junie on the slopes

Junie has been doing a lot of late season ski training. She took a lesson back in January, but it wasn't until a visit from my sister Katye and her fiance, Tim, two weeks ago that June's Olympic training began in earnest. Katye used to teach the toddler set how to ski at Beaver Creek, so she dusted off her teaching cap and took Junie to the snow covered trails behind our house. In the two weeks since then, I've taken June to the same trails a time or two more.

With temperatures this weekend in the upper 50s and Adrienne and Jolee in Seattle, June and I took to the slopes. It's amazing how quickly a three-year-old can progress. On Friday, we went to Breckenridge and she took her first ride on the chairlift. I was nervous beforehand, but Junie handled it like she had done it a million times. Katye had recommended I ski backwards down the hill in front of June and forgo all the crazy straps and harnesses you see parents wrapping around their kids. We did, however, use an "Edgie Wedgie" (a small piece of rubber that clamps to both ski tips to keep them together) for the first trip down the mountain. It was slow going, but Junie steadily improved. Being able to make eye contact with June (because I was skiing backwards) was really helpful. We eventually made to the bottom, had some snacks in the resort, and then grabbed some happy hour tacos and lemonades at Lucha, our favorite local cantina.

On Saturday, we followed much of the same routine. This time we only used the Edgie Wedgie for a short while and Junie handled the transition without a hitch. Again, she made steady improvements and by the end of our trip down the mountain she had started to follow me as I skied ahead of her (no longer skiing backwards). Although it was nearly 60, we sat by an outdoor fire and enjoyed some snacks before heading home.

Her progress continued on Sunday. She was able to follow me down the slopes and we made it to the bottom in less than half the time it took us just two days before. We stopped for a snack and even went out for a second run. She honestly started giving me pointers the next time down. "Point your tips like this, Dad!" she told me—several times.

Today, we hit the slopes again. The progress continues. I can't overstate how much fun it is to watch her skills and confidence develop. I think I've had even more fun than her. The really warm temperatures and empty slopes have made our recent skiing adventures that much more enjoyable.

Here is a video that roughly follows chronological order: a few shots from our yard, her lesson at Breck, on the trail with Katye and Tim, and then shots of our skiing and snack breaks from the last few days. Enjoy!