Have recent weather conditions affected your holiday travels and brought stress to your life?

You're probably not alone, but the snow doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Just ask the members of the Burien Backslider Ski Club.

The Backsliders are celebrating their 50th year of existence, as they ride the bus up to Crystal Mountain every Wednesday in January and February for a day of skiing in the snow.

The Backsliders started out very small in 1959. Edna Graham originally organized the group.

Then, the group traveled to Snoqualmie Summit to do their skiing. It was in the mid 1960s when Crystal Mountain opened that they started going there--a decision made by group vote.

At that same meeting that determined the group's destination, a group member stood up and asked what the group should call themselves.

Arlene Brown spoke up and said, "What about the backsliders," everyone laughed and the name stuck, according to group member Guy Harper.

In the early days the group was all women. It was some time before the group grew larger and men joined

Even with only women in the group for the first several years, they had enough members to fill two busses with others on waiting list.

One year, the ladies even filled a third bus.

Also, in the early days it wasn't uncommon for the bus to stop in North Bend on the way back from Snoqualmie and pick up a case or two of beer for the members to enjoy on the way back.

These days the group is still known to pop a bottle of wine or two on the way back from Crystal Mountain.

According to Harper, the group has a great time together and they enjoy getting together to enjoy a similar interest.

On the way up to Crystal sometimes the group will watch a ski video to get them in the mood for their day. On the way home as they enjoy their wine and talk they sometimes will watch video like Mr. Bean for a few laughs.

"It's just a lot of fun; it gets people out of the house," Harper said. "It's an ongoing tradition, much like Husky football and Seahawks and such."

These days, men and women are involved in the Backsliders and every Wednesday in January and February, just before 8 a.m., they can be found in the Fred Meyer parking lot gathering for another trip up to Crystal Mountain.

The Backsliders hit the slopes about 10 a.m. and put in a good four or five hours of skiing before they join together at the Bull Wheel Pub on the mountain to enjoy a few drinks or a cup of coffee before the bus leaves the mountain at 4 p.m. to head home.

"It makes a nice full day," Harper said.

According to Harper, many of the group members are retired people, but some plan work schedules around the Wednesday ski trips.

Membership dues are $160 annually, plus the individual lift ticket for each trip.

Harper says that many times there are extra seats available on the buses, and that the group is always looking for new members.