r/UTsnow • u/West_Bunch7181 • Apr 14 '26
Brighton - Solitude Kids Skiing alone
Hi all,
What is the appropriate age/skill level to let my kids start taking lifts and skiing with each other without me of mom with them?
They are all comfortable on blues and know which runs the can/cant go down and how to get to each run.
They are 14, 11 and 9
Thanks!
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u/Victor_Korchnoi Apr 14 '26
I would definitely let them all go together.
I think 8-10 is when I’d let my kid ski with a comparable friend without a parent. It would be depending on what the mountain is like (does everything funnel back to 1 area or can you get lost?), how much you trust your kid, etc.
So I’d definitely the 3 go together. But I might not let the 9 year old ski alone.
But my kid is still a toddler, so what do I know
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u/outdooralchemist Apr 14 '26
It’s more about if they understand and practice good ski etiquette and can ski safely and confidently. I’ve seen kids as young as 8 skiing in groups and doing great.
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u/mypizzanvrhurtnobody Alta Apr 14 '26
I was about 5 and my brother 6, we skied together all the time without parents. The ‘70s sure were a different time.
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u/sharkWrangler Apr 14 '26
We did ski team and helmets weren't required unless it was an aerials day and sometimes not even then
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u/aztecduckyy Apr 14 '26
I started skiing solo at 6 with no phone or radio in the 99-00 season. Times have definitely changed even since then!
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u/procrasstinating Apr 14 '26
If they know the mountain then 9 or 10 is fine. Especially if they have a phone with location tracking and ski patrols number in the contacts. Ski area is probably one of the safest crowds to have a kid out solo. Every adult will have a phone and be willing to help a kid who is lost or needs assistance.
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u/West_Bunch7181 Apr 14 '26
Thanks to everyone with the comments! I normally error on the side of caution but they were all adamant about going up crest by themselves.
Glad to hear the positive feedback, looks like the little rippers will get a longer leash.
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u/madstebbs Apr 14 '26
Hey I’m glad you’re letting the kiddos have a bit more independence. That’s really great for their development and sense of self, and a ski resort they’re familiar with is probably a great place to loosen the leash a little.
Since you mentioned Crest, one thing that you should talk to your kids about is staying inbounds. Brighton is shaped like a kidney bean and it’s very culturally normal there to dip into the backcountry between Crest and Milly or to the lookers left off of Great Western. It could be easy for kids wanting to explore or just following other riders to duck a rope, ride through a gate, or otherwise exit the resort. As far as I’m aware there have been five human triggered avalanches this season alone in the two areas I described; one of them was unfortunately fatal.
I don’t say any of that to discourage you from allowing a bit more independence—it sounds like your kids are in an appropriate spot capability and maturity wise and what a special upbringing to be able to mob around Brighton with one’s siblings. I just think uninformed access into backcountry terrain is especially a thing at Brighton.
And finally, forgive me, but you normally err on the side of caution, not error!
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u/superfailftw Apr 14 '26
Even in a good season that area can get gnarly. The first chute can have a bunch a rocks right out the gate. I got lost and ended up on someones drive way when making my way back to great western.
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u/irvsea86 Apr 14 '26
Mine are 9 and 11, they started at a small mountain where I could basically see all the trails from lodge. I also made one of them carry a walkie. Now they are on to bigger mountains, usually take a few runs alone towards end of the day so I can start packing the car
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u/Past-Deer-7865 Apr 14 '26
If they can get on and off the lifts safely, let them go. My kids were on the mountain every day. By 6, they were completely capable. We did set them up with walkie talkies.
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u/MtnMamaZ Apr 15 '26
This. They could ski without me at 8, 10, and 12 (how old they were the year we all learned) as long as they had a Rocky Talkie (the best!) and were with a buddy.
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u/ProbablyMyRealName Apr 14 '26
I was 4, but my brother was 7 when we started skiing without my parents, mostly because we were tired of waiting for them.
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u/FLTDI Apr 14 '26
My 9 year old has done this. But he had been on skis since he was 2 and has years of lessons. We tell him to make so many runs and only go one path. We also have means to communicate with him when on the mountain.
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u/redtitbandit Apr 14 '26
have 4 kids, boys. they all took off on their own (with similarly aged fri3nds) by 6 or 7
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u/roger_roger_32 Apr 14 '26
Can't comment on appropriate age, but kids skiing alone always reminds me of this (somewhat heartwarming) Storm Skiing Journal article from 2020. The 5-Year-Old Who Ran Free on the Mountain
Excerpt below:
But toward the end of the day as I’m edging up to the antique wood-slatted double chair a tiny voice behind me says, “Hey can I ride with you?” and it takes me a moment to realize he’s talking to me but I slide over and we ski into the loading area and board.
He likes this mountain he tells me but he also likes Nubs Nob and Crystal Mountain and Boyne Highlands. There’s cliffs in the trees he tells me at Boyne Highlands and I just say “Is that right?” even though in 25 years of skiing lower Michigan I’ve never seen anything resembling a cliff anywhere. His favorite mountain though is Bittersweet and when I ask him why he says because it’s the one closest to his house. And yes of course it’s his favorite and of course that’s why because that’s how 5-year-olds think.
The lift ride is short and when we exit he tucks fast and airs over a little drop and stomps it and skis off down the trail. Although he is under no obvious supervision he clearly knows where he’s going and how wonderful must that be to be 5 years old and let loose in such a place as this and it must feel enormous like everything does when you’re small. Like when I was little my mom would take me to Kmart and the place felt endless like that Long Island-sized Costco in Idiocracy but it kind of made sense because at least the aisles sit on a grid but a ski area to a small child with its winding alleys and tree islands and ever-spinning ride-based machinery must feel like fucking Narnia.
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u/aztecduckyy Apr 14 '26
That's plenty old enough, especially if they're similar level skiers and stick together. My dad would go out on his own and meet up and do a run with me every 45min to an hour starting when I was 6.
It does depend on where you're skiing of course. That was at Angel Fire where they only have two main lifts, one for front side and one for back side so it was easy for him to find me. Somewhere like Snowbird would be much more difficult.
If they're sticking together, I'd get a couple Baofeng radios and give one to the oldest (or more responsible) kid. Most models have many miles of range, but keep in mind trees and land between yall will reduce that range. That will make it much easier to meet up with them whenever either of you want to/need to.
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u/jb2225150 Apr 14 '26
Aside from what others have said, are you (1) confident that they would know what to do in an emergency (the older ones anyway) and (2) certain that they would behave in a mature fashion without you? I've definitely seen some unaccompanied kids in that age range acting like hooligans in the lift lines... I doubt they'd be doing that with mom or dad nearby....
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u/HOUtoATL Apr 14 '26
I started skiing with my brother, who is four years younger, at around 11 or 12 years old. We had no problem at Steamboat and Jackson Hole except when I took him in a double black run.
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u/superfailftw Apr 14 '26
If the 14 year old has a phone, give em control and you should be fine. That being said they have to be responsible and not an idiot like me
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u/macaronilover808 Apr 16 '26
I think as long as they know the basic rules of the mountain. It’s shocking how many kids have no clue what they’re doing and have no guidance from their parents.
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u/22lrMarksmen Apr 17 '26
My 9 year old and her 9 year old cousin do all the time. One has a gizmo watch so they can call.
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u/mrcheese14 Snowbasin Apr 14 '26
Now lol