Heavenly Ski

It’s winter again and time to take the annual ski vacation to the mountains to enjoy the snow, the slopes, and the social scene. You’ve booked the airplane tickets and hotel room months ago for your favorite ski destination - Colorado or Utah or British Columbia or Montana or the Alps. The whole family is anxious. The kids can’t stop talking about it. You’ve been dreaming of powder days, watching the daily weather forecasts, and having daily snow totals emailed to you each morning. All you have left to do is pack the bags.

Packing may be one of the hardest things about taking a vacation. You lay out all of your stuff, usually way more than you need and then as you pack you debate whether or not you actually need it. In the end you bring way too much stuff, but forget at least one extremely important thing, like your passports or polarized ski goggles. Now you’ll have to buy cool new stuff when you get there at a ridiculously expensive resort price… but that’s just part of the vacation, right?

Let’s get you started on the right track for this vacation. Packing is not easy, but with a little guidance you will be prepared for anything. Start with your skiing or snowboarding hardware - skis, ski straps, snowboards, bindings, poles, boots. Then think about your ski outfit - socks, long underwear bottoms, waterproof ski pants, long underwear tops, fleece, vest, down jacket, waterproof jacket, ski hat, polarized goggles, extra lenses, neck warmer, helmet, gloves, glove liners, hand warmers. Then pack your normal clothes - underwear, socks, pants/jeans, t-shirts, collared shirts, shoes/ boots, swimsuit for the hot tub, sweater. Then the little things - toiletries kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, razor, deodorant, antiperspirant, any medications), a good book or two, mp3 player, backpack, walkie-talkies, headphones, sunglasses, boot dryer, laptop computer, cell phone, chap stick, passport, and anything the kids need to stay entertained.

This list will help get you started packing. It doesn’t sound like that much, but when you’re done, you’ll have several completely stuffed pieces of luggage. You’ll have a big ski bag, a big duffel full of clothes and toiletries, and a carry-on bag for the flight. Its always seems like a lot, but you’ll be glad you have it all. You also may want to consider carrying some of the more fragile things in your carry-on. For example, polarized ski goggles and goggle lens are critical for a good ski vacation, can scratch easily, and are breakable - throw them in your carry-on so you don’t have to worry about them.

Beware that this list is not the perfect list for everyone. Use it as a guideline to start your packing process. Good luck!

If you’re interested in going on a vacation led by a professional tour company, there are some critical things to know before booking your tour. As an innovator in the industry for more than 20 years, I’ve seen everything possible. I’ve seen multitudes of companies that do safe, enjoyable tours; I’ve seen a handful of companies out there that you want to avoid; and I’ve seen a handful of companies that do safe, fun tours but do it with a flare and a passion that leads to excellence and quite possibly the vacation of a lifetime. Whether you’re interested in a rafting tour, biking tour, hiking tour, bus tour, wine tour, variety tour, women’s tour, helicopter tour, boat tour, or any other type of vacation, asking these questions of the companies you research will lead you to the latter (and much superior) class of tour company.

Havasu Falls Tours
Question #1: what’s the maximum number of people on a tour?

The smaller the tour, the more intimate and personalized the tour will be. It doesn’t mean that a large group (larger than 12) will necessarily be a bummer of an experience. It’s just that to handle larger groups, a company needs more systems, and so it naturally becomes less customized. Part of the allure of a great tour is the connection the guests have with their guide, and the larger the group, the less the connection. I recommend a group of between 4 and 8.

Adventures for women
Question #2: do you provide custom tours?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in a custom tour or not, just the mere fact that a company provides custom tours means they’re set up to provide a more personalized experience. A custom tour is oftentimes about 20% more pricy but worth every penny if you want to see a lot of the ‘extras’ the guides know about but don’t show to the systematized tour.

Yellowstone vacations
Question #3: how many years of experience do you have?

Asking how long the company has been in business is less important than how many years of experience the owners have. I’ve seen 30-year-old companies lose their best people, and those people oftentimes go out and start their own companies. These newer companies, started by people with lots of experience, will oftentimes be more eager to serve you and make your experience extra special. Either way, you want the owners to have at least 10 years of experience in their industry.