Where is Ashcroft ski touring area?

It is 11 miles west of Aspen, Colorado, in the White River National Forest. Elevation 9,750 feet.

How do I get to Ashcroft Ski touring area?

Go up Castle Creek Road until the road ends. Park your car and follow many of the different marked trails.

What does Ashcroft Ski area have to offer?

2 warming huts, a ghost town (Ashcroft), an art gallery open during the summer, Pine Creek cook house a gourmet restaurant open for lunch, dinner and drinks. Horse drawn carriage, Groomed trail

6 cross country (Nordic) ski trails ranging from easy to difficult.  Some trails can accommodate walkers or snowshoes.

This scenic ski area offers families a wonderful day of activities in the outdoors.  One of the ski trails goes along a babbling brook adorned on each side with beautiful pines and aspens.

We have visited the area on many occasions with our children and many people visit the area with or without children.  The restaurant has options available for families, but be warned that the wait staff is never very good.

Day passes are required and reservations strongly recommended. 970-925-1971

Heidi Ahrens

Share your stories about your favorite skiing destination on Outdoorbaby.net

Éloïse (5) really enjoyed spending a day on the ice of the Outaouais River in Western Québec with her grandfather who taught her some basic skills of ice fishing.  Fishing requires patience which children often don’t have so we decided to clear up a small surface on the ice to skate while waiting for a bite.

Just wanted to share a picture of Jack going for a tube ride with "Dada".

He is a Florida boy, so this is his first time seeing snow!

The REI baby union suit is made of .  It feels like a light fleece and  it is pretty cozy.  It is advertised as a Expedition MTS Stretch. It has one long zipper from top to bottom. 

Pro: I know that if I have my baby out camping in the cold or out for a long day in winter she will be warm if she wears this suit under her snow suit.  It runs to size.

Con: The downfall of this long underwear for baby is that you have to take it all off to change a diaper.  This is a big problem in winter conditions.  Two piece long underwear are more practical in this matter.  Since it is made for children who don't walk it would be great if it had feet.

Many adult skiers may feel inclined to teach their own children how to ski.  I see how this can be a rewarding experience for all.  Mom or Dad gets to have a bonding experience with their young child, while teaching them a difficult sport.  But many factors come into play when learning anything: fear, excitement, ability to teach, expectations.

Cora went skiing last year when she was 2 ½.  She had a great time with her dad and grandfather, but she learned the most when she went with a friend of ours who is an instructor.  Ski instructors know the tricks to get your child going and they don’t come with the baggage that a family relationship brings to learning.

This year, Cora, had the privilege of taking three classes with AVSC (Aspen Valley Ski Council) at Snowmass and, thanks to the guidance of her two wonderful instructors, Lindsey and Christine, she is now able to ski unassisted.  They took the time to teach her some skills that, as parents, we wouldn’t have thought were crucial at the beginning.  Now, Cora is ready to go skiing with her parents.

It is possible that she might have learned this quickly with her dad, but this way we know that she can have fun with us on the slope and not worry about us wanting to always ‘teach’ her something.

Heidi Ahrens

Share your stories on OutdoorBaby.net, win some great giveaways and be an inspiration to other families.

These slip on booties are constructed from recycled materials and are sure to stay on your infant’s feet.  They simply slip on and are held in place by a drawstring. The bottoms are made of leather so are slip free. They come with reflective tape and can be custom ordered in different colors and lengths.

I like that these’ Bootifulls’ grow with your child.  At the moment, I am using them on Ramona while I carry her in the front pack.  It keeps her feet and lower legs covered from the cold.  Later, she can wear the same pair as slippers inside the house.  No need to buy another pair.  They are handy to place on your child when in the car seat, when you don’t want to put them in a heavy bunting or snow pants.  On top of it, by purchasing this handmade project you will be supporting an outdoorbaby mom.

They are $40.00 a pair, plus $5 for shipping. Email Adriane at apb@gmail.com

When I was three years old, my mother offered to take care of her sister’s  wild “Eskimo” dog.  My aunt had three dogs and Nanou  did not get along with the others, so we became the proud owners of this Husky.  We lived on the cape of a small windy northern New Brunswick town ( Shippagan) and as much as my parents tried to keep this huge animal from running away, off Nanou went.  They tried to dig huge metal stakes into the ground with large chains and sure enough I would go around the corner to play in the yard and I would notice the dog missing.  What is a three year old to do?  Well, I would hop on my red tricycle, riding through the streets yelling “ Nanou”, “Nanou”.  I am not sure how I thought I could capture this wild fluffy beast, but hey I put all of my little power into it.  When Nanou was inside I would take my plastic necklaces and lace them around Nanou’s neck and tie him to my tricycle and we would play dog  sled for hours.  Honestly, I don’t think I had ever seen dog sledding, so I am not sure how this came about. These are probably some of my first memories.  I need to mention that my parents encouraged me to say Nanou, Nanou, Nanou when I tried to poop and was not very motivated. Go figure, the dog was a presence in my life.

Fifteen years later,  I worked for the Canadian Outward Bound school and was introduced to the pack of dogs they use for dog sledding.  Taking care of these beautiful animals is a full time job for one lucky energetic person.  These dogs have to be fed, exercised, and handled in a way that prevents fights between rival alpha dogs, males, females, etc.  Their areas have to be kept clean.

Last year I thought it would be fun to introduce my daughter to dog sled races. We had gone looking for our Christmas tree and passed many dog teams practicing on a national forest road.  Cora seemed pretty excited about this and so we went to the annual dog sled races in Redstone, CO.  She seemed pretty interested in the race, but she really enjoyed the hot bratwurst sausage lunch we had afterwards.  As we were leaving we realized that we could go visit the dog teams.  Many of the mushers let us introduce the dogs to Cora and she loved to pet them and gaze into their mismatched colored eyes.

Although, I  have never dog sledded before, It seems like it would be a wonderful activity to do with children if you were in the hands of experienced guides.

Here are some dog sledding resources:

Books:

Polar Dream: The First Solo Expedition by a Woman and Her Dog to the Magnetic North Pole (Paperback) by Helen Thayer ( Read OutdoorBaby.net interview of this author)

Soldiers and Sled Dogs: A History of Military Dog Mushing (Hardcover) by Charles L. Dean

Race: Redstone dog sledding race

Website: Husky News.com

Outfitters:  Canadian Outward Bound school   March break dog sledding in Algonquin Park

Heidi

Share your stories, ask questions and win some great prizes at OutdoorBaby.net, your family’s internet resource for outdoor fun.

I received a catalogue for Chaos winter hats and I must say that I was completely overwhelmed. I had no idea that hats could come in that many  colors, styles, and fabrics, all made by one company.  For the most part the hats Chaos offer are knit hats or high performance fabric hats for adults, but they also have quite a few children’s hats. We tried out three of their hats and were impressed by how well they fit our daughter.  If you want to stay away from traditional fleece hats or winter print hats, Chaos may be the company you are looking for.  They have many different styles ranging from cute to plain, but the collection that really grabbed our attention was the Things collection.  They are acrylic hats that are fleece lined, so they have great warmth and wind protection for little ears, yet have the quality look of a knit hat.  They come in a variety of models that transform you child’s head into a monster.  Now, some hats that try this either look ‘cutesy’, dumb, tacky or commercial but these hats look really ‘Chaotic’ funky cool.  Let’s just say the teenagers in my daughter’s life seem to think that she is a pretty hip kid when she wears her Chaos Things hat, even though she is only three.  We also tried the Dolly hat, but it fits kind of big, has no ear protection and looks a bit off.  The Lollipops hat by Chaos is a comfortable, fleece lined hat too, but looks kind of cheap when worn.

We tried quite a few products from Molehill and found them all to be made from extremely high quality fabrics.  They seem to be made to last a long time.  There are not many color choices and some of the styles are plain or two busy.  Make sure to check sizing since it does not seem to be consistent.  Overall, Molehill makes excellent quality outdoor gear that performs well.

Kids winter coat:

A great feature of this coat is that it is longer in the back so that kids’ behinds stay warm, yet they can move freely because there is not too much fabric around the legs.  The hood is seamless so it keeps your child’s face and neck warm.  Our three year old had a hard time starting the zipper  of the Molehill winter coat but then could do it herself with ease after we started it for her.  Runs quite big so will grow with your child.   Your child will stay warm and dry

January 2010 update:  Faced with a long day on the mountain and very cold weather, this jacket did not keep a 3 1/2 year old warm for the whole day, she needed to wear an extra fleece.

Kids snow bibs:

The reinforced knees and back side of these Molehill snow bib pants make them a worthy buy.  You know that your child will stay warm and dry and that the pants will last.  The suspenders are adjusted with Velcro which makes it easy for kids to manage on their own. However, we find that at times things got caught in the Velcro  it and it could get worn.  They run a little slim so if your child is heavy set or wears many under layers make sure to purchase a bigger size.

Fleece Hooded Jacket and Polar Pants:

Easy to put on and off for little ones, keeps children toasty and warm.  Molehill polar pants are reinforced at the knee which adds to the quality of these pants.  The fleece Jacket comes in a variety of colors and patterns.  We really liked Molehill’s hooded Jacket with an integrated frog hood which was a great way to keep wind and cold away from our child.  Our daughter used these Molehill fleece products in the snow and stayed warm and dry for quite a long time.

Down Hooded Bunting for infants:

This is a great bunting.  Easy to put on and off with integrated mitts and booties that can be flipped on or off, but they never fall off or dangle off the garment.  This bunting is made to fit your baby and to grow with them so even it if is big at first you are sure to get two winters our of it. Out baby always stayed cozy and warm because of the proprely fitted hood and down filling.

All Molehill products are available at Snuggbuggbaby.com

Snow Commander   Toddler snow boots by Sorel:

This boot is rated to -25 degrees and is a very easy boot to put onto small feet.  Our testers could easily put them on themselves and the Velcro strap withstands a lot of use and gives a snug fit.  As far as we could tell the Snow Commander was adequately warm and has enough room for a large winter sock.  This is not a boot that has a removable interior which has its draw backs, but the boot seemed to dry relatively fast.  Retailed at $55 it may be a bit pricey for some budgets but this is a boot that can be passed on to other children because of its good construction.  We at OutdoorBaby.net have always trusted the warmth and construction of a Sorel boot. Recently, in sub zero weather our little tester, walked in a three inch deep puddle and the Snow Commander boots stayed dry.

Fairbanks men’s slip on winter shoes by Sorel:

Part slipper, part winter clog the Fairbanks shoe by Sorel has a strange look when not being worn.  It looks a bit like a tire or a space man shoe, but once on the foot of the lucky wearer, they look hip and comfortable.  This shoe is marketed as a warm slipper.  Our wearers tried them in snow and walking around town and no one remarked that it looked or felt like they were wearing their slippers outside.  This is a great winter weekend shoe for men who want to be comfortable in colder climates.  Any man wearing the Fairbanks will not look like they re wearing their grandpa’s slippers.

Hoonah winter boots by Sorel:

This is a slightly insulated boot by Sorel, retailed at $180.  When originally interested in testing this boot, we were curious to know if we had found the ultimate crossover boot for women.  A boot that could look stylish in town following the kids around and yet is functional at the park, on mild walks, in cold weather or in the rain.   It was our hope that we had found a boot that we could pack to go traveling somewhere cold and not have to bring anything else since it would look fabulous with anything we wore and would keep our feet warm and comfortable enough for visiting new places the whole day. Unfortunately, the Hoonah did not perform as we had hoped, but this boot does really look very stylish.  The Hoonah looks a bit like a riding boot, but unfortunately fits more like a loose cowboy boot.  It reminded most wearers of a fancy rubber boot.  Although only slightly insulated, the Hoonay is warm enough for mild winter days, can be worn in the rain, and transitions very well in town, but it doesn’t have the support or comfort that you would need for a whole day outdoors with the children at the park or running around.

I have recently come across a product that has made it much easier to protect my kids, not only during higher risk activities like snowboarding and skiing (in which their friends say that helmets aren't "cool") but also in activities for which I'd never have considered wearing a helmet myself (like toboganning and road hockey).  The product called Ribcap.  They are wool caps (beanies) that are padded with a new technology called d3o and StructUre that is soft in its normal state, but hardens on impact!  They come in a ton of different styles, so it was surpisingly easy to find one my teenage son and 11-year old daughter would wear!  I think this product is worth mentioning as I believe it could save many kids from serious head injuries as well as ease the minds of many parents struggling with how to convince their kids to wear helmets!  Their website is at www.ribcap.ca  I hope this helps all of you as well as it helped our family!

Cheers!

Jeremy Bresciani