PVSC Ski Trips
PVSC Ski Trips 2025!
PVSC is planning an exciting number of trips for the 2025 ski season!
january 31 -February 3, 2025 west branch pond camps
NOTE: This trip is full and that there is a waiting list. Contact Amy DiFrancesco maineamyd@gmail.com to be added to the waiting list.
February 23 - March 1, 2025 parc national de la gaspesie
North of the Maine/New Brunswick border lies Quebec's Gaspesie Peninsula. Stretching to the St. Lawrence Seaway, this rugged piece of Quebec is home to the Chic Choc Mountains, and some of the deepest snow found in eastern North America. This winter, the Penobscot Valley Ski Club offers you the opportunity to tour this incredible region. We have reserved 6 spots on the Mount Logan circuit, and 8 on the Cascapedia circuit. The Mount Logan circuit includes 2 nights at a cabin at the foot of Mount Logan where participants can enjoy tele or AT skiing. Avalanche gear is required if you plan to participate in tele or AT skiing in the backcountry. The Cascapedia circuit is a backcountry tour on classic backcountry skis with a three night stay in the park and two nights at the roadside cabins near the Jeet where we will have access to groomed cross-country trails.
Price: $600 - includes lodging, park pass, gear transport
Trip Itinerary and Details: We will depart from Old Town on February 23 and drive to Village Grande Nature, a small resort just outside of the park. Here we will share dinner and prepare for our ski adventure. The Mount Logan group will ski into the park to the first cabin, Le Huard, where they will spend one night. The next day, we will ski to La Chouette Hut for a two night stay from which we will ski/climb Mt. Logan. The 5th day, we will ski to Le Carouge, another area where participants may enjoy some AT/tele skiing. On the 6th day, we will ski back to Village Grande Nature, then drive to the roadside huts where we will spend our final night. Participants have the option of eating at the Jeet for their final meal of the trip.
The Cascapedia group will also spend the first night at the Village Grande Nature, then drive to the trailhead for the start of the circuit. We will ski to La Paruline Hut for our first night in the park, then Le Pluvier for two nights. This group will ski back to the trailhead parking, then drive to the roadside cabin where we will spend two nights. Participants can ski the groomed trails that can be accessed from the cabin. We will all be together for the last night at the roadside cabins.
Food and Lodging: The trip participants will provide the ingredients for at least one dinner and one breakfast, and share in the preparation of the meals. Participants will bring snacks and the ingredients for packed lunches. We will stay in rustic cabins with bunkroom style sleeping arrangements and wood stoves. There will be no electricity or indoor plumbing in the park. The first cabin at the VGN has indoor bathrooms with showers. There are bathhouses at the roadside cabins.
Equipment: Participants are required to provide skis and personal gear, including a light-weight sleeping bag and day pack. Group camping equipment, including stoves and cookware will be provided. A complete gear list will be provided upon registration. A passport is required to cross the border into Canada. There is a weight limit on the gear that is transported by snowmobile between huts.
Prerequisits: Previous back-county skiing experience is recommended. Participants should expect the trip to be moderately physically challenging, and be capable of skiing hilly, ungroomed terrain for at least 6 hours a day. The distance between huts is 10-19 km.
Risk & Liability: It is important that you understand winter back-country travel, as with any active outdoor pursuit, has inherent risks. You will be asked to fill out a liability waiver form prior to leaving for the trip.
Trip Organizers: Amy DiFrancesco and Dan Cassidy have organized several trips to the Gaspe' in the past. They are not back-country ski experts or guides, but they do have some medical training and back-country ski and camping experience. It is expected that all trip participants participate in group decisions and leadership.
For more specific trip information please contact Amy DiFrancesco; maineamyd@gmail.com
3 nights starting march 7, 2025 highland center amc lodge in bretton woods, new hampshire
Cross-country, backcountry and Alpine Skiing
Pricing varies depending on the number of people per room, private versus shared bath. The base rate is $252 for two people in a Queen room with a private bathroom, including breakfast and dinner. An additional person in a room with a bunk is + $44/night. The Group reservation was made available at last year's rate, which will increase, so book early!
We currently have the following rooms:
7 rooms with queen bed, twin, and private bath
1 room with queen bed and shared bath
4 rooms with 2 sets of bunks (allowing for 2 guests to each have bottom bunk) and shared bath
AMC’s Highland Center offers comfortable, friendly accommodations in one of the most accessible locations in the White Mountains. At the base of Crawford Path, the lodge is located across the street from the Bretton Woods Nordic Center, where you can ski trails that are groomed for both classic and skate skiing, or you can drive a short distance to the Bretton Woods Alpine Center for downhill skiing, or backcountry trails, such as the Zealand Trail.
Following our full buffet breakfast, adventure out for a day in the White Mountains. Return to the lodge for a hearty, home-cooked dinner and settle in for a lively conversation by the fireplace or a quiet evening in your private room. In addition to the included meal service, the Highland Center also offers complimentary activities, including guided day hikes to nearby scenic destinations, instructional talks on outdoor skills or natural history, and in-depth evening programs featuring films and guest speakers presenting on topics from astronomy to winter hiking. Guests should call ahead for the daily schedule during their stay.
Highland Center guests have free use of the L.L.Bean Gear Room, which offers boots, backpacks, outerwear, snowshoes, and more. Our on-site retail store offers books, maps, AMC apparel, gear, USFS parking passes, and last-minute items, and our friendly staff are always available to assist with weather, trail conditions, and other information.
For more information about the Highland Center: https://www.outdoors.org/destinations/new-hampshire/highland-center/
Trip participants may enjoy Classic and skate skiing at the Bretton Woods Nordic Center: https://www.brettonwoods.com/winter_sports/nordic/overview
Alpine skiing at the Alpine Mountain: https://www.brettonwoods.com/winter_sports/alpine/overview
Backcountry skiing: https://www.alltrails.com/us/new-hampshire/bretton-woods/cross-country-skiing
THERE ARE STILL OPENINGS!!!!
If you wish to participate in this trip, please email Amy DiFrancesco: maineamyd@gmail.com
Once I assign you a room, you will need to contact the group reservation number with the information that I provide. The group reservation block will be released on January 6, but the price that they gave us will likely increase by the end of November.
March 2025 Norway - Sjusjøen & Jotunheimen
We had such a fabulous time in Norway that we are returning for another stay in Sjusjøen and Jotunheimen National Park!
Trip details:
Saturday, March 22: Depart USA for Oslo, Norway, arrive March 23.
As with prior trips, we will all make our own flight arrangements. Several airlines fly from Logan with a single connection to arrive at the Oslo airport. You may choose to arrive earlier.
March 23: Transportation between the airport and the Rustad Hotel in Sjusjøe will be provided by the club.
Rustad Hotel in Sjusjøen: Sunday, March 23 – Friday, March 28
Bessheim Fjellstue & Hytter in Jotunheimen National Park: Friday, March 28 - Tuesday, April 01.
Sjusjøen:
Accommodation: Rustad Hotel with arrival Sunday, March 23 - March 27. The cost per person is approximately $160/night. There are different prices for different rooms (with and without balconies and views of the lake, rooms in the hotel versus rooms in the nearby building). The price includes the hotel room and half board (breakfast, a packed lunch from the breakfast buffet, and a three course dinner) and (VAT) taxes. The food is excellent. You can see photos of the hotel and rooms on this website: https://www.rustadhotel.no/hotel/
Skiing in Sjusjøen: The ski trails are accessible right from the hotel. There is no charge to ski on the groomed trails. We recommend that you download a free app called Skisporet. It will show you where you are on the trail in real time, and the time each trail was groomed. There are 350 km of trails in Sjusjøen, groomed for both classic and skate skiing. The famous Birkebeiner race trail goes through Sjusjøen. The trails are mostly intermediate level, but there are some on flat and rolling terrain.
Gear rentals and a waxing room are available.
Jotunheimen National Park March 28-April 01:
Accommodation: Bessheim Fjellstue & Hytter. Bessheim mountain lodge is at the base of a mountain in the Jotunheimen National Park and across from a frozen lake. It is a beautiful lodge that has been in the same family for several generations. https://bessheim.no/ The food is exceptionally good. With today's exchange rate, a double room and half board (buffet breakfast, packed lunch from the breakfast buffet, and a three course dinner) is $133/pp/night.
Skiing in Jotunheimen: This is a great place to AT or Telemark ski (there is no uphill lift service). The mountain is accessed right from the door of the hotel. There are other mountains close by. The avalanche risk is moderate in the spring, which means that you need an avalanche beacon, shovel, probe and the skills to use them. There are groomed classic trails that can be accessed from the hotel. They are on mostly level terrain around the lake, and can provide enough skiing for at least three days.
Transportation: Transportation via large bus between the Rustad Hotel and the Bessheim on March 28, and the Bessheim and the Oslo Airport on April 1 is included in the registration fee.
To join this trip: -Contact Amy DiFrancesco as below. There are still 4 openings for 2025 Norway trip.
Reservations for this trip must first be made with Amy DiFrancesco by emailing her at maineamyd@gmail.com. You must be an existing member of the ski club (2023/24 season), and also join for the 2024/25 season. Once you contact Amy, she will send you another email with a link to the $150/per person trip fee on the PVSC club shop page. Payment by check is also an option, payable to the Penobscot Valley Ski Club, to be sent to Amy. The $150 fee will be used for transportation and other group activities on this trip. If you cancel, you will receive $50 back, only if your spot is filled. Reservations for this trip must first be made with Amy DiFrancesco by emailing her at maineamyd@gmail.com. Do not contact the hotels directly. Since the hotels are holding rooms for us, we need to confirm with them by July 1 at the latest. Later reservations may not be accommodated.
The Bessheim requires a deposit for their rooms, which will be made individually and directly with the hotel.
Each individual will be responsible for paying all their hotel expenses directly to the Rustad and Bessheim. It is likely that participants will need to spend a last night at an airport hotel in Oslo. These reservations can be made individually or as a group. Amy will make enquiries about group rates at a later date.
