Any skiers here? Need some advice....
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Anonymous
I loved skiing when I was younger - we used to go at least once every winter to upstate NY or the Poconos. I never made it to the black diamonds but I was a pretty solid blue square girl.  But I haven't been skiing in over 20 years, and neither has DH. We'd love to introduce our kids to skiing - DS is 9 and DD is 3. Thinking about taking a weekend trip to a nearby ski area. I know Massanutten is probably the closest, and Liberty and Whitetail in PA aren't too much farther away - what other places are within a 2 to 3 hour drive? Which of these are the most family-friendly? What about rentals and lessons? Other activities besides skiing? Is it even realistic to put a 3 year old on skis? Please help me plan a fun winter weekend for the family! TIA.
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Anonymous
| Camelback is slightly further out. Lots of programs for kids, very nice range of trails. |
Anonymous
| OP here. That was one of my favorite places to ski in the Poconos! It's probably around 4 hours away, isn't it? That could be doable for a long weekend. Keep the suggestions coming! |
Anonymous
| Seven springs is great for kids. I'm hoping to introduce mine to skiing this year too. |
Anonymous
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Yes! Camelback is about 4 hours away. It's my favorite local-ish place to go. Totally doable for a weekend trip. Hope you all have fun.
I expected more snow by this time! |
Anonymous
| I recommend Seven Springs - typically they run a package deal for families each winter which for one set price (something like $200 per adult) includes 2 nights lodging, lift tix, dinner and breakfast buffets, and coupons for the indoor bowling alley, mini golf and snow tubing. The ski school there is great, and I like the trails better than at whitetail and liberty (I've never been to Wisp, but that is a good option, too). If has a lodge feel to the hotel and lounge areas (lots of fireplaces, wood beams) which is nice for times you are not skiing. |
Anonymous
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Hi OP. You could start by taking a day trip to one of the closest places - Liberty is good for beginners esp if you all can at hooky and go on a weekday. That will give you and DH a chance to get your feet under you again and have the kids try the bunny hill and a lesson without the pressure of a Big Ski Weekend where we will all learn to ski and have fun.
Then on to the Poconos! |
Anonymous
This makes sense. Might be safer to just go somewhere nearby for a day to see how everyone likes it rather than invest more time and money for a Big Ski Weekend only to find that they're not into it. |
Anonymous
| What about Bryce resort in Basye, VA? Have anyone heard or tried that place? |
Anonymous
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I would do a day trip to Liberty, Roundtop or Whitetail. I've never been to Roundtop but from what I understand from my friends is that it is the least crowded of the 3 in the area. All of them have ski schools and packages for ski school and lift ticket deals. After that, I would do Seven Springs for a weekend. The hill is good but not too difficult, the hotel has lots of stuff for kids after skiing (arcade, etc) and it is easier to get to from here than Camelback. It is also less croweded than Camelback or the other Pocano resorts.
We are avid skiiers and take every opportunity to get our fix around here and out West. We are heading out to Colorado for 10 days next week. The hills around here should be a good start for you. |
Anonymous
Anyone been to Wisp? Seems to have great snow and cabins by the lake. |
Anonymous
| We have been to Bryce a few times. It is not a big mountain, but is ok for learning. There are two magic carpet areas and one main lift that have green trails. I prefer Liberty or Whitetail over Bryce. I know you can get cheap lift tickets to Bryce through Liftopia though. We have not used their lessons or rentals. I do like the mountain because you can park close and the lodge is right at the base of the mountain. Super easy for beginner skiers. |
Anonymous
We go to Wisp every year for MLK weekend. It's fairly crowded, but manageable. My husband hadn't skied in 20 years when we started to go, and kids were 3 and 6. I had never skied in my life, and have since learned it's really nearly impossible to learn to ski past age 40 - there's just no enjoyment for me. Anyway, the club wisp for kids is pretty good and starts at age 3. The first year, the youngest really didn't pick up much, and on day 2, when oldest was skiing with husband, the 3 year old and I hung out. Year 2, so kids 4 and 7, we got small group lessons for oldest and put youngest in the club willy wisp for all day. On second day, I again hung out with youngest while oldest skied with husband. But had I been a skier, or had we really pushed it, youngest could have been out skiing. It's a far drive out to Wisp, but it's pretty out there and there's a little bit to do besides skiing - couple of state parks with visitor centers and decent hiking, tiny bit of shopping, driving around and looking at stuff, handfuls of restaurants. They also have ice skating, tubing, and a fun mountain roller coaster. Worth a long weekend. |
Anonymous
| OP here - thanks for all these great suggestions. I'm getting the feeling that Liberty might be a good option for us. If we wanted to stay overnight after a day of skiing, what are the rooms like at Liberty? Or should we find someplace to stay in Gettsyburg (which I gather is the nearest town)? |
Anonymous
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OP, why bother to overnight there? It is an easy trip up and back.
Anyway, has anyone with kids been to Snowshoe? Do they have good lessons and trails for kids under 10? |