High Park Ski Club Blog – Page 34 – Read about all of the latest news and events from HPSC

2019-12-282019-12-31

Happy New Year!! Book your January ski days now!!

The New Year means the ski season is moving into full swing with four HPSC alpine day trips scheduled each week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday).

Caution – Don’t risk not getting on the daytrips you want. Sign up early and often!

The full January schedule is available for registration, so go in and book all of the daytrips you plan on going on. As we did last year, we are guaranteeing to run at least one bus (except due to extreme weather conditions) for all scheduled trips in January and February. A second bus will only be added if there is strong interest and we have filled the first bus, so it is best to sign up as soon as possible. Our club is growing quickly, which means more sold out buses, so sign up early and sign up often.

Alpine Daytrip highlights in January:

January 11 @ MSLM: Member Appreciation and Double Double Lessons. You can take lessons both morning and afternoon with our own HPSC Ski Instructors, and then stay for a special Pizza après event for HPSC Members only. This is a Member only trip. The bus will depart at 6:15pm allowing for additional time to socialize and get to know your fellow HPSC members.

January 25: Alpine/Nordic Cross-Over Day – Downhill skiers and boarders are encouraged to try out cross-country skiing or snowshoeing with our fellow Nordic HPSC members at Scenic Caves. At the end of the day is the annual Nordic Wine & Cheese event. Nordic skiers are encouraged to cross-over and try downhill or boarding for the day at Mount St. Louis Moonstone. As always, all HPSC members can take free lessons with our own qualified ski school instructors.

January 26@Blue Mountain: National Ski and Snowboard Day and free HPSC Pizza Lunch. Join the HPSC Sunday@Blue Crew to celebrate National Ski and Snowboard Day with one of our special pizza lunch events.

Also open for registration is the special members only day trip to Holiday Valley on February 15. This is the only daytrip we will be running over Family Day weekend. No drive up option is available for this trip.

Don’t delay and risk not getting on the daytrips you want . . . sign up early, and sign up often.

https://hpsc.ca/downhill-trip-registration-page

2019-12-282019-12-31

What is a Walk-On and how do you pay for a trip? New Walk-On Procedure

When there are extra spaces on the bus, members are allowed to show up (usually at 400/7 only) and ‘walk-on’ the bus.

However, there is a cost to this privilege – the club has reinstituted the $10 walk-on fee for all downhill daytrips to encourage members to not wait and to sign up before the regular deadline.

And in response to requests, you can now pay electronically when you walk-on.

Please follow the ‘walk-on’ procedure outlined below:

Check the Downhill Trip Status Page (link below) on the website to see if Walk-Ons will be allowed, and at what stops. If the status is No Walk-Ons it is because the bus has sold out . . . please do not try to be a special walk-on.
Allow all registered members to get on the bus first and find a seat. If you are at 400/7 please wait outside the bus until the Bus Captain indicates the number of available Walk-On seats.
Walk-On spots are on a first come, first service basis. We cannot have more people on the bus than the number of seats. If there are more potential walk-ons than available seats, please discuss amongst the other potential walk-ons and the bus captain a fair and equitable process.
When allowed on the bus, find a seat and store your gear appropriately (no boots in the overhead bin). The bus cannot leave until everyone has a seat and is seated. You can socialize with your friends when the bus gets underway.
The bus captain will make his/her announcements and will also state that the Walk-On module on the website and app is enabled (it will only be available when the bus is on the highway). At this point you can go online on your smart phone to either the Wild Apricot for Members App or to the HPSC website and go to the event for the trip that also says WALK ON in the title. You will be asked to pay for the Walk-On fee, your lift ticket option, and the bus fee (bus vouchers are not allowed for walk-ons). NOTE: You can still pay by cash if you choose.
When the Bus Captain comes around to check you in, please let them know what your lift ticket option is and show them your proof of payment (either from the app or the confirmation email).
Enjoy your day!! And remember to be back on the bus and in your seat at least 5 minutes prior to departure time. (If you are not coming back on the bus, please let the bus captain know at some point during the day.)

https://hpsc.ca/Downhill-Day-Trips-Status

2019-12-282019-12-31

If driving up please register in the separate DRIVE UP module created for each trip!

One of the privileges of being an HPSC Member is the ability to drive up to the resort on your own or with friends and still participate in lessons with our fantastic ski/boarding instructors. This privilege is not extended to any guests on trips. You can drive up together, but only members can participate in the free HPSC lessons. Only members and guests who are on the bus receive the group discount lift ticket.

As outlined in a previous post, if you want to drive up, we require you to register so that the ski school is prepared for the right number of students and have the correct number of instructors available.

Each downhill daytrip has a corresponding and separate Drive Up module. If you want to drive up to the resort you need to register on the SEPARATE Drive Up module and not the regular trip module. If you are being asked about your lift ticket option or bus pick up location, you are in the regular module. Please exit and find the one with Drive Up in the title.

https://hpsc.ca/downhill-trip-registration-page

2019-12-242019-12-31

Welcome New Instructors

The HPSS would like to welcome 4 new ski instructors to our team. We will be featuring each instruction in this and upcoming newsletters. Today we feature Caroline Thompson

2019-12-242019-12-26

Downhill Snow School Continuous Training

Our Downhill and Snowboard Instructors traveled to Tremblant Dec 13-15 for their annual Outdoor training clinic. They spent 2 days training with the Level 4 Instructors from Tremblant to get ready and motivated for teaching this season. Conditions this year were variable with fog, rain and then ice, however great fun and learning was had by all. About 20 keen instructors drove to Tremblant ahead of time to get ready and a few other continued on to Mont-Ste-Anne after for more training! Can’t get enough on snow adventures!!

Your instructors are continuously updating their skills with ongoing training from our Level 4 Sandy Gartner throughout the season.

2019-12-172019-12-30

“Test drive” HPSC XC in January

Skiing with friends at Scenic Caves! Photo cred: Michael Connor

Interested in cross-country skiing or snowshoeing but don’t know where to start? Heard of our club but not sure it’s right for you? Just in time, we’ve got two opportunities for you to try us out!

Cross-country has two “test drive” trips coming up Jan. 5 (Scenic Caves) and Jan. 11 (Horseshoe Valley). For these trips, non-members can register for the website and give our club a try before they commit to becoming a member.

We might be biased, but we think our club is pretty awesome. We have more cross-country day trips than any other club based in the GTA (every Saturday and Sunday). We’ve got five pickup locations throughout the city (High Park, Davenport/Yonge, Eglington/Yonge, York Mills/Yonge, and Hwys 400/7). Our ski school has 22 certified instructors, meaning you can get quality lessons on every day trip. And we’ve got a busload of friendly people to travel and ski with every weekend. What’s not to love?

Guided snowshoeing at Scenic Caves last year. Photo cred: Michael Connor.

Jan. 5 we’re headed to Scenic Caves. This is one of the best ski and snowshoe destinations in Southern Ontario. There’s a variety of ski and snowshoe trails at varying levels of difficulty and beautiful views of Georgian Bay! We also have a lovely log cabin to hang out in when we’re not skiing or snowshoeing. There is guided snowshoeing offered on this trip.

Jan. 11 we’re headed somewhere a bit closer, Horseshoe Valley. Horseshoe has a lovely chalet and an extensive ski and snowshoe system through the Copeland Forest. It has a great teaching area if you’re taking lessons with us. There is guided snowshoeing offered on this trip.

You can choose to mope around for months complaining about the cold, or you can join us and learn to love winter! There’s nothing better than skiing or snowshoeing through quiet forests with all the trees covered in snow. If you try us out, we’re sure you’ll love it too.

To join us Jan. 5 at Scenic Caves, register here. To join us Jan. 11 at Horseshoe Valley, register here. You will pay for the bus ($30), group rate on rentals if necessary (prices vary by resort), and the group rate on the trail pass (prices vary by resort). Indicate if you would like to take lessons, as well as your preferred pick up location. Then show up at a pick up location on the day! (Note: it doesn’t have to be the one you indicated during registration). If the trip is full by the time you register, join the waitlist. There are always cancellations and we may add a second bus if there is enough interest.

Club members practicing on the teaching grid at Horseshoe Valley. Photo cred: Michael Connor.

Please visit hpsc.ca to learn about the club. If you have questions, please see the XC FAQ page. This blog has a lot of great information for new members – like what to expect on a daytrip, what to wear, and lessons, If you still have questions, email crosscountry@hpsc.ca.

We hope to see you out on the trails with us!

2019-12-172019-12-31

Train to be a cross-country ski instructor

Instructor Jean-Emile teaches offset during his Level 2 course at Hardwood. Photo cred: Michael Connor.

Our cross-country ski school is looking for enthusiastic skiers who want to become an instructor. Becoming an instructor involves passing a two-day CANSI Level 1 certification course. Our ski school can help you prepare for the course.

CANSI Level 1 tests skiers on diagonal stride, double poling, freeskate, one-skate, and wedge turns, as well as the ability to teach these techniques. Don’t be intimidated – it’s a Level 1 course, which means you do not have to be an Olympic level skier! You simply need to meet the “standard” and be able to teach the techniques to beginners. Our instructors can evaluate you to see if you meet the standard and what to work on to meet the standard. We can also arrange for you to shadow experienced instructors to get teaching experience. You can pass the course in classic only, or both classic and skate.

There is a Level 1 course scheduled for Southern Ontario on Jan. 18 and 19. If you aren’t ready for that, you can spend the season preparing and do the course the following year (or, when you are ready!).

Become an instructor, and you too can make your students pull each other with ropes. Photo cred: Michael Li.

Becoming an instructor is a wonderful way to pass on your love of skiing to new skiers and members, and there is nothing like teaching others to improve your own ski skills. One of our newer instructors, Yiuyin, says “…when I told the High Park ski school that I would like to improve my skills and be an instructor, the instructors not only helped me improve my sills, but also invited me for different training [events] in Ontario and BC. I finally got my Level 1 certification last season and have enjoyed teaching.”

Heather, our cross-country director, became an instructor in 2018 and says “the process of becoming an instructor really improved my own skiing, especially skate skiing. I had support from the more experienced instructors in the club and I spent a lot of time practicing (especially one-skate!). The course itself was a lot of fun and I enjoy helping beginners become a little more efficient on the trails, which hopefully helps them have more fun.”

We aim to help our members become instructors at minimal personal cost. Certification courses are fully covered over a period of three years (provided you teach with us over those three years). Instructors are reimbursed a certain amount for each lesson, and they get complimentary day trip fees on the trips they teach.

If interested, please contact xcskischool@hpsc.ca and we’ll connect you with our instructor development director.

HPSC’s 2018 Level 1 grad class! Photo cred: Heather Steel

2019-12-162019-12-17

Tremblant 1 – Rain, fog, snow and a great time had by all!

Excellent first overnight downhill bus trip of the season to Tremblant. Instructors and enthusiasts had the opportunity to break the ice of the season on a high note. Rain, fog, snow and a great time had by all! Tremblant – blizzard of activities, always inspiring… Join Tremblant 3 to end the season strong with the best Apres ski and spring riding.