Powder Express returns to serve Ski Bluewood

The Powder Express, also known as the Lewis-Clark Ski School, is back.

Ski Bluewood is teaming with the Lewiston Parks and Recreation Department to offer packages of discounted lift tickets and bus transportation from Lewiston to the ski hill near Dayton.

"It will be a great program for kids to learn to ski and Mom and Dad don't have to use up their whole weekend," said Lynn Welch, recreation program manager for the department.

The package deal has been dormant for several years. Welch said she was seeking a van or bus company to revive it when Bluewood offered to do the driving.

"They found a bus, which is fine with me," she said.

The package will be offered for four consecutive Saturdays or four consecutive Sundays from Jan. 18 or 19 through Feb. 8 or 9. The costs are as follows:

• Adult lift ticket plus transportation, $259.
• Student lift ticket plus transportation, $239.
• Transportation only (student or adult), $139.

The deal breaks down like this: An adult lift ticket purchased over the counter at Ski Bluewood costs $44. Do that four times and it comes to $176. The adult lift ticket and transportation package sells for $259, which comes to $64.75 a day.

The four days of bus transportation is valued at $139, or $34.75 per day. So add the daily adult price of $44 to the transportation cost of $34.75 and it comes to $78.75, so purchasers of the package will save $14 a day.

A student package sells for $239. A student lift ticket purchased at the hill is $38 per day, or $152 for four days. Add in $139 for transportation and it comes to $291, divide by four and it's $72.75 a day. Buy the package and it comes to $59.75 a day.

So you save money on lift tickets, but what about transportation?

It's 188 miles round-trip from Lewiston to Bluewood. A car that gets 20 mpg would burn 9.4 gallons. At $3.23 per gallon, the trip would cost $30.36, slightly less than the $34.75 it costs to take the bus.

So for kids who don't have a ride or adults who don't want to drive, the deal makes sense. For people who are willing to drive and can reduce the transportation costs by adding passengers, the deal doesn't make sense.

Those who would like more information or to register, can do so at http://bluewood.com/lewiston-ski-bus.

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Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.