We took Elias down his first ski slope at 8 months old at Winterplace Ski Resort in Ghent, WV. 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.
Location: Winterplace Ski Resort in Ghent, WV // Website Linked Here
I went slowly down the mountain and had him secured in our Ergo carrier. It made me SO excited for the next ski season!! Click here to view the Ergo carrier we love. Click here to purchase your own lift tickets for Winterplace.
You could stay in a hotel in the area, or you could stay on property depending on how much money you want to spend. Since we had a little one with us this winter, we chose to stay on the slopes. This made it easy to drop in and nurse Elias in between runs. Click here to view some ski in/out options on VRBO.
Even if you live in the south, it is possible to get to some good snow locations without booking a flight. Winterplace is our favorite ski resort in the south, so it is one we will return to again and again. Happy skiing!!
This brings us to the present day. Eeeek! Ski season #2 for Elias. 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 compared to what we are used to on the East Coast.
What equipment did we purchase for Elias to enjoy skiing with us this year? See below:
- 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 for your baby or toddler yet? It is getting chilly outside (even in SC!), so it is important to plan ahead.
I hope these links are helpful.
Happy shredding!
–Miriam
Tolbert Travels 
Leave a comment