Pancakes sizzle on the tiny stovetop while snow dumps outside the trailer window and avalanche bombs blast in the distance. Phoebe and Jon Carpenter Eells, along with their three boys—Decatur, 10, Gideon, 8, and Thatcher, 2—are gearing up in the parking lot for a day of skiing at Mount Baker, Washington. Just like they do nearly every weekend during the winter.
Why It’s Worth the Effort to Take Your Kids Skiing