Family Ski Vacation

We've been skiing in Beaver Creek, Colorado and the weather and conditions have been fantastic.

We all ski and board and generally all go out as a family.  Our kids did ski school when they were younger but in the past several years we've decided that a family vacation means hanging out and skiing together as a family. 

That poses a number of problems when there are disagreements about where to ski, when one family member is slowing everyone down, etc. 

But these problems are generally overcome quickly and the time we spend together on the mountain is almost always enjoyable.

We think a family ski vacation is a great bonding experience for the whole family and in particular the kids.

I spend most of my time on skis.  Jessica and Josh spend most of their time on a board.  The Gotham Gal and Emily tend to  mix it up.

One thing that has made skiing as a family a lot easier is cell phones. 

The reception at Beaver Creek has been pretty good all over the mountain and when someone goes the wrong way or signals get crossed, a phone call generally gets everyone back together again pretty quickly.

One thing that skiing with the kids and having a number of boarders in the family gets in the way of is serious bump skiing.

The Gotham Gal and I have always enjoyed bump skiing, particularly in the spring when the temperature rises and the bumps get big and soft.

But we found some opportunities to do that today and the results were spectacular. 

Except for my left knee which is sore as hell. 

Getting older and bump skiing don't go hand in hand apparently.

Comments

[Devin Reams]

Fred, I was out today (Copper) and the weather was just as fantastic (got some burn to prove it)... certainly a nice soft day.

...I too find it remarkable that the coverage on the mountain far exceeds that in my own house.

[scott partee]

Wow! Great shots. I miss skiing. I, too, was a man who loved to ski the bumps. These days, I'm a Colorado native who hasn't hit the slopes in almost ten years. I can't believe I just typed that: ten years!

Last time I went, it was at the end of a season during which I lived in Aspen. I had been skiing a lot that season -- had the pass and all that and lived right by one of the lifts to Ajax. Anyway, I went over to Snowmass and was doing some bump skiing when I wiped out. This was, by far, the worst wipeout I'd ever had. I hit my jaw hard on the snow (which wasn't particularly soft, even though it was, um snow) and I think I got knocked out for a second or something. I don't know. I just remember seeing stars and blackness alternating and trying to find my skis and poles. I got it together, got down the mountain and called it a day.

That night, my friend Howard, who was from Atlanta (where I live now, oddly enough) and a fantastic skier, was razzing me. "Are you spooked? Are you ever going to be able to ski again? "

I laughed at the time, and really didn't think about it again. I thought, "hell, I'll go tomorrow."

Turns out, I got really busy at work, and missed the last couple weeks of the season. I moved away to Boulder that summer, and haven't been back since.

Maybe Howard was right! ;)

[CD]

Great story about family bonding, great nature escape and the pure white snow and blue sky - love it!

Great to see the mix skiing/boarding - no generation split on the gear - he he!

I went to Japan this year and it was just awesome! No rock band but all sorts of music including Japanese love songs on the slopes :-)

Have you tried 2-way radios? They work great for all - much better than cellphones in my experience!

[Mark Crane]

In Utah they call them moguls instead of bumps. Personally, I think that movie producers should be called bumps.

Del.icio.us could use a tool to import blogger posts. I've got 800 I want to tag and put in del.icio.us but I may be a lone freak in that regard.

[Chris]

Please add our link.

[Chris]

Please add our link.

[djeneralee]

I have written a few articles about planning a family ski vacation and a bit about snowboarding.

djeneralee
www.easypy.com