Red Eye Ski Club

P.S. If you want to see the trip reports and photos from the 2006, 2007, or 2008 season, go to Apres Trips : =================================

** January 10-11, 2009, Spirit Mt. / Giants Ridge (MN 2 day)
Jim Block & Paul Franke, trip leaders.

** January 21-26, 2009, Beaver Creek / Vail, Colorado $1059
Details now available, and trip leader Dave White is taking deposits:
Beaver Creek & Vail 2009. Half of the spaces already filled as of 6/16/08.

** February 7-8, 2009, Whitecap Mt. & Indianhead (UP 2-day)
Tyler Schwartz, trip leader

** February 18-23,2009, Salt Lake City, Utah $1189
Details now available, and trip leader Amy Wieczorek is taking deposits:
Salt Lake City 2009. ONLY 6 spaces left as of 6/16/08.

Keep checking back--we will keep posting additional trip details, pricing,
and contact information as they become available.

Being the trips coordinator is a pretty interesting task, and I often get asked some very good questions, so I’ve put together what I hope will be an interesting list of common questions regarding the 2009 ski trip season, along with what I hope are some insightful answers. I hope you find it useful and that it encourages you to sign up now for one of our upcoming ski trips.

Q-1. How do you pick the places (ski destinations) that we go?
A. There are a combination of factors that play into the destination decision making process including

I play a significant role in making recommendations of travel dates and destinations, but ultimately it’s a group decision of the club board and active trip leaders.

Q-2. Why are the western trips getting so expensive?
A. Clearly the number one factor that is causing rapid increases in trip package pricing is airfare. As the cost of fuel (jet) rapidly escalates, and airline mergers make for less price competition, fares climb at previously unheard of rates. Roundtrip flights to many ski destinations have increased by more than $200 in just the last 12 months! The 2nd biggest driver of trip cost increases is lift tickets. The days of $50 lift passes are long gone. Bigger resorts, upgraded high-speed lifts, and increased snow making capacity at the mega resorts has lead us to the threshold of the $100 daily lift ticket.

Q-3. What have we done to help control the costs?
A . Several things actually...

Q-4. If I decide to sign up too late, won’t you just expand the western trips to make room for us procrastinators?
A . NO!. As a western trip leader, I’ve learned a couple of hard lessons during the last two ski seasons. One of those lessons is that trying to add seats to already contracted ski trips is a major hassle, it becomes very expensive, and is a bookkeeping nightmare for both the trip leader and the club treasurer. We are NOT going to do that anymore. When the 30 spots on the Beaver Creek / Vail trip, and the 30 spots on the Salt Lake City trip are full, that’s it. PERIOD! If you want to join us, send your $300 deposits NOW…

Q-5. What’s the deal with the new $25 second checked bag luggage fee that some airlines have initiated?
A. While all the airlines have traditionally allowed each passenger to check up to two bags (weighing up to 50 pounds each) at no extra charge, United Airlines initiated the idea of charging a $25 fee for the 2nd checked bag. In the case of a typical ski trip passenger, that 2nd bag is your ski bag. $25 both going and returning means an extra $50 expense for the trip. Effective May 5th, every airline except Frontier and Southwest have adopted the $25 2nd bag fee. This is a new twist to the air travel adventure, but there is some hope that we may be able to negotiate waivers of the 2nd bag fee by booking our air travel as a group (“bulk air”). Stay tuned for updates on this topic.

Q-6. We’ve been to Salt Lake City before, stayed at an economy hotel near Midvale, and rode those over crowded public transportation ski buses before. Why do that again?
A. We’re NOT doing that again! This 2009 trip is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT approach to a Salt Lake City ski trip.

Q-7. Why is the 2009 Salt Lake City trip package more expensive than Beaver Creek / Vail?
A. Plain and simple – it’s all about airfare. The competitive nature of the Minneapolis to Denver route makes that the most economical ski trip flight destination for us, in the entire world. To offset some of that airfare differential, we are able to offer some tremendous group discount incentives in the Salt Lake City package that are not available at Beaver Creek. Those include –

Q-8. Why do we stay in condominiums on some trips, like Beaver Creek this year? Isn’t it just easier to put two people into a hotel room and be done with it?
A. Yes, hotel rooms are easier to manage, but easier isn’t necessarily better. While condominiums can be challenging to manage due to odd numbers of men and women on a trip, the various bedroom configurations (queens, kings, twins, etc…), and generally higher security deposit requirements, condominiums do offer a multitude of advantages.

Q-9. Why stay at Beaver Creek when the always-popular Vail is so close?
A. Along with Heavenly, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vail, - Beaver Creek is actually owned by Vail Resorts Inc. That means that your Beaver Creek lift tickets are also valid to ski at nearby Vail if you want to. With Beaver Creek’s recent expansion to more than 1,800 skiable acres, 4,040 vertical feet, 43% intermediate terrain, 2 gondolas, 10 high-speed quad chairs, and it’s ultra-luxurious atmosphere, many people consider Beaver Creek to actually be the crown jewel of all the Vail Ski Resorts.

If you have any other questions, please email them to Trips Coordinator Dave White dwhite@wqow.com

NOTE THE LOCATION FOR PARKING WHEN TAKING A BUS TRIP: For all weekend ski trips, the BUS LOADING LOCATION will be the Memorial High School parking lot, in the SOUTH lot, by CLAIREMONT. The entrance is on Keith St. We have been asked to park at the very east end of the middle row. You need to give the trip leader the make, color, and plate number of each car no later than the Friday before each trip. In addition, you should put an piece of paper on the front dash of each vehicle identifying it as a vehicle belonging to someone on the Red Eye Ski Club trip.

IMPORTANT BYLAW AND TRIP POLICY INFORMATION:

BYOB
Trip leaders will not provide beer on the bus. They will provide soda (for 50 cents/can) and ice (free) and the big cooler, and the individual Red Eyes can bring whatever else they want to drink (alcoholic or not-up to you). You can use the club cooler or bring your own small coolers.

ADULT MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED FOR TRIPS
The bylaws clearly state that to sign up for a Red Eye trip, you MUST be a PAID UP ADULT MEMBER (or a paid up member of another MSC club). That means (1) that you have to join the club before you can sign up for a trip, even if you are going on only one trip; and (2) that no one under 18 will be allowed to go on any of the regularly scheduled weekend trips (the Family & Friends trip is an exception).

PAYMENT POLICY
MINIMUM to hold a place on a trip is 1/3 trip price. $20 of down payment is non refundable (for longer trips, the non refundable down payment may be greater depending on the lodging and airline policies). You must be PAID UP IN FULL by end of the general meeting before trip (some trips require even earlier). If you have not paid in full by the meeting before the trip (or published deadline), trip leader can consider that a cancellation and may sell the spot if he/she can (no refund guarantee).

CLUB REFUND POLICY
If a trip is cancelled, all receive refunds of full amounts paid. However, members who decide not to go on a trip for which they have paid all or part will forfeit at least $20, whether or not trip leader fills that spot. Some trips may have special refund policies (i.e. trips involving airfare, train travel, etc.) Members can sell their own trip spots directly to other members and not lose $20.   Members who cancel at the last minute or who do not show up for a trip may forfeit all monies paid. All refunds are determined by Board after trip completion, based on trip's profit/loss and on the recommendations of the trip leaders.

BUS STOP POLICY
The only certain bus stop is the departure from Memorial High School. ALL other bus stop arrangements must be made DIRECTLY with the TRIP CHAIR for that trip. Members cannot ASSUME that the bus will stop on the route, even if buses for previous trips have stopped there.

Welcome to the Trips Page of the Red Eye Ski Club. Here you will find listed the trips planned for the 2009 season. At the bottom of this page are important announcements about ski club policy. See also Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Welcome to the Trips Page of the Red Eye Ski Club.
Here you will find listed the trips planned for the 2009 season.
At the bottom of this page are important announcements about ski club policy.
See also Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).