Family Skiing

We were very lucky that Meme & Grampy Dorval were able to visit us just after Christmas this year. We haven't spent the holiday's with family in quite some time so this was a real treat for us. Also lucky for us they had decided they really wanted to try skiing after many years of not. Although Chuck and the girls had been several times, I had not. Unsure of what we would do with Levi if we went, Chuck suggested he could maybe carry him in a backpack. This seemed like a precarious solution but I kept an open mind. After a very short trial run at Alta one afternoon, it was agreed that this was actually not as crazy as it sounds.

Our first attempt at skiing with Chuck's parents was a bit of a botched one. We thought we'd run up to Alta for a few runs their first afternoon here. Unfortunately, it was beginning to storm and later we would find out the temperatures on the mountain were some of the coldest ever. Weather was such that we were forced to put chains on the minivan and the steady stream of traffic down the mountain definitely called into question our decision to proceed with the outing. The first run was pretty miserable. My fingers never warmed up and there was difficulty with moisture and goggles. Sophie was smart enough to quit and demand to be taken to the lodge. Everyone else went back up for one more run after which it was time to go. At this point Levi was obviously unhappy with our decision to be there but after everyone was back in the warm car, snacks in hand any discomfort was forgotten. Little did we know this was just the beginning of our ordeal. THREE HOURS stuck in a traffic jam when it should take 40 minutes with no place to stop, three tired and hungry kids, and four adults piled in one minivan. As unpleasant as it was, everyone maintained a positive attitude and we survived to make it home without major incident.

After waiting a couple of days while cold temperatures and snow persisted, we finally got our day. We headed out on a beautiful, sunny, barely frigid day to Brighton where Chuck frequents with the girls. It was a great success and I think the pictures speak for themselves.