By Willis Torres |Staff Writer|

Spring is right around the corner, which means the time to get some last minute snowboarding in is rapidly approaching.

Thankfully, the staff at the Rec. Center have various snowboarding trips scheduled throughout the month of February.

The next scheduled date for snowboarding at Mountain High is Feb. 18 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

For Snow Valley, the next trip is planned for Feb. 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The deadline to sign up for Mt. High is Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 for Snow Valley.

The costs for attending either location through the Rec. Center varies for students, $40 for Mt. High and $65 for Snow Valley, as the costs cover the snowboarding equipment, transportation, lift tickets, and snowboarding instruction.

I sat down with Outdoors Supervisor Alexander Boice to discuss the upcoming snowboarding trips.

Boice shared inside information about the trip, “Seats fill up generally fast and the students who do go enjoy themselves.”
There are 10 slots open for students for each respective trip.

These trips are first come first serve events so be sure to head over to the Recreation Center, located on the east side of campus, to sign up.

Snow Valley is located in the San Bernardino Mountains and is generally not as busy as its neighboring slopes, Big Bear and Snow Summit.

Mt. High is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and has multiple runs available for all levels of snowboarders. Both trips are scheduled to take place during the evening and each destination has a snack bar and fire pits to help snowboarders stay warm.

Both Mt. High and Snow Valley are geared towards accommodating all levels of snowboarders from beginners to the more experienced snowboarders.

For first-time snowboarders, there is no experience required, so be sure to meet with the Rec. Center staff for some helpful tips on how to snowboard.

I spoke with Melissa Bautista, a graduate student, about what she likes about snowboarding.

“I like the wind blowing in my hair and how I can let go in the moment,” said Bautista.

Bautista plans on signing up to go on the Mt. High trip during the month of February.

“I grew up skateboarding, so snowboarding came very natural to me,” said Bautista.

When asked if there was anything about snowboarding she didn’t like, she said, “Having to go to the bathroom while snowboarding can be a pain, so be sure to go before hand.”

Students who are interested in going should be sure to check out the Rec. Center’s website (www.csusbrecsports.com/) in order to get an idea of what attire to wear as well as any other safety precautions to take.

I asked Boice if he had any words of advice for any first-time snowboarders as well as returning snowboarders.

“Bring an extra pair of clothes. Keep your head up. Stay focused. Keep going,” said Boice.

Students with any further questions or concerns can visit www.csusbrecsports.com/outdoors or call (909) 537-CAMP.