For most of the family this was a time to relax and regroup after our last big trip. The current semester is rolling to a close and some of the kids have been prepping for tests or finishing up big assignments. Addy went to a birthday party, Rach got out for a hot tubbing/comedy night with friends, Jackson and Lindsey went to sleepovers, and Evelyn hung out all weekend with her friends. It's been nice.

As for me, the week was a little bit more lively. On the weekend I had study club, where I gave a presentation and helped with computer stuff. After finishing things on Saturday, Addy and I went up to Schweitzer to ski for the afternoon and into the night. We started with several laps through the park, and then left the crowds for moonlit runs through the trees with nobody else in sight. It was actually super peaceful, floating noiselessly through the forest and feeling like we had the whole mountain to ourselves. Super pretty. I'm glad that I got to share that with Addy-O.

On Sunday we hung out in the morning, and then I went off on my own for a short day on the hill. I stopped at Wallace for a little while just to hang out and make sure the house was in good shape. We had friends staying up there last weekend, and it's looking like we might have people up there this coming weekend as well. Honestly, I think that is pretty cool and I like that we are able to offer that.

When I was about fifteen minutes away from home, I got a call from Rachel saying we had been invited to go see a show that night if we could be ready in a half hour. It was a bit rushed trying to change from "fresh-off-the-hill" to "let's-go-to-a-Broadway-show" while at the same time getting things all set for the kids at home, but we pulled it off and had a super fun evening with the Misners.

And now here I am, back at work. In a few days we'll take another long road trip- this time to Utah- for various different ski destinations and some visits with extended family. It is the last "big" trip for a while, and everyone is really looking forward to this one. 

Anyway- that's about it for us. Have a good week!

Sorry, little mountains, we love you, but a small hill just can't generate the energy field of a peak that rises over 3,000 feet. Big mountains are wilder, more primal, more unlike our everyday world. Sometimes they are scary...more Tim Burton than Walt Disney. That's why big mountains are different: they are less predictable, more demanding, and therefore so much more rewarding.   

            -"Guru" Dave Powers

Of all the "big mountain" resorts out there, Jackson Hole definitely makes the short list for having some of the wildest and most untamed terrain that remains in-bounds. When you are up there, facing down some steep chute or big drop-in, it somehow makes everything else fade away. Sure, the mind might drift back for a second to the live band that was playing at the base, the cozy gondola ride up, or the gourmet snack you recently finished at the boujee mid-mountain lodge. But then you look down again, and you realize that in spite of all these luxurious trappings you still happen to be on the side of a mountain, and a gnarly one at that, and you suddenly feel very, very small.

This past weekend was one of the best ski vacations we have had as a family.

As I write this, I am laughing a little bit at myself. I mean, I'm pretty sure I say that after every vacation. In a way I am reminded of my 12-year-old self going to movie theaters. "That was the BEST MOVIE EVER!"...after every movie. There was just something about the theater experience though- something we didn't do very often- that was just unique and cool and transported you, for a while, into a different world. 

Like skiing.

This feels different though. It feels more "real." It could be that the Tetons have meant a lot of things to me over the years, and I carry a sense of nostalgia with me to the mountain. It could be that I am watching our kids grow up and I realize deep down that the special moments we are having as a family are just moments and can't last forever. A part of it might be that my skiing has progressed to the point of self expression, and the diversity of these big mountains creates an especially enticing canvass. 

I don't know. It could be a lot of things. And maybe with time I will become a snob. And yet, even the snobbiest of snobs have to admit that the Tetons have something special.

It was good.

In terms of the actual skiing, we are always breaking into smaller groups depending on people's interest so I can only speak for myself. I know that Jack and I spent the majority of the first day exploring some of the steepest terrain on offer. Another whole morning was spent cruising groomed runs with Maren, and was maybe the most fun I had on the whole trip. Maren is quirky in a very fun-to-talk-to sort of way. Good company. I also lapped the park for almost two hours with Jackson and Lindsey, trying to get my body to do things in the air that I'm sure felt much more stylish than any observer would give me credit for.

Besides the two days we spent at Jackson, we also spent a fabulous day at Grand Targhee- a smaller resort on the other side of the range. As luck would have it, we hit Targhee on a "unicorn day," as one of the locals put it. Ten inches of fresh snow overnight into a crystal clear bluebird day made for smiles all the way down every run. Seriously, I felt like a little kid and would often catch myself audibly laughing or whooping as we "floated" more than "slid" down the mountain.

What a weekend!

Life. Is. Good.

Evelyn has pushed herself this year, and has definitely earned the "most improved" award in regards to skiing performance. She is confident on pretty much everything, but prefers steep bumps over everything else. She did her first double blacks on this trip, making the important turns with confidence.

The hot tub is always welcome at the end of the day

So, Rach had kind-of a frustrating trip. She skied every day, but wasn't able to do all that she wanted on account of her still-healing knee. It's pretty swollen and will require some good rest and PT before it's a hundred percent again.

Top of the tram

These two know how to have fun.

Lindsey earned her poles! (To get poles, they have to ski fluidly on all black diamond runs). Lindsey also did her first doubles on this trip, even if she side-slipped most of the hard sections.

Before writing anything, I want to put last week in context. January is going to be crazy for us. We just got back from Canada. Next weekend we'll be at Jackson Hole, the one after that I have study club where I am delivering a presentation, and the one after that we will be in Utah. There is a lot of travel and a lot of things. Some would use the term "good stress" to describe the month. Now with that in mind, let's look at last week. 

No school. No travel. No obligations.

It was a week of "chill." We hung out with friends. We played video games and watched movies. We jumped on the trampoline and watched football and let the house get dirty without caring. A few of us went skiing, but nobody really pushed themselves. In short, it was a really nice week.

Have a good week!

We didn't get many photos this week, but this is one activity we did where the kids and their friends made gingerbread houses.

We were finally able to bring this table up to our other house. We had it made locally, and I really like the symbolism of it. Two rivers, converging into one, and then branching out into five different directions.

This is the only photo we have of skiing this week. Addy, Jack, Rach, and I went up for a quick two half-days with an overnight stay in Wallace.

This is one of those weeks that is hard to put into words. Short summary: We went on a family ski trip to several high-end resorts in Canada. Look at the photos. It's us, doing things. It was great. Happy New Year!

So, there you go. That's what happened. But saying that is what the trip was about is like saying that Les Misérables is just a story about a thief. It makes it all seem pretty shallow. Like, somehow, "fun" was the point. But in between all that "fun" were moments that can never be fully recaptured. Moments that form core parts of our family's personality, and that, for some of us, will matter for years to come. Moments that are relevant to the way we see ourselves. Moments that our kids will talk about when they are asked by later generations to tell stories of their youth. 

And I guess I can only speak for myself here, but in the last week I feel like there were moments with each individual person in our family that has helped to define and strengthen my relationship with them. I've said it before, but I will forever stand by my conviction that a chairlift is one of the best places to connect with teenage kids who maybe don't have long conversations with you on a day-to-day basis. The long drives, the mid-day lunches, and the hotel dinners all lead to mostly-positive interaction in conjunction with mostly-positive experiences. It really is wonderful. 

On one of the days, Addy made a comment on a gondola ride to the top of the mountain- "Look around guys," she said. "One day when we are all grown up and we live in different places, we will still have this with us," and then she made a sweeping motion with her hands that was probably meant to indicate the spectacular view of the mountains, but could have just as easily applied to the seven of us sitting shoulder to shoulder, ready to have an amazing day together. It was quiet after that as each person got lost in their own thoughts. But she was right. No matter what happens down the road, we will have these trips. They are a part of us. I love it.

Oh- and they are also "fun."

Have a good week!

We'll start with just a couple of photos that have nothing to do with our Canadian vacation. But friends can matter just as much as family, and we've done some things lately to foster those relationships as well. This is one where Rachel and her two besties went and had a girl's night up at our Wallace place. One thing for sure is that these ladies have not forgotten how to have a good time- I think they were out past midnight, partying like it was 2003 again!

Here we are at a hockey game with my work team. We got a box and and a catered dinner and seriously, I couldn't ask for better people to spend my days with.

Ok- on to Canada. We skied four days- Two at Lake Louise, one at Revelstoke, and one at Banff Sunshine. Lake Louise was the popular favorite (which is why we did two days there), but each is special in it's own way. Revelstoke has such amazing vertical that we got to ski above an ocean of clouds. I could have gone to Banff for the view alone, which is one of the best I have EVER seen, and Lake Louise has impeccable parks and grooming as well as big mountain terrain that makes for plenty of options. What a trip!

Addy always has such a bright and optimistic view of the world. This one is particularly nice :)

Lindsey's ability is finally starting to catch up with her confidence, and it's nice to not have to worry as much about where she might go. She almost always gets cheers while skiing under a lift to further inflate an ego that doesn't need any help.

A nice photo that Evelyn captured of Jackson. It actually wasn't snowing- she just timed it well with a slight gust of wind on a nearby tree.

There were several moments both on and off the slopes that Rachel and I were able to take time for ourselves. It's nice that I can trust our kids in almost all circumstances to take care of each other, allowing us the time we crave to be the best friends that we are.

Linzo!

My Maren. More than most people, she knows how to appreciate the beauty around her. With her, I stop more often to look up. She forces me to slow down and notice the way the wind has blown snow on the trees, or the texture of the clouds, or the smell of ice. If we are discussing the activity of skiing, the conversation is composed more by emotions and physical sensations than it is on technique or terrain. Her observations are always welcome, and she is constantly reminding me, in her own gentle way, that athletic performance is more a byproduct than a goal, and that what really matters usually can't be measured. I love skiing with her.

Addy is my fun-lover. Don't get me wrong- she will push herself right up to her own stubborn limits, but she will do it with a smile and a laugh that is contagious to all around her. She is one of the most supportive people I know, and is constantly yelling encouragement to others. At the bottom of the run, rather than celebrate her own victories she would much rather hear about what others have done. Let's go Addy-O!

These two have a fun relationship. They have "secret" handshakes that they do before each run and they push each other to do things that they might be too hesitant to do otherwise. It's fun to see Evelyn let down her guard a little, and it's neat to see Lindsey identify with her teenage siblings.

Jackson is all about doing hard and scary things. He feels accomplished when he does the "hardest" runs, and he has a "send it" mentality that sometimes gets him into trouble. At the same time, he has gained a lot of experience that the others don't have and is able to keep a pretty level head in most situations. He's my go-to partner if I want to ski hard.

Evelyn pushed herself more on this trip than ever before, and came away with some awesome breakthroughs. She has officially embraced speed as a friend, and one of the most exhilarating runs of the trip was with her as we straight-lined the entire mountain from top to bottom. She also started to actively seek out mogul fields and did not hesitate when a group of us did a run called "Pitch Black," almost two miles long of nothing but advanced-level bumps. It was a leg burner for sure, and she did great! Well...she fell quite a bit, but her spirits were high and she was proud to have pushed herself past her comfort zone.

I love us

I also love this girl! When talking with the kids about style, they said that Rach had the smoothest, most classic style of skiing out of everyone. Meanwhile, I was likened to a caffeinated bunny. I'm not sure what to make of that, but they are right about Rach. She is a classy lady.

A classic photo bomb for the classy lady!

Lindsey. If she has limits, she doesn't know it.

Jack and I did a run called Kill the Banker. It finds itself on many lists of "best runs," and it was clear to see why. We skiied it as it was meant to be (some people detour through the steepest sections), and the pillow section was some of the most unique skiing I have done. Pretty cool.

If there is one picture worth clicking on for a full-resolution view, it is this one. Remember what I said about Maren and the appreciation of beauty? I felt privilaged to find myself in this moment with her. 

I love goats. Jack loves chickens. The Goat Chicken Glades were made for us. Enough said.

It got really cold at the end of the day at Banff, and each strand of Evelyn's hair grew frost crystals on it. Pretty neat. Except for the cold part.

Have a good week!