This is the Motherload, Ep. 2: Raising kids in the mountains means prioritizing time to disconnect

Pro skiers Izzy Lynch and Tessa Treadway navigate parenthood, grief and healing while raising kids in the mountains of British Columbia.

Photography by Zoya Lynch

Tessa Treadway and Izzy Lynch have been skiing in some of the furthest reaching corners of the earth, but getting their five boys up the one kilometer trail to the Amiskwi Lodge feels like a big adventure. It’s all about perspective. “Getting out the door is the hardest part,” the two echo time and time again, in the new four-part series, Motherload. 

In the second Motherload episode, Tessa and Izzy take their boys up to Amiskwi Lodge, a remote backcountry lodge in the Canadian Rockies that Izzy’s family built in the 90s. Packing all their food and gear into backpacks, driving along a long, bumpy dirt road, and hiking up a trail to the lodge is no easy feat, but the two agree that even a short trip provides a much-needed recharge. 

“The outdoors feels like our grounding zone where we connect with each other and the world around us and even ourselves,” says Tessa. “There aren’t the same distractions. To me, this is so important, and I see how much my kids need it too.” 

In the episode, the two along with their gaggle of boys—Izzy’s two boys, baby Fitz and Knox, along with Tessa’s three boys, Kasper, Raffi, and Malto—enjoy a few days of hiking and exploring the vast alpine terrain around the lodge. Staggering views of the massive icefields and high alpine meadows above the lodge (perched near the boundary of Yoho National Park) provide a spectacular backdrop for their kid-friendly adventure, which includes plenty of giggles and snacks breaks.

At home, Tessa talks about how easy it is to get distracted by various chores and things that need to get done when she tries to stop moving and play with the kids. But out here, they’re free to roam, and can connect and use their imagination in a different way. “It’s so easy to play and the playing is different,” she says of their time off the grid. 

Izzy has been coming to Amiskwi since she was a kid, and she remembers the sense of freedom she always felt exploring the alpine meadows around the lodge, a key factor in wanting to bring her own kids up in this space. 

Takeaways from the episode? While the views from the Amiskwi Lodge are pretty hard to beat, it doesn’t have to be a big trip to a remote alpine lodge to help your kids get outside and feel connected to nature. Getting out for any hike (even if it’s just for an afternoon) to unplug, can be all it takes to fill up your cup and build those memories with your kids. “Every season of life is so different, especially with small kids,” says Tessa. “Learning to accept where you are at and what is possible and fun or worth the effort for the season of life you are in is the key to adventuring with small kids.”

To watch the entire Motherload miniseries, click here.