It was the 5^th Grade Ski Free Passport program, offered by Ski the Northwest Rockies, that got the whole Syron family of 5 skiing. “We chose to wait until everyone could enjoy going and not complain. Our kids were ages 9, 6, and 4 that season we all started,” says Syron. Jackson took a few private lessons that season and received guidance from a family friend who was a trained instructor. With that special 5^th Grade Passport incentive, Jackson qualified for a season pass after his third visit to Mt. Spokane (with a $40 processing fee). This deal, combined with the free child lift tickets for his younger siblings (because they were age 6 and under), made it more affordable to get the entire Syron family on the slopes that winter.

The following ski season, Jackson completed Mt. Spokane’s Kids Club 6-week lesson program. With more and more days on skis, he kept improving and getting stronger. His snowboarding uncle Mitch Bozo took him to other local ski destinations, including 49° North and Silver Mountain, where he could experience and learn from different terrain. Jackson says everything about skiing is fun, and his mom appreciates all the quiet “think time” that the mountain environment provides. His favorite runs at Mt. Spokane are Skid Row, the terrain parks on Half Hitch and Lamonga Pass, and the still-unnamed run #3 off chair 6.

“Skiing, although fun, is something that’s earned, too, so it helps encourage him to keep up with schoolwork and maintain good behavior…He just loves it and will keep it up as long as he can,” says Syron. “Last season, Jackson was one of the older kiddos in his ski class and was complimented on his leadership and for helping other kids on the mountain.”

Jackson’s 13^th birthday is in February 2020, and he’d like to join Mt. Spokane’s Cadet program. Designed for experienced skiers ages 13-17, Cadets learn and practice ski-teaching skills, assist ski instructors with young lesson-groups, and improve their own all-mountain skills in the process. And Jackson can share his advice with younger skiers: “Keep trying. You are going to crash no matter what, so make it fun!”

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EZ Ski/Ride 1-2-3

49 Degrees North, Mt. Spokane, and Silver Mountain all have a very affordable 3-visit “learn to” ski or snowboard package called EZ Ski/Ride 1-2-3. Each mountain’s specific package differs slightly in terms of specific details (e.g., times, amenities, age requirements) and fees ($129-$189). But all of the programs include the essentials: 3 days of lessons, gear rentals, and chairlift tickets for beginners ages 7 to adult (in past years kids as young as 5 could sign up for 49° North’s program). Each mountain also provides bonus perks for participants, such as reduced-price or free season passes for the remainder of the season. Find all the details on your favorite resort’s website.

Lookout Pass Learn to Ski or Ride in 3 Program

Lookout’s three day learn to ski package is similar to the EZ Ski/Ride 1-2-3 program offered at other local resorts. The package includes three days of lift tickets, rental equipment, and lessons (ages 7-adult). The first and second day of lift tickets and lessons take place on the Success Beginner Lift, and the third day’s lift ticket allows access to the whole mountain. There’s also a graduation bonus offer of a discount season pass for the rest of the season for first-time students who complete this program. Skilookout.com.

5th Grade Ski or Ride Free Passport 

There is nothing like skiing or snowboarding for free! The Ski the Northwest Rockies association offers a “5th Grade Ski or Ride Free Passport” at the four association resorts (49 Degrees North, Lookout Pass, Mt. Spokane, and Silver Mountain). The program allows 5th graders of any ability level to ski or snowboard three days free at each of the six participating ski areas around the Inland Northwest. Ask whatever resort you’re headed to if they have any specials for other family members. Apply online at 5thGradeSkiPassport.com.

Lookout Pass Free Ski School

In its 79th year, the legendary Free Ski School at Lookout Pass has introduced tens of thousands of kids to skiing and snowboarding. Lessons run on Saturday mornings for kids age 6-17. Lessons are free, but a lift ticket or season pass is required for kids to keep skiing or riding after the lesson, and gear rental is not included. Head up to the mountain and ski with your kids. Registration typically starts in October at Skilookout.com. 

Ski P.E. at Lookout Pass

A wide range of school groups, from public to private in Idaho, Montana, or Washington, participate in Lookout’s Ski P.E. program. Ski P.E. provides an affordable introduction to skiing and riding for grades K-12. The program includes a 1-hour lesson (all ability levels), rental equipment, and a lift ticket. Chaperones and drivers may be eligible for complimentary lift tickets too. Transportation to and from the mountain and coordinating and scheduling gear and lessons with the resort is the responsibility of the school. Contact Lookout’s Director of Skier Services to learn more about the program.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort

If you live in Sandpoint or Schweitzer is your preferred resort, the mountain offers an extensive beginner area and many different learn-to-ski programs for all ages, including a beginner package called “Ski 4 Free in 3” that includes three days of instruction, equipment rentals, and lift tickets. Visit Schweitzer.com for more info.

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Yet, outdoor adventures can help a family to better endure cold, snowy winter days. Spending time in nature provides positive mental health benefits, and outdoor winter sports are fun ways to exercise and maintain fitness habits year-round. “It’s something we can all do together,” says snowboarder Jami Ostby-Marsh, who lives in Colbert, Wash. “There aren’t many other sports like that, with no age restrictions.”

But which sport to choose and invest your family’s time and money? All provide outdoor adventure opportunities. Mom and Dad, and even grandparents, aren’t standing on the sidelines or sitting in bleachers—these are multi-generational sports. 

Cross-Country Skiing

Cost-efficient and easy to learn, cross-country or Nordic skiing is a great option for families just getting into winter sports. Gentler on the body than alpine skiing, one “lesson” from a friend or professional is really all it takes to learn classic XC-ski skills. A parent can ski with an infant secured in a front-chest carrier and older babies and toddlers can be carried in a sturdy, internal-frame backpack-carrier. If children can walk, they can learn to cross-country ski. Children younger than 5 years old can also be towed in a sled like the Thule Chariot.

Spokane mom Heather Easterling Ritchie grew up cross-country skiing with her parents and sister in New England. “My family didn’t have the money for downhill skiing. Nordic skiing was a fun and inexpensive way for us to enjoy winter together,” she says. Today, she skis with her husband, Gordon, and their 10-year-old daughter, Gemma—who has been cross-country skiing since age 6. (Gordon and Gemma also downhill ski, starting when she was a toddler.) With so many destinations in the Northwest, including the famed Methow Valley Trails in northcentral Washington—the largest cross-country ski trail system in North America—Easterling-Ritchie says, “We really live in a wonderland for Nordic.” And when there is enough snow outside your front door, cross-country skiing is even more convenient.

Gear: Rent or purchase from local ski gear shops, such as Fitness Fanatics, which offers rentals in-store and on-site at Mt. Spokane’s Selkirk Lodge; rent gear at the Nordic Centers at 49° North or Schweitzer Mountain Resort; and find deals at local ski swaps.

Lessons: City of Spokane Parks & Recreation; 49° Degrees North Nordic Center; Sandpoint Nordic Club; and Mt. Spokane Nordic Ski Association, which offers lessons for adults and has a Nordic Kids program for ages 5-15. 

Groomed Trails for Beginners: Mt. Spokane Nordic Ski Park; 49° North; Lookout Pass Nordic Area; Schweitzer Mountain Resort; Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes between Kellogg and Wallace; Riverside State Park; Indian Canyon Golf Course and Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in the City of Spokane (no-fee groomed trails when there’s enough snow); Methow Valley Trails.

Trail Permits: Requirements vary by location. Some type of day-pass is required for most groomed trails, whether at a mountain resort or state park. For Washington State, a one-day or seasonal Sno-Park Permit, Special-Groomed Trail Permit, and/or state park Discover Pass are required depending on location. All three are needed for Mt. Spokane State Park’s Nordic trails. For Idaho, requirements may include a Park-N-Ski Permit and/or state park pass. 

Downhill Skiing

Want summit views and thrilling speeds? “There’s more adventure with downhill skiing. You get to see more, and don’t have to work as hard because you’re going downhill. For kids, I think it’s more fun,” says Courtney Yarber, who lives in south Spokane with her husband and their two daughters. Growing up in northeast Utah, she didn’t learn to ski until she was 19 and had moved to Park City. Her husband, Chris, grew up in St. Maries, Idaho, and started skiing as a kid. Once their girls were preschool-age and in lessons, Yarber says, “I got to ski all day while my girls were in lessons. Getting them into it was getting me back into it.” The girls are now age 9 and nearly 7, and this winter will be the family’s second with season passes at Silver Mountain Resort. “To be up there in the winter is peaceful. It’s magical,” she says. 

If you feel intimidated to learn as an adult, you’re not alone. Local resort ski schools offer adult group and private lessons—there’s no shame in grown-ups snowplowing down the bunny hill. What matters is that you’re out there. You can even schedule a private group lesson for your family and receive personalized coaching altogether.

Snowboarding

Perhaps you’ve heard a variation of the adage, “Skiing is easier to learn but harder to master, while snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to master.” Don’t worry. Many snowboarders say learning how to downhill ski first provides a good skill base. It’s not until about age 7 that a child is physically ready to learn fundamental snowboarding skills. To learn how to ride requires stamina and core-body strength for proper balance and turning, according to Snowskool.com (“Skiing vs. Snowboarding for Beginners”).

After being a ski kid for 10 years, Jami Ostby-Marsh switched to snowboarding at age 16. More than 30 years later, she’s still riding, along with her husband, Jordan Marsh—who has 23 years of snowboarding experience. Their two children started ski lessons when each was 3 years old. Jordan snowboarded behind his little snow-plowing kid while holding the training reigns—a challenging feat. The Marsh kids are now 14 and 11 years old and still prefer skiing. “Snowboarding is kind of a way to life—there’s a different vibe to it. So maybe when my kids are older it will be something they do,” says Ostby-Marsh.             

Some families are the opposite—kid wants to ride, parent wants to ski. “You have to be open to whatever your kid is passionate about and find ways to support it,” says Ostby-Marsh. “We’re mostly ‘blue’ people and my husband loves trees, so we choose runs that have variety…[And] it’s nice that skiers and snowboarders can all be together in the terrain park…It’s a joy seeing my kids learn something and be proficient at it.” 

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My kids will semi-patiently try on all of their last-season alpine gear, from head to toe, while their dad and I figure out which new, bigger-sized items are needed for the coming ski season. We check the fit of ski boots, jacket sleeves, helmets—everything! We then re-organize all the items: individual ski bags; a bin of snow-play gear for home, sledding, and school; and, finally, any outgrown gear we hope to sell at the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap, which is always the last weekend of October.

I’ve always felt giddy when it snows, which is why I love the Inland Northwest’s four-season climate and snowy winters. But I didn’t grow up in a ski family. It wasn’t until junior high that I even tried on an old, used pair of skis, and even last season I took a lesson to fine-tune my skills. Now the mom of skier kids with a ski patrol husband (who’s been skiing for 40 years), I geek out over gear and check mountain weather reports with my 9-year-old son. He keeps ski mountain trail maps on his bedroom wall year-round and now skis better than me.

And about those ski bags—from season opening weekend through the spring skiing days of March, they’ll be lugged from home to the mountain and back at least once or twice a week, along with skis and poles. But that’s the toil and joy of being a ski family. 

In this double issue, our On the Mountain section and annual Family Winter Sports Guide will help you get ready for the coming season. If you’re new to skiing or snowboarding, we have tips to get you started. You don’t have to own new or expensive gear. And no matter your age or ability, there is a lesson program for you. It’s never too late to learn, or to get back on your boards after a long hiatus. We’re fortunate to live in the Inland Northwest. From the Cascades to the Selkirk and Bitterroot mountain ranges to Montana’s Whitefish range and the vast wild mountains of British Columbia, majestic alpine landscapes surround us, with snow-covered summits and trails to fit any recreation style. American naturalist and preservationist John Muir famously wrote in 1873, “The mountains are calling and I must go.” Be more like John this winter. Our mountains are waiting for you. 

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