The Dolores school district’s Dolores Ski and Snowboard Club offers students ages 8 to 18 the opportunity to learn how to ski and snowboard at Purgatory Resort in Durango.
The first trip of 2026 took place on Jan. 9, and two dates remain for the season. Any student in the Dolores school district may sign up. The cost is $70 per student per day, covering bus transportation from Dolores, a lift ticket, equipment rental and lessons.
Students with a Purgatory ski pass who own their own equipment or have sufficient experience are also welcome to attend.
Karen Batson, a Dolores Middle School science teacher, took over the club this school year and said the program helps students learn to ski or snowboard while emphasizing fun, friendship and time outdoors. The program has drawn about 50 participants this year.
“It gives them the opportunity to ski and snowboard and have some fun with their friends. That’s what it’s really all about,” Batson told The Journal.
Batson said the program has operated for many years in the district, possibly since the 1990s. The club works with staff at Purgatory to arrange logistics.
She highlighted the program's value in providing access to snow sports and shared her personal inspiration from learning to ski in middle school, which sparked a lifelong hobby. A few of the students in the club also compete.
“I wish I had had the opportunity to learn in elementary school, but I took the opportunity when I was a middle school student and learned to ski, and it just stayed with me the rest of my life,” Batson said. “It’s something that you can always pick up as a hobby, and it can turn into other things like cross-country skiing or snowboarding, or doing tricks and competing.”
The outings also foster bonding among students who might not otherwise interact, offering opportunities to try something new outdoors.
“It was just great to see, the bonding between students who maybe have never really hung out in class before, but they were taking a lesson together,” Batson said. “It’s nice to get the kids out of the classroom and in nature, having a good time, enjoying snow sports or learning something new.”
