Red Lodge Mountain

On Saturday, January 26, Chris and I decided it was a good time to take Hailey skiing for the first time in Red Lodge. We were at the cabin for the weekend, and had been talking to her about it for over a month...and the mountain got over 50" of new snow in the past week!!! :) Chris left the cabin early to go down a few times himself, and the kids and I left the cabin about 9:00 to drive up the mountain. It was BEAUTIFUL outside...I could not believe it!! Talk about bright blue skies and TONS of sun, and the temp was in the upper 30s!! I don't think we could have asked for a better day for Hailey!!

Hailey, Ryan and I went to the children's center to get her registered, then Ryan & I left to get a good spot to watch for Hailey! At 10:30 I saw a whole bunch of kids walk past the building where we were....but NO HAILEY! After about 10 minutes I called down there and Hailey wouldn't go out...she was in there crying. Chris went to see her, and soon she was out on the mountain to try it ONE TIME! What was suppose to be group lessons ended up being individual lessons.

By the time Ryan and I got up the mountain to watch Hailey closer, she was already down for the first time. I guess she was turning her foot in a little (very common the teacher said), but then the teacher told Chris that she never saw anyone correct it their next time down!!! Yahoo Hailey! And, the teacher also said she was so impressed with Hailey for her first time skiing...she even have control on turning and stopping!! (ahhh....proud mommy still beaming!!) Hailey kept going down with her teacher...but a few times wanted to sit down and rest too. ;)

Her lesson was done at 12:00 and I thought we would be going back to the cabin. But..NO...not Hailey. She wanted to go on "the ride"!! (or the chair lift as skiers know it by). Chris told her that the "ride" only went UP the mountain and she would have to SKI down it. She wanted to...so off they went!! Ryan and I sat back down and waited and waited and waited for them to come down. I thought for sure I would see them come down in a snowmobile, walking, or Chris holding Hailey! But...then I looked up and saw these little pink legs...wide apart, and two purple arms STRAIGHT out...but doing it all on her own!!!! I was SO PROUD of her...she did it!! She went down the MOUNTAIN all by herself!!! And, she wanted to do it AGAIN...so they went back up AGAIN!

Not only did she have fun that day, but she wanted to go again on Sunday!! She was quite upset with us that she couldn't go again. I am thinking we might be getting her a season pass next year! :)

First...I am so proud...a picture of my little skier!

Pictures of Hailey during her lessons :

And pictures of her coming down the mountain. You will probably want to "click" on the picture to make it larger and then look for the pink legs! :) (she kind of has a "star" shape...with her arms out and her legs out too :) )

My two skiers..........how adorable is this picture!?!? :)

Oh...and of course Ryan wanted to go down too...but I think we will wait a year on him. I know if we put skis on him right now he would just ZOOM down the mountain and no one would catch him until he hit something! :) No fear with that boy!! :)