Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe day trips - Schedule and registration
WINTER IS HERE! LET'S GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF NATURE IN THE WINTER!
Here is our full schedule and the resort prices for the 24/25 season.
(Note: The schedule can change in response to weather conditions. We always try to find the best snow so High Park Ski Club members can have a great day outdoors!)
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DAY TRIPS:
- XC lessons are available all season long and are a great way to learn to ski!
- We can only offer lessons to members who travel with the club on the bus. We are not able to offer lessons for anyone driving up to the resort (this helps us ensure optimal class sizes).
- Members can participate in as many XC ski lessons and guided snowshoeing trips as they want! Find out more information about membership here.
- See more info below.
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Schedule
Our full schedule is available. Once the registration modules are created, they will appear in the calendar below (or you can set it to list view). For newer members, the schedule is subject to change due to weather & trail conditions. This often happens, so we recommend always checking the the calendar below for the most current trips & locations rather than printing off the schedule!
Registration Overview
Registration opens on Monday mornings at 8am for trips the following weekend (approximately 2 weeks away). In the first part of the season, here has been a lot of demand for our trips and they are filling up fast. If you do not get a spot, join the waitlist. When the waitlist gets long enough, we will add a second bus (if the resort can accommodate it).
Deadline to sign up for a trip is 6:00 pm on the Wednesday before each trip. Sometimes it will stay open later if we know we are running the trip, but the bus isn't full.
Deadline to cancel a trip is 8pm on the Tuesday before the trip. You must email cancellations@hpsc.ca by the Tuesday at 8pm prior to the trip if you want a full refund. Do not respond to the confirmation email you receive from that account. See our cancellation policies and procedures for more information.
Registration Modules: As trip modules are created, they will appear in the calendar below (which you can change to list view if you wish). The date and time the trips open for registration is on the module trip descriptions.The registration button will only appear once the trip is open for registration. If you don't see it, either the trip is not yet open, the registration deadline has passed, or the trip is full. Anything out of the ordinary will be noted on the trip description.
Wait lists: Once a trip is full, we will enable the wait list. Many members get on trips through the wait list as there are always cancellations or there may be enough interest to send a second bus. Click "join wait list" and you will register just like you would normally (choosing your trail pass, lesson, rental, bus options), but you won't pay. Once you are moved onto the trip from the wait list, you will automatically be sent an email instructing you to pay. You have 24 hours to pay from the time you are sent the email OR until Wednesday morning, whichever comes first (i.e., if you are added to the trip Tuesday evening, you have to pay quickly!). On Wednesday morning, we will clear the waitlist AND any unpaid registrations. Therefore, there could be a couple empty seats up for grabs on Wednesday - if you want to ski, check! Registration closes at 6pm.
Managing the waitlist is a job handled manually by an HPSC volunteer. We feel that this procedure balances fairness to members while reducing the amount of work that our volunteers must do. If you are on the waitlist or receive a notice to pay, but no longer wish to attend, please email cancellations@hpsc.ca so we can promptly remove you and move through the waitlist more quickly to get people skiing.
Walk-ons: If you miss the deadline and there are still spots available on the bus, we may allow "walk-ons." Members can get on the bus without registering and we invoice you after. There is a $10 fee unless otherwise indicated. Check the day trip status page to see if walk-ons are allowed, at what stops, if there is a walk on fee, and any other details about it (you need to be logged in). The status page is updated by Friday at 12pm.
"Bring a friend" trips (i.e., guests/non-members): Guests (non-members who have never been a member of the club before) are allowed on limited trips so new people can try out the club. Guests may only come on ONE trip per season. If allowed, guests can only be signed up on the last day of registration by a member and a $25 guest fee must be paid in addition to the other fees. The member who signs up a guest is responsible for them on the trip (the member must be on the trip). Guests must be 21 years of age. Guests are only allowed on the bus (no drive ups), must be registered in advance (no walk-ons) and MUST sign the waiver. Your guest must print the waiver, sign it, and bring is on the bus. NO EXCEPTIONS. To register a guest, first complete your own registration. Then after Wednesday at 12:01 AM, open the event again and click the Register button. On the next screen, click New Registration. Enter your email if the field isn't already filled in then click Next. Select registration options for your Guest and ensure to include the full name of your guest in the available text field. You pay the cost of the trip and they pay you back.
We offer fewer opportunities bring guests than downhill because we cannot always put two buses on trips and our members must be prioritized for seats on the bus. Thank you for your understanding - if your friends want to ski, encourage them to join the club!
Registration Instructions
- Sign in to your account.
- Find the trip you want in the calendar below. (You can also switch to list view - see the top right hand corner). There are two modules for every trip - one for bus participants and one for drive ups who wish to take lessons. Choose the one applicable to you.
- Read the trip description! Make sure you are ok with the trip as laid out before you register.
- Click "Register". The register button will only appear once the trip is open for registration. If you don't see it, either the trip is not yet open, the trip is full, or it is past the registration deadline.
- Register for the trip. Bus participants will pay for the bus, trail pass, and rentals (if needed) using your credit card, and answer questions about your pick-up location and lessons. Drive up participants will only sign up for lessons. You must pay for your own trail pass and rentals at the resort.
- You will receive an email confirmation with your registration. This email is for informational purposes only. DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL - no one will receive it.
Note: if you don't log in first, find the trip you want below, click register, and then you will have to provide the email you used when you registered for the club (if you use another one, you will not be able to successfully register). Then you may proceed with registration.
Click here for a PDF step-by-step guide with screenshots of the registration process.
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What are "marginal" conditions? This generally means less than ideal skiing conditions - for example, a thin bumpy snow base, bare patches to avoid, or icy conditions. For beginner skiers, these can be challenging conditions. These conditions are common at the start and end of the ski season as the snow builds up or starts to disappear and there are big differences between night and day temperatures, which affects the snow (i.e., low overnight temps will create icy conditions, especially if the day time temps reach above zero, and there can be slushy conditions if temps are high). However, with rising average winter temperatures due to climate change, meaning more warm spells and rain events during the height of ski season, these conditions can happen during the entire season. Some skiers don't like these conditions; others love to get out on the trails no matter what. To figure it out for yourself, you will need to experiment on trips. Then know our policies, and make your decisions accordingly. While we do our best, it can be very difficult to predict conditions on a given day and this is only getting more difficult. There are still going to be winters with lots of snow in the ski areas, but variability is going to be common.