It’s All Downhill From Here

For many years, the end of January has held an exciting day for the members of Brentwood: Winterlude! This school-wide day of fun in the snow offers activities for all interests and abilities at the Mount Washington Alpine Resort. This year, those with experience had the option to hit the slopes on skis or snowboards, beginners took lessons, and snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snow tubing offered great alternatives. In addition, an avalanche safety course had enough interest to run this year!  Sacrificing their usual Wednesday morning sleep in, students and staff stumbled to the cafeteria to eat an early breakfast at 5:30 am and pack a lunch for later in the day. Between 6:20 and 8:00, nine coaches were loaded and departed the campus. The two-hour ride to the mountain allowed participants plenty of time to finish waking up, and get excited for a day on the mountain!  Upon arriving, the lodge was a flurry of activity as students hurried to pick up rentals and gear, eager to get out into the winter wonderland. Besides a quick break for lunch and sign in, many people spent as much time as possible enjoying skiing, snowboarding, tubing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and having fun with friends while doing it!  In the Avalanche Skills Training One course, participants spent the day learning how to recognize avalanche terrain, hazards, and triggers, developing skills for self-rescue, and gaining an understanding of the Avaluator card and other Avalanche safety-related equipment. In addition to a day of classroom session completed before hand, this left participants with a better understanding of avalanche safety, and a certification to show for it.  Arriving back on campus after a long and tiring day on the mountain, everyone was greeted with an amazing winter banquet, prepared by our dedicated kitchen staff, which was enjoyed immensely. While this was the only school-wide event, keen skiers have the opportunity to go back to the mountain again every Sunday for as long as the snow lasts!  With 450 students and staff taking part in this amazing day, the leaders of the event had their hands full, so a special thank you to Mr Lee, Mr Norman, and everyone else involved in organizing this incredible opportunity to get off campus for a day in the snow!  Sarah R, Mackenzie ‘20