Ski In/​Ski out: There?s no turning back

While I was growing up in the northwest, my family and I would take ski trips. We’d pile into the car on a Friday, drive the 2 hours up the pass and arrive in Snoqualmie where the four of us would move into a little cabin on the mountainside for the weekend. It was a simple cabin. Fold out bed downstairs in the living room with a wood burning stove and a loft, which you accessed by ladder, where my brother and I had our own twin size beds. The next morning, we’d all put on our ski gear and walk the quarter mile to the resort. Your goal was to stay on two feet and not slip on the sheet of ice between our cabin and the resort. If you succeeded at this, you knew it was going to be a good day.

We never got lessons. My parents, my brother and myself all learned together. I think mom and dad had a couple seasons under their belt pre children, but realistically speaking, we were all beginners. And it was awesome. I enjoyed every minute of it, and minus the occasional slip on the icy road leading to the resort, I don’t ever recall complaining about anything. The snow was always ​“amazing”, the hot chocolate was always the ​“best on the planet” and I remember racing my brother down the hill, fully believing that we were the fasted kids out there. 

Fast forward to Steamboat 2015. There is no treacherous stroll to the resort from your cabin. No, these days, kids are able to click in literally right at their doorstep and begin their day of skiing immediately after their first bowl of cheerios. As my team and I deliver ski rentals to these amazing ski-in/ski-out condos and homes and can’t help but be just a little jealous. What an experience these kids are having! The views are spectacular, the ability to come in for lunch or a snack is incredibly convenient and you can literally ski down to the resort to join your ski class or buy your tickets. There’s no figuring out how to carry your skis awkwardly, as you learn what method works best for you as a 10 year old weighing in at 60 pounds. No, you just step outside and go. Kids of 2015, you guys have it going on! Enjoy it, and who knows where we’ll be in another 20 years!