Category — Winter

It’s cold enough that outdoor skating is available! I got an email today saying that there’s skating at Indian Meadows:

The Town of Glenville skating rinks at Indian Meadows Park, 155 Droms Rd., are now open. Hours are sunrise to sunset, and when rink conditions allow, evening skating under the lights until 9PM. The rinks will be open until further notice as weather permits. There is no charge for public skating. One rink is reserved for recreational skating only; the other rink for pick-up hockey. Updates on rink conditions are on the town’s website at www.townofglenville.org

A friend also called saying that people can skate at Central Park in Schenectady, and I had the vague notion that we’d join them after school until I realized that J is now doing gymnastics on Friday afternoons. Which is not super-convenient because Friday is the best day for play dates, but J loves it, so . .  . fine.

Today at 3:55 pm I was urging J out the door, and she was all ready to hop outside in a leotard and boots. Which reminded me of Monday, when she was ice skating while scantily clad at the Union College rink. In fact, I took a picture of her skating along with two friends (one’s right behind the other), and at the time I’d felt like a Bad Mommy because her little friends were decked out in snow pants, coats, mittens, and helmets. . . and then here was my kid looking quite unencumbered & unprotected. I have a particular fear of kids falling and getting their hands skated over (this happened to my little brother, and a neighborhood friend got her hand sliced by a sled runner). So I always make sure that we pack mittens, at least, but inevitably my children do a gradual striptease as they skate. Seriously, I’m fortunate that she’s at least got long-ish sleeves.

Here’s the picture. It showed current faces, which I don’t usually show, so I blurred them out. But then that looked creepy and horror movie-ish, so I added smileys.

Still weird, but not scary-and-upsetting weird. Right? I hope that’s not scary and upsetting for anyone (like, I don’t know, our friend’s mommy?).

Anyway, today I insisted on some pants for J before she headed out to gymnastics. There have definitely been times when I’ve told the girls that if they’re not going to wear their coats, they have to carry them so that the general public knows that I have provided for them. Although, truthfully, this morning I was skittering through the snow in my Vibrams to make it to a yoga class at the JCC, so perhaps I’m a bad influence. Which, hello, speaking of scantily clad and yoga, did you see the Equinox yoga ad that’s got some people riled up? It’s supposedly controversial because it’s sexy, but I thought it was super-cool and it made me want to do yoga, like, immediately. Alas, had you seen me in today’s class, well, it wasn’t quite that inspiring. But the teacher did compliment me on my wheel.  As I was prone to saying after several beers in while in college, I used to be a gymnast.

Anywhere, Albany Kid made a huge and comprehensive list of ice skating rinks in the area a while ago.

And finally, I have to link to my favorite Etta James song, The Rock. Loved her, love her still.

Here’s a guest post from Rose. She didn’t get around to sending one before I went to Disney, but she sent this along when I whined earlier in the week. In fact, I was lazy and didn’t even add the links. Thanks for letting me slack off, Rose!

Most of the time, I concur with Katie’s “embrace winter” philosophy. After all, we live here. Year round. And if anybody should be able to handle the challenges of the northeast, it should be us. We are tough. One time I showed up during a snowstorm for story time and there wasn’t one. Because the schools were closed. What did I know? I have one toddler who is not in the school system. I’ve biked with my (well-bundled) toddler in 40 degree rain. I’ve heard that people in Alaska say that there is no such thing as weather that’s too cold. It’s simply a matter of dressing properly. My philosophy is that if I wait for perfect weather at this latitude I’ll go outside a couple of times a year. And that’s not cool. So to speak. But sometimes it’s too vicious outside for even me. And when cabin fever sets in, here are some options outside the house:

Colonie Center Mall. This one is probably obvious. Wide open(ish) warm spaces, a padded play area, and a food court (snacks!) But think about the other things you can do: run the kid around on the second level. Looking down a story is really neat, especially if you can keep them from climbing over the railing. Also, going up and down the escalators can be the toddler equivalent of an amusement park ride. When the play area is overcrowded (which happens a lot on nights, weekends, and really nasty days), we will often visit the train table in Barnes and Noble’s children’s section. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to watch a kid-friendly movie at the theater.

Wilton Mall in Saratoga. Depending on where you live, it might be a drive, but if you want to change it up, this mall features a soft-surface play area that’s double the size of the one at Colonie Center. That area is free. There is also a bouncy-bounce area that you have to pay for, but from my understanding it’s open year-round and can be a great way to burn off older-kid energy.

The Empire State Plaza. If you have a cooped up kid who just wants to stretch their legs, the Empire State Plaza is a great place, especially after regular business hours, when most of the people in suits are gone. Here’s what the place offers: a. Long, long corridors with the occasional bench and interesting store. b. The State Museum, where admission is a voluntary donation. They occasionally have kids programs, and they have a discovery area where little kids can just play. c. For older kids, you can always take a free tour of the capitol building. d. The carousel is open during certain hours, and did I mention?  More escalators!

The Children’s Museum at Saratoga. I haven’t been there yet. I’m saving it up for this winter. 5. Other museums. Check your local library. Many have free passes to local museums.

Libraries. Lots of local libraries have play areas with puppets, train tables, and puzzles. The East Greenbush Library has a room with a Lego table, a nice selection of wooden blocks, a couch for parents to sit on, and a whole parenting collection (including parenting magazines) to peruse. Full disclosure? I work there. And it’s awesome.  Libraries also offer lots of free programs for kids of all ages including storytimes and many sessions wrap up with playtime or a craft.

Paid places to play. This includes Tumbling Tykes in Colonie, Joyful Jumpers in Latham, The TreePaad in Malta, and places that offer gymnastics and swim lessons. I don’t go to these often, because it can really add up, but it’s nice to know they are there.

Inside the House

A really miserable day might mean you can’t leave the house at all. So here are some things to try:

Bring outdoor toys inside. We’ve hung a plastic bucket swing from the rafters in our basement, brought a small plastic slide into our dining room, and filled the kiddie pool with balls to make an indoor ball pit in our kitchen. Obviously this won’t work for all toys or all indoor spaces, but depending on what you’re working with, it could be worth a shot.

Play with your food. Depending on the age of your child, they might be able to help make a special recipe. You can also plop a toddler in the kiddie pool with measuring cups, spoons, and a bowl of dried rice or beans.

Bring out the special toys or activities. These can be toys you’ve hidden for a while (they suddenly become new), or messy projects like finger painting, home-made (or purchased) play-dough, or other usually off-limits arts supplies.

Indoor water fun. Pull out the bath and bath toys or pull up a stool and let the kiddo play in the kitchen sink. Of course, they would need to be supervised closely. But water will keep my little one fascinated for ages.

That’s what I have for now. I’d love to hear your ideas. With snow in October, this could be a long winter. Who’s ready to face it? We are!

As parents, we try to be encouraging. We look for the best, and we try to accentuate the positive. Through our loving eyes, we might see things differently from, well, reality, and it can take time before we even realize that we’ve been wearing rose-colored glasses. Too late, we understand that our indulgent attitude has been  encouraging misbehavior. We might ignore things that shouldn’t be ignored, or we might even laugh at something the first time without thinking that, with repetition, the appeal will be lost. Entirely.

Clearly I’m guilty of this practice. In attempting to appreciate that which nature has given me, I sometimes put a disingenuous spin on events. I ignored stuff, and the bad behavior continued. Give an inch, and next thing, a mile is required: you know how it is.

But real, loving discipline means limiting bad behavior and  setting clear expectations. Guidance is required. Things are getting completely out of hand. And so it’s time for a lecture.

Winter, I’ve had it up to here. This simply must stop. Oh, I know, I know. I embraced you. I do embrace you, but there’s a time and a place for everything. The time has passed.  You were cold, cold, cold, and I reveled in your unique qualities, with skiing and backyard rinks and skating in the park. But as time passed, it got old. The last time there was snow, I was frankly a little bit disappointed in you. But I can understand if you got mixed messages. I was putting a brave face on it, looking on the bright side, even saying that I enjoy clearing the driveway.

So let me be clear: I am sick of clearing the driveway. We’re all done with you. You may have thought that the whole snow day stunt would get the youth on your side, but M was disappointed. This day has to be made up, and she was excited for ropes, her favorite unit in gym. It’s just not any fun any more.

Now, I see that the temperature is much higher, and I hope that this is an indication that you realize that this recent snowstorm was inappropriate. Are we clear? Completely inappropriate. I do not want to see any more snow until December. Furthermore, I would like to see snowdrops within the next 2 to 3 weeks. Daffodils would be better, but I’m willing to be flexible on this point.

However, if there is any further accumulation of the white stuff, there are going to be some serious consequences.

Okay, hopefully the snow won’t be here too much longer, but I realized that I never passed along our ski getaway report, so here it is.

We spent two nights at Jiminy Peak in Hancock, Massachusetts, and it was such a good time that I’ve been telling everyone I know that they should go, and not just because it’s so close, an hour door-to-door from our house near Schenectady.

What we love even more are the deals for staying at the Country Inn. Downhill skiing is expensive, so when you can find something reasonable, it’s cause for celebration. Check out their website, and you’ll see that a full day of skiing (8 hours) costs $59 for an adult and $44 for kids 12 and under. That’s a painful $206 for my family of four to ski all day. Except that the going rate for a midweek stay at the Country Inn is generally $199/night and lodging  includes two adult lift tickets plus free skiing midweek for kids under 12. Yippee!

Kitchenette

Each suite has a separate bedroom and a living room with a pull-out sofa and a kitchenette. I kept discovering helpful details, like when I unearthed some much-needed dish washing soap from the pantry, or when I opened up the sofa bed to discover that it was already made with sheets and a blanket, so my kids could collapse immediately.  With a little preparation, we’d packed everything we needed to skip buying food at the lodge and restaurant entirely. Excellent, because I’m cheap. Even better, if you book a few rooms with friends, you can have an ongoing potluck party. If your kids vary in their enthusiasm for skiing, a group makes life much easier. When J lost steam, there were always a few adults taking a break who could provide  snacks and turn the tv to cartoons as necessary.  Large groups, say ten suites or more, can negotiate for a lower group rate.

Our bedroom before we had a chance to trash it.

We checked in promptly at 4 pm on a Sunday, dropped our bags, and ran outside (okay, more like ka-thumped in our ski boots) to take advantage of the night skiing. After a few runs, J was tired of skiing for the night, but she and I loved taking a ride on the Mountain Coaster that’s available on the weekends. At $7 each, this was an extra cost, but it was absolutely worth it for us. We squealed with joy all the way down, and it was the perfect way to end our evening outside on a high note after she’d gotten discouraged on the slopes.

Not me and J. We coasted in the dark and I contrived to have J still in her ski helmet just in case we flew off the rails, which seemed quite possible.

Most of the kids in our group spent a full day (9:30 am to 3:30 pm) in ski school. The cost is $102 and includes lessons, lift tickets (if they weren’t already included in lodging), and lunch. Our only complaint was that the person who took our reservations didn’t ask for the girls’ lunch order and assigned them chicken nuggets. We realized the mistake at drop-off and attempted to correct it, but they ended up with the nuggets, anyway. This was particularly comic when my 8-year-old recounted that another child had received nuggets and also didn’t want them because “she’d seen the video, too.” I realized that the Jamie Oliver video that I’d shown them had made a bigger impression than I’d thought! Apparently the other little girl was wily enough to finagle a macaroni and cheese, but my kids were stuck. However, they enjoyed ski school so much that they were ready and willing to go back the next day (we skied together instead) and they both “graduated” to the next level, which means my big girl will be a pole-wielding Fox next time (levels are designated by woodland creatures from chipmunks to coyotes).

Meanwhile, we adults took advantage of the kid-free time to ski as quickly and as much as we could for the day. We liked the variety of trails and the conditions as well as the nonexistent lift lines that midweek offered. And with hours running from 9 am to 10 pm and the convenient access to our rooms (we could pretty much ski to the doorstep of the Country Inn), it was easy to take quick breaks for lunch and dinner and head back out again and again.

The inn has an inviting lobby that’s frequently stocked with free cocoa and cookies. Last year we happened to visit during a late-January rainstorm, and the kids enjoyed playing games in the balcony while the grown-ups  listened in from below and drank wine by the fire. We felt like we had the run of the place, so it was a bit disappointing that with great snow conditions, the lobby became a bit of a mob scene. Still, the staff were friendly and helpful. We didn’t participate, but on the weekends, they have late-afternoon activities for the kids. Perfect timing to keep them entertained between ski school and dinnertime.

Also entertaining? The hot tubs and pool. Along with an indoor hot tub, the 0utdoor hot tub and heated pool beckoned many of us to hightail it through the cold to enjoy the water. Soaking in the hot tub surrounded by snow was perfect after a long day of skiing. The pool was bearably warm, but not my cup of tepid tea. The kids, however, had a blast.  Any parent knows that a hotel pool is golden, and the novelty of frolicking in the steam outside in February was thrilling for all of them, even if many of the adults supervising them preferred to chitchat in their coats.

A photogenic Jiminy family enjoying the pool. A more realistic image would be ten kids swimming like crazy while the adults huddled in the hot tub with plastic cups.

We thought Jiminy Peak was an excellent and convenient getaway, and we’ll be going again next year.

Jeepers. That’s plenty of snow.

The good news? We finally have decent packing snow suitable for snow people and snow balls. It’s about time! Also, remember how I said that Collins was a little iced over for sledding? Ta da! Problem solved!

Of course, the bad news is that there’s a lot of snow clearing.

Our long driveway

Perversely, I enjoy clearing the snow. I know it’s strange. I crank up some music on the ol’ MP3 and dance and sing as I shovel and snow-blow. I’m probably singing loudly, but usually the snow blower drowns me out. At least, I hope.  Generally I’m unenthusiastic about everything even vaguely mechanical, but I was enjoying myself so much today that by the end I decided that I should name the snow blower. I’m calling him Sparky.

Note the snow piled higher than Mary's fence

The only thing that gets old is the sheer amount of time it takes. I spent about two and a half hours outside doing driveway, sidewalk, and porch clearing, or approximately as long as it takes for a charming tot to play matchmaker between her older sister and the wealthy, kind trustee of an orphanage and for a lighthouse keeper and an irrepressible orphan to outwit a mean truant officer. That’s right: Nana Honey & Pop sent a fabulous set of Shirley Temple DVDs, so after some outside time and an extended playdate, the girls happily plopped on the sofa with  Shirley while I danced outside in the driveway. The perfect antidote to the Disney Channel. Which my children don’t get, anyway, because they are deprived.

Anyway, I was almost done with the snow when I noticed this:

Yep, it’s recycling day, but the town snowplow must go on. Super-awesome! Lucky it wasn’t the trash.

We stayed at home all day long. In fact, we’re due to go to a friend’s for dinner, and I’m supposed to bring salsa, and I called her to see if she wanted to cancel, because I had none of my ingredients for my usual salsa. And I am pretty much the biggest wimp driver ever. So I was stumped: hike with my two children to the co-op grocery which probably didn’t have tomatilloes, anyway? Get Cute W to stop even though his commute home was likely to be hellish already? Luckily I found a salsa recipe that I could concoct entirely from my pantry, since I happened to have a can of chipotles in adobo sauce and I always have Muir Glen tomatoes in the house. It’s pretty tasty, too.

All in all, I was fine with the snow today. But now I’m good. Seriously, I don’t need any more.

What a beautiful day! We spent tons of time outside, most of it at Collins Park. In fact, M got a sunburn. Because I’m a bad mother who didn’t put sunscreen on her child.

Well, really, who would’ve guessed that the girls would spend, like, 4 or 5 hours outdoors? After Collins I was sure that they’d collapse on the sofa, but Mary’s granddaughter was visiting and playing outside, so after some food they trooped out again.

Anyway, I’ve suggested Collins Park in Scotia as a sledding destination before, because the parking is right there, and there’s the nearby library and a Dunkin’ Donuts for thawing out/cocoa drinking. I remembered it as a small hill, but it seemed almost treacherously steep today. There’s been a ton of sledding, so it was a quite iced over. I hadn’t noticed, before, that there’s a convenient staircase as well.

The kids loved sledding, but while everyone was sledding, we noticed that the snow was being cleared off of part of Collins Lake.  All of that gleaming ice was calling to us. Pretty soon we were heading to the lake for some sledding and/or sliding.

Look at the huge amount of cleared ice! Do you see the truck-with-plow in the upper left and how teensy it looks? I know!

And of course, on the border there were nice piles of fresh snow to play in. M found it irresistible, even mid-skate. There were some huge piles for a little snow-mountain climbing, which all the kids enjoyed. With all the activity and our winter gear, it felt downright balmy, and one of our friends had brought along a picnic blanket, so we all plopped down and snacked right out on the ice.

It was a wonderful day. Of course, that playroom’s still a pigsty.

Oh, two quick things I’ve been meaning to pass along:  First,  I’ve seen people sledding on what looks like a huge and fun hill just off Hetcheltown Road in Glenville, a bit north of Indian Kill Preserve. Second, you might recall that I was blogging a bit at CBS 6 as katies. I’ve decided to stop because I’ve been busy with other things, but if you’re interested in dabbling in a bit of blogging, I think that they’d love a new volunteer or two. Email me if you’d like details.

Recently we went to our friends’ house to try out their new homemade ice rink.

So, first of all? Completely jealous. Seriously, it’s awesome. Unfortunately we have a small, sloping little yard, so no matter how much I pine (and whine), it’s just not meant to be for us.

Smiling, yes, but crying a little bit inside.

But maybe you could try it. You need some very level ground. In fact, if you believe that you already have level ground, you’re likely to learn that it’s not nearly as level as you thought it was. My friends built a wood frame and lined it with a light-colored tarp (you can see both in the photo above). Then they added water. Presto! Okay, not exactly presto, because there appears to be a bit of finesse involved. Like the corner that turned out to be higher than it appeared and the wind blowing the tarp. Not to mention the constant onslaught of new variations on the “wintry mix” with which a rinkmaster must contend.

But the maintenance and improvements of the rink appear to become a rather compulsive hobby. First there was a PVC-pipe water-distribution system. Then a couple of specially-designed PVC new-skater trainers:

The trainer is a revelation, or at least it was to me. If you’ve ever put a brand-new skater behind a bucket or a chair, you know that: a) they tip over sometimes, and b) they encourage pretty bad form, with the skater often hunched over and dragging their feet along behind them. This PVC-pipe contraption is stable and allows those feet to skate under the body as the Skating Gods intended. The picture above is my daughter using a younger child’s trainer, but the handy dad made trainers sized perfectly for his two kids. One of my girlfriends is waiting for the adult-sized version. He explains:

I made the base 30″ x 30″ and adjusted the height for each kid. The angled pieces are equal, so it makes it easy once you have one side figured out for the height.
Here is the list of materials:

(2) 10′ PVC pipes 1 1/4″Diameter
(6) 90 Deg Fittings
(2) 45 Deg Fittings
(4) “T” Fittings

I didn’t bother gluing for easy adjustment, plus the fittings are so tight they don’t come apart easily.

We had tons of fun skating in the backyard. What’s great is that you can go outside just for an hour (or send the kids out) without having to travel at all. A little exercise in the fresh air is sorely needed at this point in winter. And I have to admit that when we skate at ponds, I frequently have a paranoid fear that there will be a break in the ice and at any moment we’ll have to launch into a chain gang, George Bailey style, to fish somebody out.  So it’s nice to eliminate that anxiety and still enjoy the great outdoors.

Here are some of the links that our friends thought were the most helpful:

• BackyardRink.Net
• My Family Loves It
• Rink Rake: this includes a materials calculator and checklist
• Popular Mechanics: this has one set of instructions on the PVC trainer
• Skating Aids on Flicker: this is the image my friend used as a model for the PVC trainer

The rink was terrific, but we already have improvements in mind for next year. We’re thinking a canopy to protect the rink from the elements, twinkling white lights in the trees, and space for a bonfire at night. Guys, could you get working on it, please?

Does anyone make your own ice rink? Any words of advice or encouragement?

I’ve mentioned sun catchers in the blog before, but we recently made up a new batch, so I thought that I’d share some photos. It’s fun and easy even for a toddler, and my 6- and 8-year-olds were completely engrossed in their sun catcher designs. Of course, adding water means that you can’t place things with absolute precision, because they’ll float around a bit.  You just put some stuff in a container, like flexible take-out containers or silicone cookie molds work. Add some water. In order to hang it, make a loop of string or ribbon and make sure that most of it is submerged. Then put it outside to freeze.

Another good part? You can do this without shopping for anything special. In our case that meant using some random sequins that were left over from an earlier project, or you can use little pieces from nature.

I let the girls add drops of food coloring, too.

Of course, once it gets warmer, the sun catchers will melt, and we’ll have a litter of glitter, but that’s okay. A nice idea is to put different kinds of bird seed in your sun catcher, and then the birds will have a treat on a warm day.

I had a tremendously unproductive day and some girl-drama this afternoon, so I’m grouchy.

I figured that I’d blow off posting today. But then, instead, I  decided to share my notes as I checked out lift ticket prices. We’re thinking about skiing this Sunday. This listing is pretty self-serving. It isn’t  particularly helpful for those of you who are interested in half days (we’re early birds) or who’ll need to rent skis (we’ve got them already), because I was just too lazy to take notes on those.

But it is a reminder that there are plenty of of places nearby to ski. I took this list from the one that’s on the list of links and the newer Embrace Winter page. Actually, that list includes information on places with tubing, adaptive skiing, and night skiing.

Alas, it’s also a reminder that this is a freakishly expensive sport. What were we thinking, getting the girls all gung-ho?

For the rates, I list full-day tickets, and when prices vary based on the calendar, the first number is the holiday price, and the second number is for mid-week, non-holiday price. The times listed after the location are the approximate drive-times from my place near Schenectady, according to Google Maps. Finally, the bold number is what it would cost for my family to go skiing for a day this weekend. So if your family happens to be composed of 2 adults, an 8-year-old, and a six-year-old, you’re in luck! Yay, you!

Belleayre Mountain Highmount, NY – 1¼ hours $184

• adult: $54/$45
• youth: 6-12 $38/$35
• $25 lift tickets on non-holiday Fridays.

Butternut Great Barrington, MA- 1¼ hours $195

• adult: $60/$25
• youth: 7-13 $50/$20
• 6 and under: $25/$15

Catamount Hillsdale, NY – 1¼ hours $191

• adult: $59/$27
• junior: 7-13 $48/$27
• child: $25/$10

Gore Mountain North Creek, northwest of Lake George – 1½ hours $198

• adult: $77/$66
• juniors: 7-12 $44/$37
• 6 and under: free

Jiminy Peak Hancock, MA – 1 hour $192 or if lower mountain means bunny slope only, $216

• adult: $65/$59
• junior 12 and under: $43/$40
• 6 and under, lower mountain only: $19/$19

Maple Ski Ridge Rotterdam – ¼ hour $120

• all: $30/$20 + one-time purchase of $5 “sweet pass”

Otis Ridge Otis, MA – 1½ hours $90

• adult or junior: $30/$20
• beginner area only: $10/$10
• 6 and under: free

Royal Mountain Ski Area Caroga Lake – 1¼ hours $120

• adult: $35 any day
• 6-12: $25 any day
• 5 and under: free

Sawkill Family Ski Center Kingston – 1¼ hours–seems like it’s only open weekends & holidays $146

• adult: $40
• 12 and under: $33

Ski Bousquet Pittsfield, MA – 1½ hours $148

• all: $37/$20

West Mountain Queensbury, near Glens Falls – 1 hour $120

• adult & teen: $52/$42
• youth 7-12: $41/$42
• 6 and under: not mentioned-free I hope?
• family plan for weekends/holidays: first 3 members $120, each additional $32
• lower mountain all ages for weekends/holidays: $32

Willard Mountain Greenwich, east of Saratoga – 1 hour $144

• adult: $38
• junior 12 and under: $34

Windham Mountain Windham, west of Hudson – 1½ hours $200

• adult: $68/$48
• youth 7-12: $54/$34
• 6 and under: $10/$10

We finally made it to Maple Ski Ridge! Really, I feel silly that we hadn’t gone before. Everyone told us that it was a great easy trip and perfect for learning skiers. Somehow, I had a mental block that there couldn’t be anything worth a trip that wasn’t, you know, a trip.

But we had a wonderful time! We loaded up our car so that we could go directly from church and ate lunch en route so that we wouldn’t miss more time than necessary.  It was a quick trip to Rotterdam for us, but when we arrived I was concerned. First, the wind was positively whipping all over the place, and Cute W was parking while I ran (okay, stomped) inside to buy tickets. The line was long. There was definitely an early-afternoon rush. So I fretted about the children becoming demoralized little Popsicles. When the crowd parted I could get a glimpse of them through the windows, but the crowd parted infrequently. And of course I’d forgotten my cell in the car, so I couldn’t call Cute W to ensure that he’d joined the children and that no one was getting frostbite.

Luckily this wait won’t have to be repeated. This year they’ve started a new system, the Sweet Pass, which is a card that you can refill online. We paid $5 for the cards themselves, which each person keeps in a pocket instead of one of those hang tags. Then next time we go, we can “reload” the card so that we don’t even have to step into the lodge. Unless we want cocoa.

As it turns out, the kids were fine and Cute W had scored an unbelievable parking space. Which wasn’t too difficult, since the place is small. But honestly, Maple Ski Ridge was perfect for us. There are two rope tows and two lifts. We were novices with the tow rope, but everyone did relatively well.  By the end even J was reaching back to put the handle behind her so that she could sit back and relax her way uphill. M was overjoyed and did terrific with all the skiing–she barely paused in 3 1/2 hours. J would have preferred to snow plow straight down every hill. She’d fall and get frustrated on some of her turns, but generally she had a wonderful time. Our biggest problem was that she’d speed up and then we’d be going alongside her yelling “Pizza! Make a PIZZA!” But the best was that, for us at least, there was hardly ever any wait time at all to get back up the hill. And that was a Sunday afternoon after a snowstorm.

It was also a new experience for us to run into various acquaintances while skiing, so it felt almost like a neighborhood get-together. Some parents were clearly just hanging out in the lodge and checking for their kids through the windows. The food prices looked relatively reasonable (again, I’m cheap, so we’d packed snacks). It was, as I’d heard, pretty crazy-busy in the lodge, with people camping their stuff all over the tables.

J rides the lift with me. I would have taken more pictures, but we were too busy skiing.

All in all, it was a great place for the beginner & young skier. We’ll  visit other places, too, but we’ll absolutely ski there again.  It was an excellent family outing for us, and it’s nice for the kids to have a place where they can feel pretty comfortable just about anywhere. And it’s especially nice that it’s so close to home!