High Park Snow School is the team of our instructors , many of whom have professional certification from both CSIA and CSCF. As part of the Snow School, all instructors must attend mandatory technical training sessions, both on and off the hill, managed by our Technical Director Sandy Gardner. Sandy has spent his life dedicated to skiing, teaching and the industry. He is a CSIA Level 4 & CSIA Level 4 Course Conductor. Every year Snow School goes to Tremblant in December for the instructors training and as part of the tradition the picture is taken. Here is the latest picture from W1 Tremblant 1 2019 trip. Picture is organized and by Peter Simmerle and Don Williams. Snow School executives are in the front row, led by Snow School Directors Christine Bellerose and David Manning. After training in Tremblant HPSC is ready to serve in 2020 to help our members to have safe, fun lessons on the snow and to improve the skills continuously.
This season we mark the 70th Anniversary of our club, we look back on the remarkable achievements our club volunteers have made throughout our history. We recommitted ourselves to our shared values, and we celebrated the diversity that makes us strong. Thousands of people – of different background, origin and culture – have come together to enjoy winter snow sports in a fun, friendly and supportive community through seventy years of our history. All of us have bright memories about the club that will make us say: Those were the days, my friends…
In 2019, we made real progress toward our goals to grow our club, to attract new generations of members. Our Board of Directors and many volunteers took actions to improve our activities and processes to build a better future for our club. We’ve added few overnight trips based on the demand of our members that we coordinate via wait lists. Apres 70th Anniversary season Tremblant 3 second bus in now a go! Register! We’ve planned Apres Season Snow Ball and have invited outstanding hosts for the event and Awards Ceremony. It would be a fun celebration not to be missed!
Let’s continue to celebrate the values that unite us – openness, inclusion, commitment to the active & healthy life style, winter sports and travelling. Let’s move forward and work together to build a better future for all of us. Volunteer, participate and have fun! In January we will have two members appreciation days: Downhill Day trip Double double (lessons in the morning and in the afternoon) with pizza for Apres Ski and Cross over day trip organized by Cross Country team with Apres Wine & cheese party. Both trips traditionally have 2 buses with more pick ups. Looking forward to see you there!
On behalf of the Board Of Directors and the Jasper Trip group I wish you a wonderful New Years night and all the best in 2020. Let’s raise our champagne glasses: Shine and sparkle High Park Ski Club! Let it snow! Let it be champagne powder on all our trips!
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.
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.)
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.
Based on a high interest we’ve added second bus for Tremblant 3 trip (March 27-29). Registration is now open, as you know the trip will sell fast. It’s a great trip for new members, new to sport, snowboarders, snowshoers and hikers, and just as a social trip. Great value, mega party! Apres ski in the mild spring conditions in Tremblant is the best! We’ll have a retro party on the bus to celebrate 7 decades of our club’s history and we’ll will dance in Le P’tit Caribou, considered one of the best après-ski bars in the world. Let’s plan to finish 70th Anniversary season spectacular strong! https://hpsc.ca/event-3507219
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
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.
Fresh from the press… Sharon Stokes and Jason Agnew are officially set as stellar hosts for the Apres Season 70th Anniversary Snow Ball and HPSC Oscar & Snow Globe Volunteers Awards ceremony on April 25 2020. Sharon is producer at ET Canada & Life fulfillment coach, Jason is Television & Radio Host / Producer / Writer. Watch for more details about the event and tickets info in the future Snobiz newsletter and blog posts. It will the event spectacular! There will be trivia, presentations and prizes from our partners Skiis & Biikes. https://hpsc.ca/event-3489974
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.
