My daughter’s first day of skiing was the pinnacle of my 37 seasons on the slopes.
I’d like to say it was my best day ever, all because it was the first time I’d seen my 3-year-old all bundled up, clicked in and actually moving downhill. But I have to admit the thigh-deep, untouched powder on Snowmass’ Big Burn had something to do with it too.
My husband and I, Colorado natives and lifelong skiers who were taught by our parents, thought it would be us bringing Chloe’s tips together for the first time and cajoling her downhill. We tried last season, but the only thing our then- 2-year-old learned that day was how to scream at a level best described as “call child-protective services.”
So when the opportunity arose for Chloe to visit the new home of Aspen’s ski school, the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center, we decided to give it a try.
What we learned is that as hard as it is for a parent — this parent anyway — to admit, teaching a child to ski is sometimes a job best left to the professionals.
Sue Way, director of Children’s Programs for Aspen Skiing Co., says it all about the dynamic between parent and child.
“I’m a professional instructor, and I put my own daughter in school,” she said. “It’s better to learn from someone else because there’s not the dependency. Children are used to being taken care of by their parents, so when they’re with them that dependency makes it difficult to learn.”
Every parent has seen the “no parent in sight” effect. On her first day of preschool I watched from a distance as my daughter, who was at an age when she questioned and negotiated all of my requests, rushed to take her place in the circle, legs “criss-cross applesauce” just like the teacher asked.
“A child’s behavior with a teacher and other kids is different than it is with their parents,” Way said. “They’re far more likely to listen and go along with the group.”
And here when I saw my little girl dressed not only in all her ski clothes, but boots, skis, a helmet and goggles, I figured sedatives must have been involved.
“Kids bring their greatest fears to Mom and Dad,” Way said. “They’re more likely to keep them in check with an instructor.”
Then there’s the whole matter of expectations.
I remember being at Mary Jane one day and overhearing a parent telling his little one she was “going to have fun” in a tone that got more and more insistent until the point that the child started to cry.
I’ll admit that at the time, as a nonparent, I judged him.
After that day at Beaver Creek last season, when I rented all the gear, took the day off skiing myself, schlepped all Chloe’s stuff and her up to the snow, and she didn’t want anything to do with it, I could see where that tone in his voice was coming from.
As a parent you don’t want to force a child to ski, but you really, really, want them to at least give it a try.
“Parents’ expectations may not always be realistic,” Way said, choosing her words carefully, aware she was talking to one such parent. “Children have a lifetime to learn how to ski — it’s important that they have fun during the process.”
Handling a preschooler’s fragile emotional state is so important that Way is more interested in child-care experience than ski experience when hiring instructors.
“It’s far easier to teach someone how to teach skiing than to teach them how to be good with kids,” she said.
Skiing is integrated into inside play before kids hit the magic carpet and learning slope outside. Within each age group instructors assess children’s mental, physical, social and emotional readiness, as well as interests, before placing them into instruction groups.
When parents ask Way what the chances are their 3-year-old (the most typical age at which children first hit the slopes), will be skiing at the end of the week, she tells them “50-50.”
“The important thing is that kids that age enjoy the time out in the snow and are looking forward to getting better,” she said. “It’s not about what skills they do or don’t master. The important thing is that they are patient with the process.”
Ah, patience. Finding it is something that parents can find challenging if they’re eager to ski themselves. It’s something that Chloe’s instructor, Abby, had a saintlike amount of.
Patience leads to a fun time
On the small learning slope in front of the Treehouse she knelt in the snow giving Chloe instructions, helping her into position and then tugging her ski tips ever so gently. Chloe would move a few inches, a foot at most, downhill and then Abby would do it all again.
Patience isn’t a children’s ski instructor’s only gift.
“All instructors have their own bag of tricks to help kids have fun,” Way said. “Everyone undergoes 40 hours of training, and a percentage of that is dedicated to how to get kids to do something they don’t want to. Our instructors are trained to understand where a child is coming from and what his or her needs are.”
Designed with the latest technology and kids in mind, the $17 million Treehouse was created to meet those needs. Rather than a way station where children feel “dropped off,” the Treehouse is a destination. There are fox dens to hide in, a climbing room with mine tunnels to explore and a stage to perform on.
“Environment plays a big roll in a child’s ability to learn,” Way said. “The Treehouse enhances learning because children want to come here. That’s huge, because separation anxiety is the biggest hurdle to overcome in a child’s experience with us.”
And they aren’t just talking about children’s separation anxiety. In addition to enrolling Chloe in ski school, I had my nearly 1-year-old Neve in the Treehouse’s Butterfly Room. Even the little ones go out and play in the snow, the first step toward snow sports.
The Treehouse gives parents tags for their jackets with their phone number on it and encourage calls — they didn’t have to encourage me. I was on a first-name basis with everyone at the front desk by noon of the first day the girls were at the Treehouse.
I’ve skied a lot of powder in my day but none sweeter than the powder that day I knew my little ones were happily beginning their own journey on the slopes.
Fort Collins freelance writer Chryss Cada has skied some of the steepest, deepest slopes in the world.
More fun for the whole family
Paying the pros
Rates for children enrolling at the Aspen/Snowmass Ski & Snowboard School at the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center are $135 for a full day and $90 for a half day (9 a.m. to noon). There is a $10 discount on the full-day rate when you book seven days in advance. Children are grouped as:
• Snow Cubs, 8 weeks to 4 years. This program is a day care with the option of a one-hour private ski lesson for an additional $110.
• Big Burn Bears, ages 3-4 years.
• Grizzlies, ages 5-6
Off the slopes
Parents and professionals alike know that most children need a break from the slopes. Snowmass offers a variety of child-friendly activities for those “days off.”
Aces Snowshoe Tour
Explore the exquisite natural beauty of the Snowmass wilderness on a guided, two-hour snowshoe trip with an Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) naturalist. This leisurely tour on gentle terrain delves into old-growth forests and into the animals and habitats of Snowmass’ winter forests, meadows and alpine landscape.
When: Daily Time: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Where: Meet at the bottom of the Elk Camp Gondola
Cost: $52 adults, $41 youth ages 13-17 and seniors 65 and up, $31 children ages 7-12 includes lift, snowshoes and snack.
Contact: 970-925-5756,
Snowmass Winters
When: Daily
Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Where: Meet at the Wapiti Wildlife Center at the top of the Elk Camp lift
Cost: Free. Intermediate and above skiers/riders, ages 7 and up.
Contact: 970-925-5756,
Winter Wild Things
Parents and children are encouraged to check out this free interactive nature program that teaches fascinating facts and habits about local mountain critters and their winter environment.
When: Wednesdays and Fridays
Time: 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Where: 11:45 a.m., meet at the junction of Lunchline trail and Coney Glade lift. 2:30 p.m., meet at the teepee on Fanny Hill.
Cost: Free. All ages welcome
Contact: 970-925-5756,
Apres-ski family fun
Kids Krafts
Colorful, creative and fun arts & crafts await children looking for something to do off the slopes during this supervised hour. Projects range from making animal slippers to holiday ornaments to beaded bracelets. Kids Krafts will send children home with a special handmade souvenir of their Snowmass vacation.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Time: 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Where: Meet in the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center
Cost: Free.
Contact: 1-800-766-9627,
Storytelling by the Campfire
Winters were made for storytelling, and at Snowmass you can hear plenty of tall tales around a roaring campfire. Sit back and relax with your hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows while local storytellers spin spellbinding yarns for families at this unique après-ski gathering.
When: Wednesdays
Time: 4 p.m.
Where: Meet at the Plaza fireplace at the base of Fanny Hill.
Cost: Free. All ages welcome.
Contact: 1-800-766-9627,
Sing-Along by the Campfire
A crackling campfire, s’mores, hot chocolate and a guitar-strummin’ cowboy sings your favorite songs of the West in this cozy, après-ski activity for families. Come snuggle up in blankets and join along in these well-known camp songs.
When: Mondays Time: 4 p.m.
Where: Meet at the Plaza fireplace at the base of Fanny Hill
Cost: Free. All ages welcome.
