First Freshies: Nashoba Valley Ski Area, Westford, MA

Sydney and cousin Sklyar ride their own, personal magic carpet, cousin Carey up the bunny hill. Nashoba may be little, but it's perfect for beginners.

Nashoba Valley Ski Area
79 Power Rd
Westford, MA

Dadventures were defined in the snow for me. I put on first pair of wooden boards at age two at the Dartmouth Cross Country Ski Center and it has all downhill from there. My dad and I have spent innumerable hours crossing the globe, shoving our feet into boots and bombing down the moguls. Today was Sydney's second time out, and who better to share it with that one of my favorite dadventurers, Cousin Carey. Carey was a kayak guide in Chile, has torn up the slopes of New England and generally shares my ambition for crazy outdoor fun. It is obvious that his daughter Skylar will do the same.



A quick phone call last night, a check off the freshies forecast (3-4 by morning), a perusal of Curious George in the Snow by H.A. Rey and we were off. Thirty-five minutes from my house (yes people, 35 minutes to pow-pow door to door) and we were on the hill. Sydney made me buy a full lift ticket, even though Nashoba has a nice feature for the under five set: $20 for the bunny hill. In the end, those two blue runs with him gripping me for deal life and laughing so loud my ears hurt off the chair were more than worth the extra $20 for me. Sure, Nashoba is not the alps, the lodge needs a little more room and Sydney could have used some beginner blues, but all in all, three hours later we were beat. The first step in a ridiculously expensive and rewarding adventure career.