Smuggs

To keep us all from feeling to home sick and tired of winter upon our return to NY we had planned a ski trip to Smuuglers Notch in Vermont. Same place as we went last March with the home school group. It was jsut as much fun, though this year really cold, so we did not get quite as much skiing in as we did last year. However, we all had a couple of lessons and lots of practice and now D and I actually know why we have been carrying poles all these months - they are not just handy for towing children. It was so much fun sking with the children, we pretty much stuck together or D and I would split up with the chn. He and I did get a little bit of skiing together which was also nice.

This year we shared a condo with another family, our lovely friends from Yonkers (the same place that the crazy old lady in Madagascar (the movie not the country) comes from - the one who keeps hitting Alex the lion with a hand bag)...any way. It worked our very well and we really enjoyed their company - they are still talking to us so I guess they did not mind ours too much.

The trip helped with possible home sickness but the jetlag was shocking and I think if we do this again, I'll leave at least a week between arrival from OZ and departure to Smuggs not just 36 hours!


I hope that you can read this sign, I went to a lot of trouble to get this photo on orders from my husband...seems he thinks it is a funny name for a place! I don't know.


View of the snow from our condo.


Some action shots...and some not so action shots.














Views from the chair lift.

Madonna Mountain.

We all skiied Madonna once with all the children on the first day. It was soooo high and took ages to get there on the lift so we were all really cold by the time we started down again.

It was snowing a little and very foggy so we could not see very far ahead. It was certainly the most challenging mountain we had ever skiied. After about 5 minutes of skiing (which seemed longer I am sure to the freezing children) E took out a map and showed us where we were - we had hardly made an impact on the slope. By the time we got to the bottom we all needed thawing out in the lodge, then D and I took the chn back in the shuttle while E had another go at the mountain. The next time I did Madonna it was sunny and quite pleasant, but more scary because I could actually see ho hight I was and what each slope looked like. By the time I got to the bottom my legs were quivering! SO, I took the shuttle back again.

Stirling Mountain.

I did not ski Stirling, but D did - so Stirling is our family challenge for next year, it is a little tougher than Maddonna.








Snow Tubing...lots of fun and pretty fast for a few seconds.





J with a new friend and Billy Bob Bear.


J and her friend with Mogul Mouse.


E with D on the slopes.


C taking the slow way to the top of the mountain, good exercise, or so he said.


D and C...relaxing in the condo.


Me and E - after a hard day on the slopes...dig that helmet hair!


Our friends altogether.