CSB+SJU Ski and Snowboard club plans to travel to Steamboat, Colo.

Every January, the CSB+SJU Ski and Snowboard club takes a trip to a new destination for a week of world-class skiing. These trips have been some of the best memories of my whole college experience.

Being from Colorado, I grew up skiing the Rocky Mountains. Skiing feels like home to me, so I was thrilled when I discovered this club my sophomore year. The Ski and Snowboard club is a great way to experience skiing in new locations while bonding with other Bennies and Johnnies.

“My favorite part of the ski club is meeting other students at CSB+SJU who share an interest in skiing and snowboarding. It has been great to find a community on campus that shares this passion,” senior Caroline Kitchen said.

A large part of what makes this club so fun is not even about the skiing. After a full day of skiing and riding, the club hangs out in the hot tub and explores the mountain town.

“The entire day we are on the mountain skiing and snowboarding, and at night we are laughing, hanging out, and getting to know each other. The hot tub conversations and card games make the trip so special, because it’s moments with your friends that are unforgettable,” Kitchen said.

Two years ago, my sophomore year, the club went to Jackson Hole, located in Jackson, Wyoming. This is a world-famous destination, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

Jackson Hole is famous for Corbet’s Couloir, an expert ski run that is described as America’s scariest ski slope. Skiers and riders travel the world to test their skills in the competition Kings and Queens of Corbet’s, throwing crazy flips and tricks off the ledge into the run. The couloir was sadly closed while we were there, but we made sure to ski up to the edge and peer down into it. We followed this up with waffles from the famous Top of the World Waffles, located on the mountain’s highest peak. It was unforgettable.

Last year, the Ski and Snowboard club went to Snowbird, Utah. An hour outside of Salt Lake City, this mountain has incredible skiing equipped with a tunnel that takes you through the mountain straight to the backside bowl. The front side of the mountain was almost better, with almost too many double black diamond runs to choose from. A group favorite was a double black diamond in the trees called “Lower Organ Grinder”: straight down with plenty of moguls.

The mountain was hit with a snowstorm the second night of the trip, setting up the week for some fantastic powder.

“A memorable moment from the trip was getting dumped on with powder in the middle of the week and having some of the best skiing I’ve ever had,” sophomore Huck Heggerston said.

After a long day of skiing, we all went back to the hotel and sat in the hot tub as the snow fell on us. Does a more perfect day exist?

This January, the club is taking a trip to Steamboat, Colorado. My family frequents this mountain often, and it feels like my second home. Steamboat has skiing for all ability levels, consistently high snowfall, and a fun downtown seated at the foot of the mountain.

Skiing out West is expensive, but under a blanket cost that covers lodging, rentals, lift tickets, and events, members of the club save a significant amount of money. The price is worth it, without a doubt.

I truly love this club. Not only does traveling with the club create opportunities to make new friends and lasting relationships, but it does so in a way that gets you out of your comfort zone. I would encourage everyone to look into this year’s trip. You will become a better skier or snowboarder, challenge yourself, and meet some awesome people.