I’m interrupting the vacation recap posts to bring you my “Skiing with Your Family Q&A” post 🙂 .
Over the last week, I’ve recapped PART ONE and PART TWO of our trip to Telluride. While we were on vacation, I asked you guys on Stories if you had any questions and today, I’m sharing many of those along with my answers. Before we start, a few things…
1: We only went on our first snowboarding/skiing trip together 3 years ago. I actually did a post after that trip that you can read HERE called Lessons from our first ski/snowboarding trip.
2: I did a post last year you might find handy called What to pack when you’re skiing! that you might want to read too.
3: As much as we love travel at Mix and Match Travel Agency, we are not currently planning domestic ski vacations. I’m sorry about that, but for right now, that’s not something we’re offering. That means, that as much as I would love to give you all the information and details about anything and everything skiing/snowboarding vacation-wise, that’s not in my wheelhouse. I wish I had more info about pricing different destinations and things like that, but unless I’m working on my own ski vacation, I’m not researching/pricing/looking into them and so I don’t have all of the details.
4: Andrew is way more knowledgeable than I am in this department! Where I have only gone a few years in a row, he goes 5 or 6 times a year to snowboard, so I rely heavily on his opinion as he has traveled to many more places than me to actually get up on a mountain and snowboard/ski.
5: Since Andrew and Smith snowboard many times a year (Smith typically goes with Andrew three times), they buy Epic Passes each year. This is a lift pass that grants you access to many different destinations. So, while we pay for daily lift tickets for the girls in our family (they’re included with ski school), we don’t have to pay for theirs because they already have an Epic Pass.
Alright, your questions, my answers…
…about skiing and snowboarding with my family this year. I tried to grab a wide variety of them from our little Q&A.
For the most part, YES! When we leave for the day, they’re all dressed to ski. They’re wearing their gear, they have their boots on and buckled, they have their goggles in place, helmets snapped…they’re dressed. Smith only has a board to carry and the little girls only have skis (they’re not quite old enough for poles yet), but K has the most to carry with skis and poles. Andrew and I helped Madeley with her skis a bit or Kensington…Ashby, of course, wanted to do it herself 😉 . When it’s the six of us together on the mountain, we have two shifts. We’ll either ski from 9 until noonish (my preferred amount of time) or Andrew likes to do it until 3:30ish, so he’ll (and whichever kids want to accompany him) do it that amount of time.
There are other questions down here to capture most of this question, but I wanted to address the “how crowded was it” part. We loved Telluride because it didn’t feel crowded. Some places (Breckenridge!!) are in my opinion, suuuuper crowded, but Telluride didn’t feel crowded at all.
We didn’t! I’ve heard of families doing this, but we haven’t tried it before. If your kiddo is not ready to ski/too young, most mountains have a really nice nursery where you can also pay to send them while you’re skiing. Again, we haven’t done it (our kids have always been old enough or we’ve just made it work), but my friends who have done it swear by it.
Smith, Kensington and I all first tried snowboarding at the same time. When we went to Aspen three seasons ago, we all thought we wanted to do that because that’s what Andrew does. Smith took to it right away, Kensington and I did not. After that, we both switched to skiing and it came much easier to us. Smith was just about to turn 8 the first time he went snowboarding and immediately loved it.
We have talked about this a lot over the last few weeks! Okay, we really think they both have their pluses and minuses (for us!). Park City: Easy to drive to from Salt Lake City’s airport (like less than an hour). We’ve been there twice and both times, it was just so easy. Their town is amazing! If you’re looking for a mix of original shops and chain stores (like Athleta or Lululemon), they have a mix. The town (and surrounding area) is just geographically larger, therefore you have more choices when it comes to hotels, places to eat, things to do. We now think that if you have a car service, you really don’t need to rent a car in Park City because once you get to the town, everything is right there or you could Uber. The mountain is great, but it did seem more crowded than when we went to Telluride. Speaking of which, Telluride: We flew from DFW into Montrose, CO and then rented a car to drive the hour and a half into Telluride. The drive was GORGEOUS, but I can only imagine that the trip would have taken much longer had we not had perfect weather both coming and going. The town itself is super cute and charming set in the most beautiful location we’ve ever seen, but it is smaller and more out by itself, so you are limited more than Park City when it comes to accommodations and places to eat. I loved how easy the gondola was in the city to access to take you up to the mountain and how it didn’t seem crowded. I thought their ski school area was fantastic! It was so organized, easy to maneuver and well thought out.
Eeeks! As an adult, I tried both and one definitely clicked better than the other. I’ve heard many people say that snowboarding is harder to learn, easier to master and that skiing is easier to learn, harder to master. Basically, I’m not good at either, so which ever one appeals to you the most, give that a try 🙂 .
We bought our plane tickets and booked our accommodations for Telluride in April…I didn’t know that I was going to have a hysterectomy until this fall. The timing was not great. Between Christmas and our trip, this surgery really could not have been at a worse time…but it was what the doctor recommended and at the end of the day, I’m so happy I have it behind me now!!!!!
Everyone started skiing at 9:00 each day. Everyone did it until 3:30ish except one day, Kensington stopped at 1:00 and hung out with me instead. Smith, Kensington and Madeley all did this for three days, but sweet Ashby did it for four! She really wanted to get back out there by herself one day, so we let her.
They stay with the sweetest family!!
We do! Ski school and private lessons book up pretty quickly, so we always get those scheduled around mid-November. On this trip, we did add an extra day of ski school for Ashby because she wanted to go and they had availability, but yes, that’s pre-planned, paid for and booked.
My doctor didn’t give me clearance after my surgery since it had been less than a month.
DFW has a flight that goes directly into Montrose and then we drove the 1.5 hours into Telluride.
It’s a lot of work, right?! We eat early!! That’s our key!! We ate dinner between 5:00 and 6:00 every single night and then went back to crash after.
Andrew should probably answer this one, but I would say for me, it’s making sure we pick the best place for us for where we are at this time in our lives. Some people have said we would love Jackson Hole, but then others have told me that it’s for more for advanced skiers, so that’s not us right now. We always make sure there is more to do than just skiing (like skating, tubing, sleigh rides, etc) in case for some reason, skiing is a bust.
Andrew Shull is soooooooo good about making sure they only do it when it’s fun. He says on repeat, that right now, while they’re kids, if they don’t want to do it, we aren’t going to make them because if you make them, they’ll hate it. If it’s cold, he stops for cocoa, if they want to build a snowman instead of go down, they do. He is so good about making the whole experience fun and guess what? We now have kiddos that love it! I would say that learning anything new is often hard and frustrating. I’m a newbie skier and it’s HARD for me sometimes. There are times when I hate it! I always tell myself though that I’ll never like it unless I learn how to do it and I’ll never learn how to do it if I don’t try. I think ski school is amazing for kids because they really do focus on the FUN first and foremost. My kids have never complained one time about going to ski school. In fact, all year long, they look forward to it. I think when trying new things, there’s always the possibility it won’t work out…but you don’t know until you try.
That depends on the city but here are some things: tubing, ice skating, sledding, sleigh rides, and carriage rides.
At this point, Smith and Kensington fly down on their own without any problems, but Andrew is always with them. I’m no help. I need someone to help me down the mountain! Andrew did one afternoon with all three big kids and they all just stayed together.
Can I be cheesy and say “play games”? We brought cards and dominoes and some of my favorite memories are doing those things together at night. I love all of that time together!!
We save and hand it down! Their base layers are all black, so that’s easy to pass down and then we buy a lot of black, red, orange and blue that can work for all of them. We did buy Ashby some pink but the only person she’s passing down to is Madeley, so that worked too. We pass down their Sorrels, their helmets, their goggles…all of it!
Because we go quite a bit, and we have four kids to pass things down to, we own most of our stuff. This year, the only thing we needed to rent were the little girls’ boots and skis. You can rent many things like skis/snowboard, boots and helmets. You do need to come with your own goggles, base layers and then ski pants and a jacket too. You can borrow those, I’m sure there are websites where you can rent them or you can buy them too.
Smith was days away from turning 8, Kensington was 9, Ashby was 6 and Madeley was 4 the first time each of them skied or snowboarded.
I wish I would have learned at five! It’s hard learning as an adult because you’re higher off the ground and have a fear of falling 😉 . I think five is great! From what I’ve learned, they just want your kiddo to be independently potty trained before going to ski school.
I wish I had an exact number that I could apply across the board and others, please feel free to chime in, but just like any other trip, you can spend as much or as little as you like. Here are some ways to save money: drive to your destination, stay further outside of town, stay somewhere where you can make all of your meals instead of having to go out, borrow as much equipment and gear as you can, don’t go around holidays or holiday weekends, if you have a friend with an Epic Pass, ask if you can borrow some of their buddy passes for your trip…all of these things will help you keep the cost down.
We bought our plane tickets and booked our place in April for our December/January trip.
I would say base layers (tops and bottoms, depending on the weather you might need to double up), mittens (they’re warmer than gloves), goggles, helmet, neck warmer, jacket, pants, really warm socks, boots, skis/snowboard. Did I miss anything?
Andrew is super outnumbered because he has to help me too! Ha! We just all go slowly down together or he takes the bigger kids up to do more challenging runs. This year, Ashby and Kensington were both able to do blues with him (Madeley hung out with me after ski school and, we played in the snow together). Smith can do pretty much anything, but has fun doing the blues/greens with his sisters too. We just kind of make it work. His goal is for us all to be able to do everything. I envision the five of them doing blacks…and then waving at me as I do my green by myself 😉 .
Not this year, but we have had that happen! A few years ago, we went to Colorado in the summer and Kensington got it and then two years ago, Andrew took Smith and he got it too. I would definitely say for the most part, no, but we have had it happen twice. In both instances, it passed after a day.
During the year, we keep all of our gear in big storage containers in the garage (up on high shelves out of the way). When we get home, we make sure everything gets cleaned and dried and then we put it all in these big containers. Everything! From the actual equipment to even our gloves, face masks, goggles and base layers…it all goes in there that way we always know where everything is. This also makes packing super simple the following year.
Whoa! I hope this helps! We always look forward to these trips so much. There is just something about getting away from the hustle and bustle and getting out in the fresh air that makes our family happy on a mountain trip. We’re already looking forward to the next time we get to do it!!
Now, I know that so many of you have a TON of experience in this department, so please, please, please chime in with your best tips for taking your family skiing!!
Margaret says
My son,his wife and 4 year old daughter leave Saturday for sugar loaf ,Maine. She is getting to be a great skier. They have lived in New England from time to time. They have been very happy with the ski school.bthey bring the kids around on a Moose Caboose and she just loves it. The last few times they have stayed at a hostile and enjoyed interacting with other skiers.
Jenn says
Just a quick comment and possible suggestion for Kens- I started skiing when I was about eight and carrying all the equipment got to be very difficult so I had An instructor in Utah one time suggest that I try to ditch the polls. It sounded crazy but it is 22 years later and I have not touched a pulse sense. I love it! Now I have suggested this to many people in my entire extended family that goes every year never uses poles! Just an idea… makes carting equipment much easier too.
Also, agree on Breckinridge. Another beautiful little town with a great base camp and plenty to do is Copper Mtn. It’s smaller, but perfect for families that want to mix and match ?? their activities.
Last, can I get some info on your travel agency – I need help with a Disney cruise!
Jenn says
So apparently when it’s 5am I can’t see OR spell check! ?
Mix and Match Mama says
Really? I love that tip, Jenn! And you’re the second Copper Mountain rec, so clearly, we need to check it out!! Email me! mixandmatchtravelagency@yahoo.com 🙂
Meagan Ruse says
That’s where we went as a family when I was growing up and it was perfect!!!
Debbie Lang says
Keystone is also a family friendly ski resort for all ages. 🙂
Alexis deZayas says
Telluride is my favorite ski resort! It’s so beautiful!!
Ahna @ Hammers N Hugs says
This is so helpful! We have family that owns a chalet on a slope in Montana, and we have been waiting for our kids to get a little older to go so those ages you gave was a great reference point. I still haven’t been skiing yet in my 33 years, so it is high time!! Look forward to reading all the comments for recommendations too!!
Jess says
New England definitely has some great mountains for all levels. Vermont and NH specifically. Highly recommend for all your readers that are not sure where to begin.
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you, Jess!!!
StacyH says
Only thing about NE skiing is it can be extremely icey. The Rockies – generally and varies by the year – have more powder, which is easier/safer to learn on. The higher into the Rockies you go (Wyoming) the better the conditions.
That said. I learned in New Hampshire. So if that’s the closest that’s the best. But if you have to fly somewhere …
Jenn Johnson says
Agree, E. coast skiing tends to be much more icy and if you are paying for a big trip it is more likely to be a disappointment.
We live and ski in CO and each mountain really has it’s own “vibe.” Keystone is much more family friendly than Breck, which has more of a “party” vibe (although we still love Breck!). We felt the ski school at Keystone was far FAR better than at Breck.
Happy skiing!
Erika Slaughter says
Why, oh why do I love a Q and A post SO much?! Ski trips are a lot of work-especially for big families where you’re outnumbered but it’s so worth it for the memories you’ll make. The great ones, the good ones, and even those times you’re sliding down the mountain as your kids ski by…those are worth remembering too.
Stephanie says
You should try Crested Butte next! It is 1 1/2 hours from Montrose as well, or you could fly into Gunnison, CO from Dallas and it is only 30 minutes. It is part of the Epic Pass too. We have been going there for 20 years and taught all of our 4 kiddos to ski there. They are now 18, 17, 17, and 14 and amazing skiers. It is the perfect family ski town!
Emily says
Go brave Ashby on the blues! That’s awesome!
Lesley McFarland says
I love love this post. We are HUGE skiers. We go to copper mountain in Colorado at least once. Year. I will say I must have for your skiers is the ski strap carrier. It is a GAME CHANGER!! My husband got me one for Christmas. And oh my goodness. My skis were not all of the place I strapped them on like a cross body and used my poles to help walk since it was icy. My sone did not have one…he was a hot mess…I refused to share?. They are super cheap…like under $10 on Amazon.
Mix and Match Mama says
Fantastic tip, Lesley!!
Narci says
This all was so helpful for a non-skier like me. I loved reading this Q and A. 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
So many interesting questions and answers! Thanks for sharing, Shay! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Carole says
Have to share…I read the altitude question as ‘attitude’ and was like, “who would ask that???” then realized it said altitude. Bahahaha I need more coffee! Great info – love your positive words about trying new things!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Hahaha! Sometimes my family suffers from attitude sickness too 😉 .
Julie Harris says
I thought the same thing!!
Sheaffer Sims says
So much great info!
Maggie says
We have skied for many years with our family, starting when our oldest were almost 5 and 3. As a family of 5 we have skied in Colorado, Tahoe area, and Europe (Austria and Germany). One of the best things we have done as far as packing goes is that everyone gets one big duffel bag. ALL the gear (jackets, snowpants, neck warmers, gloves, helmets, goggles, all clothing) goes into each person’s duffel bag. That way everyone’s stuff is together and it’s easy to find what is needed without rifling through a huge pile of snow clothes.
This year we all got new helmets in a matching bright color. It makes it SO much easier to spot each other on the mountain! I highly recommend!
Rachel says
I’ve been skiing and living in Colorado for 34 years. Shay has some
Great tips. A few things….get Them skiing as early as you can. My son was on skis at 2.5 and now he does the first run with me and he takes off. I just can’t keep up. He’s 14 and since he was about 12 I’ve trusted him to go alone. It’s a super safe sport to let them gain independence. We meet for lunch and do another obligatory family run them he’s off again. We have gotten the Epic passes for years and because I’m a teacher I get the one with no blackout days. When we take the kids(my son and my fiancé’s daughter)we always do a condo to save money and cook. When it’s just the two of us we normally do a nicer hotel. I’m 2 hours door to lift from Breck but I’m at the age now where day trips wear me out and I can afford to not do them if I don’t need to. So if at all possible I prefer to stay the night! My biggest tip: get a ski bag. We keep boots, pants, ski coat, hat, helmet, gloves, goggles, and even base layers in it. Then it’s grab and go. Suitcases only carry apres ski outfits, jammies, etc…. another tip….don’t bite off a harder run if you’re not ready. Ski at your level or a smidge above, especially for safety reasons and to avoid the locals yelling at you. I can’t imagine not knowing how to ski, it’s the best. It is pricey but there are many ways to get around that, Shay hit several of them. Being a long weekend ahead we are heading to Breck for 3 days of amazing fun! Ski on! Shay, I’m a travel addict too! We are doing an adult only ski trip to Switzerland for spring break!
Mix and Match Mama says
Woohoo!!! Thank you so much, Rachel!! These are all amazing tips!!!!! Have the BEST trip!!
Rachel says
I second Crested Butte, and it is part of the Epic pass! It has a town and a mountain village. We do an annual trip there every February for a longer weekend and stay in a house in the town. You can also fly into Colorado Springs, the drive is about 3.5 hours but GORGEOUS!
Lori says
Is there a discount for teachers on Epic Pass? I have never seen that before but would love to take advantage of it?
V says
If you don’t like to ski/snowboard, snowshoeing (if the resort has trails) is always a fun option or to take half a day and try it. You can rent snowshoes at many ski places. It’s a great workout and a great way to be outdoors!
Mix and Match Mama says
Great idea!!!
Jenn says
One more quick question- we’re taking my three year old son for the first time in a couple of weeks and he will be in ski school the entire trip. Do you know if they are pretty lenient and frequent about bathroom trips? He is potty trained but he drinks a ton and I’m really concerned he’s going to need to stop more than other little kiddos!
Mix and Match Mama says
My kids seem to think so! I think every time my kids tell their instructors they need to go, they go. I’m always so amazed by the instructor/kid ratio…it’s not just one person with a bunch of kids. There are several instructors to help manage each group.
Shelby Lewis says
Headed to Copper Mountain next weekend with my hubby for a weekend getaway form the Midwest! My husband has been before and said it is great for experienced skiers( him) and scardy cats (me) 🙂 H said many of the runs start and end at the same place, you just decide which color you want to go on. He has skied all over the world so I’m trusting him lol
p.s. I wish you guys planned ski vacations here in the US, Clare planned my honeymoon and I wouldn’t have changed a thing!
Mix and Match Mama says
I’m so happy to hear that, Shelby!!!
Stacy says
I’ve skied all my life. We put all our kids on skis at 3yo.
You would also think having skied all my kids Id be better at it. But after I had kids and realized I could get really hurt doing this and still have babies to care for … blue / green runs only for me kthanks.
I think beginners underestimate how much it’s costs. (A lot). How much you need to layer (a lot). And that quality gear will prevent you from being cold and miserable. Also don’t leave ski boots outside in the cold ever. Not in a car not anywhere. Nothing worse than putting on cold ski boots. Also it’s a good idea to run or walk 3mi a few times a week before you go. You’ll be less sore. Ibuprofen is your friend.
Red River NM is a PERFECT beginner mountain because it’s not that steep and not that big. And driveable from Texas.
This completes my Ted Talk. ??⛷?
Mix and Match Mama says
We went to Red River seven years in a row when I was younger. I have so many fond memories of that cute town!!!
Ellen says
I totally agree! I’d rather ENJOY myself on greens and blues than inch my way down a black in a state of terror. I learned as a young adult, and I only wish I’d learned when I was l was little.
Coreline Mayfield says
Loved all your Q&A’s, so helpful. We are in a different spot in that we have teenagers but they have only been skiing 3 years. For them, it is a money saver to pack cliff bars/protein bars while they’re out (if you’re not staying at a ski in, ski out) and save on buying lunch at the ski resort. We have tried Park City, UT vs Winter Park, CO, both very different experiences. We stayed right on Main Street in Park City, I’m not a skier so I enjoyed access to shops, coffee shops. It was a ski in, ski out and I enjoyed having them home for lunch. When we stay in Winter Park it is not so the skiers eat lunch. or cliff bars while out after I’ve stocked them up on a big breakfast. I prefer Winter Park as where we stay is up in the mountains and I enjoyed walking, doing a snow shoe hike and will take cross country skiing lessons next time. I like that I get a mountain view too whereas with Park City I was further from the mountain and didn’t feel a part of it! Thankful we have choices and looks like we will never run out of places to try!
Julie says
This is so helpful thanks! I have nothing to add other than we could ski together-lol! My husband and 3 kids can fly down the mountain and I prefer the bunny slope. I think the perfect schedule is ski 9-noon, read by fire, have dinner. ;).
Angie says
We ski Park City, because we live here. My son is 7 and started at 4 when we moved here. Our youngest is 3 and took his first formal lesson this year. As soon as their potty trained they can take lessons. I can’t recommend the toddler program in Park City enough. Also, since we’re local we buy their skis every year used through a great shop in Sandy and it’s around $100 and then you trade it in the next year for a credit. The earlier you start skiing the better! We have the Epic Local Pass and it saves so much money but we ski 2-4 times week and if you can plan your vacations on off peak times I highly recommend it. It’s a zoo here during the holidays and wasn’t worth it to us.
Mix and Match Mama says
I’m so jealous you live in Park City! It’s beautiful!!!
Megan Johnson says
Yes, UtahSkiandGolf does the $100 program and it’s awesome! They also do a flat $300 and you can turn them in every year for new ones until they are about 11/12 years old…that’s what we’ve done with our two kiddos and it has saved SO much money!
For car rentals cheaper, we use Turo and rent out a Tahoe and Explorer for people/families looking for a great snow car without the huge price tag. We also do front door service to make it easier 🙂 https://turo.com/en-us/drivers/10898543
Amy St.Hilaire says
Shay, how many suitcases did you need to travel with for this trip? You mentioned in other posts that you went back to the condo to do laundry – was that ski gear? Or regular clothes to minimize what you packed? Love your travel recaps and Q&A’s!
Mix and Match Mama says
Both! For 7 nights, we only packed about half of our “normal” stuff (socks, undies, pjs, jeans, base layers for skiing) and I would wash them along with hand/bath towels we were using at the place.
Tiffanie says
Thanks Shay! I have never skiied before and friends keep asking us to go with them. Your posts give me courage 🙂
Jenny says
We are planning a skiing trip for next year and this was super helpful. Thank you. Did you stay at a ski in/ski out place? What are the pros/cons? Can you share your thoughts on this?
Mix and Match Mama says
When Andrew goes with just Smith, they’ll stay in a hotel and ski in/out, but when it’s all of us, we typically stay at a townhouse/apartment off the mountain (more in town).
Kathy Shirk says
If you’re really looking for budget friendly, I recommend Monarch Mountain. My children ages 30 and 26 learned to ski there and we went every spring break from the time the youngest was 2 until they graduated from high school. My son and his wife have gone multiple times since they met, and my son actually proposed there on a snow mobile excursion overlooking the mountain. We always stay in Salida (30-45 minute drive) – it’s a very quaint town with cute shops and local restaurants.
I do recommend going mid week when the lift lines are short. We always preferred Tues, Wed, Thurs skiing.
I am the least athletic of the bunch but there are plenty of green and blue slopes to keep me happy and harder blues and blacks for the rest of my daredevils. By the 3rd day I spend most of my time in the lodge reading!
My son suffers from altitude sickness so we always stop in Manitou Springs overnight on the way up. In recent years they’ve offered a deal with discounted or free lift tickets if you spend a specified amount in their downtown area.
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you so much for this info, Kathy!!
Jenny N says
Our kids started skiing when they were 5 & 8. We went every year until they graduated from high school. I have always thought it was a great family vacation. My daughter never used poles until she was about 16. We drove the first couple of years and then we started flying. One of our favorite places to ski is Deer Valley, UT and we always loved Winter Park, CO for families. It has so much to offer right there in town. We always bought our kids school clothes a little big so they got 2 years of use out of them. Skiing is an expensive vacation, but so much fun and we made such wonderful memories!
alice says
What great tips! My older son has wanted to go skiing/snowboarding for years. Unfortunately, my budget just doesn’t allow big vacations 🙁 But I know one day that he will get to go!!!
Amy says
We lived in Steamboat Springs for a while! It is a great family ski area with consistently good conditions (ever heard of their famous “Champagne Powder?”). You can usually find reasonably priced ski-in/ski-out lodging there too, which would help the little ones – no carrying your gear around 🙂 If you ever decide to go, I’d be happy to provide some recommendations for the area! Oh! And there is another ski area in Steamboat called Howelsen Hill. It’s the oldest continually operating ski area in North America with tons of cool history – many Olympians have trained there! They sometimes have ski jumping that you can watch, and I believe skiing is free on Sunday’s. There is also an ice rink there and Nordic skiing. Something fun and unique for the kids!
Julie Bowers says
I hope you don’t mind another comment. I started skiing when I was 17 and my husband started at age 12. We started our children at 4-5yrs old and skiing was a wonderful family sport their entire lives. My daughter is now married with 2 children who have started at age 2. The 5yr old is able to ski on greens and blues by himself(accompanied by a parent) and the 3yr old is still being controlled with by their dad with ropes. They usually ski half a day.
As far as ski slopes, I would say Vail and Deer Valley are great places for all levels. Our experience is that a Deer Valley is less crowded. As far as Jackson Hole, our experience is that it is very expensive and best for advanced skiers as the vertical slope is very steep! I wouldn’t say any of the slopes are what I would consider “green” level! I hope that helps! Keep skiing! It’s such a great lifelong sport!
Mix and Match Mama says
I’ve always wanted to go to Deer Valley but from what I understand, they don’t allow snowboarding, right?
Marlee says
I skied for the first time ever 2 years ago with my boyfriend (now my husband) and we skied at Breckinridge and Keystone, Colorado. We didn’t cere for Breckinridge, but loved Keystone! Now we are going again (leaving Sunday) for Utah, and we are skiing three days at three different resorts (Alta, Brighton, and Park City.) We want to try to make it a tradition to go every other year at least since it is so expensive, and I feel like for now we will just keep trying a bunch of places and resorts to find out favorites. Then, we have kids we can have a good idea of where to take them to learn. Interested to see what you and other people think? Try a bunch of places to get Feiffer this experiences or find your favorite place and stick to it? Loved this post and your blog!
Marlee says
Sorry for all the typos! Read this on my break at work and quickly responded and realized all the typos!
Jenn says
Brighton is one of my absolute favorite places to ski – it’s incredibly beautiful. It’s a harder mountain so we don’t go There for big family trips, we save it for the smaller advanced groups that go. But man, the views are crazy. Only Heavenly rivals that!
Do you know if it’s still a no-snowboard mountain?
Marlee says
We are here now. Just finished day one at Alta which is ski only but phenomenal. I thought it would be hard to top but then we went to Brighton and I’m in love! It’s ski and snowboard now and your lift ticket last all day. I had no idea we’d be able to stay and night ski with the same pass. We loved it so much we stayed until the very last lift at 9 pm. What a beautiful mountain!!
Gail says
We checked our skis/poles each night on the mountain so we didn’t have to wrestle with all that equipment when we took the kids. So it was carry it up the first day and carry it back down the last day. Not really expensive and, to us, worth not having to hassle with equipment.
Lauren says
While you were in Telluride, we were actually in Breckenridge and Vail. I would agree that Breckenridge was quite crowded. I thought that Vail was not as crowded and great for beginner/intermediate level skiers (Me!). 2 years ago we went to Steamboat Springs for a week and I really liked that. One great thing about there, is that we stayed at an AirBnB and took a bus to and from the base every day and were also able to take the bus into town for restaurants/stores, etc. Definitely recommend Steamboat Springs and I think we’ll take our kids there in a year or 2 (they are just going to learn this year).
Also, a tip on Epic passes/lift tickets, there are varying types of Epic passes. We knew we were going to be there for 2-days, you can get a 2-day Epic pass that definitely makes it cheaper than walking up and I think equal to (or slightly less than) Buddy passes.
Melanie says
I laughed at your Jackson Hole comment for experienced skiers! I learned that the hard way!! Our first time skiing was our honeymoon 11 years ago and we picked Jackson Hole, because we didn’t know any better! ha ha, needless to say, I clicked those skis off and headed to the spa! However, it was beautiful!!! and lot’s of other wonderful snow activities. I learned to ski the next year in Steamboat Springs, much easier- with lots of greens! Yes, greens, please! We traveled to Copper Mountain, and I will say of the 4 ski trips I’ve taken, it was my least favorite….but, maybe because the altitude is higher and I didn’t sleep well at all there! We enjoyed WinterPark last year! And we are planning a holiday trip this Christmas, taking our kids for the first time so I’m enjoying all the tips!
Mix and Match Mama says
Everyone talks about how spectacular it is there…but then I hear you need to be really good. I need the destination for really bad skiers. Bahaha!
Tamra says
I have so enjoyed your ski trip posts. I took some time off when I was in college and worked as a nanny. I’d been with the family less than a month when we went to Vail for a week. The twins were 8 and little brother was four. Imagine me when I realized that the kids went to ski school all day and I skied on my own.
You are so spot on with keeping it fun, stopping for cocoa and not making it a have to.
My husband I had three boys, now they are married and on their own. We still love to meet them on the mountain and bring a tailgate lunch, usually grill burgers, and Hubby and I snow shoe. Their friends love when we show up with a yummy hot lunch. I wrecked my knee skiing and so I’m on the cautious side of skiing now… snowshoeing.
Meeting your kids where they are at is fun as they get older. You and Andrew are so good at that and will have fun memories!
Great job mama!
Megan says
So fun! As a Utah girl I’d say you answered the questions very well :-). For altitude…lots of water and there are medicines if you need them. We bring a small camelback (meant for cold or hot weather) and I wear it on the slopes so all of us are getting plenty of water while we ski. I also have chapstick, sunblock stick, tissues and snacks in the camelback or my pockets for everyone.
If anyone is coming to Park City or Utah in general and needs a great car for a cheaper price than the rental companies…we rent two of our cars through an app called “Turo”. We have an 8 passenger Tahoe that is fully loaded and a 7 passenger Explorer for something a bit smaller. Both are wonderful for a ski vacation and we will pick people up at the airport for front door service 😉 https://turo.com/en-us/drivers/10898543
Courtney F. says
We live in Orlando and have a surf/ski shop that sells ski clothes on consignment as well as brand new. It takes looking through, but I’ve found brand new kids snow suits and boots etc with tags on for less than half of the original price for my girls and then they pass down. It can be super expensive, especially if you live in a warm climate and have growing kids so I recommend trying that. Plus we’ve found some great high end deals on Poshmark. Definitely recommend ski school, even to give parents a break. We have an indoor ski school here in Orlando and my kids do a camp there before we go too. Fun!!
Debra says
You really need to try Steamboat Springs. It’s great for families! There are tons of trails for all skill levels, plus, lots of other activities available. Also, the town is just so cool, laid back, and has such a great vibe. Regarding high altitude, about a week before your trip, drink tons of water and continue to do so while on your trip. Also, if your flying into Denver, try and stay one night in town before heading up to the resorts. If that’s not an option, give yourself at least twenty four hours before hitting the slopes.
Annie Lieberman says
I second the importance of not forcing your kids and making it fun if you really want them to love it! I started skiing young, and my family and the other families we vacationed with were hard core – we got to the mountain before the lifts opened and stayed until they closed. There was no going in early if you were tired, cold, ready for hot cocoa, etc. Needless to say, I hated it. I didn’t realize I actually LOVED to ski until I went to Vail for work as a 22 year old. I was working on a retreat and my bosses and I hit the slopes the day before everyone arrived, and it was a blast – we did fun runs, and relaxed, and when we were done, we were done. Sometimes apres ski and hot cocoa in the lodge are the best part! I’m super conscious of this as my kids are learning to ski – I want them to enjoy it and have fun. Also for child care – most mountains have great day care centers that you can take advantage of. We skied Big Bear recently though and since they don’t have a day care we brought our Au Pair to watch our littlest one.
Deannab1 says
We have a cabin in the mountains and ski every other weekend in the winter and for a week at Christmas. We have a 5 and 7 year old and have found that buying off of Craigslist, FB Marketplace, and OfferUp is the way to go. Myboys are the same size, so we can’t hand stuff down. They grow out of it so fast that there isn’t a point in buying new. When they are teenagers we will 100% invest in good quality skis and boots, but for now they don’t need anything top of the line. I also 2nd the no poles – especially for beginners. They can actually be dangerous. We buy all of our winter gear in the summer when it is marked way down (I got both boys brand new North Face jackets with detachable fleeces on the inside for $70 at the outlet this year). And we use Boggs as their snow boots. The Boggs are always a part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (they are highly rated and keep feet warm at extremely cold temps) so we buy them in July and the boys use them all fall and winter.
Mix and Match Mama says
Fantastic tips!!!!!! Thank you!!
Emily says
Visit Banff, Alberta, Canada! There are several ski areas for all levels of skier in the area. There’s always an abundance of snow! The town of Banff itself has a gondola for sightseeing, the beautiful Fairmont for perusing, and wonderful local shops and restaurants for all tastes! You can also travel a bit farther to Lake Louise-stay at the Fairmont Chateau, ski at their ski area, go dog sledding, and go ice skating on Lake Louise.
Robin says
We have a 16 year old and a 6 year old. We put our 16 year old on skiis from 4-10, then took a break as a family and are back at it this year. If you are looking to save money a lot of ski shops have boot/ski programs where you pay maybe $100-$150 and get skis/boots to use for the season, then return them at the end of the season. Then the following year you pay $20ish and can get their new size. So, basically a $100-$150 buy in fee and then a $20 annual service fee. If you plan on going regularly this can be cheaper than buying stuff for the kids (since they will likely outgrow it the next season) and it’s typically cheaper than renting if you are going multiple times per year. We go 1-2 times per week all winter and this has been the best deal for gear.
Karen says
Altitude…drink lots of water a couple weeks before heading up. Take it easy the first day you go up in altitude. This goes for winter and summer.
I HIGHLY recommend ski school for adults the first few times you ski. I dated a guy and his family had the rule that each year everyone was in ski school the first day. Even if you think you know everything, there’s always more to learn. What I learned one year got me down a Triple Black Diamond run at Steamboat one year!
For kids…if you know how to ski, teach them the first few times to make sure they like it. Then put in ski school. But it can be frustrating for you. I taught all four of ours on the Galloping Goose lift at Winter Park and the J lift at Copper Mountain. But if I was vacationing, ski school all the way!
Ways to save money…Copper Mountain and Winter Park offer Four Passes in the spring and early fall. I ski Copper Mountain and it has terrain for ALL levels! Some of my favorite runs are the green runs! And the back bowls will make your heart rate go up!!! It’s so big that it doesn’t seem crowded until you see the parking lot.
Each resort in Colorado is so different…you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Jill Connors says
We started both of our boys skiing at 4. My husband is a saint and taught both boys to ski – no ski school for either kid, but it takes patience! Now the boys are in their 20’s and ski double blacks with Dad.
Tips for clothes and gear – in San Diego, when the kids were little, we would go to a ski swap in the fall. Everything our kids had was used until they stopped growing. from equipment to ski wear. Saves a ton on money!
Shay – your family should try Mammoth Mountain in CA sometime. I think you would like the mountain and the town. Great place. We have also gone to Canada for several years and it is beautiful. (Panorama, Lake Louise are our favorite)
skiing is a great family vacation! Enjoy the ride until they ski better than you can, then you can join me in the lodge! 🙂
Sarah Nienhuis says
I’ve been following your blog and IG for years so now I think I “know” you and from what I’ve learned – you MUST go to “Heavenly Ski resort” in South Lake Tahoe. Literally- it’s the most gorgeous skiing I’ve ever been to, there beautiful easy runs and hello…Lake Tahoe!
We’ve also fallen in love with Copper Mountain in CO! The ski town is just soooo cute!
Mix and Match Mama says
Andrew did Lake Tahoe last year! Where would you fly into for South Lake Tahoe? He flew into Reno and snowboarded somewhere from that direction.
Kristy D says
I think the Shull’s need to come to Whistler next year!
Mix and Match Mama says
Andrew went two years ago and loved it!!!!!
Morgan H says
Skiing with my family as a kid was one of my favorite traditions. From skiing all day long to hot cocoa and board games in the evening after a full day, they are memories I cherish & can’t wait to make with my future kids! A few of my tips: shop for ski gear in off-season windows when retailers are trying to clear out inventory (February/March) – we found my husband’s gear for a great price at REI! Look for base layers/long underwear & wool ski socks at Costco (some of the best!), and use yoga leggings as a base layer that won’t get scrunched up in ski boots. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen for spring skiers in the March timeframe – some of my worst sunburns have come from skiing oddly enough. Lastly, I think ski school is important for even the most experienced skiers! I have continued to take a class to get back in the swing of things after years of skiing and always find an area of improvement. I love that skiing is a lifetime sport ❤️ Loved the update Shay!
KRISTIN POLLOCK says
I’m probably going against the grain here, but we just returned from a very expensive ski trip and it was a total bust. We all laughed as we went through it, but one broke his wrist within 2 hours of the first day of ski school day, one got altitude sickness really badly, one had breathing issues with bronchitis, and our rental car broke down headed up the mountains. I lived in CO for years and my kids were born there. When you can drive up and spend the day, it is wonderful. Otherwise, ski trips can be VERY expensive when you add up flights, cars, lift tickets (so expensive these days), ski school, gear, clothing (there are good deals on Amazon compared to years past), etc… When I think of all the money we spent, plus all the stress, I really wish we had simply booked a cruise or went to Hawaii for a week (it would have been cheaper). Just keep in mind that many more things can go wrong skiing than hanging out on the beach!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh Kristin!! That is the worst vacation ever!!!! I am so sorry!!
Atlanta Meynier says
I have to chime in since I live in Vail ( so I am a bit biased 😉 And if you saw the Hallmark movie just erase that from your mind! We love a Hallmark movie at our house but this one was a huge let down and didn’t show Vail in a great light. I know your boys came here a couple of years ago but I think your family would LOVE it too! Beaver Creek is right here too and great for families! The airport is about 25 minutes away or you can drive 2 hours from Denver. The mountain is huge so lots of runs for all levels and some really fun family runs (rainbows and animals and caves to go through, there is also Epix Mix Racing where the kids can do a “race” run and get timed 🙂 There is Adventure Ridge with tubing, etc. Ice skating, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, nordic skiing, night time is beautiful for snow shoeing too, it’s all fun to try. There are snow cat rides to cabin’s for dinner and great theatre’s for entertainment, Vilar Performing Arts Center ( Beaver Creek)for events and Cinebistro (Vail) for movies. There is a great bowling alley too called Bol. I also don’t think it gets nearly as crowded since both Vail and BC are large and cater to a higher end experience. What’s so fun for us living here is all the events geared to appeal to tourists are available to us too ~ Pink Vail, St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Easter all have tons of activities for the whole family. Just wanted to put a plug in for Vail! Happy skiing 😉
Kathy says
Do you worry about Ashby falling on her arm? So wonderful she can participate.
Mix and Match Mama says
We do. We worry about a lot of things with Ashby, but after talking to her doctor before the trip, we felt more confident. He really wants her to enjoy this time and to be safe but also be a kid. Ashby’s condition only gets bigger/worse/more harmful/exaggerated the older she gets, so his exact words were “seize the day”. She wears a compression garment on one arm in situations like this. She hates it, so we try not to focus on it and draw attention to it…but she wears it. It’s pink. It stabilizes her. In five years, I’ve never seen her take to anything like she has skiing. She was consumed by it. Who knows? Maybe this will her her “thing”? Maybe this will be something she can master and then do no matter what happens later in life? I don’t know? We had the doctor’s blessing, and I’m so happy we didn’t let our own fears get in the way.
Kathy says
I love everything you said in that response…..and I was so afraid you’d take my comment the wrong way. So impressed with your doctor and with you and Andrew. Hard decisions…..
Krista says
I miss skiing, especially after reading your posts. I haven’t been since having kiddos. I’ve skied Vail, Beavercreek, Lake Tahoe and Whistler. The view overlooking the lake while skiing down the mountain in Tahoe was absolutely beautiful, but the trails were somewhat confusing to follow. I’d love to go back in the summer to enjoy the lake and outdoor activities though. Vail was my favorite place to ski with the back bowls.
Tiffany says
I second Crested Butte! I grew up there and it’s a pretty amazing place. It’s got a similiar vibe to Telluride though in that it is a small charming town and it’s 30 minutes from the nearest town, Gunnison, which is another small town. There are no chain stores, but the downtown area is cute with small shops and restaurants.
Kim says
Can you guys go stay at the Trapp Family Lodge (as in the von Trapp’s) in Vermont next year and do a review of that place. No one in my family has ever been skiing but that is one place I’d love to go see!
grace says
I’m so glad to hear that your older kiddos didn’t start until 8 and 9- I’ve been feeling like I missed the “window of opportunity” since I’m wanting to take them but they didn’t start at 3 or 4 like so many others.
Where do you buy all of your ski gear?
What brands are your goggles, base layers, pants, jackets, helmets, neck warmers, socks etc.? I’ve never been skiing or out in the winter for a whole day, my kids hate being cold and I want to make sure we have clothing that will keep them relatively warm.
Thank you so much for doing these Q&A posts. I know it takes a lot of time and thought and I appreciate it!!
Mix and Match Mama says
We have an amazing ski shop in McKinney called Doug and Lynda’s where we buy all of our gear. It’s a mix of Spyder, Smith, Obermeyer and other brands like that. They are extremely knowledgeable at that store.
Ashley says
Come visit us in Big Sky, Montana! My husband and I are both locals, and met as ski instructors. We now have 3 kiddos who have grown up on the slopes. Big Sky is fantastic for huge terrain (with plenty of variety for difficulty) and NO crowds. We also have plenty of day-off activities, like dog sledding and horse drawn sleigh rides to dinner. Plus we’re super close to Yellowstone Park, where you can take snowcats or snowmobiles in to see the winter wonderland without all the crowds that summer brings. I love Andrew’s insistence on it always being fun. We are the same – and spent plenty of days on the hill with more time drinking cocoa than actually skiing. But now our kids (aged 10, 6 and 5) willingly ski all day, anywhere on the mountain. So for anyone reading this deep in the trenches of “it’s so much work for so little reward” – stick with it! It is so, SO worth it in the end!