Month: July 2023

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Ever thought of becoming a ski instructor?

Hi everyone! Our downhill snow school is looking for enthusiastic snowboard and ski instructors for next season.

You will make friends for life, have a chance to help other members of the club to improve, and get access to a whole new world of development. Volunteer instructors also get some perks that help defray the cost of teaching, including:

  • Lift ticket or pass reimbursement
  • Transportation to/from the hill
  • Cost offset on long trips when you teach
  • Access to our great afternoon sessions, Tremblant training with level 4s, and instructor training reimbursement
  • Small stipend

…plus, we have a TON of fun on snow and off snow!

Qualifications to teach with us include one of the following: CSIA level 2+, OR CSIA level 1 + HPSC Instructor Training, OR CASI level 1+.

If you are keen to help your fellow members, have a good attitude, and have met these requirements, please reach out to me at downhillsnowschool@hpsc.ca to express interest and to get access to our application form. We are recruiting until August 30, 2023. 

Christine Bellerose
Director, Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding

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2024 Cross-Country Long Trips

We’ve got lots of great choices for our Cross-Country and Snowshoe members this coming year!

Featured Charter

  • Silver Star, BC – Cross-Country/Downhill Combo, Vance Creek Condos: March 4 to 11. This HPSC favourite has 105 km of XC ski trails where you can ski from the door. Snowshoeing and ice skating are also available.

Overnight Bus Trips

  • Ottawa-Gatineau – Holiday Inn: February 16 to 19 – Enjoy 200 kms of ski trails by daily HPSC coach or skate the Rideau Canal.
  • Tremblant, Combo trip – Holiday Inn: February 4-9 – Enjoy cross-country skiing at: Tremblant resort (12km), Domain St. Bernard, (32 km), P’tit Train du Nord (29 km), Tremblant National Park (43 km).
  • Quebec City, Combo trip – Stay at the lovely Manoir Victoria: March 10-15 (March Break) and enjoy the cross-country ski areas of Mt Ste. Anne (176 km), Le Massif (32 km), and Camp Mercier (70 km).

Other Charter trips where XC skiing is available:

You can sign up on any of the following downhill trips by choosing the ‘No Lifts’ option.

Note: Since they are not featured as XC trips, there may be no other cross-country skiers on these trips. These locations are best suited for members who are comfortable skiing on their own, in a small group, or plan to enjoy both downhill and cross-country skiing. Trail passes must be purchased by the member.

  • Red Mountain, BC – January 20-27 – 50 km of trails within a 25 minute walk from hotel, local shuttle available on some days (TBD)
  • Sun Peaks, BC 1 – January 27- February 3 – 30 km of ski trails, ski from the door and take the lift to the start of the cross-country trails
  • Winter Park Hotel Colorado, USA – February 3-10 – 200 km of ski trails at Snow Mountain Ranch and 120 km at Devil’s Thumb Ranch. Note that these locations are a 20 – 40 minute drive away and would require a vehicle rental.
  • Banff, AB 1 – February 10 -17 – 13 km accessible from town of Banff. Rent a vehicle for other trails.

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Calling All Prospective Trip Leaders for the2023-2024 Snow Season!

The Long Trips Committee is looking for members interested in being considered for leadership positions on the long trips scheduled from January to April 2024. 

Over the past 7 decades, HPSC has refined the trip running process and experienced Trip Leaders (TLs)  will train and mentor new TLs. TLs receive partial compensation for their trip after all of their post-trip responsibilities are completed.

Successful TLs are members who have been on at least a few HPSC long trips and have an interest in leading a long trip. They are basically proficient in MS Word and Excel, have good attention to detail, are organized and communicate well. The TL is the face of HPSC and as an ambassador, performs a key function that helps define and maintain the HPSC brand.

Interested members should indicate their interest in an email sent to longtrips@hpsc.ca with a copy to ephraim.fernandez@gmail.com

The Long Trips Committee thanks all those members who consider leading a long trip and particularly all those members who apply this year.

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President’s Message – Only 65 days!

Hi all!

While the fall seems so far away, for your Board of Directors it is actually very close. Membership renewal opens in just 65 days! The summer is the time we do a lot of planning and discussion for the coming season. And it’s the time we work on the budget for next year. Thinking about what we can do to add value or better serve our members. 

On that note, I would like to thank all of you who have responded to our Members Survey that was sent out last week. If you do not recall seeing the email, please check your junk folder or just click on this link. Your feedback is very valuable to the club. The survey is open until Thursday, July 13. As an added incentive, in addition to a draw for a free membership, we will also draw for one long trip/charter trip Front of the Line (FOTL), which allows the holder to pre-book one of the charter or long trips (along with a travel partner). I will provide some of the highlights of the research results later in the summer in SnoBiz and at the AGM in September.

One item that comes up regularly is the desire for more overnight and charter trips. This year we have attempted to provide for just that. However, one of the constraints to running more trips is having qualified and experienced leaders. During COVID a number of regular leaders chose to step back or retire from the club, and we only had a few members step forward. If you are interested in being a trip leader or train as a trip leader for the future, please read the article below.  

Just as a reminder, the final deadline to register for the upcoming Frank Lloyd Wright day trip to Buffalo on July 22 is TOMORROW (July 6).  There are still about a dozen spots available. I have to confirm the numbers and pay for our tour tickets on Friday. Please ensure your passport is up to date with at least 6 months remaining on it. We will do a passport check before leaving Toronto but will not be able to delay departure from Toronto.   

On a personal note, for those who have asked, I received great news from my surgeon last week.  He said, barring any unexpected findings from a final ultrasound on my knee, there is no reason I will not be able to ski this coming season!!  As well, he cleared me to start riding my bicycle in the next week or so. I want to thank all of you who have reached out and supported me over the last 18 months since I initially tore my quad tendon. 

Looking forward to seeing many of you at our pub night this Friday at Pauper’s on Bloor!

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club