It’s not always easy to take the kids to the local mountains within a two-hour drive for a ski lesson in Southern California. The masses of people who make their way to the resorts during the weekends make them so crowded it becomes difficult to move around. The snow conditions are also not too ideal for learning and falling on the snow as it eventually turns into slush by the afternoon.
So, we go to my husband’s ideal winter state – Colorado. We decided to let the kids try skiing on our first Colorado trip last April 2009 at the ages of 3 and 6. Plus, my husband was training them to be his snow buddies as they got older.
Echo Mountain (NOW CLOSED) – This was the closest resort to downtown Denver down a winding mountain road. This resort was ideal for our little snow bunnies since they offered lessons lasting only an hour and 45 minutes. It was our kids first skiing lesson and we wanted to introduce them to skiing and get used to the snow and cold.
We got lucky and the kids had the instructor to themselves on a Friday afternoon. They had a little area for the lessons with a magic carpet. The resort itself was very small with one coffee shop, a store and one walkwway. We rented their skis, boots and helmet from Maison de Ski in a little town called Idaho Springs off the I-70 with great rates.
Ski (ages 4-14) and snowboard (ages 6-14) group lessons were offered daily and advanced reservations were recommended to guarantee space. We just walked up to the counter and the day we were there (Friday afternoon at almost the end of the season in March). I’m sure it would be pretty crowded during weekends in January and February.
Loveland Ski & Ride school- We ended up at Loveland Ski Resort for our first ski trip of 2010. Loveland is the first ski resort right off the I-70 from Denver. You’ll see it before entering the Eisenhower tunnel traveling west. This resorts’s accessibility was such a big draw for us.
We got there around 9AM on the Saturday morning of MLK weekend. As we expected, the line to the ski school was pretty crowded. The staff offered cups of hot chocolate while in line which was gratefully accepted by everyone standing in the cold.
We filled out paper work, liability forms and paid in two separate counters inside a big room. After payment, we went next door to get fitted for rental equipment. Despite the number of people, the line went pretty fast and everything went smoothly.
The kids were separated into age groups and level. We dropped off my 4 year old son to join his group (4-5 year olds) inside the Childrens Ski & Snowboard Center. When we got there, some of the kids were already seated in a circle playing games. The kids could be dropped off for Free starting at 8:15 AM even though the lessons start at 10:00 AM. Unfortunately, we didnt know this but a great offer for parents of this age group.
Our 7 year old daughter was dropped off at the Kids Corral to meet with her instructor. The Kids Corral was a big enclosed area with a little incline for the kids. The magic carpet was fairly long and wood cutouts of flowers were strategically placed while the kids skied downhill. I’m sure there was no other reason for it than aesthetics and to make the kids feel like they’re in a winter garden.
We opted for the package with lunch and rental which was a good price compared to the other ski resorts. Kids were fed chicken nuggets with juice. Children had to be picked up promptly at 3:30 PM or else parents got charged. We were able to watch the kids around the corral area and take those precious pictures. Though, the instructors highly recommend that you stay incognito in case your kids decided they wanted to join you instead.
The 4-5 year old kids spent their time between the childen’s Center and the Kids’ Corral. However, they did get enough time in the snow for them to learn to go up the magic carpet and go down the hill by themselves without falling by the end of the day.
Our kids had a wonderful time. We were surprised to see my daughter go on the ski lifts so soon. There was a special lane for ski classes on the ski lifts. Her instructor had told me she went from Level 1 to Level 3 during that session. The 1:5 student-teacher ratio was great. Age group for Skiing was 4-14 years old and 6-14 yrs old for Snowboarding.
Website: www.skiloveland.com ~ Hours: ~ Contact: (303) 571-5580 x163 ~ Address: 19285 Chicago Creek Rd Idaho Springs, CO 80452
PARENTS: You must provide your child with goggles or sunglasses, waterproof gloves, waterproof snow pants, jacket, sunscreen and hat. These items may be rented or purchased in the slope-side Sport Shop at Loveland Valley.
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The kids look so adorable. It is really fun to learn and enjoy.
Thanks for stopping by Glen! A few years later, they still look forward to the lessons.
Indeed you are right! Have a Happy New Year and a Prosperous 2012 ahead.