January and February are notoriously tough months in Seattle. The holiday twinkle has waned, Spring still feels painfully far away, and it takes monumental will to muster the get-up-and-go to venture out into the gray, gray days. Snow days have been our saving grace – we’ve packed several Q1 weekends with trips out east, for quick Sunday jaunts on our skis or full-on getaways at cozy mountain retreats. A few weeks ago, Jason invited us to join him and his boys at Meany Lodge, a rustic ski lodge that boasts the tallest rope tow in the state and low-pressure vibes perfect for kids (and adults) to find their ski legs. We left our house at 7am on a Sunday morning and by 8:15 were piling into the sleds or grabbing a handle on the rope to be pulled behind a snow-mobile for the three-mile trail from the parking lot to the lodge. While the guys had fun with the water-skiing simulation, Juliette and I were more than happy to watch from the sled.
Juliette and her little buddy took to the mini-rope tow right away and were ready to upgrade to the grown-up hill after only a few runs.
I love watching this girl ski – she has mastered the perfect balance of bravery and caution. Does me proud without making my heart jump up in my throat!
Meanwhile, I let caution prevail opted to stay on the flats with my cross-country skis…
Lunch was served just up the hill, a short sled ride away…
And then Juliette squeezed in a handful of afternoon runs.
Calling it a day and piling in for the return trip to the car…
We had such a good time that we decided to go back a couple of weeks later, this time with more friends in tow.
Thumbs-up!
And…tuckered.
I traded in my cross-country skis for downhills and managed to end the day with all bones intact.
Heading back…
And…tuckered. Part two.
A week after our trip to Meany Lodge, the snow actually came to us! After several days of watching the forecast with much anticipation, flakes started falling on a Friday night and had blanketed our neighborhood by Saturday morning. Snow day!
There was biking and sledding and snow angels, oh my.
Truly, there’s nothing like the novelty of a Seattle snow day. Neighbors you haven’t seen for months emerge from their homes with sleds or cross-country skis and turn the middle of the street into a giant playground.
Post-sledding, I headed indoors for hot tea and dry socks, but these kids were insatiable.
And then an evening stroll…
Sunday brought even more flakes, so we headed back outside after our morning pancakes.
Thankful for West Seattle topography!
Seriously, the streets were a complete sledding free-for-all. I’m so glad no one tries to drive anywhere when it snows in Seattle.
Sophie the snow lady came together quickly…
As did the perfect snowball-launching fort:
I took a walk through Schmitz Park in the afternoon to soak in the snow-covered silence, as I knew it would be short lived. Indeed, rain started falling that night and by Monday poor Sophie was headless. What a weekend, though.
