Mom’s Weekend with Dad (After)
Shredders Gathering Around the Dummy Race Course at Schweitzer
The weekend I shared with my dad was all I expected it to be…and more. We arrived in Sandpoint on Friday evening. We checked into our hotel and went out to get some dinner. We ate dinner at Slates Prime Time restaurant. It is right across the street from the Motel 6. They have great food and tons of choices of beer. After dinner we went back to the hotel to pass out early…we had wanted to catch first lift in the morning.
We rode Saturday and Sunday. Both days were blue bird and amazing. We spent most of Saturday on the backside and found a lot of untouched powder in the trees. After a full day of shredding we enjoyed a live band that started playing on the patio outside the lodge around four. Everyone was stoked from a good day on the mountain and was ready to party. The music and dancing went on well into the night. People of all ages were boogying down with their ski boots, ski poles and tropical attire. We decided to call it a day around eight or so and headed back down to Sandpoint.
Sunday was the final day that Schweitzer was open to the public skiing and snowboarding. It was sunny and hot. The pond skimming in the village was in full swing. Around one in the afternoon people began gathering around the dummy course. The dummy course consisted of a long, steep, groomed run with a jump at the bottom. Contestants had submitted dummies of all shapes and sizes. There were around twenty dummies in all. Each one had a shot a cruising down the run, hitting the jump and seeing how far it could fly. Some dummies crashed and burned while other dummies soared. This was my favorite event of the weekend.
We rode for a few hours after the dummy race and then we had to get back to Spokane so my dad could catch his flight. Mom’s weekend last year was one of the best weekends I’ve had a Schweitzer and my dad had such a great time my parents are already making plans so they can both come this year.
A Snowboarder Attempting to Cross the Pond
Discount Season Passes for College Students
As we patiently wait for the snow to pile up and Schweitzer to open there is no better time to start planning how you are going to afford to shred all winter. As college students, who live off top ramen and freeze in the winter because we can’t afford to turn on the heat, trying to come up with money to pay for anything over twenty bucks can be a daunting task. The average cost of a season pass at most ski resorts ranges anywhere from $400 to over $1000.
Schweitzer however, offers a deal that is unbeatable for college students. If a college ski or snowboard club purchases season passes in bulk they receive a discounted rate. At least sixty-five passes must be purchased and the discount rate is $265 including tax. The WSU Snowboard Club is promoting this deal, and in the past several years has gotten enough people to purchase more than sixty-five passes. You only have to go up about five times for the pass to pay for itself and then you are riding for free for the rest of the season.
If you are a college student and are interested in this sweet deal there are a few things that you need:
- To complete the form for the passes
- Sign a liability release form
- Turn in a photocopy of your student ID
- Turn in a copy of your fall 2009 schedule with your name printed on it
- Have a credit or debit card to pay the $265
Contact Nikki Moore at nrmoore@wsu.edu if you are interested in buying a pass! The deadline to have all forms and money turned in is November 9, 2009.
The Snow is Coming
Snow falling on the Basin Express Lift at Schweitzer Mountain Resort
Schweitzer received its first dusting of the winter season a little over a week ago. This photo from the Schweitzer website of the Basin Express lift was taken on October 2nd. As the winter storms keep brewing in the Pacific Northwest the excitement begins to rise.
Last winter, like any other, snow enthusiast had their hopes set high for an early start to the season. However, Mother Nature didn’t play along and Schweitzer opened around December 12th with only the Musical Chairs lift running for the first several days. Once again, the optimism for this year is that opening day will be historically early.
With temperatures falling in to the teens at night here in Pullman the frigid air reminds us all that the snow is soon to come. It’s time to bust out your snowboard videos and your old school Warren Miller films, make some hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps and get stoked….Winter is here!!!
Also check out the events page for more details on a great deal on discounted season passes to Schweitzer for college students.
