If I haven’t said it lately – THANK YOU for being a member of High Park Ski Club! Without members we would not have a purpose.
Coming out of the pandemic where so many people were isolated and alone, our club offers the opportunity to connect with others. My theory is that this enforced and extended lack of community and connection is partially the cause for many of the issues our society is facing today. I hope that HPSC can play a part in the solution.
Next season marks our 75th Anniversary and in today’s SnoBiz there are some important announcements about next season. I hope you will be as excited as I am about these plans.
As a reminder about our 75th Anniversary season, the election of a majority of the board for next season is on April 30th. Please register here for either in-person at the National Yacht Club or via Zoom. Please read below for more information on the election.
There are many awesome places to ski and snowshoe in Canada, the US and beyond! We know there is more demand now for long trips, but XC needs help to make more long trips happen.
There are different kinds of help needed:
1. You could help us with general online research to find great new locations and/or research locations where we are thinking of going. It would be great to develop a ‘database’ of locations (and details about them).
2. You could assist in organizing specific trips.
3. You could be a trip leader. There are benefits to being a trip leader – you for sure will get on the trip (which sometimes can be hard for popular trips!) and a good portion of your trip will be paid for (it depends on the type of trip as to how much). Trip leaders should be detail-oriented, friendly, and able to roll with the punches and problem solve. Assisting on a trip is a good way to get started and learn the ropes!
HPSC recently had a fabulous trip to Quebec City (Mar. 10-15). While I’ve been skiing for over a decade, it was my first time there. I can’t wait to go back! It really is one of the best bases for XC skiing and snowshoeing in the country. We visited three locations – Mont-Ste-Anne (two days), Sentier des Caps (at Le Massif; one day), and Camp Mercier (one day). Combined you are looking at 250+km of trails! As with most trips this year, conditions were looking dire…then the area received 50cm of new snow the day before our first ski day. We were saved!!! Follow this up with four days of sun and above zero temperatures and we got some pretty magical spring skiing. Everyone keeps asking me why I am so tanned. Yes, I forgot sunscreen.
My favourite day hands down was Sentier des Caps. It was solid sun all day, and the classic skiing in the trees was amazing. The system isn’t large, but it made up for that in views of the St. Lawrence – including a magnificent one off the Abbatis hut (made the tough climb out worth it!). But all our ski days were fantastic – and Jean-Emile was even passed by world champion skier Alex Harvey at MSA!
A great part of the trip is staying in the city – not only do you get great skiing during the day, you can wander around a beautiful city at night and eat lots of amazing food, including as many croissants as you could want. If you need a break from skiing, you can be a city tourist. It’s really the best of both worlds
Huge thanks to Ephraim for his exceptional trip leading skills and hopefully we get to go again!
Heather Steel Director of Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
It looks like members on our last long trip of the season, Club Med Charlevoix, are having a wonderful time skiing at Le Massif and enjoying the terrific food and dining at Club Med. Check out their pictures on the HPSC Facebook page.
There are lots of administrative tasks to be done to close off the season but rest assured that planning for our 75th anniversary season in 2025 is underway. We will have a special announcement about a super early sign up in the next SnoBiz and on Facebook. Many members choose the Ikon pass, with 5 days available at many resorts. However, this special 75th anniversary trip will require an Ikon Base Plus pass or full Ikon pass. We want to ensure that if you want to go on this trip, you will be able to guarantee your spot in April, and can benefit from the best Ikon pass pricing, on now, for the 2025 season. I hope that you have had a wonderful season and are thinking about where you want to go with HPSC next year!
Ontario weather once again gave us a surprise! After having been resigned to an early end of the season, a spring snowstorm surprised us. As those who were able to get out to the slopes over the last couple of weeks can attest, the skiing was fairly good for what we have faced this past season. However, it is now the time to say goodbye until next season.
I am very happy for those of our cross-country community who were on the Quebec City combo ski around trip. After the very tough season in Ontario, they were rewarded with fantastic conditions in Quebec City.
Downhill members were also treated with great conditions on the last overnight trips to Quebec City, Tremblant and currently Charlevoix this week.
This is an important time for the club in preparation for next year’s big 75th Anniversary season. One of these is our Ikon Pass Group sales program. All of the details are now online here.
On a personal note, I have really enjoyed getting back on the slopes, being on day trips, having a beer with other members at the end of the day and getting to know and talk with new and longer time members. On one day trip this year, as I was getting ready to go out, many members were coming up to me and asking about various club topics. Someone asked me if that was what I was there for, just to answer questions. My response was that, in a way, yes, that was my job – I love talking with members about the club and learning about their issues and concerns, as well as hearing about the positives.
Did you have a great experience on a long trip that you would like to share with club members? Send your comments and photos to be featured in SnoBiz to communications@hpsc.ca
Be sure to check out the member photos on Facebook showing the fabulous snow conditions on our trips! It’s hard to believe that our long trips season is about to wind down but the last charter trip is already in process. There are just three overnight bus trips to come: Killington, Tremblant and Club Med Charlevoix. For those who have just returned from a trip, please be sure to fill out surveys and let us know what we can do to improve and where you want to go in the future.
For our upcoming trips, spots are offered first to those on the waiting list. You can add your name at no cost, but if you are contacted by a trip leader, there is a very short window to respond.I hope that you have had a wonderful season and are already starting to think about next year!
It always surprises me each year how quickly we come to the end of our season. Nine months of planning for approximately 3 months of trips (if we are lucky!).
While this year has generally been very positive, with strong membership numbers, high engagement in social events, strong demand for our charter and overnight trips, and good turnout for day trips, the weather has definitely thrown a wrench into our plans.
After a late start and continuous juggling by our Cross-Country team, unfortunately the weather just did not co-operate and they had to call it a season at the end of February. Congratulations to Heather and her team for doing a fantastic job with what was available. Hopefully next year will be less stressful.
One area that has gone very well is our charter and overnight trips – it appears that most of the trips have experienced good conditions. And we hope this streak continues with the remaining trips – currently members are in Quebec City and Banff. Next week is the trip to Killington, and the weekend trip to Tremblant. The season ends with the trip to the Club Med at Charlevoix the last week of March. I am also pleased that we have been able to offer numerous options for our cross-country members on the charter and overnight trips.
Downhill day trips have had ups and downs, with good numbers for almost all days (including strong numbers for Sunday trips to Blue), with the exception of Wednesday trips. Unfortunately, the weather as well will not likely allow us to run all of the trips we had planned. However, we will run trips so long as there remains strong registration.
Last spring we had a very high level of participation in our group Ikon sales program. We are finalizing the details for this year and will be providing all of the information shortly. While passes go on sale this week, please hold off purchasing your pass until we have our group plan set up. Last year, we had enough sales to hold a draw for four of those who purchased their passes to be rebated the cost.
As I have mentioned previously, the annual election will be held on April 30th at the National Yacht Club. As we have done in the past few years, the meeting will be a hybrid meeting. The official notice will go out by the end of the month.
Speaking of the election, some members have asked if I will run for another term as President. I have been President for two full terms (four years). But due to the extraordinary circumstances of the first three years of my time as President, I have decided to run for a further one-year term so that I can remain President through to the end of our 75th Anniversary year.
We’ve had some great trips to member favourites like Mont Tremblant, Sun Peaks, Banff, Holiday Valley and Panorama plus great experiences in Japan, Club Med Peisey Vallandry, Red Mountain, Winter Park and Ottawa. We’ll be heading back to Banff, Sun Peaks and Tremblant again along with SilverStar, Quebec City, Killington and Club Med for skiing at Le Massif before the end of this season.
Your trip leader sends out post-trip surveys to gather your feedback on how you liked the hotel, destination and ways to improve future trips to those destinations. Most importantly, we want your input on trips that you would seriously consider signing up for with HPSC trips in the next couple of seasons.
While we are hoping to run more trips, the reality is that this coming weekend may be our last. It will be sunny and warm, so come celebrate the season in the slush with your ski friends. Saturday we will be at Scenic Caves and will hold our annual wine and cheese in the log cabin before we leave (departure time remains the same, we will just end our ski day a bit early). There are lessons and guided snowshoeing. The Sunday crew (if enough register) will be headed to Hardwood for one last glorious day in the sun.
March can be unpredictable and if we magically get more snow, you know we will be on it and will try to run more trips! But as much as it pains me, the forecast is just not looking favourable at the moment. So get it in while you can!
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