ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD - Fort Liard students who spent two days learning how to snowboard in the mountains of British Columbia late last month would do well to cling to that memory, considering snow is now a rare commodity in the Dehcho region.

"It's done now," said Blair Kotchea, a Grade 10 Echo-Dene School student, of the winter season, notably disappointed.

Students from Fort Liard visited Powder King Mountain Resort in British Columbia earlier this month to take lessons in snowboarding. From left are participants Blair Kotchea and Monica Berreault. - photo courtesy of Roslyn firth

Ah, but she still has memories.

From March 31 to April 3, Kotchea and a group of 13 other students travelled to the outskirts of Chetwynd, B.C., to Powder King Mountain Resort.

There, the students got a crash course - sometimes literally - in the art of snowboarding, but by the sounds of it, they took to the sport rather quickly, said Roslyn Firth, who accompanied the students on the trip.

"They got lessons, and after the first lesson, at least half of them were able to get onto the chairlift and start snowboarding after that," said Firth, manager of wellness and recreation for the hamlet of Fort Liard.

"Kids learn so quickly."

The main goal of the trip was to expose the students to a proper learning environment so they can effectively take their skills back with them, said Firth.

"One of the purposes of this trip was to help the kids to learn how to snowboard. There's a lot of interest in the sport, especially since the Olympics," said Firth.

The hamlet has a hill that is popular for sledding but is also useful for snowboarders.

"Our hill is actually quite good for that," said Firth. "So what we're hoping is that they brought their skills back here to the community and next year make more use of our local hill."

It was Kotchea and a friend who initially expressed interest in making the trip.

"Me and my friend mentioned it (to the chaperone) earlier in the school year. So we kind of made that happen," she said.

Kotchea's taste for snowboarding began when she visited Whistler, B.C., over four days last year. That is where she first learned to snowboard.

With another trip behind her, Kotchea hopes to make enough money to buy her own board.

"I'll start saving in the summer time. There's some (summer jobs) out there," she said.

Firth said many students began inquiring about boards on the way back from Powder King.

"They were saying they'd like to have snowboards and I said, 'Well, maybe it would be a great thing to ask for Christmas.'"