Triple D is a community of women united in the quest to defy the bitter cold of winter, discover what we can conquer and delight in the challenge, the reward, and the camaraderie that the sheer joy of skiing brings us.
Join our Triple D community – where like-minded women learn, laugh, bond, SKI in a fun, friendly and relaxed environment – by signing up for any of the events below. Our offerings will continue to grow and evolve. We’d love to hear any ideas you have to connect with women on the slopes. Let’s see where this takes us!
Slip away for a long ‘lunch’ to join other women on the slopes. We’ll divide into two groups, depending on your mood (feeling confident or cautious?) We’ll have an area of focus for the first hour, and ‘free’ ski for the second hour. Après in the slopeside bar until your boss, your kids or your life calls. Open to all intermediate and advanced skiers (please know how to turn and stop).
*Sign up for as many weeks as you like. Maximum 16 skiers (8 per group). The sign up is managed by Buck Hill and spots are available 45 days prior to the session date.
Hike up. Ski down. This is not as outrageous as it may seem. Buck Hill’s vertical is a whopping 300 feet. You wear your ski boots (which will give you excellent stability) and put your skis over your shoulder. A brisk hike up, and an exhilarating ski down as the sun is rising over beautiful Crystal Lake. Repeat. What a perfect start to the day! Please note, you will need to buy your ticket in advance.
Note: Buck Hill’s name for this is “Uphill Access,” so don’t be be confused when signing up, you’re in the right place!
Come one, come all to ski Wild Mountain outside Taylors Falls in the scenic St. Croix River Valley. Arrive early, stay late, or anything in between. We’ll gather in the chalet at noon to toast the day with their world famous (or at least Valley famous) cheese curds and Bloody Mary’s.
What better way to defy, discover & delight in Minnesota winters than to spend an afternoon skiing followed by dinner in the cozy confines of a supper club? Added bonus, someone else does all the driving! Welch Village is nestled in the beautiful Cannon River Valley and offers 6-0 runs. And Wiederholt’s, in its fourth generation of family ownership, is a quintessential Minnesota supper club offering their famous prime rib along with other supper club mainstays of walleyey, BBQ ribs, strips, filets and sooo much mooore (those are long o’s). We’ll be transported in a comfy bus with undercarriage for our skis and a bathroom for our bladders.
$220 (includes: Transportation, Lift Ticket, Dinner & Apps, Two Drinks of whatever whets your whistle)
Ski Away:
The longest-running women’s traveling alpine ski program in the country with 100% of the instructors certified by PSIA.
https://www.skiaway.net
Alpine Factory:
A cool (actually warm as you’re indoors!) place to learn to ski, improve your technique or get in shape for the season.
https://thealpinefactory.com
Back in the depths of Covid…cancellations, delays and maybe a margarita or two… Kelly came up with this crazy idea to ski every resort, no, make that every run in Minnesota.18 resorts, 432 runs, and countless hot cocoas with and without Baileys. With google maps, family and friends in tow, she set out to explore the slopes of our state, from Buena Vista up north to Mount Kato to the south, Andes Tower Hills to the west, Lutsen to the east, and 14 others in between. In this quest, Kelly drove over 3,000 miles – by rough calculation, she could have just driven to Banff and back. But then she would have missed out on all that Minnesota ski areas have to offer. Mullet skiing in Mount Kato, Muffy (she’s 90+) tickling the ivories (every day) in Buena Vista. The Lifty (aka chairlift operator) knowing every single name of every single skier at Cascade Mountain. You can read more about her adventure here. This zigzag across Minnesota inspired Kelly to start Triple D ~ a community of women skiers, embracing our long, bitter cold winters, exploring what’s out there, connecting, laughing, skiing. Defy. Discover. Delight
I love skiing. I love teaching skiing. I love everything about it. The exhilaration, the community, the outdoors, the challenge, the reward, even the cold. I started skiing at Buck Hill when I was five years old. At six my parents stuck me in Ski Jammers, our local children’s ski school. As a teenager I was very strongly encouraged (read: forced) into racing. I really wanted to join the ballet/freestyle team. But my dad thought he knew what was best for me. Turns out he was right. Huh. I joined my high school race team and was immediately captivated: the speed, the whacking of the bamboo gates, the ‘brrrrrrup’ in the starting gate. I was fortunate to be able to continue my passion for skiing in the Rockies while attending college. Wanting to get more involved in the industry, I volunteered for the Winter Park Adaptive Program, a move that had a profound impact on my life. This was the start of my love of sharing my passion for skiing. After college, I moved back to Minnesota and continued volunteering for the disabled program through the Courage Center at Hyland Hills. Fast forward to having three kids of my own, as soon as they were old enough, we put them into Ski Jammers and I became an instructor. Today, I am still teaching for Ski Jammers. I also teach for Ski-Away, an all-women’s ski program. This is when my passion for teaching women exploded. I volunteer for our high school race team. My own racer kids (their choice 😉) have graduated, but I am still involved in the program. It’s hard to give up. And I teach at Buck Hill, where it all began for me. Teaching skiing ~ to connect with people and share my perpetual joy of skiing with them ~ is so incredibly rewarding.
Oh! And last but certainly not least! I’m PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Level III certified (out of III).
Having skied them all, I feel I can answer this question with a confident, it depends. What am I in the mood for? The roly poly of Sunshine at Giants Ridge? The back ‘bowls’ of Welch? Mullet skiing in Mount Kato? But overall, I would say good ‘ole Buck Hill. We’re lucky to have this gem practically in our backyard.
Honestly I’d say wherever I can get to. I’ve never had a BAD ski experience in the mountains. I know, cop out answer, but true. Some of my favs: Alta, Steamboat, A-Basin, Winter Park (Mary Jane), Snowmass, Vail…
Uff, another toughie. Again, it’s a mood thing. But I’ve been digging STIO lately. They are out of Jackson Hole Montana. I’ve also been following this company Halfdays, founded by women including a former Olympian. I’m intrigued.
Of course it’s what I can’t have. POWDER. I love a fresh coat of powder. It’s clean, it’s beautiful and it’s fun to fall in.
Bumps all the way. Then a good groomer, preferably powder, but fresh courduroy will do. Last, and I mean last, is steeps. Just not a fan.
This is going to sound pathetic, but a good ole Coors Light, suuuuper cold. That, or a tequila mule at 6th Alley at the base of A-Basin.
I have a very patient husband, 3 kids embarking on adulthood and a dog our vet calls Berne-dorable (mini berne doodle). Yes, I have succumbed to the latest pickleball craze with the rest of the world. I also love reading, just finished (for the second time) The Longest Run by Rainer Hertrich about a guy who skied every day for more than EIGHT YEARS. A new goal perhaps?
I began skiing when I was 4 and spent many years trying to keep up with my older brothers. I was a Ski Jammer for as long as I could, and many ski trips to Colorado followed to visit extended family. After getting married in my mid-twenties, my husband and I decided to follow the snow. We moved from Minnesota to Idaho and back, then on to Tahoe. We skied whenever we could, wherever we could, and absolutely loved being locals. After coming back to Minnesota to start a family, we found ourselves moving back out West again.
While our two kids were in the ski school program, I thought I would take a few clinics and realized my love of instructing this beautiful sport. I started teaching in the Pacific Northwest at a little spot called Alpental in the Washington Cascades. I received my Level II through PSIA back here in Minnesota while teaching for Ski Away and Ski Jammers. I spent 5 years racing at Buck Hill in the Ski Challenge program before a knee injury disrupted my groove. After being out for a year in 2018, I could not wait to get back out on the slopes! I love this sport and absolutely love sharing my passion with others!
Welch Village in the beautiful Cannon River Valley
Montana skiing has my heart, but I left half an adventure in Revelstoke BC Canada. (This was my injury on day 1.)
I love ALL Blizzard Skis, Hestra keeps my hands toasty warm, and I can’t live without my Ororo heated vest!
POWDER DAY! Nothing beats a fresh coat of low moisture snow, and a face shot of freshies puts a smile on my face!
I used to say bumps… but now I LOVE a steep pitch! Steeps all day, a few bump runs after lunch and a good long groomer for the finish with some great big Super G turns.
A Hot Apple Pie! It’s made of Hot Apple Cider, Tuaca, and a Cinnamon Stick- HOLD the Whip Cream!
When I’m not skiing, I am playing pickleball and making dog leashes (Rugged Wrist is a company my family and I started back in 2012. We keep dogs (and humans) adorned with cute, all American made goods.)
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Part of our proceeds from teaching will be donated to the Nancy Oakes Hall Scholarship Foundation. Kelly was a proud recipient of this award. Nancy was a true inspiration in the ski industry. Read more about by clicking the link below.
