With the snows of winter comes a multitude of winter sports to BRF, like basketball, wrestling, hockey and ice skating. A few increasingly popular winter sports in BRF are skiing and snowboarding. We have a plethora of rinks and gyms for our other sports, so where can people go for skiing and snowboarding? Bruce Mound. Skiers, snowboarders and tubers gather from miles around to go there.

“It has a lot of activities to offer,” said freshman Delaney Skelding, a fan of Bruce Mound. Delaney utilizes one of the less frequently used slopes at Bruce Mound; the tubing hill.

 “It’s just something fun to do during the winter,” said Delaney. “…I just like to tube. The last lane is the best, it seems like the fastest and steepest.”

 Delaney’s older brother, Brandon, also enjoys the slopes Bruce Mound has to offer, but the junior prefers to snowboard on the back runs.

 “[My favorite run is] Half Moon, because of the trails in the woods,” said Brandon, “and since I’m not that great, it’s a good run for me.”

 Snowboarders aren’t the only ones who like Half Moon.

 “Half Moon definitely [is my favorite],” said sophomore Steven Dobson, a long time skier at Bruce Mound. “It has many different things you can do. Such as going up in the trails and up on the sides.”

 Aside from Half Moon, Bruce Mound has runs like Old Maine, Death Valley and Sunny Slope for winter enthusiasts to enjoy. There’s even a trick hill, also known as the show-off hill, for the more experienced. So is it the slopes that have given Bruce mound it’s great success?

 “Well, I really can’t go anywhere else and I know people there. It’s not that far from BRF, so it’s easy to get to and for its size it has a decent variety of runs,” said Brandon.

 All that fame meant more customers for Bruce mound, but that also meant Bruce mound needed to make a few changes. And so, Bruce mound welcomed the new season with a new addition; their first chair lift.

 Even though there were a few technical difficulties at first, the brand new lifts have become very popular among the snowboarders and skiers. After anxiously waiting for lifts, many were relieved to see their arrival this year.

 But the lift is not the only new spectacle at Bruce mound. While on the lifts, not only is there a beautiful view of the runs, but the home of Brucemound’s new prickly friend can be seen. A porcupine has made its home in the brush and woods between Old Maine and the chair lift. People have reported seeing the porcupine relaxing on top of its home, in plain view of the lift.

 “I have heard about it, but I haven’t seen it yet,” smiled Dobson. “Hopefully I will next time.”

 Despite the thriving slopes of Bruce mound, there are complaints.

 “For one thing, the prices are too expensive,” said Brandon. For most high schoolers, the price for a day at Bruce mound is $19, a high price to many(not to mention the prices of food and drinks in the building). Some, like Dobson, prefer to purchase a season pass.

 Delaney disagrees with the complaints.

 “I don’t really hate anything about it[Bruce mound]. It’s fine,” she said.

 This convenient little get-away is a great place for family bonding, hanging out with friends, or even just getting out of the house for awhile. Whether people snowboard, ski, tube, or just want some hot chocolate, Bruce mound has something for everyone.