It is hard to imagine, mid-semester, when you are sitting in humid, 80-degree Arkansas weather, but picture this: after finals, you hop on a deluxe charter bus and sleep for longer than you have in two weeks. Fully rested, you arrive at a luxurious hotel and ascend to heights that give your room a postcard view of steep, snow-capped mountains. Most exciting of all, those mountains and your behind will become so intimately acquainted over the next week that you will be an amazing skier — or at least you will be better than those who don’t go to the outdoor rec. ski trip.
On Dec. 13, Jason Bean, the director of recreational life, hopes to lead a group of 50 students on the fourth annual ski trip sponsored by Ouachita’s outdoor recreation department to Crested Butte, Colo.
This group of students would leave the evening after finals and drive roughly 17 hours on charter buses to the group’s destination, the Elevation Hotel, located right on the mountain slopes. After taking advantage of the park’s guided mountain ski tours, skating rink, sleigh rides, snowshoe tours and its Adventure Park — students will leave on Dec. 18, exhausted, yet completely satisfied.
The Problem: Ouachita may not have enough students signed up to make this trip possible.
“The cost to get charter buses is so much that if you don’t get it filled up, it’s just cost prohibitive to go,” Bean said.
With only half the required number of students signed up, Bean is currently forced to consider canceling the trip.
To encourage students to sign up, Bean has extended the deadline to Oct. 11, which will leave two weeks until Nov. 1, when the final payment for the ski trip is due.
While it is financially possible to transport a group of 40 or 45 students, Ouachita would need to cut costs in other areas, such as lodging, to compensate. Instead of the Elevation Hotel, students would have to stay at Winter Park, an equally luxurious hotel that is located a little further from the slopes.
“Winter Park has nighttime tubing that students could do for fun,” Bean said, acknowledging that even the back-up choice for lodging on this trip will be just as entertaining.
Another factor affecting lodging is the new deadline. Having to wait until Oct. 11 for enough students to sign up means losing valuable time necessary to book good reservations.
“Last year, we had our spots reserved in July,” Bean said, “but we ended up paying for a lot of empty spots, so that’s why this year we intentionally delayed.”
If enough people sign up by Oct. 11, however, that delay may be worth it for Ouachita and all the students who needed just a little extra time to make up their minds.
The Solution: Sign up! You can help those already signed up by joining their number and going on a winter vacation too.
The cost for this five-day trek to the Rockies is $499, but there are ways to save money. You can B.Y.O.S.E., bring your own ski equipment, or simply not ski. Bringing your own equipment can cut your costs down to $459 or even $404, if you intend to snowboard.
You’ll save the most money if you don’t ski, which puts your total at $330. There is so much more to do than skiing in Colorado, so if money’s tight consider not skiing as a viable option.
For instance, surrounding the mountain, restaurants in the area provide something for every taste, from Mexican to German.
For more information about the Ouachita Ski Trip, visit skidaddy.com/obu/ or contact Jason Bean through email at beanj@obu.edu or through phone by calling him at 870.245.5268.
