“Get her”, my friend yelled. The damp environment, the sound of the rain falling on the roof, and all the memories of our ski trips during this time of the year came rushing in. MLK weekend is the ideal time to go skiing in California. The weather is perfect around this time of the year with all the soft snow on the mountains. And most of the schools in California have a long weekend.. What fun we used to have on the slopes. All those running around the trees, racing with each other, collectively getting wet in the rain and to top it all, drinking hot chocolates during breaks.
Today as a high schooler, I do not have that much time to go skiing for a whole week. But whenever I meet my friends we still chat about the fun we used to have on the slopes. In all those trips one thing we surely learnt was camaraderie. We always had each other’s backs while we were on the slopes.
As the lockdown due to covid-19 continues, we are trying hard to keep our minds fresh and rejuvenated with different kinds of activities maintaining all the Covid-19 precautions. We try to explore new places that are wheelchair ♿️ friendly. Ski is one such activity that can be done by maintaining the social distancing protocols. For wheelchair users, they have some special programs of adaptive skiing to enjoy the slopes.
Some prominent ski destinations in California which are open during this time and have adaptive skiing programs are:
- ⛷-Heavenly ski resort Lake Tahoe https://www.skiheavenly.com ♿
- ⛷-Squaw valley ski resort lake Tahoe https://squawalpine.com ♿️
- ⛷-Bear valley ski resort between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite ♿️ https://www.bearvalley.com
♿️ Wheelchair accessibility ♿️
- Make sure to read the details of the ski resort you are visiting
- If the snow conditions are very bad it will be hard for a wheelchair or scooter to reach to the actual area from the parking lot.
- ♿️ Adaptive ski is the sport which enables people with accessibility and other challenges to have a great time on the slopes.
- ♿️ If you are planning to take lessons in adaptive ski make sure to book in advance. Call the resort about the details and the trainer who is going to guide you.
- Not all ski resorts have the facility of adaptive skiing. So double check before going whether the resort has that program. The instructor for the adaptive skiing are trained in many areas
- ♿️Cognitive: neurological
- ♿️Bi ski: disability of legs and arms
- ♿️Monoski: disability of legs but strong upper body
- ♿️Snowboard stand up: all other disabilities but able to stand
- ♿️Three track: disability of one leg
- ♿️Four track: disability of both legs, but can stand with assistance Blind or low vision
- ⛷♿️ If you are planning to take lessons in adaptive ski make sure to book in advance. Call the resort about the details and the trainer who is going to guide you.
- They have different equipments for different challenges.
- Heavely, Squaw Valley and the Bear valley are the some of the ski resort which has a very good adaptive ski programs.
- To enjoy riding on the snow you might want to try an all terrain wheelchair ♿️ with continuous tracks. Checkout actiontrackchair.com for details
♿️ Covid-19 Precautions ♿️
- Face coverings will be required to access the mountain, in all indoor spaces, in any line, in chair lifts and gondolas, and whenever you are unable to maintain physical distance. Avoid crowded areas if you are stepping out of the car
- Always remember to carry gloves, hand sanitizer, water, food.
- Do not forget to use the restroom before leaving your house as it is safer to avoid using public restrooms during this period
- Remember to wipe your crutch or mobility scooter handle or the wheelchair wheels every time you return from outdoors
- Do not leave your items unattended.
- Make sure to visit the website of the ski resort for special Covid-19 protocols
- While dining outside make sure you wipe your chairs if possible.
Bear Valley, California
Squaw Valley, California
Heavenly Valley Road, South Lake Tahoe, California
