By Nick Thomas
There are few sports besides skiing and snowboarding that allow you to travel to the top of a mountain, providing views of snow-dusted peaks and evergreen forests.
Winter in the Inland Northwest boasts a proliferation of first-rate ski slopes within easy driving distance from EWU.
While many students already hit the slopes on their own, EPIC, EWU’s sports club, is a resource students can use to take their winter at Eastern to a new level.
“We are the outdoor organization for EWU campus. We offer trips, as well as inventory to rent or buy. We also have a winter pass that students can buy,” said Morgan Lentini, EPIC staff member. “They are not just trips, though. We allow time for hanging out and wandering around town, too.”
Whether students range from beginner to seasoned veteran of the slopes, EPIC Adventures is a way to experience the beauty and thrill of the Northwest’s mountains. Students can try out ice climbing, relax at Goldmyer Hot Springs in the Cascades or go dogsledding in Montana.
While EPIC has a number of weekend trips planned for winter 2014, there are also many day trips where students can pay as little as $10 for gear rental and transportation to and from local mountains.
Every Wednesday afternoon, students can hitch a ride to Mount Spokane from campus and pay just $10 for gear rental and transportation. A night skiing lift ticket is $24.
There are a number of overnight trips planned to regional resorts such as Red Mountain in British Columbia or farther west to Whistler Resort near Vancouver, BC, from Jan. 17-20 for $400. Or students can go on the Schweitzer trip that same weekend for $175. EPIC can take six to 40 students per trip.
“The only thing students are responsible for is bringing proper clothes and snacks and food money. Other than that, show up on time and we’ll take it from there,” said manager Andy Rockwood.
If students wish to go solo, they can rent
high-quality gear from EPIC at reasonable rates.
The closest and most affordable mountain is Mount Spokane, which is a half-hour drive from downtown Spokane; 49 Degrees North and Silver Mountain are both an hour away; and Schweitzer and Lookout Pass are both just an hour and a half away.
EPIC is located in the URC. The calendar of events is online at http://www.ewu.edu.epic.
