Invite

Family are invited with their spouses and children for a week of out-door winter fun.

We seek to provide an highly engaging, no-tech, personally enriching, euphoric experience.

We hope you will come enjoy the first of many-to-come Paterson Winter Festivals.

Interactional Expectations

We are asking people to leave their screens behind. Bring a board game or play one of ours! Bring a musical instrument. Share some sheet music ahead of time! We are planing for 5+ days of skiing. We also have a climbing cave suitable for all ages built into our living room!

Prospective Week Schedule

On arrival day we go to Berg's and get fitted for our weekly rental. We pick up any preordered shopping supplies. The next day we hit the slopes. Starting off the week many people may not have confidence on the slopes. This is OK. We book a ski lesson and enjoy the easy slopes as people of all ages gain confidence.

Days two and three are great experiences as people become familiar with the slopes and their confidence increases.

Days four and five come with options. We could call them down days and play board games at the house. Or we could continue at Willamette Pass, or choose a different ski venue.

Scenarios

There are several potential scenarios depending on transportation, accomodations, and the needs of the group of attendees.

• Willamette Pass with a daily commute.
• Willamette Pass with an RV.
• Mt. Hood with an AirBnB rental or an RV.
• Multiple Ski Resorts.

Of these options, we suggest that the easiest one for logistics and price/value considerations is Willamette Pass with a daily commute. Physlical limitations, weather conditions, age ranges, and the total number of people participating define what is the best choice each year. Hugh III and Katja checked out Hoodoo and Willamette Pass in 2023 and determined that Willamette Pass was the better mountain of the two. The Willamette Pass with a daily commute option is explored a little bit in the following sections.

Options

There are several potential options which may fit with different senarios.

• Child-Care.
• Massages.
• Hot tub and showers (off site).
• Hire Meal Prep.

Prospective Long-Day (commuter) Schedule

This kind of adventure starts early in the morning. The slopes open at 9 AM. Add to that no less than an 80 minute drive and 20-30 minutes of transition out of the car and into the skis. A 6:15 AM departure is not un-reasonable — especially if there has been snow in the forecast. Parking is limited at ski venues and fills up quick. Hired Shuttles ($25 per person) all leave Eugene around 6:30 AM. We break for lunch around 11:30 till about 12:30 with no hard and fast rules. It is served either at the car or in the lodge. Groups of cousins or family units can make more specified plans. Everyone tries to catch the last lift to the top at 4PM and by 4:45 we are on our way back to Eugene. We head straight for Echo Hallow pool with the hot tub and showers. By 7:30 PM we depart the pool and head to home. Supper is still ahead of us. If we head straight for Hugh's house then we arrive by about 6PM and a long line of showers commences. Teams prep dinner and everyone finds an well deserved appointment with their pillow.

Prospective Short-Day (commuter) Schedule

This version is like the Prospective Long-Day (commuter) Schedule, but we leave the ski slope before close. This gives us more flexibility for meal times and hygene.

Prospective Long-Day (RV) Schedule

This option is more expensive but reduces the amount of transit time. It gives us a distinct rendezvous at the ski venue. This option impacts meal prep process and hygene considerations. Showers may be available at Willamette Pass. I did not check.

Outer Gear

For travelers still looking for the right gear it is often easier to acquire snow gear at the destination rather than travel with newly acquired gear. Consider an order to Target (Eugene location) to be picked up on the way to the host from the airport. Snow pants of all sizes and sufficent for the event can be acquired locally for approximatly $40USD.

For toddlers, we have found that something like a Tuffo works well with a sufficently warm underlayer.

Gloves

We have found that for smaller kids, several pairs of gloves are often useful as gloves have a tendency to get wet. Wet leads to cold, and cold kids lead to miserable parents.

Goggles

Kids snow goggles can be acquired for between $20-$30 locally. Or have an Amazon shipment delivered to Eugene before you arrive. Adult goggles are minimally $25 but can be much more if you want to geek out.

Socks

Happy feet are warm feet. We find woolsmart and similar brands work well.

Hats

Hats and helmets don't generally mix well. Go with one or the other, or both at different times.

Toddler Snow Boots

Toddlers should consider acquiring their own boots as Berg's dosen't rent for super-small feet. (Call Berg's for sizes a week or two before the trip).