Day Trip Bus Procedures

BUS FEES must be paid in advance in order to reserve a seat.  You can now buy an extra seat for comfort space by indicating that under person name when buying a seat.

• Members/Applicants/Family(Family is any child, age 7 years to 17 years as a guest of member/Applicant): $12 round trip
• Guests (18+yrs) of members /applicant $22

All ticket (downhill) and trail pass (cross country) must be prepaid in advance. No matter which purchase option that applies to the trip. Costs vary by ski area and are published in the downhill bus and the cross country bus schedules. Keep in mind that every trip requires advance purchase. This is a result of the mountains requiring it.

Based on each mountain, they have a different purchasing requirements, so please pay close attention to the new rules.

Killington, Pico

You must use an OC discount code for mountain direct lift ticket purchase. You get the best discount the earlier you buy your lift ticket. You would then print out a voucher and redeem it at the ticket window. Be prepared with your ID and club membership card.

Okemo, Hunter, Mount Snow

No group discount! Mountain website advance purchase.

Gore Mountain, Sugarbush, Whiteface, Belleayre

Group discount with advance purchase OC website link to PayPal.

Buddy Tickets

Each mountain has buddy ticket offers. A number of members have offered their tickets to share. So we have started a list. Please reach out to the Bus Committee if you are interested in sharing the discounted lift tickets or looking to get the discount. Email your name, cellphone number and number of buddy tickets you have to share. Also let us know what discount tickets and days your interested in.

We will do our best to match people up.

Council Day Ticket Purchases

Tickets are purchased online in advance directly with the mountain. When you pick up your lift ticket at the mountain. Be prepared to show your identification along with your OC membership card and you must have a council sticker on the back of your membership card. You can obtain the council sticker at any OC meetings.

OCbuscomm@gmail.com

Weekday buses are for adults (18 and older) only.

No family buses are run on weekdays unless otherwise noted in the downhill bus trip schedule or the cross country bus trip schedule.

Happy Hour buses are always adult-only buses.

Family members (age 7-17 years) are welcome to ride with their parent/guardian on family buses, which include all Sunday buses, as well as other designated  buses during school holidays and other selected dates.

The bus fee for family members is the same as the member/applicant bus fee ($12.) A Guest Release form (available on the bus) for each child must be completed and signed by their parent/guardian.

Minimum Participation

Day bus trips will be canceled if we do not reach a minimum of 21 pre-paid sign-ups. We are expecting both riders buying tickets & ones who are not buying tickets (season pass holders). It is possible to have a lift ticket purchase cancellation and the bus still go to the mountain with season pass-holders and people who are on their own for lift tickets. Any time there is a lift ticket cancellation (of the mountain group lift tickets purchase), you will receive  a refund for lift tickets, not PayPal fees.

Weather

We do not cancel downhill bus trips due to weather unless Brown Coach can’t supply us with a bus or the ski area is closed.

Cross country bus trips are subject to adequate snow fall.

If the day bus trip is cancelled, you will be notified by either email or text message (this is why you need to provide the best phone and email contact information), and you will receive a refund of Bus fee.

Refunds

For Mountain Direct Purchases, you may get a discounted credit or full transfer credit towards future purchase.

Third-party Purchases

(council days, for example), no refund or sometimes a discounted credit may be available.

OC PayPal Purchases, no refund of PayPal fees, but lift ticket only refundable, if we do not have enough for a group purchase.

For your convenience, each day bus trip has at least two designated pick-up locations, unless otherwise specified.

Please refer to the downhill bus trip schedule or the cross country bus trip schedule to find out what the pick-up locations will be for any given trip.

Downhill Bus Trips

Albany departure times for all downhill buses is 7:00 am. Please refer to the downhill bus trip schedule  to confirm departure time.

Buses will arrive at the 1st pick-up location ½ hour before departure time. Buses depart PROMPTLY on time. Those catching the bus at the 1st pick-up location should arrive a minimum of 15 minutes prior to departure to allow adequate time to load your equipment on the bus.

IMPORTANT: Please note that the 2nd pick-up is basically a stop en route and does NOT have a specified departure time. Once all of the passengers and equipment have been loaded at the 2nd pick-up, the buses will leave promptly. Passengers catching the bus at the 2nd pick-up location should plan to arrive in advance accordingly.

Cross Country Bus Trips

Albany departure times for all buses is 7:00 am. Please refer to the Cross Country bus trip schedule  to confirm departure time.

Buses will arrive at the 1st pick-up location ½ hour before departure time. Buses depart PROMPTLY on time. Those catching the bus at the 1st pick-up location should arrive a minimum of 15 minutes prior to departure to allow adequate time to load your equipment on the bus.

IMPORTANT: Please note that the 2nd pick-up is basically a stop en route and does NOT have a specified departure time. Once all of the passengers and equipment have been loaded at the 2nd pick-up, the buses will leave promptly. Passengers catching the bus at the 2nd pick-up location should plan to arrive in advance accordingly.

All passengers must follow the trip leader’s instructions for departing from the bus.

If for any reason you are not returning with the Club, you must notify your bus leader in advance.

Downhill Bus Trips

Buses will depart from the ski area at 4:30 PM (unless otherwise announced). Please plan to board the bus no later than 4:15 PM. Buses will not be held for missing passengers. In order to account for everyone, all riders must return to their seat on the same bus on which they arrived. Bottled water is provided to all passengers once the bus count has been verified and the bus is ready to go.

Cross Country Bus Trips

Buses will depart from the ski area at 4:00 PM (unless otherwise announced). Please plan to board the bus no later than 3:45 PM. Buses will not be held for missing passengers. In order to account for everyone, all riders must return to their seat on the same bus on which they arrived. Bottled water is provided to all passengers once the bus count has been verified and the bus is ready to go.

The club may be able to obtain discounted equipment rentals at some ski areas

Please contact the bus committee if you need rentals.

Skis, poles and larger bags must be stowed in the lower luggage compartments beneath the passenger seating area. Do not lean skis on buses. You may place ski boots and smaller bags securely in the overhead racks on the bus. Ski bags are recommended. Wet items should be stored in the lower luggage compartments or placed in plastic bags and placed under the seats for the ride home.

IMPORTANT: On the return trip, all passengers departing the bus in Albany should store their equipment in first two compartments and all passengers departing at the other location(s) should store their equipment in the rear compartment(s).

Also, please make sure you have your own equipment when you depart from the return bus. Many bags look alike in the dark. Labeling your equipment and bags will help resolve problems that arise.

The Out of Control Ski Club is not responsible for any lost items, either on the bus or at the ski area. Clearly label all of your equipment and bags with your name and phone number as it will greatly improve your chances of recovering a lost item.

Bus leaders will make every attempt to retrieve any equipment or personal items left behind on the bus and will either bring them to the meetings or give them to the appropriate bus committee member. Any recovered items that are not retrieved in a reasonable amount of time may be disposed of at the discretion of the Club.

If you have lost an item, it is your responsibility to follow up with the appropriate bus committee member, or contact the ski area or Brown Coach directly if the item was not found by the bus leader.

Please use good judgment on the bus and at the ski area.

Inappropriate behavior may result in removal from the bus and you will be responsible for your own transportation home.

You must present your OC Ski Club membership.   If you do not have the OC Membership card, you may be charged the Guest Rate (additional $10)