Monday, January 30, 2017

Ski Trip - February 2017


Troop 9 is heading up to Devil's Head Resort on Friday February 17 to go skiing.  The trip is open to skiers of all levels and their families.


The cost of the trip will be $90 per scout, $100 per adult who ski, $40 per adult not skiing, and $20 to stay an extra night.  This includes ski rental, lift ticket, and lessons for those skiing.  It also includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday. We will stop on Friday night for dinner and scouts will need to pay for that meal.

The trip will be a 4.5 hour drive from Champaign to Reedsburg, WI.


The troop will be staying in the Super 8 in Reedsburg, WI.  We will prearrange a set of hotel rooms and occupants for all participants ahead of the trip.  Typically we will appropriately assign four people to one room.

The troop will ski at Devil's Head Resort. This is about a 30 minute drive from the Super 8.

Contact Info:

Super 8 Address: Super 8, 1470 E Main St, Reedsburg, WI 53959
Super 8 Phone: 608-524-2888
Devil's Head Resort Address: Devil's Head Resort, S 6330 Bluff Road, Merrimac, Wi 53561
Devil's Head Resort Phone: 800-472-6670

Schedule:

Friday 3:00 PM - Depart from Holy Cross. Some drivers may depart later.
Dinner - Each vehicle will stop on their own for dinner on the way up. 8:30 PM - Arrive at Reedsburg, WI Saturday
Breakfast - Hotel will provide breakfast. 8:00 AM - Depart for Devil's Head Resort
9:00 AM - Lifts open
Lunch - Troop will provide lunch in the lodge. 5:00 PM - 8 hour tickets expire
5:15 PM - Mass
6:30 PM - Travel back to the hotel
Dinner - Troop will provide dinner at the hotel.

Sunday Breakfast - Hotel will provide breakfast. 9:00 AM - Depart Reedsburg, WI Lunch - Each vehicle will stop on their own for lunch on the way back.
1:30 PM - Arrive in Champaign, IL

Menu:


Friday dinner: Eat on the road.  Participants should bring money to buy their dinner.
Saturday breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Saturday lunch: Sandwiches, chips, fruit, and drinks will be provided by the troop at the resort.
Saturday dinner: Pizza at hotel.
Sunday breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel or eat on the road.

How to dress for skiing (Advice from Mr. Loftus):

short-sleeve t-shirt
long-sleeve shirt
sweater
outer jacket / shell (something wind & water repellant)
wind / water proof pant
long underwear
full length socks
gloves

That will provide you with enough cover for any weather conditions.  I expect you will start out cold, but as the day progresses, you will end up in just your t-shirt under your outer shell.  Be prepared to adjust several times during the day.  You probably won't need the sweater at all during the day, but best to be prepared and you might wear it at the end of the day if everything else is soaked through with water.  Also, remove layers as needed to avoid sweating.  Anything getting you overly wet will make you cold and miserable.

Pants should be some sort of wind / water proof pant.  Long underwear can be worn underneath if you're cold.  Be sure to strip layers if you're too warm to avoid sweating.  On a warm day, I typically end up wearing just the wind/water proof pant.

Socks should be a single pair of full length (not ankle length) sport sock.  Don't double up, it only restricts circulation.  When you put on your boots, make sure there are no wrinkles in the sock.  Wrinkles also restrict circulation and can also cause muscle cramps.

Forecast is predicting very warm temperatures, so expect that whatever you ski in will be soaked at the end of the day.  Bring a full change of soft, comfy clothes to the resort to change into after skiing.

Finally, for new skiers, I recommend to bring a pair of "throw-away" gloves if this is your first trip.  Beginner slopes sometimes use a "rope-tow" to get skiers to the top and that will tear up gloves after a few hours.  Also, due to expected warm temperatures, I suggest everyone bring a spare set of gloves so you can swap if one pair gets soaking wet.

In general, wet clothes lead to cold bodies, and that's no fun at all.  Staying dry is essential to enjoying this outing.  Feel free to ask any questions.  The only dumb question is one never asked.


What to bring:


  • Change of clothes
  • Warm socks (2 pair)
  • Weatherproof jacket
  • Gloves
  • Warm hat
  • Long underwear
  • Winter boots
  • Ski/snow pants
  • Swimsuit
  • Sunglasses/goggles (goggles on sale at Dick's for 40% off right now)

Monday, January 16, 2017

2017 Troop 9 Merit Badge Seminar Opens at 6 am - Link


Good morning!

Online registration will open for the 2017 Merit Badge Seminar  at 6:00 AM today, Monday January 16,  2017.

Please DO NOT try to register before 6AM.  All registrations before 6AM are automatically deleted by the program when the event goes live. We have no control over this.

If you have difficulties logging onto the link, please delete all cookies AFTER 6 am and try again. The option is to try another computer or device that was not used to try and register. This will need to be done if you try to register before 6 am.


If your email is already shown and it asks for a password from last year (and you don't remember it), just click on "start a new registration" under the email box.

Thank you for registering to attend this year's merit badge seminar.  See you in March!