Story by Trey Phillips
Design by Hyunjin Lee
This year, the Ski and Snowboard Club has moved one of its two annual trips to Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Olympics. In years prior, the group would have gone to Okemo, Vermont, but to save costs for skiers, Lake Placid is viewed as a good replacement.
“Okemo was bought, (and as a result) their prices increased. Last year we were able to go to Okemo again because we locked in our pricing,” Chemistry and Astronomy teacher as well as club sponsor Michael Kane said. “This year, the guy that I book through was able to offer a package that included both Gore Mountain and Whiteface.”
The Gore Mountain and Whiteface trip will take place over the weekend of March 6-8 at Lake Placid, New York. There will be another trip to Killington Ski Area from Feb. 28 to the beginning of March.
In addition to the location, the dates differ than that of years past. Previously, the days of the trips had been the weekends after midterms, yet these presented unique issues.
“My first year doing (the trips) we had a bunch of snow days where it was like the next one is going to affect the day of midterms,” Kane said. “So, in looking to avoid midterms, I looked at the weather, the historical patterns of the weather up there, and I found that February and the beginning of March are the snowiest times.”
The move should not only avoid any conflicts with midterms but ensure the best experience for all Conestoga skiers on the trips. And there are a lot of them.
With 210 people on three buses and 50 on the waiting list for the first trip to Killington alone, the attendance for the club has skyrocketed. However, the popularity of the club has made planning the trip quite stressful.
“It’s usually me pulling my hair out losing sleep, like literally last night I was tossing and turning because in my head I was like ‘How am I going to figure out how to get a hold of these people?’ and I’m like I’m not doing it next year, never,’” Kane said. “But as soon as I get onto the slopes I’m like ‘This is worth it, this is it.’”
