GW Law Invades West Virginia for Annual Ski Trip
It's already that time of year again. The time when 175 or so law students look a little worse for the wear; the time when those same 175 seem to be in on some brilliant inside joke, sharing giggles in the hard lounge and knowing glances in the halls: yes ladies and gentleman, the ski trip has come and gone. It leaves in its wake law students (and alumnae alike) grappling with missing hours of sleep they'll never make up and West Virginia withdrawal. It is a bittersweet time of year when Facebook album after Facebook album is posted and then detagged. I am proud to count myself one of the not-so-few to have embarked on this year's trip-my third (and final?) foray to Snowshoe Mountain during the busy Martin Luther King Junior holiday weekend.
The ski trip is perhaps the most mythical of GW Law traditions. Stories always laden with hyperbole and characters such as cabin-mate-who-shall-remain-nameless or guy-skiing-in-jean shorts-with-lit-cigarette-in-mouth. It happens annually on the Friday through Monday of Martin Luther King Junior weekend. Every November students get a little cliqueier as they plot their perfect cabin and every year the SBA is shocked by how quickly the spots for this elusive weekend getaway disappear.
This year we took 175 students, alumnae, significant others, and friends to our perennial destination: Snowshoe, West Virginia; about four hours away by car and somewhere between six and thirty hours away by bus. The ski resort sits atop the mountain, and the cabins we stay in are aptly named The Summit. The "cabins" are really more like rustic condos dispersed between four different buildings, a layout making for easy for everyone to socialize and visit friends.
3Ls get ready to tube down Snowshoe Mountain!
The name "ski trip" can be a misleading way to describe this epic weekend, as, on average, about half the participants don't ski (or snowboard) at all. For this reason the SBA offers multiple packages to accommodate everyone: people have the option to ski or snowboard, to rent equipment if needed, or just hang out and drink hot cocoa (and bailey's?) all day. By bringing a large group year after year, we are able to negotiate lift tickets for the weekend that are about half what they would cost to buy individually. This makes for one of the most affordable weekends of skiing available anywhere.
The opportunity to ski or snowboard on the cheap makes the ski trip a great time for people to try skiing or snowboarding for the first time. One such intrepid athlete was none other than our Nota Bene editor, Katie Earnest. Earnest, a 3L, snowboarded for the second time in her life on the ski trip and had a blast. She says, "My favorite part of the ski trip was that I FINALLY learned how to get off the ski lift on my snowboard without falling down or running over small children. Up until now, that part of the mountain terrified me, but when I finally did it, the woman next to me - a stranger - cheered and high-fived me. It was a nice affirmation that I don't suck as much at snowboarding as I thought I did."
Other more advanced skiers enjoy the ski trip for the chance to get away from school and exercise their love of the sport with friends. 3L Kevin Budris has been skiing since he was a kid and says he has enjoyed the past two years on the ski trip because "even though its West Virginia, a day of skiing is still way better than a day of law school".
The non-skiers are equally enthusiastic about the trip, though sing the praises of different aspects of the weekend. 3L'sTerry Schoone-Jongen and Ashley Inderfurth laud the chance to get a little gourmet citing the ski trip as one of the only times of the year when they have time to cook. 3L Rebecca Bianchi is a little less high maintenance saying, "As a non-skier, it was nice to just relax. I spent the day time watching movies, reading magazines, and hanging out with friends."
Another non-skier, Mo McGough, who many readers may know as someone who graduated from law school, quips, "What can I say? It's a monumental part of the year - fun as hell - and a great opportunity to bond in close quarters with people you really care about. Unless of course you choose to "ski" on the "ski trip"...then I assume you just get cold a lot."
Clearly ski trippers find many different ways to entertain themselves during the day, but once the Saturday sun goes down, everyone is bound together by a common goal: The Connection. While for many the night ends up a high altitude blur, it is generally agreed by all that The Connection is The Highlight of the trip. Schoone-Jongen explains, "Snowshoe presents one of the world's greatest enigmas: The Connection and western civilization both exist. Simultaneously."
All in all, from the slopes, to the fireside, to the kitchen to The Connection, 2010 proved to be a great year for ski tripping. Students and alumnae alike bonded and celebrated the long weekend, and now find themselves in withdrawal. While it is nearly impossible to explain the awesomeness of three days with friends atop of a mountain in West Virginia, McGough does her best with a haiku: "So Cold! I must drink/ Connections with the locals/ Uh oh. I threw up."
