Mini Vacation to Duluth

(click on the collage image to see a larger version)

The Grand Finale! We have told the kids all winter as they practiced and practiced on our one little hill out at Elm Creek that we would take them on a ski trip to a bigger place. This weekend we went to Duluth to visit the Vos family and take a little mini vacation. It was fun to see our great friends, Jim, Emily, Nora, Joe, and Luke.

Saturday the conditions were 30+ mph winds, so we decided to bag skiing and go rock climbing at Vertical Endeavors. After a short lesson, Cayden and Dylan were able to make it to the top of a few of the climbs and were so proud to ring that bell before "repelling down".

Saturday night we got to experience The Vos Family sauna for the first time (complete with making the right of passage run from the sauna to the house in swimsuits through the snow). Man did that feel great (the sauna and the run)!

Sunday we went skiing in a nice balmy 30 degrees at Spirit Mountain. It was amazing to see them fly down the hill doing their turns, go through the half pipe and up and over the big jumps in the aerial park. And they finally got to ride the chair lifts we've been telling them about and experience a run that takes longer to get down than to go up. Chris and I were proud of them. It amazes me sometimes how they
just pick something up and run with it. We did give ourselves a little pat on the back too for being good ski instructors...they adapted right away and had no problem upgrading to the bigger hills. They were well prepared. YEAH!

Oh yeah, and Chris and I thought it was so nice to rent "nice" shaped skiis and experience the true beauty of modern ski equipment and POLES! (We haven't bothered with poles all season because they just get in the way when you're trying to teach the kids.) Wow, what a difference skis that are shorter (160's and my antiques are 194's!!) and lighter make. They practically turn themselves!!

Another life sport under their belts...check it off the list! Now it's just time to have fun doing it together. Mountains of the west, here we come! They are ready.

Thank you Vos Family for a fabulous weekend!

Jan