COVID Protocols: What to expect
This season, all guests and staff will be required to be fully vaccinated with a Government of Canada-accepted vaccine at least 14 days prior to their arrival date. All guests and staff members must review and agree to our Health Agreement prior to arrival – the agreement will be sent to you by email 14 days prior to your trip. If you are ill, please stay home!
For guests traveling from the USA or other international locations, check out the Canadian Government website’s list of approved vaccines and protocols that will allow you to travel to our funky little mountain town.
All guests at our locations will be required to wear a 3-ply mask whenever two meters of social distancing cannot be achieved. In addition, hand sanitizing, health screenings and following specific protocols around food sharing and interpersonal behaviors are now required in order to participate in our ski programs. We do anticipate regulations and best practices evolving as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds and we will adapt as necessary. We will keep you informed of these changes along the way and appreciate your patience as we all negotiate the challenges ahead.
Safety Operations
When booking with Baldface, you are agreeing to comply with all safety measures we have in place. This also applies to recently developed COVID measures. If you are unable to comply with these new procedures, we kindly ask you to contact our office and we will be happy to work with you in deferring your reservation. Any guest not in compliance with our COVID procedures will not be permitted to participate in our programs. As a business operator in BC, we are under the regulation and direction of the Provincial Health Authority and WorkSafe BC to ensure the health and safety of all guests and staff. In collaboration with our trade association, HeliCat Canada, and other backcountry operators we will continue to go above and beyond standards to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 at our operations.
In the backcountry we function as a unit and we rely on one another to establish a safe and fun mountain experience. We welcome you to review our new procedures and protocols that have been designed with all of our communities in mind. If you have any questions please let us know.
Lastly, please note that harassment or violence of any kind towards staff or other guests will not be tolerated, especially in regard to any of our safety or operations policies and protocols.
Know before you go
It is important to understand that an outbreak of COVID-19 will end your trip and impact the livelihood of the staff providing your experience. It could also have serious impacts on the small communities that service our operation. Please be diligent in following our practices and protocols.
The following steps should be practiced when traveling to and from our location to limit the spread of COVID-19:
- Practice physical distancing,
- Use a face covering or mask when you’re close to others outside of your travel unit,
- Avoid crowded places like restaurants & bars,
- Stay at home and away from others if you feel sick
- Do not travel at all if you have symptoms
- Drive to our location instead of flying, if possible
For more information on preventing the spread of COVID-19 please refer to: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks.html#p
Pre Check-in
All guests are required to complete a health screen prior to arrival day. Please complete the following health screening and follow all directions upon completion. If you receive a prompt to self isolate or get a COVID test after completing the screening, please contact us immediately:
https://ca.thrive.health/covid19/en
If you are feeling unwell or experiencing any of the following cold-like or gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, PLEASE DO NOT PLAN TO SHOW UP AT CHECK IN. Our main priority is for the safety of our guests, staff and community. Please contact our Guest Services team and they will work with you to reschedule your booking. A guest who does not clear our in-person health screenings will not be permitted to participate that day but will be allowed to reschedule their booking (one time, within the season or the following) based on availability and future passing our screening process. Do not travel or show up for check-in if you are experiencing any of the following signs or symptoms:
- Fever and/or chills
- A body temperature in excess of 37.99°C
- A new or recent cough (or worsening chronic cough)
- Headache
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.Anybody who has experienced these symptoms must be symptom-free for at least 72 hrs prior to arrival for their trip.
- Recent diminished sense of smell and/or taste
- Fatigue, malaise, weakness and/or body aches
- Nasal congestion and/or runny nose
- Sore throat
- Generally feeling unwell
You will NOT be allowed to ride with us if you have experienced any of the following circumstances within 14 days prior to the start of your trip:
- You have been in contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19
- You have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
Check-in
With new protocols and procedures in place, it’s more important than ever to arrive promptly. Please note that “the bus/boat/heli waits for no one”.
Upon check-in, it is mandatory to wear a 3-ply mask or face covering and practice physical distancing of at least 2 metres.
It is required that guests and staff sanitize and/or wash their hands prior to undergoing health screening and/or entering any of our buildings, locations and vehicles. There will be plenty of sanitizer and wipes available to disinfect surfaces and items at any time during your trip.
Guests will be required to complete both health screening and safety training upon arrival at the staging area. Any guest who refuses to follow our protocols and procedures, will be asked to leave the area immediately. Absolutely no trip credits or refunds will be given in this situation. Under no circumstances will we be compensate anyone for any inconvenience as a result of being asked to leave for non-compliance with our policies ,vehicles or property for failing to comply
If you or someone in your party begins to feel unwell or develop any of the above symptoms it is crucial you let one of our staff know immediately.
Health Screening
All guests will also be required to undergo further health screening when they arrive at the check-in for their trip. No one will be allowed to begin their trip without successfully passing our in-person health screening. Additional screenings and checks may also be required at any time during a trip and are at the discretion of our staff. Our health screenings will include one or more of the following:
1) Signs and symptoms checklist
2) Travel history
3) Contact tracing and/or cohort information
4) Temperature assessment
5) Pulse oximetry (SpO2)
Our Cat Skiing Procedures
- Whenever possible, maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet (2 meters) from people who are not part of your travel cohort
- Monitoring your health daily and watching for symptoms (see above), as well as wearing a cloth or surgical mask and sanitizing hands when asked to do so
- Should you or any member of your travel cohort develop symptoms:
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- Immediately report the onset of symptoms to a BALDFACE staff member; and
- Immediately isolate in your room
In such circumstances, BALDFACE will assess the next steps, including the need for isolation and possible transportation out of the lodge and testing.
- Generally, when at least six feet (2 meters) of distance from people who are not part of your travel cohort is not possible, a properly worn cloth or surgical mask will be required. This includes, but is not limited to, the helicopter safety briefing, heli-huddle, in the helicopter, in a snow cat and in any BALDFACE vehicle.
- There are specific locations in the lodge where mask use will be mandatory, such as when receiving a massage or attending the morning stretch class.
- There will be capacity limits in some areas of the lodge, such as the sauna.
Optimum ventilation will be maintained by keeping windows in the bus and snow cats open. Please dress accordingly as this could lower temperatures and make things considerably more chilly.
Packed lunches provided by Baldface will be handled by the guides and hand sanitation will be performed before and after all handling of food and containers.
Guests must bring their own water bottle and the guides will handle refilling in a safe manner.
Our Cleaning Procedures
To reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 from contaminated surfaces, we have the following measures in place:
- Our staff are trained to use safe disinfectants that kill infectious diseases including COVID-19.
- We have increased the frequency of disinfecting high-touch surfaces.
- All persons will be asked to sanitize or wash their hands before entering any common areas.
We appreciate your help in assisting us in keeping high touch surfaces clean by frequently washing your hands, covering your mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing, and not touching common surfaces when possible.
We’ll continue to review and update our policies to adhere to the most up-to-date practices to keep our guests and staff safe.
If you have any questions, please call (250) 352-0006 or email us at info@baldface.com anytime.