With ski season approaching, students will need to have passes, gear and, of course, a mode of transportation, if they wish to hit the slopes this year.

At $20 for a roundtrip ticket, the new SkiSU bus will take up to 55 passengers to various ski resorts on five Saturdays this winter.

Manny Santistevan, a sophomore studying political science, developed the idea for this service as an eco-leader for Corbett hall. Eco-leaders get to choose what projects they want to work on, and Santistevan said he is a fan of snowboarding.

“I noticed CU has a ski shuttle, the University of Wyoming even has a ski shuttle, and we didn’t,” Santistevan said. “So, it was something I wanted to look into and I ended up designating it as my project for the semester.”

Erika Benti, the active transportation professional for Parking and Transportation Services, worked with Santistevan to make his project become a reality. According to Benti, the funding for this year’s program has come from Parking and Transportation Services with help from Housing and Dining Services.  

“We are treating the first year here as a pilot year to try it out and see how people like it,” Benti said.

The bus will leave on Saturdays at 6:30 a.m. from the Bustang stop, near Parmelee on Plum and Meridian, and will depart from the ski resort no later than 4:00 p.m. to make the return trip. Passengers can stash their equipment in the storage area below the charter bus.

Only current students of Colorado State University are eligible to ride the bus, according to Benti. However, each passenger is able to purchase one guest ticket at the same price of $20 for a friend who does not attend CSU.   

DATES AND LOCATIONS FOR SkiSU TRIPS

 

December 2, 2017 – Arapahoe Basin

January 27, 2018 – Keystone

February 3, 2018 – Copper

February 17, 2018 – Steamboat

March 3, 2018 – Breckenridge  

For students who are looking to use SkiSU as their designated driver, Benti said alcohol is not permitted on the bus.

“We ask that they follow the same university policy as if they were on campus,” Benti said. “They cannot possess or consume alcohol or drugs, including marijuana, on the bus.”

Since this is a new program, Benti said this is a trial period and she encourages feedback from students on how to improve SkiSU moving forward.

“We want to really hear feedback from students who go through this process,” Benti said.  “We are open to learning and improving if we decide to do it next year.”