Skiing with Kids.

Does anybody out there ski much with their kids? Specifically touring or beginning backcountry?
My son who is 6 has done some crosscountry and downhill skiing and he is begging me to combine the two for some tour skiing. He is especially eager to learn to ski up to ski down--last winter he even did repeated laps on the Discovery chair at Crystal, booting up. Any gear or location suggestions? Tips from those of you with kids that ski?
I'm just thinking ahead for next season--has this season ended yet?--any input would be great.

TeleChica',

I was a Tele' Instructor for many years and found the most possitive crossover to be on the system he is most acostom to.  If he is Alpine, then pick up the lightest/easiest AT system there is for him.

10 years from now...he will be able to choose Tele or splitboarding if he wants.

There was a thread moderated by Lowell or somebody else with simmilar answers/questions...then a lengthly debate over the BCA "Tracker".  Some loved them and some "didn't".

Good luck...I'm 4 years behind you with a guy "Jack-a-saurus" who will be two when this season comes around.

Pin'...PS: sounds like you're off to a great start with the boot'n!

I started my son on skis the same month that he turned four. Twenty-four years later, he is still skiing with me (we are going to Mt.Baker this Saturday). I guess that we did somethings right, but he wanted to be out there. Just as is the case with introducing any new activities, we made it fun.

Equipment has changed tremendously since those early days, but it is still really important to make the climbing part of the equation successful. Floundering on hills is not fun for anyone. None of us had skins, but we had aggressive fishscale bases and used effective climbing techniques. Living in the Coast Mountain region as we do, skiing meant up and down all day; very little traditional kick and glide. Tele skis for children were not available, but that did not prevent my son from making teleturns before his teen years.

This link may give you some helpful information. telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=25213

Bob

My brothers and I began BC skiing at that age and never touched a ski area until we were in our teens. (I remember falling a lot!!!) But, here I am still doing it. I think it kept me out of trouble and is well worth doing for a kid (always lots of trouble to get in and good to have a passion like the mountains and nothing beats a work for what you get mentality).

As for areas, the muir snowfields are where I grew up learning.

Here in the fam (my two brothers and old man) at pan point.



Another thing that was fun as a kid was doing the easy routes on the volcanoes. The s side of adams, saint helens and hood. Those made great ski trips for us. In fact last spring, I took my 8 year old niece up adams and my 8 year old brother up Hood (I know, both the same age. Young family) last year. They enjoyed the ski, eventhough they weren't able to ski everything.

You'd be surprised what a kid can do if you push them a little and pace them.

Here's a thread with pictures about taking my son touring for the first time a little over a year ago, when he was nine. He's an alpine skier, so I fixed up some touring adapters and skins for his alpine skis. The resulting setup was pretty heavy, but he made it to the TAY picnic. Here is another post with my son touring on Mt Hood this spring. He still doesn't care for climbing up all that much, and I haven't pushed him very hard.

It sounds like your son may already be eager to climb, so you're half-way there. I think Crystal Mtn would be a pretty good place to try. It has trails where you can hug the sides and not feel like you're going to be run over. Plus you can ski down groomed snow.

Thanks for the responses! What an encouragement too. I've been a little hesitant that I might discourage him if we start too soon, but he's been so persistent I guess I should just go with it. He's already a strong hiker, so I'm sure we can go far with this.
I'd better watch out though . . . Sounds like I'm going to have to get more experience in myself to keep up with him!

Where do any of you getting the 'pint-sized' gear? I have limited funds, but he wants skis and a ski party for his birthday in September . . . (Makes a mother proud!)