The Challenges of Our Ski Vacation Taught Us Resilience

It was about 10 days before we were supposed to leave for our spring break trip to Mammoth Lakes, California, specifically to ski at Mammoth Mountain. Our family couldn’t wait to go. It would be the first time our two daughters, ages 15 and 12, would get to ski out West; they have been skiing in the Northeast their entire lives.

But there we were, in the local emergency room with our older daughter, Sydney, who needed her appendix removed. Not only were we facing her having to miss her dance competition that started the next day, but we were also facing the potential that she couldn’t ski with the family on vacation.

Challenges can come in both expected and unexpected ways. Our family was excited to face the physical challenge of exploring new, more difficult terrain at Mammoth Mountain. But we didn’t expect to face more of an emotional challenge of having Sydney sit out.

Rolling With the Punches

We didn’t postpone our trip. We decided to make lemonade out of lemons and adjusted our plans accordingly. Although Sydney’s doctor ultimately cleared her to ski, she was still nervous about it, so she decided (at least initially) to do her own thing.

So, an appendectomy down, we headed out to California.

That’s when we had another one of those unexpected challenges—a delayed flight and a missed connection. Although frustrating, we rolled with it and luckily got on the next flight out of Phoenix to Reno, Nevada, knowing a stop at In-N-Out Burger was ahead of us when we arrived.

Once we got to Mammoth Lakes, everything was looking up.

Missing One on the Mountain

Leaving to go skiing on day one without Sydney was tough. She was in bed when we left, but I still felt terrible leaving her behind. She had a full day planned exploring the Village at Mammoth, going for a walk, and crocheting. I was so proud of how she was taking all this and facing her challenge head-on.

I think in a way, she enjoyed having a day to herself where she could do what she wanted. She even took the gondola up from the village to the Canyon Base Lodge to sit and crochet. It was one of the first times she was able to flex her independence.

But we definitely missed her on the mountain. We started our day skiing with Emily Tewksbury from Mammoth, showing us around the expansive terrain. She took us on some easier trails on the lower mountain before taking us up to the summit. That’s where the challenge started for our younger daughter, Clare.

The summit of Mammoth Mountain sits at 11,053 feet. For perspective, we told our daughter that the summit at our home mountain of Killington in Vermont is 4,241 feet. Mammoth was almost three times the elevation of Killington. That alone is intimidating. But we got to the top of Mammoth and we all took it in—and took plenty of pictures.

Then it was time to head down our first black diamond of the trip: Cornice Bowl. Not gonna lie, it was steep, and I kind of expected Clare to freak out a little bit. She has gotten scared in the past skiing steeper trails. But she took on this challenge and killed it! The bowl had a groomed section, and unlike most Eastern steeps, it wasn’t icy. Turns out that’s what she’s the most scared of.

We met up with some friends for lunch and then had another tour from a mountain local—our friend’s brother. He took us on two other very challenging runs, and again, my younger daughter surprised me by passing each test with flying colors. She and her friend skied these runs like they’d been doing them for years.

With each run, though, I kept thinking, “Sydney would love this.” As emotionally trying as it was for Sydney, it was a bummer for us too.

Making Memories in Other Ways

With the threat of weather toward the end of the week, we decided to take Sydney to see the summit on our second day at Mammoth since you can take scenic gondola rides. My husband, Clare, and I got geared up to ski while Sydney put on her sweats, varsity jacket, and sneakers. We rode the bus up to Main Lodge, where we could all ride the gondola to the summit together. (The area transit is free, which is a great perk in Mammoth Lakes!)

It was so nice to be able to take in the views all together, and get some photos as a family of four at the summit. The small lodge at the top also has an interpretive center where families can learn all about the history of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the history of Mammoth, and even the animals that live there. It’s a great spot for kids (or adults) who don’t ski. In fact, up to two kids, ages 12 and under, ride free with each paying adult.

We got Sydney back to the bus and finished out our ski morning. But since she was getting the lay of the land, she was able to meet us for lunch at one of the lodges! It was nice to have her part of our day. But at the same time, you could tell she was a bit frustrated that she wasn’t skiing with us.

Off-mountain excursions

We had previously decided to take our third day off-mountain to do something with Sydney, but my husband and I couldn’t stay off the slopes. While we let the kids sleep in, we went out for a couple of hours. Parent pro-tip: When your kids are old enough to stay home alone and take care of themselves, a whole new world opens! The kids went out for breakfast and were ready to go by the time we got back.

We spent the afternoon with our friends at Mono Lake, one of the oldest lakes in North America, at the young age of about one million years old! It’s a saltwater lake known for its incredible “tufa towers.” According to the California State Parks website, the tufas are “calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water.”

Our two families were in awe of the landscape—the 65-square-mile lake, the tufa towers, watching the birds collect food, and the mountains surrounding the water. It was stunning and serene.

After walking the trail at Mono Lake, we got back in the cars and headed to June Lake. It’s another picturesque spot where the crystal clear water was also surrounded by mountains. We stopped at a beach location where the kids were able to jump over small parts of the water and enjoy the surroundings.

On our last day in the Mammoth Lakes area, we had the opportunity to also visit two other incredible natural sites. We met up with Visit Mammoth Lakes’ Ally Watson, who showed us around the Hot Creek Geological Site and Convict Lake.

The kids had never seen anything like the Hot Creek Geological Site. Due to geothermal activity underground, the small river also has pools of bubbling water colored by minerals. We took a short trail down to the gorge to see the hot springs firsthand. We even felt steam coming from cracks in the rocks.

Convict Lake was created by glaciers, and its backdrop is Mount Morrison, which stands at 12,241 feet. We hiked around part of the lake to get different viewpoints of the beautiful, crystal clear lake known for its fishing and summer recreation.

Après-ski when you have kids

One great thing about Mammoth Lakes is that there is so much for families to do once the ski day is over. It was nice to have options for things we could all do together.

Woolly’s Adventure Summit is Mammoth’s non-ski playground. There’s snow tubing, a small sledding hill for little ones, “lawn” games, and a mountain coaster. The latter was a lot of fun! There’s also a new, small lodge where parents and caregivers could enjoy an adult beverage while the kids have fun outside. They also have snacks and gifts.

The town of Mammoth Lakes also has plenty to do with families. We had so much fun at Mammoth Rock’N’Bowl, the local bowling alley. We not only got to bowl, but we also enjoyed a delicious dinner. There’s also Yosemite Axe Throwing, which allows kids over the age of 8 to participate. Talk about a challenge! While some of us were able to hit the target, others might have gotten a little frustrated.

Trivia night at Mammoth Brewing was a blast with our friends. Our team may or may not have won the whole thing! Since our kiddos are older, they were able to play along with the grown-ups, contributing some key answers!

The town is also home to a movie theater and plenty of shops and restaurants.

Challenges Can Be Beneficial

With this vacation, we all faced some sort of challenge, but in the end, it was all worth it. I was so proud of how our girls faced those challenges and overcame them. Although Sydney didn’t initially ski, she did make it out for the last day to try some of the easier runs, although cautiously. She made the best out of her situation.

Clare faced some challenging terrain and rocked it. We got off the plane back home, and she looked at me and said, “I want to go skiing.” She’s definitely my daughter!

Even on vacation, which is supposed to be fun, challenges will come up. But teaching our kids resilience and perseverance doesn’t stop for vacation. And in the end, those lessons will be worth it!