Before major exams begin and the snow melts away, students can ski and snowboard at a handful of outdoor events taking place this spring hosted by the University Recreation Center (UREC).
Students can prepare for the trips by attending the 19th annual Banff Mountain Film Festival, being held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Compton Union Building Auditorium. The festival is making a world tour, stopping here to highlight feature films of different adventure-based activities like skiing, climbing, snowboarding, kayaking and base-jumping.
“I’m excited about bringing together the outdoor community to see films to get people excited about going outside,” said Clemencia Caporale, Outdoor Recreation Center (ORC) coordinator. “Our hope is when they see stuff like that they’ll want to sign up for an ORC trip.”
The festival is free to WSU students with their cougar card and $10 for community members.
“(I’m excited) to see all the outdoor adventure and enthusiasm that people put into their work and just some of the breathtaking shots they can achieve, from the side of a cliff to tearing down a mountain on a bike; it’s amazing cinematography,” said Kyle Cance, University Recreation marketing director.
On Saturdays the ORC will provide transportation to Schweitzer Mountain for students who want to ski or snowboard. While the trip is currently full, students can visit orc.wsu.edu to get on the waiting list.
Feb. 11 through Feb. 12, the ORC is hosting the Ski/Snowboard & Splash Weekend at Silver Mountain Ski Resort. There are still open spots for this trip. It costs $150 for ORC members and $200 for non-members.
Transportation, lodging, two lift tickets and entrance to the water park are included. Ski rentals and food are not included. A mandatory pre-trip meeting is Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. in the ORC lobby.
“Our Ski & Splash is a really fun trip and it’s pretty good cost-wise for students,” said Trip Leader Colt Fetters. “I’m really excited about that because you always get a good group of kids and you get to meet new people to ski with and just hang out with for the weekend.”
The annual multi-day Backcountry Hut Trip to McCall, Idaho is scheduled for Feb. 18 through 20. Participants will be skiing and snowboarding during the day and then hiking to the hut at night. It’s considered a level 3 trip, so only skilled snowboarders and skiers are recommended to go.
Currently, there are five spots open for the trip. It costs $150 for ORC members and $200 for non-members. Sunday is the deadline to sign up.
What's more, the ORC is also hosting two spring break trips, one to Death Valley and one to Red Rock. The early bird registration deadline is Thursday and saves $50. The full price is $300 for members and $400 for non-members.
Anyone wishing to sign up for a trip can visit the ORC Web site for more information.
