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Save the date! The details may change a bit, but we will have a great 2020 Ski Swap!
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Just a quick note that our Sunday Lake Elmo Park Reserve club is full. Please consider the Saturday morning option at Lake Elmo Park Reserve or another nearby club on Sundays. Battle Creek, Willow River, and Tamarack are some great second choice clubs. You can put your name on the Lake Elmo Sunday waiting list here and we will contact you if room becomes available.
Hello Skiers! I wanted to post an update that all rentals for the Sunday Lake Elmo Ski MYSL Group have been spoken for. Thankfully, there are other options to participate in cross-country skiing with MYSL this year:
Option 1: We'd love to have you in our Sunday group! A great way to get used skis is to attend the MYSL Ski Swap (near Fort Snelling) on November 16th. Feel free to send me an email if you would like more infomation about this event. lake_elmo@mysl.org
Option 2: The Battle Creek SkiSparks Club, Willow River SkiSparks Club, Tamarack SkiSparks Club, and Lebanon Hills SkiSparks Club are also options that have ski rentals available. Check out their club pages for more information.
Option 4: In the past, some vendors have offered discounted ski packages (usually around 10% off) for our group members. Please email me if this is something you are interested in and I will look into whether those options exist this year. lake_elmo@mysl.org
Thank you!
Heather Carlson
Welcome to the Sunday Lake Elmo MYSL Club 2019-2020!
We are excited to add a Saturday club this year to our Lake Elmo location. If you are interested in that day instead of Sunday, please navigate back to our new Lake Elmo Saturday club page.
Registration:
Registration will open October 7th. We will post a link to the registration page once registration is open. Ski rental registration will also open at that time. Note that there are a limited number of ski sets to rent, so please register early.
Ski rentals:
The skis provided for rental are waxless, fishscale skis. These skis go home with you for the season and you are able to take them out and practice at other times. Levels 5 and 6 utilize skate skis and these are not available for rental.
If you had hoped to rent skis and rentals are closed, you could consider checking out our Saturday club. They will also have some ski sets available to rent.
If you would prefer to purchase used skis, the MyXChange Ski Swap and Expo will be held Saturday, November 16, 2019, at Northern Star Council Base Camp near Fort Snelling.
Location, Dates, and Time:
Lake Elmo Sunday MYSL will meet 8 Sundays from 2:00-3:30pm from Sunday, January 5, 2020 through Sunday, March 1, 2020. We will not meet over the Birkebeiner weekend (February 23).
We will meet at the Chalet in Lake Elmo Park Reserve, which is the first right turn into a parking lot about 1/2 mile after you pass the park entrance building. You will need to purchase a vehicle permit ($7 Daily/$30 Annual/$20 for a second vehicle annual) before entering the park.
Plan to arrive a bit earlier to help your child/ren get their equipment on.
Levels and age guidelines are as follows:
For children who are new to MYSL: Assign the child to the lowest skill level that spans their age as of January 1. If a child has skied at least 10 times, consider advancing them one skill level.
For returning skiers: Please use the recommendation you received from last year’s coaches. We will be using the first couple of meetings to assess if kids should move to a different level.
More about skill levels here: http://mysl.org/skill-levels. Questions about levels? Contact us at lake_elmo@mysl.org
Classic ski lessons:
Level I: Ages 4-7 (parents ski or walk along with the child). Note: Level one lessons are often closer to an hour, especially if temperatures are low.
Level 2: Ages 6-8 (parents check in occasionally)
Levels 3-6: Do not require parent check-ins, but children are expected to respect and follow their coaches instructions while on the trail. Safety is a top priority while out in winter conditions.
Level 3: Ages 7-10
Level 4: Ages 8-12
Skate ski lessons:
Skate skiers must purchase their own used or new equipment. Our club does not have skate ski rental equipment available.
Level 5: Ages 9-13
Level 6: Ages 11-14
Weather and cancellation policy:
We will not ski if the air temperature is below -10˚ F or the wind chill is below -30˚ F, or at the leader’s discretion. Cancellations will be posted on this Web page under “Announcements” and e-mailed to registered members of the club.
Children should be dressed in layers. A moisture wicking under layer, an insulating layer, and a wind proof layer are typically appropriate. Wool socks such as Smartwool are great for wicking moisture and keeping the kids toes warm. Please use your discretion noting your child’s activity level and the outside temperature/wind chill. Often a winter jacket and snow pants or a snowsuit are too warm once the child gets skiing unless they are young and in the beginner group.
Volunteering:
This is an all volunteer run club. The success and affordability of this program comes directly from your contributions of time, energy, and talent.
We are thrilled to have many returning coaches this year, but would love to have extra adults out on the trails with the kids as assistant coaches or sweepers. You may even choose to get out with a level that is different from the level your child is signed up for. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the winter!
Snacks:
We do ask that families sign up to help with snacks during the season. The kids work really hard on their skis and love coming back to the chalet to warm up and build community with other families in the program.
Donating:
If you have any skis, poles, or boots you no longer use, please consider donating them to the Lake Elmo MYSL Club. We would add them to our rental fleet or if they are not NNN bindings with fish scales we will bring them to the swap and use the funds to purchase new rental skis. We are especially in need of skis for the older kids. MYSL is a 501c3 organization, so please let us know if you would like paperwork for tax purposes.
**Note on Adult Lessons -
We are unable to offer adult lessons through Endurance United at the same time as our MYSL lessons this year. Endurance United does offer lessons at various times throughout the week, so visit their webpage if you are interested. If you have a child who is 9 or older, MYSL’s next step ski program (EU Skiwerx) will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays this year (see Endurance United’s webpage for more details). There is an adult program that meets at the same time and location (Battle Creek/Hyland) on Thursday nights as the kids.
Volunteer Leaders: Heather Carlson & Ami Schakel lake_elmo@mysl.org
Hello MYSL families!
I've been watching the weather and the temps don't appear to be dropping below our threshold, so we are willing to meet up with those who would like to experience another kind of winter (or any time of the year) fun.
The plan for tomorrow will be to meet at Lake Elmo at 2:00 to go orienteering. There are 3 permanent courses at Lake Elmo. The distances are 1.55, 2.76, and 4.0 km. I learned how to lead the beginner course yesterday and it was a blast. You will be able to choose which course you'd like to go on when we meet at Lake Elmo. Here's an overview of information:
- There are maps at the visitor center that can be purchased for $4.00. Our club already has 6, which should be sufficient, but if you wanted a map of your own this is an option.
- A compass is not necessary for the beginner route. However, if you own a compass this would be a great time to bring it out.
- We think this is a great opportunity for the whole family to be active. We would love to have parent participation. It's a great way to get to know the other families in our club. If you have experience with orienteering, please let me know. We'd love to have you share your knowledge!
- Dress warm! I was dressed in my snow pants, warm mittens, neck gator, hat, wool socks, and snowboots yesterday and felt very comfortable even though the air temperature was -6. You can add the hand or foot warmers if you'd like.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-If there is a person (or two) who would like to volunteer to prepare our snack while we are out, it would be very helpful.
If you have any questions, please let me know. I am enjoying watching these tiny flakes of snow fall this morning. C'mon snow!!!
Our Lake Elmo Adult "Learn to Ski" class through Endurance United is full. Endurance United does offer other classes at different times during the week. See their website for more details.
Lake Elmo SkiSparks is full. Thank you to our dedicated coaches, and some new coaches who said YES to volunteering, we were able to expand our club by 20 more skiers. We are now at our permitting capacity. We encourage you to register for one of our other SkiSparks clubs if your first choice is full. SkiSparks clubs are more alike than different. All use the same curriculum and coaching philosophy. Additionally, all clubs in the Twin Cities metro area have been assigned a back-up location at a facility with snowmaking (Hyland, Elm Creek, Wirth or Edina).
We have worked hard throughout the spring, summer and fall to open new clubs close to our most popular locations so every child has the opportunity to ski with SkiSparks at a location near them. In fact, this year we have SIX new metro clubs, many with equipment rental options! Our new clubs are all led by experienced skiers with a passion for teaching kids how to ski. Families now have even more options to ski with friends, in a location convenient for you.
Welcome to the Lake Elmo MYSL Club 2018-2019!
We are looking forward to another wonderful winter of skiing! Please read through the information below to get a better understanding of our club.
Registration
Registration will open around October 9th. We will post a link to the registration page once registration is open. Ski rental registration will also open at that time.
**Note: MyXChange Ski Swap and Expo will be held Saturday, November 17, 2018, Basecamp at Fort Snelling.
New this year! We will offer adult lessons in cooperation with Endurance United! Sessions are designed for new skiers. Join the experienced EU staff for five sessions to quickly improve your skiing. At the end of the 5 sessions, we invite you to ski along with your kids in their group and support the lead coaches. Each session will have a coach dedicated to skate skiing and classic skiing. These sessions take place at the same place and time the kids are skiing (what could be more convenient than that?). Register through Endurance United.
Location, Dates, and Time
Lake Elmo MYSL will meet 8 Sundays from 2:00-3:30pm from Sunday, December 30, 2018 through Sunday, February 17, 2019.
We will meet at the Chalet in Lake Elmo Park Reserve, which is the first right turn into a parking lot about 1/2 mile after you pass the park entrance building. You will need to purchase a vehicle permit ($7 Daily/$30 Annual/$20 for a second vehicle annual) before entering the park.
Plan to arrive a bit earlier to help your child/ren get their equipment on.
**If you are renting skis, we will be be fitting kids for the right size at the Lake Elmo Chalet on November 11th. The exact time is yet to be determined but likely around 3:00.
Levels and age guidelines are as follows
For children who are new to MYSL: Assign the child to the lowest skill level that spans their age as of January 1. If a child has skied at least 10 times, consider advancing them one skill level.
For returning skiers: If you are questioning your child’s ski level, please contact us at lake_elmo@mysl.org for a recommendation based on last year’s sessions. It is common for kids to repeat skill levels, so returning families need to choose a skill based on last season’s performance, but still staying within the age ranges. Coaches will re-assess at the first club session as well.
Classic ski lessons expectations:
Level I: Ages 4-7 (parents ski along with the child)
Level 2: Ages 6-8 (parents check in occasionally)
Levels 3-6: Do not require parent check-ins, but children are expected to respect and follow their coaches instructions while on the trail. Safety is a top priority while out in winter conditions.
Level 3: Ages 7-10
Level 4: Ages 8-12
Skate ski lessons : Skate skiers must purchase their own used or new equipment, our club does not have skate ski rental equipment
Level 5: Ages 9-13
Level 6: Ages 11-14
More about skill levels here: http://mysl.org/skill-levels. Questions about levels? Contact us at lake_elmo@mysl.org
Weather and cancellation policy
We will not ski if the air temperature is below -10˚ F or the wind chill is below -30˚ F, or at the leader’s discretion. Cancellations will be posted on this Web page under “Announcements” and e-mailed to registered members of the club.
Children should be dressed in layers. A moisture wicking under layer, an insulating layer, and a wind proof layer are typically appropriate. Wool socks such as Smartwool are great for wicking moisture and keeping the kids toes warm. Please use your discretion noting your child’s activity level and the outside temperature/wind chill. Often a winter jacket and snow pants or a snowsuit are too warm once the child gets skiing unless they are young and in the beginner group.
Volunteering
This is an all volunteer run club. The success and affordability of this program comes directly from your contributions of time, energy, and talent. By registering for this club, you are committing to the club’s success and are agreeing to volunteer.
We are currently seeking to fill 3-4 Coach and Assistant Coach positions. If you have any classic or skate ski experience, you can be a coach! We can offer coach training and will support you through your first year of coaching. Please email us if you have an interest in coaching and we can discuss the options with you to find the best fit/level for you to coach or assistant coach this year.
Donating
If you have any skis, poles, or boots you no longer use, please consider donating them to the Lake Elmo MYSL Club. We would add them to our rental fleet or if they are not NNN bindings with fish scales we will bring them to the swap and use the funds to purchase new rental skis. We are especially in need of skis for the older kids. MYSL is a 501c3 organization, so please let us know if you would like paperwork for tax purposes.
Volunteer Leaders: Heather Carlson & Ami Schakel lake_elmo@mysl.org
Important upcoming dates for the 2018-2019 Season
-Ski rental fitting Sunday, November 11, 2018, Lake Elmo Chalet
-MyXChange (Ski Swap + Expo): Saturday, November 17, 2018, Basecamp at Fort Snelling
-MYSL Coaches Training (Elm Creek Park): December
-Nordic Opener: Saturday, December 8, Elm Creek
-Club meetings begin: Sunday, December 30, Lake Elmo
-Birkie Weekend: February 21-23
-Midwest Junior Champs and Festival: March 2-3, Theodore Wirth Park
