We will be using the Snowshoe ski school for my 9-yr old for the first time this weekend. I am correct in thinking that the meeting place is just to the right of Expedition Station (as you are looking uphill)? Also, I was told that meeting time is "any time between 9 and 10". How does this work? Do they send groups out periodically between 9 and 10 as enough people gather to make a group?
Will the ski school at Silver Creek be open? That's where I would take a kid for lessons.
wgo wrote:
We will be using the Snowshoe ski school for my 9-yr old for the first time this weekend. I am correct in thinking that the meeting place is just to the right of Expedition Station (as you are looking uphill)? Also, I was told that meeting time is "any time between 9 and 10". How does this work? Do they send groups out periodically between 9 and 10 as enough people gather to make a group?
Yes, adjacent to Expedition station....there's flags marking the area and you'll see instructors there.
Snowshoe ski school is great. They have locations at both Expedition Station and Silver Crek. Make sure you booked the right one.
They have lessons from 9-3, or 10-4. This time of year, I’d definitely opt for the earlier time. You’re supposed to be outside, completely ready by 9am. If you need to get gear, or pay, show up 30 minutes early or so. If you have both, I’d show up around 8:50.
I'm thinking the light will be better ending earlier, but I may be overthinking it a tad.
Kids World ages 4-12 can be checked in between 9:00-10:00 am but pick has changed this year to no later than 3:00 pm.
wgo wrote:
That's what confuses me. When do the lessons actually start?
Based on what happens at Mnut and Alta, I would expect the kids to be waiting indoors until 10:00. So on snow time would start shortly after 10:00. But I've never looked at the ski school set up at Snowshoe. Don't even remember the building at Silver Creek but I think there is one.
At Mnut, check in starts at 8:30. The idea is that parents have the kids all ready to head out to the correct flag in the teaching area at 9:30. There are basic announcements made for the adults who are dropping off the kids before the kids head out the gate. Needless to say, most kids are renting gear. So they have to be fitted as part of the registration process.
At Alta, check in is 8:30-9:15. The kids wait inside until just after 9:15 when the instructors start gathering up their groups. Parents at Alta are skiers. So they don't hang around, especially on a powder day. ;-)
Spoke with someone at the Snowshoe Ski School. Basically, their preference is that you check-in by 9 so they can get started as soon as possible, but they will allow people to check in up until 10 am. Seems to me that people who check in by 9 may get penalized by having to wait for up to an hour but I guess they are trying to be as accomodating as possible.
Sorry for the bad info, WGO, they have evidently changed the process this year (versus previous years).
My 7 y/o daughter has gone to ski school at Snowshoe the past 3 years, and you always chose a start time (9 or 10am) when you booked. The 9am starts generally sold out first.
Because we had gear, we would usually get there around 8:50 or so, fill out the little card, they would ask about her ability, then put her in a group. They have a handful of instructors standing around whose job it is to greet you, give you the card to fill out, then find a group to place your child with.
The groups assembled in a flat, fenced area, and most of them usually disbursed (on to the slopes) by 9:15am or so.
Also, they say pick up is at 3, but for smaller kids (my daughter was 6 last season), they usually had them at the pickup area by 2:30pm or so, and they just had snowball fights or played for the last 30 minutes while waiting for the parents to arrive.
We'll probably head to Snowshoe the first week in January, and my plan will to still arrive about 8:50 to try to get my daughter in one of the first groups on the mountain. Given how much you're paying, I'd prefer to maximize her time on the slopes. Plus, of course, I can't ski until she's dropped off, and I generally want to get out, too!
wgo wrote:
Spoke with someone at the Snowshoe Ski School. Basically, their preference is that you check-in by 9 so they can get started as soon as possible, but they will allow people to check in up until 10 am. Seems to me that people who check in by 9 may get penalized by having to wait for up to an hour but I guess they are trying to be as accomodating as possible.
Or they will send out groups as they can. Obviously all the instructors are available before 9am. Much harder to know when parents will get there and when a given group of compatible ages and abilities is complete. If the instructor hangs out with their students while waiting, that's a good time for the kids to get comfortable with the instructor and the other kids. I don't consider that wasted time. My daughter was very social from a young age. She liked spending time in ski school on or off snow. For me, that meant more ski time for me.
Snowshoe is still working with Snow Operating. That's the consulting company that helped them implement Terrain Based Learning (TM) but they also look at the overall flow. The goal is to improve the guest experience.
Be interested to hear how things go.
marzNC wrote:
wgo wrote:
Spoke with someone at the Snowshoe Ski School. Basically, their preference is that you check-in by 9 so they can get started as soon as possible, but they will allow people to check in up until 10 am. Seems to me that people who check in by 9 may get penalized by having to wait for up to an hour but I guess they are trying to be as accomodating as possible.
Or they will send out groups as they can. Obviously all the instructors are available before 9am. Much harder to know when parents will get there and when a given group of compatible ages and abilities is complete. If the instructor hangs out with their students while waiting, that's a good time for the kids to get comfortable with the instructor and the other kids. I don't consider that wasted time. My daughter was very social from a young age. She liked spending time in ski school on or off snow. For me, that meant more ski time for me.
Snowshoe is still working with Snow Operating. That's the consulting company that helped them implement Terrain Based Learning (TM) but they also look at the overall flow. The goal is to improve the guest experience.
Be interested to hear how things go.
Good points. I'll be sure to post my observations.
When I was taking the Ski Instructor Course to work at Killington (was already PSIA...but they have their own way of doing things) we were doing TBL and didn't even know it! LOL LOL That had to have been 15-20 years ago! Anyone remember what we called the "British Invasion" ??? LOL
snow.buck wrote:
When I was taking the Ski Instructor Course to work at Killington (was already PSIA...but they have their own way of doing things) we were doing TBL and didn't even know it! LOL LOL That had to have been 15-20 years ago! Anyone remember what we called the "British Invasion" ??? LOL
General "terrain based learning" is old new for sure. What Snow Operating provides to ski areas that fall under the Terrain Based Learning trademark is more than advice about what terrain features to build. They can do a full process evaluation, help train instructors and rental staff on how to handle newbie customers, and ongoing analysis of metrics that are collected as the season progresses. Re-arranging space inside a rental buidling is one example of a suggestion that could come as part of process improvment suggestions.
Cataloochee worked with Snow Operating for a while. Also got help with marketing videos. That was when the 5-lesson deal that led to a free pair of skis started.
