Monday, June 30, 2014

6 Months Down Under


On Saturday June 28th at 3:30am I started what is set up to be one of the most amazing adventures of a lifetime. After nearly 36 hours of travel time, including a cross pacific journey, I landed in Dunedin a small city on the south island of New Zealand, a place that I will call home for the next 5 and a half months. While i'm still trying to comprehend that I'm almost 9,000 miles from home and getting used to cold winter weather in July, I can already tell that this is going to be an amazing time. There will without a doubt be many blog posts in the future, and I can't wait to share all of my experiences.

until next adventure,

jf

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Affordable Skiing on a College Budget

Tips and tricks for DU students to enjoy winter quarter on the mountain



Skiers flood Arapahoe Basin for opening
day on October 13th
It’s winter quarter at the University of Denver and amidst the bustling of students walking in between classes; there is one question that can be heard from the mouths of freshman to seniors, international studies to biology majors, “Are you going skiing this weekend?” 

Colorado boasts over 300 inches of snow per year and with a solid start to 2014, Vail claimed Colorado has the “Best ski conditions in North America”. Seeking these unbeatable conditions, students have been flocking to the mountains since mid October.
Undoubtedly one of the most popular activities among DU students, the opportunity to ski and snowboard at the many resorts scattered across the Colorado Rocky Mountains is one reason many students choose to come to school here at DU. “Being from the suburbs of Chicago I knew I wanted to find somewhere outdoorsy when I went to college, Denver gave a great combination of education with some of the best skiing in the nation not too far away,” said Alec Brazeau, a DU sophomore.

With the topic of skiing at hand, college students are notoriously cash poor, and a weekend trip to the mountains isn't always in the budget. Here's a few ways to make a small investment last all season out on the slopes.
Lift Tickets
For most students, the cost of a lift ticket is the biggest hurdle in terms of their budget. Costing over $100 online for Vail, this is a major bank breaker for many college students. However, with the right investments, students can enjoy a full season of fun for just under $500 through the Epic Pass program of Vail Resorts.


The owners of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin, Vail Resorts offers a variety of different season pass bundles for their different mountains. One of the more popular passes among students is the Epic Local Pass, giving pass holders unlimited days to Breckenridge, Keystone, and A-Basin, with 10 days between Beaver Creek and Vail. A more cost effective pass is the Summit Value Pass, which offers the same days as the Epic Local minus the days at Beaver Creek and Vail.


Summit County Resort map
Resort
Day Pass Price
$110
$110
$105
$96
$82





While these passes may seem like a large investment up front, these passes often pay for themselves in less than four visits, meaning if one is to ride as little as 10 days throughout the entire five month season, they more than doubled their investment.
Gear
A full set of skis, bindings, boots and poles
such as these can be picked up fairly cheap
with the right research
The next largest thing holding a student back from getting out for the elusive powder days is how much equipment costs. With many publications like Ski Magazine and Powder Magazine posting their Buyer’s Guides for the season, they are advertising ski sets in the upper hundreds and close to thousands of dollars. With the right research and proper timing, many local shops, such as Colorado Ski & Golf offer a used rental fleet where skiers can walk out the door with their own pair of skis, including boots and bindings, for under $200   For those just wanting to rent for the day many people are stuck paying upwards of $50 at the base of the mountain, however, with planning ahead, local Sports Authorities offer ski rentals for $20, less than half the amount for rentals at the mountain.

Transportation
Now that skis and a pass are taken care of, there is only one thing standing in the way, how to get to the mountains. While many students find rides with their friends lucky enough to have their cars on campus, there is also a service started by DU students a few years ago called the University Ski Bus, costing only $10 round trip from Denver to select Summit County mountains close to every weekend of winter quarter. With an unbeatable price, the University Ski Bus system is a go-to for many students as they get a full day in the mountains without the worry of finding a ride to and from the resorts.
On-Campus Support
Another major beneficial group in student life in the mountains is DU’s own Alpine Club, the single largest student run club. Alpine Club has been around since 1928 and always stood behind their motto “Doing it in the mountains,” hosting a variety of different outdoor activities for students to enjoy all that Colorado has to offer. Check DU Alpine Club’s winter quarter trips for more opportunities to get out in the mountains.

With the right research and proper investments, even the most budgeted college student can afford to enjoy a day, weekend, and even an entire season of fun skiing in the mountains, taking full advantage of the beautiful state we live in.

About the Author: Jack Foersterling is currently a sophomore journalism student at the University of Denver where he writes for publications including the DU Reporter and Pioneer Business Review, and writes his own adventure blog Going to the Mountains is Going Home.