Winter is here: What to do?

by Julia Sundstrom

There is a variety of activities available in Grand Junction during the winter season. Students can drive up to our local ski resort Powderhorn for a few runs of snowboarding or skiing. There are endless amounts of trails on the Grand Mesa for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. A few hours away are some of the mountain towns with popular ski resorts. Here are some students from around campus and what their favorite winter activity is.

Maddie Farmer (Sophomore):  “I would say that snowboarding is my favorite winter sport because it helps me to feel grounded and connected with my surroundings. It is also just one of the most fun and exciting things you can go do. This picture was taken over break when I went skiing at Mammoth Mountain in California.”

Carson Odhner (Senior): “To be honest, I am not much of a fan of the winter sports. Since I have no choice living in Colorado, and I am a rock climber at heart, my favorite sport would be ice climbing. I have been doing it for two years and fell in love with it ever since I started in Ouray. I haven’t been to Ouray recently because I just got back to Colorado mid-December, but we are going next weekend. To me one of the big things is being outside for one, another thing is that climbing itself is like a puzzle for me, and it’s a good workout as well. The combinations of those three things make it pretty exhilarating.”

Devyn McCallum (Sophomore): “My favorite winter sport is snowmobiling. I love snowmobiling because it is fun and it’s an adrenaline rush. I have been snowmobiling since I was 8 years old. It started out as a family outing but then turned into family and friends going. We now mainly go so my little brother can practice for the hill climb races. I love to ride up on Black Mesa and Glade Park. Sunny days are the best days to ride. I also love to ride in fresh powder. People normally think that snowmobiling is really easy, and it is if you are on the trail but we normally do not ride on the trail. Riding off the trail is a lot harder; you are in charge of making sure your snowmobile doesn’t get stuck, so you can’t stop whenever you want. You are in control of a machine, so you need to know what to do. I’m always really sore after riding, but I love it.”

Jordan Bussy (Sophomore): “I have been a skier for as long as I can remember. There is nothing more amazing than making that first track down the mountain, cutting through powder, and letting all your worries escape. When I ski I forget about all my troubles, and I am able to enter a whole new world. On top of the mountains is where everything makes sense.”

Kensi Lingk (Senior): “My favorite winter sport is snowboarding. I grew up learning to ski since I was four. For my 14 birthday, I got a snowboard and decided to try it out and have loved it ever since. I love going because it gives you such an adrenaline rush and you can’t beat skiing in the Rocky Mountains. My family goes all the time, so it’s a fun activity to do as a family. We all enjoy it very much. I have been on the slopes since I was four, but I’ve been snowboarding for nine years. I normally go with my family or sometimes just my brother or friends. I go to Copper Mountain and Keystone. Best place hands down is Copper Mountain. That’s my home away from home. I learned to ski and snowboard there, and I know the area really well. I just like going because it’s not too expensive, unlike Vail and Beaver Creek, and it’s close to

Breckenridge, Frisco and Silverthorne which are my favorite mountain towns.”