<p>college2012,</p>
<p>That's not as random a question as you may be imagining. While I am not a winter sports person myself, I have many friends who spend their winter weekends on the slopes. They're always asking me to come along, but I actually treasure my life!</p>
<p>With that said, I honestly know very little about the skiing options for Lafayette students. However, I was able to locate an article written a few years back for our campus newspaper, The Lafayette, on the topic:</p>
<p><<< Spring might be teasing us with a taste of warm weather but winter is not quite over. The ski season still has a few more weeks.</p>
<p>Winter weather provides the perfect atmosphere to enjoy the nearby ski areas that offer special student rates and a fun place to try something new, or perfect your ski or snowboard skills. If you have ever wondered what mountains are nearby and how each of them measures up, here's the deal.</p>
<p>There are four ski areas within a hour's drive of campus. Blue Mountain and Jack Frost/Big Boulder are the two where I have spent the most time, although Camelback Ski Area and Shawnee Mountain Ski Area are each also about 50 minutes away from campus.</p>
<p>Blue Mountain is the closest ski resort to Lafayette. It is about a half-hour drive and midweek lift tickets for students presenting a valid college ID are as low as $16. The resort hosts a lot of attractive features that students will appreciate, including 27 trails of varied difficulty and seven lifts.</p>
<p>The trails at Blue Mountain are challenging for intermediate and expert skiers and riders. They offer a wide range of blue, black diamond, and double black diamond trails that have a surprising amount of depth for a Pennsylvania mountain. Blue Mountain also offers green trails for beginners.</p>
<p>From my experience the mountain is always well groomed, and the base is not as thin as one would expect with the recent warm weather.</p>
<p>Probably the most beneficial aspect of Blue Mountain is night skiing, which fits easily into the student schedule. At night, the mountain is well-lit, however, there are a lot of young children that skiers have to keep an eye out for and dodge while making their way down the mountain.</p>
<p>Blue Mountain is a great Pennsylvania mountain, regardless of whether you are an avid skier or if you have never tried the sport before. For more information, visit their webpage at <a href="http://www.skibluemt.com%5B/url%5D">www.skibluemt.com</a>.</p>
<p>Another nearby ski area is Big Boulder/Jack Frost located about 50 minutes from Lafayette. The lift tickets for students at Big Boulder and Jack Frost, which include two mountains for the price of one (both part of the same resort) are $30 for student for a midweek ticket or for a weekend.</p>
<p>This mountain also offers a nice range of trails, from the challenging double black diamonds to beginners' slopes. The conditions have been relatively mushy every time I have been there. However, the trails are mostly well kept and groomed. Big Boulder, the tamer of the two mountains, has seven chairlifts and 14 trails, while Jack Frost offers seven lifts and 25 trails. Jack Frost's trails are geared more for the intermediate and expert skiers.</p>
<p>Big Boulder and Jack Frost also offer night skiing, which again, is a nice option for students. The night price is $5 cheaper than the day pass for a student price of $25. Check out the webpage for more information at <a href="http://www.jfbb.com%5B/url%5D">www.jfbb.com</a>. >>></p>
<p>FYI, the College also has a ski/snowboarding "club sport" (compete against other nearby colleges) that you might considering joining if you decide on Lafayette.</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>