ENJOYING THE SNOW WITH KIDS

Printed in The Family Post: Holiday Issue 2002

by Carol White

    After living in Truckee for 10 years, one of the reasons my husband and I chose to move to Nevada City was that we could still enjoy all the winter sports we did in Truckee, without actually having to live in the snow. I’ve put together a few tips on enjoying the snow with kids, and some ideas about where to go. I focused on Donner Summit and Truckee. Donner Summit is less than an hour from Nevada City and Grass Valley and has downhill ski resorts, snowplay areas and the largest cross country resort in the Nation. Truckee is only about 20 minutes farther than Donner Summit, and also has some great family resorts.

DONNER SUMMIT

Soda Springs
It’s hard to beat the prices at Soda Springs. Kids under seven ski for free! It’s a great family destination with young children because you can do it all there with the same ticket: skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, sledding and snowshoeing. If you plan on going a lot, their Family Pass is a great deal. For $399 you get two unrestricted adult season passes, and unlimited children’s passes. This is a great place to start with young kids. For information call (530) 426-1010 or visit www.skisodasprings.com.

Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl has a great kids program, and once our kids are old enough for ski school, this is where my husband and I are going to do most of our skiing and boarding. They have a “Slightly Restricted” Adult Season Pass for as low as $399 valid anyday except Saturdays and holidays. You only have to go 8 days in a season to make this pass pay off. Daily tickets are fairly expensive at $54 for adults, but Tuesdays through Thursdays are Visa Value Days and tickets are $35 if you purchase with a Visa card or cash. All around, it’s my favorite resort... close, great terrain, lots of snow, good food, new lifts, and a great children’s program. For more information call (530) 426-9000 or visit www.sugarbowl.com.

Boreal
The night skiing at Boreal is well worth trying with kids, and it’s close enough that you could actually go afterschool one day and ski until 9pm with your kids. If you have young children, Boreal has a shared parent’s lift ticket so you can take turns skiing and babysitting. The lodge and parking lot are right there at the base of the lifts, so you can watch your spouse on the slopes or run to the car if you have to. For more information call (530) 426-3666 or visit www.borealski.com.

Castle Peak
This Sno-Park is located off Highway 80, Castle Peak exit, on the frontage road south of freeway, just beyond Boreal Inn (Sno-Park permits available). Trails are on north side of freeway. This is a very popular cross-country ski area, and there is a snow play area at south parking lot. It’s a great area to go snowshoeing with a child in a backpack, or go cross country skiing while pulling a small child in a sled. The only drawback is that there is some snowmobiling, and it’s usually crowded on the weekends. For more information call the Sno-Park Hotline (916) 324-1222 or U.S. Forest Service (530) 587-3558 or visit http://ohv.parks.ca.gov.

Royal Gorge
My husband and I used to go cross country skiing while pulling our daughter in a sled when she was about a year old. We would usually ski for a couple of hours, and our daughter would laugh and look at the view. Then we’d stop at one of the huts to eat our picnic lunch and let her run around for awhile. After lunch we’d ski back to the lodge, and she would usually nap in the sled. It was one of our favorite ways to spend the day outside in the snow as a family. Royal Gorge rents these sleds, which are specifically designed for pulling a small child. They are easy to use, safe, and most kids love them. The sleds are difficult to tip, and the harness system is really secure. For more information call (530) 426-3871 or visit www.royalgorge.com.

TRUCKEE

Northstar-at-Tahoe
Northstar is one of the best family resorts around. They have so much to offer that one parent could go cross country skiing with the younger child in a sled, the other parent could ski, and the older child could take a lesson. They also offer an interchangeable parent’s lift ticket, so parents can take turns skiing and babysitting. The Village Run is one of the best beginner runs in the region. It’s a mile long, very gentle, and you can ride the gondola instead of a chair lift. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon with small children who are just learning to ski. Leaving Northstar should be easier this year than in the past with the completion of the I-80 / 267 Bypass. For more information call (530) 562-1010 or visit www.skinorthstar.com.

Tahoe Donner
Tahoe Donner is small, but it’s a great family area. The ski school program caters to young children and beginners, and classes are small with a limit of 6 students. You can also take turns on the slopes with the interchangeable parent’s ticket. There is a snowplay area at the Trout Creek Recreation Center, and you can rent discs there. For more information call (530) 587-9400 or visit www.tahoedonner.com.

Donner State Park
This Sno-Park is located off Highway 80, Donner Lake exit, on Donner Pass Road at Donner Memorial State Park, next to Emigrant Trail Museum. This is a great place to go snowshoeing with a child in a backpack, or go cross country skiing while pulling a small child in a sled. There are marked cross-country ski trails to Donner Lake and Donner Party Historic Sites. No snowmobiles are allowed. There is a snow play area, but no sled hill. Sno-Park permits and local information is available at the museum, (530) 582-7892. For more information call the Sno-Park Hotline (916) 324-1222 or visit http://ohv.parks.ca.gov.

A FEW TIPS

Invest in a Kelty backpack to carry your young child in. I used to go snowshoeing with my daughter in a backpack when she was about 12 months old. The straps in these packs are great, and I always felt safe with her in it, even if I was to fall.

If you plan on cross country skiing while pulling your child in a sled, start at Royal Gorge before you venture to Castle Peak or Donner Lake. The trails at Royal Gorge are always groomed, and you’ll have a chance to get used to the sled before you go to the Sno-Parks. You don’t have to be an accomplished skier to try this out. My husband is a snowboarder, and he didn’t have a problem jumping on cross country skis and pulling a sled.

Most resorts don’t offer childcare for children under 3, so plan on sharing a lift ticket with someone and taking turns skiing and babysitting. The best resorts for this would be Boreal, Tahoe Donner and Northstar. All offer an interchangeable parent’s lift ticket. Take your Kelty backpack and snowshoes, and on your babysitting shift spend some time outside with your toddler looking at trees and snow.

Children are ready to start skiing when they are 3 years old, and most resorts offer programs for children this young. Unless you know what you are doing... don’t try and teach your child to ski by yourself.

Don’t arrive at a ski resort on Saturday at 10am, unless you enjoy waiting in lines with small children. It’s hard to get out the door in the morning with children, so pack the car the night before and arrive at the resort early. You can always bundle the kids into the car in their pajamas, and then have breakfast at the resort. Plan on arriving by 8 am if you want front row parking and no lines.

Avoid 3-day weekends. If you want to go to a resort over Christmas, go the week before the holiday, instead of the week afterwards... it won’t be as crowded.

Go on Sundays as opposed to Saturdays whenever possible. However, keep in mind that the roads on Sunday will be crowded, so stick to Donner Summit areas on Sundays, and try and leave by 3:30pm at the latest. Sugar Bowl’s ski school lessons end at 3pm, so you’ll have no problem beating the traffic.

Rent your equipment the day before at a local shop, and avoid the resort rental shop the morning you go. Kids can only handle so much waiting in line, and it’s well worth dealing with before you get there. The only drawback is if you have a problem with your equipment once you are at the resort. Most shops won’t work on another shop’s equipment, and you’ll be stuck renting the equipment again from the resort.

    Whatever activity you decide to do, make a commitment to take your kids to the snow at least once this winter. The smiles on their faces, and roses on their cheeks, will be all the thanks you need!