At age four I had the ski scene dialed. I dressed myself in warm winter clothes, put
on my boots and skis, and pushed along with huge poles; and I could usually pee
in the snow instead of my pants. Ontario
was beat, so my parents packed older bro Dan and I into the family grocery-getter,
and made like the Griswolds across the country, skidding into the snowy parking
lot of Silver Star Mountain Resort. Our
week’s winter wonderland adventure was burned into my tiny brain and has
influenced most major decisions I’ve made since.
Half a lifetime later, my wife and I packed our own 4 &
2 yr old boys into our adventure wagon and left the Coast Range for a kid-friendlier
place to enjoy the snow. Although Silver
Star village and resort has expanded, it still has the charm of a winter fairy
tale, and we arrived for the best day of the season.After eating pancakes and watching the groomers finish on the hill, we skied out the door into fresh cold snow and sunshine. Jonah and I lapped the magic carpet, while Pam and Micah explored some green and blue runs. When the boys needed to refuel with hot-chocolate I pounded laps of boot deep snow until the setting sun and closing lifts forced me indoors.
Off-piste action at Silver Star included tobogganing through
the village, racing mini-snowmobiles, skating and of course hot-tubing; making our
adventure rich with memories that might also shape the lives of our boys.
