Nisei Ski Club

contributed by Sandy Kiyomura

I used this Beer Bread recipe from an article in the NY Times listing 10 things that have changed in these days of sheltering-in-place. It surprised me to read that so many more people are making their own bread. I have a group of friends I’ve been keeping in touch with, and three of us have been baking bread much more than we ever did before. Since I did not have yeast (and I heard it was hard to find), I used beer. Thus, this recipe came into play. The first time, all I had was non-alcoholic beer, which did not work well. Subsequently, I’ve made three more loaves with real beer and that was great.   

The basic recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 12 oz can of beer (blander the better). Optional 2 tbsp melted butter drizzled on top after bread is baked. 375 degrees for 35 minutes.  I have a bread maker so I don’t have to mix. 

by Hoyt Nelson

A Few Updates: Stone Stew (Iranian) has now moved from Saratoga Ave. to 205 N 4 th St. San Jose 408-622-1067. As I mentioned before, Harry’s Hofbrau is closed. We now go to Esther’s Bakery and Catering in Los Altos – it’s even better for good German food.

Here are some of my tips and picks for food from many nations. Until the shelter in place has lifted, we can only dream about going out!

American: Nick’s Next Door 11 College Ave. Los Gatos new American $$$ 408-402-5053: We splurged a bit for a friend’s birthday party in late 2019 and the food was very good, except for everything being very salty and over sauced for my taste. My rib eye was cooked perfectly rare, but had more gristle than I expected for $35 and the French fries were soaked with its gravy. One of the reasons I ordered it was because it came with a fairly large piece of bone marrow which I had not eaten before. Unfortunately, the sauce overpowered its delicate flavor, so I still don’t know what bone marrow tastes like. We were served in a large tent outside and heaters were provided on request when it got colder later that night. Although not the fault of the restaurant, there was another very loud party in the same tent which took away from the charm of the place. Service was nice and parking was fairly easy. Would I go back? Only if I knew they reduced the salt served on most dishes.

Indian: We love Indian food and we like variety, but there are very few Indian restaurants that serve buffets in the evening. We tend to need a nap after a large meal, so eating at a buffet for lunch tends to ruin any plans for the rest of the day. The solution for many years was Sneha, just off Lawrence in Sunnyvale, close to Central Expwy. but in 2017
and 2018 it lost its touch and we stopped going. In 2017-2020, it changed hands several times. On 8-18-2019 we checked Yelp and read some encouraging reviews for its new incarnation and so we tried it again. Happily, was back to its former good self, but it changed hands again so we don’t know what it’s like now. I don’t know of any evening buffets now in operation except for special variants of this genre.

African: There are many forms of African food: Ethiopian, Moroccan, Egyptian, Somalian, etc. but most commonly found restaurants in the US have similarities such as the liberal use of the flat bread called injera (or similar sounding name). It is a thin, flat bread, up to about 14 inches in diameter which can resemble thin foam rubber. (Don’t wory, it
tastes way better than that.) It is used as a base on which stews, salads, etc. are placed in various piles that sometimes sits on a large basket affair with a conical upside down basket on top to cover everything from flies, dust, etc. Injera is also used as an eating implement. You tear off a small piece of another injera disk and use this to grasp a bite off the piles on the base. Some of the stews (with or without meat) can be hot (spicy). The meat is goat, fish or chicken, but usually not pork (as many countries are predominantly Muslim. My wife was uncertain about the goat, but quickly
learned to like it. The beer is good and the national mead (with honey) drink called Tej is interesting. They make a show of pouring tea from a great height above a tiny glass. It is very sweet and is frequently flavored with mint.

Ethiopian: Pretty much as described above. We have quite a few of these, but our hands down favorite is Walia on Stevens Creek at Bascom. Many years ago, we liked Gojo on Stevens Creek, San Jose, but haven’t sampled it lately.

Moroccan: In addition to the stuff mentioned above, an interesting dish is a chicken pie flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Many places hang a cloth or parachute over the eating area to resemble a tent and you sometimes have to sit on a cushion on the floor. Belly dancing frequently accompanies the dinner and the whole experience frequently lasts for several hours.

Egyptian: There don’t seem to be any Egyptian places in the Bay Area, but the stuff we had in Egypt was more traditional stewed meats and veggies with some Egyptian spices. (If you ask Yelp for Egyptian, they are really list just the standard middle eastern stuff.)

Somalian: There’s only one, and it’s hard to find. Jubba is across the street from the light rail station

With our ski season cut short, we all have plenty of time to read this month’s news. Please make sure to take note of Armand’s message, as he has news of upcoming events that are postponed or cancelled. Everyone please try to stay healthy and enjoy the slow pace of life as it is right now, in this unusual world situation.

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

2020 FWSA International Ski Trip to Davos, by Judy Bracken

by Armand Gutierrez

The month of March will be remembered for a variety of events that have affected people on a grand scale. Primarily, the spread of the corona virus that is now keeping us in our homes in order to halt the spread of the disease and curtailing our daily activities. Then, much to our dismay, all of the ski resorts were closed and thus shortening our ski season. All of the FWSA participants, including four from NSC that went on the Davos/Portugal trip, were delayed by one day on returning home. We were fortunate for had it been delayed one day longer then it would have been much more difficult for us to return to US soil.

During the year we have regular Board Meetings in order to run the club for the season.  Normally the meetings are held on a monthly basis, but sometimes a month, or two, will be skipped if there are no pressing issues. Our March board meeting was held as a videoconference, a first for NSC. I’ve always been a proponent for face-to-face board meetings and a videoconference was the next best thing. The one thing we did miss was going out to lunch after the meeting.

 April is here and that generally means the end of another great ski season. However, our ski season actually ended mid-March. At our March board meeting the decision was made, based on the shelter-in-place mandate, to postpone upcoming events that includes our Annual June Picnic, another Tea Dance (last year’s was popular), and a Thai Cooking Demonstration. As we progress through the remainder of the year we will try and hold these postponed events.

2020 FWSA Ski Week to Davos, Switzerland

Judy Bracken, Elaine Graves, Roland Lee, and I had a great skiing experience in Davos: plenty of fresh powder, hardly any lift lines, and tasty Swiss cuisine on the slopes. The funicular (pictured left) was adjacent to our hotel, along with the Parsenn Sports shop where we rented skis. The return trip from Portugal was a bit of a nightmare for Judy and I, and others on the trip. Our Portugal flight to Zurich was cancelled and that caused us to miss our Zurich-to-SFO flight. Kudos to Debbie Stewart, our FWSA trip director, for spending hours on the phone with the US Embassy, Swiss Air, and the travel agency for procuring flights for our return home, albeit a day late. To complicate matters due to the impending corona virus travel restrictions, Swiss Air was the only airline with flights from Zurich to the US: Boston and Newark (NJ). We were fortunate to return to the US prior to travel restrictions and corona virus screening were implemented. See Judy’s article for her perspective on her first FWSA international trip.

Board Nominations & Elections

Well, it’s that time again for holding our board nominations and elections for the 2020-2021 season, and an email for making your nominations for the board has already been posted.As you know,volunteers run this club, and without them this club would cease to exist, and it’s been in existence for 60 years! You are encouraged to take this opportunity to nominate an individual for one, or more, of the board positions. All individuals that accept the nomination(s) will go through an election process in May, and final results will be announced in the June Newsletter. Normally the results would be announced at the annual June picnic, but due to current shelter-in-place requirements the June picnic is postponed. Many of you have served on the board in the past, and your efforts were greatly appreciated and perhaps you would like to join the board again. For those that have never served then perhaps now is the time to consider a board position and provide new ideas and useful experiences.

2021 NSC Ski Week to Breckenridge, CO

Next year’s ski week will be at Breckenridge, CO from 23-30 January, 2021. Breckenridge is part of Vail Resorts so you can pick up an Epic Pass for the next season. Once again, Sports America will be offering the Epic Pass promotion-lodging rebate of $30 for an Epic Local Pass and $50 for a Full Epic Pass.

For 2020-21 Breckenridgewill be on the Epic Pass, and is also good for Northstar, Heavenly Valley, and Kirkwood. Here is what you need to know about the Ikon and Epic Passes for the Breckenridge trip:

• Purchase the Ikon Base Pass(Squaw/Alpine) from Sports America and receive a $30 discount, or purchase the Full Ikon Pass and receive a $50 discount on the Breckenridge trip. However, the Ikon Pass cannot be used at Breckenridge. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei.
• Purchase the Epic Local Pass(Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood) and receive a $30 discount, or purchase the Full Epic Passand receive a $50 discount on the Breckenridge trip. The Epic Pass can be used at Breckenridge for unlimited access. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei.
• Purchase both the Ikon/Epic passes and you will receive a combination discount based on the type of passes you purchase.

If you have any questions about either of the passes then drop me a line at president@niseiskiclub.org.

by Judy Bracken

We were so excited to start out on our first European ski trip! Elaine, Armand and I had no trouble on our smooth overnight flight from SFO to Zürich. Roland had arrived earlier to visit his cousin. There was a jolly meeting with the other 80 skiers arriving from all sorts of places. Somehow our FWSA trip director, Debbie Stewart, managed to coordinate these large groups. We filled up our two buses and continued our journey for about three hours, arriving in Davos in time for dinner and long awaited sleep!

The five-star Hotel Seehof had spacious rooms and was close to the resorts. Included was a scrumptious breakfast and dinner almost every day, with a welcoming and friendly staff.  Dinner dishes each night were creatively cooked and served, including famous Swiss made cheeses and sauces, served with fish or meat. After skiing we had time to put on our bathrobes and visit the downstairs spa, complete with a whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms. We learned quickly that the European way is to wear nothing while in the saunas!

Skiing at Davos was spectacular, especially the views. From our hotel, it was just a few steps away to get on the steep funicular to the midway point of Parsenn, the largest and most popular of the six ski resorts surrounding the town of Davos. Skiing here was much different than our home resorts. We took very steep trams or funiculars to get up to the big bowls and most ski runs. Then multiple forms of transport take you further up the mountain, including t-bars, chairlifts, gondolas, trains, and more trams. Descending to the bottom was often a long, winding road with small cabins dotted about. Nothing was crowded, and free buses take you from one resort to another. 

If there was fresh snow, skiing off piste was really good, but otherwise the groomed runs were not very interesting. There are few trees up at the high slopes, and it’s white everywhere with breathtaking views of Matterhorn type peaks as far as the eye could see (on the two sunny days of the week). Other days were blustery with some white out conditions.  Ski runs are numbered, not named, and the lollipop markers help you find your way down. Everyone takes long lunches in private huts placed all about the mountains. You are waited upon, and can order anything from goulash to apple strudel. The lift passes were half as much as US, although food and everything else was quite pricey.  We were told that there had been no snow for some time, and we were lucky to get some fresh powder! 

Our NSC group did not go on the optional day trip to Lucerne, but we enjoyed the evening sleigh ride and fondue dinner. We boarded six to each horse drawn sleigh, snuggled under blankets, then over the river and through the woods we went. The snow was falling gently in the dark night, and listening to the sleigh bells ringing as we meandered up a canyon, passing chalets and weathered barns seemed like a fairytale. We arrived at a cozy house where we enjoyed a meal of salad, traditional Swiss fondues and wine. 

This was my first European ski trip, and it was fun to be with a group of likeminded, fun loving folks from all over the western US. It seemed we had a party every other night, and despite the jet lag all week, most of us managed to eat, drink, ski and be merry most of the time! We had no idea this would be our last ski of the season…

For the second week, 48 of us continued on to Portugal, where the weather was gorgeous every single day. We started hearing more about the coronavirus spread heating up. Even so, we enjoyed Lisbon and our humorous tour guide Valter, learning so much about Portuguese history and culture. One of our best meals of the trip was a six-course lunch at Museu da Cerveja (museum of beer). Then there were delicious pastries, and shopping galore. On the drive to Porto we stopped at Obidos, a tiny village surrounded by castle walls, then to Nazare, home of beaches with the biggest surf in the world. We were treated to an amazing seafood lunch, after which we soon arrived in Porto.  

We again had a wonderful day tour of Porto, complete with a substantial Portuguese lunch and a port wine tasting. On our free day some people walked or biked along the River Douro or saw more city sights. It seemed the Portuguese people bent over backwards to please their visitors. 

At the same time, news of the coronavirus was getting serious. Flights were being cancelled and European travelers were banned from coming to the US. Most of us had to alter our flight plans to get home. It was the end of our eventful trip, and we were grateful once we boarded our planes and landed on our home turf at last. 

We are getting a head start on March with an earlier than usual newsletter publication, since I will be traveling soon. Here’s what you can read:

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Into the Great White Open, by Judy Bracken

First Impressions of an NSC Ski Trip, by Ellen Szeto

Thai Cooking with Soo and Woo, by Tina Woo

Future Ski and Adventure Travel Opportunities

by Armand Gutierrez

Last year at this time Mother Nature was quite busy with record rainfall north of the Bay Area and snowfall in the Tahoe region. So, what happened? February is going down in the record books as the driest February with no rain, and definitely no snow. Temperatures have been in the 50s in Tahoe and I’ve heard reports that some runs are showing brown patches of dirt. Not good. Historically, March is usually a wet month with plenty of rain and snow in Tahoe. And last year at this time Squaw Valley was advertising skiing on the 4^thof July. Let’s hope March comes through with rain and snow so we can all enjoy pursuing our favorite winter endeavors.

Whistler Ski Week 

We’re back from the Whistler trip and I’m pleased to report that everyone had a great time experiencing a variety of weather and snow conditions. There was one clear day where everyone enjoyed the fresh powder from a good overnight snowfall. The other days were met with cloud and low visibility conditions at the top, but still great powder skiing thanks to new snow almost every day. One of my favorite experiences was watching the Whiskey Jacks (local term for the Canada Jay) as they use people as their landing targets. Yes, that’s one of them on my head. My arm is extended because they also were feeding on a crumbled granola bar. The Whiskey Jacks were found at the base of the 7^thHeaven lift on Blackcomb and the Symphony lift on Whistler.

2020 FWSA Ski Week to Davos, Switzerland

Judy Bracken, Elaine Graves, Roland Lee, and I are off to Davos, Switzerland for a week of skiing with FWSA. There are six resorts to choose from in the Davos Klosters area, and I’m hoping to ski the more popular resorts (Parsenn Davos, Parsenn Klosters, Jakobshorn, and Rhinerhorn). Davos Klosters offers 300km of snow pistes, 110 slopes, and 57 transport facilities (cable cars, gondolas, lifts, and T-bars). Like Whistler, there’s enough skiing to keep us busy for the week.

2021 NSC Ski Week to Breckenridge, CO

Next year’s ski week will be at Breckenridge, CO from 23-30 January, 2021. Breckenridge is part of Vail Resorts so you can pick up an Epic Pass for the next season. Once again, Sports America will be offering the Epic Pass promotion-lodging rebate of $30 for an Epic Local Pass and $50 for a full Epic Pass.

Board Nominations

Now that it’s March it’s time to think about Board Nominations for the 2020-21 season. If anyone has an interest in joining the board for the next season and has questions about what it entails then just drop a note to any of the current board members, or perhaps you have someone in mind to nominate for the board. Please keep in mind that the Nisei Ski Club relies on volunteers to be on the board and undertake the running of the club. It’s not all work and no play. Board meetings are fairly informal and afterwards we usually go out for lunch and talk about skiing or upcoming club events. 

Whistler 2020 Recap

by Judy Bracken

After a delayed departure but on time arrival flight, we entered Canada via Vancouver, B.C., and boarded our comfy bus for the two hour ride to our final destination at Whistler. The dramatic, snowy peaks made a spectacular backdrop, as we grabbed our parkas and entered the icy cold mountain air at Whistler village. People settled into their condos, met with roommates that took other flights or drove cars, and got ready for a week of fun, fun, fun!

Impressions of the first ski day ranged from “It was okay” to “I haven’t waited in lines this long for ages!” On the positive side, encounters with the whiskey jacks, friendly birds that hang around the ski lifts, landing on outstretched hands to get bits of free food from skiers, entertained us while waiting in line. Also some lucky folks found swatches of new powder snow, and Rick, a long-standing NSC member, unexpectedly got into Andrea’s pants! (He forgot his ski pants and borrowed Andrea’s extra pair!). 

At the end of the day we gathered to watch the Super Bowl, in which our home team the San Francisco 49ers played against the Kansas City Chiefs. Karen organized a random football pool with 100 squares at $5 apiece. Elaine was the first quarter winner, Roland won second and third quarters, and Sheldon got the big jackpot at game end. Many of us were saddened to see the 49ers lose to the Chiefs, 20-31. Even so, the party atmosphere in the two host condos was in full swing. 

Blue, sunny skies and cold, fresh snow greeted us Monday morning. The crowds remained, but the mountain views and soft snow got us smiling from ear to ear. Some of us ventured over the ridge to ski atop the Blackcomb glacier, while others spent the day on the Whistler side skiing together in several groups. 

We arose on Tuesday to blustery weather and all over whiteout at higher elevations. What a change from Monday! The snow was really good, but in some places it was like skiing with eyes shut.  Vertigo was the theme of the day. The Peak-to-Peak gondola reopened, which made traveling from Whistler to Blackcomb sides much easier. The gondola was an amazing piece of engineering that spanned the valley between the two connected resorts. On one of those rides, Elaine made friends with two Canadian snowboarders who invited all 9 of us in our group on a guided tour to the ice caves on the Blackcomb glacier.  How could we resist?  We all survived the T-bar ride and rigorous climb to the ridge, but it was hard to see at the top. We carefully made our way down the glacial valley and followed our guides to an icy opening at the bottom. We shed our skis and slid into the cavernous hole, marveling at the boulders encased in the ice ceiling and walls. It was a novel experience and one of the trip highlights. In days to follow, a few other NSC skiers also went to the cave. It may not be there for long, since the glacier is constantly moving and melting.

At the Tuesday night potluck, we roamed the third floor host condos, with dishes ranging from baked salmon to chow mein, curry, and beef stroganoff, along with scrumptious salads and desserts. One of the highlights was the Russian-themed condo with folk music, candlelight and vodka shots to the toast of “na zdarovje!”  

As the week and stormy whiteout days continued, we heard glimpses of news from home…Trump’s acquittal, the Iowa caucus, the corona virus, killer avalanches in Turkey.  Some folks took days off to rest and enjoy other activities, while others continued to explore the slopes despite the uneven light and snow conditions. Our motto became “follow the lollipop trail” when whiteouts prevented us from seeing where we were going (blue and orange posts marking the paths). We ventured onto lifts named 7th Heaven, Symphony and Jersey Cream, with runs named Panorama, Ode to Joy, and Wishbone.  One of my favorites was the Dave Murray downhill, which drops more than 3300 vertical feet in 1.5 miles. This was where the downhill and Super G Olympic events were held in 2010, and named after a man who had been a famous alpine racer and later ran the Whistler ski school. It was said that the average downhill racer made just 30 turns on this run; on my count I did at least 130 turns!

Many of us soaked our weary muscles in the hot tubs after skiing, and on the last day we tubbed under a canopy of large, wet, gently falling snow clumps, catching them in our hands and mouths. It was magical!  

We finished off the week with a lively cocktail hour and tasty meal in the conference room of our Delta Suites hotel. Armand recapped the week’s activities and announced next year’s trip to Breckinridge, Colorado. Kudos and thanks to Armand and Karen for organizing such a great trip.

Traveling back to San Fran on a bright, clear day, we thought about the powdery runs, the long and winding ski roads, and the joy of schussing down the slopes of that beautiful Whistler Blackcomb mountain. 

Photos from Bill Lee can be viewed here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/hH9BFobCTcVCC1sM8

by Ellen Szeto

“Hope 2020 is off to a great start for you.”  This was my typical sentiment to friends and colleagues in the beginning of the year. Then, that sentiment became true for me with an unexpected ski trip to Whistler!  What started as a casual email inquiry to Nisei Ski Club became an awesome trip, not only because I got to check off an item on my LIFE list*, but also because I got to know a great group of fellow skiers who are fun loving, friendly, considerate, intelligent, and inspirational (to keep skiing even into my 70’s and 80’s).  Contrary to David T’s allegation that the people in the club’s website photos were hired models, my week-long interactions with the club members confirmed that they were actually friendly, real people!

Even though the snow conditions were not ideal, it was a fantastic trip filled with lots of good times. Here are just a few highlights for me: 

• Carol’s savory oatmeal breakfast – Although I am tempted to not share this to avoid competition to be Carol’s condo mate again, Carol’s savory oatmeal was a great way to start each day!  It was deliciously made with sautéed mushrooms, snap beans, carrots, green onions, poached egg, and topped with shredded cheese! The down side is that I can no longer eat the boring traditional oatmeal.

• Great skiing companions –  Even though I didn’t know anybody when I signed up for the trip, I had a great time skiing with club members who readily welcomed me to join them on the slopes.  I want to express a special appreciation to Tina who made a point to invite me to ski with her, because she knew we ski about the same level (she’s better).

• Great social gatherings – Really appreciated and enjoyed the planned events (Super Bowl watching and munching, potluck dinner hopping, and catered dinner) that made it so easy to meet and get to know club members.   

I am looking forward to next year’s trip to Colorado which is also on my LIFE List!

*Since I dislike the connotation of a “bucket list” so I call it my LIFE list (Life Is For Enjoyment).

by Tina Woo

Sandy and I had a great time traveling in Thailand. Sampling many types of Thai cuisine was one of the highlights. 

 “Iron Chef” Karen Soo has offered to lead a Thai Cooking Demo on Sunday, May 17.  A sample menu might include a Thai soup, appetizer, curry and or noodle dish, veggie dish and of course, mango sticky rice!   

A nominal fee of $12 will be charged for groceries and spices.  Is this of interest to you? You will learn to  cook the foods, then you get to eat the dishes afterwards!

Patt and Rick Dumlao have graciously offered to host this event at their home in Union City from 1-5 pm on May 17. 

Please RSVP to membership@niseiskiclub.org  or tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org  if you will be attending. Class is limited to 12 -15 people. 

More details to follow. We look forward to seeing you at this event!

PS What is your spice level from 1 (mild) to 5 (super hot)?
Bring your appetite!

Did you know that your membership in NSC also makes you an automatic member of two other larger ski groups? Besides our wonderful Nisei Ski Club trips, we have many other opportunities to travel with both the Bay Area Ski Club Council (https://www.skibac.org) or the Far West Ski Association (https://fwsa.org). Here is a listing of upcoming trips. Check the websites for more info.

• FWSA Mini Ski & Snowboard Week: Big White, Canada, March 29 — April 3, 2020
• BAC Bike and Barge, Italy, August 8 – 15, 2020; August 22 – 29, 2020
• FWSA Croatia, September 2 – 13, 2020
• FWSA 11th Annual Scuba Dive Trip: Cozumel, October 3 – 10, 2020
• FWSA International Ski & Snowboard Adventure: Chile, TBA Summer 2021
• FWSA Annual Ski & Snowboard Week: Sun Valley, ID, January 30 — February 6, 2021
• FWSA International Ski & Snowboard Adventure: Solden, Austria Int’l Ski Week , Feb. 19-27, 2021 
  with So. Spain Extension , Feb. 27-Mar. 7
• FWSA Mini Ski & Snowboard Week: Zermatt Resort & Spa, UT, March 2021
• FWSA Alaska Cruise & Denali Tour, June 19 – 30, 2021
• FWSA International Ski & Snowboard Adventure: Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, TBA 2022
• Africa, TBA 2022
• Galapagos Islands, TBA 2024

Here is your newsletter for the new year, and links to articles below.

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Avalanche Safety, by Dan Lew

Recipe Corner, contributed by Judy Hom

by Armand Gutierrez

The Whistler trip is here! We’ve got 51 happy skiers that will be tackling the slopes on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains for the first week of this month. On Sunday (2 Feb) most people will be leaving the slopes early to watch the Niners and Chiefs tackle each other on the football field at Super Bowl LIV (that’s 54 for you non-Roman numeral fanatics).

More details and photos of the trip will be in the March newsletter, so stay tuned to see what you missed if you weren’t part of the Whistler Yahoos. I’ve already been approached about the ski week trip in 2021, and all I can say is that you will need an Epic Pass.

by Dan Lew

Sadly, on Friday, January 17, 2020, a skier was killed in an avalanche  and  his friend seriously injured, while skiing off trail but inbounds at Alpine Meadows.  While ski resort avalanche deaths are rare, they do occur.  Indeed, on January 7, 2020, two people died in an avalanche  and five others were trapped at the Silver Mountain ski area in Kellogg, Idaho.  These deadly accidents remind us that even inbound resort skiing and snowboarding can be fraught with danger and there are ALWAYS inherent risks in the sport.

Personally, I was skiing with a group at a French Alps ski area when the last member of our group set off a small avalanche.  I was already at the bottom of the run so I was able to ski out of the avalanche’s path.  Fortunately, no one was injured but all six skiers were buried, albeit not deeply, and everyone was able to easily dig themselves out.

This article is to remind you of some commonsense practices to exercise while pursuing snow sports and other outdoors activities in the mountains or  other remote areas…this is NOT an exhaustive list!!

• Always obey resort instructions and heed the warning signs.
• Do not venture into CLOSED AREAS. As tempting as it may be, do not duck under ropes and barriers to ski “off piste” in closed areas .
• Do not ski alone especially if skiing or riding off-piste such as in trees or terrain into which you must hike or access via  a long traverse.
• If you do ski alone, let someone know where you are going  so they will know where to look for you if you do not return home. You don’t want to have ski patrol look for you after they discover that the only car left in the parking lot on the day of an avalanche belongs to you! That will be too late.
• If you separate from a group, make arrangements to meet up later–the bottom of the lift, the  lunch  spot, etc.
• Carry a loud whistle when in the mountains, whether partaking in snow sports, backpacking or other activities. If you get lost, escape an avalanche but are injured, a whistle could help locate you. Many trail daypacks have a whistle in their sternum strap. If you ski with a pack, check to see if it has a whistle, otherwise, carry one around your neck.
• Carry a Transceiver /Avalanche Beacon
  These are commonly carried by back country skiers, but can be another layer of safety at resorts. However, they are costly (~$200-$500). See resource guide below.

One more word of caution: always let someone know where you are going. In March of 1982, an avalanche at Alpine Meadows killed seven people. This avalanche was strong  and large enough that it destroyed part of the main lodge and buried parts of the parking lot. I was skiing in the Tahoe area the same day as that fateful avalanche; my colleagues at work who knew I had gone skiing that same weekend were concerned that I may have been in the avalanche. Fortunately, I was at a different resort but no one knew to which ski resort  I had gone!!!

Many of you know of the story of Aron Ralston whe had to cut off his own arm to save himself when a boulder fell and trapped his arm against a canyon wall.  No one knew where he had gone that day either. No one knew he was missing. No one knew to look for him!

Again, these are not substitutes for common sense and smart, safe practices. Of course, better to avoid being a victim by exercising good judgment in the first place.

RESOURCE GUIDE

RECCO enabled clothing: RECCO is a passive reflective device embedded in some ski jackets and pants to facilitate location of a buried victim. This is not a substitute for a transceiver/avalanche beacon.  A RECCO device works by reflecting a signal back to a RECCO detector.  The embedded reflector is completely passive and does not require batteries or any action by the wearer. In the Silver Mountain avalanche of January 7, a RECCO equipped helicopter was able to locate one of the victims. However, not many North American ski resorts utilize RECCO detectors.

AVALANCHE AIR BAG PACKS: packs that have airbags that are inflated by an  air canister or by small high speed electric fans ($500 without the canister – $1500 with canister). The inflated bag hopefully will keep you from being buried. It cannot however from preventing you from being pummelled into a rock or tree. Manufacturers: Arcteryx, Back Country Access, Black Daimond, Deuter, Mammut, Scott, etc.
NOTE – the compressed air canisters are generally not allowed on airplanes.

PACKS WITH BREATHING DEVICES: Black Diamond makes the “Avalung” pack with a breathing element that allows you to breathe up to an hour while buried. Reviewers question whether one would be able to get the mouthpiece into one’s mouth while buried or the viability of descending with the mouthpiece already in one’s mouth just in case.

AVALANCHE COURSES: 

• AIARE, American Institute for Avalanche Research Education has a list of avalanche courses. https://avtraining.org/ 
• The Sierra Avalanche Center is a resource for local mountain safety courses including AIARE courses. https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/education/providers

Again, use common sense and let people know that you’re out there!

Be safe everyone!

contributed by Judy Hom

Instant Beef Tenderloin Stew

From Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin

I tried this recipe out during the Christmas holiday and was impressed with how easy it is to cook and how delicious it tastes. I have made this recipe twice. I daresay that this is the quickest stew that I have ever made! It takes about 30 minutes instead of hours. The recipe is for 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 ½ cups diced potato (½ inch). I used large russet potatoes. Keep your potatoes immersed in water until ready to use
• 1 cup baby carrots (abut 4 ounces). I used the snacking baby carrots and sliced them in half diagonally
• 1 cup white button mushrooms (about 2 ounces). Wash your mushrooms just before use.
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• ½ cup baby peas, fresh or frozen. I used frozen peas.
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Beef tenderloin is also known as filet mignon. At $22/pound, it is very pricey but it is oh so good. Jacques says that New York strip streak, sirloin tips, and skirt steak are also tender enough to use. I made this recipe a second time with flank steak. The flank steak was noticeably less tender than the tenderloin but still quite good.
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock or red wine to deglaze the skillet for au jus

Instructions: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until the vegetables until tender and browned – about 8 minutes. Be sure to try out the potatoes and carrots to make sure they are soft enough. Add garlic, peas, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for 1 minute. Set aside, covered, while you cook the steak.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in another skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot but not smoking. Add meat to the skillet in one layer – don’t crowd the meat. Saute, turning, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat is browned on all sides. Do not overcook the steak. Transfer to a platter. Add the red wine or stock to deglaze the skillet. Boil for 10 seconds. Arrange the meat, vegetables, and juices on serving plate or 4 dinner plates. Serve immediately.

Extending the leftovers: If I had too much meat leftover, I cooked up a fresh batch of vegetables and added it to the meat. if I had too many veggies leftover, I cooked up a new batch of meat and added it to the veggies. I had delicious stew for over a week. 

I hope that you will try this out. You can find more information about this recipe by googling “Jacques Pepin Beef Tenderloin Stew”.

by Armand Gutierrez

Recognize this ski area? Only one person identified it as the top of the Teton Lift at Jackson Hole. With the Thanksgiving storm that came in, it’s a sure bet that all the Tahoe resorts will be open in December for your skiing pleasures.

Last month I mentioned that Northstar will have paid parking at the Village lot (Yellow lots) and free at the Castle Peak lot. Major bummer for Northstar fans. For you Squaw aficionados, there’s a rumor going around that they will also start paid parking. No surprise there. 

Whistler Ski Week 2020

The Whistler trip is just around the corner (1-8 February) and now is the time to get your ski gear ready. Ski tune-ups are always useful to get sharp edges for carving and any base work performed for smooth gliding down the slopes.  Tahoe resorts will be open in December and, hopefully, you can get a few days of skiing before the Whistler trip. The Whistler Orientation meeting will be held on Saturday, January 11^th, so mark your calendars. This will be an opportunity to meet other members on the trip, socialize a bit, and pick-up the souvenir gift. The Whistler pamphlet will be distributed by email since the Orientation meeting and our trip departure are very close. An Evite will be sent out in December that provides all the details. If you don’t receive an Evite, then let me know at president@niseiskiclub.org. Also, Karen Soo is coordinating the potluck dinner and will be sending out an email listing your condo mates so you can get a head start on putting together your potluck menu.

Christmas Greetings

This has been a good year for NSC with the popular Big Sky Trip, the annual picnic Membership Meeting, and the FWSA Historic Ski Club designation bestowed on NSC. On behalf of the NSC board I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

by Jackie Maruhashi

Thank you to the Nisei Ski Club (NSC) Board and members for your wholehearted support of the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest.  The FilmFest took place on November 1-3, 2019, at the CineArts Theater in Santana Row.  Nine out of the ten of our featured films screened to sold out crowds, making this one of the most successful film festivals ever, thanks to groups like the Nisei Ski Club.

The NSC sponsored “Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066,” and did its utmost to inform members by emailing, Facebook postings, and ticket raffling.  The massive outreach resulted in 30+ NSC members attending Alternative Facts, and other films such as “Chinatown Rising” and “Mayor Ed Lee,” while some members purchased the “all access” weekend pass.

“Alternative Facts” depicts a true World War II government plot to force the removal and incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast, 2/3 of whom were U.S citizens.  Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February 1942, authorized the War Department to establish military areas in which “any and all persons may be excluded…”  Although the U.S. was at war with Germany, Italy and Japan, only people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast were designated for wholesale exclusion and removal.  Even orphans with as little as one-sixteenth Japanese blood were removed.  With only a few weeks notice, families could take only what they could carry.  It is estimated that the evacuation cost the Japanese American community $6.2 billion in today’s dollars.

Decades later, two researchers studying the Japanese American evacuation found the “smoking gun,” evidence that government attorneys lied to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The attorneys removed a footnote in the brief to the Court that indicated that the U.S. Navy found no acts of sabotage by the Japanese American community.  The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans should have never happened…

Happy Halloween everyone. Now it’s time to start a new month and hopefully the ski season as well. Armand has lots of information about upcoming events in his message so make sure to read it all. Here are all of the November articles:

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Invitation to Special BAC Meeting

Utah Mini-Ski Week Space Available

Check the Links!

by Armand Gutierrez

November is here and the Tahoe ski resorts are getting ready for opening later in the month. Before you get too excited about skiing in November I submit the following:

This is the top of Pluto lift at Northstar. Hmmm, doesn’t look too promising.

Well, what about Squaw? Yes, that’s the view from Siberia lift. 

OK, one more that has more promise, can you guess this resort (hint: it’s not in CA).

Here’s the latest scoop on the following tentative opening dates: 

• 15 November – Squaw Valley
• 22 November – Heavenly Valley, Northstar
• 27 November – Kirkwood
• 28 November – Mystery resort

And for you Northstar fans, get ready for paid parking at the Village lot (sections A-L of the Yellow lot) and free parking at the Castle Peak lot at the entrance to Northstar. It isn’t definite whether this new plan will start this year or next year (a lot of Northstar season pass holders are quite upset about this). 

Other than skiing, November is the time we get together and celebrate a family Thanksgiving Dinner. If you’re going out of town (locally) for Thanksgiving then it’s best you leave early and expect the usual congestion on the freeways.  According to AAA the Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled weekend of the year. And why is that? Simple. Thanksgiving is the time of the year when family members travel far and wide to be with family and be grateful for who we are and what we have in our life. On behalf of the Board I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with family and friends.

Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest – Ticket Winners

Curtis Otaguro and Peggy Hori were the two winners for free tickets for the showing of Alternative Facts: the Lies of Executive Order 9066 at the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest 2019. Thanks to all that entered for a chance to win tickets.

Snow Fest Shows

This annual Snow Fest show is back again on 1-3 November at Pier 35 in San Francisco and 8-10 Novemberat the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. These shows are free and you can get your tickets at www.sfskifest.com. 

Warren Miller Film

For you movie buffs there will be a Warren Miller movie, the Timeless tour, at the Heritage Theater in Campbell on 16 November.

Whistler/Blackcomb Ski Week 2020

The Whistler/Blackcomb trip is full. Well, not exactly. There are condos available; however, I’m going to hold off on accepting additional people unless a condo unit can be filled with four people. You will also have to secure your own air reservations. So, if you haven’t signed up for this trip then now is the time to fill out the application and get your checkbook out as well.

Davos/Portugal Ski Week 2020

There are about 10 spots available for the FWSA Davos/Portugal trip (Feb 28 – Mar 7), and a few spots available for the extension week to Portugal (Mar 7-13). Davos offers 186 miles of guaranteed ski pistes, 57 cable cars/lifts, 110 slopes, and a vertical drop of 5,656 feet. If you’re interested on going on this trip then contact me (president@niseiskiclub.org) for details and the application forms.

Invitation to Special BAC Meeting – Monday, November 4th at 7:30PM at the Englander on 101 Parrott St. in San Leandro.  This year, BAC has decided to replace our annual Winterfest with a special meeting open to all club members.  There will be two speakers and exciting auction items available at the meeting.   

• Mr. Dennis Heffley, US Representative, Tourism Sun Peaks, Canada
• Mr. Michael Hayes of Brundage Mountain, Idaho
• Auction items available from Sun Peaks, Homewood and Big White (plus some additional surprises!)

Feel free to come early at 6:30 for socializing.  There is no charge to attend, and food and beverages are available for purchase from the Englander.

Here’s a sneak peek at the auction item from Sun Peaks!

Three (3) Night Stay in a Deluxe Room at the Ski In – Ski Out 4 Star Sun Peaks Grand Hotel Plus Two (2) Day Lift Passes for Two (2) People at Sun Peaks Resort.This is subject to availability of room and certain blackout dates.  Transportation to the resort is not provided.
The Value Of This Donation is $1,000.00!

On October 11, this information came to our club from Cathy Wilson, trip leader of this mini-ski week to Salt Lake City:

A double queen room has opened up on our trip to Utah, February 19-23, 2020.  I will need to sell the whole room, so it is available to a couple, anyone wanting a Single Supplement or two people who are willing to share the room. If you are a solo traveler, don’t have a roommate and want to share a room, I will hold your paperwork and check until I can find a roommate for you or the room is sold to a couple or single supplement.
If you want to sign up, please see the flyer for more information, including where to send your payment.  At this point, full payment will be required as well as completed forms.  The forms can be found in the Travel Section of www.skibac.org.

Remember to check the links on the right bottom of this page for current information about ski and road conditions, the Bay Area Ski Council, Far West Ski Association and more.

There is also a link to Amazon that you can use when you are shopping on that site. It will give the NSC a small percentage of your purchase when you click on it to get to the site.

There are three great articles with plenty of information in this newsletter. Plan to set aside some time to read them!

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Fest, by Sandy Kiyomura

More Restaurant (and other) Information You May Find Interesting, by Hoyt Nelson

by Armand Gutierrez

Fall is officially here and that means winter is just around the corner. But first, we have to get past Halloween and Thanksgiving. Remember the SnowBomb shows in Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose? These were shows, typically in November that had ski resort representatives, a huge ski and clothing sale, and a variety of entertainment. Apparently the “Bomb” in SnowBomb is too much of a negative connotation and now the event is called Snow Fest shows. Sometimes political correctness goes a little too far. After all, does that mean we can’t photo bomb a picture? And I’ve also heard the phrase “that’s the bomb”, meaning something really great and outstanding. Guess I won’t be  “bombin’ down a ski run” anymore. Are these phrases headed to extinction? 

Aki Matsuri – 5 October

This Fall Festival is being held at the Wesley United Methodist Church on Fifth St. in San Jose. Although not as big as the Nikkei Matsuri, there will be Japanese cuisine, marketplace, entertainment, kids zone, and a silent auction. If you can attend please do so to show our support for this great cultural event. 

Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest – 1-3 November

Jackie Maruhashi, NSC member and volunteer with SVAPFF, contacted me about NSC sponsoring a film at the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest 2019. There are nine feature films and several short films being presented. Additional details can be found in Sandy Kiyomura’s article on the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest 2019.

Snow Fest Shows

This annual Snow Fest show is back again on 1-3 Novemberat Pier 35 in San Franciscoand 8-10 Novemberat the Santa Clara Fairgrounds. These shows are free and you can get your tickets at www.sfskifest.com.

Warren Miller Film

For you movie buffs there will be a Warren Millermovie at the Heritage Theater in Campbell on 16 November. If anyone is interested in attending and possibly having dinner afterwards then contact Karen Soo (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org).

Details will be in next month’s newsletter.

Whistler/Blackcomb Ski Week 2020

The Whistler/Blackcomb trip is full. Well, not exactly. There are airline seats and condos available; however, I’m going to hold off on accepting additional people unless a condo unit can be filled with four people. So, if you haven’t signed up for this trip then now is the time to fill out the application and get your checkbook out as well. Also, the final payment is due 10 October.

by Sandy Kiyomura

Do you remember seeing “The Joy Luck Club”? This movie, based on Amy Tan’s book, was a record-breaking Hollywood movie 25 years ago. Then last year  “Crazy Rich Asians” with an all-Asian cast came out and grossed $238.5 million. But why did it take 25 years for another all Asian film to come out? This question came up at a recent showing of “The Joy Luck  Club” with some of the original actors and actresses speaking. I recall they said that the political atmosphere in Hollywood was not conducive to Asians in movies (except in martial arts movies). They stressed the importance of supporting films with Asian actors, producers and directors. By doing this, we can see more films like “The Joy Luck Club” and “Crazy Rich Asians”.

Nisei Ski Club is proud to support the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest 2019. There are nine feature films and several short films being presented. They will be shown November 1-3, at the CineArts Theater in Santana Row, San Jose.NSC has chosen to sponsor “Alternative Facts: the Lies of Executive Order 9066” at the Bronze level. This movie sheds light on the people and politics that influenced the signing of the infamous Executive Order 9066, which authorized the mass incarceration of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans, and will be shown on Saturday, November 2 from 1:30-3:30.

As a Bronze-level sponsor NSC members are eligible for a 20% discount for film tickets. Tickets may be secured at https://www.svapfilmfest.com/tickets, and use the discount code nsc2019. Jackie Maruhashi, an NSC member, is interested in joining fellow NSC members attending any of the films. Please contact her at jmaruhashi@yahoo.comif interested in joining her. If you do attend any of the feature films, be sure to wear an NSC jacket/shirt so attendees will recognize that you are a sponsor. Additional information can be found at https://www.svapfilmfest.com/.