January 2022 – High Park Ski Club Blog

2022-01-282022-01-28

Information on Upcoming Downhill Daytrips

As you are now aware, we will be starting to run Downhill daytrip buses as of February 12^th. We will be starting with a maximum of 25 members on the bus and will increase the numbers after February 21^st when new provincial guidelines come into effect.

Until February 11^th all of the scheduled trips will continue to be Drive-up ONLY.

For the first week we will have buses on February 12 (MSLM); February 14 (Blue Mountain Inn), and February 16 (Craigleith). Note that the Sunday February 13^th trip to Blue Mountain remains as a Drive-up only, and the Monday February 14^th trip to the Blue Mountain Inn is a Bus Only trip.

TRIP NUMBER	DESTINATION	DAY	DATE	OPTIONS	BUS MAX	OPEN DATE	CLOSE DATE
A2013	MSLM	Sat	12-Feb-22	BUS/Drive-up	25	Tue Feb 1	Tue Feb 8
A2014	Blue Mountain South	Sun	13-Feb-22	Drive-up ONLY	N/A	Tue Feb 1	Tue Feb 8
A20915	Blue Mountain Inn	Mon	14-Feb-22	BUS ONLY	25	Tue Feb 1	Tue Feb 8
A20916	Craigleith	Wed	16-Feb-22	BUS/Drive-up	25	Tue Feb 1	Thur Feb 10

During the second week the following three trips will be available:

TRIP NUMBER	DESTINATION	DAY	DATE	OPTIONS	BUS MAX	OPEN DATE	CLOSE DATE
A2015	MSLM	Sat	19-Feb-22	BUS/Drive-up	25	Tue Feb 8	Tue Feb 15
A2016	Blue Mountain South	Sun	20-Feb-22	BUS ONLY	20	Tue Feb 8	Tue Feb 15
A20918	Osler	Wed	23-Feb-22	BUS/Drive-up	42	Tue Feb 8	Thurs Feb 17

Pleas note that the Sunday February 20^th trip to Blue Mountain South is bus only and is limited to 20 members due to the number of instructors available for that day. There will be no Monday trip to Blue Mountain on February 21^st since it is Family Day and there is a blackout in place for the 5×7 Pass, and the regular lift ticket price is in effect at approximately $100.

As of February 21^st, if the current provincial re-opening plan remains in place, we will be able to increase the maximum number of members on the bus.

At that point we will return to our regular schedule of four buses per week on Saturday (MSLM), Sunday (Blue Mountain South Lodge), Monday (Blue Mountain Inn), and Wednesday (various private clubs and Blue Mountain later in the season. The full schedule is available here.

As communicated earlier, the MSLM Lodge and the Blue Mountain South Lodge, will not be open to change in. In order to accommodate changing on the bus, we have set a maximum of 35 members for Saturday and Sunday trips until further notice. Monday and Wednesday bus trips we have set a maximum of 42 members until further notice.

For the last week of February the scheduled trips are the following:

TRIP NUMBER	DESTINATION	DAY	DATE	OPTIONS	BUS MAX	OPEN DATE	CLOSE DATE
A2017	MSLM – Double Double	Sat	26-Feb-22	BUS/Drive-up	35	Tue Feb 15	Tue Feb 22
A2018	Blue Mountain South	Sun	27-Feb-22	BUS/Drive-up	35	Tue Feb 15	Tue Feb 22
A20919	Blue Mountain Inn	Mon	28-Feb-22	BUS/Drive-up	42	Tue Feb 15	Tue Feb 22
A20920	Devil’s Glenn	Wed	02-Mar-22	BUS/Drive-up	42	Tues Feb 15	Thurs Feb 24

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THIS SEASON TO NOTE

To book any trip – bus or drive-up – you need to have already provided your proof of vaccination to the club. If you have not done so, please email it to vac@hpsc.ca. Once our membership team has viewed the proof your membership status will change to include a ‘v’ meaning you are verified and can therefore register for trips.
There are new registration deadlines for both bus and drive up downhill daytrips:
- Saturday, Sunday, Monday trips: Tuesday 6pm (cancellation is Monday 8pm)
- Wednesday trips: Thursday 6pm (cancellation is Wednesday 8pm)
Trips will be open for registration on the Tuesday in the week prior to the registration deadline. This allows for greater flexibility in case there are changes to regulations or other reasons.
You must wear a proper mask at all times on the bus and remain seated (except to go to the washroom). Quick sips of drink are allowed.
As noted earlier, the Mount St. Louis lodge on Saturdays and Blue Mountain South Lodge on Sundays is not available to change in or leave your belongings. Therefore, you will need to prepare on the bus. We recommend bringing a towel that you can put on the floor when putting on your boots to reduce the impact on the bus floor.
All daytrips will follow a reverse drop off schedule after the 400/7 stop – Bloor/Indian Rd.; Davenport & Yonge; Yonge & Eglinton; Yonge & York Mills.
Members who wish to drive up AND take a lesson must register for the lesson on the Drive-up registration module. You must, however, arrange for your own lift ticket. As noted earlier due to the number of instructors available this year, there are a couple of trips where Drive-up is not being offered.
As always if you register with a Bus Voucher you must bring the physical voucher with you on the trip.

COVID-19 policies and procedures:

All HPSC members must show proof of full vaccination before registering for a club trip. Please see here for the full club vaccination policy.
All day trip participants must be members. There will be no test drive or guest days this year.
Members must comply with mask policies on the bus and at the resorts. Proper cloth or medical masks must be worn and cover the nose and mouth. Buffs and improper wearing of masks will not be tolerated.
Please do not come on a trip if you are experiencing symptoms of illness, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. In these instances, we have a more flexible cancellation policy this year.
If you test positive for or suspect you are sick from COVID-19, please inform us so that we can contact trace those on the bus or in your lesson.
Failure to adhere to club or public health rules will be considered a breach of conduct and addressed accordingly.
The full HPSC COVID Protocol document is available here.

Cancellation procedures

The cancellation deadline is Monday at 8pm for Saturday , Sunday, and Monday day trips and Wednesday at 8pm for the following Wednesday day trip.
You must email cancellations@hpsc.ca with the trip number (AXXXX) and the cancellation request. The cancellations team will email you a confirmation of receipt.
If you do not follow this procedure before the deadline, you will be considered a “no show” and will be charged for the bus ($30).
If you do not come because you are sick or have been in contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, you may email daytrips@hpsc.ca within 72 hours after the trip to get a full refund.
Please do not come on the trip if you are sick! If we find our no-show rate is too high (costing us too much money and depriving others of seats on the bus), we will have to re-evaluate this policy. Please do not abuse it and use it only when you are genuinely not feeling well.

Is the trip running?

An email will be sent to all registered participants by Friday at 12pm. Please do not email for information prior to this time.
If you do not receive an email by Friday at 12pm, check your junk mail. Then check the trip status page on the website. You must log in to see the status page.
This email/the status page will contain all the information you need for the day trip, plus a link to the COVID-19 screening form that will be used for that day.
If we must cancel a trip, we will refund you in full. A bit of inclement weather doesn’t deter us (even rain), but if we deem it unsafe to be on the hills or roads, we may cancel. We appreciate your understanding; cancelling/changing trips is a very difficult decision for our team, and we do whatever possible to get you out skiing. In the past couple of years, we have only cancelled trips when there were extreme weather warnings for high amounts of rain/freezing rain and damaging winds.
As in past seasons, if we cancel the bus, the entire trip including drive up is cancelled.

Tip for a successful COVID season

Patience. Everything is going to take longer. Our volunteers are learning new procedures. Please have patience!

2022-01-27

We’re going to run buses! Now what?

We finally have some good news – we feel ready to offer bus trips, but the plan looks a bit different than normal years.

The plan

On Feb. 12 (Highlands), Feb. 19 (TBC), and Feb. 20 (Horseshoe Valley), we will run with 25 members on the bus, including our instructors, guides and the bus captain (so the spots open for registration will be less than 25).

After Feb. 21, provided the provincial reopening plan remains the same, we will return to our regular schedule and increase capacity.

The schedule and important registration information can be found here.

Below find the highlights of our most important changes, and keep reading for details of how the bus trips will operate.

Highlights of important changes:

You must show proof of vaccination before you can register for trips. Email your proof to vac@hpsc.ca if you haven’t already.
You must wear a mask on the bus except if eating lunch (and we expect you to eat quickly). We VERY strongly recommend wearing an N/KN95, which are proven to protect you and others better than alternatives.
There are no warmup options at the resorts. At some places you can go inside to use the washroom. At others, there are portable washrooms. We will have the bus available, but it won’t be very warm as it cannot idle all day. This is the reality of skiing this year. If you do not think you will be comfortable under these circumstances, we advise that you do not come with the bus. See below for tips on coming prepared to ski under these conditions.
We have fewer instructors available this year due to COVID. We may not be able to accommodate all requests for lessons, especially if there are a lot of people who want to drive up for lessons. We plan to offer three classic lessons and skate lesson, if we have the instructor available. With four instructors on a trip, we can accommodate about 24-30 students.
There are new registration (Wednesday 6pm) and cancellation (Tuesday 8pm) deadlines.

COVID-19 policies and procedures:

All HPSC members must show proof of full vaccination before registering for a club trip. Please see here for the full club vaccination policy.
All day trip participants must be members. There will be no test drive or guest days this year.
Members must comply with mask policies on the bus and at the resorts. Proper cloth or medical masks must be worn and cover the nose and mouth. Buffs and improper wearing of masks will not be tolerated. We very strongly recommend wearing an N/KN95.
Please do not come on a trip if you are experiencing symptoms of illness, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. In these instances, we have a more flexible cancellation policy this year.
If you test positive for COVID-19, please inform us so that we can contact trace.
All members will have to fill out screening apps the morning of the trip and show it to the bus captain. The link will be in the day trip registration module. If you do not own a smart phone, do it at home and bring a printout on the bus with you.
Failure to adhere to club or public health rules will be considered a breach of conduct and addressed accordingly.

Registration procedures

All the trips will appear on the online event calendar once the modules are created. Weekend trips are open for registration on the Monday two weeks prior to the trip (except for the first trip, which will have less registration time). For example, the Feb. 20 trip will open Feb. 7 at 9am. The date a trip opens for registration will be stated on the event description. While in the past we have opened trips up further in advance, this approach will give us maximum flexibility given the uncertainty, while still allowing people to plan.
You can find the trips that are open for booking and the schedule here. It is subject to change. If a trip is not on the calendar, it is not yet ready. Please do not email about it.
Registration is done online. There are two modules for each trip that offers lessons – a bus module and a drive up module for those wanting to drive up and take lessons. If there are no lessons on a trip, only a bus module will be created.
If you want to take the bus, register on the bus module. Generally, you pay for the bus, trail pass, and rentals (if necessary). Please note that resorts are operating differently this year. For example, at Horseshoe you have to reserve and pay for your rentals online through the resort. All this will be detailed on the registration module – please pay close attention. You will receive email confirmation of your registration. If you do not complete payment, your registration will be deleted automatically after 15 minutes.
Members who wish to drive up AND take a lesson must register for the lesson on the drive up registration module. You must, however, buy your own trail pass and rentals at the resort.
Registration deadline is Wednesday 6pm for Saturday and Sunday trips. After this date, the trip is closed, and registration disappears from the website. All members must register in advance. There will be no walk-ons allowed this year.
If a trip is close to selling out, we will activate the waitlist. There are always cancellations. If you are on the waitlist and are offered a spot, you will be notified and must pay within 24 hours. Waitlist spots are held until Wednesday morning. At that point, the waitlist is cleared, and it is first come first served for any remaining spots. We find this policy is fair, while not putting undue burden on our volunteers.
You may at some point get a bus voucher (a voucher entitles the holder to a bus ride). You must bring the physical voucher with you on the bus, or you will be invoiced for the bus fee. No exceptions.
If you have any questions about your registration, contact crosscountry@hpsc.ca. Do not respond to the registration confirmation email.

Cancellation procedures

The cancellation deadline is Tuesday at 8pm for Saturday and Sunday day trips.
You must email cancellations@hpsc.ca with the trip number (NXXXX) and the cancellation request. The cancellations team will email you a confirmation of receipt.
If you do not follow this procedure before the deadline, you will be considered a “no show” and will be charged for the bus ($30).
If you do not come because you are sick or have been in contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, you may email crosscountry@hpsc.ca within 72 hours after the trip to get a full refund. Please do not come on the trip if you are sick! If we find our no-show rate is too high (costing us too much money and depriving others of seats on the bus), we will have to re-evaluate this policy. Please do not abuse it and use it only when you are genuinely not feeling well.

Is the trip running?

An email will be sent to all registered participants by Friday at 12pm. Please do not email for information prior to this time. If you do not receive an email by Friday at 12pm, check your junk mail. Then check the status page on the website. You must log in to see the status page.
This email/the status page will contain all the information you need for the day trip, plus a link to the COVID-19 screening form that will be used for that day.
If we must cancel a trip, we will refund you in full. A bit of inclement weather doesn’t deter us (even rain), but if we deem it unsafe to be on the trails or roads, we may cancel. We appreciate your understanding; cancelling/changing trips is a very difficult decision for our team, and we do whatever possible to get you out skiing. In the past couple of years, we have only cancelled trips when there were extreme weather warnings for high amounts of rain/freezing rain and damaging winds.
Trips can also be cancelled due to insufficient registration numbers. Pre-COVID, this didn’t happen, but if not enough people are comfortable enough taking the bus, we won’t run it.
Sometimes resorts will have varying conditions depending on local weather. In the past we’ve been able to be flexible and find an alternate resort if conditions at the scheduled resort are poor. We may not be able to operate this way this year. Some resorts are limiting access to one group/day. Thus, we may have no option but to cancel if a resort is not available or deemed safe.

Lessons & other programming

We will be offering lessons on day trips, however, due to less instructor availability (due to COVID and other factors), the amount and nature of the lessons will be scaled back. We will try to ensure all beginners get lessons. We cannot guarantee lessons to everyone who wants them.
We are offering guided snowshoeing on many trips. Please sign up for it in the registration modules.
There will be no race program.
There will be no social events.

Tips for a successful COVID season

Please seriously consider wearing N95 masks. They are proven to help protect you and others better. We need to protect ourselves if we are going to run successful trips.
There will be capacity limits in the chalets as the resorts, meaning we must use our bus as “home base”. We will store our bags there, get ready, eat lunch etc. Be prepared to spend more time outside than normal. It is up to you to determine if you can handle this given the temperatures.
Come prepared with enough warm clothing considering the lack of indoor space. More is better than less.
We recommend that you ski with a small backpack that contains extra warm clothing (a dry base layer, warmer mitts, dry socks etc.), snacks, and water.
Patience. Everything is going to take longer. Our volunteers are learning new procedures. Please have patience!

2022-01-272022-04-12

Good News – We will start running buses as of February 12!

It has been a long wait, but we are happy to announce that starting February 12th we are finally able to offer members the opportunity to again take the bus to the resorts! Thank you so much for your patience during the last two years.

After the new public health restrictions were announced, the HPSC board met and came up with a plan to provide bus trips.

Based on the rules for indoor organized public gatherings, until February 21, we are able to run buses with a maximum of 25 members. After February 21, provided the reopening plan doesn’t change, capacity can increase.

We need time to get the trips organized, so we will launch our first trips on February 12. For the first two weeks, downhill will run five trips (February 12, 14, 16, 19, and 20); and cross-country two trips (February 12 and 20). After February 21, we will return to our normal schedules and capacity will increase. Please note that after February 21 for weekend downhill buses, capacity will be capped at 35 to allow room for getting ready on the bus.

Many of our operational procedures have changed, including registration deadlines. You can find downhill registration information here and cross-country registration information here and on the XC FAQ page. Please pay close attention to the registration modules. They will contain all the information you need about the particular trip.

Participation in all club activities is restricted to members who have provided their vaccination proof to the club. If you have not done so yet, please email it to vac@hpsc.ca.

Hope to see many of you on the slopes/trails in the coming weeks!

Cheers!
Justin Graham
President, High Park Ski Club

2022-01-24

Conditions update, January 24

Conditions continue to be great throughout the region! If you can, take advantage of it.

Members have been to many resorts over the past week. Hardwood is excellent as usual and less hard packed after more snow fell. Horseshoe also looks excellent, although the #8 (or the North Red, as many of us know it from the old days) hasn’t been groomed even though the website said it had been. That’s annoying as it’s a tough, longer trail. One member who went to Mansfield reports that they’ve got in a classic track and it was pretty good with just a few thin spots here and there. A couple members went to Albion and loved it. While conditions can be spotty if new snow hasn’t fallen, it is a lovely place we highly recommend. Mono Nordic looks like it’s got much better conditions.

There are snow squall watches out for Barrie today, so maybe more snow on the way.

Be sure to check the websites for conditions before you go to the resort:

Hardwood

Horseshoe (tip: Horseshoe is notorious for not reporting accurately. If you want to go, check Hardwood. If Hardwood is reporting sketchy conditions, you know that Horseshoe will be worse)

Scenic Caves

Highlands

Wasaga, Arrowhead and other provincial parks

Welcoming New Instructors to the team! David Healey

Check out who they are and what their favourite things to do are. Keep your eyes out as we introduce you over the next several weeks. Today we welcome David Healey…

I became an instructor because I love refining my technique, sharing my skiing discoveries, and bringing that delight to others. I love the club because of the atmosphere. It’s so good skiing with an unpretentious group, and I really appreciated the punctuality and experience in running group trips.

My most memorable ski memory was the first time moving up from beginner boots to advanced boots and feeling the tightness of control – it felt like it was the payoff of all the early lessons and practice. Also the relief when taking them off after the first session.

2022-01-192022-02-15

President’s Message – After nearly two years . . .

January 19, 2022

Dear HPSC Friends,

It has been a long haul to finally get to this point. We are very happy that this past weekend, after nearly two years, the HPSC Snow School was finally able to again provide lessons to our members. And despite the cold on Saturday at MSLM I understand that most who participated were very happy to be back. I personally was excited to reconnect with a number of our members at Blue Mountain on Sunday. As a reminder, lesson registration opens up on the Friday one week prior to the trips.

While we are all disappointed that we are not able to run buses just yet, we are closely following the public health guidelines and will start bus trips as soon as it is feasible.

I personally want to thank all of our club volunteers who help make the club run. Please remember that we are a fully volunteer run club and without the time and passion put in by your fellow members we would not be able to function. Much like all of you, we have been frustrated by the ongoing pandemic. And although we have not been able to function as we would have liked, the amount of work that has been put into planning has far exceeded what would be required during a regular season.

One thing that the pandemic has shown is that many people in the GTA are tired of being stuck inside and have a strong desire to get outside and enjoy the winter. The snowstorm/blizzard on Monday provided the opportunity for many of our members to do something that has been virtually unheard of in Toronto in a long long time, the ability to do some urban skiing and snowshoeing. I personally snowshoed down to my local Starbucks on Monday, while a number of other members posted photos of their urban snow sport adventures in the HPSC Facebook group. And with the exception of a very short warm up, the forecast for the next two weeks in favourable to keeping most of this new snow in the city. Enjoy it!

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

2022-01-192022-01-19

Welcoming New Instructors to the team! Sharon Flynn

Check out who they are and what their favourite things to do are. Keep your eyes out as we introduce you over the next several weeks. Today we welcome Sharon Flynn.

I joined HPSC in 2013. I wanted to ski way more often than the rest of my family wanted to. I took the free lessons to improve my skiing and found out that my technique needed quite a bit of work. I was self taught and who knew that going as fast as I could down the hill with minimal turning was not all there was to skiing.

The instructors were very patient and gave me drills that I could work on and I also met other skiers to ski with. I really enjoyed the weekly races at Mt St. Louis and also the buses made the longer drive to Blue Mountain much more enjoyable. I was inspired to work towards my Level I and then my Level II by the HPSC instructors and now I am one!

I also enjoyed the bus trips to Quebec and the states and finally worked up the courage to fly to Banff on a HPSC organized trip. I do not think I would have ever made it to Lake Louise without High Park and now every year I go on at least one charter trip with the club.

High Park Ski Club will make you love winter!

2022-01-19

Come Celebrate – Overnight Trips to Quebec in March!

Are you looking forward to great ski days this year? March brings sunshine and longer days and is the best time to ski in Quebec!

There is space left on our mid week trip to Mont Ste Anne and weekend trip to Mont Tremblant in March. Our buses have been specially fitted with COVID protection including Plexiglas shields and HEPA filters. Enjoy guided skiing with HPSC instructors and other members who ski at your level (Step 4 and above) or take the ‘no lifts’ option and enjoy a relaxing winter vacation in either of these two lovely destinations.

We know from last year’s experience that there is light at the end of the tunnel and better days are ahead. However, if either of these trips must be cancelled by HPSC, members will receive a full 100% refund of the trip cost. Sign up now to reserve your spot on these great trips. What a great way to celebrate the end of this challenging winter!

For more information, click on the links below:

Mont Ste Anne – Sunday March 20 to Thursday March 24, 2022 – Ski in/out, kitchenette at Chateau Mont Ste Anne with 4 days lifts, single rooms available. Click here to register.

Mont Tremblant – Friday March 25 to Sunday March 26, 2022 – Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites – choice of suite or hotel room, single rooms available. Click here to register.

The season ending Tremblant trip is always popular among new members as it is an opportunity to meet new friends and make plans together for the next season.

Attention advanced snowboarders! We’ll have the fastest s/b instructors, like Keith on the Tremblant trip, and would love to run a group who is comfortable riding black runs. We need a minimum of 4 advanced riders to sign up to have a dedicated s/b instructor. (Cap of 6). Join and invite your friends for an amazing ride!

Attention Snowshoe and social members! There are beautiful snowshoeing and hiking trails with magnificent views. Choose the ‘no lifts’ option when signing up. Imagine sunbathing at the best apres ski setting in Canada.

Come celebrate the end of this very challenging winter!!

2022-01-18

What to expect during a Drive Up daytrip

Our HPSC instructors are excited to finally be able to run lessons for our members! As you prepare for your day, here are some things to be aware of that may impact your experience.

Facilities:

Your car is your “home base”. You’ll be at your car to put your boots on, eat lunch, and warm up.

Indoor dining is unavailable. Some resorts (e.g. Blue) have some outdoor dining set up. Bring a lunch if you don’t have plans.

Washrooms are available. Indoor warming up spaces are not.

Tickets:

Members must book their lift tickets themselves separate from the drive-up registration. To ski at the private clubs, as long as you’ve sign up for the event, the club will make sure your name’s on the guest list.

The Mount St Louis check-in process may be time consuming. Give yourself an extra 20+ minutes to go through the lineups before your lesson start time.

Lift lines and chairlifts:

At the public resorts, chairlifts are generally being filled to the maximum, loading singles to fill them up.

Be forewarned that some members of the general public do not consistently wear their masks in lift lines or on chairs, and physical distancing doesn’t always happen in lift lines – and that some members have observed the resorts are not always enforcing mask-wearing.

Lessons:

HPSC Members are to wear masks in lesson groups. Instructors will run a COVID screener at the lesson start.

We will aim to keep some space between participants, but we’re also in a constantly changing environment. If you feel it’s getting crowded, pull back and give yourself space.

While we’re on the hill, if you have any safety concerns, please let the instructor know and they will accommodate as best as they can.

While we can manage our own participants, we’re still skiing with the general public who follow varying levels of safety.

General etiquette:

If you are sick, please stay home!

Please keep your mask on in the lift line, chairlift, and in lessons.

Check the resort for specific information on their policies and practices.

We’re asking everyone to be patient and kind.

Have a great day trip! We are looking forward to skiing and riding with you.

2022-01-182022-01-24

Conditions update: January 18, 2022

After that snow dump, my report is short: conditions everywhere should be very excellent! Especially for classic. Even for places closer to the city (Mono, Mansfield, Albion, which is opening Jan. 18). Temps are supposed to rise a bit Wednesday and then drop again. A few more days of grooming should consolidate the bases and make for excellent skiing for both classic and skate on the weekend.

Members have also been having lots of fun skiing and snowshoeing in the city after 30cm of snow fell. Get out and play in the snow!