One of the
highlights of the HPSC season is the annual Member Appreciation Day trip to
Mount St. Louis Moonstone on Saturday January 11th. This is also our annual Double Double trip
with lessons in both the morning and afternoon.
This is a fantastic way to get motivated for the rest of the ski
season.
At the end
of the day we will be staying a little later than normal allowing for more
Après time to mix and mingle. This is a
fantastic way for new members to get to know their fellow HPSC members. In addition, there will be free pizza during
the après. The bus will depart at
6:15pm.
#1- If you drive-up, you need to register on-line before the deadline in order to take a lesson !
Before each day trip, your instructors diligently review the numbers of on-line registrations in order to best organize the different STEP classes. .
This is why if you drive-up, and want to take a lesson, you need to register on the HPSC site before the deadline. We want to ensure we arrange enough instructors to allow for manageable class sizes. On some Saturdays we can have between 20 and 40 members driving up, and consequently, we need to add an additional 4 to 8 instructors to ensure a valuable learning experience for all of our members.
With increasing numbers of members both on the bus and driving up, we can only provide instruction if you register before the deadline. If you do not register before the deadline, you will not be counted in during lesson planning, and consequently we may not have enough instructors to provide a safe, fun, and challenging experience for our members. Drive-ups who do not register before the deadline cannot join a class.
Follow the drive-up instructions to join a class!!
#2- Get your own lift tickets!
Since you arrive on your own, you will need to buy your own lift tickets, unless of course, you have a pass. You will not be able to take advantage of the HPSC group rate. Make sure you give yourself enough time to do this and be ready for the lesson line-up!
#3- Cancel if you change your plans.
If you have registered as a drive-up before the deadline and then cannot make it, we ask that you follow the same cancellation procedures as if you were on the bus:
For Saturday, Sunday and Monday trips, email cancellations@hpsc.ca before 8:00pm the previous Wednesday. For Wednesday trips, email cancellations@hpsc.ca before 8:00pm the previous Sunday.
If you are still registered by the deadline, we assume that you are coming and will include you in our planning and will send enough instructors to teach you and all other registered members.
#4- Read the Trip Status Email You Receive Prior to the Day Trip
A day or two before the trip, you will receive a Trip Status email which will include important information such as where and when ski assessment will be, where and when classes will meet. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY!! Times might change depending on the bus arrival, so check with an instructor (green and blue stylish jacket) in the chalet or on the hill.
#5- Limited Number of Drive-up Spots – So Sign up early!
In order to offer safe, fun and challenging classes for all, and to ensure that communications and safety are maintained throughout the process, the number of drive-ups are limited to approximately 1 drive-up spot for every 2 members on the bus . In order words, we will initially limit drive ups to 25 spaces for the first bus. As soon a second bus is added, an additional 25 drive-up spaces will be open. So, sign up early!!
Once again, the bottom line is: If you are driving-up and want to join a class, make sure you register early and before the deadline! If you forget, you can ski on your own or with your friends when others are in class; just make sure you register next time!!
Thank you for following these guidelines which will really help the club volunteers who strive to provide all members with a great day trip experience. See you on the hill!!
This could be you flying down a hill at Arrowhead Provincial Park. Check out our schedule to find when we’re going there! Photo cred: Michael Connor.
The snow is flying in Toronto and up north, and you can now view the full cross-country schedule, with all of our fun programming, on the website.
The early December trips are combo trips with downhill and are open for registration. The Dec. 28 and early January trips will be available for registration the first week of December.
Here are some highlights of our season…
December 28th – our annual New Year’s Eve Celebration with bubbly and snacks after skiing.
Test drives on Jan. 5 & Jan. 11. Get your friends to try out our amazing club! They can register through the website without buying a membership.
Test your skills and have some fun in our race series! We open with our annual Frisbee Biathlon on Jan. 4 at Highlands and end with our new Beginner/Advanced Spring Fling Costume Race on Mar. 8 at Horseshoe Valley.
Crossover Day is Jan. 25! We welcome our downhill friends and celebrate XC skiing and snowshoeing with a scavenger race and wine and cheese.
Explore the backcountry at Kolapore with our experienced guides on Feb. 8.
Have a tasty dinner with your friends after a day of skiing with our dinner trip to Amiche on Feb. 29.
Two trips to a NEW to us resort – Kawartha! Join us Jan. 26 and Mar. 14.
Guided snowshoeing on Dec. 28, Jan. 5, Jan. 11, Jan. 18, Feb. 2, Feb. 8, Feb. 22, Feb. 29, Mar. 7, Mar. 14, and Mar. 21.
Lots of guided snowshoeing this year! Photo cred: Michael Connor.
We’ve talked about equipment; now it’s time to talk
clothing. The right clothing will keep you warm and comfortable whether you’re
cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
Cross-country skiers dress a lot like runners. You create a
lot of heat when you ski, so you actually don’t need a ton of clothing. Do not
dress like an alpine skier! The key is warm, breathable layers of varying
thicknesses that wick away moisture. You can combine these layers depending on
the temperature. Merino wool or synthetics are best; do not wear cotton, as it
will retain moisture and make you cold.
Suggested items for skiers, from head to toe:
Toques. Keep that head warm!
Buffs/neck warmers for cold days (buffs can also
be transformed into hats).
Sunglasses.
Top layers of varying thicknesses (it’s good
have a thin layer, a mid layer, and a heavy layer that you can mix and match as
the temperature dictates).
A jacket that can cut the wind. There are
cross-country specific jackets of varying weights. It’s good to have one light
weight jacket for spring, and a heavier jacket for winter. These are a good
investment!
Pants. Winter running tights or cross-country
specific pants (both will often have wind resistant front panels) will work
just fine. Do not wear jeans! Bulky snow pants will be too warm.
Add long underwear for really cold days. Again,
wool or synthetics.
Wool socks. Thinner socks for warmer days,
thicker socks for colder days. I love my knee-length merino wool ski socks!
Gloves. A thin pair for warm days, thicker pair
for cold days. For really cold days, mitts are more effective.
Sunscreen and lip balm.
Rule of thumb: You should be chilly before you start. If you
are already warm, you will overheat when you are moving.
The principles are the same for snowshoers, but because you
are moving at a less intense pace, you may need thicker layers, a heavier jacket,
and you may want to wear snow pants (or layer with long underwear).
Remember that bodies are different, so it will take some
experimentation to figure out what works for you in different conditions. Just
remember the main principles – technical layers (no cotton!), wind resistant
outer layers, and cover those sensitive extremities (face, ears, hands, toes)
when the mercury really drops!
(The above demonstrates why layers are key…you can ski in -30 in January or +12 in April!)
Have you wanted to learn to ski or snowboard? Or get back into the sport? Or don’t have anyone to go with? Or just don’t want to drive all the way up to the resort yourself. You are who HPSC is made for. Come test us out!!
On December 7th we want to welcome all potential members (and of course members) who would like to find out what an HPSC downhill day is like. This is the first of our two annual Test Drive days which means registration is open to one and all.
In addition
to a discounted group lift ticket, as on all of our daytrips, all who register (including
non-members) can participate in our free lessons by our CSIA qualified ski
instructors.
As the days get colder we skiers and boarders get more and more excited. The daytrips team has been working hard over the summer and fall to plan an interesting season of skiing and boarding for all of our members.
Things kick off on Saturday December 7th with our first Test Drive day of the season to Mount St. Louis Moonstone. Make sure you have a spot on the first ski trip of the year! The Test Drive is open to non-members. Registration is now open.
When we have enough registrants for a second bus, we
will now be using an additional pick up in the Liberty Village area to
accommodate the growing number of members in that part of the city.
The pick-up will be to the west of Lamport Stadium on
Fraser Avenue. This will be the second stop after Queens Quay.
Congrats, you just bought waxless classic skis! But wait. Yes, we need to talk about waxing.
Traditionally, classic skis needed to have two types of wax applied – grip wax and glide wax. Grip wax is applied to a pocket underneath the foot (the size of which is dependent on the skier). When the skier puts their weight on their foot, the wax grips the snow and the skier can push off the ski and glide on the other foot. You need to apply the correct temperature of grip wax for the snow temperature otherwise you will not get good grip. There are a wide array of temperatures that are colour-coded (red and purple are warmer waxes and blue and green are colder waxes – and there are a bunch of variations within). Hardwood and Highlands conditions page will tell you what they think the “wax of the day” is. There could be more than one as conditions change through the day.
Hot waxing skis….requires equipment and well ventilated space. Do not attempt in your city apartment!
The other part of the equation – glide wax – is applied above and below the grip wax zone (the “tips and tails” of the ski). This wax helps you to glide faster. There are different types of glide wax. The more traditional one comes in hard blocks of wax that are melted onto the ski, ironed in, and then the excess is scraped off. Racer will use this method as it is considered the most effective. Like grip wax, racers will glide wax every time according to the conditions of the day. Glide wax also comes in a variety of temperatures from warm to cold to match the snow temperature.
However, we are not racers and we don’t need to make it so complicated! Plus, we don’t all have the facilities to “hot wax”. Read on fellow recreational skiers for some glide wax guidance.
If you have waxless skis, you do not need grip wax. You achieve grip on the snow with a scale pattern etched in the base of the skis or, a more recent innovation, skins (a strip of mohair/nylon that is applied to the grip zone). This is where the term ‘waxless’ comes from – because there is no grip wax used.
BUT, you still should use glide wax to achieve a good glide.
You can hot wax your skis yourself if you have the right space and want to invest in all wax tools (or you can use the wax hut at the resort and waste…ahem, spend…ski time waxing). Then you can fine tune your skis to the conditions of the day. Or, if the resorts offer waxing services you can ask them to do it (but then you won’t have your skis for a while). Also remember that whatever wax they put on will be good for the conditions of that day – and that may not work the next time you go out.
An example of liquid glide wax. Cheap and easy route and the quality of them has improved immensely.
The other option is liquid glide waxes. These come in a broad temperature ranges (so you won’t have to own so many bottles). You apply these every time you go out to ski. It’s very easy – you dab the liquid on the ski and spread it around. Then let it dry. Then buff it in with a nylon brush. And off you go. Liquid waxes are very good these days. Swix and Vauhti are the most common glide waxes.
I will often get my skis hot waxed at Highlands a couple times/season (to help keep my bases healthy), but I use liquid glide wax every time I go out.
Waxless skis have taken much of the waxing mystery out of skiing. Is it a blue day? Violet? Red? I don’t know! If you don’t want to deal with grip wax in the highly changeable conditions we find ourselves in Southern Ontario (and really, who does?), waxless skis are a great option. But use glide wax on the tips and tails and you might find yourself gliding along a bit faster.
We’ve got one more cross-country ski swap for you, Nov. 9-10 at Velotique in Toronto. Check it out if you need new ski gear, or want to sell your old gear.
