In the midst of 450 EC students, partners shredded the pow' on the EC ski trip. Partners and students flew to Colorado over President's Day weekend to ski and ride the fresh powder slopes at Steamboat Resort.Comprised of a complete mountain range: Mount Werner, Sunshine Peak, Storm Peak, Thunderhead Peak, Pioneer Ridge and Christie Peak, Steamboat Resort boasts 320 inches of total snow, 16 lifts, 165 open trails and 77 groomed trails. The mountain also offers 3 terrain parks and a super pipe.
Skiers and snowboarders alike shredded the 2,965 acres of terrain offering a diversity of trails for all levels of ability. For early birds, the best 12 inches of powder fell Thursday morning. My husband insisted on being on the mountain when the lifts opened at 8:30am to ski the fresh powder. Being that close to heaven, reminded us how icy, cold, and crappy Vermont skiing really is.
Section H partner Sarah Bryce and students Worth Lumry and Brandon Brown, among others, took advantage of the all-day beginner ski lessons. Steamboat offered an awesome deal of taking a lesson for only $10 more than the cost of a lift ticket. This introduced many newbies to the leisurely pastime.
On Friday night, everyone dressed their best and had a fajita dinner complete with Harvard Hurricane specialty cocktails at the mid-mountain Thunderhead Lodge restaurant at the top of the gondola. Partners and students showed off their dance moves as a DJ mixed the night away.
Saturday promised fun in the sun with a high of 42 degrees on the mountain. It was also '80s theme day. After scavenging the thrift store in Central Square, eBay.com, and mom's attic, we rocked out in neon spandex, legwarmers and headbands. My husband rocked a blue '80s CB ski jacket with a neon orange stripe and an MTV Spring Break '87 t-shirt, while I modeled purple zebra leggings and an Edward Scissorhands Tee. When we gathered at Bashor picnic area for the downhill ski race, it was like a scene out of "Hot Tub Time Machine". Partner Robin Hufsey competed for section B against the women in the downhill ski race. She didn't win, but in a purple '80s jacket and matching fur aviator hat, she looked rad doing it.
Over the course of the weekend, I clung to the right side of the mountain with other partners under Sunshine Express and Sundown Express lifts. The groomed open blue runs were perfect for the snowboarding partners Amy Lumry (OH), Anna Bonnett (OH), and Bianca Python (OB). As indicated by the "Whoa Partner" sign, it was meant for us.
Partners who didn't ski like Maegan Brown (OH) and Lindsay Porter (OD) took part in snowshoeing, massages at the spa, and après ski festivities at Bear Creek Lodge including live music at the base of the mountain everyday.
Needless to say, good skiing and good friends made the EC ski trip a success! As the year end draws closer and closer for students and partners, this was definitely one memory worth making.
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