November 2020 – High Park Ski Club Blog

2020-11-252020-11-27

What can I expect on the bus on cross-country day trips?

We are committed to running bus trips this season. Like past years, the bus will get you to and from the resort safely.

However, COVID-19 means that there will be some changes to the bus experience. Here is what you can expect on a HPSC bus this season….

Reduced bus capacity

We will be limiting the bus to 30 members. This will enable us to space out appropriately. If you come on the trip with a member of your household, you must sit with them (even if you are tired of them!). This will enable those without a bubble partner to sit alone.

Don’t forget your masks!

Masks must be worn on the bus at all times on the trip up and down. They must be multi-layered cloth or medical masks. No neck warmers, scarves, bandanas, buffs, masks with valves etc. Be sure to bring more than one in case you lose it, it gets wet etc. Eight months in, you should have a nice little selection of them by now.

Limited food and drink consumption while in motion

Unfortunately, the Director will not be making brownies for you this year.

You are only permitted absolutely necessary food and drink consumption, limited to quick sips of water and very quick snacks. No full meals, no sharing of food, no alcohol permitted. This is the only instance in which you may – briefly – remove your mask. Please do not board with a cup of coffee and leisurely drink it. Please eat breakfast before you board (or at the resort upon arrival) and make sure to hydrate and eat before you board the bus to come home. Ideally there will be no food and drink consumption while the bus is in motion and everyone is on board, but we recognize there may be some limited, medically necessary circumstances.

A quiet trip

While we can have fun socializing – physically distanced – with our friends while skiing, the bus will be a quieter ride than normal. We request that you keep talking to a minimum. You must remain seated at all times, except if you need to use the washroom. Please no socializing on the trip to and from the washroom.

Keep the rambunctious fun on the trails!

Different check in procedures

The bus captain will not check members in by talking to them individually. The bus captain will use the microphone to call out your name and remind you of your registration options. If you have a serious issue, you may call the bus captain over, but please try to save your questions for arrival at the resort. Likewise the DOD will not be talking to members about lessons; you must register in advance. If you haven’t, you can go to the meeting point and see if they can fit you in.

All members are expected to follow our policies and procedures if they choose to come on a bus trip this year. If we all work together and cooperate, we can have a safe ski season!

2020-11-25

What can I expect at the cross-country resorts this year?

As a member of our cross-country organizing committee said the other day, we’re coming full circle this year, going back to how people used to ski before fancy chalets were built. What did this look like? You showed up in your car, got ready to ski in the parking lot beside your car, grabbed your day pack with all your ‘survival items’ for the day and headed out. When you got back, you changed by your car, hopped in and headed home.

Get into your costume outside this year!

Given physical distancing rules for indoor spaces, you can probably guess that access to indoor space is going to be very limited at the resorts this year. We will be unable to rent private rooms this year. Gone are the days of all those leisurely indoor activities – getting ready, reading, socializing. Indoor time should be limited to quick trips to use the washroom and warm up for a few minutes. But be prepared that you may have to wait in lines to do so.

Where do I get ready and store my bags?

Members will have to store their bags and get ready on the bus. We suggest that you come to the bus already dressed in your ski clothes. The same goes for the end of the day – you will not be able to change in the resort and thus you may not be able to fully change your clothes, unless you are comfortable doing so in the parking lot (if you are, great!). Otherwise, we suggest bringing a dry top and socks to change into (trust me, dry feet make all the difference) and be sure to have your winter parka waiting for you on the bus.

Where can I eat lunch?

We will have the bus open for an extended lunch period. A maximum of 10 people will be allowed on the bus and must space out appropriately. We request that you eat quickly with no socializing. If there are people waiting outside to come on the bus, vacate the bus as quickly as you can. We don’t want to formalize lunch slots, and hope our members can be courteous with each other. The bus will be wiped down after lunch.

Speaking of lunch, there are going to be limited food options available at the resorts, and what exists may take a long time to get. We suggest bringing your own lunch and snacks on every trip.

If it’s warm enough, we recommend bringing your lunch on the trails with you.

It’s often nice enough to eat outside, especially in March. If you like a hot lunch, invest in a thermos!

What should I bring?

Because you will be spending significant amounts of time outside this year, we recommend that you bring a small day pack filled with items to help keep you warm should you have to wait outside while not skiing. While everyone is different, this could include extra gloves/mitts (really warm ones!), a dry top base layer (maybe something thicker than what you ski in to keep you warmer), an extra pair of socks, and a down jacket that folds up small (a great investment in the winter). Pack water and extra snacks – a hydrated and fueled body is a warmer body!

Are the resorts taking extra measures to provide warming options for guests?

We have been talking to the resorts about their winter plans. Our sense is that right now resorts are not planning for extra facilities and infrastructure. They expect people to use their cars (and for us, the bus) as their “home base”. This could change through the season, but for now we recommend not counting on it. So bring what you need to keep yourself comfortable in the cold. Look at the weather forecast and evaluate for yourself if you will be comfortable being outside (you can cancel by Wednesday at 8pm). We will update members about resort facilities as new information becomes available.

If you have any questions about the season, please contact crosscountry@hpsc.ca

2020-11-252020-12-03

How does COVID-19 affect my cross-country ski lessons?

Our Cross-Country Ski School is working hard to ensure that we can offer high quality lessons within the guidelines set to keep you safe.

Your instructors will still be all smiles…just from 6ft away!

We will have fewer instructors available this year and we must adhere to a strict 4:1 student instructor ratio. This means that we will be offering 4 lessons every trip – 3 classic and 1 skate – with only 4 students per class. Members will have to sign up for lessons online during trip registration, indicating their class of choice if space permits. Unfortunately, this year we may not be able to fit everyone in who wants a lesson. Priority for lessons spots will go to the members on the bus. We will accommodate drive ups if possible.

COVID-19 guidelines will generally not affect the actual ski lessons. Cross-country skiing is an ideal physically distanced activity and our lessons are normally small groups. To keep everyone in lessons safe…

The instructor will ensure that all participants are physically distanced throughout the lesson.
If physical distancing is not possible at times, the instructor will ask all participants to put on their mask.
The instructors will not be providing video analysis.

Expect the same crazy antics! Just further apart.

All participants must complete the COVID-19 screener on the morning of the trip and prior to the lesson. The instructor will confirm this with you before starting the lesson. If you have not done it, and are not able/willing to do it on your phone, you will be asked to leave the lesson.

If we are unable to run the buses, we will not be running any HPSC lessons.

If you have questions about our lessons and new protocols, please contact crosscountry@hpsc.ca.

2020-11-25

How do I register for cross-country day trips this year?

If you are a member and want to register for a trip, the procedures haven’t drastically changed. But we wanted to review the process and highlight a few things that have changed.

Step 1: Find the trip you want to go on

You can find our event calendar with all the registration modules here. Immediate upcoming events will appear on HPSC’s home page.

Registration modules will be visible for the entire season, but trips will open for registration on the Monday two weeks before the trip at 9am. The date a trip opens for registration will be on the event description.

Please be patient; we will get the registration modules up as soon as we can!

Step 2: Decide which registration module you need to use

For each trip, you will see two registration modules – one for bus participants and one for drive ups. Choose whichever one is relevant for you.

The drive up registration module is only for drive ups who want to take lessons. If you aren’t taking lessons, you don’t register at all for a trip. You may meet the club where we are going, but you must pay for your own trail pass and rentals at the resort.

Step 3: Register!

Carefully follow the registration instructions.

For bus participants, answer all the questions – chose the bus (or voucher if you have one to use), your the trail pass (ski or snowshoe), your rentals if needed (classic or skate), your bus pick up location, and your lesson level if taking lessons. You must pay before your registration is seat is confirmed. If you do not pay, your registration will canceled after 15 minutes and you will not be on the trip. You will not be able to change your trail pass and rental registration options, so be careful! If you change your mind, you will have to arrange it yourself at the resort and incur the extra costs. If you have questions about registering, email crosscountry@hpsc.ca.

For drive ups registration, you will only indicate the lesson level you want. You must pay for your own trail pass and rentals at the resort. Please only register for lessons if you actually intend to come.

For both bus and drive up registrations, you must check a box indicating that you agree to follow HPSC’s COVID-19 policies and procedures and that you will not come on the trip if you are feeling ill. This is of paramount importance to ensure the safety of our member and the continuation of our ski season.

Register and find yourself in a winter wonderland!

2020-11-242020-12-03

Drive ups and cross-country day trips

We are making every effort to run our buses this season if public health guidelines allow us to do so safely. The bus experience has always been the cornerstone of our club – the bus is a space for furthering the friendships made on the snow. Plus, you get to sleep after a hard day on the trails.

But, this year is different. We understand that some members are hesitant to take the bus, but still want to take advantage of the lessons the club offers.

If you take a lesson, you too can learn advanced ski maneuvers like this.

If you want to drive up and take lessons this season, there are some things you need to know…

Members on the bus will get priority

Because bus members will be outside all day (i.e., they will not have a private car in which to take refuge), they – particularly beginners – will receive priority for lessons. Drive up members may sign up for lessons and we will let you know on the Friday prior to the trip if there is a spot for you. Our ski school will have fewer instructors this year and we must follow strict guidelines to keep our members safe. This means we just don’t have the capacity to offer lessons on the same scale as in the past.

You must register online for your lesson

Lessons in a winter wonderland at Scenic Caves.

You will now register for the trip online just like bus participants. Look at the calendar and find the trip you want. You will see two modules for every trip – a bus module and a drive up module. Choose the drive up module and follow the instructions to register for your lesson.

You must still buy your own trail pass and rentals at the resort

Unfortunately, we are unable to process payment for your trail pass and rentals. Please arrive at the resort early enough to take care of that before the lesson.

Meet the club at the resort and join your lesson

If there is a spot for you in a lesson, we will let you know on Friday. We will also let you know where and when to meet. Generally we meet in front of the chalet 30 minutes after the bus arrives (usually 1030-11am depending on the location).

You must complete the COVID-19 screener BEFORE you join the lesson

By registering for a lesson, you agree to follow all of HPSC’s COVID-19 policies and procedures. On the morning of the trip, before joining the lesson, you must complete the COVID-19 screener (the link will be in the trip status email). The instructor will confirm that you have completed it. If you haven’t, you may not join the lesson. If we discover that you incorrectly told us that you did, you will be considered in contravention of our policies and serious consequences may follow.

What if I want to drive up, but I don’t want lessons?

If you want to drive up and meet your HPSC friends for a ski day (even if you are not a member), that’s fine. Look at the schedule to see where we’re going and just meet us there. You do not register online as you have to pay for your own trail pass and rentals at the resort.

However, we request that if you are experiencing symptoms of illness, please do not interact with HPSC members (it’s best to stay home!). If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and have skied with HPSC members, we request that you email crosscountry@hpsc.ca with a list of people that you skied with so that we can contact trace appropriately. Thanks in advance for considering the safety of our club.

If you have any questions about driving up, please email crosscountry@hpsc.ca.

Instructor Heather with a couple consistent drive up members in winter 2020. Hope to see you – physically distanced, of course – this year!

2020-11-22

A Successful 2020 SkiFit Season!

Photo by member David Flowers. Last SkiFit on Saturday November 14, 2020

Since the beginning of this pandemic, High Park Ski Club has said it will follow the stated public health guidelines. Due to the change in public health guidelines for Toronto, we had to cancel the final two SkiFit sessions.

On the positive side, we had 10 very productive and enjoyable SkiFit sessions since September on beautiful fall Saturday mornings in High Park. I don’t recall one bad weather Saturday.

Thank you to all who made it out to the sessions. A number of new members came out, as well as a core of longer-term members. Hope that you had a good time preparing for the upcoming season.

I would also like to sincerely thank George, Cynthia, Theo, and Sandra for assisting in running our weekly hiking sessions.

I hope we are able to get back to our normal fitness program next year and look forward to seeing all of you at SkiFit starting in September 2021. Hopefully we will be able to reinstate our traditional post-workout brunch.

For your own personal mental and physical health, I would encourage all of you still get outside for some exercise before the beginning of the season. I know that I will.

Please stay safe and healthy!

Justin

2020-11-182020-11-27

Long Trip >>> I must Cancel? Trip Cancelled?

As always, travel insurance is STRONGLY recommended for all trips. For charter trips, you can purchase from the tour operator a travel insurance policy covering cancellation due to medical conditions, and covering medical expenses while you are away. You can also add on to this policy, “Cancel For Any Reason” insurance (CFAR) which allows you to cancel at any time, or for any reason. CFAR is available on all trips.

BOO HOO, I REALLY WANTED TO GO SKIING! BUT NOW I CAN’T…

IF YOU MUST CANCEL from a trip whether for illness, injury or any reason, here are the conditions. First of all, email the supervisor who needs to know immediately and will assist you to follow the rules and procedures to get a refund.

a. Charter trip,
Cancellation policies are set by the tour operators, not HPSC. In each trip description, there is a paragraph which outlines the cancellation conditions for that specific trip.

b. Overnight trip,
Cancellation policy and procedures are described on the website; click CANCELLATION POLICY 2021. Importantly, members should note that there is no refund for cancelling within 7 days of departure.

____________________________________________________________

What happens IF A TRIP IS CANCELLED because the hotel or resort has closed due to COVID? In the unlikely event of a total cancellation, you will be informed immediately.

a. Charter trip,
Refunds will be given according to the policies of the tour operator and resort. This will require a claim on your own insurance or the insurance you purchased from the tour operator. Instead of a full refund you could possibly be offered a partial refund and future travel credit.

b. Overnight trip,
You will likely get a full refund. Where HPSC has been fully reimbursed by it’s suppliers, members will receive a refund of same. Where HPSC has not been reimbursed or only partially reimbursed, members will be expected to claim a refund from their own insurance. This year our 2021 hotel contracts were structured for a full refund. Member refunds will be made back to the credit card that was used for payment.

2020-11-13

Working together to make our XC season happen!

Still hoping for snow over here! In the meantime, I want to make sure our members are prepared for what this ski season will bring the club. Lots of things will remain the same – good friends, lots of laughs, high quality lessons (including beginner lessons). But, there are some things that are going to look a little different this year, and we all – the board/volunteers, members, and resorts – need to work together to make it a success.

First, we’ll be hanging out outside most of the time. Good thing us cross-country skiers and snowshoers are tough! All the resorts will have restricted access to indoor facilities in order to adhere to physical distancing guidelines. To compensate, we will have the bus open for lunch (with physical distancing rules in place). We also highly recommend that you bring a small pack to ski with. In your pack, you can bring extra snacks (or lunch, if it’s warm enough to eat on the trails), water, maybe a small thermos with warm liquid, and extra layers (I’ll be bringing my down coat, extra socks, and my big puffy pink mittens that keep me warm no matter the temperature!). There will be limited food options, so we suggest you always bring your lunch this year. We will also be getting ready on the bus and storing our personal items on the bus. Some of you already do this, so it won’t be a major change. For others (like me!), it will be.

Second, members need to be very careful when registering. Due to changes in the procedures we have to follow at the resorts, we cannot allow members to make changes to their registration options on the bus this year. Be careful not to make any mistakes; if you do contact crosscountry@hpsc.ca to rectify by Thursday 6pm before the trip (the trip registration deadline). If you have to make changes after that, you are responsible for doing so at the resort and will incur any extra costs.

Third, we’re all going to need a big dose of patience this year! Everything – loading and unloading the bus, getting the tickets, getting our rentals, organizing lessons – is simply going to take more time this year due to physical distancing guidelines. But if we all have some extra patience and understanding, treat each other with kindness and respect, and work together, I am confident we can make this a safe and successful ski season.

Looking forward to the day when we can be within 6 feet of each other. Until then, patience!

Remember – wear your masks, practice physical distancing, and wash your hands!

2020-11-122020-11-13

Deadline Dates for Charters

Ski season will be here sooner than we realize. All resorts have Covid protocols in place now so skier safety will be top of mind. If you planned to sign up for a charter trip but haven’t done so yet, take note of these deadline dates. For each trip there is a date by which the un-booked space must be released as explained in the trip description. If you miss this date, you may still be able to sign up… but the price will be higher because of increased charges by the airline for your air seat. And more importantly, there may not be an air seat for you at all… or a hotel room for you at the group rate. Deadline dates are as follows:

Trip	Deadline Date
C2 Banff	Nov 25
C3 Panorama	Dec 15
C4 Sun Peaks	Dec 22
C5 Whistler	Dec 30
C6 St Moritz	Dec 12

To sign up for your trip, login to the website, click on the Register button and contact the supervisor to make arrangements for the deposit.

2020-11-10

The Downhill Day Trip Schedule Is Here!

We have worked all summer to ensure that our members will have the best of Ontario skiing and snowboarding available. We continue our strong partnerships with our local hills, and have heard time and time again how happy hills are to have us return.

At this time, we are unsure if we will be running buses. While we hope we can provide bus transportation, in the event that we cannot due to health regulations, all trips will be available in a drive-up format.

For both bus and drive-up members, you will be required to register for your day trip through hpsc.ca
Members will be required to register for a lift ticket and lesson if they choose to take a lesson. Walk-up lift ticket purchases at the hills will not be available this year. HPSC will have a limited number of guaranteed lift tickets for registered day trip members. For this reason, we suggest registering early for a trip you are interested in.

For all downhill day trips, members will be required to follow HPSC and resort COVID-19 policies. Failure to follow these policies will result in disciplinary actions.

We look forward to sharing the best of winter with all of our members this season!

To view the 2020/2021 schedule, click here.