With our kids confident on skis, we were ready to explore the larger mountains out west as a family. We knew that all the little details (managing lift tickets, equipment, parking, ski school drop off, and more) often conspire to make family ski trips uniquely challenging. For us, though, Covid protocols added an additional layer of complication. We also planned to travel with another family who have 3 kids of their own, making ours an imposing crew of nine.

With all this in mind, choosing somewhere familiar for the kids’ first venture west made the most sense. Having lived in Vail in the early 2000's, I was comfortable with the town and the mountain. In hindsight, our decision to pick a place we knew well was a smart one: it allowed us to focus on the skiing. We purchased Epic day passes for the trip (and had a positive enough experience that we purchased full Epic passes the following season).

We capitalized on flexible pandemic work schedules and left Chicago on a Wednesday, handling our Thursday work and school obligations from Denver. Spending the night and morning in Denver gave everyone a chance to acclimate to the higher elevation—a good first step to avoiding altitude sickness. By mid-afternoon on Thursday, we were headed up I-70 toward the mountains. We checked into our East Vail rental (booked through Vacasa) and used that first afternoon to grocery shop and nail down necessary details for the kids’ Friday and Saturday ski lessons, which we’d booked in advance.

“The *four* best friends that anyone could have…” (Vail 2021)

Between our two families, we had four kids needing lessons, all of similar ability. Based on Vail’s lesson offerings and pricing, we decided that a private lesson accommodating all four kids would be our best option. Group lessons weren’t on the table in 2021 due to Covid restrictions, but even in normal circumstances, private lessons often make a lot of sense. When your group, like ours, has several like-ability skiers, for a price comparable to an all-day group lesson, kids can ski with their friends, and the instructor can tailor the lesson to meet their specific needs.

Day 1

On Friday morning, the kids’ instructor, Eddie, met us in Vail Village, loaded the kids onto the gondola, and set out to explore. We adults needed some time to gather our wits after schlepping kids and equipment on the bus from East Vail and walking up Bridge Street, but eventually, we also made our way to the lifts. Our plan was to meet the lesson group at Mid-Vail for a noontime lunch. (Full-day private lessons normally include lunch, but this perk was discontinued during Covid.)

COVID protocols like required reservations and reduced seating made on-mountain dining difficult for our large group, but we worked around this by packing a picnic lunch in coolers and stashing these in the Mid-Vail lockers. We met the kids around noon, retrieved lunch from the lockers, and ate outside on the deck. I’m not sure that the kids were able to warm up fully and really rest for the remainder of the day’s lesson, but it was the best solution given the circumstances. On-mountain eats can be pricey, too, so this approach definitely saved us some cash.

Mom and Dad clean up and head back to Vail Brewing after a day of skiing.

One lesser-known benefit of private lessons is that instructors are often willing to drop their young charges wherever parents prefer at day’s end. After our last run, we grownups headed off the mountain and into the nearest après-ski bar. We texted Eddie our location in Vail Village, and the kids pulled up a few minutes later! (Don’t forget to tip your instructors, ladies and gents, and ask for Eddie if you’re booking a private lesson.) Everyone had enjoyed their first day, and all were ready to head home for the hot tub and dinner.

The best way to end a ski day (Vail 2021)

Day 2

Saturday followed the same formula. We were excited to receive text and photo updates from Eddie throughout the day, so we knew that the kids were enjoying themselves. Their favorite run was Chaos Canyon, one of Vail’s Kids Adventure Zones; they lapped it several times. Check out this kid-specific trail map; it’s a great overview of frontside terrain that’s friendly to those who are still learning.

Day 3

Day three, Sunday, was a family ski day. Since we didn’t need to meet a ski instructor, we took our time getting to the base that morning—and our lazy pace was met with a stout gondola line at the end of Bridge Street. This was our first taste of the crowds we’d encounter that day. Our later arrival time, the holiday weekend, and Covid restrictions that had chairs loading half-full combined to produce lengthy waits at the most popular lifts. Since some of our kids needed access to green terrain, these popular lifts were the ones we needed most. We made the best of it, though, and took our time waiting at the lifts to recap each run.

While lift lines might not have been an ideal way to finish our trip, both kids and adults had enjoyed plenty of great skiing. By the end of the day, everyone was skied out. Kids and adults left Vail that afternoon ready to head home but eagerly anticipating the next big ski adventure!

Big Mountain Adventures: Vail

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