Our First Skiing Adventure

Introducing our kids to skiing has been on my to-do list for a few years and this past January we finally made it happen! I literally spent weeks gathering as much information as I could in regards to buying equipment vs renting it, where to go and when, taking lessons and which ski school would best meet my needs...this is what I found out:

Equipment

We ended up buying our 3 oldest kids used skis and boots from the local buy and sell groups in our area. The furthest we had to drive was about 45 minutes and our total cost for all 3 pairs was just over $200. We figured we would break even with the cost of rentals, even if they only used them a few times this year. On the plus side we also have 4 kids, so hopefully they'll be able to pass them down to one another. At least that's the plan...fingers crossed!

Location and Ski School

We decided to take the kids to Snowvalley in Barrie, Ontario. We chose this location because their ski school and learn to ski programs came highly recommended from friends and family. They're also conveniently located right off the highway and only about 50 minutes from our house. I took the kids out of school on a Monday and we left bright and early. I wanted to arrive around 8:30 am, in time for lessons and equipment rentals. Although we didn't have to rent, our friends who were traveling with us did.

All in all our day was a huge success. Looking back there were so many things that could have gone really wrong, but they didn't...everything just seemed to fall into place. The ski gods were definitely looking out for us that day and our little crew of first time skiers. The only really concerning part of our day was that it was minus 25 degrees outdoors when we left our house that morning. While some might see this as a problem, I figured there was no turning back. The car was packed and the kids were ready and eager to go. I thought to myself, if they enjoy their day regardless of how cold it is, then they're going to absolutely love it when it's a little warmer...and that I was right about. Our second ski adventure was on Family Day and it was only minus 10! They were sweating -ha!

We're looking forward to the March Break and being able to get out a couple more times.

Snowvalley

Have a great weekend and enjoy the break!

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