Spring Chicken: A Return to Skiing, Postpartum

This fall, I welcomed my second baby. We spent the winter snuggled up, cozy against the onslaught of northern Vermont’s cold temperatures. Between nursing, naps, our toddler’s schedule, and adjusting to life back at work, the mountains were not exactly beckoning. 

Then, spring hit. 

As the thermometer crept above zero and the haze of early postpartum began to clear, I had a funny thought. What if I skied? Really, it shouldn’t be such a strange idea. I can see trails at Smugglers’ Notch from my bedroom window, and have spent my life skiing. But the return to skiing postpartum isn’t just about proximity, as big of a part as that is. There’s logistics (oh, so many logistics), identity, energy, and the slow work of returning to something that was once second nature. With each of my two kids, I’ve emerged an altered person. And whether that person wants to spend rare downtime skiing has been a question mark in these early months. 

There’s a popular version of ski culture that likes to focus on the freedom of the sport: the escape, the powder days and days spent playing hooky from school or work to log a few laps. For moms, especially in early motherhood, escapism takes some prep. Factors to consider: childcare, nap schedules, hand-offs, your pelvic floor, likelihood of thighs catching on fire (high), pumping/nursing schedule, finding ski pants that will fit, and prepping enough snacks to feed a breastfeeding woman’s appetite. 

Manufactured spontaneity is still fun, however. And if having to coordinate were a limiting factor, those in early parenthood wouldn’t make it out of the driveway. So off I went, after lining up the support and staking time for myself, even when it felt easier to curl up with a cup of coffee and Wordle.

Thankfully, home mountains have a way of softening the edges. With familiar terrain, I could focus my energy less on what was coming around the corner and more on form. There’s less pressure and need to perform than exploring somewhere new. Even with an East Coast spring's variable snow, the experience of visiting favorite trails on my favorite mountain felt grounding. Hi, new body. Meet an old friend.

My day offered up classic spring-in-Vermont conditions: soft in spots, firm in others, with changing conditions from run to run. One turn offered slush, the next a patch of blue ice, and I learned quickly which trails had too many dirt patches to revisit. Don’t worry, I get it, I thought to myself as I lurched a bit on my last run, catching a mashed potato patch. There’s no straight lining. I’m just happy to be here. 

I’d begun my day with apprehension and a tinge of dread at the vulnerability of returning, changed, to something I love. But when I committed to time on the mountain, I found the same person underneath all of those new layers. I still craved movement and fresh air. The quiet space to think was a near heady experience. 

A few hours on snow was a healthy reminder that life as a mother is multifaceted, and holding joy and identity beyond caregiving is far better than running ragged. One of the best predictors of a child’s wellbeing is their parent’s own health. Getting outside, moving your body, and taking time for something you love isn’t indulgent, it’s necessary.

This spring at Smugglers’ Notch wasn’t about a bounceback or comeback. I was just coming back to my home mountain and to a sport I love. Back to a body that has carried me through pregnancy, birth, and now a quieter kind of return. 

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