Category Archives: Blog

How to Pack a Hiking Backpack

If you’re ever wondering what to do in Blue Mountain, the area offers lots of great hiking trails. But what many hikers don’t know is that, if they never learned how to pack a hiking backpack, they may not be enjoying their hikes to the fullest.

And if you plan a full-on backpacking trip, the sooner you learn to pack a backpack, the better.

Pack a Backpack in Zones

Whether you’re hiking, skiing or using your backpack for air travel, the following packing principles remain the same. Before you pack, imagine the backpack being divided into three zones and use those zones to guide your packing.

Zone 1 – The bottom of the pack. Contrary to what many packers do, the bottom of the pack is for lighter items. If you’re overnighting, carry your sleeping bag at the bottom of the pack. Any extra clothing or light raingear you want to take ‘just in case’ would also do well in Zone 1.
Zone 2 – The middle of the pack, closest to your body. This is where you should pack your heaviest items like food and an extra water bottle. If you’re out in the wild, your bear canister would go here too. Placing heavier items in the middle of the pack, against your body, keeps them close to your center of gravity, which keeps you in better balance. That reduces strain on your back, shoulders, and legs by reducing the need to ‘fight’ the weight as you hike.
Zone 3 – The top and the mid-section away from your body. Zone 2 is for medium-weight items like first aid kits, a sleeping pad or light climbing tools.

Using the Zones principle to pack your back stops it from being top or bottom heavy, which will help you hike all day long.

If you liked this post, check out our recent article on what to wear for cross-country skiing.

Toronto to Blue Mountain: The Perfect Escape from the City

A guide from Stay at Blue Mountain for planning a trip from Toronto to Blue Mountain

If you’re planning a trip from Toronto to Blue Mountain, the perfect escape from the city awaits you. As part of the Niagara Escarpment, Blue Mountain is an excellent destination for a winter or summer weekend getaway or a week-long vacation. Located near Georgian Bay, just west of Collingwood, Ontario, the Blue Mountain Ski Resort is about 160 km from downtown Toronto.

How to Get From Toronto to Blue Mountain

While most people make the trip to Blue Mountain by car, there are probably more transportation options than you think, including scheduled routes via a shuttle service, bus service, rail/bus connections, and even by air.

Depending on how you get to Blue Mountain, travel times and ticket prices can vary according to the season. If you’re traveling by car the step-by-step route is relatively simple. Take Highway 400 north to Highway 26 west in Barrie and follow the signs all the way to Blue Mountain. Plan at least one and a half hours for the trip. You can also save yourself a lot of time by buying ski lift tickets and passes and arranging your accommodations beforehand.

Where to Stay and What to Do in Blue Mountain

Most of the action in Blue Mountian centers around the Village at the foot of the ski and snowboard runs. You can enjoy the shops, dining and nightlife attractions year-round in the Village as well as many seasonal activities. In winter, in addition to skiing and snowboarding, you can go tubing, ice skating and snowshoeing. In summer, you can golf, hang out at the beach, mountain bike, enjoy a festival or the many adventure attractions all on-site.

Your choices for accommodations are almost as varied as the available activities in Blue Mountain. Singles and couples can choose one of the many hotel rooms and suites in the Village.

Larger groups have the inviting option of living the luxury-chalet lifestyle at one of the well-appointed chalets that surround the Village. Chalets at Blue Mountain are available year-round for large groups of all sizes of families, friends and corporate retreats. You can choose chalets that feature indoor or outdoor swimming pools, hot tubs, fireplaces, air conditioning, and/or saunas. All chalets have free high-speed wi-fi.

If you liked this post, check out our recent article on why Blue Mountain is such a popular ski destination.

What to Wear for Cross-Country Skiing

It might be the best outdoor aerobic activity that’s exclusive to winter. If you’re ever wondering what to do in Blue Mountain in winter, it’s also a great way to explore the area in ways that you can’t do at any other time of year. But if you don’t know what to wear for cross-country skiing, you might not fully enjoy all it has to offer.

Dressing for Cross-Country Skiing Versus Other Winter Activities

Also known as Nordic skiing, cross-country skiing requires a different approach to the clothing you wear versus other outdoor activities in the winter, like downhill skiing and snowmobiling. The vigorous activity means you need clothing that not only keeps you warm and dry but also doesn’t restrict your movement too much.

Here’s What to Wear When Cross-Country Skiing

The combination of different levels of exertion and the variety of weather conditions in which you might cross-country ski means you need to pay close attention to what you wear.

Dress in Layers – The effort needed to cross-country ski can generate a lot of body heat. That means it’s crucial to dress in lighter layers of clothing instead of one or two heavy layers. Layering also lets you adjust your clothing as needed to remove or add layers as you ski.

The standard three-layer approach is a good place to begin. Wear a base layer, the one next to your body, that’s relatively tight fitting and moisture-wicking. The second layer is your insulating layer for warmth. A zip-up thermal fleece is a good second layer. The third layer should be a durable, water-repellent outer shell that is breathable.
For Your Head, Hands and Feet – Layering applies to other parts of your clothing too. To avoid cold hands, you can wear liner gloves covered by insulated ski gloves. On your feet, wool or synthetic socks will help keep them warm and dry and ski boots will work as the outer layer. On your head, you can use a light cap on warmer days and a wool or fleece thermal beanie in colder conditions.
A Light Back Pack – It’s often difficult to predict how weather conditions and your levels of exertion will affect your body temperature and clothing requirements. If it’s a sunny, warm day, you’ll know to use lighter layers. But if you’re not sure, consider using a light backpack to carry extra layers that you might need or to store layers that you shed.

If you liked this post, check out our last article on why Blue Mountain is such a popular ski destination.

What to Wear Skiing & Snowboarding

Learn what to wear skiing in today's article by Stay at Blue Mountain

Skiing and/or snowboarding are probably at the top of every list of what to do in Blue Mountain. It’s always nice to see skiers and snowboards from around the world enjoying everything the area has to offer. What isn’t so nice is to see people who aren’t dressed properly to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

The Two Basic Guidelines of Dressing for the Slopes

Keep the following guidelines in mind when you’re getting ready to enjoy the slopes.

Stay Warm & Dry – It might sound obvious, but you should dress to stay warm while being outside for an extended period and dry even when you sweat, or fall in the snow!
Avoid Cotton – It’s tempting to wear your favourite cotton jeans and sweatshirt, but they can trap moisture and make you cold

What to Wear on the Ski Hills and Snowboard Runs

Use the following tips to make sure you stay comfortable all day long.

1. Use the 3-Layer Rule for Upper and Lower Body – It’s a big mistake to under-dress or over-dress for winter activities. Use the following three layers to avoid both.
  - Base Layer – This is the layer next to your skin and it should stay dry. Synthetic thermal long underwear wicks away sweat and moisture.
  - Warmth Layer – Like the name implies, this mid layer should help keep you warm while minimizing moisture. Thermal polyester and wool both offer warmth and dryness.
  - Outer Shell – The main goal of the outer layer is to keep out wind, rain and snow while being breathable to help evaporate sweat.

Keep Your Head Warm & Protected – First, we recommend you always wear a helmet. To stay warm, thermal beanies are becoming increasingly popular because of how easily they fit under your helmet.
Protect Your Eyes – Sunglasses can help. But goggles are best for protecting your eyes from snow, cold and glare.
Have Warm & Dry Hands – The best snowboard and ski gloves or mittens provide all-in-one ‘3-layer’ protection to keep your hands dry and warm.
Use the Right Footwear – Snowboard and ski boots are designed to keep your feet warm. So all you need to do is wear single-layers of wool or acrylic socks to keep your feet dry.

If you liked this post, check out our last article on five things you might not have considered for your company retreat.

Why Blue Mountain is Such a Popular Ski Destination

What the experience of skiing at Blue Mountain is like

Talk to anyone who has visited Blue Mountain and they will tell you about the wide range of different activities they enjoyed. From unforgettable culinary experiences to spelunking, you can come back year after year and never do the same thing twice.

That said, there’s no denying that Blue Mountain is and always will be synonymous with skiing. Before the development of the Blue Mountain Ski resort, the area was just a nice, scenic corner of Ontario.

What Makes Blue Mountain a Popular Ski Destination?

The answer to that question might seem obvious. You can’t have a popular ski resort without great skiing.

But Blue Mountain is the third most popular ski destination in Canada. So what makes it stand out as a resort.

Lots of Skiing Options for Everyone – We can’t have a list of reasons why Blue Mountain is so popular for skiing without starting with, well, skiing. Even regular visitors may not realize there are 42 ski trails at Blue Mountain, many of them equipped for night skiing.
Beginners can get expert ski instruction and rent all the equipment they need. All skiers can choose to ride trails of varying difficulty, from ‘easy’ to ‘expert only’, including gladed, off-piste skiing. If you like to freestyle ski or snowboard, there are over 10 terrain parks for you to get your fix.
The Village – At the foot of Mountain lies the pedestrian-only Village. When the skiing is done, you can take in live music, do some shopping or enjoy a great meal and refreshments.
Excellent Accommodations – You can choose to stay in resort accommodations right in the Village. Or you can enjoy one of the beautiful, well-appointed chalets that surround the Mountain. In any case, couples, families, groups of friends or those attending a corporate retreat will find the accommodations very much to their liking.

To learn more about enjoying the ski destination that is Blue Mountain, including premium chalet rentals, get in touch with Stay at Blue Mountain.

Things to Do in and Around Blue Mountain in November 2018

Looking for what to do in Blue Mountain Collingwood during November? Read today's blog for ideas | Stay at Blue Mountain

Considering we’ve turned the clocks back, there’s no denying we’re into cooler weather now. And that’s great because it means the ski season is just around the corner.

Unfortunately, many people think this is a ‘down’ time here in Blue Mountain and that there are not many things to do. They figure the summer activities are done and the real winter fun doesn’t start until the snow flies and the skiing starts.

But Blue Mountain is a year-round resort! And the surrounding cities and towns are always full of activity too.

5 Things to Do in Blue Mountain and Collingwood in November and December

Here are just a few reasons to visit the Blue Mountain area this November and December.

Fallicious – Now until November 30th, Blue Mountain Village – If you love a good meal in a great restaurant, you’ll love it even more during Fallicious. Whether it’s lunchtime or time for a nice supper, you’ll enjoy amazing discounts at many of the great restaurants throughout the Village.
Collingwood Santa Claus Parade, Downtown Collingwood – November 17th – Santa Claus is coming to town! Head to Downtown Collingwood for the official launch of Christmas in the Collingwood and Blue Mountain area. The parade runs in the early evening to take advantage of the beautiful light displays. You can also visit Santa’s reindeer-in-training, see the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree and listen to carolers singing your favourite Christmas songs.
Reinvent Your Business Retreat – November 24th, Blue Mountain Inn Conference Centre – Blue Mountain isn’t just for fun and recreation. It’s great for business too. At the Reinvent Your Business retreat you will learn how to analyze your business to identify what isn’t working for you. With the inefficiencies out of the way, the path forward to more fulfillment and rewards from your business is clear.
Ring of Fire – A Johnny Cash Experience – November 24th – The Historic Gayety Theatre Collingwood – Collingwood is famous for its Elvis Festival, but this is your chance to celebrate the golden age of Johnny Cash’s career. A full band accompanies lead singer, Andy Vickers, as they bring to life the music and on-stage magic that was Johnny Cash in the 1950s and 1960s.

Even if you don’t visit one of these great events, there’s still lots to do in Blue Mountain in November. And if you’re looking for group accommodations in premium chalets, contact us here at Stay at Blue Mountain.

5 Things You Might Not Have Considered for Your Company Retreat

Things to consider at a company retreat | Stay at Blue Mountain

From improved employee motivation and morale, to team building and rewarding your people for a job well done, the benefits of a corporate retreat are many. That means that good planning for your company retreat is crucial if you’re to reap all the rewards it offers.

But that’s a lot easier said than done. From competing priorities between departments to different dietary requirements between employees, successful planning for a company retreat is not a simple task.

Fortunately, due to the popularity of corporate retreats, you can find lots of great online tips to help your planning.

5 Company Retreat Planning Tips You Might Not Think About

Our chalets here at Stay at Blue Mountain are the setting for many company retreats every year. With its mix of mother nature and creature comforts, Blue Mountain is a great location for company retreats.

So we thought we’d scour different online tips for retreat planning and pick out a few that businesses don’t always consider.

1. Plan the Event Outside the Office

from 6 Things to Consider When Planning a Business Retreat”.

Advice: “Disrupting the company’s ordinary routine may help usher in new ways of working together. You may want to avoid any distractions during your retreat—consider picking someplace where your team can relax and learn new ways of communicating and collaborating.”

2. Find a Good Place to Work

from 5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Company Retreat.

Advice: “Remote workers understand the challenge of coming by dependable internet outside an office environment. Finding a relatively quiet place with decent internet (and decent coffee) can be quite the treasure hunt.”

3. Find an Accessible Outdoor Spot

from 5 Tips to Plan a Remarkably Productive Company Retreat.

Advice: “Locations that offer a myriad of outdoor activities are hugely popular. The Huffington Post reports that connections with nature have been proven to improve an employee’s performance at work.”

4. The Power of Fun

from 5 Tips for an Effective Team Retreat.

Advice: “Get creative when planning activities for your team retreat. Don’t settle for the same old, same old. Consider where you will be holding the retreat, what equipment or resources are available to you, what your employees are interested in and plan around these factors.”

5. Never Underestimate the Importance of Food

from 7 Tips for a Stellar Company Retreat.

Advice: “This may be the single most significant element in a successful retreat. If the food is terrible, people will droop and look for the exits, but if the food is the tastiest you can afford, folks will suddenly be happy to hang around and bond. If you have to cut anything from the budget, don’t let it be the food.”

There you have it. To learn more about planning a company retreat, or to book one of our well-appointed chalets in Blue Mountain for your next retreat, contact Stay at Blue Mountain, today.

Why Blue Mountain is a Great Place for a Destination Wedding

Blue Mountain for Destination Wedding | Stay at Blue Mountain

Every bride and groom want their wedding day to be special, different, something that is uniquely theirs. Destination weddings are a popular way of doing that. But costs can get out of control quickly and it’s a lot to ask your guests to spend extra money to attend your wedding.

But what if you could find a closer destination, one with all of the amenities of a world-class resort, vacation town and travel destination all rolled into one?

5 Reasons to Choose Blue Mountain for Your Destination Wedding

One of the main reasons for having a destination wedding is to get the chance to spend more time with your family and guests. But that can only happen if the destination offers lots of options for getting together. You need great restaurants, activities, excursions, and a beautiful setting as a backdrop for it all.

With that in mind, the Blue Mountain area, including Collingwood and the Blue Mountain Resort, might be one of the best wedding destinations on the world.

The Setting for Your Ceremony

Imagine just the two of you riding a gondola to the top of the Mountain to celebrate your outdoor wedding overlooking Georgian Bay. Or, if you prefer the beaches you get in tropical destinations, you can have that in Blue Mountain too. And if you want a traditional church wedding, Collingwood is home to beautiful churches that are characteristic of small-town Ontario.

Think of the Photo Ops

Imagine a dock, in a bay, at sunset. Or dancing through the streets of Blue Mountain Village. Or the breathtaking scenery at the top of the Mountain. Or the waves crashing on Georgian Bay’s shores. Just the photo ops alone are a great reason to choose Blue Mountain for your wedding.

Dinner & Reception

Your options are almost endless here too. Collingwood and the Blue Mountain area are blessed with lots of great venues, from straightforward banquet halls to full-on conference centres.

Things To Do

This is where Collinwood and Blue Mountain leave other wedding destinations way behind. Golf, zip lining, sailing, winter skiing (yes, you can consider a winter wedding!), water skiing, nightlife, hiking, outdoor concerts, mountain biking, horseback riding, spa retreats, sitting on a patio. And that’s just for starters.

Destination Wedding Without the Destination Wedding Costs

Just a couple hours drive from Toronto and most of Southern Ontario, Collingwood, and Blue Mountain are close by. That means you and your guests don’t have to worry about airfare and most other travel costs.

Last but not least, there are great options for accommodations in Blue Mountain for all your guests. One of the most popular choices is to have your guests share a premium chalet near the Mountain. Equipped with all the amenities, and private rooms for everyone, your guests enjoy a taste of the chalet lifestyle while helping you celebrate your nuptials. Contact Stay at Blue Mountain to learn more.

A Brief History of Jozo Weider & the Blue Mountain Resort

The story of blue mountain resort | Stay at Blue Mountain

The Blue Mountain area near Collingwood is blessed with more attractions for visitors than most tourist destinations. There are so many things to do and sights to see that even those who return year after year find attractions they never knew about before.

Whether you’re looking for outdoor activities, like skiing, hiking, biking and water sports; unique natural features, like the mountain itself, caves and Georgian Bay; restaurants and nightlife; theatres; museums; arts and crafts, urban settings or a chalet getaway, Blue Mountain offers it and much more.

But there’s no denying that, without the Blue Mountain Ski Resort, not as many people would have discovered the treasures that Blue Mountain offers. And the story of how the ski resort came to be is a good one.

The Story of Blue Mountain Resort

All you have to do to start learning about who started the Blue Mountain Ski Resort is drive to it. No matter which direction you come from, you’ll end up on Jozo Weider Blvd. before you get there.

While Jozo is famous as the founder of the resort, few know of his extensive background in building and managing ski chalets and resorts.

Still in his 20s, Jozo built a ski chalet near the Carpathian Mountains in what was then Austria-Hungary. He worked there as the innkeeper, mountain guide and photographer.

Just before the outbreak of World War II, Jozo and his family moved to Canada. He found work as a ski instructor at Quebec City’s famed Chateau Frontenac, before working at the Inn in Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson in rural Quebec.

In 1941, after meeting Peter Campbell in Quebec, the two formed a partnership to build the Blue Mountain Ski Resort. Jozo moved his family into a farm at the foot of the mountain. The family worked the farm in the summers as Jozo oversaw the development of the ski runs and resort amenities around them.

The contrast between the Blue Mountain area then and now is striking. Today, Collingwood is primarily the town most closely associated with Blue Mountain. But in the 1940s, Collingwood was a centre for ship building and apple growing.

Driving to Blue Mountain wasn’t easy. Early visitors to the ski resort had to get there by train, arriving at the station in nearby Craigleith.

Today, Blue Mountain Resort is the third largest ski resort in Canada, behind only Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia and Mont Tremblant in Quebec.

The next time you visit Blue Mountain Resort, and you’re walking through the beautiful Blue Mountain Village, remember this: the Village is built on what used to be a hayfield on the Weider family’s farm.

If you’re looking for well-appointed chalets that accommodate larger groups within short walking distances of Blue Mountain Resort & Village, get in touch with us here at Stay at Blue Mountain.

Try This Fun Quiz of Interesting Blue Mountain Facts

Fun Quiz of Interesting Blue Mountain Facts | Stay at Blue Mountain

What would happen if you walked more or less straight south along the ridge that runs atop the Blue Mountains near Collingwood?

You’d end up walking across the precipice of Niagara Falls!

Of course, Blue Mountain attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, all year round. Many of those visit year after year too. Some come for the skiing, some for the boating, and others come looking for Elvis.

But we bet lots of them might not know the answers to all the questions below.

Take The Blue Mountain Quiz

Who is Mayor of the town of The Blue Mountains?

Answer: John F. McKean. But municipal elections are scheduled for October 22nd, 2018, and Mayor McKean has decided not to seek reelection.

When was the last time a tornado passed through Blue Mountain?

Answer: A category F2 tornado tracked through Craigleith, at the foot of Blue Mountain on August 20, 2009.

Multiple Choice!

Blue Mountain Resort is the largest mountain village resort in Ontario. It’s best known for its winter skiing. The Resort employs 420 people year-round. How many times more people are employed for the winter season versus the summer season.

a. 3
b. 6
c. 9

Answer: A (approximately 1200 added winter employees and 300 added summer employees.)

Water sort of ladder is permanently in place in the heart of Thornbury?

It’s almost directly across the road from the municipal offices for the town of The Blue Mountains.

Answer: A fish ladder. The Fishway, which helps spawning salmon and trout head up the Beaver River from Georgian Bay. Interestingly, The Fishway has earned a lofty 4.3 rating (out of 5) on Google. But we’re not quite sure how one rates a fish ladder, unless you ask the fish.

What is the approximate vertical drop of the ski hills on Blue Mountain?

Answer: 220 metres – The Blue Mountains run along the Niagara Escarpment. But the Escarpment must grow as it heads north from the Falls. The vertical drop at the Falls is about 50 metres.

Here’s one last one.

Where can you stay near Blue Mountain Villages in premium chalets with comfortable accommodations for large groups? Contact us at Stay at Blue Mountain to find out!