Ski Shuttle

Yesterday, my friends and I were able to enjoy an evening of skiing at Cataloochee, the ski resort that I visited over break.  Thanks to the school's awesome campus recreation program, we were able to take part in the ski shuttle service, and ride with other UNC Asheville students to the ski lodge and enjoy a discounted evening of skiing to the tune of about $30.  Considering that rentals and lift ticket cost me about $60 when I went independent of the school, and that the ski shuttle "package" also offered the option of free ski or snowboard lessons, I'd say this was a pretty excellent deal--well worth the money!  Campus Recreation offers UNC Asheville students a wide number of group trips around Western North Carolina and even beyond, but until this semester, I've been too busy with work and school to participate, so it was an adventure.  My group devoured the along snacks and dinner (sandwiches and homemade pasta) that we'd brought with us before hitting the slopes.  I hadn't before seen any of my friends' ski skills, and felt comforted that most of us, with a few exceptions, are on roughly the same level.

  
We were told that Cataloochee had received a light snowfall on Friday morning, and found that by nightfall, all of the runs were open, and the conditions were still great.  Although the weather was biting cold, once we started moving, all we felt was the exhilaration of racing down the slightly icy slopes.  While there, I was surprised to run into my brother and his roommate, who apparently make a habit of taking advantage of the ski shuttle to snowboard most winter weekends.  We rode the chairlift together to the intermediate slope, which I, as a novice, navigated with some difficulty before wiping out completely (we're talking skis, poles, hat and goggles flying through the air and me landing face-first in the snow).  This little hiccup aside, the evening proved to be an awesome way to take advantage of the wintry weather and spend time with other members of the UNC Asheville community.  If you end up coming to UNC Asheville or are already a student here, you should definitely give this, or any other of the programs offered by Campus Recreation a try.  You might be surprised by how much fun you'll end up having!