Skiers here like to say that if you can ski Tussey Mountain, you can ski anywhere. Here’s how one local family makes the most of our local gem of a mountain.

Exciting news! This peek behind the scenes of State College life is a guest post by local writer Carolyne Meehan. We hope you enjoy it!

In just 14 minutes, I can drive from my house and be at the base of Tussey Mountain, our gem of a local ski mountain, nestled beside the beautiful Rothrock Forest. Not included in this time estimation is the number of minutes it takes to get skis, helmets, goggles, gloves, gear, etc. in/on the minivan for a family of 5, however over time (and as our kids have aged into more capable humans) we have become exceedingly efficient.

My husband Dan and I love to ski. When Dan proposed to me at the top of a gladed run in Breckenridge, CO, dreams of family ski adventures naturally began to percolate. Part of our parenting deal — or rather mission — has been getting our kids to love skiing too.

Deciding to move to a town with a ski mountain was intentional. If we were going to make a family of people who could be happy playing outside all year round, we needed snow and we needed a mountain.

Skiers here like to say that if you can ski Tussey Mountain, you can ski anywhere. While Tussey is a small mountain with 2 old school lifts and a T-bar, there is terrain for all levels, including a super gentle beginner slope with its own lift.  It’s a great “learning” mountain because skiers will get a taste of every possible snow/ski condition through the winter. Tussey slopes get everything from fresh powder, to corduroy from groomers, to ice, to mashed potato snow on warm days.

We started our kids on short little skis and no poles, using a hula hoop to keep them close. You gather all kinds of tips (and often expensive gear) from friends you meet and make on the mountain. We learned early that bribing kids with hot chocolate and fries will get you at least one or two more runs. And, there’s a huge Tussey Ski Swap every fall – a great place to score gear at bargain prices.

When our backs needed a break, we put the kids in lessons, which we smartly planned to coincide with Friday night happy hour. While we enjoyed our nachos and drinks at the pub just steps away from the slopes, our kids were out there building ski (and life) skills.

Tussey Mountain has an excellent ski program, with a huge team of trained ski instructors and a race team that develops really strong competitors. While we don’t think any of our kids will be earning a scholarship to college for ski racing, they’ve become solid, confident skiers with sweet technique — not to mention they have a ton of fun.

Our family invests in season passes, which means I can ski for as long or as short as I feel on any given day. I never feel bad about cozying up with a book and a Bees Knees coffee by the fire on weekends. I also love cross country skiing. So on days when we get a decent snowfall, I will usually opt to cruise around the golf course or head into the Scotia Gamelands, either for a speedy solo ski or a group expedition.

This year, our 15 year old son Connor will race for his 5th season on the team. He will be on the mountain most days after school, and both days on the weekend. Our 12 year old son, Will, raced for a few years then decided last year he’d rather just have fun and ski with his friends. Our 8 year old daughter, Rose will do the developmental program for a second year, skiing the whole mountain with her instructor and small group, working on technique and building race skills.

Tussey is a great place for “tweens” to have some independence. Starting in fifth grade, kids can partake in an after school intramural program one day a week and ride the bus to the mountain. Kids can take a ski or snowboard lesson or just free ski with their friends. There’s a gear rental program and an option for kids to get a meal.

We are big fans of the cafeteria cheeseburgers and the grilled cheese flatbreads. Somehow, even on the coldest days, Rose orders a blue icy for her post-ski treat. This winter we are excited to check out Tussey Bär and Kitchen, one of the upgrades the new ownership has brought to the mountain. I can’t wait to share a charcuterie plate and try their creme brûlée.

Last spring break we made some family ski dreams come true. We took the whole family to Okemo, Vermont and were able to ski big black diamond runs TOGETHER. While we’ve taken the family to bigger mountains over the years, we’ve always had to divide and conquer according to ski abilities and little kid stamina, meaning Dan and I rarely got to ski together. When the kids were really little, we put them in the mountain’s ski school program so we could have a few hours of childless, powder skiing freedom.

Dan is recovering from an ACL surgery this season, but we are planning our adventure for next winter, by which time I will most certainly be the slowest skier of the family.