Meet the Jennings family:
Matt and Kate Jennings both adore winter. Matt grew up in Montana, and Kate is from Vermont, so it was a given that they’d teach their kiddo how to ski as soon as Josie could walk.
Turns out that Josie, now 7, enjoys winter sports as much (or maybe more!) than Kate and Matt. In addition to downhill and cross-country skiing, Josie also fell in love with ice hockey. When the family is out exploring ski trails or resorts, they always stop to test out the local ice rinks, too.
How did you start taking winter adventures as a family?
We used to strap Josie into our Burley ski trailer as a baby, then tow it behind us while we cross-country skied. As Josie got older, we brought along tiny skis.
At first Josie could only last maybe 200 yards—even the littlest hill is super tough for kids! Luckily, Josie would simply get back in the Burley to rest, eat a bucketload of snacks, then try again a bit later.
PRO TIP: Put plenty of books and toys within your child’s reach in the tow-behind ski trailer.
Downhill skiing is less work for kids. They just have to stand on their skis and off they go! But it’s a lot of work for the parents who teach them. It can be super frustrating—and painful—to be in a snow plow for hours, trying to convince your kid to turn away from trees and other hazards. We’d trade off teaching Josie while the other parent skied a run or two.
Then when Josie turned 3, we started paying for a half-day ski lesson every other weekend. It totally saved our sanity! Kids learn so much more from professionals who aren’t their parents. Plus, then parents get the chance to ski together again.
What was one of Josie’s breakthrough moments?
A major breakthrough was when Josie learned to control the skis versus the skis controlling Josie. Since Josie’s favorite part of skiing is “going fast,” it was important to learn to control the speed rather than always yard-sale-ing into a heap or launching off jumps blindly (which happened more times than we would like to admit).
Everything seemed to click at age 5 or 6. Before then, Josie couldn’t ski more than two runs in a row without a potty break and snacks. Thanks to regular ski lessons and practice, Josie’s stamina increased remarkably.
Now, we ski together as a family most of the day—when we can keep up! Josie’s like a bullet down the slopes. The work for us these days is to bomb down the mountain behind Josie and pray we all arrive safely at the bottom.
Tell us a few things you’ve learned about skiing with kids:
First off, skiing with young kids is definitely hard. You have to keep track of so many pieces of clothing and gear! We’ve had to buy all sorts of stuff once we get to the mountain because we forgot something at home.
Systems help. Before you go, decide who’s doing what—like one parent dresses the kid while the other buys the lift tickets. You can also keep all of the gear packed between trips in their own bag/box so its easy to grab and go. Now that Josie is older, we lay out all of the gear together the night before so we can see what still needs to be packed.
PRO TIP: Bring a big sled to carry everything from the car to the lodge and back again, including the kids.
The biggest meltdowns seem to happen between the parking lot and the lodge. Now Josie’s older and we all carry our own skis to the lodge. Plus, we ski together to the car as our last run of the day.
Does your family have a favorite ski hill?
Discovery Ski Area, or “Disco”, is our favorite mountain, hands-down. It’s super family friendly and affordable. Their “Kinder-Ski” lessons for ages 2-6 include a free lunch and playtime if kids aren’t feeling into the lesson. They have the world’s most amazing cookies that can keep any kid motivated to do one more run.
Discovery also has an Easy Chair, which is free for kids under 5 and only $12 for everyone else. It’s only a few feet off the ground (adult knee-breaker!), which is good since the kids tend to drop poles or gloves—or sometimes themselves!
It gives kids a big boost of confidence to be able to ride a chairlift alone. And parents can relax because most of the families who go to Discovery seem to keep a lookout for all the littles, not just their own. Their lodge overlooks the Easy Chair, so you can sit back and grab a beer while your kid does laps.
Once kids can ski a longer blue run, they can make it to the yurt on the back side of Discovery via Winning Ridge on the Granite Chairlift. It’s the ultimate bring your own lunch spot with a fireplace, tables and chairs. The kids are psyched because they made it to an area with double-black diamonds without having to actually ski one. And parents are psyched since they can peel off and ski a couple bowls and chutes while the kids play in the yurt.
If you ask kids, most would say that their favorite run at Disco is Tea Cups. This run is pure magic for tiny skis and little bodies. For parents, though, watching your kid speed between trees, ski over rocks and logs, and disappear into the woods is part thrill and part terror.
PRO TIP: Wear your rock skis for Tea Cups, and don’t be surprised if your kid makes you ski this run over and over!
Where do you stay when you ski at Discovery?
Several times each winter we’ll rent a big house with a few other families on Georgetown Lake at the base of the mountain. You can ice skate in Philipsburg, ice fish on the lake, or cross-country ski nearby, which is nice, since young kids can’t ski more than two or three days in a row without getting tired or bored.
If it’s just the three of us, we stay at the Broadway Inn in Philipsburg. The inn offers a free breakfast, and is conveniently situated right above the Philipsburg Brewery. There’s also a beautiful ice rink in downtown Philipsburg, with a warming hut and borrow skates.
Sometimes we stop at Fairmont Hot Springs in Anaconda on the way home to soak, which is always popular with Josie, thanks to its massive outdoor waterslide.
What are other destinations do you enjoy skiing as a family?
We like skiing at Bridger near Bozeman, especially now that Josie is able to keep up. During spring break, we go a bit further to explore new mountains in Idaho and California.
We also use Montana’s cross-country trails quite a bit. From the parking lot at Discovery, you can ski on the groomed Echo Lake Trails, which is awesome for parents who don’t downhill ski. Bozeman also has world-class cross-country trails and a biathlon range at Crosscut Mountain Ski Center, as does Seeley Lake.
Any last words of wisdom for other families?
On the slopes, nothing beats sweet treats for motivating kids. We keep M&Ms or Skittles in our pockets to encourage Josie onto the lift or down a new run. And letting kids have a cookie or hot chocolate at the end of the day is the golden ticket!
PRO TIP: If the line at a lodge’s restaurant is too long when you’ve got a cranky kiddo, try heading to the bar for speedier hot chocolate delivery (don’t forget the whipped cream)!
Don’t be afraid to let the kids fall. As Josie used to tell other kids on the slopes a hockey adage: “If you’re not falling, you’re not trying.”
Lastly, stick with it. We’ve seen both kids and parents in tears (including us!) on the slopes, but the joy of one good family run makes all the frustration worth it. Someday soon, Josie probably won’t want to ski with lame-old Mom and Dad, so we’re enjoying every moment we get.
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