skiing with teens - Pitstops for Kids

Guide to skiing Breckenridge with teens (by teens)

January 20, 2020 By Amy Hagstrom

Breckenridge Mountain is a huge ski resort with something for absolutely every type of skier and rider. On our latest trip, we went with our teens and pre-teen, who are all expert skiers and riders. I thought I’d let them tell readers their favorite places on the mountain from their perspective. If you have older kids and teens who like steeps and deeps, this is the post to read!

Note to parents with beginning skiers and riders: Breckenridge’s ski school is among the best we’ve seen, and entire sections of the resort are devoted to green and blue (beginner and intermediate) runs. While this is not the ‘Breck’ we’re covering in this post, learners will be right at home!

Guide to skiing Breckenridge, according to kids who like moguls, trees, and bowls:

The bowls above the tree line are amazing, but only if conditions are right. On windy days or when they’re not open, due to avalanche control, head into the trees! Our favorite tree skiing at Breck is probably the Windows off Peak 9. From the Mercury SuperChair or the E Chair, take the trail to Window 1 and 2, and ski through trees into our favorite place in all of Breck: the ravine bordering a creek! There are winding trails, jumps, and bumps here and it goes on for ages!

There is a lot of out-of-boundary terrain at Breck, and there are gates to access these areas in designated spots. Don’t duck the rope! At the top of Peak 9, there’s a gate where you can hike for about 20 minutes to access some fun stuff, but remember: you have to have a pack, beacon, and shovel with you (and a friend). Our parents’ rule is that we have to take an avalanche safety course before they’ll buy us beacons, so we had to skip this spot.

But: if you still want to hike to great terrain, there are places to do this without leaving the resort boundary. If Imperial chair is not running, we like to hike from Peak 9 at the top of E Chair to the Back 9. The hike is long and hard (about 20 minutes, but it feels longer and you’ll get sweaty) but then you get to ski down your choice of double blacks that haven’t been skied out. After the open bowls, you’ll end up in the same creek run from above.

For lots of steep, mogul runs, head to Peak 10. This was our mom’s favorite peak. Go left at the top of Falcon SuperChair, and try Black Hawk or Dark Rider (double black diamonds).

Peak 7 is an intermediate hill, but at the top is lots of good stuff you can access if Imperial is open. We also liked 6 Chair, which had more moguls and above-tree stuff, on the side of Peak 8.

There are several terrain parks, but be warned: the large and medium ones are HUGE! We like terrain parks but had to stay on the small one…which was like our medium one at home! You can find the small one on Peak 9, called the Highway.

If you like bowls with plenty of spots to find trees to run through, get yourself to the T Bar. Riding the T Bar can be tricky at first, but just watch the people ahead of you, and don’t forget to stay standing…you don’t sit on the T. It’s harder to ride for snowboarders than skiers. When snowboarding, we place the T closer to our hip than our behinds. Riding the T Bar is entertaining, too, because about 1 in 10 people fall off.

Even if you are a very good skier, Breck’s kid zones are a lot of fun. Look for the small terrain trails throughout the family zones and intermediate runs. We found one with a mock mine tunnel to ski through and one with an ore bucket. It’s just lots of fun.

Disclosure: We skied and rode Breck as guests of the resort, in order to report back on where to go for the best runs. All opinions are our own!

Two ways to ski backcountry terrain on your next ski trip

February 26, 2018 By Amy Hagstrom

If you’re one of those skiers or snowboarders who looks up at the most distant peak from the chairlift and says, “How do I get up there?” or notes tracks in fresh powder and wishes you’d put them there, you may want to elevate your next ski trip to include a day of backcountry terrain. Or, if you have teens (16 or older) who are yearning to learn what AT or touring skiing is all about, it might be time to try a backcountry experience as a family.

Backcountry skiing off-piste and outside ski resort boundaries can expand your ski horizons exponentially, but it’s crucial to go with a guide until you’ve become trained in reading snow conditions and have the right gear (which often includes an avalanche beacon, shovel, probe, and AT or Alpine Touring skis and boots with skins and a backpack to put it all in). I explored two gorgeous backcountry regions with two fantastic guide services, and highly recommend them both.

Two ways to ski backcountry terrain on your next ski trip

Alpenglow Expeditions, North Lake Tahoe:

Alpenglow Expeditions operates out of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows in California, and offers both backcountry tours and a variety of snow safety courses. I joined them for a full day in the Squaw Valley backcountry, where we did two laps of the National Geographic Bowl.

I arrived at their office in the Village at Squaw Valley at 8:30 am, ready to ski…minus the gear. Alpenglow can outfit you, which is nice if you don’t already own AT gear. It allows you to try a full backcountry experience before committing to the equipment. The guides at Alpenglow set me up with a ski pack with all the necessities, plus AT skis and boots. I brought my own helmet, goggles, lunch, water, and ski apparel.

The nice thing about Alpenglow’s location is that you can ride the Squaw lifts to where you need to start, saving time and effort. We headed out by 9 am on the Squaw lifts and reached the top of Granite Chief lift by 9:30 am. From here, we boot packed to the top of Granite Chief Peak (approximately a 20 minute, fairly strenuous hike) with our skis strapped on our backs. At the ridge, the snow was fabulous (despite fairly challenging conditions on the lift-served areas). We transitioned into our skis (the guides will help you do this if you haven’t skied AT before). We skied down the bowl, and at the bottom, transitioned again to skin up the trail that led to a side ridge, where we could ski back down to the Granite Chief lift. The skinning uphill took longer…probably an hour or so, and if you haven’t used skins on your skis before, there is a learning curve here. Your heel is freed and the skins on your skis give you traction, so the climb feels similar to cross-country skiing (but a bit more difficult).

When we reached the ridge, we skied down to the chair and did it again! This time, we boot packed a bit farther to explore a different descent, and at the bottom, we enjoyed our packed lunch in the sunshine. We achieved two laps by 1:30 pm, and were back at the village by 2:30 pm. We probably had time for one more lap, but my legs didn’t have the power!

The day proved to be an excellent introduction to Squaw’s backcountry, and since my teenage boys are interested in exploring terrain outside ski area boundaries, I’d definitely sign them up next time. All tours are individual (with either just yourself or just your group) so you can customize as needed. All guides are highly trained in avalanche certification and first aid, and carry radios. I was given an avi beacon and shown how to use it.

Ski Utah Interconnect, Cottonwood Canyons

Headed to Utah instead of Tahoe? I also tried out Ski Utah’s Interconnect tour, which allows you to check out backcountry terrain on your downhill (Alpine) skis. You can read about the Ski Utah Interconnect here, and watch a helpful video starring Deb Lovci, lead guide, but even after doing your research, the Interconnect is hard to explain. It really needs to be experienced. It’s part backcountry adventure, part (permitted) rope ducking, part on-piste hidden tracks, and part off-piste (as in way, way off). No matter what way you look at it, you’re in for seven hours of breathtaking views of the Wasatch Front Range and Heber Valley. Along the way, you get a ski resort sampler platter, with 1-3 runs in each of Deer Valley, Park City, Snowbird, Alta, Brighton and Solitude.

You start your day at Deer Valley Ski Resort, where you meet up in a base lodge and are briefed by your guides. As noted, you can use your own downhill gear, but you’re given a beacon to use for the day. In contrast with my Alpenglow trip, I didn’t need a shovel or probe of my own, so I could use my own small backpack, and I didn’t need to carry a lunch, as it’s provided on the trip.

We started out by skiing a few Deer Valley groomers to get warmed up, then ducked the rope (with permission) and traversed through the backcountry to Park City resort, where we rode another chair up before skiing off-piste through pristine powder toward our next resort on our itinerary. We boot packed a few short times (holding our skis) before making it to Solitude for a delicious lunch at their Roundhouse mid-mountain lodge, which serves up Himalayan mountain cuisine (included). We rode the lifts here to access a backside bowl to Brighton, then rode up again to take the most beautiful traverse, the Highway to Heaven trail toward Alta and Snowbird.

This part of the journey definitely proved most strenuous, but we were rewarded with more gorgeous backcountry on the descent. We skied through Alta and reached Snowbird by 3:30 pm. Skiing six resorts in one day definitely made for a long ski tour, but it didn’t feel that long, thanks to some lift access along the way.

What to know before you book:

For both of these tours, it’s important to be a strong skier, able to ski ungroomed runs with confidence (intermediate or advanced). Perhaps even more importantly, you do need to be fit. The uphill boot packing, skinning, and/or sidestepping will work up a sweat and leave you legs like jell-o! For the Interconnect, you need to be a skier, not a snowboarder, due to restrictions on snowboarding in several of the resorts.

If you’re used to getting plenty of exercise and are a decent (don’t need to be great) skier, don’t hesitate to try one of these tours! It will open your eyes to new skiing possibilities, and greatly enhance your ski trip. Take a day to enjoy the backcountry, then return on-piste with more confidence.

Call the office of either tour to ask any specific questions; they’re eager to help walk you through the process and explain what gear you’ll need and what lift tickets might be required. Let them know of any limitations of your group and be honest with them about capabilities, and they can answer any doubts you may have.

Want a taste of non-lift-served terrain by exploring some side country (within ski area boundaries)? You can expand your limits on downhill skis by signing up for a Hidden Tracks guided day. I checked this out at Solitude Mountain Resort and had a blast with my private guide, who could show me all the hidden stashes and boot-pack trails to (mostly) uncharted terrain. He showed me Solitude’s many gated areas, and we hiked to several pitches of fresh powder. The rest of the time, we traversed and side-slipped to new-to-me slopes within boundary. At Solitude, you can opt for a full day or half day tour; I went half-day, which gave me a nice balance of challenging terrain and some nice groomers after my legs got tired.

Where to ski in Utah: Solitude Mountain Resort

February 7, 2018 By Amy Hagstrom

Solitude Mountain Resort is one of those ski resorts that grows on you. The first time I skied Solitude was as part of a demo day experience, and I only traversed part of the mountain. Still, I enjoyed it. The next time I visited, my teenage son and I zipped all over the mountain during an epic powder day…hard to dislike that! The third time I skied this Big Cottonwood Canyon resort, the snow was so-so, but hidden stashes remained, and the true peace and tranquility to be found here won me over.

What to expect at Solitude Mountain Resort:

Let’s start with what not to expect: don’t expect crowds, as Solitude really does live up to its name. You also don’t need to expect the usual high lift ticket prices. Even if you opt to buy tickets at the window or online, instead of getting a M.A.X. Pass, Solitude lift tickets are on the reasonable side, comparatively speaking. And I have visited during a long holiday weekend.

Instead, at Solitude, you can expect a local vibe, despite the presence of a base village with lodging for out-of-town guests. There’s an emphasis on off-piste (off the run) skiing and even backcountry skiing (out of bounds), which means the mountain ‘skis bigger than it is’. What do I mean by this? At 1200 acres, Solitude is not considered a very large resort, but if you include all the glade skiing, powder bowls, and off-piste options, which exist depending on snow conditions, it’s very large indeed.

The lifts at Solitude are spaced out enough that some traversing will be necessary at times, but the newest chair, Summit, is not only fast but offers incredible views as you ascend. The village is compact, with condo-style lodging, an inn, a few restaurants, gear rentals, and a snow sports shop, and extremely cozy.

How to plan your trip to Solitude:

I love skiing Utah resorts because so many of them are within an easy commute of Salt Lake City and the international airport. Solitude was within 45 minutes of downtown during my visits. From the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon, it’s only 12 miles. On one trip, because my son and I were skiing multiple resorts during my second time at Solitude, we stayed at the entrance to the canyon, at Residence Inn by Marriott. It was comfortable, convenient, had an excellent complimentary breakfast, and was only about 25 minutes from the Solitude parking lot. I highly recommend this hotel if you want to stay central to both Big and Little Cottonwood canyons.

If your ski trip will be solely at Solitude and/or Solitude and its neighbor, Brighton, definitely stay in the Solitude Village. I stayed two nights at the Inn at Solitude on my third visit and loved the proximity to the mountain. My fourth-floor balcony literally overlooked the Apex Chair, and the heated, outdoor hot tub and pool soothed sore muscles each evening. The Inn at Solitude is just steps from The Hungry Squirrel, which became my go-to apres-ski watering hole, and there are spa services on-site, too. St. Bernard’s restaurant, directly inside the inn, offers an Alpine-style buffet dinner with charcuterie, hot soups, roasts and cobblers every night, and serves an equally satisfying buffet breakfast each morning. The atmosphere is warm and relaxing; we enjoyed drinks in the Library Bar seating area outside the dining room before our leisurely meal. St. Bernard’s was a definite highlight of our time at Solitude. You also get access to Club Solitude by staying at the Inn at Solitude, which has additional pools, a lounge area with video games and a movie screening room, exercise spaces and saunas.

As noted, the village is small, but has what you need (eliminating any need to commute down the canyon for food or supplies). You can find a very small convenience store right at the entrance to Solitude by the real estate office; this is not a grocery store by any means, but does have wine, beer, convenience items and toiletry items. If you are staying in the village and want a second option in addition to St. Bernard’s, head to Honeycomb Grille for excellent American bistro cuisine or to the small pizzeria. Every option is within walking distance of everything else.

You’ll be ski-in, ski-out at Solitude, and only a five-minute drive from Brighton. There are buses that connect the two as well (and you can ski between them…more on that in a minute).

Getting your bearings at Solitude:

There are two base areas at Solitude, at Solitude Village and Moonbeam base area. It’s nice that both have parking lots, to spread out day guests, and both have base lodges with ticket sales and food services. Moonbeam is home to the snowsports center, which is where to go if you’re taking a lesson or dropping off kids for lessons. There are some food venues there, as well as bathrooms.

The village has additional food services, a rental shop and tuning shop, and all the lodging options (which include condos in addition to the inn). A good lunch option can be found at Last Chance Lodge, right on the snow at the edge of the village, where you can find excellent made-to-order tacos and a salad bar. Hang tight though, because the absolute best lunch spot is at mid-mountain (read on to find out where).

Skiing Solitude:

If you enjoy skiing off-piste, Solitude is heaven. The Summit chair drops you off at the entry to Honeycomb Canyon, named, it turns out, not after Utah’s honey production, but after the many mines that dotted the canyon a century ago. Multiple gated chutes connect with the bowl, giving skiers and snowboarders a very long and powdery run to the base near Eagle chair. There’s also a front face at Summit, plenty of tree skiing, and groomer runs for intermediate level.

Tip: if you’re a beginner, pay attention to notices at the base of each chair. Solitude is very good about placing signage where beginner terrain will be lacking, so you can know before going up.

Additional glade skiing is excellent off the older (and slower moving) Sunrise chair, and lots of nice blue groomers can be found off Moonbeam and Eagle. If you’re willing to hike, even more bowl skiing opens up, and backcountry skiers will be happy too: just look for the signage indicating when you need your own backcountry shovel, avalanche beacon, and probe to continue. (This is a good indication that you may need to hike out of the run, too.)

Overall, look at signage no matter your ski ability, and be ready to ask for advice from locals…there will be plenty of skiers and snowboarders around who are familiar with the mountain. If you have a M.A.X. pass or combined ticket for Solitude and Brighton, know that you can ski between the resorts via the Solbright run. And, er, if you accidentally ski that run and end up at the wrong base area without a combined ticket, the nice lifties will let you return via the lift…once.

If you’re an intermediate to advanced skier and want to open up more terrain for yourself, book one of Solitude’s Hidden Tracks mornings. Operating as snow and weather permits, Hidden Tracks is an opportunity to ski with a local instructor who can show you all those hidden stashes and glades you might have missed. And there are a lot! During my Hidden Tracks experience, my guide Josh described skiing off-piste at Solitude as ‘a game of gates’. What he meant: there are gated entrances to off-piste terrain all over the place! These gated areas are maintained by ski patrol for safety and opened and closed at their discretion. Once you know where they all are, as well as which ones will require boot packing (or hiking) to get to the great snow, you’ll be an informed skier who can continue to enjoy these gates the rest of your trip. Have adventurous teens? This session is ideal for them to know their options!

At a mountain like Solitude, which has so much backcountry and side country terrain, Hidden Tracks is well worth your time and money. And while it’s not a lesson, if you’d like instruction or pointers during the morning, your guide will be happy to accommodate you.

Tip: definitely plan to eat your lunch at the Roundhouse mid-mountain between the Moonbeam and Eagle lifts. This circular lodge has a lot of history, and serves just two types of food: Wasatch mountain food (Utah-inspired soups, stews, and burgers), and Himalayan mountain food (wonderful curries and rice dishes). The food is excellent, and we found there was plenty of room…no hunting for a table at lunch.

Solitude lift tickets:

As with all ski vacations, ease the burden on your wallet by planning your lift ticket purchase ahead of time at Solitude. If you only plan to spend a few days, buy multi-day tickets online ahead of time to save money off the approximate $85 adult day pass price. There’s also a Solbright day pass, which gives you access to all of Brighton, too. Personally, I think you’ll be busy enough at just one or the other, but the flexibility is nice.

Pin for later!

Disclosure: We skied Solitude as guests of the resort, for the purpose of reviewing the M.A.X. Pass option. All opinions are my own.

Back to Ski: Smugglers Notch Resort for teens and advanced skiers

January 5, 2018 By Amy Hagstrom

We covered Smugglers’ Notch amenities for young kids and babies last winter, but Vermont-based Smuggs has older kids, teens, and advanced skiers covered as well. In fact, this combination makes Smuggs an excellent resort pick for multigenerational family travel, so bring Grandma and Grandpa along, too. If you have expert skiers and older kids or teens in your midst, here’s what you need to know about Smugglers Notch Resort for teens:

Two-hour lessons appeal to older kids:

My kids—all of whom are expert skiers—balk at all-day lesson programs. They long to explore the mountain on their own, but we insist they continue to work on their skills. At Smuggs, advanced skiers can opt for two-hour lessons (ages 6-17), giving kids plenty of time for free skiing. Tip: book the afternoon session instead of morning for a less crowded lesson. You may even luck out with a private experience!

Mountain configuration is teen-friendly:

Smuggs is comprised of three interconnected mountains. Morse Mountain is where all the action is: you’ll find the childcare and ski school at its base, along with the entire Village Center, and a network of trails primarily for beginners, with a sprinkling of blues for intermediate levels. Madonna and Sterling mountains are further afield, and offer a solid helping of intermediate runs, plus the resort’s black diamond, double-black diamond, and even triple-black diamond runs. To get there, skiers need to ride the chairlift up Morse Mountain, ski the access trail, then catch the double chairlifts at Madonna and Sterling. What this means for parents of teens: to get back down the mountain, runs funnel back down to Morse, ensuring there’s only one place your kids will end up. It’s easy to plan meeting places for tweens and teens, and if you have kids in advanced ski school while you’re hitting the slopes solo, you can meet them at the Madonna/Sterling base lodge.

Adult lessons are not just for beginners:

Practice what you preach to your kids, and take a lesson yourself! If you’re an expert skier, consider your time to be a lesson on Smuggs as well as a lesson on ski form. Madonna and Sterling mountains are chock full of secret stashes, hike-only terrain, backcountry tree runs, and hidden powder pockets. Newbies to the mountain cannot hope to find many of them on their own, and ski instructors act as mountain guides, showing you where all the fun stuff is. (Tip: be a hero and show your kids the best tree runs after your lesson.)

No need to sweat about snow conditions:

Families can plan their entire ski vacation carefully, but no one has control over the weather. Smuggs takes care of this worry as well with advanced—and ever-increasing—snowmaking abilities. With 150 new snowmaking guns last season and another 100 in place for this winter, families can book late or early in the season with confidence, taking advantage of school holidays and long weekends. (Though the resort’s traditional 300 inches from Mother Nature per year certainly help!)

Don’t forget about cross-country terrain:

Included in the vacation packages, the resort’s Nordic terrain includes 30 km of cross-country trails and 24 km of snowshoe terrain. Lessons are available if you’re new to the sports, and ice skating is on-site as well (we find our kids prefer skating while we enjoy the tranquility of the trails). Rent equipment at the center or bring your own.

Teen clubs:

Teens and tweens are usually forgotten when it comes to kids’ clubs (most end at age 12), but Smuggs offers not one, but two! Kids ages 13-15 have their own space at Teen Alley, and 16-17-year-olds have access to Outer Limits. Both clubs are open for après ski fun without parents, and programming includes organized games, video game tournaments, movie nights, and dance jams. How teens have the energy for all this after a day of skiing, I’ll never know, but they do!

Photo credit: Smuggler’s Notch