We took Elias down his first ski slope at 8 months old. He didn’t have any equipment, and he wasn’t walking yet, so we just did a little run from our ski in/out condo we were renting after Christmas 2023 and met my mom at the bottom who was waiting to drive him back to our condo. I went slowly down the mountain and had him secured in our Ergo carrier. It made me SO excited for the next ski season!!
This brings us to the present day. Eeeek! Ski season #2. Elias’s first real ski trip will be to Vail Ski Resort in Vail, Colorado. We have a few weeks until we hit the slopes, so I am over here gasping at the trail maps I found on their site. Front side here. Back bowls trail map. Blue sky basin trail map. SO MANY RUNS. I have only ever skied on the East Coast, so we are very excited to experience Vail.
What equipment did we purchase for Elias to enjoy skiing with us this year?
- 69cm skis ($53)
- Snow Boots from Lands End ($60) *We scored these for like $35 on Black Friday! They fit perfectly in his skis. Yay!
- Giro Slingshot Kids Helmet (Currently unavailable – we purchased in August 2024 in preparation for this current ski season) *We like that his goggles stay securely in this helmet due to the band at the back. This helmet fits him really well and a dial allows us to get it snug to his head.
- Infant Snow Bibs (around $25)
- Winter Jacket from The Children’s Place ($50) *LOVE IT!
- Merino Wool socks ($16 – entire pack) *These are HUGE! We will see if they work for us.
- Windproof Hat ($10)
- Waterproof ski gloves ($20 – 2 pairs)
- Baby Ski Googles with UV Protection ($20) *they fit him perfectly and he is small for an 18mo. old
- Ski Harness/Training Harness (around $35) *It is large … I expect that we will use it more next ski season because I’ll mainly just ski with him between my legs this year.
Every hour we will give him the option of skiing for a few minutes (depending on his stamina), though most of the time he will be riding in the Ergo carrier. I know he will enjoy being with everyone and watching others ski too. We have been getting him used to his equipment over the last few weeks. He loves his skis now. We just kept putting them on each day for no more than 10 minutes to build a positive association. He now likes to ski across the carpet in our living room haha. We will see what he thinks of the snow! I’m excited to make memories together. Have you purchased winter gear yet for your baby or toddler? It is getting chilly outside (even in SC!), so it is important to plan ahead. I hope these links are helpful. -Miriam
Tolbert Travels 
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