Travelling with little humans is not always easy but if you can manage to sneak away for a weekend you can maximize fun in a short amount of time!
Our little humans are 2.5 years old and 10months old and this weekends daytime temperatures were about -10 to -15 degrees C.
We left Calgary Friday afternoon in hopes to arrive at our friends Airbnb that evening to enjoy a meal, drinks and evening social with the families. Nestled around a fire and books it was a perfect way to set up for a quick weekend getaway.
1. Cross Country Ski Fernie Golf & Country Club.
After a hearty breakfast of homemade giant omelette, fruit and coffee we all geared up and headed to the Fernie Golf Course. Groomed and maintained by the Fernie Nordic Centre we were fortunate to enjoy a 3km loop around the course, experiencing mild terrain and amazing views! There was even a cleared pond for skating and hockey!
With 3 babies and 4 adults, it took about 2 hours with short breaks to adjust, enjoy the scenery going at a super easy pace.
If you have ski chariots for the kids you can pack everything you need and more for a full day of fun! We skied with our humans in back pack carriers and reconvened at the van for our traditional after adventure snacks and headed back to our lodgings for a hot lunch!
Parent tip: make sure you pack a lot of hot hand warmers (for little hands, feet and body, extra blankets and hot thermos of drinks and soup!)
2. Frozen Water Falls in CrowsNest pass
Lundbreck Falls is just 30min East of Crowsnest Pass and offers spectacular frozen waterfall views in the winter season.
We were pleasantly surprised to discover that this small detour on our way back home was actually just right off the main road. For families with small children it’s always a bonus to not have to trek too far to see incredible sights.
The area offers multiple viewing platforms to get the most out of the experience and it seems that there might be access to the bottom of the falls as well. It was quite windy when we stopped so it will have to be an adventure for another time!
Parent tip: finding sites and roadside attractions that are parking lot ready makes it a great way to learn and experience history and outdoors with the little humans while being able to hop back into a warm vehicle!
3. Mountain Photo Session with Tara Hill Studios.
This was definitely a highlight of our trip! We won a mini photo session with Tara Hill Studios and was able to coordinate a mountain photo session with her while on our getaway!
Tara took us to a beautiful nook just between Fernie and Crowsnest pass where the Rocky Mountains and clear pebbly Elk river set the backdrop for our family photos.
Be prepared for mountain photos with little humans because you have to make magic happen in a short window of time, due to brisk temperatures and possible fan dangling of little adventurers.
Winter Family Photography Tips:
1. Talk to the photographer first about their plans before going outside!
We just did the roll down the window chat to see where she was going to shoot and what we were hoping to get out of the session as well as our plan of action for wardrobe change.
2. Have the vehicle warmed up.
Little humans can succumb to hypothermia and cold much quicker than adults so tule of thumb is.. if YOU’RE cold … they’ve already been cold for a while. (Basically recognize your cold limits BEFORE you reach them)
3. Have extra blankets, and a down or warm layer to be removed quickly for outdoor photos.
We started with out winter outdoor gear and underneath had our traditional Chinese clothes ready. Our little humans are used to the adventure lifestyle and even so we only managed to get a handful of shots in their traditional garb!
If you keep these few points in mind you’ll maximize your time with the photographer and keep everyone happy for the best photo experience!
Thanks again to Tara for her ninja skills and experience with winter photography to get these amazing shots in a matter of 10-15minutes!
There’s not many amazing mountain photographers out there with the skill to adapt and take family portraits in different settings, so I would definitely recommend booking a time to check out Tara Hill Studios if you’re in her neck of the woods!
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