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Rentals & Lessons!

Please note that we will not be offering rentals and lessons just yet. There are a few logistics we need to sort out.

Yesterday was such a great start to the season! It was great to have people out on the trails again. It will be more of the same again today. Conditions will be soft since we got so much snow so quickly. Green, Blue, Yellow, with Second Finger and Back Orange are open. You won’t need to use your rock skis. There is good coverage through the network.

We know there are a couple of tweeks we need to figure out with the contact tracing. Please be patient with us as we work through it. It is a new system for everyone, and we may be to figure out a few things as we go. We have a back up paper copy as an option as well.

Contact Tracing and Active Screening must be done the for everyone coming onto the property the day they will be visiting. You cannot do this the night before. You can complete a form online. We request that you complete this before you show up. Note that cell service may not be good enough to do this onsite. Once the screening and tracing is complete you will receive an email that you will need to show at our health check station before you can head out to ski. Take a screen shot of your contact tracing so it is easy to find once you arrive! If the email you receive has comes back red, it mean you have answered YES to one of the screen questions. In that case you are NOT able to ski at our location that day. If the email you receive comes back green, we will see you on the trails shortly!

During the week you will need to check into our ticket window to show your confirmed email.

Click here to contact trace. This must be completed every day you come skiing!

Our conditions texting update program is back! We update the conditions page every morning, but sometimes things change through the day. With this program updates will come directly to you as a text. No app download required. Your phone number will not be shared. These updates are not to replace checking the conditions page, but to update you on changes through the day. Send you cell phone number to ski@highlandsnordic.ca 

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this winter wonderland! We have received a lot of snow since yesterday, once it get all groomed out it gets flatten into a compact pile. This is the stage we call building the base.

Conditions will be soft since we got so much snow so quickly. Green, Blue, Yellow, with Second Finger and Back Orange are open. You won’t need to use your rock skis. There is good coverage through the network. There is a track in for all the classic skiers out there!

Contact Tracing and Active Screening must be done for everyone coming onto the property. This can be done online. We request that you complete this before you show up. Note that cell service may not be good enough to do this onsite. Once the screening and tracing is complete you will receive an email that you will need to show at our health check station before you can head out to ski. If the email you receive has comes back red, it mean you have answered YES to one of the screen questions. In that case you are NOT able to ski at our location that day. If the email you receive comes back green, we will see you on the trails shortly!

During the week you will need to check into our ticket window to show your confirmed email.

Click here to contact trace. This must be completed every day you come skiing!

Our conditions texting update program is back! We update the conditions page every morning, but sometimes things change through the day. With this program updates will come directly to you as a text. No app download required. Your phone number will not be shared. These updates are not to replace checking the conditions page, but to update you on changes through the day. Send you cell phone number to ski@highlandsnordic.ca 

Right on schedule! We said December 1 was a good day to start the season and here it is. Dont let the webcams fool you it has been snowing like crazy out there. We will get the webcams up and running as soon as possible. Its going to take some time and build up a base, so the trails arent open just yet but we are working on it. Chanse is going to wait until it starts to slow down before he tackles it. He will need to first go on the snowmobile with the roller to push all the air out of the snow before he even thinks about actually grooming it. This will likely take the full day tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Ski Swap Public Notes

Buying & Selling Equipment

  1. You must wear a mask while in the Highlands Nordic building. Please respect this policy. 
  2. There is no cost to put equipment into the ski swap, however 15% of all sales goes to theHighlands Trailblazers Ski Club. All sales are processed through the Highlands Trailblazer Race Society, then cheques are mailed out. 
  3. You will need to book a time slot to enter the ski swap. Each time slot will be for 1 hour. Each person entering the swap needs to book a time slot. There will be a $10 charge to book your time slot, which will act as a credit towards your ski swap purchase. There will be an option to “drop in” on Saturday October 31st, 2020 between 1:45PM to 3:45PM. There is no charge to drop in, although we cannot guarantee when you will be able to enter the swap.
  4. The Ski Swap runs from 10AM to 4PM on Saturday, and on Sunday from 9PM to 2PM. Time slots will be spaced out according. 
  5. We will start receiving equipment on October 19th, 2020 at 9:00am. Equipment must be dropped off by 5:00pm on October 28th, 2020.
  6. Any unsold items not picked up by 5:00pm on Sunday November 8th, 2020 (unless otherwise arranged) will automatically be considered a donation to Highlands Trailblazers.
  7. Please refrain from touching or handling merchandise as much as possible unless you plan on making a purchase. 
  8. Cleaning procedure. There will be a 15 minute window between each time slot to wipe down equipment, washrooms, clean the high contact areas and tidy up equipment to make it easier to find things. 
  9. Due to the high demand of service needs during the ski swap, we are unable to provide binding installs, ski waxing and other in depth ski service “while you wait” during the ski swap. There will be service intake where we can sort out what you need. Any service equipment dropped off during the ski swap will be ready for pick up by Saturday November 7th, 2020.

Tips For Purchasing Kids Equipment

As we are limited to the number of people we are able to allow in the swap. We suggest recreational classic skiers 10 years and under stay home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them set up for season!

Here are some steps that will assist you and our volunteers to get the young skier in your life set up for the winter.

  1. Trace your skiers foot on a piece of cardboard or cardstock. This will allow us to compare their foot to the insole of the ski boot. We suggest going a little bigger to get about 2 years of use. Fill the boot with an extra insole, and put on a good ski sock. Once that gets too tight you can take the extra insole out. 
  2. Measure up to their shoulder in centimetres. This will be for their ski poles. This measurement is a little taller than the typical ski pole sizing. This sizing would typically get about 2 years of use out of the equipment. If you plan on just using the equipment for 1 season measure up to their armpit. New skiers 5 years and under do not need ski poles.
  3. Measure to the top of their head in centimetres. This will be for their skis. Depending on their ability we will choose a ski from head height to 10cm over top of their head. At this age having their weight is not as important. Kids skis are designed to be soft, which means the ski makes more contact with the snow to give them more control. 

How Your Equipment Will Be Prepared – we will assist you

  1. Fill out Ski Swap File. Create a code to represent you, with your initials then combine the code and an individual number for each item. 
  2. Write out tag each item like the attached picture. Make sure to include your code, size (European), description, and price. Repeat the same information twice on the tag. We can give you a suggested price range, however you must be the one to set the final price. Ski Swap attendees will not be able to barter with the price.
  3. Tag each item. Fasten the tag securely to the item. 
  4. Keep equipment together! Use an elastic to keep skis together (tape around skis will have to be cut for ski testing). Use tape to keep poles together. Use string to tie boots together, please make sure string is at least 24 inch’s long so that boots can easily be tried on without cutting.

Sample of Ski Swap Tag

Grade Eight

Grade 8 Programs

Note: Proper footwear, rubber boots or closed toed shoes, is essential for students, teachers and parent volunteers to maximize the learning potential and related enjoyment of these programs.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL PROGRAMS (1 adult for every 5 students).

Cross Country Skiing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Disc Golf

Students will learn how to play on a course set on forest trails on the side of the Niagara Escarpment. This program is well suited for beginners, novice, and advanced skill levels. The program offers access to 6 holes, a driving range, and a putting course for student use.

Snowshoeing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Survival on the Niagara Escarpment

Students will play a role in the food chain as it may occur on the Niagara Escarpment. Our version of the survival game shows the interdependence of all organisms within a local forest community. It examines food chains, food webs, and shows the concept of energy flow within an ecosystem. Students will experience both the struggle all organisms on the escarpment must go through, and the impact humans can have on wildlife populations, food chains, and ecosystems.

Team Dynamics

This program consists of co-operative games that promote leadership, trust, verbal/non-verbal communication, problem solving and team skills.

Wayfaring (Map Work – no compass)

Students will participate in a wayfaring program building on team and map work skills as they venture through three progressively challenging levels of maps. Students will only advance after successful completion of each stage.

General Information

  • All Programs must be reserved in advance and are designed as half-day sessions for a minimum of 15 students per program. Two half-day programs make an exciting full-day program.
  • Program runs rain or shine (unless extreme weather conditions are forecasted).
  • Supervisors are expected to remain with their group throughout the visit (program/lunch) and are responsible for discipline.

Grade Seven

Grade 7 Programs

Note: Proper footwear, rubber boots or closed toed shoes, is essential for students, teachers and parent volunteers to maximize the learning potential and related enjoyment of these programs.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL PROGRAMS (1 adult for every 5 students).

Bus Tour to Walker Aggregates Quarry (Natural Resources)

After an introduction on ‘how humans acquire, manage, and use natural resources’, students will visit a working rock quarry (mining), Walker Aggregates Quarry (3 minutes away). During this tour, students will see firsthand, a mining operation and the ways in ‘which technology has affected our use of natural resources with respect to their management, extraction, processing and marketing’. Your School bus transportation is required to stay with your group for the whole day in order to transport the students to the Quarry. On site, a guide from Walker Aggregates will join us on the bus to give an informed account of the operations and to answer any questions.

Cross Country Skiing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Disc Golf

Students will learn how to play on a course set on forest trails on the side of the Niagara Escarpment. This program is well suited for beginners, novice, and advanced skill levels. The program offers access to 6 holes, a driving range, and a putting course for student use.

Pond and Forest (Interactions in the Environment)

Using a hands-on approach, students will explore a variety of ecosystems, including an active Beaver Pond and a forest floor. Students will study the interactions between living organisms and their environment including links between biotic and abiotic elements. Students will also explore sustainability, limiting factors and human influence.

Wildlife Walk

While on a walk through the woods, concepts such as predator/prey, wildlife adaptations, wildlife populations, and human influence on wildlife are explored through a series of games. This is a fun, active, engaging program. This activity requires fewer adult leaders to be effective.

Snowshoeing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Survival on the Niagara Escarpment (Interactions in the Environment)

Students will play a role in the food chain as it may occur on the Niagara Escarpment. Our version of the survival game shows the interdependence of all organisms within a local forest community. It examines food chains, food webs, and shows the concept of energy flow within an ecosystem. Students will experience both the struggle all organisms on the escarpment must go through, and the impact humans can have on wildlife populations, food chains, and ecosystems.

Team Dynamics

This program consists of co-operative games that promote leadership, trust, verbal/non-verbal communication, problem solving and team skills.

Trappers and Traders (Full Day Program)

This program combines wayfaring (mapping), problem solving, and team work skills while role playing the life of a fur trader during the 1700’s. Students will be required to work together to find “furs” on our wayfaring course, trade their furs for “beaver” money at our fur exchange, then buy items (from the trading post) they will need to survive the winter.

Wayfaring (Map Work – no Compass)

Students will participate in a wayfaring program building on team and map work skills as they venture through three progressively challenging levels of maps. Students will only advance after successful completion of each stage.

General Information

  • All Programs must be reserved in advance and are designed as half-day sessions for a minimum of 15 students per program. Two half-day programs make an exciting full-day program.
  • Program runs rain or shine (unless extreme weather conditions are forecasted).
  • Supervisors are expected to remain with their group throughout the visit (program/lunch) and are responsible for discipline.

Grade Six

Grade 6 Programs

Biodiversity

Students will visit a forest and a beaver pond, to catch a variety of living organisms (microscopic and macroscopic). They will then classify and identify these organisms using a dichotomous key. Animal skulls will be analyzed, focusing on the adaptations of teeth (herbivore, omnivore, carnivore) as will the variations in plant life found in an aquatic habitat. Rubber boots are essential for this program.

Wildlife Walk

While on a walk through the woods, concepts such as predator/prey, wildlife adaptations, wildlife populations, and human influence on wildlife are explored through a series of games. This is a fun, active, engaging program. This activity requires fewer adult leaders to be effective.

Cross Country Skiing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Disc Golf

Students will learn how to play on a course set on forest trails on the side of the Niagara Escarpment. This program is well suited for beginners, novice, and advanced skill levels. The program offers access to 6 holes, a driving range, and a putting course for student use.

Snowshoeing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Survival on the Niagara Escarpment

Students will play a role in the food chain as it may occur on the Niagara Escarpment. Our version of the survival game shows the interdependence of all organisms within a local forest community. It examines food chains, food webs, and shows the concept of energy flow within an ecosystem. Students will experience both the struggle all organisms on the escarpment must go through, and the impact humans can have on wildlife populations, food chains, and ecosystems.

Team Dynamics

This program consists of co-operative games that promote leadership, trust, verbal/non-verbal communication, problem solving, and team skills.

Wayfaring (Map Work)

Students will participate in a map reading program building on skills learned as they venture through three progressively challenging levels of maps. Students will only advance after successful completion of each stage.

General Information

  • All Programs must be reserved in advance and are designed as half-day sessions for a minimum of 15 students per program. Two half-day programs make an exciting full-day program.
  • Program runs rain or shine (unless extreme weather conditions are forecasted).
  • Supervisors are expected to remain with their group throughout the visit (program/lunch) and are responsible for discipline.

Grade Five

Grade 5 Programs

Cross Country Skiing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Snowshoeing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Survival on the Niagara Escarpment

Students will play a role in the food chain as it may occur on the Niagara Escarpment. Our version of the survival game shows the interdependence of all organisms within a local forest community. It examines food chains, food webs, and shows the concept of energy flow within an ecosystem. Students will experience both the struggle all organisms on the escarpment must go through, and the impact humans can have on wildlife populations, food chains, and ecosystems.

Wildlife Walk

While on a walk through the woods, concepts such as predator/prey, wildlife adaptations, wildlife populations, and human influence on wildlife are explored through a series of games. This is a fun, active, engaging program. This activity requires fewer adult leaders to be effective.

Trappers and Traders (Full Day Program)

This program combines wayfaring (mapping), problem solving, and team work skills while role playing the life of a fur trader during the 1700’s. Students will be required to work together to find “furs” on our wayfaring course, trade their furs for “beaver” money at our fur exchange, then buy items from the trading post, that they will need to survive the winter. Which of your students will survive?

Wayfaring (Map Work)

Students will participate in a map reading program building on skills learned as they venture through three progressively challenging levels of maps. Students will only advance after successful completion of each stage.

General Information

  • All Programs must be reserved in advance and are designed as half-day sessions for a minimum of 15 students per program. Two half-day programs make an exciting full-day program.
  • Program runs rain or shine (unless extreme weather conditions are forecasted).
  • Supervisors are expected to remain with their group throughout the visit (program/lunch) and are responsible for discipline.

Grade Four

Grade 4 Programs

Bus Tour to Walker Aggregates Quarry

This is a half day program which complements the Rocks and Minerals program. Students will experience a working quarry while on a bus tour to nearby Walker Aggregates Quarry (3 minute drive away). The tour will end back at Highlands O.E.C. with hands-on samples of quarry product and equipment. Your school bus transportation is required to stay at Highlands in order to transport your class to and around the quarry. The tour guide will board the bus at the Quarry.

Cross Country Skiing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Rocks and Minerals

Students will: investigate, test, and compare the physical properties of rocks and minerals, investigate how rocks and minerals are used and disposed of in everyday life, and describe how igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are formed.

Wildlife Walk

While on a walk through the woods, concepts such as predator/prey, wildlife adaptations, wildlife populations, and human influence on wildlife are explored through a series of games. This is a fun, active, engaging program. This activity requires fewer adult leaders to be effective.

Snowshoeing

Please see Winter Programs for more details. Meets Health and Physical Education curriculum strands. 

Survival on the Niagara Escarpment (Habitats and Communities)

Students will play a role in a food chain as a carnivore, omnivore or herbivore, as it may occur on the Niagara Escarpment. Our version of the survival game shows the interdependence of all organisms within a local forest community. It examines food chains, food webs, and shows the concept of energy flow within an ecosystem. Students will experience both the struggle all organisms on the escarpment must go through, and the impact humans can have on wildlife populations, food chains, and ecosystems.

Wayfaring (Map Work)

Students will participate in a map reading program building on skills learned as they venture through three progressively challenging levels of maps. Students will only advance after successful completion of each stage.

General Information

  • All Programs must be reserved in advance and are designed as half-day sessions for a minimum of 15 students per program. Two half-day programs make an exciting full-day program.
  • Program runs rain or shine (unless extreme weather conditions are forecasted).
  • Supervisors are expected to remain with their group throughout the visit (program/lunch) and are responsible for discipline.