Kirkwood Ski Resort
Resort Review
This was the second time skiing at Kirkwood this season. I stayed in the Timber Creek Area, so the review is the same as last time.
Graduation (Green)—Just like last time, it took me this whole run to get my balance on skis. Later on the day, I lapped this a few times with a few friends and by that time, this run felt so easy.
Up ’N’ Over (Blue)—This felt pretty scary and I went down it pretty slowly. Still, I was happy to have gone down it slow and in control. Still, I think I should have gone down another green one once more to get my bearings.
Squirrel Ridge (Green)—This run was the one that I felt great with. I was in full control and I felt like I belonged on the slope. While going down this, I saw Trench of Terror and it looked way too scary for me to try. Still, I thought that it was one that Louie or someone more advanced could hit and have fun with.
Trench of Terror (Blue)—I started to go down Squirrel Ridge a second time and I was feeling so good that when Trench of Terror showed up again, I bit the bullet and launched myself down this run. It was so much fun! The narrow run and the high walls made me go up these steep slopes until the apex then shoot myself down that same wall. There were more trees than expected though, so I would only recommend this one to solid blue skiers looking for more fun.
What I Learned
It was the girls first time trying skiing and they had a great time learning from the ski instructor. Kaylee was a part of the more advanced group of kids and she even rode the ski lift with the instructor and went down both Graduation and Funny Bunny. Annabelle stuck to the magic carpet area but had fun anyway. Both wanted to keep skiing, so it seemed like the lessons were worth it.
Cars that have 4 or more people were allowed to park super close to the buildings at the carpool parking area. It was so much more convenient than the regular parking spot.
Cassie and Kaylee stayed in contact throughout the day using a walkie talkie and it worked great as Kaylee was able to keep in touch with an adult for everything she needed for the day (and Kaylee was able to talk to Annabelle too).
I was surprised that the kids’ all-day lesson came with a free lunch, which I assumed to be the same as the adult food options. However, I later found out that the kids ate in a separate area, away from strangers, and only with park employees, who were vigilant about who they let into the kid’s cafeteria. The food, however, was not very good—tater tots and mini corndogs. For breakfast/snacks, they were given half a bagel, 1/3 of a banana, and chips/salsa. For drinks, they could choose between lemonade, hot chocolate, or water.
Friends
I came with Cassie, Louie, and the girls. Because I was hanging out with the girls until their lessons started, Louie went up the slopes on their own and had a great time. Cassie was sick, so she hung out at the cafeteria and worked on personal projects. While we were there, Cassie ran into Jose and Karen, who then ended up skiing with me and Louie. It was really fun running into and skiing with more friends! Louie ended up going to terrain park with Jose and friends, while I ended up lapping some green laps with Karen and friends.
What Happened?
With a four-day ski EPIC ski pass that we bought this season, Louie and I have been chomping at the bits to go skiing, but have found the weekends either busy with other activities or the weather conditions lacking. We made it a priority though and finally scheduled a day trip for us to go skiing. As it was a kids’ weekend for me, I reserved all-day ski lessons for the girls for their first ski day!
We woke up early and got ready to go by 5:30 AM; we drove straight to Kirkwood with no stops, with the kids sleeping in the car. When we arrived, we were able to park in the carpool area, where we changed from our comfortable clothes to our ski clothes. Louie then went off to go ski while Cassie, the girls, and I waited for the girls’ ski lesson start time by eating some snacks and chilling out in the cafeteria.
I dropped them off at their lesson at 10:30 AM and then went off to go ski until lunchtime. At lunch, I met up with Louie and Cassie, where I learned how Cassie ran into Jose and Karen. I then pinged and met up with Jose and Karen, and was able to ski with them for a bit more than an hour after lunch. When they left, I skied my last run down Trench of Terror with Louie before calling it a day and hanging out with Cassie at the cafeteria.
Louie and the girls finished up their skiing at the same time and we changed back into comfy clothes on the way home. It took about four hours and it was a very full day.
