8 The Clackamas Print
Wednesday; Feb. 29, 2012
aced@clackamas.edu
All photos by Brad Heineke The Clackamas Print
Above: Casey House a n d Blaine Gobler,
o fA S G , help Susan N isbet a n d other
students prepare fo r the trip ’ to M t.
Hood, loading up their gear fo r the f u n
^that’s in store.
Feature
Left: Richard A m y stops to p u t snow
chains on the tires on the way up to-
the mountain.
Right: Ben Beyers waits-, by the lodge
fo r his fellow skiers a n d snowboard
ers. Beyers h a d over 2 0 runs down the
mountain during the trip. -
SKI BUS: Skiers unite with snowboarders for frosty trip
Continued from Page 1
any movement, of the vehicles. As
level’s òf boredom grew, text mes-
'S3gey w M e ^ re W iv e d D y ^ fiu d e n ts ' w h o
By the time the bus and its pas
sengers passed through Sandy, they
encountered the first snowfall of the
day. The driver caught the attention
of trip organizer Gasey House. He
had been notified by radio that the
bus may have to stop slightly shorty
of the resort and the group shut
tled up due to road conditions^ As
the bus continued, the snow deep
ened, forcing the bus driver to pull
onto the roadside near Government
Camp to put on tire chains. A few
helpful men .offered to help, but the
driver gratefully declined and profi
ciently got the job done in aboiit*20
^ninutesT
s T h e ’ bus continued to within
four miles.of thejski
resort where traffic
was halted, sitting
1 for nearly 45 min
utes without
announced them out load.
“Less than desirable conditions;
òhe lift open at reduced speed,” said
someone from the rear of the bus.
\ “My mom textfs] me and says
‘There are gusts up- to 28 mph and
it is 12 degrees. With wind chill,
it’s below-'iero.’” said Kassandra
-Watson-Steel.
£ Back underway some time later,
the Bds pulled into the Mt. Hood
Meadows ' parking ;fot. The group
got into their snow gear and made
ready to hit the mountain. House
announced that everyone’needed to
be back on-board by 8>3Q p.m. for
the return trip.
Excitement . quickly
turned
to apprehension I for many I as
they stepped out into what
seemed like blizzard conditions. The
vyndwas whipping the snowfall and
possibility of another trip in 'March
or early April.
and the ground. - Stilly, many headed
straight for the lifts. Once they
reached the top of the ski hill the
wind get faster and snow became
harder as it pelted exposed faces.
The visibility was low and at times
seemed like a white out. The condi
tions held this way throughout' the
day and night. .
David ïoshi” Mirrot said he
hadn't snowboarded in- four years.
“This is a tough way to get back in
the groove,”-he said.
“In 12 years of skiing, this is the
first time Thfave felt cold,” said Ben
Beyers as he lowered his face to the
wind while riding up the Mt. Hood 8
Express chair. This didn’t seem to
slow Beyers though, as he got in the
most runs of the group, shredding
down over 20 runs.
Many people took extended
breaks in the lodge and some quit
early. However everyone seemed
to agree that it was still “a great
time. As the bus left the moun-
tain. several asked about the
conditions I have ever skied» but the
worst weathet conditions,” said Kyle
Vuksich with a smile as he unloaded
hissnowboard back at CCC, “but
I would definitely do it again! I’m
going to recommend these college
trips to anyone interested in getting
on the slopes. It is like getting there
for free, plus it’s funner and a relax
ing ride.”
There is a lot. of skiing left this
season. ThereftS currently 123 inch
es of show aKmid level Meadows.
It f^sa La Nina year and we will get
much more snow fell‘on the moun
tains. The resort just made spring
passes available: $149 for unlimited
skiing from March 12 through the
remainder of the season. This spring
break - don’t be bored, grab your
hoards and head for the mountain!
h ig w irig i t From th e t r eg j^ T o o t t o p ^
“I t w as th e b e s t sn o w a n d slo p e
^ k i trip participants w a it to take a ride on the M t. H ood Express back up to the to p o fih e ski trail. The lift gave skiers a n d snowboarders a faster trip up the mountain, rather
than walking back up.