Kolapore X-Country Ski Family Day Weekend - Fri, Feb 18 2011, Sat, Feb 19 2011, Sun, Feb 20 2011, Mon, Feb 21 2011

Kolapore X-Country Ski Family Day Weekend (2/18/2011)

PRE-REGISTRATION & ADVANCE PAYMENT REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.After you sign up at the bottom, you will be presented with information about how to pay. Late payments are NOT accepted for this event, in any circumstance.

You are STRONGLY encouraged to read this page in its entirety before signing up. If you'd like to attend, we ask that you abide by our rules and procedures as a time/cost saving process (with an end result of keeping membership free and lower cost events).

The Basics:
STATUS: Cancelled - Hide from Calendar
Event Type:Ski
Event Location: near Thornbury
Date(s) & Time:Fri, Feb 18 2011, Sat, Feb 19 2011, Sun, Feb 20 2011, Mon, Feb 21 2011  5:00 PM  (Carpool Departure: 5:00 PM   *log in for location*)
Registration Cut Off: Sun, Feb 13 2011 5:00:00 PM
Event Duration:3 overnights
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Event Coordinator(s): Linda D
You must be logged in to get the Event Coordinator contact information.
Member Cost:$154.50/Person (See Detailed Cost Info Below)

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, All Ages Welcome
Maximum Group Size:7
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:
Come spend the Family Day weekend cross-country skiing the Kolapore Forest Ski Trails while enjoying the creature comforts of a spacious house. We will have good exercise, good food and, hopefully, good fun. Children are welcome as long as they can ski or will be cared for by a parent while others are skiing.

We will leave on Friday evening at 5:00 (or earlier if that works for everybody) from either Downsview or Kipling, depending on the best access for the majority of the participants. We will drive to Kolapore in Grey County, hopefully arriving by 8:00 (at non rush hour times, it is a 2 hour drive) to enjoy a dinner that will be partially prepared before our arrival.

We will spend 2 full days skiing or enjoying other outdoor activities and leave late Monday afternoon. If there is unanimous agreement, we can plan an additional meal and leave after an early dinner.

Accommodation
Your home for the weekend: an ecology designed private residence in the Kolapore Forest, built of strawbale, heated with wood and partly powered by solar electricity. The house is situated in the middle of the Kolapore Ski Trail system and is connected to it via a short, informal trail.

There are two guest bedrooms and a large room on the second level which can accommodate a number of people on beds and additional matresses. There is a lovely stone fire place and a well equipped kitchen. The house has two bathrooms, both with shower facilties and compost toilets. No, you don't have to go outside.

Bedding will be provided, but you may wish to bring a sleeping bag, particularly if you tend to be cold. Please bring your own towels and toilet articles.

NOTE: Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the property.

Skiing
If you have skied from the UTOC cabin, you have skied the Kolapore Ski Trails and know the joys. If not, here are a few things you should know.

  • classic skiing only, as the trails are too narrow for skate skiing
  • the trails are not track set; if there has been a recent snowfall, we could be breaking trail
  • corners can be tight and the trails are not always smooth
  • we will cross a couple of narrow bridges and potential wet spots
  • 50+km of trails, with options for a variety of skill levels but only a few beginner trails which are not directly accessible from the house but are within a 4 km drive from the house
  • in general, skiing can be more challenging than at a ski resort but more rewarding
  • if the Kolapore trails are not in good shape, we can drive to Highlands Nordic or Scenic Caves where we would have to pay for trail passes

    Snow Shoeing
    The team of dedicated volunteers that maintain the trails don’t want us to snow shoe on the trails; nor do I, as it makes skiing much more difficult. However, we are staying on 9 acres property and can snow shoe there if we do not damage the vegetation. Note that there are no established trails.

    Other Activities

  • We can go to Metcalfe rock and poke around the caves, if we are prepared to get really dirty.
  • We could also try to build a quinzhee, but I am sleeping in the house.
  • There are binoculars in the house as well as bird and animal track identification books.
  • I will try to remember to bring my telescope lenses so we can view the stars if we have a clear night.
  • Bring your own book to read by the fire or use one from the vast collection in the house.
  • Board games, if we bring them.
  • There is a VCR and a DVD player and a few environmentally minded films. I plan to bring along a yoga or pilates tape for some post ski stretching.
  • Salsa dancing has even occurred in the past

    Food

  • Meals will be communal with the food costs and work effort shared equally. Given that breakfast and some other foods are included, the food costs are expected to be reasonable.
  • Volunteers, (i.e one of us for each dinner or lunch) will be responsible to plan, shop and lead the preparation.
  • Basic breakfast foods (oatmeal and either pancakes with real maple syrup or muffins and eggs; tea, coffee, hot chocolate, peanut butter, jam) are provided but we will prepare breakfast. If the will of the group is to supplement with bacon, sausages, yogurt, etc. we will add that to the lunch and dinner food purchases.
  • There is a full kitchen, other than microwave and dishwasher - so be prepared to take your turn at the sink!
  • pantry basics are provided, e.g. butter, margarine, oils, spices, condiments, pasta, beans, lentils, rice, onions and a variety of baking ingredients to make cakes, cookies, bread. I am definitely looking forward to baking and making soup.
  • As I try to stick to a vegetarian diet, there will be non-meat options and we will accommodate other dietary restrictions such as vegan, dairy-free, gluten free, etc. but there are no facilities to do Kosher food. We can work out a menu once we know all the food limitations.
  • I am offering to lead the preparation of a Saturday night turkey dinner
  • Water: the house is on a well and the water supply is unlimited. (This is the area from which President’s Choice gets the water it bottles and sells.)
  • You may bring alcoholic beverages but please drink responsibly. This is not part of the shared costs.

    • Required Items to Bring:
  • skis, poles, boots (if you don’t own them, you can rent at Mountain Equipment Co-op)
  • ski clothes
  • slippers and warm clothes for indoors
  • money for car pool, shared food costs, and voluntary donation
  • $45money for resort skiing, if Kolapore trails are in bad shape
    		• Recommended Items to Bring:
    Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
  • water bottle
  • fanny pack or day pack if you plan to carry snacks or drinks while skiing
  • books
  • camera
  • board games
  • movies
  • headlamp (if you want to visit the caves or ski in the evening)

    • How to Get There:
    Event Directions:There are various routes. We will decide a common route so that we drive together. Basically from Shelbourne (on 89), we take 124 north, make a left on 4, a right on 2, and left on Osprey Road.
    Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):320Km
    Carpool Departure Time: 5:00 PM
    Carpool Location:   Log in for location
    Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
    Carpool Cost: Approximate vehicle expense for this event is $82.56 (calculated at total Km * $0.258, effective Thursday, June 11, 2026). This is based on $0.08/Km for maintenance, plus current gas price divide by 9. Your event coordinator will confirm exactly how much money is required from each person.

    Notes:

    - Registration is NOT COMPLETE until you've signed up and paid by the registration cut off date. The money must be in the TOC's possession by that date. No exceptions.
    - When a minimum group size appears, this is to let you know that the event will be cancelled with full refunds to those who have already paid, if the minimum number of registered participants is not met. For any events where TOC needs a minimum number of participants, there will be absolutely no refund of money if you cancel.
    - We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines at all times while participating in TOC events.
    - Details of this event are subject to undergo a change at any point in time, with or without warning.
    - Questions about equipment or rentals? Send them to safety@torontooutdoorclub.com.
    - Notice any errors or problems in the information on this page? Please notify our Content Editor(s), Stacy, at content@torontooutdoorclub.com.

    Cost & Payment:
    Member Cost:$154.50/Person
    Cost Includes:
  • Accommodation as described above.
  • Transaction fee of $4.50
  • Map of the trails (otherwise cost would have been $5 at local store)
  • Some snack food
  • Basic breakfast each day
  • Use of the kitchen staples
    • Payment Cut Off:Payment must be received by the TOC on Sun, Feb 13 2011.
    Make a Payment:Click here for the details. PLEASE PAY AFTER YOU HAVE SIGNED UP BELOW.
     
    Voluntary Donation: ( What is this?)
    Suggested donation amount for this event is: $2.00/Person.

    Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
    Please review our Cancellation Policy carefully!