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Welcome to the Pentagon Ski Club!


Past Trips

Here's an archive of trips that the club has taken in past years.

    • Sat, May 24, 2025
    • Sat, May 31, 2025
    • Saba
    Register

    May 24-31, 2025 -$2,400

    Listed price includes the dive package.  It DOES NOT include round-trip air.  Non-diver price is $1650.

    The PSC is heading to the Caribbean Island of Saba!!!  Please join us for a week of fun in the sun that includes scuba diving, snorkeling, and island exploration.  Hiking is very popular on Saba!


    The smallest of the Dutch Caribbean islands, Saba (pronounced "sayba") is a rocky volcanic island with a single road (known as "The Road"), lush mountain forests, and excellent scuba diving and snorkeling.


    The five-square-mile island in the northern Caribbean was formed atop a dormant volcano that has not erupted in 5,000 years and offers tremendous hiking trails for the adventurous traveler. In fact, this tiny spot in the Caribbean is a major mecca for eco-tourism vacations, earning it the moniker "The Unspoiled Queen." Saba is more of a wildlife and nature destination than a traditional beach vacation—the island boasts only one beach, and it's not overrun like many all-inclusive resorts.


    Juliana's Hotel

    Our trip includes seven nights in Juliana's Hotel with 5 days of scuba diving, daily breakfast, 7 dinners, 1 lunch, round trip airport transfers, and hotel taxes. The hotel offers an extensive list of amenities including an onsite restaurant, pool and hot tub facilities, free shuttle service, and free wifi.  Juliana’s restaurant, Tropics Café, serves your included breakfast, and offers a full lunch & dinner menus. 


    Basic Trip Includes:

    • 7 nights deluxe oceanfront accommodations at Juliana’s Hotel
    • Breakfast (all 7 days) at Tropics Cafe’ (Juliana’s restaurant), 
    • 1 To-Go lunch (on the dive day of your afternoon dive)
    • 2 dinners at Tropics Cafe’
    • 5 dinners around Saba

    Dive Package ($750 value) Includes:

    • 5 days of 2-tank morning boat dives,
    • 1 afternoon dive, 
    • Nitrox, tanks & weights


      Our Ocean View rooms are air-conditioned with a private bathroom, TV, coffee/tea maker, mini fridge, direct dial telephone, safe, and a porch or balcony, all with spectacular ocean views. 

      Single Rooms:  Listed price is for double occupancy.  Add $645 for the Single Supplement if you want a room to yourself.

      Air Schedule:  Everyone will need to secure their own air for the trip.  Here's the itinerary booked by the trip leader, which you may wish to duplicate.  Flights (Subject to Change) are on United Airlines to St. Maarten, connecting with Winair (Windward Islands Airways International) into Saba:

      OUTBOUND:    Saturday, May 24, 2025
       
        UA #346 Depart Washington Dulles (IAD) 8:17 am  Arrive St. Maarten (SXM) 12:29 pm
        WM #437 Depart St. Maarten 3:50 pm
       Arrive Saba (SAB) 4:10 pm
      RETURN:         Saturday, May 31, 2025
       
       WM #438 Depart Saba (SAB) 4:25 pm
       Arrive St. Maarten (SXM) 4:45 pm
       Overnight Layover in St. Maarten
       
       UA #1223 Depart St. Maarten 3:55 pm - Sunday, June 1
       Arrive Dulles (IAD) 8:17 pm

      Trip Leader's Itinerary - Approx $1,000 cost (as of early January 2025)

      NOTE: The trip leader’s itinerary includes an overnight stay on St. Maarten on 31 May and his return flight to IAD is on 1 June.  This itinerary requires 1-night accommodation (extra cost) with an opportunity to explore St. Maarten for a day.  For those that may be interested, the trip leader booked a one-night reservation at the Hilton Vacation Club Flamingo Beach St. Maarten.

      Airline itineraries to fly back to IAD on 31 May exist but are approximately $300 more expensive.

      Membership Requirement:  Your club membership must be current when signing up for the trip and throughout the duration of the trip.  The trip will be "sanctioned" through the Blue Ridge Ski Council:  Current members of other BRSC member ski clubs may register for the trip

      Trip Information:  

      Beaches:  

      Saba has only 1 beach and is not known for it’s beaches.  CNN travel published a good description of Saba in a 2019 posting: 

      A rare Caribbean island where beaches aren’t the draw

      Other Activities: (You can sign up and pay for these activities at the resort)

      • Snorkeling is available daily by boat. Snorkelers can join the morning dive group boat, but they can never guarantee that the sites are suitable for snorkeling in the morning. They usually take snorkelers out in the afternoon. ($39 per person/per day).
      • A guided hike is $25 per person and a minimum of four hikers needed.
      • A glass blowing class with, JoBean, can be organized. She can take a maximum of four students at a time and cost is $115 per person. The proper class takes about three hours. But she also does free demonstrations
      • Rum tasting can also be organized. Cost is approximately $50 per person, but if you are planning on the rum tasting on Friday it must be completed before 4pm.
      • Bird watching is also available.  Cost is TBD but can be determined at the resort.

      On-Island Transportation:  For the non-divers in the group that may want to explore the island, the hotel offers free shuttle service.  Taxi service is also available around the island. 


      Official Currency:  The official currency is the US Dollar.  There are ATM machines on the island to obtain cash (US Dollars) if needed.


      Trip Insurance:   Emergency medical, evacuation & repatriation insurance (not cancellation insurance) is included with your trip.  This is not cancellation coverage and will not provide any relief if you have to cancel from the trip before it begins, whether for medical or other reasons.  You may upgrade the coverage of this Basic Plan to include cancellation insurance by clicking this link.  It will take you to a flyer describing the Basic Plan and the upgrade options available through Myra Altschuler of Travel Protectors LLC:

      • The Option 2 cancellation plan provides all the benefits of the Basic Plan, but also covers you for cancelling for a number of basic reasons such as illness, injury or death to you or to your traveling companion/ roommate.  You must purchase it within 14 days of putting down your very first dollar towards the trip in order to waive the pre-existing medical condition exclusion.
      • The Option 3 "Cancel For Any Reason" (CFAR) plan provides all the benefits of the Option 2 plan, but also covers you for cancelling for any non-standard reason, or if you just don’t want to go, but you must purchase it within 14 days of putting down your very first dollar towards the trip.  If you cancel your trip for a non-standard reason, your refund will be limited to 75% of your insured trip cost.
      • If you upgrade your coverage with either option through Myra, prior to making your final payment on the trip, we will credit your trip invoice with the $60 cost of the club-provided Basic Plan.
      • If you purchase your own travel insurance, which includes emergency medical, evacuation & repatriation coverage, and inform your trip leader prior to making your final payment on the trip, we will credit your trip invoice with the $60 cost of the club-provided Basic Plan.  You must present your policy to the trip leader to receive the credit.


      DIVERS ALERT NETWORK (DAN):  It is recommended that all divers on the trip purchase a DAN membership (not included in trip cost).  In case of a dive accident, DAN membership can save you thousands of dollars.  DAN membership alone does not provide coverage for costs of a dive accident; dive accident insurance must be purchased separately for each member if you choose. Please see the chart and link below for the levels of membership, associated costs, and detailed information about DAN. https://dan.org/



      Payment Schedule: 

        Initial Deposit
      Feb 19, 2025  March 19, 2025
       Basic Trip
      $1000 $1000 Balance Due
       Single Supplement
       $200 $200 Balance Due



      We’ll confirm your registration after you've signed up (registered) for the trip and we've received your payment:  Pay online by going to our Partial Payments Page where you can make initial deposits &/or interim payments for one or more trips, and for one or more members, in a single transaction.  You may also make partial payments with credit cards at club meetings.  Note:  If you wish instead to pay for the entire trip (or to pay your remaining balance), you should make your payment directly against your trip invoice.  You can find your invoice(s) from your profile page by selecting your name in the upper right corner of the website when you are logged in.

      If you prefer to pay by check, make it payable to the Pentagon Ski Club and mail it to Tom (our club treasurer) at 8203 Lazy Point Lane, Lorton, VA 22079.  Indicate which trip, and what participant(s), it is for.  Or give it to Tom at a club meeting.

      Trip Leader:  

      Tom Gallagher
      gallagher-tj@hotmail.com
      360-516-0643 (c)

    Past Trips

    Sun, March 30, 2025 Arizona: Saguaro National Park & the Sonoran Desert
    Sat, March 22, 2025 Sun Peaks 2025
    Sat, March 15, 2025 Mammoth 2025
    Sat, March 08, 2025 Taos 2025
    Fri, February 28, 2025 Chamonix 2025
    Sat, February 22, 2025 Steamboat 2025
    Sat, February 15, 2025 Crested Butte 2025
    Sat, February 08, 2025 Sun Valley 2025
    Sun, February 02, 2025 Park City 2025
    Sat, January 25, 2025 Breckenridge 2025
    Fri, January 17, 2025 Crans Montana 2025
    Sat, January 11, 2025 Big Sky 2025
    Sat, January 04, 2025 Vail 2025
    Sat, December 28, 2024 Jackson Hole 2025
    Mon, September 30, 2024 Northern Spain and Portugal
    Sat, September 07, 2024 Dominica Scuba Diving & Beach Trip 2024
    Fri, May 24, 2024 Switzerland, Germany & France: The Black Forest & the Alsace Wine Route
    Wed, April 17, 2024 Pure New Zealand
    Sun, March 24, 2024 Revelstoke 2024
    Fri, March 15, 2024 Engelberg 2024
    Sat, March 09, 2024 Whistler 2024
    Sun, March 03, 2024 Sunday River 2024
    Sat, March 02, 2024 Snowmass 2024
    Sat, February 24, 2024 Telluride 2024
    Sun, February 18, 2024 Fernie 2024
    Sat, February 10, 2024 Beaver Creek 2024
    Sat, February 03, 2024 Lake Tahoe/Heavenly 2024
    Sat, January 27, 2024 Winter Park 2024
    Fri, January 19, 2024 Cervinia 2024
    Sat, January 06, 2024 Snowbird 2024
    Mon, September 18, 2023 Italy's Western Coast and Islands
    Tue, May 09, 2023 The Great Rivers of Europe
    Thu, April 20, 2023 Holland Bike and Barge Tour in Tulip Season
    Sat, March 18, 2023 Banff/Lake Louise 2023
    Sat, March 11, 2023 Park City 2023
    Sun, March 05, 2023 Whiteface Lake Placid New York
    Fri, March 03, 2023 Zürs 2023
    Sat, February 18, 2023 Whitefish 2023
    Sat, February 11, 2023 Mammoth 2023
    Sat, February 04, 2023 Copper Mountain 2023
    Sat, January 28, 2023 Crested Butte 2023
    Fri, January 20, 2023 Meribel/Trois Vallées 2023
    Sat, January 14, 2023 Big Sky 2023
    Sat, January 07, 2023 Vail 2023
    Tue, December 27, 2022 Jackson Hole 2023
    Thu, October 27, 2022 Riches of the Mekong
    Tue, August 23, 2022 Southern Africa Safari
    Fri, May 20, 2022 France: Normandy & Brittany
    Sun, May 15, 2022 PSC Outing to the Nationals Game - May 15, 2022
    Thu, April 21, 2022 Ancient Egypt and the Nile River
    Tue, April 12, 2022 April 2022 Club Meeting
    Fri, March 18, 2022 Sierra Nevada 2022
    Sat, March 12, 2022 Taos 2022
    Tue, March 08, 2022 March 2022 Club Meeting
    Sat, March 05, 2022 Snowbird 2022
    Fri, February 18, 2022 Arabba 2022
    Sat, February 12, 2022 Snowmass 2022
    Sat, February 05, 2022 Lake Tahoe/Heavenly 2022
    Sat, January 29, 2022 Sun Valley 2022
    Sat, January 22, 2022 Breckenridge 2022
    Fri, January 14, 2022 Zermatt 2022
    Sat, January 08, 2022 Red Mountain 2022
    Sun, January 02, 2022 Steamboat 2022
    Sat, March 13, 2021 Snowbird 2021
    Sat, February 13, 2021 Jackson Hole 2021
    Sat, February 06, 2021 Telluride 2021
    Sun, January 24, 2021 Crested Butte 2021
    Sat, January 09, 2021 Park City 2021
    Sun, January 03, 2021 Vail 2021
    Sat, March 14, 2020 Taos 2020
    Sat, March 07, 2020 Snowbird 2020
    Sat, February 29, 2020 Lake Louise/Jasper 2020
    Sun, February 16, 2020 Japan Asiafest
    Sat, February 15, 2020 Steamboat 2020
    Fri, February 07, 2020 Vail 2020
    Sun, February 02, 2020 Winter Park 2020
    Sat, January 25, 2020 Snowmass 2020
    Sat, January 11, 2020 Whistler 2020
    Thu, January 09, 2020 Sölden 2020
    Sun, December 29, 2019 Whitefish 2020
    Sat, October 05, 2019 Oktoberfest in Vienna, VA
    Wed, September 18, 2019 Puglia: Italy's Undiscovered Coast
    Fri, September 13, 2019 Italy Showcase
    Sun, June 16, 2019 PSC Outing to the Nationals Game
    Sat, April 13, 2019 PSC Brunch at Matchbox in the Mosaic District
    Sat, April 06, 2019 India and Dubai
    Sat, March 23, 2019 Fernie 2019
    Sat, March 16, 2019 Breckenridge 2019
    Fri, March 08, 2019 Val di Fassa 2019
    Sat, March 02, 2019 Squaw Valley 2019
    Sat, February 23, 2019 Snowmass 2019
    Sat, February 09, 2019 Park City 2019
    Sat, February 02, 2019 Sun Valley 2019
    Fri, January 25, 2019 Davos 2019
    Sat, January 19, 2019 Big Sky 2019
    Sat, January 12, 2019 Beaver Creek 2019
    Sat, January 05, 2019 Whitefish 2019
    Wed, December 26, 2018 Jackson Hole 2018-19
    Tue, October 09, 2018 River Cruise and Land Tour of China
    Mon, September 03, 2018 Provence Bike Tour: The Alpilles
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