We did it!

We did it!  We took the Kraken skiing for the first time.  We were unsure how it would go, since when we put the ski boots on his feet at home he would melt down.  But we figured we could at least take him to the hill to play in the snow.  We bought season passes to Nakiska, so we couldn't go wrong.  

To get past the boot disdain, we switched boots quickly at the base of the hill, quickly clicked him into skis and started pushing.  And he loved it!  He started laughing and smiling right away.

Over to the bunny hill and up and down we went.  Chris and I were in snow boots the whole time, we
left the ski gear at home.  This day was only about the Kraken.  We kept it super simple.  Just a few pushes up and down the hill.  Never letting go.  The little man is still in the floppy stage of things.  You let him go and he simply bends his knees and flops over.  So it's full parental support right now.

After a few pushes up and down, the smile was fading a bit so we pulled the ski boots off and romped in the snow for a little longer.  One more 5 minute stint on skis and we were inside for yoghurt and a little cookie.

I think we were at the hill for less than 2 hours, but overall I think it was a success.  Enough of a win that when the Lake Louise World Cup was on last weekend, he was riveted to the TV.  And when we saw a Resorts of the Canadian Rockies commercial I had to replay the powder skiing segment 3 times.  Yeah, maybe we've created a skiing bum!  

But one thing we remembered and will have to always keep at the front of our minds is that this is a long road.  Each time out can be 5 minutes or two hours.  But in the end his reaction, enthusiasm and overall enjoyment must lead the experience.  This one really isn't about us.  

Good-bye 2013/14 Ski Year

We have officially come to the end of the 2013/14 ski year here.  It was a long year with lots of great snow.  Looking back I can't believe how many times I got out considering we had the Kraken in tow every time.  But he was a trooper right to the end and allowed us to get some great turns in.  Our last day at Sunshine was a quiet day, so the lifty offered to let the wee one and Chris ride to the top and explore for a bit.  An adventure both loved.

I was super lucky to have had the opportunity to test out so many skis and many other items of ski gear.  The local reps and my local shop (the Ski Cellar) were great at making sure I got to test gear and gave me any opportunity they could to expose me to the latest and greatest gear.

So now I look to the summer and plot my off snow adventures.  There is a trip to Nova Scotia to see my family for sure.  Lots of biking and running.  I'm sure a few weekend trips closer to home, as well as many hiking outings.  All I know for sure is that I will be outside.  The Kraken wakes in the morning and asks to go out before he's even eaten breakfast.  But regardless of the adventures I promise to continue filling you in on the blog.  I'm sure the shift will be more to family and Kraken adventures, but stay tuned and I'll do my best to keep you entertained.  And I'll be sure to start next ski season with lots of tips, gear and fun adventure.  

Thanks for your support for this ski season and for checking out the blog.      

Spring has Sprung at Sunshine Village

Lookout Mountain and Goat's Eye in the background

Spring has finally arrived in the Rocky Mountains. We have had the chance to get out a few times in the last couple of weeks to enjoy the great conditions.

Just this past week we spent Mother's Day on the hill. We had an amazing blue bird sky, temperatures around 0^oC, snow that softened up as the day went on, but never became slushy.

Skiing the Dive

We're very lucky to ski at a hill that runs such a long season. While there are a number of great hills in the area near us, we call Sunshine Village Ski Resort home. This is a hill that offers wonderfully variable terrain for all ability levels. Sunshine offers a kiddy zone with a magic carpet for the little ones just starting out. There is also a day care for the little ones not yet on skis. Sunshine offers an entire chair (Strawberry chair) that services a great grouping of green runs – perfect for the beginner of any age. All other chairs offer a range of terrain, from green runs to blacks and double blacks. I have skied here with friends that stick to greens, while we head off for some tree runs and then meet at the chair no problem. It's really easy to accommodate all ability levels within a group and ensures that everyone is having fun.

Sunshine also has a number of distinct regions with in the hill. There's the main are, where the lodge, hotel and other building are, but there is also Goat's Eye. This area has great terrain, including the South Chutes, which are a super fun double black are to play in. A little open bowl and little tree skiing. Amazingly fun area! Beyond this they have two controlled areas that can only be accessed if you have PEEPs, shovels and probes. These are Delirium Dive and WildWest. I've not had the chance to ski WildWest, but I can tell you that the Dive is beyond fun. There are a few drop in points, all giving you access to superb skiing. Wide open bowls the whole way. There is a risk of avalanche, but they to control for it, unfortunately not like they can within the resort proper. So only enter with the required gear and if you know how to use it.

Chris and I in the Dive a few years ago

Outside of skiing they have a wonderful hotel. We stayed there for our wedding – yes, we got married at Sunshine. Words can express what a fantastic job they did with our wedding. They were very accommodating and went out of their way to ensure that we had a marvellous day. Chris even skied the day of the wedding. And we both hit first chair the next day. The hotel has undergone some renovations in recent years and is super nice. Prices often include lift pass as well and there are great mid-week deal to be found. A great place for a little get away.

There is not much to do up there during the evening, but they do have amazing food, a bar and a breath taking hot tub available. So if you desire world class skiing and quiet evenings, you will love the vibe at Sunshine.

All in all, we are super happy to have this as our home hill and never get tired of the terrain that it offers up. Check it out if you ever get the chance, you wont be sorry.  

Panorama family fun

We had the chance to get away for a little family time at Panorama ski hill this weekend. What a great place for a family to spend a little time.

We stayed in a nice room that had a kitchenette and separate bedroom – perfect for travelling with a wee one. We did hull our own pack-n-play and other baby gear. There were no baby/kid items in the room, but we had all the gear we needed. Including this handy little chair attachment. It's called a SIT-seat by G-Baby Designs and attaches to any chair – we've used in many times and it's super handy to have tucked away in a diaper bag. Check out the independent owner of this little business. She has lots of great baby gear available.

Taynton Bowl

But outside of the limited baby items in the room the resort was super baby/kid friendly. All restaurants had high-chairs in them. And not just one, but many. The coffee shop/restaurant (the Picnic Cafe) where I ate a few times had 4-5 chairs. The pub we went to the first night, the T-Bar and Grill, where you might think kids weren’t welcomed, was more than happy to accommodate us until 8:00pm. In reality the pub had a lot of kids in it. And all places had kids menus and a variety of foods that kids enjoy. I had no problem finding food for a 12 month old. And my picky eater was more than happy to chow down.

Hiking to access Taynton Bowl

And the activities! Yes, there is skiing an amazing hill. The runs can accommodate all levels of ability. They even have a back bowl – the Taynton bowl. This is a super fun area full of black runs, that offers a variety of open bowls and tree skiing. A superb area for the more experienced skier. The front side has a great mix of runs for all abilities and can really be a fun time for all members of the family. We've skied there in the past with friends and had no problem finding runs that made everyone happy and gave us all a great skiing experience. And don't forget the all important magic carpet. It's interesting how ones perspective changes when they have a kid.  Not sure I ever would have noted this part of the hill before. It's right there, very easy to access and use for the little people in your group.

Beyond skiing there are lots of activities for kids and parents alike. There are ski and play programs – a half day skiing, the other half spent playing. With lunch included. There are heated outdoor pools – great for young and old. In the summer they have a little water park, including a water slide. They have tubbing and tobogganing. They have daily/nightly activities. I know when we were they they were offering a cupcake decorating lesson. There were art activities for all ages. On Friday nights they offer a program where kids can be dropped off to play while being cared for by experienced child minders   And parents can go have a little alone time. And they offer private baby-sitters as well. I could go on and on about all of the activities offered. And the ones I've mentioned are just some of the winter ones. They have summer specific programs as well.

In all, even though it was late season, there was so much to do and it was a great weekend away. I'm seriously plotting our next family trip there. Can't wait until the Kraken is a bit older and will will enjoy the experience.

Ski books for little people

As well as loving skiing I have a few other life loves. One of these is reading. The Kraken is coming to an age where we are reading to him more and more everyday. With that I wondered if there were kids books available that had skiing as a focus, kind of as a way to introduce and build an interest in skiing. With these thoughts in mind, I started my search for ski focused kids books. It's with pleasure that I can say I found one or two, but not very many. Check out the titles I found and my thoughts in these books.

Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee, by Chris Van Dusen

I really liked this book. Perfect for preschoolers and early readers. While each page has quite a few words, they are pretty basic. And better yet, they rhyme well. This makes it have a great flow as you read it aloud. The general plot of the story is of Mr. Magee heading out to learn to ski on a hill in his back yard. But having never skied before, trouble ensues, with the help of his dog Dee and a moose he meets along the way.  All ends well with Mr. Magee realizing the importance of taking a few lessons. Another highlight of this book is the pictures. Great details and colours. Enough to capture a kids attention and imagination, but also not overwhelming. I would definitely give this book a buy, I will for sure be adding it to our library.

Leo's Skiing Surprise, by Louise Leblanc, Illustrated by Jules Prud'homme

This is a book for a slightly older reader. More for kids that are reading independently and starting to get into longer chapter books. This books focuses around Leo and his friend Julio, a vampire. Leo wants to give Julio a Christmas surprise of a ski trip, so he can feel like a real boy. There are other characters that we meet along they way that play an important roll in making Julio's treat come true. I tried to read this with my 10 year old brain engaged.  I have to say that even with my adult brain off and trying to read it for the audience it was written for, I had a hard time with this book. The general concept of it was there. But I felt like it tried to cover a too many ideas in too few pages. I had to reread paragraphs as the story jumped from one theme to another with no warning and little transition. This made it hard to follow at times. And as a skiing book... not so much. Skiing was a part of the story, but I would not call it the main focus of the book.

I'm not sure that I would make this a first buy for someone, but I can see that for the right kid this could be a good introduction to chapter books. If you’ve read this book and have a different perspective I would love to hear it.

Pee Wee's On Skis, by Judy Delton

This is a beginner reader chapter book and part of the Pee Wee Scout series. I quiet enjoyed this book. There was a good story line with enough background details to get the characters since the book is part of a series. The general idea of the book is that the scouts are off for a trip to the local ski hill in the hopes of obtaining a ski badge. There is a good give a take between the characters, including some good natured teasing and peer support. They even have a bit of skiing details in the book. Although you can tell the book is a little older as they talk about making the skis into a “V”, no mention of “pizza". One complaint I would have is that the instructor shows up in a hat and all the drawings show the kids in just hats. No helmets... A bit disappointing when you consider the audience reading the book and trying to encourage safe skiing and helmet wearing.  Outside of this concern, I really enjoyed reading the book, so I can only imagine how it will appeal to the audience it was written for. And then there is a whole series if your young reader gets into the book. I would give this book a buy for sure.   

Squirrels on Skis, by J. Hamilton Ray
I've yet to get my hands on this book, but I'm super excited to do so.  I'll update this posting as soon as I get the book and have given it a read.  If you have this book, send me an email with your thoughts on it.  

Let's try skiing, by Susa Hammerle
I got my hands on this book today.  And it's a great little book. Perfect for putting a young mind at ease as you introduce them to skiing.  Simon is heading on a ski trip with his family and learning to ski.  He spends a few days in lessons, with some ups and downs, but does better every day and by the end of the trip is having a great time and can ski the big hill.  A great added feature of this book is the ski elf.  He pops up on many pages, offering encouragement or helpful tips.  And the last page is little tips to help your new skier.  A perfect book for getting a little one excited to try skiing.  Oh, and the illustrations are great.  Plus you can have your child spot the ski elf as you read it to them.  I will be adding this book to out library for sure.  

So while there are limited kids books out there focused on skiing, there are a few that are quiet good and well worth adding to your home library when your kids hit the appropriate age.  Enjoy and let me know of any books you have for kids with a ski theme.  

When can my little person hit the slopes?

While the Kraken is way too young to ski, it has not stopped Chris and I from talking about when he'll be ready. Maybe next year, but lets be honest, they are the ones that let us know when they are ready. For those wondering how young you can start a child skiing, please read on.

The first thing you have to remember is that skiing in the beginning is about fun. Not the number of runs, not how steep the hill is, not if they are skiing by themselves, but that it is FUN! Without the fun factor they wont want to ski.

Before you can begin, you need to have ski gear. Many ski shops now offer junior packages. These packages come with skis, boots, and bindings and then offer you the ability to trade them in the following year, because chances are you will have to. I know our local shop has an offer where you can trade in junior gear and get 50% of the value to put towards the new gear within 2 years of original purchase. You can continue to do this swap until around the age of 12 years. What a great way to keep them in gear that fits.

Of course, you will need snow pants, jacket, mittens, etc, but please don't forget the helmet. When looking for a helmet make sure it fits properly. Don't buy a helmet thinking they can grow into it or that a certain price is too much to spend. This is your little persons brain after all. Can you really put a price on that? If you're not sure what to look for in fit, be sure to stop in at your local ski shop, they will talk you through it. I'll also try to post a helmet fitting blog soon.

Once you have them geared up, it's time to take them outside. This is not about giant steps, it's about making them comfortable and making it FUN! So take it slow. Let your little one walk around the house in their new boots. Take them for a walk, pulling them along in their skis. Let them play in the backyard with their skis on. Take them to the local park to experience a little hill in a safe setting. Anything you can do to encourage them to be comfortable in their gear and see skiing as fun.

When you feel they are ready for the real hill, we're talking bunny hill really, it's time for the real adventure to begin. With little ones just starting out, you will be physically supporting them and ensuring that they are maintaining a safe speed. Most of the time when kids start skiing, especially if they are at a very young age, they will not have the strength, or knowledge, to turn and slow themselves down. This is where you come in. In the beginning you will be skiing with them between your legs, helping them. You will help them slow down, stay upright and turn. At the same time you will be coaching them and providing words of encouragement.

Again, this is about maintaining fun. You might get one run in, you might get five. But take whatever you can get. Don't push, simply accept what your little one can give you. By remembering that this is a life long passion you are creating, you will remember to take the small steps and work to ensure that you make the whole thing fun. Notice that I keep coming back to the idea of “fun”?

You might be on the bunny hill for a long time. Be prepared for this. But you have to progress through all of this a the rate that you child is ready for. Don't push, but encourage.

With all of this you will notice I have yet to give you an number. That is because each child is different. Some are more daring than others, some are very active and athletic. A good rule of thumb for the lower limits of when a child is ready to ski is that they must be able to walk, run and jump with confidence. Another “rule” I've heard is that if a child can jump off a step, couch, etc. and land, supporting their own weight, then they have the strength to ski. But you know your child best and are the best determinate of what age they are ready to begin the adventure.

Have fun! I would love to hear stories of your first outing with your little one.

What do all those numbers on skis mean?

If anyone has been looking at new skis they will see that there are many numbers on a ski.  Anyone remember when the only number we were really concerned with was the length?  Now with all the different skis out there, there are many more numbers to consider.  I will attempt to break these numbers down for you, let you know what they mean, and why you might care about them.

First off, lets tackle length.  The length is exactly what it seems to be, how long the ski is. This number is given in centimetres (cm).  The length of ski you buy will be determined by a combination of factors.  A quick rule of thumb is to buy a ski where the tip is between your nose and eyebrow.  The first factor in ski length is your ability.  If you are just starting out, you will want a ski on the short side for your height. This will allow you to turn the ski more easily. More advanced skiers will tend to ski longer lengths. Your weight might also come into play.  If you're light for your height, you might tend to go with a shorter ski or vice versa if you are heavier for your height.  If you are a slower skier, you might prefer a shorter ski as it will allow you to turn well at a slower speed.  If you want to move at a faster pace, then a longer ski is a better idea.  All of these factors work together in determining the length of ski you will ride.

Now lets focus on the number underfoot.  When looking at skis, this will be the middle number, and is what it seems, how wide the ski is under your foot or where the bindings attach.  An example is 132-98-123. The 98 means that the ski is 98mm wide under your foot.  This number affects two things, how much “float” a ski will have and it plays into the turning ability of the ski.  What I mean by “float” is that the larger the number, the more the ski will “float” through snow.  So if you are looking for a straight powder ski, you are going to want a ski with a larger measurement underfoot. We are talking a number around 115mm.  But if you are looking for a ski that is more all mountain, that allows you to do a bit of everything, you want a ski with a more middle of the road width underfoot.  In this range we are talking 80 - 102mm.  This width underfoot will allow you to carve great turns on more groomed runs, but also have some float in the more lose snow.  

As I said, the width underfoot also affects the skis ability to turn or turn radius.  The area underfoot works with the tip and tail numbers to determine the turn radius.  In my example (132-98-123), the tip would be 132mm wide, while the tail is 123mm wide.  Taking the relationship between these two and factoring in the area underfoot, the turn radius can be determined. (Message me if you want details.) But you should never have to figure this out for yourself, most skis will come with this number.  In my example the turn radius of the ski is 15m.  That means it takes 15m to complete a turn on the ski.  The smaller the turn radius the quicker the ski will turn, the bigger the turn radius the longer it will take you to complete a turn. 

So there you have it.  A brief, and hopefully helpful, break down of the numbers found on skis these days. There are obviously other factors to consider when selecting a ski, but a pro at your local shop will surely be able to help and now you can go in with some knowledge of your own.        

Tag Team Parenting

Chris and I have been working on our Tag Team parenting skills. The Kraken is too young to be placed in day care at the ski hill and still needs me for most of his meals during the day. So we are necessitated in taking him with us to the ski hill and trading off parenting. We have a great system going right now, that seems to work for us and for the Kraken. We have tried our method with friends around and when skiing on own our – true tag team parenting.

The gist of our system is that we load the little man into his Ergo carrier (I love it!).  I tend to use it as a side sling when schlepping all my gear and his gear for the day. Our home hill tends to be Sunshine Village in Banff, Alberta. So we take a short trip in the gondola – the boy loves watching the sights go by, or staring at others that we share the ride with. I then head into the hotel restaurant and get settled. They have great sofas in front of a fire place and make a wonderful home base. Chris takes a few runs while I get things settled. He then comes in and gives me the opportunity to head out. Since the lifts are very accessible to the hotel it makes trading off in this manner work really well. We each tend to take 3-4 runs and then relieve the other and parent for a short period. At lunch I feed the Kraken while Chris takes a few runs and then we take a brief break to eat together and continue the afternoon in a similar manner.

The only issue we've run into is nap time. But so far we've been lucky, Chris seems to have some magical skills that can get the boy to sleep in the middle of a busy restaurant. Don't ask me how, but he does it!

This method only alters slightly when others are around since we have kind friends that will often take a shift of care giving, thus allowing Chris and I to ski together.

The best thing is that the other day we had the chance to spend the day with another set of parents who were tag team parenting. They were trying a different method – they traded half days. In their case, the dad skied for the morning, came in for a late lunch together and then the mum headed out for a chunk of the afternoon. I can totally see the benefit of this method as well. It would work much better at hills where a home base is not as accessible to the runs that one is wanting to ski. But could also make for very tired legs or a very tired parent from trying to entertain an active child for so long.

Later that same day we met parents who had spent the day tag team skiing as well. Twice in one day! They even took it one step further and were sharing skis! We really liked meeting and chatting with others taking their little one to the hill so early.

I think the best part is the support and encouragement that we've received from everyone around us. Here's to maintaining a passion while raising a young one. If you have another method or ways to make ours better please let me know, I would love to hear ways to tweak my method to make the day even better for everyone.

Test drive of the Atomic Affinity Storm

I had the chance to take the Atomic Affinity Storm out for a test drive today.  This is an all mountain ski with rocker from Atomic that has dimensions of 127.5, 84, 107 on the 159cm length, which is what I skied.  This ski has an Atomic system binding.  This means that this is a binding produced by Atomic that comes with the ski.  It's a good binding that is easy to adjust for different boot sizes.  I wouldn't be a true chick if I didn't take a moment to comment on the graphic of these skis. I quiet liked the overall look of them, plenty of colour and good details (it will match almost any outfit).  And the binding matched them well.  A good looking set-up for sure.

This ski has a 15.2m turn radius, meaning that it takes about 15.2m to carve an optimal turn.  This is quick, but not too tight of a radius.  It made some great turns on the more groomed runs I made. There wasn't really any true groomers today, as there was some snow over night (lucky me).  But there were areas where there was limited loose snow, so I took a rip there. They were reactive and I had a great deal of fun playing in this type of snow.  They responded quickly and carved some great turns.  I really just needed to engage in the turn a bit to have the ski respond.  Always fun to play on a pair of skis that respond this quickly.   

I also took the Affinity Storm into the bumpier areas.  The chutes were littered with rocks, so I spent limited time in there, but there were many runs on the face that had some great snow.  These skis were fun in the bumps, but I did find that I needed to use a fair bit of power to get them to respond when there was more snow.  They responded quickly when I did put power in.  I also felt that I was being bounced around a bit in the choppier snow.  Nothing I couldn't handle, but it defiantly required me to stay active and inputting energy.  I think a person who is larger than me would find that these skis moved quite well through this type of snow.  Overall, the Affinity Storm is a light ski that allows for quick turns.  But again, these quick transitions required a fair bit of power to make happen in looser snow.  Not too bad when the ski is light, but it can get tiring, especially at the end of the day. 

Overall, I found these to be a good all mountain ski.  I would recommend them for a powerful skier or a person bigger than me.  They would be a fun purchase for an advanced skier looking for something that can allow them to do a bit of everything.  Consider taking these for a test drive if this describes you.    

Oakley Elevate Snow Goggle

Today I had the opportunity to test drive a new pair of Oakley Elevate Snow Goggles.  I tried them in polished white with the pink iridium (VR50) lens.  The weather today was over cast with decent light in the morning.  It got quite flat in the afternoon with light snow flurries.

At first I wasn't sure of the way these goggles fit with my helmet (Giro Sheer).  But after a minute or two I settled into them and quiet liked the way they fit.  They were not too tight across my face and nose. They also fit really well against my helmet.  None of the awful gapping between the top of the goggle and the helmet.  I have a small face, so I can find that goggles sit low on the bridge of my nose, but I didn't find that with these goggle.  They fit low enough to get proper coverage, but not so they sat uncomfortably.

The lens choice for todays light was great.  Like most people, I hate flat light! So any goggle that helps with this is amazing in my books. This lens made for very crisp visibility, with a great tint given to the wonderful terrain.  At the start of the day, I was skiing mainly short chutes that had trees around, so there was good definition to the hill.  But later in the day, I did head up to some higher stuff that is above the tree line.  This is one of those areas where the light can get really flat.  But, I have to say that I didn't even pause over the lighting when wearing this goggle with the pink iridium.  I think I hit one dip that I missed due to flat light.  The rest of the time I felt very confident in the visibility I had.  And like I said earlier, this was when the light had become flat and there was light snow.

Also, with this added weather and a more open hill, I had no issues with this goggle.  I pulled my face mask up a bit to cover my face and had no issues with fogging.  Again, I felt that my face was well covered, but never hindered in any way. Truth be told I kinda forgot that I had goggles on, I was that comfortable.  And I can be a very persnickety.

So, I would for sure consider these goggles if you are in the market for a new pair.  They work well for both men and women.  They come in a variety of colours, with a variety of lens colours.  You can buy extra lenses to give you options depending on lighting.  Seriously think about these ones if your in the market...  

Morning routine

We've all arrived at the ski hill only to discover that we've forgotten a needed piece of ski gear.  This is where having a pre and post routine really becomes important.  Even more so when you are working with little people and all their necessary items.

Chris and I have had a little routine going for a long time now, mainly related to how we roll after a day on the hill.  My brother has watched this in action, and while he made fun of us during the first round, he saw the benefit the next morning, when we were prepping for a new ski day.

We are lucky enough to have a spacious laundry room/ back hall.  When we roll in from a day on the hill we take 5 minutes to run through our routine, and it really does pay off.  Chris deals with skis and we both unload the car. All our clothes, helmets, goggle, etc. are brought to the back hall.  We use our helmet bags to corral all our bits and bobs, so we basically just have to unpack the bag.

Helmets are pulled out and placed on the bag.  Goggles are pulled out to allow for drying.  These are placed on the goggle bags, remember how I said earlier that Chris has a thing for proper goggle care...  Gloves are pulled out and placed on the clothes rack to dry.  Since I'm a bit of a princess about being warm, I wear a liner toque under my helmet and a face mask.  These too are pulled out to dry.  All is placed within about a 2 foot area.  

Chris always pulls the liners out of our boots.  Ever smelled the boots of someone that doesn't pull the liners?  Well, I'm happy to report that neither of our boots smell, and pulling them apart is a big factor in this.  Pulling the liners from the boots allows for proper air flow around the liner and ensures that it dries completely.  This is really important if you are skiing back to back days.  The benefit of pulling boots apart is that it also gives the shells a chance to dry.  I'm sure many of you have seen small bit of snow get into your boots.  And skiing hard can make feet sweat.  So always, always, always take the minute to pull your boots apart.

Finally , pants and jackets are hung so that they too can dry.

And this is our post ski routine.  Not much, but it makes sure that when we go skiing the next time, everything is within a confined space.

So when we are prepping to ski, we just grab the gloves, bag the goggles, toss both into the helmet and toss the helmet into the helmet bag.  The boots are right there, so we quickly put them back together.  Grab our pants and coats and off we go.  The only thing not stored within this realm are our ski socks - these too get tossed into the respective helmet bags.  Maybe I'll make a basket for these too...  I have to say that with this system, neither of us has forgotten a needed item on ski gear in ages (touch wood).

I can see that this system will become even more important as the Kraken gets older and joins us in our skiing endeavours.  It will help ensure that in the craziness of getting a young one out the door, nothing will be forgotten that could ruin a day of skiing.  With this systems even the Kraken will be able to help with the unpacking and prep from a very young age.

I know this seems like such a silly thing for me to go on about, but I really can't say enough for how easy it makes skiing and there is no searching for needed items.  Find even a small space, set it up for your ski gear and give it a go a few times.  Hopefully your pleasantly surprised by how easy it makes getting ready and will help ensure that you forget


nothing.  

Sweet buckles!

Check out the sweet buckles that Chris got today! They are for his Salomon X Max 130s. I'm a little jealous...                                                                                                                                                             

Powder!

We had our first powder day today!  Chris took the day off for a little family time.  We weren't expecting much as they weather experts were calling for dropping temperatures last night and during the day.  There was supposed to be a little snow - 5cm range.  Not great news on either front.  But, we decided to take the day and just hope for a few turns at Sunshine Village.

We got more snow over night than called for.  While this seemed great, it made the drive horrible!  But, we took our time and made it to the hill to find that it was not too cold and it was super quiet.  The best part was it got warmer when we took the gondola up to the hill.  I took the Kraken into the hotel to get settled - he's still too young for day care, so we were all over tag-team parenting.

Chris took the first shift on snow.  We were meeting friends, and they were kind enough to watch the little man, allowing Chris and I to head out together for a bit before lunch.

And was the snow ever great!  I would say we had a good 25-30cm to play in.  It was easy to find a few fresh turns.  There was also lots of fluffy chop to play in as well.  There has been enough snow in the past little bit to fill in a lot of the gaps and cover the rocks well.  This got us into the shoots to play in the fluff.  What a great time!  It felt great to play in the powder for the first time.  I love the feeling of snow flying up and hitting you in the knee (the tight hit is even better, but I won't complain).


And we finished the day with the sky clearing to this view...

So, yep, an all round great day first day of powder!  When I said powder at the start, did I really ever need to say more?

 

Child care - Ontario east

As promised here is a list of ski hills east of Ontario and details about their child care offerings.  As a Nova Scotia girl, I have to admit I'm a little saddened by how few hills in NS and NB offer day care.  Maybe those that ski in these areas live their and have family to care for the pre-skiers?  Either way, here are the listings for you, again far from all inclusive, but a great start I hope.  Happy skiing!

Ski Hill	Ages Accepted	Price	Lunch included	Other details
Snow Valley	6 - 36 months	$30.00 for one session		9:00am – 12:00pm & 12:30 – 3:30pm
Blue Mountain	18 months - 5 years	$70.00	lunch and snacks included	9:00am – 3:00pm
Horseshoe Resort	Not offered
Le Massif	2 years and up	$39.00 $89.00 during the week, when regular day care is not open	$9.50	9:00am – 4:00pm
Mont Blanc	2 years and under	$39.00	$6.00	8:30am – 4:00pm
Mont-Sainte-Anne	6 - 24 months 2 years and up	$69.95 $57.95	$10.99	8:30am – 4:00pm rates increase at peak times
Tremblant	1-6 years	$99.00	Included	8:30am – 4:30pm
Stoneham	12 - 24 months 2 years and up	$69.95 $57.95	$9.99	rates increase at peak times
Crabbe Mountain	Not offered
Mont Farlagne	Not offered
Poley Mountain Resorts	3 months - 10 years	$25.00	Not included closed from 12:30 – 1:00pm, kids must be picked up	9:00am – 12:30pm and 1:00 – 4:00pm picked up
Wentworth	Still awaiting email reply.
Martock	Not offered
Marble	Still awaiting email reply.			Details on website are slim.
White Hills Resort	Still awaiting email reply.

New boots! Salomon X MAX 110 W

Anyone who knows me, knows that I've been having boot issues for ages.  We've tried new boots and many different liners.  And while some have been a total loss, others have been a good band-aid.  I have had a few issues in my search for the right boot. First, I'm a total "princess and the pea" about my feet.  I want my boots to fit just right - tight in the heel, snug but not too snug, tight calf but also enough room for muscle movement, the right amount of flex, and the list goes on.  This is an issue when you have tiny feet (size 5ish).  This means I'm in a size 22 ski boot, when a size 21 would be better.  However, you wont find these easily.  Well you will, but in a junior boot.  But, I also have calfs like many women.  And these calfs are way to big for a junior boot.


 So it was with much excitement that I anticipated my new boots for this year.  The Salomon X MAX 110 W.  I picked this boot because of how customizable the shell is.  I'm still in a size 22, the smallest size we could get.  But so far so good.  We heat formed the shell and liner a few weeks back.  I like to do this tight.  I want to feel super secure in my boots, as in no foot movement when I'm powering a turn.  While this process can be less than fun, it sure pays off in foot stability.

These boots have a wide range of customizable areas on them. I'll start with the liner...  The liner has been created with women in mind.  It's has padding to help with that calf issue I mentioned.  Enough to help a leg/foot feel secure, but with enough shape to allow for proper flexion of the calf.  The liner itself has formable foam on the ankles, heels, and tongue.  This allows for a better fit, giving comfort but also allowing one to feel stable in the boot and able to power those turns.

The shell is the shining light in new boot technology though! Instead of just heating the foam liner, the whole shell goes into an oven.  This heats the whole upper, softening it to allow the entire top part of the boot to be custom fitted.  One of the reasons I went with this boot.  So the areas that usually cause me issues (width, instep, calf) actually stretch to the accommodate my specific foot.  This is amazing as all my past boots required so much extra work just to get to this point.  An added benefit to feeling secure in the boot and the liner, my feet are staying warmer - even without my boot heater (which I may still add).

I've only had the chance to ski these boots a few times.  Like all new boots, they are taking some time to break in, but I am also feeling very secure in them.  I have skied variable terrain (chop, groomers, etc) and have felt very good.  They have been very responsive.  My heels have stayed in place and I feel like I can really push and my feet don't move.  I haven't had to "crank" the boot on tightly.  I've been known to be one of those people that undo my boots on the lift, only to clip the buckles at the top again.  I'm not knocking this, I'm justing saying that these boots are fitting well enough that I feel secure without the discomfit of an overly tightened boot.  I've not had to undo these boots between runs.  In fact, the buckles over my upper foot have hardly been tightened - a positive for how these are fitting in the heel.  They have great room in the calf and have the perfect amount of flex.  I can apply pressure to the boots and they bend enough that I feel like they are doing what I want, but not so much that they feel squishy.

I'm starting to think I'm Goldilocks, this porridge is just right...

Overall, while still early I'm really enjoying these boots.  And trust me, I've skied boots once, to reach lunch time and never what to put them on my feet again.  So for me to feel happy and excited about my boots is truly a positive sign.  Give these boots a consideration for sure if you are in the market for new pair this year.   

Skis hills and day care

I was having a little conversation with a friend the other day on how hard it is to ski with a baby in tow.  This got her asking if ski hills offer day care.  I was happy to let her know that many do and decided to undertake a little project for all of you. I have been scouring the internet and sending emails to compile a list of hills that offer day care and some basic details on their offerings.

I have completed the list for Alberta and BC and wanted to share it.  I'm still working on Ontario east, and will share it as soon as its done.

Hope this helps you get out to the ski hill...

Ski Hill	Ages Accepted	Price	Lunch included	Other details
Whistler	18-48 months	$89.00		Offer complimentary TELUS pagers Drop off between 8:00-10:00am
Big White	18 months – 5 years	$72.00	Great menu options, changes daily.	Offer package deals. Voted “Best Place to be Abandoned by Your Parents” by Ski Canada Magazine. Great details on website
Kimberly	18-35 months 36 months – 6 years	$76.95 $63.75	$9.99, bring a bag lunch or pick up for lunch	9:00am - 4:00pm, closed Christmas day
Fernie	18-36 months 3-6 years	$69.95 $57.95
Panorama	18-36 months 37 months – 5 years	$65.00 $60.00	$7.00	9:00am - 4:30pm
Silver Star	18 months – 5 years	$74.00	Included for full day care.	Offers reduces rates on consecutive days. Offers day care with an hour of ski lesson, this costs more. 8:30am - 4:00pm
Sun Peaks	18 month - 5 years	$71.00	Included for full day care.	8:30am - 4:00pm
Castle	18 month minimum	$50.00		Only open weekends. Max of 6 kids.
Sunshine	19 months – 6 years	$53.00	$10.00, pick up at noon for 30min, or bring bag lunch	8:30am - 4:00pm little website info, but very prompt email reply
Lake Louise	18 days – 19 months 19 – 36 months 36 months – 6 years	$63.50 $52.95 $49.95	$8.75	8:30am - 4:30pm reservations needed for infants
Nakiska	19 months – 3 years 3 years and up	$69.95 $57.95 rates increase at holiday times	$9.99	9:00am - 4:00pm Thursday to Monday. Must pre-booked.
Norquay	19 months – 6 years of	$49.00	Included snacks also included	9:00am - 4:00pm

This is by far not a complete list of the hills out there, but I think it's a good start at some of the hills in Alberta and BC.  If there are other hills you want me to add to the list, please let me know!