Tag Archives: Skiing

Skiing Every Month in 2014 = Building Grit in this 12 Year Old!

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My oldest son has a goal to ski every month this year. Good goal for a ski obsessed kid! [See this 12 year old’s ski video] So this weekend my husband took him to St. Mary’s Glacier to get in his August skiing. It turns out skiing has become a great opportunity for father-son bonding. It’s also great overall family bonding, but this was of the father-son genre. The take home for our family – It’s the Process that Matter Most, Not the End Result!

The process is so much more than making the turns – but it includes the turns! The process is talking about open ended questions on the way up the mountain to the destination. The process is getting on the pack and loading it up with boots and skis and gear and stuff, then putting said pack on this 12 year olds back and hiking up about a mile to get a few turns. A mile up hill. A mile to find just enough snow to make those necessary turns that he committed to earlier this year.

Sometimes the skiing happens at #Vail or #Breckenridge or #CopperMountain, but in the summer it has happened by earning his turns. I’ve got to believe this process helps create grit in my son! Grit that will help him in get through the tough parts in his life. Grit that he will call upon when he needs to hike that last mile or finish that tough homework assignment. There is nothing as important as having grit, so when Kai tells me about his experience and how it was tough but he did it, I take a deep breath that fills me up inside. I know the process and these experiences will fill him up in the end.

Take Homes from this Adventure:

  • Follow your passion
  • Do it even when it’s tough
  • Enjoy the process
  • Find a way to bond – something you enjoy doing together!

Interested in what a 12 year old can do skiing? Check out this video Kai made of his skiing!

 

Kids Love Extreme Sports? Looking for a Summer Camp? Check Out Woodward at Copper!

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photo copy 2Recently my family took a trip to Copper Mountain to check out Woodward at Copper. Have you heard of it? If not, you’re not alone. Their facilities blew us away! I thought of Woodward as a winter weather program, but when I found out that they have to offer this summer, well my kids were ready to sign up and move right in! We busted a move. Signed up. Here are the details… photo

At Woodward at Copper you walk into what they call – The Barn. The space is relatively unassuming until you enter. But your senses are quickly overwhelmed with this amazing space chock full of ramps, jumps, trampolines, half-pipes, pump tracks, bowls, and foam pits! Got extreme sports enthusiasts? Woodward may be the place for them!

Woodward at Copper Summer Programs

Got tweens, teens, or groms [younger kids – ages 8 – 12] with X-Games dreams or just thephoto copy interest in going big? Maybe they are just not ready to give up skiing or snowboarding OR want to take their extreme sports to the next level – this place rocks! Where else can our kids jump and flip and learn in the safety of the Woodward Barn AND get outside with professional instruction? It’s not easy to find this combo! Woodward at Copper offers week long camps for kids throughout the summer.

In the summer camps kids get an opportunity to explore and train in their favorite extreme sports. They get coaching in their sport in and out of the Barn daily, but they also get to work with pros in their field! There are also amazing sponsors for each summer camp week – a lot of them are the leaders in the extreme sports world! Have younger kids? There is also a Grom camp option which is a shorter program for kids ages 8 to 12. You can choose either the overnight or day option for your child. If you are from Boulder I’m guessing your are going for the overnight option. Copper really isn’t that far but it’s not an easy commute!

Woodward at Copper Camp Options

Details on summer camp options and costs can be found here.

  • Ski Camp – They get to ski in the terrain park with a new surface lift!
  • Snowboard Camp – They get to snowboard in the terrain park with a new surface lift!
  • Skateboard Camp – They head out to amazing local parks!
  • BMX Camp – They head out to amazing local parks!
  • Mountain Bike Camp – Take your mountain biking to new heights!
  • Scooter Camp – They head out to amazing local parks!
  • Cheer Camp – Play it safe by practicing those tough tricks in the Barn!
  • Digital Media Camp – Kids have a great opportunity to take extreme sports shots!

What Does a Woodward at Copper Camp Cost? Screen Shot 2014-04-15 at 2.31.20 PMI had to take a deep breath when I saw the prices. But I still signed them up! My kids have never done an overnight camp like this so I did some research to see if the prices at Woodward were far off the mark. The deciding factor – there really is nothing like this for my skiing-crazy sons besides in Oregon and that was a lot more expensive & complicated! The camp prices start at $999 and go up.  It looks like until April 20, 2014 they are offering $100 off a bunch of different camp options. A special thanks to Copper Mountain and Woodward at Copper for letting my family review your facility. We are excited about summer camps! 

Vail Offers Families More Than Skiing and Snowboarding! Here is what Skyler and I found when we took off our skis

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The crew is ready!

The crew is ready!

Recently I was asked to attend a media day at Vail. Gladly I accepted. My family has loved skiing Vail since our kids were young and we feel like the area is our second winter home. It really is. So I boldly took Skyler, my 4th grader, out of school [TCAPs happening and all] and we headed up the mountain. This was going to be a day of experiential education! 

We pulled up to the Arrabelle and valet parked our car [Thanks, Vail and yes, I would love to stay with my family at the Arrabelle one day!]. All the little touches that ensure you know you are at a high end resort were present and made this space subtly magnificent. But alas we were not checking in so we gave our keys over to parking attendant, poured ourselves some hot chocolate and coffee, and headed out to our Vail playground destination.

We made our way to the gondola [right around the corner] and met up with our media day crew. Many of these writers brought their kids along too which made it even more fun! We immediately headed up to Adventure Ridge with the intention of trying out their zipline, tubing, & snowmobiles. We wanted to know what families with kids who don’t ski, or families wanting to take a day off, can expect from the on-mountain activity center. It turns out Adventure Ridge is a great option!

Tubing

I have to be honest. I am scared of heights and going too fast. I ski fast only to keep up with my family at this point. But I was not going out there with a bunch of kids and parents and not getting on the activities. I had to save face at all costs. So Skyler and I grabbed our tubes and got on the sort of odd conveyor belt that took us to our destination at the top of the hill. The other option was walking up, so we were fine with the ride. Skyler went first. He plopped the tube down, asked the attendant a few questions [he likes to make sure he does things the right way], and off he went. So quickly I almost missed his ride.

Me on the other hand, I slowly and cautiously got in my tube trying not to make eye contact with the ride organizer. But I didn’t go unnoticed so she made her way over and gave me a gentle shove off the edge. It was really fast! So fast.  But it was exhilarating and awesome at the same time. I was sold. I jumped off my tube and ran to catch up with Skyler to take another run. This time we went together. He wanted a spin. We settled on just going down forward this time. Next time we spun. And spun. And spun. Smiles!!!!

Snowmobiling

Then we headed over to the snowmobiles because the kids were ready for the ride of their lives. The kids donned extra cool helmets and got on their steads. These snowmobiles are super cool and the kids clearly felt like rock stars as they took off around the track. At times the scene looked like bumper cars, but the Vail staff had it fully under control. Deep breath for us helicopter parents…

Ziplining

IMG_4673 To top the morning off we got back on the conveyor belt and headed up to zip down the mountain. This is a highly technical activity! You get to put on cool harnesses, weigh in, and fly over the ski slopes on a wire. On a wire! Once again I let Skyler go first. I hung back and checked this one out. I watched as Skyler happily put on the harness and was prepped for his flight. He was methodical and careful as he got ready [his style]. But then before I knew it he had his feet up on the gate, hanging in mid-air, ready to fly. Then he was off… At the end I checked in and all he could say was, “I wish it went faster!”

More Family-Friendly Vail Options

Adventure Ridge offers amazing on-mountain family-friendly things to do in Vail when you are not skiing.  But depending on how old your kids are, if they ski yet, or you just don’t want them in ski school yet, you can check out ice skating at Lionshead, the Pirate Boat Playground and the water fountain at the base of the mountain in Vail Village, head to Fuzziwigs for a sweet old fashioned treat, or downstairs to Joe’s Famous Deli and Ice Cream for some delicious ice cream. These are all things my kids still love to do in Vail when the skis are off and have for a long time!

Thanks to the Vail Communications Crew for letting us experience Adventure Ridge! We will be back to play with the whole family again. What are your favorite non-skiing/boarding family-friendly options in Vail?

#Vail #LikeNothingOnEarth #AdventureRidge #family #familyfriendly #kids

5th and 6th Graders: Get Your Free/Cheap Ski Passes!

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If you have a 5th or 6th grader it is time to start thinking about getting them their Free/Cheap Ski/Snowboard passes. The way it works is that there are two different programs: School of Shred & Colorado Ski Country USA. They both offer 5th graders free skiing, but at different locations, so you want to get both! They offer 6th graders cheap or free skiing depending on the program. More details below.

5th Graders: You get 4 days of free skiing at all Colorado Vail Resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and A-Basin [School of Shred]. In addition you get 3 days of free skiing at 20 other Colorado ski resorts including Aspen, Buttermilk, Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Winter Park, and many more [Colorado Ski Country USA]. In addition you also get one free ski/snowboard lesson and equipment rental through both programs. They really want you to get good!

6th Graders: You can purchase a pass for 4 days at the Ski Country USA resorts for $99. This is a screaming good deal! The School of Shred is offering the same deal for 6th graders as they did for 5th graders–4 free days of skiing at their resorts. Woohooo!!!!

How To Apply: Don’t forget to apply to both!

School of Shred Passport Sign Up: Starting now you can bring your child’s 5th or 6th grade report card to Boulder Ski Deals or other Front Range locations to get a pass.

Colorado Ski Country USA Passport Sign Up: Sign up online at the link to the left. Deadline to sign up is January 31, 2013.

Have fun skiing/snowboarding!

#getoutdoors #skiing #vailresorts #snowboard #free #colorado

5th and 6th Graders: Get Your Free/Cheap Ski Passes!

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If you have a 5th or 6th grader it is time to start thinking about getting them their Free/Cheap Ski/Snowboard passes. The way it works is that there are two different programs: School of Shred & Colorado Ski Country USA. They both offer 5th graders free skiing, but at different locations, so you want to get both! They offer 6th graders cheap or free skiing depending on the program. More details below.

5th Graders: You get 4 days of free skiing at all Colorado Vail Resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and A-Basin [School of Shred]. In addition you get 3 days of free skiing at 20 other Colorado ski resorts including Aspen, Buttermilk, Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Winter Park, and many more [Colorado Ski Country USA]. In addition you also get one free ski/snowboard lesson and equipment rental through both programs. They really want you to get good!

6th Graders: You can purchase a pass for 4 days at the Ski Country USA resorts for $99. This is a screaming good deal! The School of Shred is offering the same deal for 6th graders as they did for 5th graders–4 free days of skiing at their resorts. Woohooo!!!!

How To Apply: Don’t forget to apply to both!

School of Shred Passport Sign Up: Starting now you can bring your child’s 5th or 6th grade report card to Boulder Ski Deals or other Front Range locations to get a pass.

Colorado Ski Country USA Passport Sign Up: Sign up online at the link to the left. Deadline to sign up is January 31, 2013.

Have fun skiing/snowboarding!

#getoutdoors #skiing #vailresorts #snowboard #free #colorado

Eldora Included with Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass Next Season: Great news for Boulder Families!

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IMG_0246

If you have ever felt torn between the ease of Eldora and the big mountains of Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge & A-Basin this new announcement is fantastic! So now when you purchase a Vail Resorts Epic Pass [not a small investment!] you can either face the traffic, rent a place in the mountains, or decide on a short commute day and head up to Eldora whenever you please. Eldora offers some fun terrain–especially for kids–and it is so close.

The truth is my family has not skied Eldora for years because of getting Vail passes. We have not wanted to purchase extra tickets so even when friends invite our kids to Eldora we say no. But there are certainly days we would love to leave I-70 behind and stay local. Now we can! But you have to purchase the Epic Pass to get the benefit.

For more information on passes go to the EpicPass website.

Below is the Daily Camera article announcing the collaboration on 3/12/2013:

Eldora to be included in Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass next season

Steve Shelp, of Lafayette, has some fun in the mini terrain park at Eldora Mountain Resort on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (Jeremy Papasso / Daily Camera file photo)

Starting next season, Eldora Mountain Resort in Boulder County will be included in the Epic Pass, Broomfield-based Vail Resorts announced today.

The Epic Pass now includes unlimited access to nine resorts in three states with the addition of Eldora, the resort which sits about 45 minutes from Boulder.

Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood and now Eldora are included in the pass, which currently costs $689 for adults and $359 for children.

“We are thrilled to offer Eldora Mountain Resort as part of next season’s Epic Pass for Colorado skiers and snowboarders,” said Kirsten Lynch, Vail Resorts’ executive vice president and chief marketing officer, in a news release.