Lots of good stuff mentioned here.
I'll add my experience with my two kids. One is 13 and is way beyond me at this point. The other is now 7 and also progressing very well.
My 7 year old daughter is more advanced than my son (13yo) was at this age, but we didn't drag her back east with no skiing for two years like we did to our son.
In any case, I highly agree with professional training. There is just too much emotional and psychological baggage between parent and child (for most kids/parents, not necessarily for you) to be effective. Kids will whine about every little thing to a parent, but wouldn't dream of doing so with an instructor. And besides, most instructors even know how to ski and how to teach skiing. Even so, just exposing them to walking on skis at age two or so is a great way to introduce them and especially if they see you skiing and having fun. Our kids were too young at 2 to accept real training from us or pros. But at 3 that changed. It is probably different for different kids. Many people think that 3 is so young, but I will tell you that waiting is of no benefit. Remember, learning to talk or walk is way more complicated!
At the time, Stevens had a great kids club program for my daughter. We were up at the hill once or twice a week and for the price of an adult season pass (that is the spring sale price!), she could be in a half or full day lesson every day of the season! That year equipment was included! She loved the camaraderie and the hot dogs they got for lunch. Stevens did well. It is more expensive now, in that first year her lessons probably averaged out to less than $10 per.
For my daughter and for my son, once they could ski blue and get up the lifts without an adult right by their side, we joined a ski race club. Cost-wise, this beat the ski area lesson costs and the level of training (on how to properly use a ski) was better than lessons. Remember consistency of the peers in the group is almost just as important as the training. Also, never underestimate the drive that peer pressure puts on a kid. They really want to stay up with the group!
The kids will become technically very good skiers on a race team. Even if the intention is to not ever develop a racer, some time on the club will do wonders. I think it is Volken's book that states that there is no substitute for many miles of skiing and the best way to get good is to ski a lot at a lift served hill. Not to lay a negative egg in this thread, but when I observe skiers in the backcountry, it is not hard to pick out those who learned the downhill part of skiing only from touring.
When my son toured with me the summer he was 11yo, we did 6 great tours that I posted here. That summer he decided to not go to Hood to race train and he dropped the racing at that point. Technically he was an expert skier, especially on hard pack. During his stint on the race team I made sure to get him out into ungroomed conditions so that he would broaden his abilities. Some race programs will develop all skills, but his did not at the time. When he was 11 on a spring day he had a morning race, we did the King with friends who's kids were with the Crystal ski team, which I think was a strong motivator for him to want to tour with me that spring/summer. The winter he was 12 he was hiking Stevens and dropping lines just about anywhere.
This year was my daughter's first year on the team and she progressed technically so much that I can hardly believe it. On groomers of any steepness there is no more wedge. On the steeps such as Double Diamond, she is cautious, but very strong in unweighting and using the stem when she needs it, but still gets the carve on.
My solution to your question may not work, but the elements of what I did with my kids I think should apply to any kid. These are 1) some professional help, 2) doing so in a fun environment, 3) while in that fun environment, subject them to self-motivating pressure to improve technically (this is a little subversive on my part, but they don't realize this is going on, they just want to have fun and keep up with the group, which they cannot unless they get technically better). 4) Lots of exposure, i.e. go a lot!
If you do it alone, remember kids like skiing with peers so if you can find a like family with kids that can relate, do so. Also, that faster the kids learn to ski technically well, the more fun they will have. They will get addicted to the sport. But if you get frustrated and lean on them and make it not fun you could lose them completely.
How does this relate to touring? In my opinion, a kid can learn to be an expert skier years before they have the strength to tour productively on the type of terrain that is discussed mostly in this forum. Sure cross country tours can be done at 5 years, but true touring with backpacks and skins will require physical strength and endurance that will make the trip endurable enough for the kids to finish the day thinking they actually like it! You want them to feel empowered and wanting to do more. I took my son out at age 9 and 10 to short exposure trips near Baker and at Paradise. But that was all. He wasn't thrilled about it, but it was exposure. At age 11 he could do day trips such as Heliotrope and Early Winters which are examples of the many exceptional trips in this area.
My advice is to get the technical skiing learning done at an early age first, get out hiking or snow shoeing every spring/summer/fall with backpacks, etc. Then when they are strong enough physically to tour, marry the two. They will then need to be introduced to the technical demands of mountain travel. While you might have a great desire have your kid be the first to ski descend the Emmons, do you think a 60lb kid could pull you out of crevasse?
Alan
Alan
