Tips for raising ‘lil shredders!

When you are faced with the challenge of hitting the slopes with the kids, one food for thought is really taking a look at the resort you choose. Most importantly, is it a good match for you and your family’s varying different skill levels? Will the speed racer get so far ahead of you and end up lost on the other side of the mountain while you’re struggling with the other kids? Is the skiing AND the food affordable? If one family member is tired, is there a place to hang out while the rest of the group continues to shred the gnar? Are the crowds of out-of-tonwers going to gobble up your wee ones on the bunny hill? And one thing we don’t think about much but is very important as it can set the tone for the rest of the day…how far do you have to walk (with ALL your gear) from the car to the chair lifts! I’m not sure how your family works, but we tend to not be the first on the slopes so by the time we get to the resorts, we don’t have prime parking, unless we’re SO late that we get there by the time the early birds are heading home for the day and we can snag their parking spots.

Well guess what fellow parents of ‘lil shredders! We have found the answers to ALL these questions! That’s right! Over the last two seasons, my husband and I have had the good fortune of taking the kids to several of the 26 resorts Colorado has to offer, big and small alike! And there has been a huge difference in our overall experiences! What we have found for our family are the resorts dubbed as ‘The Gems’! The name says it all…the little gems out there that are a bit off the beaten path! Where you can park just yards from the chairlifts! Where there is no such thing as a lift line! Where are plenty of tables to camp out for the day with food you bring for your picky little monsters! Where at 3 o’clock you can still find fresh, untouched powder on a sunny day! They are reminders of days gone by when the main purpose was to ski! And more importantly to me, ski with the family!

And the price is right! Lift tickets are often close to half what they are at the big resorts! These resorts welcome the picnicker, bringing your own sandwiches will save you bundles. Combine that with the “Gems Card” and your whole day can be a fraction of what it would be otherwise. The resorts are the right size too, we can send our daughter and her buddies up the chairlift and know that they’ll come back to the base, cuz there’s usually only one base! I can sit in the lodge with the youngest (who, of course has changed his mind AGAIN about skiing), gaze out the picture windows and watch as my other son hits the half pipe. It’s a mother’s dream! Three kids, two adults and everyone is happy and having fun!!!