I awoke early – for a Saturday – showered, stretched (yes, I’m at that age) and made a cup of coffee. Then I went about organizing gear for me and the girls for our day trip with Payette Powder Guides to Lick Creek Summit.
I love backcountry ski missions and have been, not-so-gently, pushing my kids to join me for years. Today was going to be their first experience driving snowmobiles and working with a guide – a step up from a tour to Sargents or Double North or Jug.
I double-checked beacon batteries, swapping out one that was “only” at 85 percent, which was kind of ridiculous, but made me feel good. I laid everybody’s bag on the couch, took a quick peek inside for shovels, probes and cold weather gear. It all looked good. I smiled, thankful the girls use their bags for everything related to skiing --trips to the resort, short ski tours out the gates of Brundage and trips to neighboring mountains. Because we were deep into ski season, everything was in order and ready to go. That seemed like a win.
As my second cup of coffee brewed, the phone rang.
“Hey kid.”
“Dad, I’m at Albertsons. I grabbed lunch. Can you ask the twins if they want anything from Starbucks.”
“Sure.”
I called out to both and found they needed nothing – kind of shocking – reported back and sat down to enjoy my coffee.
It was the perfect morning.
By 8:15 am, everybody was in the car, skis loaded to the top with skins already applied (to make sure they make it to the trailhead), and off we went.
The rest of the day was a steady stream of giggles and good-natured teasing. Our guide, Nate, took great care of the whole family, taking time to pass along tips and tricks for using their gear, analyzing terrain for safety and picking travel routes. His best trick, at least from the girl’s perspective, was teaching them how to use the edge of their skis to clean snow and ice off the bottom of their skins and “refresh” them so they gripped better as the day progressed.
As we skied down to the sleds for a late lunch and prep for the return trip to the car, each of the girls took a moment to thank me for taking them and asking when we could do it again.
I smiled – thinking that, maybe, just maybe, after six years of trying, I’d finally hooked them on the power of backcountry skiing. Now, I just need to convince my wife to join the club.
If you have a moment, peek at the video we created from this little adventure – we’re lucky to have easy access to great backcountry terrain right out our doorstep here in McCall.
See you out there!
