Jackson Hole area or Tremblant for DS9 winter birthday trip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids learned to ski at Liberty at then we went to Breckenridge. It was a great sequence!

+1 but at Whitetail then Breckenridge.

OP, Breck is great for both your kids for ski school and then you and DH can ski whatever you want. There are other activities on the mountain and then there is the town. Stay at the condos on peak 9 which has indoor pool, arcade, mini golf for the kids and the ski school and slopes are right outside your door.

But IMO the best town with the most things to do with kids is Whistler. We love it and just so laid back. Town is big and right at the base of the mountain. But it’s a long flight to Vancouver and then another 1.5 hrs to mountain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks again!

I think we’ll just do local skiing as a day trip if the weather cooperates.

When you take skiing out of the mix, which destination sounds most fun for kids, staying somewhere modest but doing fun excursions?

Has anyone done dogsledding with children in the cab ( anywhere)? It still seems very exciting but I understand the advice to wait until they’re older. As an adult I would probably prefer not to actually control anything. We love animals and snow but aren’t especially adventurous. Would also hope to ice skate, sled, etc.

I want to second the people above who said that snow play is what's really special for kids. Despite going to Olympic quality resorts to learn to ski, what I remember is things like riding a saucer down a small hill behind a condo, how pretty icicles were and how neat it was to hold them in my hand, making snow angels, my dad buying me 2 extravagantly priced on-slope hot chocolates on a bitter, bitter day, getting really big salted pretzels, etc. The little things. I do really like downhill skiing and I started around age 4 or so, and remember starting to learn. It's a good age because you're so little, it doesn't hurt to fall down.

I would concentrate on what makes an experience great for a small kid. If you get a good ski school instructor, try to hire them a second time. Make sure the snowpants and coat fit comfortably so snow stays out when they do the snow angels. Pick a resort with a layout where it's easy to get to the bathroom and not tiring to move around between buildings and the parking lot.

Regarding dog and winter books, I'm sorry but I found Jack London depressing. I think I read Call of the Wild and didn't like it but the Jack London work I always remember is the short story called "To Build a Fire" where the protagonist dies.

Wikipedia says:

"The 1908 version is about an unnamed male protagonist who ventures out in the subzero boreal forest of the Yukon Territory. He is followed by a native dog and is en route to visit his friends—ignoring warnings from an older man from Sulphur Creek[1] about the dangers of hiking alone in extreme cold. The protagonist underestimates the harsh conditions and freezes to death after his fire is doused and he is unable to re-light it."

For kids, the common dog books (if you haven't run across them) that are heartwarming are about the real Iditarod origin story and the Iditarod. Some of them are about Balto. Balto's taxidermied at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and you can visit him there someday if your kid appreciates taxidermied animals instead of getting upset about them. There's also one called Kiana's Iditarod. Your public library may have these. You might also find a book about dog breeders or sledders that is modern and non-fiction that might appeal to your kid. There are books about everything.

[Anonymous]

We went to Breckenridge and stayed in a resort right on the slopes. We also did dog sledding there and it was super awesome — one of the most fun things I’ve done.

[Anonymous]

We took our son to Tremblant when he was 3. The Montreal airport is pro at flying and landing during and after snow, it is not like the DC airports. We took off to come home mid snow storm with no issues and no delays when we were there last January.

Flights are generally super cheap and car rental isn’t expensive either. Super worth it.

The ski mountain has a really cute village that our son liked, there’s fun shopping there too, and lots of things for young kids to do, including reindeer rides, bobsledding, snow tubing (we took our son and it was really fun!! Much steeper than I expected but safe), and skiing. The skiing is also very inexpensive for kids, especially if you’re spending time on the hill area at first to learn. We didn’t put our son in ski school at his age but I think it’s pretty good.

It IS very, very cold in January, but thermal layers, real snow suit, hand and feet warmers did help. And lots of places to warm up as needed. Our ski day wasn’t more than 2-3 hours because of the cold, and our son lasted about 30 mins.

Deer valley is much more forgiving on kids both snow (very soft and no ice) and weather wise, but more expensive than Montreal. They have a great ski school and great practice areas for kids to learn.

[Anonymous]

"DS9?"

Unless you're talking about Benjamin Sisko and Kira Nerys please never use that combination of letters and numbers ever again.

[Anonymous]

Check the historical records to see which has more snow in January. I would think Tremblant is easier to get it, and the French flair is exciting.

[Anonymous]

We loved Tremblant but are not avid skiiers. Yes, east coast skiing is icy and Tremblant is notorious for being ridiculously cold, especially in January (we went in February and there was one day when my 16 year-old said it was too cold to be fun and called it quits). I found it very affordable, very easy to get to, and the little village at the bottom of the slope was super cute and full of shops and dining options. Note that Tremblant is relatively small - which could be good or bad, depending on what you are looking for. I can also vouch for their medical center - we got a chance to visit when my 13 year-old fell and sprained a wrist. Aside from all that, we had a great time and I would recommend it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never been to either but I have been to French-speaking Canada in the summer. I think that would be really fun for a kid to make it an international trip.

I grew up skiing in the Sierras. I would do Lake Tahoe area over someplace more remote like Jackson Hole. But I have no idea about dogsledding.

If by any chance you'd be willing to drive, and are like an old school skier, I'd recommend Nub's Nob in Michigan. It's not fancy or big but it is homey and has easy starter runs. Michigan has dogsledding kennels.

We have a house there. Skiing is great, but there is no dogsledding.

OP, pick a place that that caters to beginning skiers. Tremblant is unbelievably cold in January. Keep that in mind, it might be very unpleasant. I can't help with dogsledding, but there are good places to learn in Utah--Deer Valley comes to mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t Jackson hole famous for being cold and windy? How much time do you have?

Ski trips and lessons have gotten to the point where it can be cheaper to go to Europe than the Rockies…. I’d second that vote for steamboat as the only place in the Rockies with a direct flight from DC and it’s good for beginners.

I would avoid anything east coast or local because the conditions aren’t worth the expense.

We do this every year for that reason. Direct flight to Munich, less than two hour drive to the ski resorts in Austria. All the instructors are multilingual.

Check out St Johann im Tirol, Steinplatte, Kitzbuhel, Fieberbrunn.

[Anonymous]

Yes, sking is cheaper in Europe but if you want good conditions, the better choice is in the US. With climate change, sking in Europe is iffier than in the US. The mountains may be bigger but the starting elevation is lower in many places. It just isn't as snowy in Europe as it once was.

OTOH, the European ski resort experience is awesome, but the conditions may not be the best.

[Anonymous]

Think about Lake Placid. Whiteface is right there for skiing (great lessons for beginners) and the town is super cute with tons to do including a lake with dogsledding and tobogganing literally right in town. You can visit the Olympic museum and skate on the big outdoor rink, also right in town. Lots of other Olympic stuff to do too. And it’s closer than tremblant so don’t need to fly.

[Anonymous]

OP here, this is all great advice and helping me understand the pros and cons since I don't ski and have limited experience with snowy travel.

I had no idea Lake Placid had dogsledding and great beginner skiing—the plane tickets to Albany/Burlington cost about a third of those to Montreal and temps seem slightly better than Tremblant.

And special thanks to the PP with book recs!

[Anonymous]

Jackson Hole is spectacular, there is also a smaller ski hill close to town called Snow King that looks very family friendly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, this is all great advice and helping me understand the pros and cons since I don't ski and have limited experience with snowy travel.

I had no idea Lake Placid had dogsledding and great beginner skiing—the plane tickets to Albany/Burlington cost about a third of those to Montreal and temps seem slightly better than Tremblant.

And special thanks to the PP with book recs!

PP. The book rec poster. You're welcome!

I would comment that Lake Placid has weather similar to Vermont and it can be icy. However, little kids have all different reactions to weather. Some are gleeful in any weather and some can only take the best conditions.

You should probably rent gear at the resort for first time learners. And have ski instructors do a little work with them. They will be able to comment if anything needs to be exchanged at the resort (boot sizes, etc.) Snow clothes and boot comfort are very important. Lessons are expensive but a good way to start. Ski school/daycare can often be a good choice as well.

Since you aren't an experienced skier, you should learn how the industry prices lift passes. Many resorts are part of brand families now so if you buy preseason passes in warm weather, you can save a lot if you intend to do a lot of skiing at several different resorts per winter season. This does not work for occasional skiers but it can be worth it for people who do multiple trips to high-priced resorts such as Jackson Hole.

https://www.epicpass.com
https://www.ikonpass.com

Also some states have tourist promotion type programs to teach upper elementary kids to ski. Sometimes those involve free lift tickets.

[Anonymous]

DC to Lake Placid is an 8 hour drive without stops. It can be done using mostly highways that are safe to drive as long as visibility is present.

Skiing involves a lot of gear toting. You may want your own vehicle. My dad would never have flown from DC to the Adirondacks.