A Day on the Mountain: We Took Our Dad Snow Skiing
There’s something about a 4 a.m. wake-up that makes a trip feel different. It’s quiet. It’s exciting.
I pulled into my parents’ driveway right on time. Everyone was already there and the vehicle was packed. Just waiting on me…
This wasn’t some big, overplanned trip.
It was simple.
A day trip.
A few hours of driving.
A full day on the mountain.
Then back home.
But those are the ones that end up meaning the most.
The Drive Up
The ride to Sugar Mountain Resort was exactly what you’d expect from the Dove crew. Half asleep and hungry.
For the first 2 hours all we could focus on was to find breakfast.
Preferably Chick-fil-A, but we had to settle for Bojangles. Apparently the last Chick-fil-A on the way to Sugar Mountain doesn’t open until 6:30am and not 6am.
Apple Maps should update that…
There’s something about being in a truck with your brothers and your dad that takes you right back to being kids again. Same energy. Same laughs. Just a little more appreciation for it now.
First Tracks
We hit the mountain right around 9 a.m.
Cold air. Fresh snow. That first look down the slope.
If you’ve ever skied, you know the feeling. That mix of excitement and fun. You’re about to send it, but the mountain always gets the final say.
We wasted no time once we got to the top. It’s like riding a bike for us & Dad was right there with us, setting the tone like he always has.
And then there was Kysen.
Watching him take it all in, figuring it out, getting better run after run… that was the highlight. You could see it happening in real time. The confidence building. The smile getting bigger each time he made it down.
That’s what this is really about.
More Than Just Skiing
Yeah, we skied hard.
Legs burning. Jackets unzipped halfway through runs. Pushing for “just one more” every time.
But what sticks isn’t just the runs.
It’s:
Riding the lift together, talking about life
Laughing at the wipeouts
Helping each other up
Looking out across the mountains and just taking it in
Those small moments stack up.
And the older you get… the more you realize those are the moments that actually matter.
The Lesson
We didn’t stay overnight.
Didn’t make it some big, expensive trip.
We just made it happen.
Left early. Showed up. Spent the day together. Went home.
And somehow, that’s what made it so good.
Because it proved something simple:
You don’t need a perfect plan to create something meaningful.
You just need the right people and the willingness to go.
Take Flight
If you’re thinking about doing something like this, don’t overthink it.
Pick a place.
Set a time.
Go.
Bring your brothers. Bring your dad. Bring your family.
Because one day, you’ll look back on a random day trip like this…
and realize it was never random at all.
It was one of the good ones.
Take flight. Make the memories.
GEAR FROM THIS EPISODE
Dove Bros “The Cleanup” Hoodie
For the hitters who don’t just step up—they clear the deck.
Blaze isn’t just in the lineup—he’s the reason pitchers sweat.
The Cleanup captures that raw moment just before the bat explodes through the zone. Storm clouds roll in behind him, the crowd holds its breath, and Blaze digs in with purpose. The torn graphic across his frame tells the story of a hitter forged under pressure—built to bring them all home.
LATEST EPISODE
