2024 Ski for Light International Week
January 28 – February 4, 2024
Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Information about arriving at and departing from the Ski for Light, Inc. International Week in 2024 is presented below. Please read all information carefully to ensure that your travel to and from Ski for Light goes smoothly. After reading this information and making your travel plans, complete and submit the Arrival and Departure Form below. This information will be sent to the Transportation Coordinator and your Application Coordinator.
Please note that no matter how and when you are travelling to Rhinelander we must know the details of your plans. Each person planning to attend SFL is required to submit the arrival and departure form.
If you will be travelling to the Ski for Light event by air, and you will be flying with a service animal, be sure to review the requirements of your airline for such travel, and to submit the Service Animal Travel Form that you must submit to the airline before travelling.
Your Day of Arrival
Your scheduled day of arrival at the Ski for Light event is shown in your Acceptance Letter. For most people this will be Sunday, January 28th. Major exceptions are Board members, who arrive on Thursday January 25th, Guide Trainers, who arrive on Friday, January 26th, and first- and second-year guides, who arrive on Saturday, January 27th.
You may arrive a day or two before your official arrival day if there is space available in the event hotels, but you should remember that there are no event activities for you to participate in until the start of the event on Sunday evening. You may join the group of people who are there early to do the work necessary to get ready for the event for meals, but aside from that you will be pretty much on your own if you arrive early. If you do wish to arrive or depart on a day different from what is shown in your acceptance letter please be sure to discuss your wishes with your Applications Coordinator to make sure that there is space available in the event hotel before making your final plans.
Getting To and From the Ski for Light Event
There are three alternative ways for you to travel to the SFL event in Rhinelander:
- by driving in your own or a rented vehicle
- by flying from Minneapolis to Rhinelander on the small commuter plane operated by Delta, or
- by flying to the Minneapolis-St Paul International airport and then travelling to Rhinelander on the free charter bus that SFL will provide, on specific days and at specific times
The Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (RHI) is a little over 2 miles from the event hotels. The Quality Inn and AmericInn both provide free shuttle service to and from this airport.
The Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport
(MSP) is a large full-service airport that is served by most major U.S. airlines as well as by several foreign carriers. . The airport is about 220 miles from Rhinelander, a trip that usually takes about four hours depending on traffic and the weather.
SFL transportation from the Minneapolis airport to Rhinelander will be provided only on Thursday January 25th, Friday January 26th, Saturday January 27th and Sunday January 28th. The SFL bus from the Minneapolis airport to Rhinelander on each of these days will depart promptly at 1:30 pm. Be careful to schedule your flight into Minneapolis to arrive at no later than 12:00 pm, to allow sufficient time for you to retrieve your luggage and make your way to the meeting area in time to make the SFL bus.
Please note that if your incoming flight is scheduled to land at or before 12:00 pm, the SFL bus will wait for you if your flight arrives late, or SFL personnel will make alternate plans for getting you to Rhinelander.
SFL transportation back to the Minneapolis airport will be provided only on Sunday Morning February 4th. The earliest bus will not arrive at the airport before 11:00 am, so do not schedule a departing flight for earlier than 1:00 pm.
In making your plans, please be aware that check-in time at both the Quality Inn and AmericInn is 4:00 pm.
Meeting The SFL Group at The Minneapolis Airport on Your Arrival Day
You will be notified by e-mail about a week before your arrival date where to meet the SFL group in the Minneapolis Airport.
Alternative Transportation Between the Minneapolis Airport and Rhinelander
If you schedule your arrival in Minneapolis at a time that does not coincide with the transportation service that SFL is providing, you will need to arrange your own transportation to Rhinelander, at your own expense. An alternative that you should consider would be to change your arrival day to one day earlier and stay at one of the many airport hotels so that you can take the SFL bus the next day.
If you wish to depart the Minneapolis airport earlier than 1:00 pm on Sunday February 4th please remember that the SFL charter bus will not get you to the airport in time for an early-morning flight.
If your plans change after submitting the Arrival and Departure Form please send your revised itinerary directly to Michael McCulloch, the Transportation coordinator, using his contact information found at the bottom of the form below.
If you encounter flight delays or other problems on your actual travel day please contact Michael via phone or text message to apprise him of your situation. Be sure to have his cell phone number, (832) 453-7139, with you on your travel day. If you send Michael a text message, be sure to include your name in the message.
Please provide the details of your travel plans on the form below.
If you have questions please contact:
Michael McCulloch
Transportation Coordinator
(832) 453-7139
Thank you for submitting your Arrival and Departure form for the 2024 event. We look forward to seeing you in Wisconsin.