Explorers Program

Explorers Program at Tussey Mountain

Join the fun in this 5-week program intended to improve the skiing or riding skills of kids, four years old through 5th grade. This is a non-competitive program for all levels, from first-timers to skiers and riders ripping comfortably all over the mountain. Our goal is to improve each child’s skills and confidence while having fun, building friendships, and developing a life-long love of the sport.

Age: 4 Years through 5th Grade

Skill levels:

Please reference this table to determine your child’s ability level, and register them appropriately. It is vital to their success that they are placed into a group that is at their ability level, no matter what color, so they can progress at an appropriate pace. If you participated in the program last year, please reference your child’s report card from the end of last season!

There will be NO switching of groups due to registration errors or intentional registration in the wrong group. What you register for is where your child will be placed. We understand you want your child to participate and the appropriate session may be full, but misgrouping them will only hurt their experience and love of the sport.

If the session you were hoping for is not available, please put yourself on the waitlist. We will be referencing it frequently as spots are available.

Program Duration:

Start Date: Jan 18/19

End: Feb 15/16

**While we have our fingers crossed Mother Nature will bless us with LOTS of snow (do your snow dances), we are running the program for 5 weeks this year to give us some room if the weather/snow does not cooperate.

If you KNOW you will be missing 2 or more weeks, especially the first and/or second week, please consider using other lesson options such as private lesson packages or pawprints. Placing your child in an appropriate group starting week 3, especially for beginners, will not be possible. Absences for other reasons will be handled on a case by case basis.

NEW THIS YEAR:

In order to use our space and staff most efficiently to provide the best quality lessons, we will be splitting our groups based on ability, and offering the program at the following times:

Saturday: 

Sunday: 

Please note, the beginner level lessons will now be 1.5 hours, acknowledging the hard work and energy it takes to learn something new.

Each participant's lift ticket will be good for 5 hours on the day of their lesson, so they can get some extra practice in. On Saturdays, tickets will be valid from 10:30am - 3:30pm, and from 9:00am - 2:00pm on Sundays. 

How to Register

Registration will open for this program on Monday, November 4th at noon. 

1. Go to https://estore.tusseymountain.com
2. Click Log in or Sign Up in the top right corner
   1. Sign in under YOUR account as parent/guardian or create yourself an account if signing up a child. (The system will not let anyone under the age of 18 purchase the IM Program) 
3. Go back to https://estore.tusseymountain.com
4. Select the Explorers Program option
   1. If your child HAS A SEASON PASS: Select the “Season Pass Holder” 
      
   2. If your child is age 5 and under: Register for a 5 and Under Season Pass ($5) before purchasing Explorers Program
   3. If your child DOES NOT HAVE A SEASON PASS: select the “Lifts” option corresponding to the day of the week you will be attending.   
   4. If your child will need to rent equipment: select a package that includes rentals
5. Select the number of Explorers Programs you will be purchasing (1 for each child, if purchasing for multiple).
6. Select “Add to Cart”
   1. Confirm everything looks correct on your order.
7. Select “Check Out”
8. Assign the Explorers Program to a guest (your child) and make sure the listed info is correct. 
   1. If your child has an account but isn’t linked to your account, call us to have your accounts linked. 
   2. If you have your child’s RFID card, select “Can’t Find the Guest You’re Looking For” and enter the customer code seen on the front of the card.
   3. If your child doesn’t have an account, select “Create New Guest” and fill out the required information.
9. Fill out the required information about your child’s ability level and discipline.
10. Continue through the 6 step checkout process.
    1. Make sure to read the final page carefully and check that everything is correct. 

Frequently asked questions:

• Can I switch groups (for whatever reason)?
  • Unfortunately, no. Each session has a set number of students that is determined by many factors including staffing, lift capacity, snow availability, and safety of our participants. We pride ourselves in offering quality lessons, and going over our max capacity would impact everyone’s experience.

• My child wanted to snowboard, but changed their mind and now wants to ski (or vice versa) - can they switch ?
  • Unless there are open spaces in the desired program, we cannot switch groups. Please see the reasons listed above.

• Will lessons be canceled for weather-related reasons like temperature, or snowfall?
  • This is an outdoor, winter program and we all know the weather in central PA can be unpredictable. This program will not cancel unless there is an extreme event. In that situation, a determination will be made by management and Ski Patrol, which will then be communicated to you through email. We will hold off as long as we can on that decision in an attempt to not have to cancel programming, so please check your email before leaving home!
  • If the roads are questionable, please use your best judgment to make a decision for your family as to whether or not to attend. Unless you hear differently, we will be here with bells and whistles, and giant powder day smiles! If you do make the choice to not attend, and lessons are happening, you will not be compensated.
• What kind of clothing is best for my kid to keep warm?
  • Snowfall and cold temps will happen. Please invest in a non-cotton base layer for your young person, a good mid-layer or 2 (fleece is great for staying warm when wet), and a windproof/waterproof outer layer. Good quality waterproof mittens are also a game changer. Googles are suggested to not only keep faces warm but just in case a snow machine may be on. Non-cotton socks that go above their boots are also important for warm feet. Only one pair is necessary if they are a good pair! We will take breaks as needed on our colder days to keep everyone safe!
• What do I do if I am late?

  
  

  • It happens! If you are late and your child’s group has left their meeting spot, please go to the yellow flag and find the supervisor on duty who will assist in finding your instructor. 
• I don’t know my child’s ability level. What should I do?
  • Please read through the descriptions and make the best decision you can based on what you know about your child. Feel free to reach out to the Tussey Programs email address for advice or assistance.
• I want my child to be in a group with their friends. Can you make that happen?
  • Our groups are created based on skill and age to set everyone up for success. While we will take requests into consideration, no guarantees can be made. 

Rates

Cost: $230 (if you have a Season Pass*) / $370 (if you do not have a Season Pass)
*Children 5 and under do not require a Season Pass for our Programs.

Equipment Rental: + $100