Skiing – Adaptive skiing – and weather – at Canaan Valley Resort

It was all about family.  Special Love’s annual Ski Family Weekend was held over the Martin Luther King Weekend at Canaan Valley Resort near Davis, WV, and provided more than 40 families with 3 days of skiing, snowboarding, tubing, great food and lots of indoor fun. For some of the families, it was a chance to join in the fun by using adaptive skiing equipment* to enjoy a day on the slopes. Everyone  had to adapt to widely varying weather throughout the event, which included rain on Saturday, snow and chilly winds on Sunday, and sunny, pristine conditions on Monday. Although the weather got cold, the indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, and prize-laden BINGO party provided plenty of warmer options.

We were delighted to welcome more than a dozen families joined us for their first trip to Canaan Valley and some even stopped off at nearby Blackwater Falls during Monday’s ride home for a close-up look at this beautiful WV landmark. As one camp family shared, it was the “highlight of our winter.” For some, it also came at an opportune time in the midst of their cancer battle.

Special thanks to Chris, Martin, Andy, and everyone at Challenged Athletes West Virginia for their help with adaptive skiing, and to Elsie, Nancy, Chris, and the entire Canaan crew for ski/snowboard lessons, good food, and first-class service.

*Check out the cool photos of Logan and Dalton using their sit ski and outriggers at www.facebook.com/SpecialoveCamps. There’s even a video of Logan in action! Mark your calendar now for more family fun this spring/summer as we host Tidewater Family Weekend on April 24-26 and Summer Family Day on June 20th. Visit www.specialove.org for more information on all Special Love’s program or email Angela Ashman, Program Director, at aashman@specialove.org.