only sunny days and toasty temps.

Sure you can whine in March that you need a beach but live here through two winter seasons and you know that you can pretty much count on white stuff in the mountains. You have months to learn to surf, ride a bike, hike or rock climb. By mid-March, however, you’ll have mere weeks to form a love of snowsports in your kids. Here’s another thought. When it’s warm and sunny, your kids will want to stay out longer. By the coming December they’ll be intermediates and you won’t have to waste a powder day on the bunny slope. Not to mention when the snow turns to mush by 2 p.m., they’re ready for a nap and you can get in a round of golf or a bike ride.

Be Prepared

I dressed Sage in layers (it was warm at the base but cold up top) and made it to Snowbird by 10:30 a.m., April 3. About two hours post sunrise, the sun slowly turns that top icy layer into “corn” – when the frozen snow melts into soft crystals but the base is still frozen. It’s “pool table smooth” and akin to skiing a February groomer. Try to ski any earlier and you’re skidding on ice. Sage would cry and we’d leave. Timing is everything. Up we went on the Chickadee lift, the bright orange Edgy Wedgy clinging to her Sponge Bob skis. No tears. Only laughter and the “ABC song”. Halfway down the run, she threw me her coat and told me to let go of her ski tips. By the next lap, she had spied the Tram and begged for a ride. My plan was working.

Riding the tram with kidsPhoto by Alexa Miller

If your kids are beginners and you don’t feel comfortable teaching them yourself, the resort ski schools will love your business and there’s a sweet chance she’ll have the lesson all to herself. But spring is also a time for families to connect and play together. Once your kids get the basics down, help them explore the mountain. After a few hours, Sage and I were done and shared a hotdog on the plaza while the afternoon band jammed to “Born to Be Wild”. Sage asked me if we could “ski again tomorrow” as we rode the lift back to the car (the empty Chickadee Lot is the best spot to park when you have kids in tow and don’t feel like shuttling back and forth for gear). I replied, “Wouldn’t you like to go swimming tomorrow?” “Not tomorrow,” she said. “In a couple weeks. Tomorrow we ski.” Yep, score one for the next generation of skiers. It’s spring. The beach can wait.

Photo by Alexa Miller

FYI- Park City, Deer Valley, The Canyons, Snowbasin, Alta, Sundance, Powder Mountain, Wolf Creek, and Solitude close mid-April, followed by Brighton at the end of the month. Snowbird, which has the longest season of most resorts in the west, has been known to stay open until June although that is unlikely for 2020.

What I Brought

Ski Pal – No sore back, no crossed skis; you keep your distance while they learn to ski on their own two feet. The Pal is your best friend. Solid in your hands, adjustable, ergonomic and breaks down for easy storage.

Giro Slingshot Helmet – Kids will beg to wear a helmet when it looks and feels like the Slingshot.

Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen Stick– The water-resistant SPF 30 is free of biologically harmful chemicals and protects tender skin without getting goo all over those cute duds, in their eyes and your hands.

My First Shades– Your grom will be too cool for (ski)school in these shades. Shatterproof, foam-backed for comfort and 100 percent UVA/UVB protection (Kids don’t care but you might). The adjustable neoprene headband fits under a helmet or over a hat. $12.

Roces IDEA 6-in-1 adjustable ski boot – Save money and the headache of finding good-fitting boots every season. These ones grow with your child – through six sizes! No complaints about comfort either.

Jammy Sammy & Mashups – Organic snacks for when the tummy rumbles. Beats graham cracker crumbs in your pocket. $3.99 for 5 Sammies or $4.99 for 4 squeezable fruit Mashups.

Spyder pants and insulator jacket

Gordini kids spring gloves

What I Wish I Brought

Small hydration pack filled with enough water for both of us. You’ll sweat more in the spring and even more chasing kids.

Lucky Bums Grip and Guide- It’s a workout steering your child, hoisting them off the snow, or onto a chairlift. A handle would have helped. $20, http://luckybums.com.

GoPro or other POV video Camera- Catching those warm grins in the spring sun: priceless.

Highlight of Spring Skiing with Kids

Watching Sage stick her head into the wind from the open Tram window; a giant smile on her face. That’s my girl!

Summer Escape: Bend, Oregon, Beckons Outdoorlovers

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photo courtesy of Visit Bend

Talk about your last minute roadtrips! Can you say deciding to leave today, yesterday? Not only am I missing Sage’s first day of school this Monday (BAD MOMMY!) but her moment in the spotlight as she plays the role of “The Daughter” in Dr. Holiday on Sunday. But I have to go. It’s my last hurrah of the summer as well and, well, Ryan has things covered – despite his reluctance. He’s awesome. I couldn’t ask for a better partner. Seriously. We’re going on 12 years in April and he’s always there for me. I’m not saying we don’t have our moments but without them I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have lasted this long.

I digress. My ‘hurrah’. I’m writing a travel piece on Bend, Oregon. I like to say that Bend is for folks who’ve never lived in Park City but my last visit was a summer-long sabbatical in 2002 while escaping from a slightly deranged boyfriend. I’m sure things have changed since then. Bend is a resort haven for Portlandians and Eugeners. With Smith Rock and Mt. Bachelor Ski Area bookending the town and a river running right through their central park, there’s no want for recreation.

Normally, I would begin prepping for a jaunt MUCH sooner than 24 hours but it didn’t come together until now. What can a girl do? SheJumps!


The non-profit org that was established to get girls outdoors is presenting a Women’s Whitewater Kayak course in partnership with Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe in Bend, Ore. They’re hosting a complete intro to the sport in just two and a half days. Cait Towse from SheJumps: “This event is going to be a great opportunity for women to get into a sport that often seems intimidating or impossible. With the support of fellow ladies we will empower and inspire each other to push pass our fears and develop skills we couldn’t imagine before. I can’t wait to teach and share this wonderful sport!”

Although I already know how to kayak, I broke my foot last August and prefer my re-entry to include a ton of handholding. The expert female instructors promise a safe, fun experience on the McKenzie or another Class II+ river. We’ll learn critical paddle skills, boat control, how to read moving water, and how to identify and safely negotiate river features like rocks, trees and rapids. I’m also making new friends that might be up for a last minute roadtrip the next time it happens.
Plus, Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews are playing to a sold out crowd this weekend so I’m hoping someone will have a spare ticket.

If you are interested in learning more about SheJumps go to their website. I think there’s still room in the class if you don’t have any plans this weekend. Give them a shout.

Find Your Fall Colors in Uinta National Forest

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You can still roast in September in Salt Lake City. Temps have cooled off significantly thanks to the recent rains which leaves you with two reasons to head to the Uintas before it snows. 1) Cool exposed climbing 2) Vibrant fall colors.

The heat of a Utah summer can often linger into October. You can barricade yourself inside, chilling like a lizard in Moab with your A/C cranked or you can hightail it to the Uinta National Forest for hiking, biking, camping and rock climbing among the brilliant reds, yellows, greens of the season.

It was a little past 10 a.m. when we headed northeast through Kamas to Ruth Lake. Mirror Lake Highway had long since thawed and we watched the car’s thermometer tick off the degrees in time with the reception bars on our cellphones. Relief was near. From heat, from life, from civilization. In just about an hour from Park City, we would be hiking the wilderness and approaches to some of the best climbing routes in the Wasatch and we wouldn’t be able to Tweet about it.

Though the secret of Uinta rock climbing was outed in the early 2000s, with some of the state’s top climbers erecting routes and writing maps for the quartzite and conglomerate walls, it has never been able to eclipse the popular Cottonwood, American Fork and Maple canyons where the stuff of rockstars are formed. But that’s ok. It just means that on any given day from June to October we’re not standing in line waiting for a route or forced to go elsewhere because of crowding.

It’s a 20-minute hike to the crag from the pullout; enough to summon a sweat but it pays to wear long layers and close-toed shoes from the car to the rock as the fall weather can change from sun to storm before your gum loses flavor.

We chose Ruth Lake because it’s in the shade all day. But on cooler days the southfacing Stone Garden is a better choice for climbing from sunrise to 8 p.m. There are at least 20 developed climbing areas that both sport and traditional climbers linger over. You could spend the entire summer exploring the forest and it wouldn’t put a dent in the list of routes rated from 5.6 to 5.12.

Uinta Rock by Nathan Smith and Paul Tusting was published in 2004 and still stands as the only area-specific climbing guide for the Uintas. However, the number of routes has doubled since then. If you’re ‘connected’ in the climbing world you can probably get your hands on a homemade topo map with the new routes marked, or simply ask around for insiders’ tips. White Pine Touring and Utah Mountain Guides run regular excursions to the area so their people are a valuable resource.

Expert climbers looking for killer problems at 5.13 and above might be bored in the Uintas unless they’re making first ascents but the majority of us take immense pleasure in a 5.9-5.10 bolted sport route. Other good developments for beginners and intermediates are Fehr Lake, Notch Lake and Moosehorn.

I’ve heard the routes in the Uintas called “spicy”. In other words, they are interesting, fun and challenging. I guess you could say, then, that Ruth Lake has six separate walls of various ‘heat’. And there’s no denying the breathtaking panoramas made even more impressive surrounded by fall’s blanket. From over 10,000 feet elevation you can see a vast expanse of pristine mountain lakes, wild flowers, and snow-capped peaks. Plus, unlike climbs in Big and Little, Uinta National Forest isn’t watershed. You can bring your well-behaved dog(s).

My first thought as we hiked the path to Ruth Lake from the parking lot was how I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else on earth. I was with friends, cool, on an adventure, about to get the best upper body workout a girl could want and there was an award-winning berry shake waiting for me at Hi-Mountain when it was all over. The perfect solution to a fading summer in Utah.

 

WHAT TO WEAR

 


Park City Arts Fest This Weekend!

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The Park City Arts Fest starts tonight and I won’t kid you; the downtown area becomes a zoo ten times worse than during Sundance and many of us locals run the other way. More than 200 vendors from 30 States and Canada exhibit mostly high-priced ‘art’ in booths that line Main Street. There’re all sorts of really cool items and I’ll post some photos after tonight. I like to go on the locals opening night stroll and leave the crowd scene to everyone else.

If you aren’t afraid of crowds then you will most likely dig the mingling vibe that arrives with the event. Artists from across North America are happy to hang and chat with you and share their stories. You will also undoubtedly run into those you already know.

The festival runs from Friday evening at 5:00pm through Sunday evening at 6:00pm all along Main Street. The $10 tickets go to support the Kimball Arts Center in Park City. There’re over-priced food and beer vendors at the top of the street but skip those and have a better-tasting sit-down meal at one of the several Main Street restaurants with patios.

Park City USA- City of Champions

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We are now the “City of Champions” and in honor of our Olympic celebrity, Park City, Utah, is having a parade.

This weekend’s homecoming applauds the more than 20 Olympians and Paralympians who live, train and coach in our little town.

Hometown medalists Joss Christensen (2014 Freeskiing gold medalist), Steve Holcomb (2014 Bobsled 2x bronze medalist), Ted Ligety (2014 Alpine Skiing gold medalist), and Sage Kotsenburg (2014 Snowboard gold medalist) will wave to the crowd on Main Street, April 5, from 1-5 p.m.

Stein Eriksen, 1952 Alpine Olympic gold medalist and long-time Park City resident, will be the Grand Marshal for the event.

The parade leads to the Town Lift Plaza for a meet and greet, live music, food, drinks and fireworks show.

photo courtesy Park City Mountain Resort

The celebration continues Saturday, April 6, over at Park City Mountain Resort where Ted Ligety learned to race.

 

1:00 p.m. – Parade of flags down lower PayDay run
1:15 p.m. – Ted Ligety introduced on stage, participates in live Q&A with guests
1:30 p.m. – Remarks from former world champion Stein Eriksen , US Ski & Snowboard Association President Bill Marolt and Park City Mayor Dana Williams
1:45 p.m. – Remarks from Ted Ligety
2:00-3:00 p.m.  – Meet and greet with Ted Ligety at PayDay plaza
3:00 p.m. – Live music featuring Bryon Friedman on PayDay Deck at Legacy Lodge

Park City-based Olympians closed out the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games with three gold medals, two silver and three bronze medals. If Park City competed as its own country they would have finished 14th in the world medal standings between South Korea and Sweden.

For more information, please contact the Youth Sports Alliance at events@ysapc.org, 435.214.0792, or visit ysaparkcity.org.

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