Cradled between the Green and Adirondack Mountains, UVM provides unmatched access to some of the best slopes in the Northeast for skiers and snowboarders.

UVM is home to the largest collegiate ski and snowboard club in the country, totaling over 3,700 members each year, according to senior Siena Webb, president of UVM Ski and Snowboard Club. The club has dubbed themselves the “East Coast’s Finest,” according to the UVMSSC Instagram.

But for those who have not fully discovered the adrenaline rush of a powder day, joining the culture of skiing and snowboarding at UVM may be daunting.

“It was intimidating because I was around a lot of people who grew up in the Northeast,” said senior Emma Dreyer. “I was falling down a green [level trail], but quickly learned that a lot of people were very welcoming and willing to share the sport.”

Learning to feel comfortable skiing or snowboarding is essential to enjoying the full experience, Dreyer said.

“The hardest part is getting over the fear,” Dreyer said.

However, for some students, simply getting into the sport can be a tough barrier to overcome. Expenses associated with gear, lessons and lift tickets add up quickly.

“There should be easier access for people who haven’t [skied] their whole lives, or may not be able to buy skis for the season,” said sophomore Simone Boutelle.

During the ski and snowboarding season, four UVM clubs put on programming events to teach students how to ski and snowboard: UVM People of Color Outdoors, the UVM Telemark Ski Club, UVMSSC and Chicks on Sticks VT.

UVM POCO breaks down the historic barriers people of color face to accessing the outdoors, said senior Siân Hernit, president of POCO. 

“We do that through offering beginner level trips that have no financial barriers and provide transportation,” Hernit said. 

POCO also offers days to learn to ski and ride for their club members who have any level of experience. Participants are transported to a local slope, fitted for boots and other gear and provided an instructor entirely for free, Hernit said.

“POCO is able to provide a BIPOC affinity space where you can learn to ski and also not feel that external pressure of feeling like you don’t look like everyone else,” Hernit said.

Entering their second year as a club, the UVM Telemark Ski Club’s goal is to promote the telemark skiing community in a safe, accessible, accepting and fun way at UVM, said sophomore Nikhil Barnick, president of the club.

“Telemark skiing originated as a way to downhill ski on cross country skis, and it has transitioned into a sport that includes typical downhill skis, hard plastic boots and free heel bindings,” Barnick said.

Every Friday night in the ski season, the club goes to Cochran’s Ski Area for their $5 Friday night skiing. The club has over 35 pairs of skis and over 40 pairs of boots participants can use at no cost once they purchase their lift ticket, Barnick said.

UVM Telemark Ski Club officers provide the telemark ski lessons. You do not need any prior skiing experience to learn how to telemark ski, Barnick said.

“People are falling all over the place,” said sophomore Josie Baker, vice president of UVM Telemark Ski Club. “People will start going backwards and end up doing the splits. It is such a geeky thing.”

The goal of UVMSSC is to provide students with the opportunity to access the mountains, but to also access the cultures of skiing and snowboarding, Webb said.

UVMSCC puts on Learn to Ski & Ride days during the ski and snowboarding season. For $20, participants can rent gear, receive a lift ticket and take a lesson from an instructor at Smugglers’ Notch, said senior Ian Robertson, director of pass sales and events coordinator of UVMSSC.

This event has been running for over a decade, and UVMSSC is hoping to host around 10 Learn to Ski & Ride days this year, Robertson said.

“The most rewarding part is when [the participants] are like ‘This is so great. Why have I never done this before?’” Webb said.

In addition to their Learn to Ski & Ride days, UVMSSC provides transportation to the local mountains every weekend in the ski and snowboard season as well as discounted passes to Sugarbush, Smugglers’ Notch, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen and Bolton Valley, Robertson said. 

Students can also purchase a discounted IKON Pass and Epic College Pass, Robertson said.

To participate in a Learn to Ski & Ride day, use the transportation to the mountain or purchase a discounted pass, students must be a member of the club. Members pay a $20 due for the academic year and fill out an agreement to participate, according to the UVMSSC website. 

Lastly, Chicks on Sticks VT has a goal of getting female and non-binary people outdoors, making skiing and snowboarding more accessible to these groups of people, said senior Sophia Gowdy, co-president of COS.

Beyond skiing and snowboarding, COS also hosts fall hikes, paintballing, paddle boarding and a volunteering retreat with the organization DREAM, said senior Emma Gear, co-president of COS.

“A lot of our fall events have been non-skiers, but people who have wanted to try it,” Gear said. “These people are able to meet each other and make plans for the winter.”

Although COS has not previously done any learn to ski and ride days, the club hopes to this year, Gowdy said. 

COS does host their annual Power Through Powder event in the winter where participants can learn to backcountry ski and snowboard, requiring that the participants have some downhill skiing experience, Gear said.

“Power through Powder is where we select about 100 members of the club and send them in groups at 4 a.m. to skin up Bolton and ski down,” Gear said. “They get back in time for their morning classes.”

During PTP, COS raises money for an organization of the club’s choice. Past organizations have included Vermont Adaptive and the National Network of Abortion Funds, Gear said.

However, UVM’s campus—and the surrounding area—stays alive in the winter for students who do not head to the slopes.

Many students like to sled, go to coffee shops, do homework, walk outside or complete a puzzle, according to a survey conducted by The Cynic.

“I like to hang out with my friends,” Boutelle said. “We do a lot of arts and crafts or make dinners. I like to go to the gym, and if it is nice out, hang out outside or go on hikes.”

Whether by participating with a club on their ski and snowboarding outings or staying around Burlington, there are ways for every UVM student to make the most of their weekends in the winter.