Bad Day

We love Whitefish, Montana. All our trips there have just been so much fun, so many great memories. We just had to go back this year. We planned this trip back in October, maybe even September. As the winter started to develop snowlessly John kept saying "I just hope a huge storm hits once we get to Whitefish and then I can ski on fresh powder." Apparently John has connections with Mother Nature because that is exactly what happened-the whole northwest got pounded Wednesday afternoon.

Caleb was so excited to go skiing! (yes that is his toilet seat in the background a a picture that I took down for him to look at while on the potty and now I can't get it to hang again). He is not potty trained, but he is trying so hard we decided to let him ski all the same. 

The drive wasn't great but wasn't horrible. They just don't plow in this state, and the big news this week is that the snowplowers might strike. Honestly I didn't know there were snowplowers in this state. It was freezing though -22 when we stopped for the bathroom. You know you have lived in Montana too long when you get out in that weather and don't think it is that cold.

The wonderful view from our room

To say that Caleb was excited to ski is an understatement. He woke up at 2 AM wanting breakfast and to go skiing. Multiple times through the night he ran into the hallway wanting to go skiing. Yes he never fell back to sleep after 2 AM. It was a very long night.

We rented a condo, which was great hillside, had a pool and a kitchen, just wonderful. But ALL our bedding was denim, even the bed skirt. Totally awful decor.

One of the things Caleb wanted at 2 AM was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, since we don't have cable that is the highlight of hotels. He is too young to understand that at 2 AM you have no choice but infomercials. When Mickey Mouse came on he couldn't stop jumping up and down (I was in the middle of changing him, it took several minutes to finish).

I did yoga during Mickey Mouse, wonderful views to help me find zen

We were going to meet John at 1. When we started to get ready to ski I just knew Caleb was too tired.

He is awake but not moving

I pushed him to the lodge (not fun pushing a stroller in thick snow uphill) he was out within 2 minutes. He slept in the lodge for almost 2 hours.

We tried to wake him, he was still out of it. 

First time on skis!

What the ski instructors say is to have the kid hold the pole and kind of drag them along, Caleb wouldn't even hold the pole. 

We know that leashes are frowned upon in the skiing community, but we had already gotten one and we had a feeling that was the only way to get him moving even a little. (I was slightly annoyed the insert said it is only for skiing not to be used in the lodge, hotel, car and other places-if I want my kid on a ski leash I am going to keep him on a ski leash!) 

That 59 seconds is about all the skiing we got out of him. He kept telling me "skiing just isn't for me, I have teeny tiny legs" So we gave up. John was discouraged because he had had great dreams of his son speeding down the hill at 3, or at least riding the Magic Carpet. Caleb was discouraged because he felt like a failure since he fell (he really kept saying that, I told him at least he didn't break a bone!). So we went back to the lodge and the song "Bad Day" came on and I just felt like it fit the moment so well (actually it was John's best skiing day in Montana. He met a guy on the ski lift and they did crazy double black diamonds through the trees together. So it ended up great!)

We shall try skiing again. I honestly think we should rent skis and just work on balance in the backyard (if there is ever snow there). I think next month we will try again after a good nights rest. It was still a super fun trip. 

This almost could be a separate post, but I am too lazy. We decided to take the long scenic way home. We know we have a year left up here, but we are kind of booked up already for the whole year. As we left Whitefish we knew we might never come back (next year we are determined to ski Banff). It is very bittersweet for us. So I have always wanted to see Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake this side of the Mississippi. It is about an hour or so south of Whitefish, so we started to drive.

A view as we sped past.

Then we realized we are in Montana, no one is on the road, we can just stop in the middle and take a picture.

The end of the lake

The picture two up is the Mission Mountains. Apparently that mountain range has more grizzly bears then anywhere else in the world (ok maybe not but a lot). So they don't let hikers up in there, except a really short window before the bears get too wild and want to eat all the hikers. I immediately wanted to go into that mountain range. The last picture is just pretty Montana.

We headed on to Missoula (really long route home) because I wanted to see something at REI and then we could see John's grandma really quick. John said it was hard driving into the valley realizing again it could be one of our last times (we will pass through in May on the way to Spokane, but besides that who knows). Even though John's grandma lives there once me move it is very unlikely we will come back and it was hard for John since he has so many memories there not only over the last couple of years, but as a young lad. I guess leaving this place will be a little hard (though we are both really sick of the "keep Missoula weird" signs and attitude-you aren't Portland!)

All in all it was a great trip!