While some students may not like the cold, others are excited for it because it means it’s snow and ski season.

CWU junior Gavin Utley is an avid snowboarder, and he practically lives for this time of the year.

“I’ve been doing it my whole life,” Utley said. “I started when I was five with my dad and have been going every year since then.”

For people that enjoy the snow lifestyle, a decision is usually made about whether they’re going to be a snowboarder or a skier.

For Utley, the decision was clear that it was going to be snowboarding. He sees it more as a lifestyle than a casual hobby.

He compares skiers to rebels because skiing was the first founded sport. Then a guy a named Sherman Poppen attached two skis together in 1965 and called it snowboarding.

According to onthesnow.com, it wasn’t until the mid 1980s that snowboarding became widely allowed by resorts.

There are plenty of places to ski and snowboard in the state of Washington. This includes the Summit at Snoqualmie, Mt. Baker, Mt. Spokane and Mission Ridge in Wenatchee.

A skier very familiar with the scene, senior Miles Shimchick, said his favorite place to ski actually isn’t even in Washington.

“I enjoy Sun Valley in Idaho,” Shimchick said. “There’s a lot of big runs to ski down.”

Sun Valley is located in Central Idaho. According to Shimchick, it is far larger than the resorts in Washington. Some locations closer to Ellensburg that he recommends are Mission Ridge in Wenatchee and Snoqualmie, which you pass if you travel on I-90 from Seattle.

If you’re a more experienced skier and looking for a challenge, Shimchick says to go to the backcountry of Mt. Baker.

What makes backcountry skiing more challenging is there are often avalanche areas. This means there is a lot more snow in the area to work with.

It isn’t recommended to start out in the backcountry, as there is no ski patrol. Ski patrols are like police officers on the mountain.

According to Utley, you don’t even need formal training to get started, although it may be a good idea.

“I would say training is smart,” Utley said. “It can definitely save you a lot of time, grief and hardship.”

If you’re not committed to spending money on lessons, Utley believes you can also thrive by doing the research. This could include reading articles online and watching Youtube videos.

Senior Colten Crowe has a lot of skiing experience as well, and he had some advice for first-time skiers looking for equipment.

“I know there’s also a place called Mountain High Sports,” Crowe said. “It’s in downtown Ellensburg.”

It’s never a good time when you get hurt while skiing. Shimchick has avoided major injuries while skiing, using some safety tips.

First and foremost is to make sure your car is four wheel drive and never go past the speed limit when you’re going up the mountain. When you’re in the act of skiing, wear a helmet, goggles and waterproof clothing.

With the advancements of social media, putting out videos of your snow adventures has become more commonplace. Pro snowboarders like Matt Maniaci and Ryan Knapton have used social media to build huge followings on Youtube and Instagram.

The act of posting cool skiing or snowboarding videos online, whether on Instagram or Youtube, has taken off. Utley has definitely dived into that world and frequently posts his work on social media, although there are some drawbacks to it.

“I would say it’s much smaller publicity for snowboard videos,” Utley said. “It’s a little harder because you can get your stuff lost in the snow. There’s a lot more factors.”

When he does get a great clip of himself pulling off a trick, he says it’s always worth capturing. The ski and snowboarding season starts approximately at the end of November, and runs until about late April.

Expect to see plenty of your CWU peers heading out to the mountains during the upcoming months. Outdoors Pursuits and Rentals would be a great place to gather more info on starting your ski or snowboard journey.