Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Are we allowed to snowshoe on the trails?
Q:
Where do you eat lunch?
Q:
Are there washroom facilities?
Q:
Can we leave extra clothing or food on the bus?
Q:
How far do you ski in a day?
Q. Can I ski a half day?
Q.
What does it mean when you're skiing a cross-over?
Q:
What type of skis do I need?
Q:
What are gaiters and why do you need them?
Q:
How many people do you ski
with?
Q:
Are the ski trails marked?
Q:
Why do I need to carry all this equipment found in the
Backpack List?
Q:
Are we allowed to bring dogs on the trail?
Q:
How do you travel to
the trails?
Q:
I don't live in the Toronto area but up north. Can I ski with you?
Q:
Are we allowed to snowshoe on the trails?
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A.
No snowshoeing is allowed on the trails. The trails are meant for skiing
only. Snowshoeing would compromise the safety of our skiers. Because our trails are ungroomed, snowshoes will leave large
and/or uneven
depressions in the
ground, or if there are many snowshoers and/or not a lot of snow depth, the
trail quickly becomes flattened. This results in making it very
difficult to ski as it is difficult to grip the snow to
go up hills, and flattened areas become
tobogganing runs. Both are very dangerous conditions for skiers as our
trails are narrow and winding.
In addition, the new snowshoe
models with claws would destroy the natural base of our ski trails much more
quickly and exposing the rocks and natural vegetation in the area,
shortening the use of our trails for skiing.
Q:
Where do you eat lunch?
Back to Top
A. We eat
lunch on the trails. There are no cabins or shelters, just the great
outdoors with a scenic view.
Q:
Are there washroom facilities?
Back to Top
A. No, just
the great outdoors. There is a washroom on our luxury coach.
Q:
Can we leave extra clothing or food on the bus?
Back to Top
A. Yes, and
we encourage you to do so. Since the ride home is a couple of hours
away, it's nice to wear some dry clothes to avoid getting chilled -- your
neighbours will appreciate it too. After skiing all day, your body is
still working and you're likely not hydrated enough, so having extra food
and beverage on the bus is advisable. Your body will thank you.
Q. How far do you ski in a
day?
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A. This is a
difficult question to answer because it really depends on the snow
conditions, the area where you ski and the level and/or group's preference.
You may only ski 10 km.or will ski 40 km. One week you may have two
feet of snow so breaking trail is slow; you may be skiing in a very rugged
area or skiing on marshes and lakes, or your group may just be enjoying the
scenary while the jackrabbits are trying to cover every inch of territory
they can.
Q. Can I ski a
half day?
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A. Often, we
will have the bus waiting at a certain location and time, or the bus will
run down the highway to pick up anyone who is skiing a half day. If
you would like to make this request, phone the bus reservation line so the
trail organizer knows beforehand to make sure that this request can be met.
Q. What
does it mean when you're skiing a "cross-over"?
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A. This term
refers when we ski from our western part of our trails just east of Highway
69 to the western side of our trails to the Nine Mile Lake Marina.
This is a long trip which is suitable only for fit and qualified skiers.
It is undertaken if snow and weather conditions are right. You will
hear this option on the answering machine and you may choose this option
(subject to ski organizer's approval) or you can choose the regular ski
route.
Q:
What type of skis do I need?
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A. Touring
skis. It all depends on the height, weight (including pack) of a
skier and the type of ski but as a guideline, someone 5'4" who weighs 140
lbs. (without a pack) may have a ski that's between 180-190 cm. A
skier who is 6'0" and weighs 200 lbs., may have a ski that's between 195-210
cm. Most touring skis are around 60-65 mm at their widest point which
will still fit into groomed trackset trails. More info at:
Boots, Bindings
and Skis.
Skating
skis are not suitable for our trails because of the lack of floatation and
the instability of the skis on our trails.
| A.
Gaiters are coverings that are worn over your boots to keep the snow
out. Because our trails can be quite deep, it's very easy that
snow will fall into your boots. Some gaiters are also waterproof
and will give a little extra warmth to your feet.
|
 |
Q:
How many people do you ski with?
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A. You ski
in groups with about 6-8 skiers of similar abilities. Each group is
dropped off somewhere along a route of a trail. With groups being
dropped off at different locations, trailbreaking is broken up, so by at
least lunchtime, you will then be on broken trail. It's possible that
you may not see another group until the very end of the day when you are
picked up by the bus which could be a different area from where you have
started, so you may not have skied over the same area twice.
Q:
Are the ski trails marked?
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A. The
trails are marked with yellow markers to help guide you through, with double
markers at turns and triple markers for junctions. There are very few
signposts (just a name of a trail on a few junctions). They do not
indicate which way is the way out. It is very easy
to get turned around on our trails as we have many different loops and
connecting trails which is why we rely on our volunteer tour leaders and
compasses. We stress that the group you're skiing with stays close
together as it's quite easy to get lost by following another group's track when your
group has gone the other way.
Q:
Why do I need to carry all this equipment found in the
Backpack List?
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A. Because
we are in the backcountry and help may not be able to get to us in a timely
fashion, if there is an injury, an accident, an equipment breakdown or just
being lost somewhere, you have to be prepared to spend the night out in the
bush. Our trails are not suitable for snowmobiles to come in, and the
only way in may be by foot or helicopter if a rescue is needed. It's
amazing, but each week it seems that someone either breaks a pole, a binding
or a ski and repairs are made in the field.
Q:
Are we allowed to bring dogs on the trail?
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A. No.
Q:
How do you travel to the ski trails?
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A. We
travel by luxury coach with our first stop in downtown Toronto and a number
of pick-ups along the way including a stop at Highway 9/400 if a skier calls in.
More info is at:
Transportation to Our Trails.
Q:
I don't live in the Toronto area but up north. Can I ski with you?
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A. Yes, you
can. Please call the bus reservation line with your particulars and
one of the ski organizers will get back to you. Arrangements can be
made to pick you up
near the trails by the bus.
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