When I grew up in southern New England, I went to school with friends that were skiers. They would go to a place called Powder Ridge for night skiing, and I thought that must be the coolest thing in the world – skiing at night - without parents. Eventually, in 7th Grade, I went to Powder Ridge with my grandfather, rented some skis and took a lesson. I learned how to snowplow on the bunny slope, and by the time I was done, my jeans were soaked, I was freezing, and I thought there was no way I would ever take the lift all the way to the top and night ski with my friends. Eventually I figured it out, made my way to “real” mountains liked Stratton and Mount Snow, but most especially, in 8th Grade, my folks let me go to Powder Ridge at night with my friends!
At The Beech Hill School, all our students participate in three different ski days, and we provide lessons and rentals to all students. While skiing is not a critical skill, like time management or addition, it is useful if one lives in New England. As such, it is part of our O-PE program, and by the time our students graduate, they all have a chance to become familiar with skiing or snowboarding.
Our next ski day is coming up, and with all this fresh snow, it should be a great day for skiers and boarders of all abilities!