Family Winter Sports Guide // 2024 // Out There Outdoors by Out There Outdoors

LEARN TO SKI OR RIDE PROGRAMS

SNOW TUBING AT LOCAL RESORTS

5TH GRADERS SKI OR SNOWBOARD FOR FREE!

TIPS FOR SAVING ON GEAR

INCREDIBLE SKI & SNOWBOARD PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES

Kids and parents can learn to ski or ride in three days with lift tickets, rentals, and lessons.

SAVING MONEY ON SKI AND SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT

There are plenty of ways to get your family outfitted with skis, boards, boots, bindings and poles on a budget without having to buy brand-new, full-priced gear.

• Lease Kids’ Ski Gear: Leasing allows your child to use the same gear all winter long without having to rent each day, and it saves parents from having to buy new gear and sell it again each year as kids grow. You can lease kids’ ski equipment for the whole season from Spokane Alpine Haus at one of their two locations (South Hill and North Spokane). Get your child sized and set up before the season starts and use the gear all winter and then return it come spring.

• Shop a Ski Swap or Find Used Gear: There are several Inland NW ski swaps that happen each fall, including the biggest one, the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap held every year on the last weekend of October. The SARS Sandpoint Ski Swap is still coming up Nov. 9. If you missed the swaps, check out the Gear Garage in Coeur d'Alene, a new shop specializing in used ski and snowboard equipment and other outdoor gear. Other deals can be found online on Facebook Marketplace and elsewhere.

• Local Shop Sales: Many of our local ski and snowboard shops offer great deals on gear for kids and adults, especially on the previous season’s inventory. Shop around for the best deals.

• Rent Equipment: Many ski and snowboard shops have demo equipment and rental gear available for a daily fee, or you can rent equipment up at the ski area you’re visiting on a given day.

EZ SKI OR RIDE 1-2-3 PROGRAMS

The EZ Ski or Ride 1-2-3 programs makes learning to ski or snowboard for the very first time affordable and easy for kids and parents. All four Ski the NW Rockies association resorts offer a three-visit package to first-timers at an incredible price ($199 and up) that includes three lift tickets, three rentals (boots, poles, skis or snowboard), and three lessons (ages, prices and details vary by resort).

How It Works: Pick one of the participating ski areas (Lookout Pass, Mt. Spokane, Silver Mountain, or 49 Degrees) where you want to sign up. Purchase the EZ SKI 1-2-3 package by calling the ski area and purchasing your EZ Ski package and scheduling the lessons. Then show up the day of the first lesson with plenty of time to get fitted for your rental gear. Your child (and maybe you) will be on your way to learning to ski or snowboard! More info at Skinwrockies.com.

5TH

GRADE SKI OR RIDE FREE PASSPORT

Fifth graders can ski or ride for free all season at four Ski the NW Rockies resorts.

This popular program helps get 5th graders out on the slopes for free for three full days at each participating resort (some blackout dates may apply). To participate, parents need to submit an application with a $23 one-time processing fee at 5thgradeskipassport.com. A parent/guardian must be present at the mountains’ ticket offices to receive your child’s lift ticket.

How It Works: Submit your application and pay the processing fee online, and you’ll receive an e-mail with your passport that can be used to receive up to three lift tickets at Lookout Pass, Mt. Spokane, Silver Mountain, and 49 Degrees North. You can either print the passport and bring it with you or pull it up on your phone to present it at the ticket office. Check with the specific ski area for full details. Visit Skinwrockies. com for details.

RENTAL GEAR. // PHOTO: BRI LOVEALL

PHOTO: COURTESY OF 49 DEGREES NORTH

THE DARK, COLD MONTHS OF WINTER can be a hard time for kids and teens, especially those with a lot of energy and not a lot of healthy outlets or resources to safely get out in cold weather. Without active, positive options, those long, indoor winter days can lead to a variety of behavioral and mental health challenges for some kids and parents. Getting your child engaged in skiing or snowboarding, even if it’s something you or your family have never done before, may be just the ticket to a newfound love for winter in our region.

When I was a teen growing up in Spokane Valley, winter meant more time spent with friends inside, often engaging in sometimes questionable activities to entertain ourselves. That is, until I talked my parents into letting me start skiing and then snowboarding with my friends (shuttled by skiing parents until older friends had drivers’ licenses). All of those days (and nights under the lights while night skiing) kept me out of untold trouble, and for that I’m tremendously grateful to my parents, who took us xc skiing often but themselves didn’t alpine ski.

Muir Harrison, a longtime snowboarder and owner of DOMA Coffee Roasting Company in Coeur d’Alene, had a similar

GETTING TEENS ON SNOW

How skiing or snowboarding can change the way kids feel about winter

BY DERRICK KNOWLES

experience growing up locally, where being introduced to snowboarding changed his life and transformed how he felt about the cold, snowy Inland Northwest winters. Here’s his story, which he recently shared as his inspiration behind helping to get new kids on the mountain with lift ticket and gear donations.

“A defining ‘this is winter’ memory for me is from 1993 or 1994. I was the type of kid who woke with just enough time to get cleaned up and dressed, grab an apple, and get out the door. I never gave myself enough time to dry my hair before heading out to wait for the bus. We’d be standing there for maybe 10 minutes, and my hair would freeze, then we’d get on the bus and it would thaw and drip all over my shoulders, neck and back. I hated it. I hated waking up in the dark, I hated frozen hair, and I hated constantly being cold and wet.

For a few years, that was winter to me. Dark. Cold. Wet. Then my folks took my sisters and me to the mountain to try snowboarding and everything changed. Winter became a joy, the time when we could ride. It was still a cold, wet, dark time, but carving down the mountain, flowing through the trees, opening it up and seeing how fast we could go transformed the worst time of year into one of my favorites. It’s a powerful thing and an

GEAR UP ON A BUDGET

TIPS TO SOURCE GEAR AND STAY WARM ON THE SLOPES

You don’t have to take out a second mortgage to get kids prepared with the right skiing or snowboarding gear. Here are some tips on what you need to stay warm and dry and how you can find many apparel items on a budget.

WHY LAYERS ARE SO IMPORTANT AND COTTON GENERALLY SUCKS

Multiple layers while skiing or snowboarding allow kids to put on, take off, zip, or unzip to match the cold, warm, windy, or wet weather conditions. Start with a waterproof or at least water-resistant jacket and pants (outer layer). Then add these recommended warming layers to keep on hand in a backpack, bag or ski locker if conditions change or wear underneath depending on the weather at the start of the day:

• Base layers: tops and bottoms made of polyester, wool, or a blend.

• Wool or synthetic socks to match the temperature outside.

• Mid-layer fleece or wool jacket or sweater.

• Fleece pants or sweatpants.

• A thin, warm hat that will fit under a helmet.

• Goggles (for snow and sun)

• Insulated, weatherproof gloves or mittens.

• A ski mask/head sock to protect faces.

To get the best deals on all of this gear and save money, try some of these triedand-true options:

• Buy used gear at a local ski swap. The SARS Sandpoint Ski Swap is still coming up Nov. 9.

• Hunt for used ski/snowboard apparel from friends, at thrift stores, used gear shops like the Gear Garage in Coeur d’Alene or online (Facebook Marketplace, etc.).

• Shop the sales at your local ski and snowboard shops.

experience I try to encourage and share. Whether you’re new to the northern states or not, winter is a riddle that needs to be solved in order to thrive. At least for me, snowboarding was the solution to that riddle and it has been for the 30-ish years since I was introduced to the sport.”

Harrison and his wife Julia have continued the tradition with their own three kids, introducing them each to skiing and snowboarding and teaching them how to be comfortable and capable in the mountains and in the snow. But the unfortunate reality, explains Harrison, is that getting kids and families into skiing or snowboarding often faces barriers. It can be expensive or take time to hunt down deals on equipment and the proper winter clothing. (See our sidebar for gear tips and how to make gearing up more affordable.) For many families, he says, it’s prohibitively expensive and an option that hasn’t been on the table.

To help break down that financial barrier for some local kids, the Harrisons have been partnering with Venture Academy, Coeur d’Alene’s alternative high school, since last winter to raise money to pay for lift tickets, gear and some transportation for kids who might otherwise not be able to ski or snowboard.

WINTER FISHING AT THE MOLSON ICE FISHING DERBY

A family-friendly adventure in Washington’s Okanogan Highlands

IF YOU'VE NEVER experienced ice fishing, the picturesque setting of Sidley Lake in Molson, Wash., might be a great spot to try your luck at the Molson Ice Fishing Derby. Located 15 miles east of Oroville in the Okanogan Highlands, this fishing derby delivers a day of fish and fun that draws anglers from near and far and keeps families coming back year after year.

Founded by Robin Stice, owner of the Eden Valley Guest Ranch, the derby started as a small community fundraiser and now attracts well over 100 participants each year. The 2025 derby, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, promises to be a day of fun, prizes, and community spirit.

“Derby Day” begins with registration at the Molson Grange at 7 a.m. Anglers then start fishing, with “poles in holes” at 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The derby features multiple categories to keep things exciting. Grand prize is $500 cash plus a $500 gift certificate at the Country Store in Oroville. Other cash and prizes are awarded for

adults and kids in categories such as length, weight, smallest fish, and even fun awards like the best-decorated fishing shanty, oldest fisherman and farthest distance traveled.

Not just for fishing enthusiasts, the Molson Ice Fishing Derby provides a day for the whole family to enjoy. For those who prefer to stay out of the cold, the local Molson Grange Hall serves a pancake breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. and then becomes a cozy haven where crafters and vendors display their handmade goods. It’s a great chance to browse unique wares while sipping on hot cocoa. There’s also plenty planned for children, with crafts, raffles of gift baskets and gift cards, bingo games and a lunch benefitting the Sitzmark Ski Hill available in the Grange Hall or at the warming tent on Sidley Lake.

What makes this event even more special is its impact on the local area. Proceeds from the derby support community initiatives, helping to strengthen and sustain the Okanogan Highlands. So, whether you’re fishing, shopping, or simply enjoying the atmosphere, your participation contributes to a great cause.

Pack your gear, gather the family, and get ready for an unforgettable day of ice fishing, prizes, and winter fun at the Molson Ice Fishing Derby sponsored by the Oroville Washington Chamber of Commerce. For more event and accommodation information, please visit www.DiscoverOrovilleWA. com. (Sponsored)

SNOW TUBING WINTER FUN FOR ALL AGES

Mt. Spokane brings back popular ski area tubing hill

SLIDING DOWN a snow-covered hill on a tube is a winter sport that adults and kids of all ages will find fun, connecting and thrilling. Unlike sledding, where you and the kids have to trudge back up the hill after each run, dodging other kids and random obstacles on the way down, snow tubing at a local resort is a safer and easier snowsliding experience!

Tubing at one of our local ski areas comes with the benefit of a free tow-assist back to the top. Snow tubing makes a great activity for those who may not ski or snowboard but want to experience the joy of flying down the snow. It’s a great family experience too, with opportunities to connect and delight in each other as you all act like kids for a while. Try racing each other down the hill or tie-up (where permitted) for a family-style, spinning ride to the bottom.

Several regional ski resorts offer groomed (packed down) tubing that includes use of large tubes and sliding hills with designated tubing lanes with a ride back to the top. This winter, with the announcement by Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park that tub-

ing will return to the mountain once again, there are even more options than ever for snow tubing in the Inland Northwest!

THE RETURN OF SNOW TUBING AT MT.

SPOKANE SKI & SNOWBOARD PARK

For years, snow tubing at Mt. Spokane, situated at a couple of locations at the ski area in different iterations, was one of the closest and most popular tubing options for Spokane-area families. When the tubing hill on the mountain closed a few seasons back, followed by the purchase of the Bear Creek Lodge by Washington State Parks and subsequent closure of that lower-elevation tubing hill after the 2022 season, there were far fewer tow-assisted tubing options to choose from. That makes the news that Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park will once again be offering snow tubing all the more exciting.

“Back by popular demand, Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park is thrilled to announce the return of snow tubing,” says Mt. Spokane’s Jodi Kayler. This exhilarating win-

THE KNOWLES-SMITHWILSON FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SNOW TUBING AS A BONDING EXPERIENCE. IT WORKS. // PHOTOS: SHALLAN KNOWLES

ter activity is perfect for families looking for accessible fun in the snow for all ages. The tubing hill, conveniently located at Lodge 1, will officially reopen in December, just in time for the holiday season. “Expect an adrenalinepacked experience as you glide down the hill with friends and family,” says Kayler.

Snow tubing sessions at Mt. Spokane will run for 90 minutes, allowing plenty of time for everyone to enjoy the thrills cruising down the hill with a lift-tow back to the top. Tubing sessions will be available throughout the holiday season as well as on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays all winter long. Sessions can be booked online and must be booked in advance. Please note that tubing will not be available on ski race competition days due to parking limitations.

The new tubing hill is a great way to introduce little ones to the ski area in a fun way that may inspire them to get on skis or a board next season. It’s also a fun option for non-skiing parents and/or kids to do while other family members get some runs in up on the slopes. Tubing hill tickets for

MORE LOCAL SNOW TUBING OPPORTUNITIES

There’s no hiking back to the top thanks to Silver Mountain Resort’s moving carpet that effortlessly whisks riders and their tubes back up on a weather-protected conveyor for another run. Enjoy the ride reliving your latest tube run with family and friends! The tubing hill at Silver Mountain is conveniently located near the lodge and the top of the gondola, making it an easy trek for families with nearby restrooms and hot chocolate and snack options. Tubing is available Fridays through Sundays. Find more info and make reservations at Silvermt.com.

At Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s Hermits Hollow, tubers will enjoy two lanes of sliding that stretch over 100 yards down to a rope tow for the lift back to the top. Book your tubing session in advance at Schweitzer.com.

COME PLAY IN THE SNOW

Mt. Spokane is the ultimate place to play for the entire family. Visit us online for operating hours, lift tickets, season passes, lessons, and special events happening all winter long.

SNOW TUBING IS BACK AT MT. SPOKANE!

WHY KID LESSONS ARE THE WAY TO GO

Kids can learn faster from instructors, and moms and dads get some free time!

BY BRI LOVEALL

I’VE GOT TO BE HONEST: I’ve been dreading teaching my kids to ski. I never seem to make it to a ski swap in time to secure good deals on gear, and, with three kids at home, the cost of rentals, tickets, and lessons has always been just a little outside of our budget. Plus, the idea of schlepping my kids up to the mountain, hauling bags of snacks and water bottles and spare clothes, was a mental barrier.

I’m sure there are plenty of parents out there who have successfully coached their

kids into becoming stellar skiers and boarders, and to those parents who have done it, snow hats off to you. But for my own kids, ages four and seven last winter, I knew I was going to need to recruit outside help.

Enter Club Shred, Mt. Spokane’s own Friday night ski club for younger novice skiers. Club Shred takes kids ages 4 to 10 and provides them with a full evening of skiing, crafts, movies, and dinner. It was the perfect opportunity for my kids to try out skiing with the bonus of a date night thrown in for my husband and me.

On a cold Friday afternoon in February, I packed snow gear, picked the kids up from school, and drove the quick 45 minutes to the mountain. We checked in at guest services, got them fitted for rental gear, and then my husband and I dropped our kids off at the kid’s club. All the while I worried that my kids would lose their gloves or struggle with their boots, or fall and refuse to get up (a likely scenario for at least one of my children).

Dear reader, I can assure you that I had nothing to fear. While my husband and I spent some quality time night skiing, stopping for a half hour to watch the sunset at Vista House, and enjoying live music and a

beer, my kids did lap after lap on the bunny hill before stopping for dinner (chicken tenders and fries), then returning outside. By the time 8 p.m. rolled around, our seven-year-old daughter was able to ski the bunny hill without falling over. She beamed with pride. Our four-year-old son was playing tag in the snow with an instructor, his skis discarded to the side. Both were ruddycheeked, their hair wet and plastered to their sweaty foreheads. When we returned the rental gear, the staff had hot chocolate with marshmallows waiting for our kids, who both slurped it down while eagerly telling us all about their evening.

Over the next month and a half, we attended a few more times. One Friday, after picking up the kids and their customary hot cocoa, a ski instructor pulled me to the side to tell me my son hadn’t been interested in skiing that day. I asked if he’d played outside anyway, and the instructor said he had. Perfect, I exclaimed. He was doing exactly what he was supposed to: having fun while building his cold tolerance; learning how to play in the snow even when he was wet and tired.

Ironically, the things I’d been dreading (schlepping my kids around, packing an insane

amount of extra clothing) became a nonissue when the pressure of teaching my kids to ski was removed. Instead, I sat on the sidelines, watching my daughter learn to navigate her skis and the joy in my son’s face when he finally managed to turn as he slid off the magic carpet. And when they inevitably fell, an instructor was quick to right them, no tears or shouts for mom and dad.

Thanks to Club Shred, Bri Loveall plans to spend a significant amount of time on the slopes with her fledgling ski babies this winter.

CLUB SHRED AND FIST BUMPS. //PHOTO: BRIANA LOVEALL.

RIDING THE MAGIC CARPET. //PHOTO: BRIANA LOVEALL.