Do the Turkey Trot
For Some Family Bonding on Snow

Resorts offer more than skiing or snowboarding for Thanksgiving

By Tammie Thompson

The grass is green. Is that a bud? No, couldn’t be. It’s almost Thanksgiving, and though dusted in white; our mountain resorts aren’t yet spinning the chairs. What is this snow-craving family to do?

Do the Turkey Trot! Pack up; head out in search of snow for the Thanksgiving break. Call it crazy; call it an adventure – but your Turkey Trot will be one to remember.

Growing up on the East Coast, skiing on Thanksgiving was iffy – very iffy. A few resorts would fire up the snow guns in anticipation of an early start, but back then (we’re talking pre-computerized snow science) weather was a big factor in the snow making equation. One Thanksgiving weekend we hit Hunter Mountain, along with ten thousand other snow crazed maniacs. Skiers (no snowboarders back then) were scattered like ants on flypaper. The patch of white was a sheet of ice – and yes you could see the grass beneath it. What do I remember? Hot chocolate in the lodge, the turkey dinner beside the fireplace, and laughing about how awful the skiing was; it was a Thanksgiving to remember.

Our family has continued the Turkey Trot tradition. Sure, we live in a ski town, but that still doesn’t guarantee the fluff on Turkey Day. Hit and miss in Tahoe, we’ve reinvented the Turkey Trot. We pack up, head out, and hope for some new memories on snow.

A couple of years ago, the weather was mild – very mild. We chose Park City as destination Turkey Trot. It wasn’t looking good. We almost cancelled. But, what they hay, we went anyway. Tiny snowflakes dotted our windshield as we pulled in to our condo. The forecast was for a couple of inches. We woke up to a foot of light, fluffy, powder. And it kept on coming. Giving THANKS, we hit the mountain and had a blast. A fancy turkey dinner, some holiday shopping, and four days of skiing, it was a Turkey Trot to remember.

The next year, storms were tracking north. Where to? Mt. Bachelor, not the first resort you think of for snow making, but no matter. We settled in to Sunriver Resort, where there’s lots to do besides hitting the mountain. But, again, we woke to fresh snow - cold, bouncy powder – a couple of feet deep. Oh yeah, it was time to give THANKS! Sunriver Resort dubs their holiday program, Traditions, for good reason. They add the hot cocoa, the tree lighting, gingerbread house, and a scrumptious turkey dinner, but what do we remember? The powder of course!

This year we’re headed to Colorado’s Copper Mountain. The snow looks good on the web cams, but we are hoping for some fresh. If not, oh well, they’ll always be new Turkey Trot memories – mountains to explore, people to meet, turkey to be had.

It’s time to start your own Turkey Trot tradition!

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