Members of the Sports Club are organizing the purchase of ski and snowboard passes for Pierce Law Students. The Freedom Pass gives students the opportunity to ski at three mountains in New Hampshire. The passes are good throughout the 2008-2009 season- no black out dates, no restrictions.

The best part is the discounted price. If at least 50 students purchase passes (over sixty purchased last year), the cost will be $162 per pass. These same passes are sold to the public for $239. Individual ski passes can be over $40 per day, so your pass will pay for itself after four trips. If this winter is like last winter, there will be many great ski days!

There will be an information meeting on Thursday October 16 in Room 229 at 12:30. There we will have pass applications and answers to all of your questions and concerns. For those of you not able to attend, please wait for an e-mail next week for instructions on how you can obtain your pass. Some students who waited to purchase passes were unable to, so don't miss your opportunity. If you have to endure a New Hampshire winter, you might as well have fun!

Like last year, Gunstock and Sunappee are offered on the Freedom Pass. These mountains are great for beginner and experienced skiers. Both of these mountains are less than an hour from Concord. Last year, many students took off after morning classes and were able to get in a great afternoon/evening of skiing and snowboarding.

Gunstock is located on Route 11A in Gilford. It has a great snowboarding park with challenging rails and big jumps. Gunstock also offers night skiing, so you can get in a couple hours under the lights. Perfect for blowing off steam after class. The crown jewel of Gunstock is Tiger Steeps- a challenging trail filled with moguls and jumps. You could ski this all night and not get bored (especially after a trip to the Pistol Pub to warm up). On Saturday nights, Gunstock has fireworks, live music, and other special events.

Mount Sunapee is located on Route 103 in Newbury. Celebrating their 60th birthday this season, Sunapee is one of the oldest ski mountains in New Hampshire. Sunapee also has one of the largest snowmaking operations in the state with over 45 guns making everday a winter wonderland. Sunapee has a great half-pipe and rails for the adventurous. For those who want to get in a few relaxing runs, there are plenty of long, wide trails with beautiful views of Lake Sunapee and Mount Monadnock. When you get off the high speed quad, don't miss the hot chocolate at the Summit Lodge- some of the best in the state!

A new edition to the Freedom Pass is Wildcat Mountain- one of the most popular ski destinations in New England. Wildcat is located on Route 16 in Pinkham Notch, NH- about 2 hours north of Concord. So here's the deal with Wildcat:

-With New England's most powerful Quad chairlift, you can get up their a 4,062 ft. summit, in just 6 minutes.

-Wildcat's 2,000 ft. base elevation and proximity to Mt. Washington produces an annual natural snowfall of over 16 feet.

-Wildcat has the most continuous vertical of any ski area in the White Mountains, and is the closest ski area to backcountry ski mecca Tuckerman Ravine.

-Wildcat, the first ski area established on the White Mountain National Forest, is located 100% on National Forest Land.

If you want to experience real New Hampshire skiing, take a day off and make the drive. There are several affordable lodges and motels nearby in the authentic New England towns of Jackson and North Conway. So grab some friends and make it a weekend affair.

If you want to more information about these mountains, including interactive trail maps and daily snow reports, visit their websites:

Gunstock: www.gunstock.com
Sunapee: www.mountsunapee.com
Wildcat: www.skiwildcat.com