As we put an end to 2015, we spent some time skiing as a family at Boyne Mountain. Finding decent skiing in the Midwest is difficult and Boyne Mountain as good as it gets. The resort has a variety of levels of hills for different skiers and is very kid-friendly. We were are thrilled that the northern part of Michigan was much colder than Indiana and had received a decent amount of snow the day before we arrived, which made for an eventful four day ski trip.
We packed the Sunday after Christmas and headed to Fort Wayne to see some family and friends before the trek to Northern Michigan. This made for a much easier drive to Boyne on Tuesday. With just 4.5 hours in the car and two quick stops the kiddos were rockstars.
The first day was spent getting everything unloaded, getting situated, picking up all of our ski gear and then heading to dinner at the resort. The nice thing about skiing in Michigan is the opportunity to night ski which you do not get when you are out west. After dinner and burning off some energy it was time to put the kids down to bed. Once the kids were in bed, Josh, my mom and Thom headed out for some night skiing while I stayed in and read while the kids slept- a win-win for all of us!
The next three days would be the same as our trip last year: wake up, grab breakfast, take turns skiing, eat lunch in the room, all convene around 530 for dinner, kids go to bed and others head out for adult skiing. And that is out how went… for the most part.
The first full day we woke up and had our breakfast at the resort and immediately after, C asked to go out and go skiing. We geared her up and off she went! The “magic carpet” on the bunny hill was broken so you had to take off your skis and walk all the way up it- a total pain. After doing that once my mom and I decided it was time to brave the lift chair and take her up. It helped that the day before she said, “I want to ride on the chair and go down the big hill this year.” And at three years old, that is what she did! I was a little nervous that first ride up, but she loved it and rocked it. The rest of the trip we spent going up that same lift and hill with her- she did awesome!
She not only improved her skiing from last year, she also improved her stamina. Last year she had about a 45 minute threshold from the time we walked out our door. This year, she would ski for about an hour and a half in the morning and then ask to go out again in the afternoon. We love that she loves it! She learned to maneuver her skis better this year and was snow plowing and attempting to stop on her own.
We did have our first hiccup of the trip on Wednesday. We were so thrilled that my siblings were able to join us on the trip this year! My brother, sister-in-law and sister arrived on Wednesday afternoon just in time to grab their equipment and hit the slopes. The second time down the hill, my poor sister-in-law fell and broke her wrist- that was the first trip to the Emergency Room.
On Thursday, we had our second trip, and this injury didn’t even happen on skis! As we were walking to breakfast my sister slipped on ice and hit her head… hard! Fortunately, she was okay and didn’t end up having a concussion, but she was advised to head to the hospital to get it checked out to be sure. Thank goodness it was nothing serious and she just had to deal with a little soreness and bruising the rest of the trip.
My family has been going skiing for along time- I started skiing when I was 4! This was our first year for a trip to the hospital, and apparently two trips were in our cards. The two were troopers the rest of the trip despite their injuries.
Josh and I took turns skiing with C and watching M. We even bundled him up and let him play in the snow while others skied. He wasn’t sure what to think of it at first, but he adjusted and burnt off some much-needed energy. When C wasn’t skiing, one of us would hit up the bigger hills and get in some good runs.
I let Josh stick to the night skiing each night and he took advantage of it with the rest of my family. I was engrossed in a good book and didn’t mind the quiet time, plus I was exhausted each night. With him getting that, I got the opportunity to hit the fresh powder each morning by myself before grabbing C to ski. That was the best snow of the day and the slopes were bare- it was good skiing!
The last day, Friday, we got up early for a quick breakfast before our last day of skiing. Of course, it was the best snow of the week! I got in some awesome runs with Claire and several great ones by myself too. I think everyone was still hung over from New Year’s Eve and still sleeping because the slopes were dead that morning. A good couple of hours on the mountain before heading all the way back home and the 7 hour trek home.
Overall, despite the injuries, it was a good trip with good skiing and some good family time. I love that I didn’t have to find room for my Christmas gift from my Mom & Thom; it is all wrapped up in these pictures. I truly appreciate experiences and memories over things for gifts. That is one thing that I want to carry on with my children.
I love teaching C how to ski- it is a great activity we will be able to do as a family for years to come. I look forward to next year when M gets on skis too- we might not be able to stop him. And I especially love how willing Josh was to learn to ski when we first met. 8 years ago he had only been skiing twice in his life and now he is quite the skier and has no problem hitting black diamonds.
Skiing is an awesome family activity that keeps you moving. If you like to ski and live in the Midwest, I highly recommend Boyne Mountain. The ease of the skiing there when you have little ones is hard to beat!
Your turn- tell me!
Do you prefer experiences over things for gifts?
Have you ever skied?
great post and loved spending time with you all!
Nice information for Boyne Mountain