Solitude Ski and Ride School
While Solitude offers several programs in their ski school, the motto for each program is “focusing on fun...and learning through play and experimentation while reinforcing technique”. Keeping the focus on FUN is especially important for young skiers/riders. The instructors know how to make learning feel like a game and center the learning around play. A short private (or semi-private) lesson will pay off LEAPS AND BOUNDS. Solitude’s instructors follow the lead of your little ones and guide them to progress to the next level in a way that feels fun. While the correct technique is taught with attentiveness, it is most important to the ski school that participants leave the day on a high. After a day of “working” on new skills, head back into Moonbeam for a reward and recharge.
Taking time to rest and recharge at Moonbeam Lodge
One reason that many locals love Solitude is for the simplicity of navigating the resort with families. Find a table by the fireplace, grab a hot cocoa or snack and set up “camp”. If you have come up to the mountain with people that aren’t skiing that day (babies, grandparents, or anybody that might be sitting out that day) the Moonbeam Lodge is a great place to meet up with skiers that come down for lunch, snacks or a “potty break”. While the Moonbeam Lodge cafeteria certainly has all the favorite snacks, do yourself a favor and look over their lunch menu. The salmon and fresh salads are DELICIOUS. We’re willing to bet that your little ones will be ready to get back on the mountain after they’ve finished their brownie or cookie.
Family Community
One of the best ways for young skiers to progress is by “chasing” the people they love down the mountain. Solitude has plenty of terrain to help the timid skier flex their muscles for adventure in a very approachable way. If you’re following @solitudemountain on social media, you’ll quickly realize that they have a thriving family community and MANY local families call Solitude their home mountain. Finding a like-minded community of friends and ski buddies is a great way to foster a lifelong love of skiing. If you want to follow along on the ski adventures of other young families, check out @flock_of_cranes and @bring_the_kids on Instagram. Keep an eye open for any of these confident and happy skiers on the mountain!
Skiing at Solitude: a legacy to share through the generations
My parents joined us on the day that Huck and I skied at Solitude. Skiing with my dad and son was one of the most special and meaningful experiences. Watching my dad put his arm around Huck on the lift, and seeing how excited Huck was to show off for his “Boppa” as he skied down the mountain were experiences that dreams are made of. You never know how many days in a lifetime you get like that. And honestly, it was just as lovely hanging out around the fireplace in the lodge with my mother and newborn daughter. Solitude understands that in order to preserve the legacy of skiing from one generation to the next that experiences need to feel fun from the beginning. Solitude focuses on raising a generation of lifelong skiers to enable families to ski together. This is just part of the reason why so many families call Solitude “HOME”.
