This is a very pretty place. Northstar is taking a special interest in snowboarders, providing fresh challenges in the form of dedicated snowboard runs named Epicenter and Ground Zero. All children at the Ski School wear bright vests, and the location of the school is very contained, considering it borders a wilderness area. It's a great learning environment, because students of all ages can take some risks and push their limits in safety, while being given concrete and definite tips on how to make their experience on skis or snowboards an enjoyable one. The Ski School at Northstar takes a lot of pride in its instructors and provides continuous training.
Skiing really enforces the rewards of goal-oriented behavior and trusting oneself.
The Ski School actually over-staffs on most days, just to be sure that any individual who wants or needs to spend some time with an instructor can do so. I really enjoyed talking with Zeke about the psychology of sports, and of course the different learning styles of men, women, and children. This season Northstar and its' sister resort in South Lake are continuing a program that began in the '96 - '97 season which I found pretty inspiring. Since this special day falls on Wednesdays, the day I happened to be out there, I had the opportunity to watch some of the kids. The students are mostly coming in from Reno, Sacramento, and the Auburn area, and their school district is responsible for bringing the kids to the resort.