This year we decided to try skiing/snowboarding as a family.  Not very often - no ski pass for us.  We decided to limit it to four times.  We usually go to Mount Baker after Christmas to go sledding and it has become something of a tradition.  This year we brought our ski/boarding gear as well.  Normally we sled at the upper lodge (it's nice to have a bathroom close by), but the upper lodge was closed.  It's only open on weekends and holidays.  So we turned into the lower lodge and suited up.  The rope tow is free and so John and the kids spent 1 1/2 hours on it.  By the end of it they were soaked.  It rained.  It didn't take many photos just helped kids at the bottom, took care of the dog, and helped with getting gear on and off.  An hour in the lodge warming up and home we went. 


The next time we went, John and I skied together while the kids took a lesson.  Unfortunately it was on a Saturday and only the upper lodge offers lessons.  Lona was placed in a level 2 class but never made it off the rope tow.  That was disappointing. Some of the kids were placed in the class but had never skied before or used the rope tow and then they had to go to the bathroom, so they ran out of time.   Isaac and Job were in a class with each other and were able to go on the chair lift.  Their teacher was patient.  I was not.  Looking back on it I can see why Isaac was a little more hesitant than last year when we tried it.  On his last run he had  broken his arm.  That's got to shake anyone's confidence.  Anyhow we only skied one run over and over.  There were two more times we tried to go up the mountain, but John has decided that we are NOT skiing in the rain, it just isn't worth it - money or attitude.  He's right.  I don't want to be miserable on the slope.  It should be fun. We had planned on skiing mostly Fridays but since Isaac started school we had to bag that plan.  With school being out on Monday due to President's Day, John took the day off and we headed up to the mountain.  It looked to be the perfect day.  Since we weren't going to have the kids take lessons this time, we parked at the lower lodge.

We started on easy runs during the morning to warm up.  At lunch we met up with some friends of the kids.  They are fairly good skiers but we all skied together.  It was very kind of them to wait for us.  It is amazing, our kids "cowboyed up" with their friends around.  If their friends could ski it then so could they.  They were not going to be left behind and really took on some challenging stuff for them.  This makes it enjoyable for us as well.  We can all ski/board intermediate runs!






Somethings that we learned are:  put granola bars in a backpack for on the chair lift, new googles for John - the foam was flaking off into his eyes (they must be 20 years old), extra gloves for the kids, and a bigger helmet for Isaac (he has a big head). It pretty much snowed all day there.  The flakes were soft and thick making the best powder ever.  It makes skiing so much more enjoyable.  After our friends took off to ski more challenging things,  we decided that we were done - one more run and off to the lodge. A couple of funny little events happened.  One, Job fell off the chair lift!  He's my boy that does not like heights - he won't go up the space needle. We were getting ready to unload, board read, ski tips up, scoot forward and just before he slips off.  The guy quickly comes out of his little hut, I shout to Job to duck to he wasn't hit in the head by the skiers in the next chair and he helped up the ramp.  I guess that was the first time a boarder fell off the chair lift.  Job said it was just slippery.  I couldn't help but laugh, he fell all of two feet or so.  I held onto him the rest of the time. The second one was the Parks trait of I know where I'm going (but not really) kicked in.  Instead of skiing to the bottom we ended at a chair that was closed and so had to hike out.  In fact we were the last off the hill and were escorted by the ski patrol for the last mile. Note to family - the cat track on Chair 8 is NOT a run - it is for snowshoers, cross country skiiers and snowmobiles, but it does make for a funny story/ending.
Cette annee nous faisons du ski trois fois.  Le premiere fois nous avons alles au montagne de faire du luge et nous avons pris notre skis.  Il commence de pluie et la place ou nous avons fait du luge est fermer alors nous avons utilises le cable de remorque.  C'est libre est parfait pour le premiere fois de l'annee.  Apres deux heures les enfants sont tous mouilles.  Nous avons bu du chocolate chaud et retourne chez nous.  Le deuxieme fois, les enfants ont pris des lessons.  Malheureusement, Lona sont dans une classe avec des aux persons qui n'avait jamais faire du ski.  Elle n'aviat pas la chance de prendre le remonte-pente.  Mais l'apres-midi elle va avec nous.  Isaac et Job sont dans une classe ensemble.  Ils ont appris le snowboard.  Lona n'avait aucun de peur.  Elle etait vite et voulait aller tous. Isaac est plus timide mais c'est normale au cause de lui  casser son bras l'annee derniere.  La derniere fois que nous avons alles sont parfait.  Nous allons ensembles pour tout la jour.  Pour le matin, nous faisons tous les pistes de skis faciles.  Apres le dejeuner nous trouvons des amis des enfants et allons avec eux.  Ils ont mieux mais avait beaucoup de patience avec nos enfants.  Notres enfants faisent meiux avec ses amis et vont aux pistes de skis plus difficle.  Quelques choses amusants sont juste avant decendre le remonte-pente, Job a tombe.  Il etait d'accord mais il glisse sur la chaise.  Et l'autre chose amusant est que nous avons pris le piste de ski faux.  Le remonte-pente sont fermer et nous avons marche presque 2 miles de retourner a notre voiture.  C'est vraiment dans le mode des Parks de choisir un chemin faux.  Nous le faisons beaucoup.