Is the Subaru Outback the Ultimate Ski Car?

We’ve been thinking about replacing our 2006 Honda CRV. While I have always been a “drive it into the ground” kind of guy, our last two mountain cars, both CRVs, have shown more rust than I’d like after six years. Both cars looked fine, but upon close inspection, it was evident that to get value on the trade-in, it was time to sell.

Subaru ski car
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i

After owning six consecutive Hondas, we’ve been considering switching to a Subaru Outback. While I’m not a fan of the styling, the Outback would fit our need for a high-mileage highway car, with the traction to negotiate our steep driveway, and a state-of-the-art automatic transmission to make Sunday night traffic more tolerable.

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It Finally Snowed in New York

When we arrived last night, the first thing I did was shovel the porch — it’s our record of what’s fallen since our last visit — so shoveling is a job I relish. The harder the effort the better.

Snow in New York.

This week’s haul was seven inches of snow, an inch of sneet, topped with another three inches of snow. It wasn’t the 18 inches of upslope blower that Vermont got, but it was perfect base-building snow for tree skiing, or any snow sport.

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Skiing with a 3 Year Old

skiing with a 3 year oldOne of the questions I get asked the most is when to start a young child skiing. The answer requires some parental intuition. Does your child enjoy playing outside in the snow? How do your child respond to people he or she doesn’t know? What follows: our tips on skiing with a 3 year old.

At Whiteface, where I teach, children must be four years old to participate in a group lesson environment like our Play and Ski program. Younger kids learn best one-on-one.

The choice between using a ski instructor for private lessons and teaching your child yourself depends on several factors. How comfortable are you skiing in a wedge with your child?

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