Crushing Your Family Ski Trip With Jessica Averett of Skiing Kids

Skiing with kids doesn't have to be stressful! Learn how to plan the perfect family ski trip with expert Jessica Averett of SkiingKids.com. From choosing the right resort to handling different ability levels, ski school decisions, and packing essentials—get all the tips you need for an amazing winter vacation.

In this episode:

• Best ski resorts for families and first-timers
• Ski school vs. teaching your own kids
• Managing different skill levels in one family
• Essential gear and packing tips
• Dealing with cold, tired kids on the slopes

Whether you're planning your first family ski vacation or looking to improve your next trip, this conversation with Jessica (mom of 5 young skiers in Utah) will help you create unforgettable mountain memories without the meltdowns.

00:00 Welcome to Family Travel Unpacked
00:15 Introducing Our First Guest: Jessica Averett
01:10 Jessica's Skiing Journey and Family
02:37 Planning Your First Family Ski Trip
03:54 Choosing the Right Ski Resort
08:07 Tips for Experienced Skiers
10:24 Logistics of Planning a Ski Trip
19:22 Ski School vs. Teaching Your Kids
23:52 Benefits of Full Day Ski Programs for Kids
24:59 Managing Different Skiing Abilities in the Family
27:56 Essential Ski Gear and Rentals
32:25 Packing Tips for a Ski Trip
35:43 Dealing with Cold and Tired Kids on the Slopes
40:53 Lightning Round: Favorite Skiing Moments and Gear
42:23 Where to Find More Skiing Tips and Resources

Don't miss this inspiring, practical travel with kids podcast hosted by family travel expert Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Transcript

Melissa: 0:02

Hey there and welcome back to Family Travel Unpacked. I'm your host, Melissa, and in case you're new here, welcome. You can always check out my detailed destination guides, travel tips, hacks, and more on my website, thefamilyvoyage.com. I'm so excited about today's episode because it's our very first interview. I've been wanting to bring guests onto the show for a while now, and I couldn't think of a better person to kick things off than my good friend Jessica Averett of SkiingKids and Adventure Travel Family. My family did our first real ski trip last year, and honestly I had so many questions going into it. How do you choose a resort? What do you do when your kids are at totally different skill levels? How much should you actually plan to ski in a day with kids? And that's exactly the kind of stuff that Jessica helps families figure out. She's A true expert. Whether you're planning your first family ski trip or trying to make your ski vacations work better for your crew, this conversation's gonna be super helpful. Let's get into it. Jess, first off welcome to the show. I am gonna let you introduce yourself because I think you have so much great stuff to tell our audience about who you are, what you do, and why they should listen to you. So tell us a little bit about your family and how you got started skiing.

Jessica: 1:10

So I live in Utah with my family. We have five kids they reach from eight to 18. And living here in Utah, we just have so many amazing outdoor recreation opportunities. We live right in the mountains. There's multiple ski resorts that are just a super close drive. And so my husband and I both grew up skiing and all of our kids have started skiing at a really young age, most of'em when they were just little toddlers at like 18 months. I love it so much. I'm also a ski instructor and I just love helping families figure out how to ski because our family has had so many wonderful memories and so much connection through skiing that I love helping other families have those same experiences too.

Melissa: 1:52

And I know because you and I know each other really well, you have probably the best memory from skiing. Do you wanna tell us?

Jessica: 1:59

Oh, yes. I think this is what you're referring to. I have so many memories from skiing, but, probably my best ski story is that my husband and I actually met on a chairlift. We were skiing at Snowbird. We were both in college. Ironically we were both in the singles line. We hopped on the same chair together and we took a run together and 20 years later we are married here and it's just wonderful. And so my husband loves to ski just as much as I do, and raising our kids with a really strong ski culture and loving that as a family was just a natural extension of how we started our family together.

Melissa: 2:37

I love that. Before we dive into today's main topic, which is planning family ski trips, I wanna hear what is your favorite thing about skiing?

Jessica: 2:44

My favorite thing about skiing with my family is that it is just uninterrupted focused time with our kids. Nobody can have their phone out when you're skiing. You've got your gloves and your mittens on, and we just have so much fun that we're not distracted from all the other things going on. We don't have things pulling for our attention. We can just be there together and really enjoying each other's time. And we have more fun when we go really fast and do silly things together. So our family just has a blast out there on the mountains. So I love skiing with my kids.

Melissa: 3:17

That's great. Now I know you could talk for weeks on end about how to get started skiing with kids. And quick plug. I know you have an exciting project on the horizon. Do you wanna give us a little taste of that?

Jessica: 3:29

Oh, for sure. I am about to launch my first course all about how to teach your own kids to ski because one of the things that has been so hard for me as an instructor is seeing how inaccessible some of skiing has become lately, and so it's just a way to help parents learn how to teach their own kids to ski without spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on lessons. So just helping more families get out there is really my big goal.

Melissa: 3:53

That's great. So let's talk today about how to plan a family ski trip. Of course, you guys have Park City and a dozen other resorts right in your backyard, and that's amazing. Uh, most of us have to travel for world class snow. With that in mind, I wanted to tackle the idea of ski trips for first time skiers or snowboarders, people who don't really have a lot of experience on the slopes- that's kind of our family. We're just getting started with skiing. We don't live in an area that has great skiing. We have a little bit of very, very mediocre skiing nearby. So what kinda high level advice can you give to families like mine who are getting started?

Jessica: 4:31

Honestly having a mediocre ski Hill near you is probably the perfect place to learn to ski. So many people think that they need to plan this really big, expensive first ski trip, but that's really not an ideal place to learn to ski. I always recommend that people take their kids for their first experiences to small local mountains. Not only are you going to have less crowds, it's going to be significantly less money most of the time, and you're going to have more personalized instruction if you do sign up for ski school. It usually just lends itself to a better beginner experience. So if you're planning that first time ski trip, I think it really helps to just find somewhere that's within your budget, typically within driving range, if that's even an option for you, and just keeping it simple because if you show up at Vail Resorts for your first day of skiing, everyone is gonna be so overwhelmed that it's going to make it so much harder to have a really positive experience.

Melissa: 5:27

That's so important to keep in mind. Now, let's say you live someplace like Florida where you don't even have those smaller hills nearby. Can you give people a couple ideas, just a handful of places that you'd recommend for those more intimate first time experiences. I know you've got one in southern Utah that you really love, but any others?

Jessica: 5:45

The one in Southern Utah that we really love is Brian Head, but honestly, I think that when you're choosing where to go for that first family ski trip cost is a major factor. Because truthfully, the more you can save on that first ski trip, the more likely it's going to be that there's a second ski trip. If you're having to spend$15,000 on that first ski trip, it's not likely that you're gonna go later in the season or probably even the next season. So keep cost as a factor. I would choose somewhere that kids can ski affordably or kids can ski free, and I would look into areas that have lesson packages that are really affordable. Here in Utah a great option for kids is the Ski Utah passport and Colorado has similar things too. The Utah one is one of the most accessible for kids who live out of state It's$69 to sign up for the passport, and then kids get three passes to every resort in the state. So, you know, if your kids can get that, or some other options like that, it really makes skiing a lot more affordable. Or some resorts have learn to ski packages where if you're a first timer they will have different options where it's more affordable and you can even work up to maybe even earning a season pass and things like that. So I would look first of all into where you can fly to affordably if you're somewhere that you're not within driving distance. And then from there I would just kind of cast a net to see what's gonna be affordable and a good option that's not gonna be too big and overwhelming for your family.

Melissa: 7:12

That's great and shout out for my fellow, east Coast or Eastern Midwest families. You should definitely take a look at the passes that are available for Pennsylvania and West Virginia because they're similar to what Utah has available for those kind of fourth and fifth graders, where super affordable you can get in to a bunch of the local resorts over the course of the season and really get started and have a great first time out on the slopes.

Jessica: 7:36

Yeah. Another one that's a really great option is the Power Pass. And that's a collection of resorts and they give all kids 12 and under a free season pass. So here in Utah, that includes Brian Head, it includes Nordic Valley in Colorado. It's got Purgatory. I believe that Snowbowl is part of it. But there's a handful of resorts all over the country and they are more affordable resorts to begin with, but having the that kids ski free option for 12 and under is fantastic.

Melissa: 8:02

Those are some great tips for those of us who are just getting started on the ski journey. But I know we have a lot of listeners who probably have done some skiing before, maybe even gone on one or two ski trips. But they're really getting going with their big family ski trips, after doing mostly day trips and local skiing. So do you have any tips for them once they're ready to tackle bigger mountains?

Jessica: 8:23

Go into it with a plan. We're outside of Park City right here. Park City is the largest resort in the United States, and when you do take that step up from a smaller hill to a bigger hill, it can be really overwhelming. So before you even start planning your trip, think, okay, what is my goal for this trip? Is my goal to just have fun? Is my goal for our family to experience some new terrain? Do my kids maybe wanna learn some terrain park features? Do we want to increase our skills? Start with that is your foundation. And then decide on the location that you want to ski. I mean, just coming to Utah, if my kids wanted to ski terrain park stuff, I would choose a totally different resort than if they wanted to work on some of their technique. So pick that first and then plan your ski days around what your goal is as a family. Just kind of thinking higher level stuff on that, so, hey, how does this work into our kids' ages and their skills. I know there are a lot of smaller East Coast and Midwestern ski resorts and out here in Utah especially, and growing up in Colorado, we would see a lot of visitors who would come out west to ski for those bigger ski trips and be really overwhelmed by the terrain. Keep in mind what terrain you're looking for as well. Most resorts will have something where they'll share the percentage of different terrain. You don't wanna get your kids too overwhelmed, like if you are an intermediate Midwest skier, taking your kids to snowbird to ski harder terrain is not going to be a good fit. It's gonna result in some big frustration there.

Melissa: 10:00

Is there a website you can recommend where families can take a look at that stuff in advance?

Jessica: 10:06

I every resort has their own data. And I don't know an exact source right there off the top of my head.

Melissa: 10:12

you ever looked at onthesnow.com?

Jessica: 10:14

Have that one does have some stuff. There was another one that used to be more reliable. but they since shut down

Melissa: 10:20

Well that's a really good high level overview of those first considerations. Can we get into some logistics now?

Jessica: 10:26

for sure.

Melissa: 10:27

Like when start planning their ski trip?

Jessica: 10:30

Oh, wow. Okay. So I definitely have some thoughts and opinions on this. If budget is a factor, and I really think it should be for everyone because skiing can get incredibly expensive really, really quickly. If that is a factor, you should start thinking about it just at a high level, about a year in advance, or a minimum. Like right now, I would say, okay, maybe I have a couple of months, but you need to be thinking about that by the beginning of March. The reason for that is if you are considering going somewhere that has, epic or Icon passes, those passes typically start going on sale in March and they have their best deals then. So if you're looking at maybe going to an area where you want to ski multiple resorts, or you live in a place where it makes a lot of sense to get to an epic resort or an Icon Pass resort, you are going to get significantly better deals in the spring than you are in the fall. So keep that in mind because that is a great way to save a lot of money. These bigger pass products have so many options because there's so many resorts under them, and that's probably one of the best ways. A lot of people take a ski trip and they think, oh, I'm just gonna go for the week. I don't need a season pass. But what they don't realize is, you know, for example here in Park City, that over the holidays it's gonna cost you$350 a day to ski here, but you could have bought your season pass for$700.

Melissa: 11:59

That's crazy. Yeah, I know last year our family purchased Epic passes, even though it was only our first season skiing and we had two, three days of skiing. And then my son had some more because he had ski club through his school, but the savings were enormous. I think some people might see Epic Pass and think that it's just this huge unlimited season pass product. But at least for Epic, they do offer these, day pass options. So for instance, I was able to purchase three days at a bunch of East Coast and Midwestern resorts- off peak days only, that was fine. And I think it was 150 bucks for three days.

Jessica: 12:34

Yeah, when you're smart and plan ahead like that, you can save ridiculous amounts of money, which makes skiing so much more accessible and makes it easier to get your family out there. You don't have to plan all the details of it, but at least be thinking about where you wanna ski and if it makes sense to buy into one of these bigger passes.

Melissa: 12:50

Whether or not you're gonna be skiing on holidays, because some of them do have different prices, if you wanna include those peak days.

Jessica: 12:57

Yeah. And, just a, a plug for this. Most people are going to go skiing on holidays. gonna go over the Christmas holidays or they're going to go over like President's Day weekend. If you have any flexibility in your life, do Do not go skiing then

Melissa: 13:12

Right.

Jessica: 13:13

It is hands down the worst time to ski, especially with kids. The crowds alone make it first of all, incredibly dangerous. And second of all, really unpleasant because no kid likes standing in line for the lift for an hour, and no parent likes having to hover behind their kid the entire time because they're scared that people gonna run'em over. If you are skiing with your kids, don't ski at that time if you have any other option.

Melissa: 13:38

Yeah, that's a great point. One little secret that I found last year when I started digging into the calendar for the restricted dates is that at least on Epic, the Monday of Martin Luther King weekend in January is not restricted. The Saturday of that so I was able to take my kids on that Monday to one of our local ski spots, and that was included in their passes last year.

Jessica: 14:01

Well, you just let out my secret right there, that, that's been our local secret here is that nobody's skiing on Monday'cause they're all flying home and we can ski unrestricted on those days. But you are completely right on that one.

Melissa: 14:12

Yeah. President's Day weekend, forget about it. That's too busy and I think now a lot of school districts will give a four or five day weekend, so everybody's out skiing.

Jessica: 14:23

Yeah and one thing that parents don't consider outside of the crowds is if you are signing your kids up for ski school, their experience will be so much better if you can go during the week or when it's less crowded. If you had the option of taking a lesson when your kid was in a class with three or four kids as opposed to 10, I promise they're going to learn significantly more and they're going to have more fun.

Melissa: 14:42

Absolutely. Okay, so you gave us some great tips before about choosing the right resort for first timers versus more experienced skiers. Do you have any particular favorites in terms of family friendly ski resorts or ones that you might avoid?

Jessica: 14:58

I have so many ski resorts that I absolutely love. And I feel like every time I go to a new small ski resort, I find so many things to love about it. It's just always such a good experience. Truthfully, I would skip the really big expensive resorts. People think that because a resort is more popular or more well known, that it's better. And I find that that's almost always the opposite. So I would skip those really, really big Colorado and Utah resorts, cause they're just not worth it. And some of those big ones, you know, out in the Tahoe area. They just attract so many crowds that the guest experience is really sacrificed because there's too many people there. And so I would say, Hey, where's this big ski resort? And then I would look within an hour of there and find the small ski resorts nearby,

Melissa: 15:45

Oh.

Jessica: 15:46

because they're gonna have really fantastic terrain. They're gonna have the snow that's almost the same, and you're going to have a much better experience for families. And I think that a lot of people, as their kids get to be better and better skiers, they think that they have to ski at these bigger resorts. But you really don't. An example is like here in Utah we have, you know, right outside my back door, Park City and Deer Valley. But if you were to say, Hey, I'm willing to drive a little bit more, you could be skiing at Powder Mountain, which has terrain that's better, snow that's better, and they limit the crowds there. So just be really open to some of those things that maybe you haven't heard it before, because they do offer some really fantastic ski options for families.

Melissa: 16:27

I love that, and they're probably a lot cheaper than the huge resorts, right?

Jessica: 16:31

so much cheaper. I mean, we're talking lift tickets, probably half the cost

Melissa: 16:36

All right, well, my kids are really eager to get out west and try some bigger hills. So I'm definitely gonna have to hit you up for your list of the secret spots next year.

Jessica: 16:45

Yeah.

Melissa: 16:46

On that topic, what do you think about flying versus driving, you know, when is it worth it for families to fly to ski versus driving? And what are the other factors that you should keep in mind if you're making that decision?

Jessica: 16:58

If you can drive, do it 100% of the time, unless maybe you live in Texas or Florida and you're trying to get to a ski resort from there. But the logistics of flying to a ski trip are hard, especially if you have your own gear and you're flying with your gear. You're gonna need your special ski bags, making sure that your helmets are protected. Typically you would fly with your boots and your carry on because you definitely don't wanna lose your ski boots. That will totally ruin your ski trip. The logistics are so hard, and then when you get there, you need to either somehow find a rental car that has a ski rack- those are so hard to find- or you have to rent a bigger car because you wanna put all your skis in your car, plus all of the gear, the logistics are so, so, so hard. Our family skis all the time and my husband and I have taken several trips where we've flown to ski, but we've lived in Utah and Colorado for most of our kids' lives, so we typically drive. Last year we took them on a ski trip to Canada and it is just so much work to pack your skis and all of that gear. If you have the option, I always recommend driving first. It just simplifies everything.'cause there are so many other moving pieces with skiing that the more you can simplify it, the easier your trip is gonna be and the more fun it is for everybody.

Melissa: 18:11

My kids are gonna be disappointed to hear that because they're really eager. But it's great advice it totally makes sense.

Jessica: 18:18

And like for you living where you do, maybe it makes more sense to say, Hey, let's try a bigger east coast resort.

Melissa: 18:24

For sure.

Jessica: 18:25

As kind of a stepping stone. And then you save that bigger trip for a one-off thing. But regular skiing can just be really, really difficult for parents. It's like taking a vacation with 20 times the amount of luggage that you normally plan on.

Melissa: 18:39

Well, I'll tell you that a week from when this episode airs we are actually gonna be driving East Pennsylvania for a little ski weekend with our friends. We did that last year, as I mentioned before. And yeah, it's a huge step up from the hills that we have here in Ohio, but definitely a much easier logistical load than if we were flying somewhere. Just load it all in the back of the minivan and go.

Jessica: 19:02

I think as parents, that is one of the secrets to making skiing or any trip that we're taking worth it because there is a lot of mental and physical load associated with taking trips with our kids. And the easier we can make it on ourselves, the more enjoyable it is for everybody.

Melissa: 19:18

Absolutely. I'm all for making things easier for us, especially as moms.

Jessica: 19:21

Yes.

Melissa: 19:22

so what's the biggest mistake that you see families make when they're planning their first ski trip?

Jessica: 19:27

I think that the biggest mistake that parents make when they're taking a ski trip with their kids is that they try to save money on not putting their kids in ski lessons, because ski lessons are so expensive. I mean, out here you're gonna pay three to$400 a day for your kids ski lessons. It is wild. And they don't have a plan for how to teach their kids to ski, and they think that they're just gonna wing it and it's gonna be okay. And the truth is that even though you might be a good skier, if you don't have a plan for how to teach your kids to ski and you don't know the progression and the steps, which are something that everybody can learn. But if you don't have a plan for that, it almost always ends in tears and disaster.

Melissa: 20:06

Okay, so on ski school versus teaching your kids to ski on your own, you vote ski school generally? When does it make sense to do it one way or the other? Also, is there a different answer for snowboarding?

Jessica: 20:17

So actually I think the answer is the same for skiing and for snowboarding, But the basics of skiing and the basics of snowboarding are not difficult to teach. If you don't know the steps to take and you're just winging it, you're typically going to have a lot of frustration. If you don't know some tips on how to help the kids and some strategies, it can be really, really frustrating. That's actually why I'm teaching this course for people is because it's something that almost every parent can teach their kids. If they're an intermediate skier, you can teach your kids to ski. You just need to know the steps of how to do it. If you don't know the steps, your kids are gonna have some missing pieces and they're gonna be really frustrated. What I recommend to parents is that you teach your kids as much as you can until they hit a ceiling. And sometimes that ceiling is with a skill that you can't communicate well to them or that they're struggling to pick up. And sometimes that ceiling is with communication. There are certain times where kids listen really well to their parents and they pick up skills really well from mom and dad. And there are other times where they just don't wanna hear what you have to say. And that's the time to sign your kids up for ski school. I'm a ski instructor. My husband worked as a ski instructor. We have taught our own kids to ski and we set aside money every year to put the kids in ski school when they hit that wall. We have all the experience, but sometimes they just can't hear it from mom and dad or they need to have somebody say it a different way that we're not getting it across to'em and so we'll put our own kids in ski school even though we have all of the experience, because sometimes kids just need a different approach. But I do think that putting in a few hours of time to get some strategies under your belt can actually make it a much better experience because sending your kid into a ski school where they're with all these kids that they don't know, they're with an instructor they don't know, the gear, the environment is so different... having that constant of, Hey, I'm here with my mom and dad, I feel safe, I feel comfortable, can actually help kids to learn a lot faster.

Melissa: 22:11

I can't wait to check out the course. And also, I'm definitely gonna share this segment with my own kids because they insist that now that they know how to get down a mountain safely without falling all the time and breaking something that they don't need to go to ski school, they don't need to take any more lessons. And I keep telling them, no guys, you gotta level up here and rely on professional expertise to do it. Don't just wing it.

Jessica: 22:32

It makes a huge difference. We do a little mini ski school with all of our own kids at the beginning of every season, and also at the beginning of every day. We practice skills at the beginning of every day because the more you learn, the more fun you have out there on the mountain, and the more things you can go ski and ski safely. Safer for yourself and for other skiers on the mountain if you know what you're doing.

Melissa: 22:53

Absolutely. One of the best things I did when I was learning to snowboard in my twenties was I signed myself up for a two day snowboarding program out in California, and it included four lessons, the rentals, lift, ticket, everything. And the price for A package like that is pretty reasonable if you're not going to a mega resort. But by the end of two full days of lessons and lifts, I felt like I had a solid handle on things.

Jessica: 23:17

I think that you're hitting on something really great there. If you are signing your kids up for lessons, getting them into a multi-day program, is so good because otherwise, they're gonna be starting with a new instructor every time. And they typically spend the whole first morning for the instructor to kind of evaluate and figure out where the kids are and where they need to get to. But if you can have a multi-day program where you're going to have the same group, the same instructor for more than one day in a row, the learning goes up exponentially.

Melissa: 23:47

Now, do you recommend typically full day or half day programs for younger kids?

Jessica: 23:52

I think that full day programs typically get more benefit for kids. Younger kids often don't have an option. Most ski schools will only have younger kids in half day programs. We're talking like your three and four year olds are only gonna be in half day programs. They typically try and market full day lessons for kids who are between the ages of five and 12. If you do have an option, I think it's really great to take a morning lesson and then go ski with mom and dad in the afternoon because a lot of what they're doing in ski school is just that reputation and solidifying the skills. and I can share some things with you that you can link to later that are questions that parents can ask their kids ski instructors, so that they can maximize what they're taking away. Because if you're asking your kids ski instructor the right questions, at the end of the day, you are going to be armed with so many great tools to be able to help your kids in that next step.

Melissa: 24:45

That's awesome. And down in the show notes, we'll link to everything. You can go to thefamilyvoyage.com/learntoski, and I'll link out to all of Jess's amazing resources for anybody out there who wants to figure out how to teach your own kids how to ski. Now I know that in your family you've got your youngest who's eight, who is a better skier than probably 90% of adults out there. And then you and your husband, I've seen some of the tricks that you guys can do and also your teenagers are amazing skiers. So how do you handle the difference between an 8-year-old and an 18-year-old or you guys as adults? How do you handle those different ability levels when everybody wants to be doing different stuff and has different skills?

Jessica: 25:24

The number one key when you're skiing with multiple kids or multiple people, like maybe if you're going on, a multi-generation ski trip is communication. Our kids know, first of all what our family rules are in regards to skiing. We are very clear on that, and if anyone breaks a rule, they sit out a run. It's not optional. If our 18-year-old breaks a rule, yes, he sits out a run. When we communicate well with each other and we know what to expect from everybody, everything goes smoother. When our kids were learning to ski, we would often tag team things. My husband would take some of the older, faster kids and I would take some of the younger kids, but once our younger kids were all able to, get out there on some of the blue trails, we just set really clear expectations for our older kids. We would say, this is the spot you guys can ski and you can ski how you wanna ski until you get to the spot. And everybody stops at this point right here and we always meet up. Or if you guys wanna take your own run, that's fine. We're meeting at the bottom of this lift. so having that communication can be really helpful and make the day so much less stressful for parents. If you have kids that you feel like you're fine sending'em off on their own, I do always recommend that parents have a way to get in touch with their kids. Depending on the mountain that you're gonna be on, cell phones sometimes work great and sometimes they don't. In our mountains here, it can be really spotty depending on the resort that you're at. So if our kids don't have cell service where they're gonna be we always have walkie talkies with us so that if they were to run into an issue, and really we're doing this for our older teenagers too, this isn't just for like a 10-year-old. We are making sure that there's always a way for them to communicate with us, because if there's an emergency or there's a problem, we need to be able to help them and get them anything that they need right away.

Melissa: 27:10

And is there a preferred brand of walkie talkies that you guys love for skiing that we can link to down in the show notes?

Jessica: 27:16

Oh, Rocky talkies are the absolute best. They are expensive, I'm not gonna lie, but they are the best investment. We've been skiing with them for four years and my kids abuse those things and they just keep going and going. You can clip'em on the outside of your ski jacket, so you don't have to reach in your pocket to get'em out. They are incredibly cold, tolerant. We've never had any of them die, because of the cold, which is really rare for phones and other walkie talkies. They have a great range. They're waterproof. They are just super rugged and really amazing.

Melissa: 27:50

Perfect holiday gift for the skier in your family

Jessica: 27:53

They are really wonderful.

Melissa: 27:55

Awesome. So speaking of gear, can we talk about daily rentals, season rentals, buying gear? Let's talk about what kind of gear you should be using and how travel might impact that decision.

Jessica: 28:07

if you're just starting out skiing, just go and rent the skis. Make sure that you actually like it before you're gonna invest. Daily rentals, you're gonna pay by the day and it's gonna be just fine. I find that rental equipment is pretty low to mid range in terms of what you're gonna get for most rentals, unless you're paying a very premium price. Season rentals are a fantastic option, especially for kids who are growing. If you don't want to have to store that gear and you don't wanna have to take care of it all year long, most season rental programs, you'll pick it up at the beginning of the season and you'll return it at the end. So it's like you own it, but at a significantly reduced price. Most season rentals are between a hundred and$150 per season. And a benefit of that is, especially if you have a kid who is going through a growth spurt, if your kid needs a different size during the season, they will typically let you go in and switch out the gear that your kid has for a different size so that they have gear that fits them right throughout the whole year, and then you don't have to store it in the summer. If you are thinking that you're going to get into this longer term buying gear is fantastic. Having boots that fit you really well is one of the best things that you can do to love skiing, because ski boots are notoriously uncomfortable. So finding a pair of rental boots that fits you is

Melissa: 29:22

never gonna happen.

Jessica: 29:23

almost impossible. Yeah, it's so hard. So getting a good pair of boots is probably the best thing that you can do Never, ever, ever, ever in the history of ever buy a used helmet because you cannot detect if a helmet has been in a crash. And there have been multiple times where having a helmet has saved our family from some severe injuries, and you don't want the integrity of your helmet to be compromised in any way. So always buy a new helmet. I don't recommend getting rental helmets at all, even though the shops will rent them to you. Buy your own helmet and take it with you. If you are traveling, like I said, it's really hard logistically to travel with all of your ski gear. So what I recommend families do if they don't wanna travel with everything is to travel with your own boots and your own helmet and goggles and rent your skis and your poles while you're there. That can just make things so much easier and you have the comfort of your own boots. It is important to note that most rental shops will not rent you skis with your own boots unless your boots are relatively new. So if you show up at the rental shop with a pair of 10-year-old boots, they're gonna say, I'm sorry, we're not gonna rent you these because, typically the soles are a little bit more worn and it's a liability for them to rent you skis that are gonna clip into worn boots because they won't release quite as well. Just keep that in mind when you're doing that so you don't get to the rental shop at your destination and be caught by surprise.

Melissa: 30:48

Good tip. As you know, I actually just got my own boots and so I gotta head up to the shop later this week to pick up those boots, get'em molded to my feet. Really excited about that and I'm hoping that it's gonna upgrade my ski experience. And I also wanted to share for our listeners out there, Jess knows that I am obsessed with the store sierra- used to be called Sierra Trading Post. We actually have one just 15 minutes away from us and I was able to get brand new smith helmets with the MIPS technology for myself and my kids. And they were half price, maybe less. Everything brand new, super comfortable. So if you have Sierra or another similar outdoor focused discounter near you, go check it out and see if you can get your ski helmets there. I haven't found great deals on goggles because they're really expensive for name brand goggles. But definitely for helmets, that's a great option.

Jessica: 31:39

socks, base layers, all those sort of things are such great things to buy there. yeah, looking into discount options.

Melissa: 31:44

Jess is mentioning socks because last night I literally messaged her and said, oh my gosh, I just found two pairs of icebreaker ski socks at Sierra. Which is great because I had lost the other three pairs that we had floating around the house. Although, I don't know, what do you think about getting boots and skis? I saw some boots at Sierra yesterday and I was like, I dunno, I think it's better get'em from a ski shop. Right?

Jessica: 32:07

I think it just depends on what they are. If you've done your research on what they are, you're not gonna typically know unless you're buying it online. If you showed up at a Sierra retail location, you're not going to usually know what they are. So you would need to do your research before you buy'em.

Melissa: 32:21

Good tip.

Jessica: 32:22

But I think that's the same with everything.

Melissa: 32:24

Absolutely. Okay, so in terms of packing for a ski trip, what are things that families should pack that they might not be thinking about? My favorite thing that we packed for our ski trip with our friends last year was an entire case of hand warmers that I bought at Costco. They're the same ones that they sell at the counter of every ski shop and every ski resort for like two bucks a piece. And the price was way better to buy an entire case of them at Costco, I just left them in my trunk. We were eight people on this trip last year and at the beginning of every day, we would each just grab whatever we needed from the box and we were all set and it was so much more budget friendly.

Jessica: 33:00

Typically we're gonna remember the things like our snow pants and our goggles and our helmets, but little things that make a really big difference, yeah. Things like hand warmers, sunscreen. So, so, so important because you can get fried out there. It doesn't matter that it's cold. You are going to get a serious sunburn. We typically just have the little sunscreen sticks,'cause sometimes the liquid sunscreen in the bottles is going to. Freeze up. So the sticks, the sticks are really great to just quickly apply to your face. Chapstick is another thing that can make your day so much more comfortable. Or if you tend to get really chap skin, something like dermatome is great because it's gonna prevent that chapping like on your chin or just other parts of your face if it's gonna be really windy. If you're skiing with little kids that are just learning to ski buy an edgy wedgie. Because the moment that you realize that you're gonna need it is probably a moment where you just want it right then. They cost$10. Just put it in your pocket. It's a great investment if you have a little kid who is learning to ski. Typically for kids, five and under, those are just a lifesaver.

Melissa: 34:03

Not everybody's gonna know what an edgy wedgie is.

Jessica: 34:05

It's a bungee that, clamps on the tips of both of your skis and makes it so little kids can form a wedge shape to stop in their skis effortlessly.

Melissa: 34:14

Genius.

Jessica: 34:15

It is wonderful.

Melissa: 34:16

About a ski harness?

Jessica: 34:18

I recommend that all kids who cannot get on the ski lift independently wear a harness because it is hard to get kids on and off a chairlift. And if they can't get on on their own, having that harness with the handle on the back is a lifesaver for helping to get them on and off the lift. And if they need some help getting around the resort like they need a little boost or sometimes maybe they're gonna have a hard time getting up, it will save your back as a parent to not have to bend all the way down and to just be able to grab the harness on their back. Most parents use the leashes incorrectly. Just use'em for the harness and for the handle on the back. The other thing that will save your ski day: parents, you need treats in your pockets. It is non-negotiable. You need to have treats and you need to pass them out generously to your children. My husband and I carry treats in our pockets, and actually all of our kids carry treats in their pockets and every single lift ride. Even my older teenagers, okay, last season, my 17-year-old, we'd get on the lift. He's like, where's my treat? We've been doing it since he was a year old. It makes everyone happy. It dissolves frustration. It gives kids a little bit of motivation to just keep going. Take little treats like we're talking m and ms, Skittles, gummy bears. Our favorite are tic-tacs because you can just pop the top and sprinkle two into their hand and all it takes is two or three of'em, and it works wonders. If you have little kids marshmallows. You can pass'em out to them after they go out on the magic carpet, and then you can put'em in their hot chocolate in the lodge.

Melissa: 35:40

Okay, treats. I'm gonna add that to my list. And what about any strategies for dealing with cold kids who are melting down, somebody's having a bad time. How do you reset from that in addition to treats?

Jessica: 35:52

the first thing you need to do is invest in good gear. Parents typically neglect how cold it's going to be. They don't realize that kids get cold faster than adults. Do your research and invest in good gear, especially good mittens. I think that most kids should be wearing mittens. Mittens actually do keep your hands warmer because there's less surface area for the heat to escape. They will keep your kids' hands warmer. Invest in mittens that are really waterproof, really warm, and have a longer cuff so that they can go over the outside of your kids' coat so that snow isn't getting in. If it has to go under their cuff, they're never gonna get'em on right and there's always gonna be a gap, and snow's always gonna get in. So that's the first thing you can do.

Melissa: 36:30

What's your favorite brand of ski mittens for kids?

Jessica: 36:32

My favorite brand is Chopper Mill. they are made by a hockey mom in Minnesota, and they are fantastic. My kids all wear them. They are really great quality. They're super warm and they're really waterproof. Reima also has some good options as well, and they're a little bit more affordable. They're not quite as durable, but they do keep kids' hands really warm. So for mittens chopper Mill is the way to go. If you have really little kids go with Stonz, S-T-O-N-Z, they're a Canadian brand and they work really well too. But once your kid is getting cold, this is not the time to give them a pep talk. You're not gonna say, Hey, no, just one more run. I know that you can't feel your hands and you're crying. Just one more run. That's when you go in the lodge. In fact, you need to be checking in with your kids more regularly because you don't want your kids to get to that point, okay. Once your kid is getting to the point where they're crying, you're dealing with so much more than if you had just been checking in with them throughout the day and making sure that your kids know, Hey, when you're getting really cold or when you're getting tired, let me know so that we can go into the lodge so we can take a break. Because one of the best strategies you can have as a parent is to be aware of the situation so that you can end your ski day while everyone's still happy. And sometimes that means that you're ending your ski day after being there for two hours because you're noticing like, wait a minute, my kid is starting to have some signs that they're getting really tired, they're getting frustrated. So let's do something to change the mood really quick and then we need to call it quits. With older kids, maybe you're gonna ski for the whole day and you are literally gonna have to drag them off the mountain because they're having so much fun. But your goal is to keep skiing fun and to make sure that your kids want to go back. So many parents rush their kids you know, it's natural as a parent, we want our kids to like the things that we enjoy. So if you enjoy skiing, it's natural for you as a parent to say, Hey, I really like skiing this hard run. I wanna hurry and get you to this level so that you can ski there. And they think, okay, in a couple of days, I'm gonna be able to get my kid on this run. When really your kid might need a couple of years of learning before they're ready to get there. So take it really slow because skiing with kids is a marathon. It's not a sprint.

Melissa: 38:38

That's great. And sometimes a half day's better than a full day, right?

Jessica: 38:43

Oh, for sure. I mean, a hard half day is typically gonna be more fun than a mid-level, full day. My kids almost always would pick to ski for four or five hours and just be done. Yep. get lots of hot chocolate. I always tell parents who are starting out that when you're teaching little kids to ski, skiing is half hot chocolate and half skiing.

Melissa: 39:08

Speaking of food, any thoughts on lodge food versus packing snacks or full lunch in your backpack when you're out there on the slopes?

Jessica: 39:15

I mean, if you wanna spend$25 a person on lunch, go for that lodge food.'cause that's about what it's gonna cost you. what we typically do, and it depends on the resort that we're skiing at, if there's an option where you can easily get back to your car from the terrain that you're gonna be skiing, go back to your car. Don't worry about carrying things around. Having a thermos full of something warm, a food jar, maybe full of chili or some warm mac and cheese, man that is gonna hit the spot. And your kids are gonna love it. And you're gonna love that you didn't just spend$150 on your family's lunch. It is wild. Um, the other option is just putting stuff in pockets. That's what we typically do because. where we ski, we don't have easy access back to the car from where we're wanting to go. And so think of things that are not going to be squishable. You could carry a backpack maybe if you have younger kids or your kids don't have an option. But we've found that finding things that aren't gonna smash or aren't gonna be compromised if they're smashed. Just stuffing those in the kids' pocket works really well. Our kids love things like cliff bars, fruit leather, string cheese works great. So think of things that are a little bit more nutrition and energy packed snack sort of foods that you can put in their pocket. You may be throwing some meat sticks or something like that so that they can get a good meal. Typically we'll eat those inside the lodge. Most resorts are a little bit more lenient on some of their lodge food policies, where in the past you used to have to buy lodge food in order to use the lodge. So a lot of times we'll just get everyone, everyone will have their snacks and we'll buy an order of fries to split.

Melissa: 40:46

Yep, last time we packed sandwiches for everybody and then got a big order of fries and enjoyed the

Jessica: 40:51

Yep.

Melissa: 40:52

coziness of the lodge. All right. Well that brings me to the end of the of this conversation. but I did wanna you a couple of lightning round questions. So just super quick, whatever the first thing is that comes to your mind for each one. Alright. first absolute favorite place to ski ever kids or not.

Jessica: 41:08

Snowbird. That's where I met my husband too.

Melissa: 41:10

Well, there you go, perfect. Alright. One piece of ski gear you can never have enough of in your house.

Jessica: 41:15

I don't know. We have so much ski gear. Okay. The one thing I could never have enough of in my house is my beaver fur hand warmers from Aurora heat. They're reusable, so sustainable. They last for like a decade and they keep my hands so warm and toasty and I never have to have the little chemical warmers.

Melissa: 41:33

I,

Jessica: 41:35

Yeah.

Melissa: 41:36

but I get that you don't wanna share them. Okay, best day you had on the slopes.

Jessica: 41:41

It was like two days before I met my husband, probably the most epic powder day of my entire life where we had powder up to our chest and I probably didn't stop grinning about that for a month. And

Melissa: 41:50

was that at Snowbird also?

Jessica: 41:52

It was the Alta, right next door.

Melissa: 41:55

things up, if you had to pick one non ski vacation to go on, where would you go?

Jessica: 41:59

Oh, Scuba diving, we would probably go back to Cozumel or to the Maldives, love the diving Or probably anything on a mountain bike.

Melissa: 42:07

Your other great love. it goes God, family, skiing, mountain biking

Jessica: 42:10

Yes, I have a few true loves. Yeah. Sometimes the skiing is above the family, depending on the day. Who knows? Yes.

Melissa: 42:20

Awesome. Good job on those lightning round questions. So where can our listeners find you, your guides, your course, if they wanna know more and wanna dive in on skiing with their kids?

Jessica: 42:30

I have tons and tons of information on my website, skiingkids.com or you can find me on Instagram at the adventure Travel Fam, and I'm sharing tons and tons of ski tips over there all winter long. And that will be a great place where you can find my course and links to our guides as well that will help you plan your ski trip and help you get some tips on skiing with little kids.

Melissa: 42:55

takeaway that you want listeners to bring with them, what is it?

Jessica: 42:58

Skiing is fun. Don't ever forget that.

Melissa: 43:00

Love that. fun. Uh, I know it's definitely getting me in the mood for upcoming ski trip, and I hope that some of our listeners are able to make the most of their first trip with kids or their 10th trip with kids, to go and hit slopes and have a great time.

Jessica: 43:17

Well, thanks for having me. This was great.

Melissa: 43:19

All right, we'll see you soon! Thanks so much for listening to Family Travel unpacked. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow and leave a five star review down below. definitely head over to thefamilyvoyage.com where you'll find tons of detailed destination guides, travel tips, and resources to help you plan. Until next time, happy travels.