Family Reunion Ski Trip Tips
Spending a family reunion on skis is one of the most fun excuses I can think of for getting the gang together. And while my cousins like to travel around to other canyons while they’re here, our family ski days are centered at Deer Valley.
Well, as “centered” as our brand of multi-generational mayhem can be.
As this was our second year—with a slightly shifted cast of characters (minus one cousin and his family, plus my dad)—we had some aspects of it dialed, and other aspects where we still have room to improve.
1. Book lessons and gear rentals as soon as you confirm your trip. While there are generally rentals to be had at shops around town, the busiest weeks mean you may have to assemble your gear kit from multiple shops if you haven’t confirmed your rental package ahead of time. Week long rentals, even if you’re not skiing every day of the week, can be a sanity saver.
2. Buy lift tickets online the night before.
Speaking of sanity savers—Deer Valley Resort sold out of daily lift tickets multiple days between Christmas and New Year’s weekend. But my out-of-town cousins discovered the fact that tickets can be purchased up to 11:59 p.m. at deervalley.com—
3. Stay Flexible—and carry candy.
We had a rough idea of what activities would happen when, but we rolled with it when someone needed to make a change on the fly. We defer to the following: skier comfort, skier ability, parenting hacks, frozen pipes. Okay, that last one was just me—but we did have to cancel a morning of skiing to defrost a hot water pipe in my bathroom. As for the parenting hacks: when my cousin told me that she had to bail on lunch because they knew if they met us in Snow Park, the girls would likely beg off skiing afterward, we all just rolled with it. (And had lunch with her parents.) When my kids wanted to ski with their cousins on terrain my dad didn’t wish to tackle, I let them go and hung back for some mellow green runs with dad. I wouldn’t have traded any of it.
4. Push each other—a little.
You don’t want to talk a beginner into taking a black diamond ski run, but my kids managed to talk their green-run-happy cousin into trying Last Chance ski run, which she loved. And when my dad had a few good runs down Success ski run one day, I suggested we let the kids go ahead with the rest of the group, warm up, and then head up to meet them for an Ontario ski run. He loved it.
5. Treasure the Little Moments
Watching my kids ski with two 73 year-olds—my dad and his cousin. Skiing with the septuagenarians, myself. Seeing the littlest cousins (who are not so little, at 16, 12, 12 and 8) loving skiing together. Watching my kids patiently explain to their grandfather the value of going over the rolling bumps on Wide West ski run. Celebrating the New Year with an early dinner—because we were all exhausted from the week’s activity—and then Skyping with the absent cousins to complete the week. These moments were just a few of my faves. I can’t wait until next year.
The Official Blog of Deer Valley Resort
When family clicks, like it did this time, it can’t be beat — there is simply nothing like it! Writer daughter captured it so well and for sure Deer Valley with its remarkably varied terrain and facilities, made it the perfect “base camp.” These are our favorites cousins out of my 15 first cousins and we all are thrilled that the grandchildren, who are 3d cousins bonded at the speed of sound — certainly the slopes, lodges, food — all contributed to the remarkable moments to remember! We’ll all be back.