The Powderpig Handbook and Survival Guide

This information serves as your handbook and survival guide answering nearly all of the frequently asked questions we received.  All of the information that is included in our Brochure has been integrated into the various pages of this website and also in PDF format on the Fine Print page of our website.

On The First Day of Ski School

On the first day of ski school we suggest that you come at least an hour early so you will find room in the parking lot, have plenty of time to find your way to the Pigpen, find a place to stow your things, locate the bathrooms, grab a snack, and explore a bit. Class assignments, always announced on the first day of lessons, can be found listed on the computer lists posted both in and outside the Pigpen. If you have questions or would like some help, we will be at “Command Central” at the table across the room as you come into the Pigpen.

Ordinarily, the children will meet the instructor at the class sign about 5 minutes before the hour and leave to go skiing at 10:00 sharp on Saturdays and Sundays and 7:00 Friday nights. Classes are instructed to move out exactly at the hour and if you are late, please meet your instructor at the base of the chair by the Pigpen. Let our line wrangler know you need to find your child’s instructor when you arrive.

We ask that parents deliver their children to their class signs at least a few minutes before class time and to be there a few minutes before class is supposed to end. This way the classes can go out on time and no child will experience the fearful anxiety of thinking they have been left behind at lunch or at the end of the day. This is important both at the beginning and end of the day as well as at lunch time. Again, thank you for your help.

Snacks and Lunch

Keeping your Powderpig fueled….

Our starting time on Saturdays and Sundays, is 10:00 a.m. which puts some of our Powderpigs into their lessons and half way up the hill just as their inner alarm clocks and stomachs say, “LUNCH TIME! HUNGRY!!” Be sure to feed your child a substantial snack and something to drink before class, especially if he/she usually eats between 11:00 and 12:00 or has a short hunger fuse. So many children have dietary restrictions because of allergy or other reasons, that we have instructed our staff not to share any food with their students. Putting snacks into pockets or in a day pack where your child can find it easily is also a good idea.

Lunch is a picnic affair because we’re so far from food services. The Pigpen can be pretty crowded on snowy days. But it is a friendly crowd and not unbearable during lunch. Many families head down to their vehicles for a peaceful lunchtime on those days when everyone decides to dine inside. Now we have a new lodge at the base of the Silver Fir chair which is especially useful for the families of more advanced skiers. However, Silver Fir lunch adventures are not recommended for families with skiers in it who are not totally comfortable with the Silver Fir chair and its runs. We have tried to figure out a way to stagger lunch hours and reduce the crowd without some parents spending half the day inside monitoring their various children’s lunches, but to no avail. Suggestions are welcome. Because of the increasing numbers of instructors who are also Powderpig parents, who must also get through lunch and get their own kids fed & ready to go back to class and be at their signs so they can be on time to meet their students, we reserve the kitchen for staff and their families during lunch, (12:00 – 1:00 PM, Saturdays and Sundays).

All of that Gear – Sleds

If children have a hard time carrying their equipment up from the car they will not have much energy left for learning to ski. Your patience, good humor, help and a little red sled can make a big difference in how the rest of the day goes for you and your child. Plastic sleds from Toys R Us or your favorite sports store (prices range $20 to $30) help get all your belongings up the hill and give you an excellent off the snow seat for sunny day picnics.

Remember, sledding is NOT allowed in the ski area. This is not only an Area safety rule, it is also a United States Forest Service policy. Thank you for your help with this.