Fun on the Slopes

The Maclay Class of 2027 Goes on the Annual Junior Ski Trip

Photo courtesy of Kayleigh Mitchell / Maclay Andalusian

On Saturday, Jan. 10, the Maclay juniors embarked on the annual junior ski trip, a time-honored tradition among the Maclay community. At 12:30 a.m., the juniors and chaperones boarded the buses at Maclay School and headed to the Jacksonville International Airport. They then traveled by plane to Denver, Colo. before taking another bus ride to their final destination, Breckinridge, Colo.

Once they arrived, the students dropped their luggage at the hotel before heading to the Frisco Adventure Park, where they enjoyed taking in the scenery and going tubing. This was the first time the trip had featured tubing, and it was a hit among students.

 “My favorite part of ski trip was the tubing we did at the start of the trip,” junior Keya Patel said.

After tubing, the juniors went to the local grocery store to purchase any food and supplies they would need for the duration of the trip. Each room planned their meals ahead of time so that they would know exactly what they had to get. Finally, the students got fitted for their skiing gear. 

On Sunday, Jan.11, the skiing began. There were a mix of juniors who had and hadn’t been skiing before, but the trip was beginner-friendly. Several Maclay seniors came on the trip, as well, and acted as instructors for juniors who were new to skiing. Everything from bunny slopes to blacks were available to students, allowing all skill levels to enjoy their trip. The fun on the slopes continued on Monday and Tuesday. 

“My favorite part of ski trip was getting to go skiing for the first time and learn how to ski with all my best friends there with me,” junior Ella Pike said.

To round out the trip, students were allowed to go into town on Tuesday night. After all the activity of the previous few days, the students enjoyed their time looking in shops and dining in restaurants. This part of the trip was much anticipated and greatly enjoyed by the juniors.

“We had a lot of freedom, and we could go into any stores that we wanted to,” junior Lauren Ferraro said. “We were all able to get dinner together and just hang out with friends.”

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, the students said goodbye to Breckinridge and returned to Tallahassee, Fla. Overall, the trip was very impactful upon the class and proved to be the experience of a lifetime.