Family trip to Wisp for Ski Newbies

[Anonymous]

DH grew up on sun and beach, and has steadfastly refused to go skiing. However, the kids are pushing hard, so he's agreed that we can go on a ski vacation this winter. I have not been skiing since I was 11, so my memory of what's required is somewhat rusty.

What advice would you give for a family that's completely new to skiing and planning a trip to Wisp? What equipment should we buy? What should we rent?

Where's the best place to stay for a family, i.e. has amenities for kids, ideally 2 queen beds, etc?

Is it best to buy ski packages on the Wisp website, or there travel agencies that can get better deals?

Is there a good place to stop mid-way?

Any and all advice would be most appreciated! TIA.

[Anonymous]

I would rent the ski's and boots. Your kids are still growing, so it would be a waste to buy the equipment. The form that you fill out asks questions such as height and weight which effects the size of the ski's.

You asked for a mid way point but didn't give the starting point.

[Anonymous]

Oops! Sorry for not providing the origin point. It's Arlington, VA.

[Anonymous]

Maybe buy helmets. Rentals might be uncomfortable. You don't want your kids to hate them.

[Anonymous]

Sign kids up for the ski school (lift tickets and equipment rental are included) or buy them private lessons
http://www.wispresort.com/club-wisp-willy-wisp.php

[Anonymous]

Are you going for a weekend? Rent skis - don't invest in equipment until you know everyone loves skiing. If it's a busy weekend like MLK or President's Day, I recommend renting them from a local shop here and taking them with you, rather than renting them at WISP. Lines will be very long.

Put the kids in ski school - half day or full day. Get private lesson for you and DH.

I would just stay at the WISP lodge. It's not luxurious, but you can get a room with a kitchenette and a ski locker where you can store your skis, grab them and walk outside to ski school and lifts.

DD and I usually do one mommy/daughter ski weekend at WISP and we stay at the lodge just for the convenience of being right at the lift. There are restaurants there, but we also go out to eat - there is a decent pizza place on the lake.

Have fun! It's a great family activity to do together - but not cheap! My DD is now a teenager and we go out west every winter and we really bond together when we ski together.

[Anonymous]

It's been said above, but just to reinforce it: Rent your equipment near where you live, if you have room in your vehicle for travelling with it. That way, you can rent better stuff, and try it on leisurely in a comfortable store. In Baltimore, Princeton Sports has some good stuff. They offer renting by the day/week or by the season. Like someone else said, if you wait until right before a big holiday weekend, they may not have your boot size, or may be out of skiis to rent. This has happened to me.

The other reason to rent at home is so you don't get stuck in that horrendous "rent equipment" line at the ski slopes. It's so frustrating to figure out the right size to wear and how to put on the ski boots, etc., when you are hot and sweaty and trying to find a spot to sit down and it's super crowded.

My family has a saying for the 'getting equipment' on part of skiing. "The first part of skiing is not the fun part." Just do what you can to make it a quick part.

[Anonymous]

Buy good socks. We ski a LOT (DH and DS had over 40 days on the mountain last year--I'm a little more laid back about it) and our favorite socks are SmartWool ultra-light phd socks. You can sometimes find them cheap at Sierra trading post.

Definitely get lessons. I didn't ski from ages 19 to 40 and lessons have been great.

[Anonymous]

+1 smartwool ski socks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been said above, but just to reinforce it: Rent your equipment near where you live, if you have room in your vehicle for travelling with it. That way, you can rent better stuff, and try it on leisurely in a comfortable store. In Baltimore, Princeton Sports has some good stuff. They offer renting by the day/week or by the season. Like someone else said, if you wait until right before a big holiday weekend, they may not have your boot size, or may be out of skiis to rent. This has happened to me.

The other reason to rent at home is so you don't get stuck in that horrendous "rent equipment" line at the ski slopes. It's so frustrating to figure out the right size to wear and how to put on the ski boots, etc., when you are hot and sweaty and trying to find a spot to sit down and it's super crowded.

My family has a saying for the 'getting equipment' on part of skiing. "The first part of skiing is not the fun part." Just do what you can to make it a quick part.

Thanks, PP. Baltimore is about an hour 's drive for us. Does anyone have recommendations for good equipment rental places closer to DC or NOVA?

[Anonymous]

You cal also rent at high Mountain Sports near Wisp.

It's much better than renting at the resort, although it can still get crowded. The advantage is that if your kids decide their boots are kiling them and they need a different size, you can drive over to High Mountain and easily exchange. You can also reserve equipment in advance, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been said above, but just to reinforce it: Rent your equipment near where you live, if you have room in your vehicle for travelling with it. That way, you can rent better stuff, and try it on leisurely in a comfortable store. In Baltimore, Princeton Sports has some good stuff. They offer renting by the day/week or by the season. Like someone else said, if you wait until right before a big holiday weekend, they may not have your boot size, or may be out of skiis to rent. This has happened to me.

The other reason to rent at home is so you don't get stuck in that horrendous "rent equipment" line at the ski slopes. It's so frustrating to figure out the right size to wear and how to put on the ski boots, etc., when you are hot and sweaty and trying to find a spot to sit down and it's super crowded.

My family has a saying for the 'getting equipment' on part of skiing. "The first part of skiing is not the fun part." Just do what you can to make it a quick part.

I'd say the opposite--rent at the mountain in case you have an equipment problem you can swap it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's been said above, but just to reinforce it: Rent your equipment near where you live, if you have room in your vehicle for travelling with it. That way, you can rent better stuff, and try it on leisurely in a comfortable store. In Baltimore, Princeton Sports has some good stuff. They offer renting by the day/week or by the season. Like someone else said, if you wait until right before a big holiday weekend, they may not have your boot size, or may be out of skiis to rent. This has happened to me.

The other reason to rent at home is so you don't get stuck in that horrendous "rent equipment" line at the ski slopes. It's so frustrating to figure out the right size to wear and how to put on the ski boots, etc., when you are hot and sweaty and trying to find a spot to sit down and it's super crowded.

My family has a saying for the 'getting equipment' on part of skiing. "The first part of skiing is not the fun part." Just do what you can to make it a quick part.

Thanks, PP. Baltimore is about an hour 's drive for us. Does anyone have recommendations for good equipment rental places closer to DC or NOVA?

There is ski shop in NW DC called the Ski Center. It's behind Crate and Barrel on Mass, near AU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's been said above, but just to reinforce it: Rent your equipment near where you live, if you have room in your vehicle for travelling with it. That way, you can rent better stuff, and try it on leisurely in a comfortable store. In Baltimore, Princeton Sports has some good stuff. They offer renting by the day/week or by the season. Like someone else said, if you wait until right before a big holiday weekend, they may not have your boot size, or may be out of skiis to rent. This has happened to me.

The other reason to rent at home is so you don't get stuck in that horrendous "rent equipment" line at the ski slopes. It's so frustrating to figure out the right size to wear and how to put on the ski boots, etc., when you are hot and sweaty and trying to find a spot to sit down and it's super crowded.

My family has a saying for the 'getting equipment' on part of skiing. "The first part of skiing is not the fun part." Just do what you can to make it a quick part.

I'd say the opposite--rent at the mountain in case you have an equipment problem you can swap it out.

And another preference: rent from a good shop near the mountain so you won't get the super crappy rentals, but you can go back to swap out sizes or lengths if needed. Not sure of a specific ski shop near Wisp but there probably is one.

[Anonymous]

I have seen lift tickets at Costco in Frederick, MD. I don't know the details of how many days or price, but it might be worth a look.