White Pass | 2018

We took our two little snow bunnies up to the mountain this past weekend.

Ryder went to White Pass for the first time when he was about nine months old, and we really wanted Kiley's first ski trip to be just as fun. 

It was a success!

We arrived super late on Friday night and checked into our room at White Pass Village Inn. It took a while to unpack the car and convince the kids, who had slept most of the way, that it was still nighttime, but eventually we got them back to bed. 

The next morning, Ryder was thrilled to wake up and realize that we were at the mountain! 

We could see the ski area and the lifts opening right from our front window.

Ryder was super excited to try snowboarding on his own for the first time this year.

We all bundled up and headed out on the hill just as the sun started to shine through the clouds.

Kiley chose to nap through that first morning snowboard lesson...

Ryder was all geared up and ready to go...

He did such a good job as Stew took him up and down the bunny hill for his first few times!

Eventually, he even tried out the magic carpet.

Even though Ryder was a total trooper, learning to snowboard is tiring stuff, and eventually he just wanted to play in the snow like a little kid.

 

As usual, we were on the trip with the Christiansen family. Baby Jane even learned to ski!

Later that day my mom and sister arrived, and since the weather ended up being so beautiful, a group of us decided to go snowshoeing around the frozen lake in the afternoon.

When we weren't playing outside, we found lots of ways to entertain ourselves in our condo...

Ski Hat Hair.

Ryder was thrilled to learn that he could stand on the porch and feed birds right out of his hand!

In the evenings, we all took turns spending time in the hot pool. Swimming in the mountains in an outdoor, hot spa temperature pool is literally the best after spending a day in the cold.

Our good friends were celebrating their TENTH wedding anniversary, hence the themed pool attire.

The weather the next day didn't turn out nearly as nice, but even though the fog never burned off, we still got Ryder out on the slopes a second time. 

He also did some sledding with Daddy.

Kiley managed to stay awake this time.

Even though taking a ski trip with little kids involves a lot of planning, effort, and a literal ton of gear, I think that being out in the snowy mountains with my family makes it all completely worth it. 

And one of the best aspects of the trip was that we were cooped up in a tiny condo together, which meant we literally had nothing better to do than to get down on the floor and play with our kids. At home these weekend moments are consumed by various chores and errands, but tucked away in the mountains we could really take time to appreciate and reflect on the memories we were making as a family. 

We were absolutely thrilled that Ryder came away from his first snowboarding experience with a positive attitude, and we can't wait to go back again next year... maybe by then it will be Kiley's turn!