dcronin5000

We'll be at Resort at Squaw Creek. I know they have kids lessons, but do they have whole-family, or parent-child lessons? Kids are aged 9

thx

Any other recommendations for area welcome thanks
DC

Michael

I would not look for a parent-child lesson. The instructors are trained to speak a different language depending on the age of a person. Tricks given to kids as skiing aids are given to adults in "quotation marks", as "on a steep slope we tell the kids to imagine ..."

Sugar Bowl has an extensive system of free mid-week lessons divided into three parts: children skiers, adult skiers and snowboarders.

Tomsd

Would definitely agree. The young ones should go into the kids program - where they will ski with others of their own age - and be well taken care of at Squaw.

And then for a bonus - head over to Sugar Bowl - where the tram ride in is a fun ride unto itself (assuming it's still set up that way). Sugar Bowl gets the most snow of any resort on the North Shore, and have had some great powder days there. Just beautiful. http://www.sugarbowl.com/home

Tomsd

And next door to Squaw - Alpine Meadows is a big area, with some great views of the lake.

Gretchen

Agree with the above. Your kids will have a ball and progress (I don't know their level or yours, of course), as will you.

Michael

Alpine Meadows and Squaw are now under a single ownership and the tickets are good for either place. There's a free shuttle between the two ski areas.

Sugar Bowl is a quite a distance and has obviously changed since Tomsd was there. The main parking and lodge area no longer requires the gondola ride to get to the resort and newcomers are less likely to find it. I would not go there for the gondola ride. I only mentioned Sugar Bowl as an example because I am familiar with the way it organizes its lessons.

sf7307

Besides, Squaw Valley has a gondola (and ice skating rink, and a village, and a rock-climbing wall, etc. etc.)

padams421

You can hire a private instructor from the ski school just for your family for the day or half day. The instructor will ski with the whole family or you can choose to break up the day with the instructor doing some runs with just the kids or one family member or some other combination throughout the day.

Tomsd

Thanks for the update Michael. Always loved riding the Gondola into Suqar Bowl (and usually "imbibing" a bit on the way over to the main lifts. )

Another good sized area - also a bit of a drive - is Northstar - which has a lot of beginning/intermediate terrain. http://www.northstarattahoe.com/

However - both Squaw and Alpine are Big mountains (Squaw especially), and you could spend a whole week exploring the two of them, but sometimes it's fun to visit another ski area.

sf7307

I actually like Northstar a lot for kids, and that's where my own kids learned to ski, but they're staying at Resort at Squaw Creek, so really, only Squaw or Alpine make sense.

dcronin5000

Wow, this forum is as helpful as ever. Thanks.

Padams421, I think we are going to do that. I can get by without a lesson, but wife and kids really need it. And as it's up to 5 people, I'll try to tag along.

DC

Gretchen

I still say, go for group lessons and everyone split up. And even though you say you can do without a lesson, we have friends who were on the ski patrol here in the east and when they go west to ski, take a "lesson".
When you say, "wife and kids really need it" means that there is a lot of diversity in ability, and it can be so much better addressed with people of similar ability in a class that probably won't be much larger than your family size.
You may "tag along", but you might spend the day on the magic carpet on the bunny hill!! And you'll undoubtedly pay by the numbers.

lcuy

I don't know about your kids, but mine always did better with lessons when away from the parents, and when I was a lifeguard many years ago, i prefered not to have mom and dad hovering around giving their two cents . A little peer pressure and a neutral instructor can motivate them to try things they won't do if Mom and Dad are involved.

If that isn't an issue for you, I'd call ahead to reserve an instructor who's willing to work with skiers of different levels