<p>I've checked Colorado College's academics and people's overall opinion or experience, which looks excellent. Now I'm curious about the skiing.
I know it's in Colorado Springs, but how good are the skiing opportunities?
Is there decent backcountry skiing?
How good is the ski club?
Are there lots of skiers/boarders who attend and go ride?
Is skiing possible during the block schedule? (maybe even after class during the week)
How expensive is it?</p>
<p>I know academics come first.</p>
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<p>Yes, lots. Everything from casual recreational skiers to people who substitute summer blocks for winter blocks just so they can ski full time during the winter.</p>
<p>Winter sports, and outdoor recreation in general, are very big there. You have D1 ice hockey at Colorado College and a major Winter Olympics training center nearby. My kid had never attended a hockey game before, and did not seem that interested, but after attending his first game said it was a very exciting experience.</p>
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<p>It’s possible on weekends or during the 4-day block breaks that occur every 3.5 weeks. Alpine skiing after class would not be practical because I don’t think the Pikes Peak area near school has any groomed runs or lifts. So most kids drive/bus a couple hours to a major ski area. Except maybe some hard-core Rocky Mountain kids who strap on a pack and head up the mountain under their own steam.</p>
<p>This is a compromise. It’s not like Middlebury College in Vt, which has its own ski area a short drive away. You get some of the world’s best skiing 2-4 hours away, not average New England skiing 10 minutes away. But you’ll need to focus on studies during the week, anyway. </p>
<p><em>The academics are pretty intense.</em> Small classes with lots of discussion, team projects, and student presentations; often heavy reading loads. Each class gets its own room during the entire block, so students sometimes hang out together there after scheduled hours have passed to continue a discussion or work on projects.</p>
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<p>My S just bought a ski pass, good for 6 days at any of 3 areas I think, for $300. Good skiing, like a good education, ain’t cheap.</p>
<p>My S (now a junior) had a 5 mountain ski-pass last year and used it extensively at Winter Break. The dorms re-opened on January 2nd(I seem to recall).</p>
<p>There is some daily public transportation to the out of town slopes, but my S drove his car to the slopes each day and took fellow students as passangers to pay for the gasoline.</p>
<p>For a portion of the Winter Break, there was an opportunity to stay at another student’s grandparent’s condo in Taos and ski there. S has found that there are a lot of CC students who have access to condos near the different mountains to make things easier and less expensive.</p>