Welcome to Skibo!
As a guest we welcome you to a great time at our lodge, called Skibo. We'd like to inform you of a few matters that will facilitate your stay. Please be reminded that it is a private lodging facility and not a hotel.
If the front door is locked when you arrive and your host never mentioned where the key is hidden, please ask your sponsoring member. Please remember to hang the key back immediately. Inside the lodge, please sign in everybody on the sheet on the bulletin board (one name per line). There you will also find a reservation list with your name and room number and a plan of the house. Boots are placed on the shelf in the entry hall, and skis and snowboards can be stored in the garage. If you are renting linens, to find the linen closet go upstairs, turn right, and it is the first room on the right.
Each room is individually heated and has a thermostat. When you leave your room, please lower the temperature, as it heats up quickly when needed. Sheets and towels are available for a nominal fee from the linen closet upstairs.
Skibo has a fully functioning kitchen, in which you may cook your meals. Please mark all your food items and discard them or take them home when you leave. Items marked with "SSC" can be used by anybody. Coffee and tea is generally available.
For your enjoyment Skibo has cross-country equipment (boots, skis and poles) to be rented for a nominal fee.
As we don't have a daily housekeeper, it is essential that everybody helps out.
The following is a list of guest responsibilities:
- Keep the door to your room closed. This is a fire regulation.
- Vacuum your room including under the beds .
- Put used linen and towels in the cloth bags in the shed at the end of the front deck.
- Remove toys and magazines and any junk left in the room.
- Vacuum the common areas if new guests are due to arrive before the Tuesday cleaning or if the floors have crumbs and food items on them.
- Empty the waste container in your room and bathroom.
- Wash dishes, empty dishwasher, remove dishes from drying racks.
- Host and/or last person out please make sure to tie off the plastic bag in the kitchen garbage barrels, remove to the garbage locker out side, turn off the oven
The following is a list of responsibilities of our weekly housekeeper, Lisa Brown. She usually comes Tuesdays and can be reached at (802)824-3690.
Kitchen [weekly]
- Clean toaster oven, toaster, stove top, ovens and stove drip trays, mop/disinfect floor, wipe down counter tops, remove all perishable items from refrigerators and discard, clean/wipe down refrigerators, remove any garbage left in the kitchen garbage barrels, twist tie and place in the garbage locker outside.
Cold room [weekly]
- Vacuum, remove and discard any perishable items. Wine/liquor/beer may remain in place. No chips, cereal and the like may remain due to our mouse problem.
Bathrooms [weekly]
- Mop/disinfect bathroom floor including corners, clean sinks and shelves, clean tubs and shower stalls, remove towels that may have been left behind. Place any towels in the cleaning service bags in the garbage locker for cleaning.
Living areas [weekly]
- Vacuum common areas including under furniture in the living room and TV room to remove any food scraps.
- Vacuum hallways and foyer
- Put away toys and note the date you discovered the toys left out of place
- Wipe down bar and tables.
- Close all doors in the house, due to fire regulations.
Living areas/bedrooms [monthly]
- Vacuum/dust lampshades, bookcases, pictures, dressers in bedrooms and living areas.
- Vacuum coaches/pillows and chairs in living areas.
- Remove cobwebs and sneaky dust bunnies throughout house
Laundry room [monthly]
- Wipe down washer and dryer
- Vacuum floor and remove cob webs, empty trash.
- Place articles of clothing in Lost and Found crate in foyer
Sauna [monthly]
- Mop/disinfect shower stalls, remove beverage containers, bottle caps. Place any towels in the cleaning service bags in the garbage locker for cleaning.
Weekend schedule:
5 PM Women's sauna.
6 PM Men's sauna. The last person leaving the sauna is responsible for draining the water. See instructions.
7 PM Cocktail hour with your own drinks. Bring an appetizer to share.
8 PM Saturday: Sit down dinner, when arranged by the weekend's guests. Bring your own dinner drinks.
Before leaving Skibo please be sure to fill out a room-sheet (in a plastic pocket by the phone) and give the payment to your host, who is responsible for closing the house according to instructions and sending payments to the reservation manager.
For more information, please see the blue binder at the desk in the dining room.
Following are the House Rules of Skibo:
GENERAL
All members and guests must sign the Guest Record in the clip board on the bulletin board in the entrance upon arrival (one name per line).
Food items are stored in the refrigerators and freezers in the kitchen and the utility room. Beer and soft drinks are stored in the upper refrigerator on the shelf in the utility room.
Kitchen facilities should be left clean after every meal, and the dishwasher should be emptied when finished.
Please turn down the individual room thermostats to 45°F when leaving in the morning, and turn them back up again when you return in the afternoon. This does not apply for room 10, 11, 12: Please follow the posted instructions in those rooms. When leaving for home, turn thermostats OFF during April-Oct. and to 40°F during Nov.-March
Room #8 may be used as a playroom for small children during the day and early evening. It is equipped with furniture for "small people", toys and a TV set. Families with small children should be given first option on this room.
The Lodge is equipped with garden furniture and a pool. The cushions for the furniture are stored in the pool house. The pool is maintained by the caretaker. The water circulation is regulated by a timer, and only some skimming is required by the guests.
USE OF POOL: It is understood that anybody, member or guest, who uses the Pool, does so at his or her own risk and that such person shall have no claim against The Swedish Ski Club, its directors, officers or agents for injury of any nature, suffered by such person while using the Pool, even if such injury is caused by the negligence of the Club, its directors or agents.
When not in use, the gas grill should be stored in the garage or under the rear porch. During the winter, it will be stored in the garage.
Breakage and destruction of furniture/equipment has to be paid for by the individual(s) responsible for such acts or, when applicable, by the parent(s) of the individual(s) in question.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages by individuals under 21 is not permitted at the lodge.
Smoking is permitted only on the porches. There shall be no smoking inside the lodge.
The lodge telephone is located on the dining room desk. All long distance calls (outside 297-, 362- & 824- areas) have to be made collect or by using calling cards, or by debiting the calls to the caller's home telephone number.
If it becomes necessary to light fires simultaneously in the living room fireplace and the dining room stove, please close the doors between the living room and the kitchen as well as between the kitchen and the dining room. Failure to do this, will cause the stove to blow smoke into the dining room because of the draft created by the fire in the living room fireplace.
The last person up at night should check the fireplace and the dining room stove, and close the fireplace glass doors (use the bolt on the right upper corner of the right glass door).
In case of power failure, which may last up to a couple of hours in Vermont, the lights will go out, and all electrically powered equipment, incl. the WATER PUMP, will cease to operate. Emergency lights, which are battery powered and strategically located in the building, will come on automatically. Please refer to instructions for this emergency under headline Power Failure.
Most members prefer getting a full night's sleep. Please respect this human need. Since the lodge is less than "soundproof", even small talk after a happy evening should be avoided. By midnight, everything should be quiet.
All parents are responsible for the conduct, safety and supervision of their children.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MINORS
It is understood that members, who bring to the lodge minors, defined as persons aged 17 or younger, their own guests, assume full responsibility for any injury, including death, such minors may suffer while on the lodge property, including, but not by way of limitation, in connection with use of the pool. Neither The Swedish Ski Club, nor its directors, officers or agents shall have any liability for any such injuries, even if caused by the negligence of the Club or its directors, officers or agents.
SNOW REMOVAL
The caretaker will plow the parking area after a heavy snowfall (3-4 inches). Be prepared to move cars to facilitate the plowing. The persons staying at the lodge will have to shovel the decks and steps in front and on the side of the lodge. Also, snow will have to be cleared from the walkways leading to the parking lot, the garage, the emergency fire exits off the utility room and the windows from lower levels by using the snow blower and/or shovels, which are stored in the garage.
PETS
No pets are allowed at the lodge.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions or problems, please consult with the Host/Hostess. They are there to assist you, if needed.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF WEEKEND HOST/HOSTESS
The weekend Host/Hostess shall be responsible for the operations and orderliness of the lodge. He/she may designate members and/or guests to do whatever chores necessary to carry out these functions.
GENERAL
Confirm (or have done) that all emergency exits are cleared of snow. This includes all windows from lower level and door to sprinkler room.
FRIDAY
1. During the winter, check that the thermostats have been turned up in dining room and room 10, 11, 12. During the summer, plug in the dehumidifier, if needed, in downstairs recreation room.
2. Remind everyone to sign in. Put up a new list if needed; lists are on the desk in the dining room.
3. Plug in refrigerator and freezer in utility room, if they are unplugged.
4. Turn off all lights except one in the entrance hall.
5. Check that the key is hidden in its usual place, so late arrivals can get in.
SATURDAY
1. Everyone is responsible to see that the dining room and kitchen are kept tidy after all meals.
2. Make sure that the sauna is turned on at 3:30 PM; ladies' hour is from 5-6 PM, and gentlemen's hour 6-7 PM. Procedures for sauna, water-on-and-off are in the Lodge Manual in the dining room. Make sure the sauna and water is turned off afterwards.
3. Please repeat steps 4 and 5 above.
SUNDAY
1. Everyone should take their leftovers with them upon departure.
2. Everyone is responsible for placing garbage bags in the shed.
3. Everyone is responsible for placing dirty linen in the shed.
4. Remind everybody to fill in the sign-in-out list.
5. Before leaving (can be delegated):
- check that the key is hidden in its usual place
- check that the sauna water and light is turned off
- check that the light is off in all rooms and all thermostats set at 45°F-50°F.
- check that all doors and windows are locked (garage door, wax room and sauna, room #12, dining room, sitting room and front door)
6. Send room sheets and payments and include report of damage/missing items to the Reservation Manager.
SAUNA
The sauna is located in the building housing the garage and the waxing room.
The dressing room has a base board heating unit regulated by a thermostat in the room. The sauna heating unit is regulated by a timer in the dressing room. Turn on sauna and dressing room thermostats simultaneously and close ventilation window inside sauna. The sauna timer will turn on the heat for one hour only, after which it has to be reset.
When the sauna timer is reset after the first hour, water for the showers can be turned on by opening the water faucets (one for cold and the other for hot water) located in the ceiling in the utility room on the lower level of the lodge next to room #7. But first make sure that the drainage faucets adjoining the water faucets are closed.
The last person to leave the sauna must notify that the sauna is now ready for draining of the water. The Host/Hostess, or the person he/she delegates, must drain the water from the pipes serving the showers. Follow the procedures shown below:
1. Turn off the water by closing the appropriate faucets in the utility room.
2. Place the water bucket under the drainage faucets in the same room and open these faucets.
3. Get the sauna key, proceed to the sauna dressing room and briefly open the shower faucets and faucet by the floor in dressing room to provide air facilitating the drainage, close the faucets, turn off the thermostat and lights, lock the door, return to the lodge and put away the key.
4. Go to the utility room, close the drainage faucets, empty the water bucket in one of the toilets, and return it to the utility room.
It is imperative that the water be drained so as to prevent the pipes from freezing and bursting!
POWER FAILURE
In case of power failure, which may last for up to two hours, the lights will go out, and all electrically operated equipment, incl. the WATER PUMP, will cease to operate. Emergency lights, which are battery powered and strategically located in the lodge, will come on automatically.
Now do this:
1. Distribute flash lights and light candles. The former are located in the left upper cabinet in the kitchen hallway, and the latter in the dining room cabinet. Suggest candles be used in the living & dining rooms and the kitchen only.
2. Take somebody with you (to hold the flash light) to the garage, where a gasoline powered generator is located in the far right corner. It starts like an ordinary lawn mower engine. Make sure gas and oil are OK. Push away the metal switch from the spark plug. Engage choke. Pull the rope. Disengage choke gradually after engine starts.
3. Return to the lodge and the downstairs utility room adjoining room #7 (the fire exit). Locate the generator switch below the right circuit breaker box, and turn it upwards as indicated, this action will provide power to the water pump only, thereby providing water and, more importantly, preventing frozen pipes.
4. When electricity returns, disengage generator switch and stop the engine in the garage by leaning the metal switch against the spark plug.
The emergency lights will switch off and the batteries will be recharged automatically.
HEATING SYSTEM
The lodge is heated with electricity, and the kwh rate is about 3 times higher during Dec. 1 - March 31 than the rest of the year. Please therefore, reduce the consumption of electricity by turning down the thermostats in rooms # 1-9 and the living room, when you leave for the slopes and cross-country trails in the morning, and turn them back up when you return in the afternoon. The thermostat in the main floor utility room should be turned off when the freezer and refrigerator are plugged in, as the energy generated by the motors is sufficient to keep the room warm.
Rooms #10-12 and the dining room have so called heat storage units, which are heated automatically during the night, when rates are low. During the day, the accumulated heat radiates from the heating units, keeping the rooms warm. Set the thermostat dial for the temperature desired during the night. The square button on the right side of the thermostat turns on & off fans in the morning, and turn them off after about 15 minutes. If the fans are not turned off, the heat stored in the units will dissipate, and no new heat will become available until around 10 PM.
During periods of extremely cold weather, turn the wheel in the upper right corner of the heating units to 3. Under normal conditions, a setting in the 1 1/2 - 2 range is quite sufficient. Another heating alternative is the dining room stove. The firewood is stored along the stone wall south of the house.
During the summer, the heat storage units should be inactivated by turning off the circuit breaker marked "Furnace" in the laundry.
FIRE ALARM PROCEDURE
The lodge has a sophisticated fire alarm system for the safety of the guests. When the alarm goes off, do this:
1. Find out where the fire is. Ask able persons to use fire extinguishers to try to put out the fire. Fire extinguishers are located at marked places all through the house.
2. Ask somebody to call the fire department, phone: 824-3166
3. Ask the guests to evacuate the building and assemble in the parking lot or, if necessary, in the cars.
4. If there was a false alarm, take the fire control panel key on the inside of the door to the left wall cabinet in the kitchen hallway.
5. Unlock door to control panel (turn key to the right and open door).
6. Locate switches on black panel in the upper right corner of the green circuit board.
7. Press down #1 toward "silence" to stop the sound of the alarm.
8. Push down #4 to reset the alarm.
TEST THE FIRE ALARM WHEN YOU ARRIVE
1. Follow the procedure as per 4, 5 & 6 above.
2. Push "Battery/Bell" test button down (button #2 on drawing). The alarm goes off indicating that the system works.
3. Push "Lamp" test button down (#3 on the drawing). All indicator lamps should light up to show that the system is OK.
FIRE DRILL
It may be useful to explain to guests from time-to-time how the system works and sounds. Choose a suitable time e.g. before cocktails on Saturday.
Make sure you know how many people are in the lodge, particularly during the night.
WHAT AND WHERE - TO FIND THINGS AT SKIBO
Baby crib (pack n' play) - Linen closet
Car battery charger - Garage
Emergency generator - Garage
Equipment manuals - Middle drawer, second left of refrigerator
Fire wood - Short wood for D/R stove and long wood for L/R fireplace along stone wall, south of lodge
First aid - Wall cabinet, right of entrance
Flash lights - Wall cabinet, left of entrance
Garbage bags - Shelf above garbage bins
Gasoline can - Storage under waxing room
Keys - Wall cabinet, left of entrance
Light bulbs - Wall cabinet, left of entrance
Lost & Found - Utility room lower level
Napkins, candles - Dining room closet
Paper towels, bathroom tissue - Large cabinet, opposite dishwasher
Sewing kit - Wall cabinet, right of entrance
Shovels & Garden tools - Garage and Front Deck Shed
Poles for rent - Garage
Skis and poles, XC boots- Waxing room
Snow blower - Storage under waxing room
Thermos bottles - Wall cabinet, right of entrance
Tool, misc.- Wall cabinet, left of entrance
Vacuum cleaner - Linen closet, laundry room, utility rooms