We come from families who ski -- our children learned to traverse moguls before they entered kindergarten, and proceeded from there to ski the best of the United States and Europe. Winter holidays centered around skiing, and we can't think of a better family vacation. Many ski resorts offer family-priced-on-slope condos, great ski schools, and nightly kids' programs, all designed to please both parents and kids.
Where to go skiing with your family takes some careful thought. SkiNet, the skier's online resource at http://www.skinet.com/specialized/families/skiwee/index.html has a list of 74 ski resorts located throughout the United States that offer SKIwee, SKI Magazine's instructional program for children ages 4 through 12. Now 20 years running, the program assures parents that their child will be taught by professional ski instructors according to the child's ability level to build his/her confidence and skills.
Here's some other ski resorts that cater to families:
Beaver Creek, Colorado: special "kid's" trail map includes the Ambush Spot, Outlaw's Hideaway, and other places not listed on the regular trail map. Instructors move youngsters through lively adventure zones to the Indian Village where they rest and listen to Indian tales.
Incline Village, Nevada: two dozen alpine and nordic resorts around Lake Tahoe offering gentle beginner's slopes, long runs for intermediates, and some of the most advanced terrain for experts, as well as sleigh-riding, ice skating, and acres of snow play.
Purgatory, Colorado: all kids, 12 and younger, get a free lift ticket -- no restrictions, all season long except Dec. 23-Jan. 5.
Snowmass, Colorado: the resort has a Kids Only Nature Trail and a new snowboard park.
Steamboat, Colorado: one of the first to offer the "Kids Ski Free/Kids Stay Free" program -- one child per parent can stay and ski (and rent equipment) free. There is also a "teen ticket" for older kids.
Stowe, Vermont: moderately priced midwinter family ski-weeks.
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico: Children's Center for children from ages 6 weeks to 12 years old.
Vail, Colorado: offers on-slope tepees and ski-through corrals.
Winter Park, Colorado: one of the first ski resorts to create a one-stop children's center for all ages.
Now that you have some idea as to where to take your family skiing, here are some precautions to take before and during the trip for the person(s) in the family who's diabetic. Make sure than anyone who has diabetes gets their doctor's o.k. to take a trip that involves strenuous exercise like skiing (burning 55 to 95 carbo grams per hour, depending on body weight), and that person is wearing a emergency medical identification (bracelet or neck medallion) imprinted with their specific medical condition(s) so that should an accident occur, the attending medical team has quick access to the medical records.
Some cautions and Items for the adult to carry in their survival kit:
1. Snacks to avoid hypoglycemia: it's good to have snacks that will raise your blood sugar slowly if you feel your blood sugar dropping as well as snacks that will raise your sugars quickly if needed. For quick carbos you can carry B-D glucose tablets, Smartie ® Rolls (in cellophane), Sweet Tart ® packets (3 tabs/packet), Pixy Stix, Smarties ® (3/4" diameter rolls), Life Savers ®, jelly beans, or gumdrops. To raise your blood sugars slowly so you can get to a rest stop to check your blood, carry a small apple, home-made peanut butter filled crackers, home-made skim milk cheese-filled crackers, home-made trail mix, etc. Ask you dietitian for some more suggestions to take care of your specific needs.
If you child is diabetic, give you child's snacks to their ski instructor and make sure the instructor is trained in recognizing and treating low blood sugars. You might prepare a list of signs as to how your child reacts during a low blood sugar episode. Snacks might include small tubes (1/2 ounce) of cake icing, boxes of fruit juice with attached straw, fig bars, marshmallows, dried fruits, skim milk cheese and crackers, or Smarties ® (3/4" diameter roll). Be sure to tell the ski instructor where you will be while your child is in their care so you can be reached quickly by ski patrol, etc.
2. Always check your (or your child's) blood sugar before skiing. Don't ski if the blood sugar is below 70 mg/dl or is likely to drop below that level while skiing without first eating a snack. It's a good idea to again check blood sugar levels when you stop for a rest and/or a meal. This is where some pre-skiing hypoglycemia awareness training with your diabetes care team BEFORE YOU TAKE THE TRIP would be beneficial. Even small children can be trained to recognize the signs of low blood sugars.
3. If you are going to be skiing in a foreign country, obtain the names of an English-speaking diabetes specialist wherever you plan to travel. Most ski instructors in foreign countries speak excellent English, but should you or your child need medical attention, you'll want an English-speaking doctor familiar with diabetes. You can obtain a free pocket guide to English-speaking doctors world-wide by contacting the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers, 417 Center St., Lewiston, NY 14092 or call (716) 754-4883. In a pinch, you can contact the nearest American Consulate, American Express office, or your hotel concierge.
4. Carry any medication/insulin that you'll need during the day and your test kit in your fanny pack, leaving the rest of your supplies (always pack double the amount you think you'll need for the whole trip) at the hotel, lodge, or condo. Discuss with your doctor if you and/or your child will have need of Diamox, a prescription drug for people who suffer from altitude sickness.
NEVER ALLOW ANYONE WITH DIABETES TO SKI ALONE. Low blood sugar can occur rapidly, and since it usually causes the release of stress hormones, others around you may become aware of the onset of hypoglycemia before you. The most common daytime reactions include: confusion, silliness, numbness of lips, blurred vision, sweating, shaking, headache, tiredness, nausea, irritability, and fast heart rate. Extra caution to anyone talking insulin, studies show that one reaction predisposes you to have another and that second reaction will be harder to recognize.
If you have low blood sugar, treatment MUST begin immediately.
Some other items that are helpful for anyone skiing:
1. toenail clippers: make sure toenails are clipped short to avoid black-toe syndrome, which results from slamming your toes into the front of your ski boot.
2. moleskin: for padding sore spots in ski boots and around poor-fitting ski goggles
3. lip balm which contains sunscreen
4. waterproof sunscreen, SPF 30 to shield all exposed skin areas from the sun's brutal high-altitude rays
5. moisturizing lotion with aloe vera (high altitude skiing really dries out skin, especially in young children)
6. ibuprofen and/or children's ibuprofen: for aches and pains
7. band-aids and antibacterial ointment
Have a great ski vacation -- and remember, when it's 3 o'clock, the conditions are still great, and the lifts won't stop for another hour, it's probably time for you to stop! It's that "just one more run" that's likely to lead to an accident! Be sure you and your children know it's better to stop early so you'll have the energy for another day. You might get several inches of fresh powder during the night, and you wouldn't want be stuck back in the lodge on crutches (or worse, attending your injured child).
