Winter is one of my absolutely favorite seasons.  It houses Christmas, New Year’s, my birthday, and best of all, snow.  And to me, snow means one of my favorite activities: skiing!

Whether you’re a seasoned snowboarder or a bunny-slope warrior, the ski slopes have something to offer us all (even if it is only hot chocolate in the lodge cafeteria).  Surprisingly though, considering I kiss the snow every 5 feet, skiing isn’t always the most environmentally friendly activity. Between the lifts and the plows and the resort hot tubs running all night long, skiing can leave quite a mark on Mother Earth. But it doesn’t have to.

If you’ve got plans to hit the slopes this season, keep nature and a few of these things in mind:

Are the slopes graded or cleared?
This one’s tricky because it’s a little hard to tell whether you’re skiing on a graded or cleared slope.  A cleared slope is created by cutting down trees and shrubs to make a smooth downhill run.  A graded slope is like a cleared slope on steroids.  Bulldozers are brought in to scrape off the top layers of the soil to make the run unnaturally smooth and hence, boring.  This leaves that particular ecosystem in ruins, causing erosion and decreasing plant biodiversity.  Plus, it takes a lot more resources to maintain because the natural infrastructure isn’t in place to maintain itself.  When you have the choice, ski on a cleared slope to challenge yourself and save the environment.
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The countdown to spring has began. Soon enough we will be breaking out the sun-dresses and flip flops, pouring lemonade and flipping burgers. But as I cross out the days on my calendar (15 more to go) I can’t help but wonder if I’ve made the most of my winter.

Of course I’ve trekked through the snow on my way to class, stayed in bed for days on end and silently cursed the snow plows that prevented a well deserved snow day, but did I really enjoy winter? With February already behind us I’m left with a laundry list of to-dos before winter is gone for another whole year.

In case anyone else is in the same predicament, I have the top ten things everyone should do before winter comes to a screeching halt.

1. Cafeteria tray sledding. “Borrow” some trays, grab five of your friends and head over to the hill behind the dorms before all that snow turns to a slushy mess.

2. Mix peppermint schnapps and Cocoa. It’s the perfect complement to sledding. Just remember, kids: wrap up the celebration with this warm concoction. I learned the hard way that the liquor and sledding combo don’t end well.

3. Bake cookies (or just eat all the dough). Read More »

Last night’s episode of The Bachelorette took us on a whirlwind trip across the country so DeAnna could see the boys on their hometurf.For the most part, everyone stayed true to form.

Jesse met DeAnna in Breckenridge CO and took her snowboarding. He is moving his relationship with DeAnna along at a snail’s pace kissing her only once so far. In the preview for next week’s episode, it looks like he won’t spend the night in a fantasy sweet with her unless he meets her dad first. Chivalry is great and all but this is a dating reality show. This just in Jesse: The rest of the boys are putting out.

Next we went to Dallas to ride motorcycles with Jeremy. He was still stiff and surprisingly reserved. A multiple choice for you:

The most awkward part of Jeremy’s hometown date was:

a. When his brother’s gave DeAnna the fifth degree

b. When he read the journal entry he wrote the day before his mother’s death

c. When all anyone could talk about over dinner was dead parents

d. All of the above Read More »