Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

We took the kids to the mountains to sled yesterday. Overall, we had a really nice time, but it was kind of a long, wild day!

As soon as we paid our $15 entrance fee for the National Park, we needed to chain up. The roads leading up to the National Park entrance were bare/wet, but IMMEDIATELY upon entering the park, they were covered in ice. GORGEOUS drive, and the van with chains did FANTASTICALLY!!


We got about 2/3 of the way there and came across a temporary road closure because they were plowing (WHY OH WHY didn't I think to take a picture!?! LOL). When we rounded the corner and saw the gate closed with flashing lights all over it, my heart sunk and I thought our sledding attempts had been foiled for the second year in a row, but then we saw a sign saying it was for road clearing and I was happy. Everyone lined up in a long line, and when the line got too long, the ranger had us all pull up into the parking lot of the Inn nearby, and when the parking lot got full, cars started lining up again. We waited for about an hour and a half, after already being in the car for almost two hours. We'd packed lunch and snacks and drinks, so entertained ourselves with food and a DVD (thank goodness for DVD players built into vehicles, that's all I have to say!!)

Here's the boys waiting while Daddy's off checking to see if the road was truly opening at noon or not.


And here's Emily and Uncle Corey (and Connor!) waiting


And here are some of the MILLIONS of ice cicles hanging off the Inn we were parked near. Being as we live in a place where it really doesn't get snowy, or even very icy, I was really impressed with how PRETTY all those ice cicles looked!


After the road opened, it took about another hour of driving before we got up to the sledding area. It was just starting to REALLY be snowy and windy as we were unloading from the car and getting all bundled up. Jared walked right over and climbed up a snow drift off to the side, and then sunk down up to his thighs. LOL


This is what Connor thought of the snow being blown into his face (felt more like hail than snow, but WASN'T hail...weirdest snow I've ever seen, though I haven't seen much, truthfully!)


We knew we were "in trouble" as soon as we walked across the parking lot and saw what the sledding area looked like. First, you had to climb up about a four foot high SLIGHTLY sloped "cliff" to get up to the more main area (no stairs, no rope railing to help pull yourself along with). So immediately we were struggling to get the three kids UP. THEN, we saw there were only two sled runs and the lines were getting longer by the second. We were about 2/3 through the line when I took this picture


Dan's blocking the whipping winds and snow from Connor's face while they wait in line, so he's temporarily not screaming his head off


Uncle Corey and Jared standing in line to sled


Emily and I both squinting to keep our eyes from being sandblasted by snow (snowblasted?) and wind


Uncle Corey took Jared down, then Emily and I went down, and then Dan and Connor came down, so I only have a pic of Dan and Connor


The snow got even thicker and the windy was really circling around (so you couldn't turn your back to it because it was kind of just coming from everywhere). Low clouds rolled through and it got really dark and hazy




Dan opted not to stand in line again with Connor, and Jared decided to stay with Dan, so Corey and Emily and I went to stand in line one more time. Emily and I went down together again and Corey came down after us.

Dan informed me that Connor had been screaming the entire time we'd been in line the second time (probably about 20 minutes), and there was NO soothing him (if anyone can soothe Connor, it's Dan!). I thought maybe he was mad because his hat was down over his eyes, but when I pulled it up a bit, he reached right up and yanked it back down again!


I said I'd take him to the car and hang out with him there. I took off all our snow clothes, moved Jared's carseat out of the way, and Connor and I sat there watching a DVD and eating a snack and having a drink. Dan brought Jared to us about 15 minutes later, so the boys and I hung out in the car while Dan and Corey played with Emily in the snow (they didn't bother with the sledding lines again). They all came to the car about a half hour later, we tossed all the wet stuff in the back of the van and headed for home.

Emily and Jared did FANTASTICALLY the entire time. Connor hated the blowing snow in his face, but did really really well on the drive. They had a great time snacking and watching movies, and the older two enjoyed the amount of snow time they got between two and three hours, depending on which kid we're talking about). It was an experience!

Next year (or later on this winter), we'll try to plan for a day where it's not supposed to be snowing, and we'd leave even earlier in the morning (we left at 8:45am this year), and I'd potentially leave Connor behind next time (if we go again this year), but we'll see.