Raising Our Kids in America...: Spring Break in White Pass (Another late post)

The black and double black diamond trails that I WOULD NEVER EVER take! ;P

Last year, our neighbor, D told us about the place they have been going for the past 5-6 years, during Spring break. White Pass is a ski resort in southeast Washington. Honestly, I am not a big fan of skiing or snowboarding. I don't like the speed and I don't like the height - I'm a chicken! ;P I only did it once during our college days. But of course, I am MARRIED to one who LOVES snowboarding. So, like in all relationship, you take some, you give some. (brownie points)

After D, our neighbor told me more about this place --- the "magic carpet" which is like a conveyor belt, where you stand on it, and it brings you up a small kiddy slope...kinda like for 1st timers, and little kids; and the "platter"- where you hold on a vertical bar, in a standing position, with a disk on your behind, it'd drag you up the beginner slope; PLUS since White Pass is in Washington, and they have their Spring break one week after ours, the resort is not crowded. So, I figure, this is probably something that I could "give" in our relationship! :P As of last year, we have made White Pass our destination for Spring break.

The drive to White Pass from our house is about 3 hours. Although Mt. Hood is only 1 & 1/2 hours drive from home, the road condition makes it difficult and some times dangerous to drive on.

Snoozing...

However, the drive to White Pass, you won't even believe that you're driving towards a ski resort! There isn't a lot of up hill or winding road. You won't even see much snow until almost 1/2 hour before reaching the resort! And it's not a fancy ski resort like Timberline or Mt. Hood Meadows...there's the day lodge where there's a small retail shop, ski rentals, child care (another feature that attracts me), L&F, restrooms, and food. During Spring break, just a small potion of the food court is open. Across from the day lodge is the Village Inn, which is the slope side lodging, and where we stayed, and it has a large outdoor hot tub!! (another attraction! Will remember to take a photo of it next year)

Village Inn with the slopes on the backdrop

During our 1st trip back in '08, Yesmin and I took 2 lessons. It is so true about the place not being crowed. We took the group lessons, since it's SO MUCH cheaper than private...and we still end up having the instructor to ourselves. We learn to ski a little...did a lot of the "magic carpet"(10' vertical, 70' length) and some on the Platter (70' Vertical, 520' length)- just half way though. This year, we took one lesson. Again, we got the instructor all to ourselves, for the price of group lesson. ;) Amazingly though, we only ski ONCE a year, both Yesmin and I still remembered quite a lot. The instructor took us all the way up to the top of the platter this time. Yesmin was excited, I wasn't! She, like all kids, just skied down hill in high speed! A few times, I was so worried she's gonna fly off the slop or crashed into someone! I, on the other hand, almost lose control...I tell ya, I was praying so hard as I skied down! :P But finally on the last day, I did go to the top of the platter slope a couple of times and actually REALLY enjoyed it!

Yesmin's light saber

We stayed there for 4 days 3 nights. After the lesson, which we took on the 2nd day (didn't skied at all on the 1st, cos' we arrived late...but went to use the hot tub! ;P), we skied by ourselves. By the 3rd day, Yesmin was tired of getting off in the middle of the platter. She wanted to go all the way up to the platter slop, but I didn't allow her too...cos' for one, I wanted her to learn to maneuver herself, so she could avoid crashing into others who fell in the middle of the slop, and to reduce her speed. I also told her that she could only go all the way up if daddy goes with her. So, once she was able to maneuver better and knows how to slow down as she gets down to the slop, Nd(Lee) and her went up to the top of the platter, while I still stuck to my mid way. She kept on encouraging me to go all the way up...but mommy was too chicken! I don't know how many times that girl when up then down, then up then down again. So many times that even the guys who helps grab the platter for those of us who are too short to reach, knows her by her name, AND knows that she likes them holding back the platter for a longer time then release it, so that she gets a boost up! *sigh*

Nd(Lee) and I took turns babysitting Lucas in the magic carpet, and we did chucked him in the childcare one day for just 2 hours. We rented skis for Lucas too! Last year, he was just HORRIBLE! Nd (Lee) would ride with him on the magic carpet, and the "slide" down with him, while holding him from the back. Lucas, "the prince" would just lean back and put all his weight on dad! Nd(Lee) had such a sore back after that! :P This year, he did the same thing, the 1st two times Nd(Lee) took him up. Then he finds Nd(Lee) annoying for holding him! He told Nd(Lee) in an angry tone "LET ME GO!! I CAN DO IT MYSELF!!!" :P But Nd(Lee) was worried (huh? HE worried?? THAT IS NEW to me! ;P ) Seeing Lucas getting so annoyed, I told Nd(Lee) to let him go, at most he'd just fall on his bottom (cos' he leans back a lot).

Lucas on the Magic Carpet

And so he did, and Lucas just skkkiiii down all by himself!!! :D We were all so excited, proud and glad to see him do that...and you could just see it in his face too, that he was mighty proud of himself! ;D

Weeee..... I did it!!!

So, he kept on going for a LONG time...until he met a little girl! :P She's our neighbor's friends' daughter, who also goes there every spring break, name Viki. That's when Lucas didn't wanna ski anymore, and just wanted to play in the snow with Viki! :P

This year, one of our friends were supposed to join us...but didn't make it. We sure hope they can do so next year. Their daughter P and Yesmin are good friends, and I think it'd be more fun to have a friend to ski together. However, our friend Mark came from Seattle to join us, even though he was recovering from a cold. I think he felt obligated, first of all, he had promised to join, secondly, my mom had passed some food stuff to his dad, when his dad went back to Malaysia. We all just feel bad for him, cos' not only did he not skied much, he also have go through the torture of hanging out with my 2 monkeys!! Nevertheless, we appreciate him coming over. :)