By Stephanie Brewster
From the slopes of Discovery to the powder at Big Sky, the winter sports season is coming to an end, but it’s not too late to catch the last few days of snow. Tech students, locals, and tourists alike still have the chance to come together on the slopes before Discovery shuts its doors for the season on April 10th. With an annual snowfall of 215 inches and 67 trails to choose from, there are a wide variety of adventures to embark on whether you’re a beginner, expert, or somewhere in between.
From the slopes of Discovery to the powder at Big Sky, the winter sports season is coming to an end, but it’s not too late to catch the last few days of snow. Tech students, locals, and tourists alike still have the chance to come together on the slopes before Discovery shuts its doors for the season on April 10th. With an annual snowfall of 215 inches and 67 trails to choose from, there are a wide variety of adventures to embark on whether you’re a beginner, expert, or somewhere in between.
In a recent interview, James Keenan, a student at Tech, reminisced about his hours spent at Discover and his experience teaching others how to ski.
“I’ve done every run at Disco.” “Disco”, as James admiringly referred to it, is the ski area in Phillipsburg, Montana where James, a Butte native, spends many of his leisurely hours.
In his expert opinion, the best way to spend a day on the slopes is to get there early, ski until noon, “eat enough gravy fries to kill a small child”- as James stated, catch a few more hours of skiing, and try to stay awake on the drive back.
When James taught first timers Nathan Cassel and Brad Heimbigner how to ski, baby steps turned into gliding down the slopes- but not without a few bumps along the way.
“I fell putting the skis on the first time,” Nathan admitted.“The first two hours are the worst. But, after, you figure it out.”
James’ plan of attack when it comes to skiing for first timers is to “stick it out”. In summary, the more you do it, the more you’ll find you enjoy it.
If you missed the college ski day at Discovery on February 28th, don’t think that you’re too late to blaze a trail of your own at Discovery’s summit. Many opportunities, including Easter weekend are still yours for the taking. The weather is reported to be full of snow flurries with a partial cloud covering Easter weekend. So, what are you waiting for? The lifts are open from 9:30 in the morning until four in the afternoon- and the mountains are calling! Maybe you’ll spot James, Nathan, and Brad on the chairlift while you’re there.
“I’ve done every run at Disco.” “Disco”, as James admiringly referred to it, is the ski area in Phillipsburg, Montana where James, a Butte native, spends many of his leisurely hours.
In his expert opinion, the best way to spend a day on the slopes is to get there early, ski until noon, “eat enough gravy fries to kill a small child”- as James stated, catch a few more hours of skiing, and try to stay awake on the drive back.
When James taught first timers Nathan Cassel and Brad Heimbigner how to ski, baby steps turned into gliding down the slopes- but not without a few bumps along the way.
“I fell putting the skis on the first time,” Nathan admitted.“The first two hours are the worst. But, after, you figure it out.”
James’ plan of attack when it comes to skiing for first timers is to “stick it out”. In summary, the more you do it, the more you’ll find you enjoy it.
If you missed the college ski day at Discovery on February 28th, don’t think that you’re too late to blaze a trail of your own at Discovery’s summit. Many opportunities, including Easter weekend are still yours for the taking. The weather is reported to be full of snow flurries with a partial cloud covering Easter weekend. So, what are you waiting for? The lifts are open from 9:30 in the morning until four in the afternoon- and the mountains are calling! Maybe you’ll spot James, Nathan, and Brad on the chairlift while you’re there.