Lessons

Signing up for ski or snowboard lessons?  Here are a few key points to consider:

Multi-week lessons provide the foundation for learning and advancing on the snow quickly.  The weekly trip to the mountain not only builds muscle memory, it also builds traditions and emotional memories too.

Experts say kids do best when taught by the same teacher throughout their lessons.  Does the ski school you are considering offer it?

Small class sizes are important to all, but especially kids.  Most ski schools have nine to 12 kids per instructor.  Some high profile resorts, like Park City, Utah, have limited the student / teacher ratio to six.  How many students will be in your class?

Kids in class?  How about you?  Giving yourself the tools and techniques to ride better may not sound as fun as bombing around the mountain.  But, you'll need those skills in a few years when your kids get to be faster than you...

If you haven't signed up yet, Olympic Ski School offers all of the above.  http://www.olyski.com/  Classes start January 7th.

Open Season Rail Jam

The Open Season Rail Jam is the first freestyle competition of the year.  The competition takes place in the terrain park at Stevens Pass and is open to everyone. 
The comp is Saturday, December 18th.  Register in the Granite Peaks Lodge at 11:00 AM.
The winner earns an invitation to the Big Air Fiesta.

Who Turned On the Lights?

Night skiing at Stevens Pass begins this Thursday, December 16th.

Conditions permitting, they will operate the Skyline, Hogback, Daisy, Tye Mill, Brooks, and Kehr (Big Chief) chairs.

If you plan to ride at night, get yourself some clear goggle lenses.  You don't have to buy a new set of goggles.  Go to Pro Lens at http://www.prolens.com/ or call 1-800-PRO-LENS.  They will sell you a clear lens for the goggles you already own.

Pineapple Express

Sunday, December 12th:  Stevens Pass will have limited options due to (forecasted) heavy rains.  The terrain park will be closed.