Skiing is an activity that brings joy many people. To others, skiing is just another bad memory and a lost cause in their minds. The ideas of being out in the cold, not knowing how the snow conditions will be and getting stuck in crowds are not ideal for some. However, others will say shredding down the mountain is a feeling that can never be replaced.

As the amount of snow correlates with how favorable ski conditions are, many people were disappointed with the small amount of snow that the state of Colorado has received over the past two years.

The accumulation of snow in recent years has been at a lower level than the years further in the past. This forces the mountain ski-sites to push back their opening date, making the season shorter.

“The past two years I didn’t go skiing over Thanksgiving break because the mountain that I go to was not open,” stated sophomore Jake Stinson. “Yet, this year over Thanksgiving break, I went up to the mountains because it was open with multiple trails running.”

According to On The Snow, during the last two years at Breckenridge, Colorado, the total snow depth around the winter months was around twenty inches. This made for a slow start to the season and another disappointing year. Yet, this year, through the month of November and halfway through December, Breckenridge has had a snow depth of 44 inches; double the amount of snow the past two years. If the snow continues at this rate, this could be a prime year for skiing.

Without a decent amount of snow, it’s hard to achieve that thrilling feeling of a successful ski trip. Even if the mountain is open with limited snow, there are only a few trails open. This causes the trails to be really crowded as it forces everyone to one side of the mountain. Everyone is slowly skiing off the few layers of snow, making the snow conditions even worse. This results in an icy mountain and a poor experience.

“I personally don’t go skiing because it is not worth waiting in the crowded ski lines, to then only ski down one or two runs before it is just pure ice,” stated sophomore Macey Ruiz.

Having a good year with a lot of snow will open up all parts of the mountain early. This inspires more people to come up and have an enjoyable time while skiing. If the snow continues to keep up, this year could be full of powder and great memories. In a recent study, it shows that Colorado is the most popular place to go skiing in the United States.

This data shows the attendance of ski slopes, suggesting the popularity of the location. Five out of 10 reside in Colorado. 

“I am looking forward to this year’s ski season, so far we have a decent amount of snow and more to come. We have had a rough past season, so this should be a better one,” stated sophomore Abby Murphy.

Skiing is one of the best activities to do in the winter, with so many different varieties of it. Whether you are or aren’t skiing, this year is going to be a fun one in terms of the snow.