Venue:
Hyland Lake Park Reserve
Greyed out options are no longer available.
Details:
| Registration: | Open Apply To Volunteer Register Skier |
|---|---|
| Meets: | Saturday 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM |
| Starts: | Jan. 4, 2025 |
| Dates: | Jan 4, Jan 11, Jan 18, Jan 25, Feb 1, Feb 8, Feb 15, Mar 2 |
| Classic Rentals: | Club Rentals Classic - online - $60.00 Chalet Rentals Classic |
| Skate Rentals: | See next option Chalet Rentals Skate |
| Membership: | $50.00 |
| Ski Pass Required: | Three Rivers Ski Pass for skiers 12 and over |
| Leader: | Jennifer Marie Pieper |
| Email: | hylandsaturday@myxc.org |
| Skill Levels Offered: | Level 1-6 Classic and Skate |
K Leader Board:
| Everett B. | 12.40 KM. |
| Lukas S. | 10.60 KM. |
2025 MYSL Hyland Lake Saturday SkiSparks Club
Saturdays 4-5:30 Jan 4th thru March 1st (no Feb 22nd).
Where - Hyland Lake Park Reserve- click here for Google Maps directions. This will take you to Jan's Place (follow the road to the left past the visitor center and continue until it ends at the Jan's Place parking lot). Our regular meeting time is from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Please arrive 20-25 minutes early to allow time to get your gear on and get to your starting place. Bathroom facilities at Jan's Place are porta-potties, and there are regular indoor bathrooms available for use at the visitor center.
Weather: If the temperature falls below 0 degrees F or the wind-chill falls below -10 degrees F, class may be cancelled. A notice will be sent via email as soon as the decision is made to cancel, and the website will be updated as well.
Clothing and water: See below for clothing recommendations and general info for skiing with your kids. Kids in levels 3 and up should carry a water bottle with them while skiing (camelback, waistpack, etc). Consider putting some type of sugary drink in their bottle, such as Gatorade, because giving kids something they like to drink may motivate them to stay hydrated. Level 1 and 2 skiers should also have a water bottle with them, but they will be staying in one area mainly, so they don't need to carry it with them as they won't be on the trails as much.
Equipment: This club does not have all-season rentals available through MYSL, because we ski at a facility that has rentals available. If you do not have your own equipment, you can rent some for each session from the Hyland Visitor Center. Click here for the Hyland rentals webpage. If you have your own equipment, make sure kids in Levels 1-4 have classic skis, boots, and poles (Level 1 skiers do not need poles). Levels 5 and 6 need skate skis, boots, and poles.
Volunteers: MYSL is run by volunteers, which is why the program can keep costs so low. We need volunteers! Please apply now! We need multiple coaches for each level. Coaching is easy- we give you all the lesson plans and tell you what to do for each week! Recreational/beginner skiers are perfectly qualified to be coaches, along with more advanced skiers. Even if you are not a skier, please consider helping in another way. There are many non-skier roles that need to be filled as well. We recommend that at least one adult per family member consider volunteering in some way.
Children ages 12 and up are required to have a Three Rivers Park District ski pass.
Here's to a snow-filled and fun season!
Skiing With Kids!
With our limited skiing days (remember, winter is short), it’s important to put some effort into making sure our kids are having the best experience possible. Cold feet and hands are the most common problem for young skiers. Use this checklist for success:
- Layers All kids should have a base layer (long underwear) against their skin made of synthetic material, such as polyester. No cotton! Consider fleece for middle layers and waterproof pants and jackets for the outer layer.
- Outer Layers Young kids can wear normal winter coats and snowpants, but older coats (for the most part) will be way to warm in large coats/snowpants and it really restricts movement. Consider a lots of layers if it's cold and lighter weight outer jackets and pants.
- Dry socks A dry pair of socks needs to be put on right before you put on your boots. This makes a big difference.
- Wool socks No cotton, no blends. Really. I mean it.
- Dry boots Boots need to be dried out near a heat source between uses. They can’t stay in the car or garage.
- No updrafts Cold hands can often mean your body is too cool. Make sure jackets are not too big and billowy. To stop drafts, stuff jackets into pants, tighten drawstrings, or wear a drink belt.
- Put on a hat (and a neck gator) We all know we lose a lot of heat through our heads. But making sure your ears and neck are covered is just as important. I’m not sure how we used to survive without neck gators, because they seem like a necessity now.
- Good gloves Good ski gloves/mittens are an investment and can only be found at ski retailers, but they are worth it. Keeping track of these should be in your job description.
- Hand/Foot warmers I only use these when I have to, but I’m usually very glad I have a few in my pocket. These are oxygen activated and you can "turn them off” by putting them in an airtight container. I get about three uses out of each pack.
- Lose the poles Let go of that cold plastic grip and your fingers will be surrounded by the uncompressed insulation of your gloves. Skiing without poles also forces you to swing your arms, getting blood out to the tips of the fingers.
- Calories A skier that is low on calories will have a hard time staying warm. Bringing back up snacks and drinks is always a good idea.
- Get into the woods Wind is a big deal. If there is any breeze at all, you will have a harder time getting and staying warm. You can alleviate this effect by getting into a wooded section of ski trail as soon as you can. It is well worth checking wind speed and direction when planning your clothing and your first few moves on the snow.
- Ski when its warm If its sunny and above 25 degrees, your kids will have a good time. So, on those rare days in the Midwest when its warm and you can ski when the sun in high, drop everything and get outside. You won’t regret it. And don’t forget about those precious weeks of spring skiing in late February and early March. These are often the highlight of the winter.