I’ve spent the majority of my life wondering what it would be like to snow ski. For one reason or another, skiing was never a sport that I did with my family growing up and even as an adult, I’ve not attempted to try…. that is, until this year! Now, my only question is…. why oh why did I wait so long?
My family and I packed the car and headed up this past weekend to the ever so lovely Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont. Our trip was hosted by Momtrends and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have my family give it another try at snow skiing.
Nestled in the mountains of Vermont, Okemo had 5 feet of natural snow fall during the first two weeks of March. This was definitely a bonus for keeping the snow activities going, even in the Spring-like conditions. Honestly, I’m such a newbie I didn’t even know there was such a thing as “Spring skiing” until recently.
We made it to Okemo in less than 5 hours from New York City and had a very pleasant trip with minimal complaints from my three children. They were just as excited as I was to visit a fun destination. Upon arrival, we checked in to Okemo’s Jackson Gore Inn and settled in.
Our suite at the Jackson Gore Inn was larger than our NYC apartment. We were all so comfortable and had plenty of room to move around and relax. The room included a full kitchen and everyone immediately selected their own space. Of course as you can imagine I still ended up having extra kids in my bed, but I’m used to it!
For families staying at the Inn, I would highly recommend packing food to keep in the kitchen. Although there are plenty of dining options around the resort, it’s also fun just to stay in and take advantage of the nice dining table inside the room and eat by the cozy fireplace. The kitchen has everything you can think of, including dishes, utensils, a microwave and even a tea pot which I used a lot!
In our welcome package we received a very special box of goodies from Cabot. Cabot has some of the most delicious cheese I’ve ever tasted and I found it was the perfect snack in between our time on the slopes. The pre-sliced cheese was my favorite and even my youngest could easily take a piece without making a mess. This was my first time to visit Vermont and to also have real “Vermont Cheddar” from Cabot was so cool!
One perk about lodging on site at the village is that we were able to wake up and instantly be “slopeside”. One thing I’m learning is skiing starts early in the morning. Admittedly, mornings are not my strong suit, but I forced myself to rally and take advantage of all the wonderful things Okemo has to offer. There was also ice skating, tubing, and the Timber Ripper Mountain Coaster nearby.
Full day or 1/2 day ski and snowboard lessons are offered for children as young as 2 all the way through teenage years. My newly turned 5 year old daughter, was enrolled for 2 full days of Snow Stars ski school for ages 4-6.I was so happy to learn she would be able to have some lessons from professional ski instructors. She was fitted for her ski gear in a matter of minutes and then conveniently checked in to the ski school. She seemed a little nervous but the staff was prepared and quickly diverted her attention to fun activities before the actual lessons began. I really had peace of mind knowing she would be learning and having fun while I was out on the slopes myself.
My youngest daughter was able to stay in the day care facility at Jackson Gore. This was really essential so that my husband and I could enjoy some time on the slopes. She was greeted by a friendly and warm staff and I knew she would also have a great day being entertained in a new environment.
My 9 year old son was in the Mountain Explorers group and we met up with his instructors outside. Once he was squared away, my husband and I found our instructors for a group lesson. The base of Jackson Gore is a place where lots of things are going on so I was easily able to peek in on my daughter in her lesson and also watch my son take off with his instructor in the ski lift.
With so many kids on skis, one thing is clear…. it’s better to start young! I’m so happy we have been given the opportunity to have our kids experience skiing from a young age and as for me and my husband, we were able to learn all the basics with a patient instructor.
My ski instructor was able to boost my confidence in a quick amount of time. She quickly assessed my form along with another skier in my group and let us know right away the areas we needed to work on. I was holding my poles incorrectly and also sitting wrong in my skis. Everything she said made so much sense and I was thrilled to be given such helpful information. We took a lift together and she guided us along giving instruction and helpful tips along the way. I definitely would not have ventured so far on my own and will always remember the stunning mountain views and my wonderful instructor!
There were so many fun activities going on during our stay. The annual Hops on the Snow Brewfest at the Jackson Gore courtyard was a huge draw. Guests were able to sample many different brews and listen to some music outside in the sunshine. I didn’t want to take time away from my ski time so I just stayed for a bit but I could hear the music playing which really added to my already great vibe!
I’m learning that skiing is not a sport where you necessarily need to stick with a partner. Everyone is typically going at a different pace and I found myself all alone quite often on a ski lift. In all honesty, even though the heights scared me at first, I found it really relaxing and looked forward to my quiet moments that I could just sit and reflect. I had my fair share of falls over the weekend. I could have easily given up at any given time, but that’s not my nature. I kept getting up and up and back up again. As Nicole Feliciano, of Momtrends mentioned.. “In motherhood we also fall down a lot but always get back up.” This is so true and I can relate whether out on the mountain or at home with my three kids.
I can’t thank Momtrends enough for hosting such a special family ski event. We made memories in the sun and snow that will remain with us alway. My daughter was able to move up 2 levels in skiing and she even found a few Easter Eggs in the snow. My son dramatically increased his skill level and I watched his confidence soar. My husband was perfectly happy watching us from the Jackson Gore base area and I officially have the ski bug and can’t wait to try it again! Thank you Okemo Mountain resort and Momtrends for an amazing weekend!
To learn more about Okemo Mountain Resort and all the year around offerings, please visit okemo.com
xoxo,
Suzanne