The memories I have of skiing involve lots of heavy lifting: The clothes. The snow gear. Wearing and hauling it all to a mountain. I’ve always loved to ski, but it was always a big to-do. Fast forward a few decades, and my 6-year-old daughter, Lili, was begging for a snowboarding adventure to help fulfill her Olympic dreams (thank you, Chloe Kim).

I had some planning to do.

When you live in New York City, getting to a good mountain ain’t easy. But with this season’s snow being some of the lowest on record, Colorado ski country was calling to us. I’d been to the area a couple of times, but this would be my first trip solo with Lili. As a single mom, I selfishly love my alone time with her. The thought of a mother-daughter getaway to the mountains was pretty freaking exciting.

We decided to start our trip in Snowmass Village before heading to Aspen for a couple of days. I think of Snowmass as a more down-to-earth version of Aspen. Sure, celebrities flock here, but they’re not partying; they’re spending time with their families. Six p.m. dinner rules the scene (or lack thereof). Plus, our trip coincided with the ski area’s 50th anniversary, so there was all sorts of nostalgia in the air. We were excited to join the fun.

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