I very much enjoyed your column today, and man, could I relate. I started skiing in high school, when Dad took me and my two bothers to Vail in 1969. Later, my college roommate and I each year did our spring breaks from the University of Missouri out to ski country, twice to Breck, the second time bringing my future wife along for her first time on the slopes. The rest is history. We started our kids (now 28 and 26) skiing at the age of 3. We missed only one year skiing, the year of our 25th wedding anniversary when we took the kids with us to Hawaii.

I couldn’t count how many times we told friends and acquaintances that the best family vacations were ski trips. My kids now love skiing; going out with us, with their friends (my daughter and two friends made it out there from here in KC for Breck opening weekend) or whatever, whenever. We’ve now started our next stage family ski trip; my son’s now married, our daughter-in-law enjoyed her first ski trip to Breck last year and now we have a grandson. This year’s trip will have him in regular Breck day care, but I’m already looking forward next year and fudging a few months on his age to get him out on the slopes and so we can begin anew.