Cypress (Coaching Day)
Cypress Nordic
Cypress and The Skiers have teamed-up to provide group coaching sessions for our beginners and intermediates, and to provide tips to the proficient. Here's the best part - these morning coaching sessions are free and this year the lessons are being split: Saturday Dec 10 for classic technique, Sunday Dec 11 for skate technique.
Plus, Vancouver Skier "Ski-Buddies" will be on-hand to help you ply your new skills and navigate the Cypress trails. Bring friend or family, with a modest time and cost commitment, you can introduce your favourite winter sport, your ski club and the gear in a fun and supportive way. We suggest you get parked by 8:00am, handle any rentals, hit the loo, hook-up with friends, and connect with the co-ordinators for your trail pass and session directions. Want to try snow shoeing - Cypress has the trails and the equipment. Or, just ski the trails with friends. Get 20% off the Cypress full day, adult, Trail Ticket and pay only $16.00 per person. Senior are $10.00 and Youth are $11.00.
Please email Brian O'Dwyer with name(s), the appropriate ski coaching level(s) or, whether you prefer to snowshoe or ski.
Did you volunteer to be a Ski-Buddy or Informal Ski Coach? Join a session and see how the experts coach first time skiers. If you require ski gear you can rent it at Cypress Nordic . Cypress will give us a club discount on rentals. For lunch we have the "club room" at the Hollyburn Lodge" reserved. Free hot chocolate for Vancouver Skiers and friends. For lunch the Lodge offers either chili or soup, bread, cookie, hot drink, or a hot dog, fries, cookie, hot drink/pop. Each plate is offered at a discounted $10.-
Silver Star / Sovereign Lake
Sovereign Lake
Silver Star
This year we've had to split our group into 2 groups. Most skiers (approximately 75%) will be staying at the Creekside Condos, located near the Silver Star Village. Our self-contained suites accommodate 4-5 persons comfortably with a combination of bunks and queen size beds. Each kitchen is equipped with stove, fridge and dishwasher. Bring your swimsuit if you wish to take an apres-ski soak in the hot-tub. The remaining 25% will stay at the Lord Aberdeen. All rooms have 2 bedrooms for 4 Skiers (one bedroom has bunks only), full kitchens and access to a hot tub.
Note that only local telephone calls are free from the suites. If you use your phone card, there will be a charge.
At the end of your ski day, take in some of the shops, bars, restaurants and cafes that Silver Star village has to offer. Activities at Silver Star include downhill and cross-country skiing, snow-boarding, ice-skating, snow-shoeing and horse-drawn sleigh rides. If your ski technique is a little rusty, brush up with a lesson with one of the ski Instructors at Sovereign Lake or Silver Star. Those who wish to ski at Sovereign Lake will be shuttled by our own bus. You can purchase a dual area day pass. This entitles you to a chairlift ride to the top and subsequently enjoy a long ski down Lars Taylor Way. We will be reprising the popular potluck dinner on the first night so please bring something edible to share with the group.
Callaghan Valley
Whistler Olympic Park
Callaghan Country
The partnership between WOP and Callaghan Country offer almost 100 km of trails in the Callaghan Valley. The day lodge offers snacks and hot and cold drinks as well as lessons and rental equipment. Our day trips offer Skiers a 20% discount on trail tickets, reduced rates for group lessons (any group of 8 members will obtain a 20% ($16) discount for instruction and 20% ($16) for rentals). This group of 8 must be either skate or classic technique but can be any mix of ability levels.
Sun Peaks / Stake Lake (Kamloops)
Stake Lake
Sun Peaks
This trip offers 2 significant changes: we're staying on the mountain at the Heffley Inn and we're leaving Friday morning. On Friday we'll ski a half day at either Stake Lake or Sun Peaks, Saturday we'll ski Sun Peaks and on Sunday we'll ski Stake Lake before returning to Vancouver. If you've always wanted to soak up the village atmosphere this is the trip for you. Both ski locations have a day lodge where you can eat your lunch and warm up. Our rooms at the Heffley Inn are equipped with 2 queen beds and a full kitchen. Other amenities can be found here:
Heffley Inn
Larch Hills (Salmon Arm)
Larch Hills
We time this trip to coincide with the Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet in which many of our memberslike to participate.
We stay at the Holiday Inn Express (250-832-7711), which is across the road from "Party Headquarters" at the
community centre. Each room contains two queen-size beds. A complimentary buffet breakfast is available to
guests in the downstairs breakfast room. On Saturday night, a wonderful dinner & dance is held at the
community center to celebrate the completion of the loppet. Everyone is invited to attend this fun-filled evening.
The cost for this evening is about $16 and your tickets must be bought in advance. There are plenty of
restaurants within walking distance or a short taxi ride from our hotel for those who do not want to go to the
dinner/dance. Our bus will transport all skiers to Larch Hills which is about a 20-30 minute drive from our hotel.
Loppeteers will leave for the ski hill on the first shuttle bus. Non-loppeteers will take the later shuttle and arrive in
time to catch the start of the race. You will be able to use any of the trails that are not part of the loppet.
Later, you can cheer on some of our club members as they stride or...crawl across the finish line!
On Sunday we return to ski at Larch Hills.
McCulloch Lake / Telemark (Kelowna)
McCulloch
Telemark
This year we will be staying at the Kelowna Motor Inn (250-762-2533). Each room will have the standard 2 queen beds
to suit 2-4 persons. The Inn features an indoor pool, hot tub and steam room. Several eating establishments are within
walking distance. On Saturday, we will ski at McCulloch Lake where there are 67 kilometers of trails groomed for classic
and skate skiing. There are two day cabins in which to eat lunch, warm up and mingle with the locals. If you are lucky
you may catch sight of a lynx or bobcat or perhaps an owl.
McCulloch is also a snowshoers dream. It offers 66 kilometers of trails. If that is not enough you can always cross the
road and snowshoe on the Trans Canada Trail or explore the lake itself.
On Sunday we go to the Telemark cross-country ski area, which has 50 kilometres of trails groomed for classic and skating.
Telemark also offers 25km of snowshoe trails
At the lodge you can buy light refreshment, snacks and they usually have the barbie going for a hot lunch.
100 Mile House / Cariboo Marathon
100 Mile Nordics
As in years past, we will be lodging at the Hills Health Ranch. The Hills Health Ranch is located near 108 Mile House in the midst of 80 km of groomed classic and skating trails. Our accommodations are cabins with 3 bedrooms (1 queen, 1 double and one with 2 single beds), a fully stocked kitchen and a full bathroom. Hotel style rooms with 2 beds but no kitchen are also available for 2 (each in their own bed). Prices are $200 for 4 skiers sharing a cabin, $180 for 5 sharing a cabin or $200 or 2 sharing a room.
The Hills Health Ranch has two restaurants, an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and a fitness centre. If you want to be pampered, Spa treatments are available.
We'll depart Friday am and arrive at the Ranch in time for an afternoon ski. On Saturday you may ski the many trails at the Hills Ranch, or test your stamina and endurance by entering the Cariboo Marathon at the 99 Mile trail system (distances of 10, 20, 30 & 50 km). Keep in mind that the Marathon is classic skiing only. On Sunday we will return to the 99 Mile trail system for a morning of classic or skate skiing.
Manning Park Chalet
Manning Park
We stay at a chalet in the centre of the Park (250-840-8822). The chalet accommodates 14 people with a variety of
sleeping arrangements and contains a full kitchen and living room. There is a large whirlpool nearby and the main lodge
has a restaurant and nice pub. We will have a potluck dinner on the Saturday evening. There is a small downhill area
which our members can also take advantage of to try their telemark technique.
Be aware that we travel to Manning by car-pool.
Mary Tainsh would be interested in leading on the Saturdays, easy back country trips. Possible destinations would be Monument 78, 83, Poland Lake , Cascade Lookout providing that the snow conditions are suitable (dry, no icy crust). Mary may have some extra short skins available that can be attached to x-country wax-able skis. Some one must have vehicle to drive the few kilometers to the Mt. 83 or 78 parking lot just east of the Manning Park Lodge. Early start.
China Ridge (Princeton)
China Ridge
Back on the schedule for this season in a day at China Ridge (Princeton). This is a weekend trip where we will ski at Manning Park the first day then stay the night in Princeton and enjoy China Ridge on Sunday. At Manning Park, the ambitious skiers can disembark from the bus at the lodge where we stop to purchase the daypasses. Snowshoers may also wish to start their adventure here as it is the starting point for some of the trails. The bus will carry on to the Lightning Lake parking lot. Included in your daypass is a ride on the T-bar up to the restaurant at the downhill area.
Canmore (Alberta)
Kananaskis Trails
Lake Louise Area Trails
Revelstoke Nordics
Golden Nordic Club
We'll board the Bus early Monday morning bound for Revelstoke. Along the way we stop at
Stake Lake to ski for a few hours. Tuesday we spend most of the day at the Mount MacPherson ski trails, home of the Revelstoke Nordics. We'll depart in the afternoon for Canmore.
The next 3 days we will enjoy the various trail systems that the Kananaskis has to offer.
Depending on the snow and road conditions, we may ski at the Canmore Nordic Centre, Peter Lougheed Park, Mount Shark, or the Lake Louise trais. Of course we will visit Banff and make a stop at the Banff hotspring. On Saturday we leave Canmore bound for Revelstoke. This time we will stop and ski for most of the day on Dawn Mountain, home of the nordic area. There is a day lodge, 25 km of groomed ski trails as well as 25 km of snowshow trails Golden Nordic Club. On Sunday we will head home.
Apex / Nickel Plate (Penticton)
Nickel Plate
This year our accommodation will be in the village at the Apex Inn. All rooms will have 2 queen beds, mini fridge, microwave and coffee maker. If you want someone else do the cooking, the village has 4 eating establishments. The village also has a small grocery store. Downhill skiers will be able to ski in / out from the Inn. It is a 7 km bus ride to the nordic area. There is a day lodge, 25 km of groomed ski trails as well as 25 km of snowshow trails