On Friday, February 7, 72 members of the Seton Hall Prep Ski Club departed from the Prep en route to Mount Snow, Vermont.  As the bus pulled out of the parking lot at 3:45, the excitement was evident throughout the SHP students and staff.  A smooth bus ride with minimal traffic gave the trip even more promise and the probability to be a memorable one.

This mountain was no bunny hill.  In fact, Mount Snow was the host of the Extreme Games in 1995 and also the 2000-2001 X Games.  Mount Snow is composed of 4 parts: Carinthia, Sunbrook, the North Face, and the Main face.  Carinthia is home to the majority of the mountain’s terrain parks.  Carinthia is most known for a destination for the Winter Dew Tour, which is a series of skiing/snowboarding events and trials that are similar to those found in the X Games.  Sunbrook refers to the back portion of the mountain.  The North Face included all black diamonds; few Pirates attempted to conquer this portion of the mountain (the people who chose to travel to this peak returned unharmed).  Eighty-six runs total, with the longest being Long John (3.1 miles), gave the Pirates a heavy, yet enjoyable workload for the weekend.

On Saturday morning, the Pirates arrived at Mount Snow for the first time.  Every Pirate gazed up straight toward the Mount Snow Summit.  A 3,586 foot tall mountain was a new personal best for some of the Pirates, and they were convinced that they would not only ski down the mountain, but they were also going to conquer it.  Unfortunately, the first day of skiing gave the Pirates their first obstacle.  The slopes were very icy, a skier and snowboarder’s worst surface to ski/board on.  However, the Pirates would prosper.  Thankfully, as the day went on, the surface became more and more manageable.

On Saturday night, the Pirates were treated to a Chinese buffet, which was a popular choice among the students.  The food ranged from chicken fingers and pizza, to sesame chicken and lo mein.  After the good eats, Father John Brandi said Mass for the Seton Hall Prep Pirates, which was a great way to close out the long and busy day.

On the last day of skiing and snowboarding in Vermont, the mountain had great conditions!  To the Pirates’ satisfaction, powder with minimal ice spanned the entire mountain, causing a great day for skiing and boarding.  However, the great conditions brought out a bigger crowd than the previous day, yet the Pirates still prospered.  For the most part, the Pirates opted to ski and snowboard down the longer runs to avoid the lines at the bottom of the mountain.

The Mount Snow Ski Trip is a staple for the SHP Ski/Snowboard Club.  Each trip provides a highlight reel of events and fun that each student and staff member will cherish forever.  Whether its skiing/snowboarding with your friends, or creating new friends, each trip up to Vermont provides an incentive to expand each Pirate’s horizons and improve one’s winter sports abilities.