Kelly Cannon offers students a cheaper winter sport option

by Amy Barrus BAR04050@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Do you want to be a student by day and a skier or snowboarder by night?

No, there’s not a major motion picture coming out that’s looking for college student stars, and that is probably not what Kelly Canyon is going for, but they do offer the only night skiing around.

“With 26 trails and four lifts covering 740 ski-able acres... Kelly Canyon offers a variety of terrain for all ability levels,” according to the Mountain Resort Guides Web site.

And the students who have been there have had a pretty good time.

“I’ve been going to Kelly Canyon since fifth grade,” Adriane Wieben, a sophomore from Rexburg, said.

“It was my first time snowboarding, but I’ve been skiing and night skiing before,” Wieben said, referring to a ski and snowboard trip she took over Christmas break to Kelly Canyon with some other Rexburg natives and friends.

“It’s good for the amount of money you pay,” Wieben said, explaining the Kelly Canyon experience.

“If you have a ward or something, they give you a discount for a certain amount of people,” she said.

Kelly Canyon is about half an hour to 45 minutes away from Rexburg, because “you have to go slow sometimes, because the road is curvy,” Wieben said.

“I’m going to go again to get better [at snowboarding], and I’m going to teach others how to ski,” Wieben said, foreshadowing future ski trips to the Canyon.

Mary Pope, a freshman from Rexburg, also went on the trip and enjoyed it as well, even though it was only her second time snowboarding.

As to why she went to Kelly Canyon, she summed it up in a very succinct way.

“Cheap. Close. That’s where my friends were going.”

“Good luck getting off the ski lift,” Pope said with a laugh, and Weiben echoed it.

“Getting on and off the ski lift is the hardest part,” Weiben said.

Pertaining to the medical staff at Kelly Canyon, only Weiben has any experience with that aspect of the resort.

“My brother broke his wrist on the bunny hill,” Weiben said. “The medical people were really nice.”

It was a positive experience for all those who went, for the most part, and they not only had feedback on Kelly Canyon but had some advice for snowboarders as well.

“I love snowboarding. The first time I stunk,” Pope said, and then gave some advice to first time snowboarders. “Always try the second time; you’ll like it more.”

“Never take newcomers [for snowboarding] in powder or on a hill,” Weiben said.

Hours of operation at Kelly Canyon are Monday through Sunday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; half day passes are available from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. or from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.; night passes can be purchased from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (excluding Sunday).

However, according to the Kelly Canyon Web site, “dates and hours of operation may vary and are subject to the whims of Mother Nature.”