Mom's Day Out! Schroon Lake Gore Mountain Ski and Apres

Schroon Lake Base Camp Gore Mountain Ski Trip 

As a working mom of three children, including toddler twins, it's a rare occasion to enjoy time with my girlfriends. More often than not this time is much needed, and helps me refresh myself for my usual day to day. Traveling is important to my husband and I as we take quick jaunts here and there, yet the girls trips are few and far between. Truth is- my idea of a girls trip is the polar opposite of The Hangover Movies. There are no tigers, monkeys or tattoos. The iPhone photo stream may be silly, but we always recall what happened the next day. Often we find ourselves in constant communication with the kids, clutching slow cocktails with water on the side, while always in bed very early. One of the best parts of traveling for me is the uninterrupted sleep; no bottles or diaper changes, even if for only one night. It's the little things.

Ski Trip

When my cohort Kelly and I decided to take a trip to Schroon Lake for a Gore Mountain ski trip the timing couldn't have been better. We chose Schroon Lake as our base camp due to the town's close proximity to the ski action and large variety of things to do. From Lake Placid we took Exit 26 off the NYS Northway per our Google Map, which was about an hour and a half drive to the base lodge. This is the same distance from Albany NY. Travel time is important to me when I plan a quick trip, both for child care and maximizing vacation fun!

Mid week is always better. Why I love Thursdays!

We picked a Thursday for our ski day completely unaware it was a $12 Thursday! Seriously, it was only $12 to ski for the FULL DAY. This is less than my Starbucks order, and no doubt will be taken advantage of again. We parked in row 3 and were in the base lodge within minutes getting geared up and ready to go. We shared a table with with a couple up from Saratoga for the day. This was a bi-weekly trip for them and the $12 tickets were a bonus.

Kelly and I were lined up at the Northwoods Gondola in about 20 minutes from park time. Using the words “lined up” maybe is off target, let’s say “walked up” because there was no line we just walked into our chariot. As you can tell this day has been going rather well...quick drive, cheap tickets, front lot parking with no charge, and no lines. Therefore, I now love Thursdays.

Skiing how it should be - Great!

The trails at Gore Mountain were groomed to perfection with corduroy from top to bottom. If I had a quarter I would have rolled it down the line and picked it up at the bottom. Yet, there was no time for coin rolling, it was only time to make turns. 

The views from the summit are spectacular with snowcapped Adirondack high peaks and glimpses of both Lake George and Schroon Lake. Run after run Kelly noted how it was like we had our own mountain. There were no crowds to be found. It was us and our own figure eight style line. The majority of the mountain was open, including trails for all abilities. Gore Mountain does a stellar job in terrain diversity and mountain operations. We were excited to have old school favorite trails like Rumors and Hullabaloo open, as these are both solid and steep runs.

Each trip up the Gondola we met great people, most had traveled up for the day, along with a few staying in Schroon Lake too. It was recommended to us by one gondola buddy to head to Sticks & Stones Restaurant in Schroon Lake for our apres fun. This restaurant was on our line up based on research and it was great to get a true referral. He said to be sure and ask for Gary, this was a very important task. Apparently they grew up together outside of Albany and were friends back in the day... 

We skied for the majority of the day until the light grew dark when we caught our final chair. It was a tough call for such a fun day, although it was also closing time. We did sneak in one last run for good measure and then headed on to our next adventure.

Apres in Schroon Lake

Schroon Lake is only 20 minutes from Gore Mountain and stop one on our dine list was Witherbees Carriage House Restaurant. Upon pulling up we knew we were in the right spot for some Apres fun, the key indicator being the giant red Gore Gondola hanging above the entryway. The lobby was decked out in Gore ski signs, the kind only the patrol can get their hands on. The owners, who have been there for the last seven years, have the don't ask don't tell rule on how the signs arrived. True post ski decor.

Kelly and I were hoping to grab a drink and a bite at Witherbees although it happened to be the Town of Schroon's annual dinner. Normally, I would have been game to crash any annual dinner, however still in our ski pants and less than fashionable helmet hair we decided it may be frowned upon, or embarrassing. We did sneak a photo of the upstairs to give you an idea of how cool this place really is. Witherbees, we shall return almost certainly on a Thursday- because we love Thursdays!

Another round please.

After leaving Witherbees we headed to Sticks & Stones Bistro and Bar. By this point I had worked up quite an appetite and my lite fair was now going to be an all out dinner. Greeted by a roaring fire outside, Kelly and I entered an awesome Adirondack Style restaurant with a modern feel. Newly opened in June of 2013, Sticks & Stones really has their niche defined. From wooden bar games, decorative accents everywhere, a huge stone fireplace, to a purple wood stove for pizzas and creating toasty eats. They also serve a nice selection of draft beers including 2 from the Paradox Brewery, the local brewery in Schroon Lake.

Where's Gary?

Of Course we walked in and immediately asked for Gary. I say asked, although Kelly will say summoned. Both Gary and Steve the super friendly owners came out slightly confused, yet went along with our antics enthusiastically. We ended up having a good laugh from our gondola story and the mystery friend from the past. Gary and Steve gave us the run down of the menu including their Apres specialty Soup to Nuts. They make a variety of homemade soups daily and offer a platter with samplings of three soups of your choice and warm wood fired nuts. This is a treat for certain and not listed on the menu, but ask and you shall receive.

Perfect first day

The Food was delicious and the company was excellent too. I really felt like this was a great place to make a stop and could see myself dining here again.
INSIDER TIP: My phone was almost dead from so many photos all day and the bar comes equipped with outlets to plug in and re-charge. A very cool and unexpected amenity.

After dinner it was time to retire for the evening and to of course call home to check in on the family. My legs were tired from an awesome ski day and another day was just around the corner. Check back in a couple weeks to see Day 2 of our Schroon Lake trip, including the extreme powder day to follow. Here's a sneak peak photo of whats next to come from our visit. You're going to be surprised with all of this powder what we decide to do...

PS. Since our trip I have travelled the Northway a few times and have stopped in to see Steve and Gary, of course to also get a chuckle about the masked man who sent us there- one day we are sure he will be identified!

Skiing with Toddlers

First Day on the Slopes

First day Skiing in Lake Placid NY at Whiteface Kids Park

Teaching toddlers to ski- A rite of passage

My husband and I are avid, or quite possibly addictive skiers, and have been most of our lives. We began with our families when we were young and as we grew older skiing became a friend getaway, couples day and our way to unwind. It's important to us our children take part in downhill skiing. For our family the sport has also evolved as our family grows. Our oldest child who is now a teenager was an easy learn on the hill. We gracefully traded off ski lessons and took our time teaching him not only to ski, but to be a skier. In between instructor change we would slide in a run or two on our own to keep momentum up. He is now an excellent skier, more aggressive on the hill than myself and has been side by side with us since.

Our oldest learned to ski with us too

Chapter two of our lives, 10 years later involves toddler twins. At 2 1/2 they boast an activity level to be rivaled, with an attention span to match. We have our work cut out for us...this we are certain.

Plan Ahead

Although we live in Lake Placid, close to Whiteface Mountain, we have quite a few options for our first day. We could head to the golf course, try a local recreational hill, or take a trip to Gore Mountain, Titus Mountain or Big Tupper. We could also do what we did with our oldest and ski Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake. We made the decision to head to Whiteface Mountain Resort based on the amenities including the "Kids Kampus" with available learning tools, bright foam features, the scheduled visit from Santa's Workshop Characters and of course the magic carpet. All hail to the Magic Carpet.

 Lake Placid NY is an excellent family vacation location, with all of it's off the hill activities, there's never a worry about what to do, or what if the ski day is a bust. Choosing Whiteface as a beginner mountain for a family ski trip would be the perfect choice under all circumstances.

Whiteface Mountain would be the most manageable option; keeping the kids entertained and simple for us. If we were traveling to the area we would have scheduled half day child care for the kids in either the Bears Den Nursery or Snow Sports School to give us the opportunity to ski for a few hours on our own. These programs are extremely well managed and organized, affording a parent peace of mind instead of stress over taking a "mommy time out".

Pre-ski prep- AKA dress up!

Prior to lesson one we have been sure to try all of the gear on the twins at home. Helmets have been well received and provide the found game of ramming into each other. Ski boots have also been a novelty and are also proudly worn. If you don't have the opportunity try on gear in advance consider reading a few books and watching a video or two about skiing to familiarize them with the process. Any sort of recognition builds anticipation in children and gives an element of excitement once the big day arrives.

All packed up

The gear list for our family ski adventure includes:

• Mom and Dad's gear
• 2 sets of 70cm skis  
• 2 pairs of ski boots, mondo size 17.5 and 19 
• 2 ski harnesses 
• 2 helmets equipped with goggles  
• 2 turtle furs to fit under the helmets
• 2 snow suits to match
• Extra extra outdoor socks in case of cold feet or a wet lodge floor 
• Mittens to ensure their fingers stay warm
• Everything in backpacks for easy hauling

 After packing their gear and then myself, it was decided I would be best served with a nap…

On our way to Whiteface Mountain

Tuned and ready to go 

Parking was a dream at the Kids Kampus of the resort. We parked 5 rows back and it was a holiday week! With everything already packed we hiked up to the base lodge where I scooted into reception to grab lift tickets while my husband headed to the main lodge to set the kids up in their gear. Equipment rentals, gear, lift tickets and lesson sign up is all centrally located in one place. The reception was very well organized with helpful staff throughout. The secondary attached lodge is where you get dressed, dine and can grab a hot cocoa. 

One stop shop for lift tickets, rental gear, and lesson sign up

By the time I had registered the kids and purchased their tickets, my family was already in one of the play and ski zones getting a feel for the sport. We made the decision in advance to have Dad wear skis and I would be the one who rallied (or herded) the children within the different areas.

The kids loved watching Dad along with all of the other children skiing and snowboarding- the people watching was an activity in itself for them. Once we felt like they had a feel for the boots and snow we slipped them in their skis and pulled them through the cones, down the slight incline carved out in the snow. Clipping in was the most difficult part for them. The movement of walking and sliding in skis is a fun and playful experience for children and we let them do exactly that. For the littlest skiers the biggest hurdle is getting used to moving around attached to skis. For day one, a child who is comfortable standing and walking while clipped in is deemed a success. We had no chair lift expectation.

From pizza to french fry these two are ready to ride

Moving on up

After a half hour in the cone zone we decided to venture into the Magic Carpet area. The staff was great and let us in with out riding up the carpet, giving the kids a chance to gage what was going on. Enhanced with larger than life flowers and foam cut out features instead of cones, the twins were in the land of little ones and became at ease instantly. Dad took a trip up the carpet first and skied back down to us, which encouraged the kids to hop on with him and give skiing a try.

Magic carpet's are so much more fun than a J Bar

The kids made a few trips up and down the carpet and bunny hill until it was clear they had had enough. We un-clipped near a "baby tree" and took a break to eat snow.  We tried to get their skis on again, however the fascination of standing up the elephant foam creatures was much more interesting to these two. They ran around (with ski boots on) and helped all of the elephants up and then proceeded to lay them back down. I watched them play in the snow and quickly understood skiing and snowboarding is how WE play in the snow- mission accomplished!

Sleeping elephants needed to wake up according to these two

My husband and I were extremely impressed with all they accomplished on day one. We definitely made the right choice for our needs to make for an excellent family winter day. The children had a great time and have asked about the sleeping elephants over the last few days, which means we will head back for another visit soon.

Insider tips

• If you are planning a lesson or child care book in advance.
• Don't stress if you don't have all of the gear, there are plenty of rental shops available.
• Enough can not be said about the ease of parking. Bravo Whiteface!
• Assisting sleeping elephants in ski boots up and down hill makes for a nice long toddler nap. 
• Book a Ski and Stay package if you plan to ski with mid week boasting the best rates.
• Kids under 6 ski and ride for free. 
• If there is a line at the rest room, there are more downstairs no one really knows about.
• MOM TIP- Fill your pockets with snack bags and drinks. This enables a quick trail side picnic, will save a few tears and a trip into the lodge!

#family #familytravel #skiing #momtips #twins