When Spring Break arrives, most people think of sunshine and warmer days, right? Not us! We were itching to have one last romp in the snow with a ski trip to Canaan Valley, West Virginia! Last year Emma skied for the first time, and she was excited to go back. This year we went to Timberline Ski Resort just a few miles down the road from Canaan Valley State Park. With the help of a harness we borrowed from a friend, Emma built up her confidence again and eventually tried short distances on her own. Her crowning achievement was a trip down the two-mile "Salamander" trail, the longest of the beginner slopes. She wore her harness for it, but most of the time the ropes were slack, meaning she was skiing on her own (even if she didn't realize it)! We had a few spills and meltdowns, but overall she enjoyed skiing and said she couldn't wait to go back. Of course, it also helped that we stayed at the newly-remodeled Canaan Valley Lodge, complete with a beautiful room and a couple of trips to the indoor pool. We hope that someday we can take our whole family down there with us again! The minute we got home, Emma pulled out her notebook and wrote a story about our trip (see picture): "I went to a place where you can ski. I stayed at a really nice hotel and I skied down Salamander and I also went on really steep hills. I stayed at the hotel two nights. I came home today. I can't wait to go back."
