October Already?? Déjà??  Fall is upon us but what’s that falling out of the skies???  Satellite parts?  Meteors? No—it’s RAIN!!!  As I write  this, snow is already falling in the Sierras.  Let’s hope this portends a great snow season!

Read on for this month’s scintillating news!

SUN VALLEY UPDATE – from President Morgan–

I’ve sold 34 of the 40 seats for Sun Valley.  I have released all the remaining airline seats.  If you are still interested in going, please contact me first before signing up.  I can still add you to the trip, but the airline seat price is not guaranteed.  Contact me at ">.

Click >>here<< for info on the Sun Valley trip

3rd remaining payment due 11/8/2011.

FLY AWAY WITH KAREN -Click Karen’s picture for the Trip Director’s report!

ARMAND’s  Korner

Membership Activity – September was a good month for memberships, with seven new members joining. This brings us to a total of 67 members. As we’re heading into the fall season I’m sure many of you are getting excited about the upcoming Sun Valley trip, and hopefully you’ve started some sort of exercise regimen to get ready for the ski season.

Chamonix Ski Week – The Chamonix trip is filling up but there are still rooms available if you’re interested. So far, there are 45 rooms booked out of 60. However, those remaining rooms will soon be released since the hotel is currently booked. I would like to welcome Allen Hu in joining Curtis and me for this trip. Actually, Allen is going for two weeks, one week with FWSA and a second week at Club Med Chamonix.

Click >> here << for Chamonix trip info

NSC HIKES

North Berkeley Hike—Click >> here << for Charles Aker’s article in this month’s newsletter on the September North Berkeley hike.  If you missed this one, read on…

UPCOMING HIKE—This  month, Allen Hu will lead a hike through Almaden Quicksilver Park on Sunday, October 9.  Click >> here <<Allen‘s write-up in this issue.

This hike is a great way to GET IN SHAPE for the upcoming snow season.

SEASONAL Decorations Give Away By Presidente Morgan

In the NSC supplies are various seasonal decorations which are unneeded.  These are located in Sunnyvale:

1. 200 New Years noise makers
2. Artificial Xmas tree
3. Xmas lights and ornaments
4. Artificial Xmas wreaths
5. Mardi Gras decorations
6. Autumn leaves decorations

If anyone wants them, please contact to pick any of these items up.  Any remaining items will be donated / free cycled.

SQUAW + ALPINE = LARGEST US SNOW RESORT

On September 27, Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley announced that Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows will be under joint ownership with the KSL Capital Partners, LLC, the owner of Squaw Valley to be the majority owner of the combined company.  Read more about this provocative development >> here <<

See y’all next month!

Karen Soo – Trip Director

It’s October and it started to rain in the bay area. I predict snow will start falling after Halloween. Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here, Christmas and then New Years. Our weekend trip is just around the corner.

As you might have heard, Squaw Valley Resort and Alpine Meadows have joined forces. It just so happens Read the rest of this entry »

~by Charles Akers

Waterfalls, breathtaking views, beautiful roses, charming Arts & Crafts houses and a long concrete slide were some of the highlights of an NSC hike in Berkeley led by Hoyt Nelson.  For me, it was a nostalgic return to the lovely old neighborhood where I lived in the 1970’s. Read the rest of this entry »

On September 27, Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley announced that Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows will be under joint ownership with the KSL Capital Partners, LLC, the owner of Squaw Valley to be the majority owner of the combined company.

A SINGLE season’s pass or lift ticket will allow one to ski or ride both resorts!  Read the rest of this entry »

HAPPY LABOR DAY!! Summer is drawing to an end, children & adults have gone back to school and the days are getting shorter.  JUST WHERE has the summer gone???  BUT WAIT, Indian Summer should come soon and shower us with  excited photons.  The autumnal equinox will visit us on the 23rd at  9:04 am, so summer has not yet officially ended.  It IS, however, time to think about the upcoming SKI & SNOWBOARDING season especially the  week trip to SUN VALLEY.

SUN VALLEY UPDATE from President Morgan– I have 16 seats left.  6 airline seats flying out of SFO remain.  If you’re interested in this trip, there’s only two months left to signup.

Signup Deadline is Nov. 8, 2011. ~see Events for more detail & click here for the >> full SV update <<.

CHAMONIX 2012 - got some €uros burning a hole in your pocket?? Far West Ski Association has a trip to Chamonix, France (site of the 1924 Winter Olympics).  See the details in the EVENTS page.

ARMAND’s  Korner Membership Activity ~August was a quiet month for memberships, with only five members joining. Of the five, four were returning members and one new member joining the clan. This brings us to a total of 60 members. It seems like summer has finally arrived and thoughts of skiing have yet to make the priority queue. However, signups for the ski week at Sun Valley are doing well and I expect more members to join since there is still space available. I would also like to welcome our latest new member Andrea Stewart.

UPCOMING HIKES—Join Hoyt Nelson on a hike through picturesque North Berkeley on Sunday, September 18. Click here for >> Hoyt’s write-up <<

Next month, Allen Hu will lead a hike through Almaden Quicksilver Park on Sunday, October 9.  Click here for >>Allen‘s hike description <<.

These hikes are a great way to GET IN SHAPE for the upcoming snow season.

Speaking of …GETTING INTO SHAPE… many of our members are active all year round—running, cycling, curling, skating, combat ballroom dancing and other conditioning activities.  But for those of you who haven’t been so active, it’s never too early to start getting into shape for the upcoming season.  While we may not be Lindsey Vonn, we can look to her for inspiration.  Check out her training video/ Under Armour commercial.  This picture is of her JUMPING up onto the weight bench with weights on her shoulders!!!

Watch her training video at this link  http://www.lindseyvonn.com/2010/updates/lindsey-vonn-i-will/ Strive for greatness!!

NSC Discount @ DJ’s Boardshop – 10% off for NSC members!  Click here for more info >> DJ’s Boardshop <<

~ Morgan Hua ~

For the Sun Valley trip,  I have 16 seats left.  6 airline seats flying out of SFO remain.   If you’re interested in this trip, there’s only two months left to signup.  Signup Deadline is Nov. 8, 2011.
If you want to book your own air, you can take the Land Only package for $890.  We have paid for a charter bus to take all of us from BOI to Sun Valley.  Your Land Only package includes this bus.  If your flight misses this bus, then you are responsible for your own transportation from the airport to Sun Valley.

Our last group flight arrives at BOI on Jan 21, 2012, 1:36pm.  Our first departing flight from BOI is on Jan 28, 2012, 12:35pm.  If you purchase a LAND ONLY package and you want to catch NSC’s chartered bus, you must arrive at BOI no later than the last club booked flight which is scheduled to arrive at 1:36 pm on Jan. 21, 2012.

If you are booking your own flight, you may want to fly directly into SUN instead of BOI.

If you change your mind about airfare, contact me before November that is when I must release our unused airfare seats.

Go to the EVENTS link for trip details or click >> HERE <<

Lots of stuff to report on in this month’s newsletter, so I enlisted the help of Bianca who sacrificed several nap times to function as this month’s assistant editor!  She spells really well!

SO, WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Skiing in JULY? At least one intrepid NSC skier skied on Independence Day!!!  See David Miura’s  article and pictures of his fine day out!  How many of you know that the Lamborghini Miura was named for David’s family??? (Lui è italiano!)

Mountain View Obon Festival beer booth. Grant. Joo, the chairman of the Obon Festival beer booth expressed  his gratitude to the NSC volunteers in the enclosed Thank You letter. Pics & videos too!

SHEEE’S BAAACK!!! Our trip director, Karen Soo, has come out of the closet (so to speak)!  After years working diligently behind the scenes, Karen is back as our trip director.  See her report on our ski trips for the coming winter.  A couple of items of note— a South Shore trip !!!  and a long weekend trip to Mammoth!

SUN VALLEY WEEK LONG SKI TRIP ~ Jan 21, 2012

Don’t get left behind!!!  Sign up for the Sun Valley trip.  See the info and sign up form  in the EVENTS and Morgan’s trip update.

Chamonix France - For those with a Francophile bent, the Chamonix, France trip with Far West Ski can also be found in the EVENTS section.

October Almaden Quicksilver Park  Hike – Mark your calendars for a hike in Almaden Quicksilver Park.  On October 9, Allen Hu will lead an invigorating hike amongst the flora and fauna.  Detailed information in EVENTS .

FROM ARMAND’S DESK,  we have the membership report and more info on the Chamonix, France weeklong ski trip.  Please find Armand’s report and detailed information about the Chamonix trip below.

THE DRAMIMINE EXPRESS – Check out Karen’Gilligan’ Soo’s report about the maiden voyage of the S.S. MINOW which had set out on a “3 hour tour” in search of wily salmon.

~ David Miura ~

With the unusually large snowpack this year, several Tahoe resorts

announced they were opening up again for skiing on the 4^th of July and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anybody else who was interested in going, so I made plans to go up to Tahoe and back in a day. Sugar Bowl was open, but only to its season pass holders. Squaw Valley announced six lifts would be operating for a $50 lift ticket. Alpine Meadows had a discount going where they would lower the price of the lift ticket by $3.00 for every 1000 people who would “like” their Facebook page, and so the cost dropped to $34. There was apparently some controversy because Squaw and Sugar Bowl were allowing their season pass holders to ski for free that weekend, but Alpine required people to sign up for their 2011/2012 pass in order to ski for free (excluding military personnel who always ski free there.) People complained that it was 2010/2011 snow, but Alpine reasoned that since their fiscal year begins June 1, the new season had started.

I arrived at Alpine Meadows at 7:00am and parked in the very front. People were walking around in t-shirts and flip flops so I knew I had dressed appropriately. I had on shorts, a long sleeve t-shirt to ward off the sun, and an aloha shirt. Plus helmet, of course. Two lifts were open, Summit and Roundhouse, and a cheer echoed in the mountains as the lifts started at 8:00am. As expected, the snow was soft and there were bare patches here and there that were well marked.  No worse than Spring skiing however. Some of the differences of skiing in the summer are that you can inhale the fragrance of the forest and hear the water cascading around you that you normally don’t experience in the winter. I even saw a black bear walking up the side of the run.

After skiing for only an hour I was starting to get tired, so I took a break by sitting in the shade on the grass under a huge pine tree at the base lodge.  The atmosphere was quite festive and it was fun to just watch people. One girl was dressed as a female Captain America with a cape. There were two Uncle Sams and a very hairy man who looked like a silverback gorilla. There were a few girls in shorts and bikini tops, and some guys skiing without shirts. Lots of little American flags and pinwheels too. The local Reno TV station was there to interview people and record it all.

As the morning wore on, the snow got wetter and more clumped up. It became work to push through the snow and when I noticed I was skiing like a beginner, I decided it was time to quit. In spite of the record snowfall this year, I only managed to get in 5 days of skiing, one of which was futzing around with my little nephews at Badger Pass. So the big decision was whether to count July 4^th as my 6^th day of skiing, or the first day of 2011/2012. Regardless, I had a great time and enjoyed the novelty of skiing in the middle of summer in the beautiful Sierra Nevada.

On July 16, many NSC members  volunteered their time in support of theMountain View Obon Festival beer booth.  Grant Joo, the chairman of the beer booth  gave his gratitude to all of you with the following letter:

Please thank all of the volunteers who helped on Saturday and Sunday at the Mt. View Obon beer booth.  It was a pleasure to meet new volunteers and to see returning volunteers.  It is without a doubt that the success of the beer booth each year is Read the rest of this entry »

I’m Baacck..

~Karen Soo – Trip Director~

After 3 years of volunteering behind the scenes with NSC, I’m back as your 2011 -2012 Trip Director.

Who can think of cold weather in August?

The West Coast is waiting for their summer, the East Coast is melting with high temperatures and before you know it, snowfall will start covering the hills of Lake Tahoe.

I started the early stages of planning our ski trips for the 2012 season, so what are our plans for next year? Read the rest of this entry »