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Casey Ferguson Mesa Legend |
| Slowly coming to a stop, Matt Gibas takes advantage of the fresh powder at the start of this winter season at Sun Rise Ski Resort. |
Fresh powder attracts
all ages to winter sports
Nicole Ellis
Mesa Legend
When winter comes, Arizonan’s are passed ready to break out that snow gear. Skiing and snowboarding have become a growing trend in Arizona.
Arizona has two major ski parks; both Sunrise and Snowbowl are located in Northern Arizona. Though they are not comparable to Canada’s ski parks, they fit the needs of Arizona college students.
“My dad taught me to ski when I was 5. I grew up doing it and taught kids to ski in high school,” Kendal Scheier said. Scheier travels to Sunrise a few times a year to both ski and snowboard.
Sunrise is making new snow nightly, and is expected to open on Friday, Dec. 10. The date could change depending on this year’s snow season. Their lifts open at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. Sunrise has eight ski lifts. An all day lift ticket runs $41 for adults, and a half day is $33.
To get to Sunrise, take the State highway 87 North to Payson. Then go East on State Highway 260 through Pinetop-Lakeside. Turn right on Highway 273. Following 273 will lead straight to Sunrise.
“Snowbowl may not be as big as Sunrise, but I’ll ride down any mountain that has snow,” Matt Gibas said. Gibas wakes up at 5 a.m. every other Sunday during the season, to drive up to snowboard for the day.
Snowbowl opened most of its park over Thanksgiving weekend. Snowbowl currently does not make their own snow, so they soley rely on the weather for their snaow supply.
Their four chair lifts open at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. An all day lift ticket for Snowbowl is $42 for adults, while the half day tickets run $27 to $34 depending on the day of the week. Snowbowl offers a complementary lift ticket for birthdays, when presented with valid identification.
Snowbowl is located 7 miles north of Flagstaff on Highway 180. In Flagstaff, continue north on Milton Rd. 3 miles. Milton will go under the railroad tracks and turn to the right. Take a left at Humphreys Street. At Fort Valley Road turn left.
Whether it is Snowbowl or Sunrise, Arizona college students have a place to cool off in the winter.
Be sure to gather some friends together and rent the gear, because snow and extreme sporting is only a road trip away.
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