Snow Time! - Day 1 The Journey

Snow Time!

It is 03.00 and I assume everyone on the trip is up. This is what we have been waiting for. It is a fresh, dry, dark early morning start. As the day unfolds we will update you all.

Look what is to come...

The Countdown begins!

Snow Joke!

Mother nature does not fool around. Look what was dished up in Maine on 1st April.

https://www.sundayriver.com/xml/images/HomePage/Heros/April1-Video.jpg

Amazing and we will be there in a few days time. Please remember that the time zones in the states and UK are now set to BST in the UK and EDT on the eastern seaboard so we will be 5 hours behind BST for the duration of the trip. I look forward to seeing you all bright and early on the 12th April at 3.40 am no earlier please.

Parents please remember to park down past the grey metal gates so that the coach can have clear access to the main car park. For safety we prefer the coach to be loaded on the car park so the coach needs plenty of room to get on.

Hoodies will be given out during the last week of term along with the luggage labels and any last details. The hoodies this year have not been supplied by our usual company Wave Print due the school being able to get them included in our new package. They have been provided by Hoodyworld and they look great!

QM Snow Patrol - Maine ski Safari

Ski Trip 2014

Maine Ski Safari

Departure

Saturday 12th April 2014

We shall depart Queen Mary's High School at approximately 02.30am BST (tbc) and travel down to London Heathrow (LHR). We shall be flying with Delta Airlines on a scheduled flight direct into Boston Logan International airport (BOS).

Flight No.  DL187 09.40 Arriving 12.22 EDT [LHR-BOS]

(We shall still be 5 hours behind the UK for the duration of the holiday)

We shall then drive up to Maine. Here we will be staying in the Jordan Grand Hotel in Sunday River for 3 nights. Here we will ski for 2 day; after our 3rd night and breakfast we will take all our equipment over to Sugarloaf which is about a 1 hour 30 minute transfer. Here we will stay at the Sugarloaf Mountain Inn for 3 more nights and ski a further 3 days with the same instructors from Sunday River.

Our package includes the full use of the facilities at both mountains including the pools so please bring swimwear. Our ski package also includes 5 days of ski instruction for 4 hours per day. The lift tickets, skis, boots, poles and helmet hire is included. It is however better to have your own helmet but this is your choice.

Our last ski day will be at Sugarloaf and will be on 17th April and as always it will be in fancy dress. Prizes for the best but everyones a winner when the locals comment on the excellent costumes. Look at our last 3 trips to gather some inspiration.

Friday 18th April 2014

After a good breakfast we will depart the mountains and set off for the Big Apple! This is a long drive so we will stop off for a 3 hour lunch break and some retail therapy at one of the outlet centres!

We will be staying in Manhattan and our hotel is in 57th Street and is the Holiday Inn.  Once checked in we will head off to the Hard Rock Cafe for an evening meal together. After a good nights sleep we would then have much more shopping to do after a hearty New York breakfast at Mama Sbarro's. On offer could be the Circle Line Statue of Liberty Cruise and a ride to the top of of the Empire State building viewing deck. After a final round of shopping we will then pick up our coach and head off to John F Kennedy airport. Our overnight flight will give us all an opportunity to dream about our experiences of the week before landing back at London Heathrow early on Easter morning, 20th April.

Saturday 19th April 2014

Flight No.  DL402 20.30 EDT Arriving 08.45 BST [JFK-LHR]

We would then be back at Queen Mary's High School at around 14.00 BST (tbc) depending on customs and traffic.

Trip Hoodies

As you all know this has become a tradition and we often use WavePrint of Birmingham for our excellent hoodies and T-shirts. However as part of your package Equity has offered to include them for all trip members. Details will follow shortly.

Updating your ESTA form

This is still valid if you have done it; however if you want to update it, then the above details will help. This does not cost anything to do. If you have not done it, then please do so since everything is now confirmed as above. Click here to reach the ESTA site.

Parents information evening

This will now be rescheduled to take place shortly after half term, probably in the 2nd week back. In the meantime please feel free to email into school if you have any questions.

Ski lessons

All of this upset and stress has put my plans completely out of order. It is best if students have had two 2 hour lessons and best done on the dry slope. The best two local slopes are The Telford Ski Centre and The Ackers Adventure centre Small Heath. I would recommend doing the lessons during half term if possible. At present I cannot guarantee that we can fit it in early next half term. The Snowdome can be used but it is not as good value for money.

Check out the latest from Sunday River - http://vimeo.com/86736422

Check out the latest from Sugarloaf - http://vimeo.com/87030293

A Big Thank you to many...

It has to be said the past three and a half weeks have been very stressful. The day to day job of a teacher is busy enough but on top of this you all know we have had a lot to organise in a short amount of time. Several companies have tried to help us out in efforts to correct a problem that was not our fault. Due to the lateness of the problem many just could not accommodate our big group nor match the price we had paid. I have always ensured that whoever is on a Snowsports QM trip they get the best value and experience possible. After careful consideration the above package together with consideration of flight times is the best for our group. I want to take this small amount of time to thank all those who have helped but a special mention to Activ4, who we have travelled with before, who almost came up with the perfect package. If any prospective leader is reading this then I have no hesitation but to whole heartedly recommend them for complete peace of mind and attention to detail. You will not be disappointed by them.

Ski 2014 - All change...

Ski 2014 Location Change

What happened?

Well as far as we know our company assessed Brian Head last summer for the final safety and risk assessment report. Unfortunately they found only 2 lifts in total had safety bars. This resulted in the resort being pulled from their program. As a result no more flights were booked by the flights department. The February 2014 flights had already been sorted but the Easter flights never got booked by the company last autumn. For some reason this information only materialized just over 2 weeks ago. Since then I have spent in excess of 15 hours on calls at all times of the day, even Skype to New Zealand! Our schools are committed to ensuring everyone gets value for money and an excellent trip like all the others that have preceded this one.

What's next?

We are very close to sorting an excellent package with one of 3 companies. We have had several options but due to the timing of this news many of the options ended up way over budget. So we have the following options we are considering:-

Ski Safari Maine

This would see the group fly into Boston and then drive up to Maine. We would stay in the Jordan Grand Hotel in Sunday River for 3 nights. Here we would ski for 2 days and then take all our equipment over to Sugarloaf which is about a 1 hour 30 minute transfer. Here we will stay at the Sugarloaf Mountain Inn for 3 more nights and ski a further 3 days with the same instructors from Sunday River. After this we would then travel down the coast to the Big Apple! Yes we would be staying in Manhattan. We would naturally stop on route for some retail therapy. Our hotel is in 57th Street and is the Holiday Inn. After a nights sleep we would then have much more shopping to do after a hearty New York breakfast. On ofer could be the Circle Line Statue of Liberty Cruise and a ride to the top of of the Empire State building viewing deck. Finally we would fly out from New York on a late flight that evening, returning to QMHS the following day.

Ski Sugarloaf

We could do much of the above and ski 5 days at Sugarloaf with either the same hotel or the condominiums at Sugarloaf.

We have 2 other possibilities that could be just as excellent as above; however in one case we can not as yet get the accommodation sorted and in te other only 35 seats on a flight to San Francisco! We will not accept any package that is not at least equal to the original package that we booked.

What if we do not want to go anymore? 

Well that would be a real shame after all the hard work I have put into negotiating and getting the best deal for the group. You are however, entitled to get a refund of the monies you paid for the trip. We do need to know with a matter of urgency though. Please rest assured what ever package we have, it will have to be special and appropriate for our group. Please email me with your son or daughters name if you do not want to take part anymore so that I can adjust the flight seats required. All monies are now safely back in each schools bank account. Email Mr. Hinks or Mrs. Wood. After the 17th February I will assume the whole group is happy to continue.

Will the dates change?

Most likely yes. The first option above is identical to our original, that is flying out on Saturday 12th April and returning to school on Easter Sunday, 20th April. Other options could have us travelling out on the 13th, 14th or 15th. All of the holidays will be the same duration.

What about my ESTA form?

This is still valid if you have done it; however if you want to update it when we know the new details you can. This does not cost anything to do. If you have not done it, then please wait until we have everything confirmed. Click here to reach the ESTA site.

Parents information evening

This will now be rescheduled to take place shortly after half term, probably in the 2nd week back. In the meantime please feel free to email into school if you have any questions.

Ski lessons

All of this upset and stress has put my plans completely out of order. It is best if students have had two 2 hour lessons and best done on the dry slope. The best two local slopes are The Telford Ski Centre and The Ackers Adventure centre Small Heath. I would recommend doing the lessons during half term if possible. At present I cannot guarantee that we can fit it in early next half term. The Snowdome can be used but it is not as good value for money.

Pure Sugar!

Brian Head - EPIC snow for season opener

Brian Head 2013/14

**OPEN**



Amazing snow for Utah's southern ski resorts



Beautiful cordroy for openning day (15/11/13)

Since the start of the season Brian head has already received 64 cm of fresh snow. They are also snow blowing to improve the base. This is an excellent season starter. We will be there soon. :-)

Season 2013/14 - Here we go!

2013/14 ski season is about to commence. For me the start of the season coincides with the October half term which is when the first FIS race is held in Solden, Austria and is when the Ski and Snowboard show is usually held at the NEC. This year it is unfortunately located in Manchester, 25-27th October. It is also exciting to see how many resorts open in this week too! Several European glaciers will open and many North American resorts open like Loveland in Colorado.

(Snow at Brian Head already!)

:-)



The show consists of exhibitions, ski/snowboard taster sessions, resort information, holiday exhibits and many snowsport retailers who often some fantastic bargains. Shopping around can really help save money when it comes to ski clothing. Discounts and more information can be found at the following link: Ski Show 2013.

Clothing is always a worry for parents, especially if this is your son or daughters first time. Here we hope to help reduce the burden and offer some cost saving ways to kit your children out. Kit is always readily available from specialists, like Ski Warehouse, but at this time of year, Lidl, Aldi, Decathlon and TK Maxx have some fabulous offers too. Parent will also get a brochure and optional order form from Ski and Sport who also have some fabulous offers and also offer the hiring of key clothing and helmets. The later is better if it is brought outright, remember it does not have to be expensive to be effective. Just look for the EU approved logo on the helmet.

Finally I would like to remind all parents that the balance for the 2014 holiday, £1400, is due at the end of January and it is essential that we have all the relevant information for your son/daughter. This includes:-

1. A photocopy of a current passport valid until the end of April 2014.
2. A photocopy of the students ESTA. (America's travel autorisation form - see previous posts on ESTA)
3. All medical forms complete and signed.
4. Ski statistics sheet complete, height, weight, shoe size and ability.
5. Code of conduct form signed.

As always if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us at school or by email.

Up next - Utah and Las Vegas - Brian Head

After an amazing season 2012/13, with record depths of snow all over the world, we must be wondering what mother nature and turn on next year! Well at Brian Head in Utah one thing is certain, an epic experience.

Over the coming months please do check on trip updates and also the launch of trip 2015!

Equity have now confirmed the dates which fall into the first week of our Easter holidays 2014. We will depart on Saturday 12th April 2014 for Las Vegas and return to school on Sunday 20th April 2014.