Emerson Jr./Sr. High School’s Ski and Snowboard Club kicked off its season with a successful first trip on January 16th. The students and staff members enjoyed a beautiful night under the lights of Mountain Creek’s slopes (in Vernon, NJ), skiing and snowboarding, and making the most of the winter weather.

The Ski and Snowboard Club is an enjoyable and enthusiastic way for our staff and students to hit the slopes and bond with other classmates from different grade levels. Open to both beginners and highly experienced riders like myself, the trip begins with you getting dressed in your gear and leaving the school at three thirty or four to most likely return around ten o’clock.

It’s an amazing opportunity to learn new skills during the winter season, enjoy the thrill of winter sports, and create unforgettable moments. The club is perfect for someone who wants to experience something new and out of the box; you can stay active with the five trips we go on and embrace the winter sport for our school.

One of the main advisors of the club, Ms. Jennifer Emmett, a Language Arts teacher at our school who is also a skier, answered some of my questions about this great club.

Preparation and safety are crucial for a successful ski/snowboard trip, especially for beginners.  Wait, what do you do if you want to go and you’re just starting to explore skiing and snowboarding?  How do you stay safe?

Ms. Emmett said, “The mountain offers lessons in a learning zone at the base of the gondola. Anyone can join the club, but they are required to take a lesson if it is their first time on the slopes!”

For those hesitant to try skiing or snowboarding for the first time, she advised, “I would say to definitely get out there and take a lesson. It is the best way to learn. Practice, practice, practice.”

Hands-on experience, combined with persistence, is key to building confidence and skill.

Reflecting on the students’ first trip, the feedback was that it was a huge success.

Ms. Emmett stated, “They had a lot of fun. They just wanted to stay until the mountain closes at 9 pm, which we will be doing moving forward!”

This enthusiasm reflected how much students enjoyed the outing, and how it has inspired plans to extend future trips – as well as how well the club is working out for its just having been started a few years ago.

Safety is our top priority when participating in this club, so a strict buddy system has been set in place.

Ms. Emmet explained, “Students are required to have a buddy system on the mountain. They absolutely have to ski with at least one other person at all times for safety precautions.”

This ensures that everyone is accounted for and can get help if any emergency were to take place is a scary situation. Our students are encouraged to wear “…leggings or sweatpants, snow pants, a long sleeve, sweatshirt or fleece, snow jacket, hat, mittens/gloves, warm socks, and a helmet” to protect themselves from the cold and prevent injuries.

On top of learning how to ski or snowboard, these trips are a wonderful way to make memories and have a blast with your friends who share the same hobbies or are learning a new one together. Trying something new can feel scary at first, but with supportive staff members (like advisors Ms. Emmet, Mr. Carr, and Mr. Mansfield) and buddy system, everyone feels supported and ready to give it a shot at something new! Plus, spending the evening on the slopes gives us students a chance to bond and enjoy being outside of school together.

Whether it’s helping each other learn or just laughing about falls in the snow, the trip shows how much fun these nights can be. It’s clear that our club isn’t just about skiing– it’s an opportunity to make new friends, build confidence, and have fun doing something that may be out of your comfort zone, or even just a chance to improve upon a sport you’re already trained in.

As a student who has been in this club since the seventh grade I absolutely love it. I have been skiing since the age of three, so I’m highly experienced. I can say that sometimes the mountain does not have the best skiing conditions, but this year Mountain Creek has been updated with new equipment for making snow, so I have heard that it’s much better than previous years.

I have made so many memories in the past three years, and can’t wait to make more for the few more years I’m in this school. I’m so grateful we have this club, it’s such a fantastic addition to the many clubs we have here. I love how our club’s roster is ranged through our middle school and high school so everyone is included.

Beyond the slopes, we grow as adults because we are responsible for our own equipment and gear which gives us a lot of independence as individuals.

Speaking of beyond the slopes, if anyone were to be concerned about eating while being there, the lodge provides pretty decent food like chicken fingers, snacks, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, and more. Oh, and we cannot forget about The Waffle Cabin!

Overall, this trip was filled with laughter, fun, and unforgettable memories  – and there’ll be many more to come! It was the perfect start to the season, bringing the club members close together.

We had another great trip just last night, and now everyone is looking forward to our next adventure on Thursday 2/6/25 on the mountain.

See you there?