An icy, cool wind breezing past, and pristine powder fleeing from the ground as skis run over it; fostering an adrenaline rush in any skier.  Skiing is one of the Pacific Northwest’s favorite activities to do in the winter.  Plowing through the fresh powder from the night before or skiing on a bluebird day can make people feel completely free and create a world for them to lose all their troubles.  Ella Gruen ‘21, has been skiing since she was 2, and has been to over 10 different ski resorts across North America, her favorite being Big White, in Canada.  She wishes to go to Patagonia, in Chile and Argentina, because she can ski in the summer due to the opposite hemispheres.   Some students love skiing so much they are hoping to go to college to be able to ski.  Gabe Laigo ‘20, wants to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane because of their Freeride Team, a group of skiers who compete or ski/snowboard at a higher level.  Members get to travel to different mountains and resorts all over the country, a snow lover’s dream.  Laigo’s favorite place to ski is at Alpental, Snoqualmie, but his dreams are to ski in Revelstoke, British Columbia, and in Hakuba, Japan.  In 8^th grade, his family introduced him to skiing and over time he has grown to love the sport, becoming very advanced in just a couple of years.  Skiing is unique because anyone can “add [their] own style to it” or just “full send, not thinking about it” Laigo explains.  Sophomore, John O’Donnell, is an avid skier, and loves to have fun with it.  He teaches ski lessons at Summit Central at Snoqualmie to beginners while he teaches himself to ski backwards, sometimes “falling more than the beginners themselves” O’Donnell laughs.  He recommends Stevens Pass, Crystal Mountain, or even his own backyard, if traveling far or out of state for good powder is out of reach.