This is my first post here -- hello to everyone who reads this! So, from another forum, I think I've narrowed down a weekend trip to Massnutten. (FWIW, coming from Alexandria, I think it will be a better drive than heading north -- thereby avoiding most of the beltway on a Friday afternoon -- plus it sounds like it will be less crowded than Liberty or Whitetail.) This will be my son's first ski experience. With an almost 4 year old, I want to be close to the slopes, but not pay for a slope side home we don't need. (It may be only me and my son, and at most my hubby if he can make it.) So, I was thinking resort hotel. But I've read elswhere that the hotel(s) can be REALLY noisy. Debating top floor accomodations at hotel (assuming we can get that) and small condo, or maybe small house inside resort, but within 5 minutes drive to slopes. Thoughts from folks? (If you know anybody interested, we could trade a small 4 bedroom home in Canaan about 5-10 minutes from Timberline.) Also, is there some ski and stay package we should get? I DON'T think we will be doing 8 hours of skiing Saturday and Sunday. We will rent equipment at the resort, take lessons Saturday a.m. (maybe also Sunday?), and with my son, I anticipate we will just do four hours of skiing Saturday and Sunday, and maybe waterpark and/or snow tube afternoon and evenings. Given this plan, what's the most economical way to do it? Other Q: I was thinking a private lessons for my son, who is almost four. Technically, I suppose that is required as he is still 3. But I can pass him off as 4 -- he is tall for his age and relatively mature. I want him to have the best experience for him -- on the one hand in gymnastic class he thrives on the attention from a particular instructor and does better when the class is 6-8 rather than the sometime 20 plus, (all of which seems to indicate he should be in private) but he is very social and competitive, so that could argue for a group class if it isn't bigger than around 8 kids. Thoughts on this? Thanks for reading and for any responses.
Have fun, good luck, and then remember to have fun for him. I would see if Massanutten has anything like this (from Whitetail). I used this the first few times when my son was 4 & 5. You check him in, and they get the gear for him. They bring them in for snacks. They keep it easy and fun, for them. The parents get to ski on their own. At that age, skiing with kids was a run by run decision. How can I eek one more run down this green slope with him before he's done.... Six years later, I'm chasing him through the bumps :) Staying really close to the slopes opens up more opps to get him back out there to use some more of that lift ticket
Our premier children's program is filled with excellent instruction and fun activities for skiers ages 4 through 12 and snowboarders ages 6 through 12. Kids Mountain Camp introduces snow sports without competition, optimizing the fun while providing top-notch instruction. Please note that the time of the on snow portion of the lesson is based on the attention span and physical abilities of the child.
Hi there, skimom.
The Massanutten Slopesliders program for ages 4-12 is very good. However, I don't think it's a good idea to try to get your son in early without an evaluation from the Slopesliders managers. When they have a chance to meet you and your son, they may be willing to make an exception. That is sometimes done for 6 year olds who are mature enough to handle the 90-min group lessons that are for ages 7 and up.
The never-evers Sloperslider groups are limited to 4 kids. It a Slopesliders group at a higher level is more than 4-5, there is often an asst. instructor to ski behind the group to help pick up any kids who fall. My daughter had a great time in Slopesliders from age 4-7. Runs 9:30-2:00, with a smooth check in process starting at 8:30am. After that I usually had her do a group lesson instead since they separated kids from adults. If we brought a friend, they would do Slopesiders so I know it's also good for ages 8-12. My daughter has never had an instructor she didn't like. I was always happy with her instructors. The training program at Mnut is very strong. They hold regional training for instructors and ski patrol at Mnut on a regular basis.
If you are in the hotel on a non-holiday weekend, I don't think noise will be an issue. I've stayed there a few times. That said, you might find a condo rental on VRBO. VRBO owners will often be willing to negotiate within a week or two.
Since you brought up the question here, I'll repeat what I posted over on EpicSki.
Since I was at Mnut last week, I talked to the head of the Mnut Slopesliders (kids ski school) today to get recommendations for you and your son. She was the instructor for the special Women's Clinic on Jan. 12. Julie is one of the PSIA Level 3 instructors at Mnut. She suggested Lisa Batchelder, Asst. Mgr. for SlopeSliders, who is one of the instructors with Children's Specialist certification. Julie suggested that you and your husband do a joint private lesson at the same time as your son's private lesson. The Level 2 or 3 instructors she recommended are Walter Jaeger, Wayne Remington, or Jeanette Smith. Note that not every instructor works every day. Most work part-time. Some are always around on Sunday, while others are normally not around on Sunday. Definitely best to go on a non-holiday weekend. Call at least a week in advance to make reservations.
I've worked with Walter in the Senior Clinic. My brother-in-law had an intermediate group lesson with Walter a couple years ago and thought he was one of the best instructors he's ever had. A friend who is an intermediate in her third season likes Wayne. Jeanette worked with the beginner who came for the Women's Clinic yesterday. She and Julie worked with a friend of mine and her husband for the special Intermediate Clinic yesterday afternoon.
My suggestion would be to make a reservation for a private lesson for your son on Sat morning around 9:30am. Arrive by 8:30 and you won't wait in line for lift tickets or rentals. Book a private lesson for yourself if you want a jump start. A 4-hour lift ticket is plenty. Your son's lift ticket is free with a paid adult ticket in any case since he's under 5. After your son's first lesson, you can talk to the instructor for recommendations of what to do on Sunday.
When my daughter was ages 4-5, I made reservations well in advance for Slopesliders on Sat. Slopesliders is essentially three 45-min lessons with a snack and lunch in between. After she finished at 2:00, I would take her out for a run or two after she had a little break and snack. Then we would ski together on Sun. I would get an 8-hour ticket because we could ski in the morning, take a long lunch, then ski again. Given that I was driving 4 hours from NC, I was looking to have as much time on snow as possible before driving home. We were at Mnut in a timeshare unit the week before Christmas, plus 2-3 weekends. She was skiing the black runs at the top of Lift 6 when she was 6. The instructors at Mnut are very good.
marzNC, thanks for this most recent info, esp re instructors.
