How one Northwestern family makes weekend ski trips to Mount Baker with their three young boys work, thanks to an old camper, some pocket candy, and back-up rain gear.
by Megan Michelson
Pancakes sizzle on the tiny stovetop while snow dumps outside the trailer window and avalanche bombs blast in the distance. Phoebe and Jon Carpenter Eells, along with their three boys—Decatur, 10, Gideon, 8, and Thatcher, 2—are gearing up in the parking lot for a day of skiing at Mount Baker, Washington. Just like they do nearly every weekend during the winter.
Because their boys are outside all day—and often literally rolling around in the snow while playing outside the trailer—back-up outerwear, lots of warm layers, and things like extra gloves and spare dry socks are key. Hand-me-downs get passed from one family and one child to the next. “We buy stuff now for the oldest, knowing it’ll go through at least two other boys,” Phoebe says.
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