For the Osterloh family, including eight daughters, skiing together created a bond so dear it has endured time. Even now that the girls are grown, some have started their own families, and their father, the one who rallied them every weekend, has passed away, they continue to connect on the slopes and honor their family traditions.
Denice Osterloh recalls getting her daughters on the slopes as being a challenge when they were young. “Taking all of our kids skiing at once, once we had all eight, took a long time. Just gathering their boots and their skis, that was quite a production.”
Interestingly, the process of getting everyone out the door created happy memories for the Osterloh girls. Meg shares, “A ski day growing up started off chaotic. I feel like just everyone's trying to get their stuff ready, like, ‘do you have everything?’ … but once we made it up there, once everyone had their ski boots and stuff on, it was so much fun!” Jess adds with a grin, “Someone always forgets their gloves…”
When my two kids were young, I’ll admit that I sometimes wondered, “Is it worth getting these kids geared up and out when they don’t seem to want to go?” However, Denice found there was a reward for the effort.
“It used to be when we were skiing, we would get up early and make them go. Now they make me go. I think the magic of it is just being together and being outdoors…But honestly, it's just about being together,” shares Denice. Hearing her, I begin to get it, the entire process is part of the tradition, not just the perfect moments.
Meg shares that skiing is a great way to relax now that she’s an adult, “There's so much stress in your day-to-day life and it seems like as soon as you just get on that chairlift and start going up the mountain and seeing all the snow and trees around you, everything melts away, disappears, and you're just in the moment. It's the perfect escape.”
From the mayhem and laughter of getting a large family out skiing, to the bonds that endure into adulthood, the Osterloh family illustrates how outdoor play can bond us together for a lifetime.
For tips, deals, and strategies to get your family out on the slopes, explore our content on families.
