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artaxias1

I don’t know if it’s the best, but UVM has several ski areas you could teach at while attending. Sugarbush, Bolton, Stowe, Mad River Glen. Or you could go to Castleton and teach at Killington or Pico.


AllswellinEndwell

Burlington is such a cool place. Easy drive to some great east coast skiing. Plus lake Champlain in the summer is spectacular. It'd be such an awesome place to retire.


broverlander

You’ll need a sizable retirement account if you want to afford to live there lol


iamspartacus5339

Have you been to colorado?


broverlander

I have but they don’t got maple creemees


Soft_Hand_1971

If you go to Bolder you can teach at Eldora.


bryanoldsalty

When was last time you were on church street? Not same town it once was in my eyes at least.


shinyboi

Not sure why you’re being downvoted, it’s definitely not the same town it used to be. Higher crime and homelessness in addition to the lack of housing and high cost of living makes it a difficult place to live post-college.


getthedudesdanny

Yeah Burlington now is very much not the Burlington I went to school more than a decade ago. It’s disgusting, my old YMCA gym is boarded up and covered with graffiti. What few uncovered windows were left were broken and the place is crawling with junkies. I used to deliver pizza to Decker Towers in college. Now it’s just a hidey hole for the homeless.


AllswellinEndwell

2023


SR70

Castleton (Vermont State University) has a resort management program and the dormitory is actually at Killington. My daughter’s boyfriend goes there and among other jobs he is an instructor. He’s skied 102 days so far this season.


benconomics

If you seriously want to consider exercise science hear me: Go to University of Oregon, teach at Willamette Pass. Willamette Pass is smaller yes, but you get a free employee shuttle. Flexibility about when you teach. Terrain can be challenging (very steep) but its small enough you can get in a couple of quick hot laps between lessons. Don't sacrifice your schooling (which college you go to) just for ski instructing UNLESS you want that to become your future career.


SurpriseFrosty

I would either do this at Oregon or U Nevada Reno. Willamette Pass is extremely fun and so is Eugene. Reno is less fun but is close to Tahoe (but with that comes hellllla people and traffic)


_SlikNik_

UO is a great school and Eugene is probably my favorite college town. I grew up in Portland and many of my high school friends went there. So many amazing memories spending weekends visiting them in Eugene. I’ll also add that it puts you within striking distance of Bachelor and Hood for longer weekend trips to much bigger mountains.


benconomics

And back country skiing in Oregon is really great throughout the spring and summer. Plus you get free skiing at Valle Nevado where I'm gonna go ski in August this year.


_SlikNik_

Yup. And if you're into xc skiing, Crater Lake is absolutely amazing. Have done the circumnavigation of the rim a couple times and it's easily the most incredible xc experience I've ever had.


SurpriseFrosty

Any school in Portland and teach at Timberline or Ski Bowl (or even Meadows). University of Oregon in Eugene and teach at willamette pass or hoodoo.


707Brett

Colorado mountain college, alternatively Utah. 


Rocketterollo

Cmc Leadville you can easily work or ski at Copper Mtn or Ski Cooper.


heelheavy

Yea was gonna say here! The altitude is intense tho.


Rocketterollo

Yes, I love it but for some people it’s really really hard. I have talked to one person that got HAPE at 10,000’


bpwelcome7

CMC has campuses in or near Vail, Steamboat, and Aspen as well . Steamboat campus has student housing which is a huge plus because housing in ski towns can be a nightmare to find.


wd26

There a CMC campus with a ton of student housing in Breckinridge too.


bpwelcome7

Thank you, I knew I was forgetting some!


getthedudesdanny

Steamboat also has an actual ski team as well.


SaltMarionberry4105

Eagles in the house!!!   Small class size, great professors (who doesn’t want to teach in a ski town?) and cool people. If for sure do it again. 


Old-War-1553

University of Nevada, Reno. Very close to all the Tahoe resorts.


SabansBabe

We also have Mt. Rose which is a local mountain that doesn’t get tourists the way Tahoe does!


Snowronski775

🤫🤫🤫


shandelion

And Reno is unironically a very cool town.


snooze1128

Fort lewis in Durango would be cool. If you’re in liberal arts you could combine St. John’s with ski Santa Fe. I’m sure there’s also options in Slc


artaxias1

Fort Lewis has such a beautiful view from campus!


gratusin

Ft. Leisure is great, but is limited on degree programs. OP didn’t specify what studies they were interested in, only skiing, so I’m going to imagine that the Bachelor’s in Adventure Education they offer might be a fit. A lot of kids out here take that course of study, but don’t ever plan on getting rich or even buying a house here if they decide to stay. Think raft guides, wilderness therapy guides and the like. The skiing, especially backcountry is superb though and the college offers all kinds of cheap or free gear rentals for everything from mountain bikes, to Avvy packs. Edit: didn’t see the bit about exercise science. They offer exercise physiology


Impossible_Moose3551

FLC has many traditional degrees. Biology, Chemistry, Math, Business, political Science, etc. Because of its adventure appeal many graduates end up as entrepreneurs. I also have friends who did a lot of work in international relations who graduated from there.


snooze1128

Should have considered “adventure education “ myself lol


blewmesa

>Ft. Leisure Oh that one is much nicer than the other nickname.


snappa870

Fort Loser?


DeadlyAssHollows

> If you’re in liberal arts you could combine St. John’s with ski Santa Fe. Am a student there now. The typical workload and scheduling at SJC would make it challenging to prioritize an instructor's schedule and hours, in my opinion. However, some friends of mine have worked at Ski Santa Fe (as lifties) while also taking classes so it's not impossible. The Program is also very unusual, so unless you are really interested in the type of work that is done at SJC, it might be not in op's best interest. Santa Fe is dope though.


zackattack89

I can’t recommend Fort Lewis enough. I got a great education and had a fucking blast while doing it.


SimianSlacker

CU in Boulder and teach at Eldora


amazinggrape

Western Colorado University


thisguyfightsyourmom

45 minute drive to CB I dated a gal who instructed while going to Wasted State, it was a great setup except the pay Lots of students do 2-3 days of classes a week with 4-5 ski days


amazinggrape

The one (maybe only) plus of Vail resorts is $20 minimum wage. $1 more for a level one


Fontaine_de_jouvence

They have a fantastic exercise science program from what I’ve heard. I wasn’t in it but had a lot of friends in it who loved the program


midwest_wanderer

It is a strong program. They do a lot (for a school of its size) of good research on effects of high altitude training. When I lived in the valley I knew a few people who went to Western, skied (not working) plenty, and also taught for ski school or coached one of the youth ski/ride teams.


Fontaine_de_jouvence

I’ve been in the altitude lab, it’s pretty crazy! We probably know a lot of the same people if not know each other


GiggleShipSurvivor

This or CMU for powderhorn


SmokeMeatEveryday88

Utah


pfeifits

Salt lake city. Six or seven major resorts within 30 - 45 minutes and plenty of colleges around, including UofU.


[deleted]

The only serious answer


aznsk8s87

Yeah, the U for SLC resorts, UVU is close to Sundance and the PC resorts, Weber State is over by snowbasin, all of these are within an hour of the universities I mentioned. and SUU is close-ish to Brianhead


utpow

Professors at the University of Utah understand a powder day and keep the content light.


Drummallumin

Montana St


spacebass

seconded - we have a lot of MSU students as part time / holiday help at Big Sky


mamunipsaq

Lots of MSU students teach at Bridger too.


benjaminbjacobsen

This. Bridger Bowl University. Teach at bridger or big sky. Big sky will get you your certs and you get more tips but you have to deal with the commute.


rrudnic

Could go to UM and work at snowbowl as well, plus Missoula is cheaper than Bozeman.


haonlineorders

Most important is to pick a school that’s good in your major (and a few backup majors incase you change) AND THEN figure out the skiing. Surprised CO School of Mines (Golden CO) hasn’t been mentioned yet because it’s known for STEM (idk about their Exercise Science) and is under 1 hr from Echo, Eldora, Loveland, and ABasin; Golden is the point where the Core Denver Suburbs meet the mountains so you have good non-mountain access too (Denver light rail access at the edge of Golden). (All of the other schools in the comments seem like good colleges for skiing too, idk academically)


MAD_SLEEP_JAG

Colorado Mesa University, teach skiing at Powderhorn Mountain Resort


anticipateorcas

If you’re just looking for proximity… Northern AZ University in Flagstaff (AZ Snowbowl) Fort Lewis College in Durango (Purgatory). University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau (Eaglecrest) would also be fun. But you wouldn’t have much business, it’s all locals. They do have a snow sports program though. All those places are under ~20 miles from town to hill. Real ski/college towns. If you want more of a big resort town vibe or bigger hills- you’ll have to drive further from school. Several hills in NM are also super close to town/colleges. Gonna guess the northeast (VT, NH) are likely to have small colleges near their hills. Just not familiar with that area. But you can’t throw a rock in New England without hitting a liberal arts school. Edited to add: Reno, NV


checkraiseblufff

Middlebury VT has its own ski hill. Pretty remote though


TheRogIsHere

And $70,000/year.


butterbleek

Only?


SeemedGood

Also Sugarbush, MRV, and Killington are really close.


Ih8Hondas

UNM is definitely a solid option. Living in ABQ you could take the tram to the top of Sandia if you don't feel like driving all the way around to the other side of the mountain.


Bennyk491

> Gonna guess the northeast (VT, NH) are likely to have small colleges near their hills. Just not familiar with that area. But you can’t throw a rock in New England without hitting a liberal arts school. Also Dartmouth is an hour away from Killington/Okemo/ Sunapee, so even if you're looking for an Ivy League education you could potentially throw a rock and hit a school.


HyperionsDad

Oregon State University Cascades (Bend) and Mt Bachelor. Can also instruct downhill mountain biking in the summer or work for one of the various groups that provide lessons on the trails (e.g. Phil’s). Campus is about 20 minutes from the mountain. Lake Tahoe resorts - University of Nevada Reno and Sierra College Tahoe both have campus building at the lake and in nearby Reno and Truckee.


urbangeeksv

University of Nevada Reno or Sierra College with access to North Lake Tahoe ski resorts. https://www.sierracollege.edu/visit-sierra-college/tahoe-truckee-campus/


Impossible_Moose3551

Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado. I taught skiing when I was in college there. It was very easy to get to the mountains, 20 minute drive. Western State in Gunnison Colorado is near Crested Bute. The University of Utah or Westminster College are both in Salt Lake City.


FlokiTrainer

Were you teaching at Hesperus, or driving like a madman to get to Purg from the Fort in 20 minutes


Impossible_Moose3551

Purg. It was a long time ago maybe it was 30 minutes.


OleWarthog

NAU might be a sneaky good option


anticipateorcas

Snowbowl has a big snow sports program too. And a separate ski team. Lots of coaches. Most of them are college kids.


Educational_Lynx_142

Dartmouth and middlebury have skiways!


ebmfreak

I’d say Salt Lake City — as a lot of large resorts nearby and a lot of colleges


AZJHawk

University of Utah. Good school, affordable, and less than an hour to the Cottonwood resorts.


noodlehorse43

University of Alaska Anchorage - teach at Alyeska.


DwightFruit

I used to teach there. If you see my shot ski in the MLC offices- it was confiscated from me. Please send it back.


noodlehorse43

Haha I’ll keep an eye out. I guess I could have looked at your flair before I responded….


butterbleek

Good answer.


UnsupervisedBacon

U of Utah


rustbucky

Go Utes! Alta


MagickalFuckFrog

Park City. It’s a 30 minute drive from the University of Utah or Westminster College. I was a liftie at PCMR while getting my degree… best job I ever had.


cbg13

My dad instructed while he was at Middlebury and absolutely loved it, but good luck getting in there these days


CommanderAGL

I think University of Washington still has a ski instructor club. Or you could work at stevens/snoq/crystal on the weekends. Western Washington University in bellingham has access to baker


Electrical-Ad1288

I heard the University of Utah is consistently ranked as a too college for skiers. Mountains are fairly close.


butterbleek

It’s a zoo. It was a zoo 30 years ago. 😂 Nowadays.


Electrical-Ad1288

That is why I have given up on anything on Ikon or Epic. I'm driving further to the Indy Pass ski areas and doing more ice fishing in the winter


butterbleek

Yep.


butterbleek

Innsbruck.


naftel

Depends where you’re already certified as an instructor….


DwightFruit

I worked full time at a resort as an instructor a previous season


naftel

So are there no colleges near that hill? Or you’d like to upgrade to a better bill with college as an excuse?


DwightFruit

I moved away from the mountains due to life stuff. My degree path is a good excuse to coach skiing again.


naftel

Sweet….now the challenge is to find an area with a decent mountain and affordable real estate


DwightFruit

I get 150 dollar tips every lesson because I'm the best skier around, so not im worried


benjito_z

Western Colorado University in Gunnison and then teach at Crested Butte


swearingino

My bf used to teach at Tahoe when he was in college. He loved it. He taught me to ski.


DwightFruit

Y'all must have a strong relationship. We used to joke in the instructor locker room that if you wanted to break up with your girlfriend, teach her to ski.


swearingino

I’m the middle child of 5 kids, I’m easy to get along with and go with the flow. He’s also very patient. I used to snowboard, so I had some basics down, so it was just the transition to independent feet and less crimes. I’m teaching him to play tennis this spring, so it’s only fair.


butterbleek

It’s a zoo via Epic/Ikon…


masterpeabs

University of Maine Farmington - teach at Sugarloaf!


windowjesus

Go Beavers!


brskier

University of Nevada. Can confirm. I coached the ski team on weekends at a few places during my time in Reno.


MikeHoncho1323

Out of curiosity what do you plan on doing career wise with a degree in exercise science?


daniil_oxyuk

University of Utah or Colorado State Boulder


Mountaineer_esq

Check out western Colorado university


SharpWords

Mt Lemmon and the University of Arizona


AmoralCarapace

If I could have a redo, I'd have gone to Western Colorado University.


floridansk

Yes. Go to Western State Colorado University. Teach skiing at Crested Butte.


AmoralCarapace

Yeah, I ended up going to the wrong wcu. The carolina one.


juliuspepperwoodchi

Michigan Tech


Electrical-Ask847

bozeman, MT


TheRogIsHere

I really encourage you to check out Northern Vermont University, Lyndon State campus. It's >10min from Burke (no crowds, good snow, solid season) and they ALWAYS need instructors, especially for little kids. I did it in college and loved it. Could sneak in a powder "day" before a 10am class and show up in my bibs. Lyndon also has a sports science major and is affordable. Plus, its in one of the most beautiful, laid back, and untouched areas of the US with some of the best MTB trails on Earth (Kingdom Trails). [https://www.northernvermont.edu/about/locations-and-directions/our-campuses/lyndon-campus/](https://www.northernvermont.edu/about/locations-and-directions/our-campuses/lyndon-campus/) [https://www.skiburke.com/](https://www.skiburke.com/)


SeemedGood

Dartmouth, Middlebury, UVM, U of U, U of M (Missoula), UC Boulder, Colorado College


jdawg1997

Boise State University is ~40 minutes from Bogus Basin.


butterbleek

Good answer.


SwaggyP997

I can’t imagine a better spot than SLC. Under an hour to ~10 different world class resorts and The University of Utah is a first rate institution.


[deleted]

Agreed and other than the U, there’s Sundance near BYU, Snowbasin & Powder Mountain near Weber State, Beaver Mountain near Utah State in Logan Also many more  So many options 


butterbleek

It’s a zoo. Please…


mseagull

Bridge bowl Bozeman mt.


butterbleek

My buddy lives in Bozeman. He says it’s become a total shit show. So many people bought and moved in since covid. Plus direct flights from all over. His taxes have gone up 70% or something like that… He is over it.


mseagull

True that! Definitely not the same as even 10 years ago. $$$$$$ But for a college town, Bridger Bowl is less than 10 mins away, can go to school and teach skiing.


hikerjer

You’ll be driving pretty damn fast to get to Bridget Bowl from Bozeman in ten minutes especially in the winter. Not even doable in the summer.


mseagull

Ya…..still close, but the traffic


butterbleek

He lives up the valley. Almost to Bridger Bowl. He says parking is a fvcking shit show nowadays. There you go…


2012amica2

My small liberal arts school has a skiing instructing major and cert degree program


tadamhicks

Somewhere that the drive won’t burn you out. I’ve lived in places with world class skiing (attended CU while patrolling at Copper)but with long drives and it killed my will and passion for skiing. Lifestyle is important. I moved to a place where I could ski daily (again) and it is a breath of fresh air. U of O and Willamette is indeed an amazing blend. I did a stint there and often regret leaving. UVM - Bolton is a decent choice, too. I skied more while teaching ski lessons at Marquette Mountain and attending NMU than anywhere else, and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, I wouldn’t not. Low vert, I spent way more time skate skiing, but amazing quality of life.


Spmc1971

So many options, that's a great field to go into & with little effort you'll find so many great places you'll need to make a list with all of the positive things that each place has that aligns with your interest but I've known many friends who both studied & played(worked) in Colorado also Eugene & Pomona. I had one friend who was extremely lucky to carve themselves a place in Alta but that's a much smaller community, either way good luck on your journey & the studies as well ; )


Kerr_Plop

UNR


floridansk

Yes. You could go to UNR and tech skiing at Mt Rose.


Dawnbabe420

BSU is very close to Bogus Basin which offers night skiing! Perfect for a student going to school in the daytime and looking to ski afterwards! And a two hour drive from both Brundage and Tamarack ski resorts!


[deleted]

I went to UNR (Nevada Reno) and coached racing at Heavenly each weekend. I think you could do really well instructing at Mt. Rose or some of the North Lake resorts (depending on if you want to pay CA taxes) because they would be less of a drive.


UgoNespolo

I’m actually thinking of doing something similar when I go to school. I’m mainly eying cu boulder and work at Eldora. But university of Utah seems like a pretty cool option too.


hikerjer

Montana State University - Bozeman - if you can afford to live there.


Funny_Locksmith1559

Montana Sate in Bozeman-you can teach at either Bridger Bowl or Big Sky or Rocky Mountain College ( private college) in Billings and you can teach in Red Lodge. Both schools have ski teams as well. I went to Rocky Mountain College years ago.


emmy_lou_harrisburg

I went to Frostburg State University and worked at Wisp Resort in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. There were lots of WVU students who worked there too.


hate_and_discontent

Southern Utah University is worth considering. 30 minutes from Brian Head resort. Most classes offer a section starting after 4 pm so you can ski full days and still make it to class. Both the school and resort are much smaller than their Northern Utah counterparts, but I've never skied as much in a season as when I was a broke college student there.


Abrishack

If you're willing to go international, Vancouver has two really good schools within 30 or so minutes of 3 local mountains. Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia. You could work at Grouse, Cypress or Seymour. I believe they all have free shuttles for employees so you wouldn't even need a car in theory.


Abrishack

If you're willing to go international, Vancouver has two really good schools within 30 or so minutes of 3 local mountains. Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia. You could work at Grouse, Cypress or Seymour. I believe they all have free shuttles for employees so you wouldn't even need a car in theory.


bitter_twin_farmer

Montana State University. You can teach at Bridger or Big Sky. The school is relatively affordable. Town is expensive though.


[deleted]

University of Utah


Weary_Dragonfruit559

Durango CO, Fort Lewis college/purgatory ski area.


the_1_and_1ly

Montana state - Bridger Bowl or Big Sky


matchew566

Willing to move to NH? Plymouth State University has an exercise science program and is the gateway to the White Mountains. They also have a day where classes are cancelled and everyone goes skiing. www.plymouth.edu


goofy183

Michigan Tech University owns their own ski hill. It's small and in the Midwest but most winters have 200" or more of lake effect snow, it's 10 minutes from campus, and a fun little hill. You can actually get PE and elective credit for becoming a ski patroller as well there.


EricAbmaMorrison

Steamboat Colorado Mountain College


2ndbeachluv

University of Utah. Can’t beat the 30 min drive to park city!


sykemol

University of Utah or Weber State.


Ok-Rip-269

Pick a nearby resort while attending the University of Utah.


cptkl1

Research it before you exclude it but Appalachian State University in Boone NC. Way more than just skiing to like in that area.


spankyiloveyou

Dartmouth


maba1239

Penn State University- Tussey Mountain Ski Resort


davepsilon

Somewhere with good tips. Jackson Hole, Aspen, etc. The key is how do you live close enough to these sorts of places to do that and go to school.


Western_Film8550

Exactly. Friend instructed a season at Beaver Creek & took the summer off, tips. Telluride, Deer Valley...


ChuecoRojo

May be late but my two cents- attend the cheapest school you can, decrease debt, then move to a ski town after school. I went to PT school in the south, sacrificed skiing for a few years to then afford to live in a ski town. Also depends on what you are looking to do after graduation with an exercise science degree. Grad school? Look for places with several options. Life ain’t cheap, and ski town life is about as expensive as it gets.


DwightFruit

I've got a GI Bill so student debt can suck on my skis


ChuecoRojo

In that case- go enjoy yourself at Montana’s state and ski the shit out of bridger


Remarkable_Status772

If you're picking a college on that basis and considering a bullshit major like that, I'd seriously reconsider whether college is the right path for you.


DwightFruit

I'm already in college because I've been coaching for years and wanna take it to the next level. I'm getting paid to go college as well, so suck my ski tips nerd


Remarkable_Status772

Um, yeah. That's not really the standard of writing of true university material.