~Ksenia Dyachkova & Bowen Gu ~

Ksenia and I are new to the Monterey area. We are here on a study program, working on our master thesis in Environmental studies. While we are staying here for only 3 months, we wanted to go to see Lake Tahoe.  It was a last minute decision to join the Nisei Ski Club and Monterey Ski and Social Club on their weekend ski trip.  We did not know what to expect from this trip. All we know was that a quick decision was made and there were more surprises during the trip itself. They are not ranked by their surprise level though.

During our limited stay in Monterey, Ksenia wanted to go to the mountains of California, but she had no idea, how to get there. The weekend trip with Nisei Ski Club was full of surprises both me and Ksenia.

Surprise 1: As students at the Monterey Institute of International Studies located in Monterey. Most of our time is spent on research on the computer. Ksenia was surfing the net and found information about a weekend bus trip sponsored by Nisei Ski Club (https://www.niseiskiclub.org/) on the Monterey-Ski an Social Club (http://www.montereyski.org/ ) website. She started to see if it was possible to join them on their upcoming weekend trip. Upon reading the trip description on the website, the bus departs from San Jose and she already lost hope that she could not make it. After sending a few emails to the trip director Karen Soo, Karen was kind enough able to help with the transportation   She was able to coordinate our rides to San Jose with members of the Monterey Ski and Social Club and we were able to get to San Jose for the start of our adventure. Thank you to Monterey members, Ted Hill and Bill Robinson for driving us is there.

Surprise 2: The trip was sooooooo well organized and all the club members are so friendly. As soon as we boarded the bus at San Jose, the two of us felt we were part of a big happy family. Once the bus departed, we knew that it was not an ordinary ski trip, but a trip filled with laughter, friendship, warmth and FUN. We truly appreciated the efforts of the trip leaders Karen Soo and Amy Tsuhako for their organization and the friendliness from its club members.

Surprise 3:  The accommodations at the Sands in Reno were more than sufficient.  Comfortable bedroom with 2 queen-size beds, hot shower, TV and Wi-Fi.  We were staying on the 12th floor and it was a bit noisy from the casino and club on the main floor. When we arrived, everyone was given a free Gambling card. With an initial deposit, we made $3.00 on the slot machines Yahoo!! 🙂

Surprise 4:  As an experienced snowboarder, Ksenia decided to take some skiing lessons at Alpine Meadows. With the experience she had from snowboarding, Ksenia was able to move up 3+ times in a day from level one. By the end of the day, she was skiing comfortably on the challenging runs.  Discounts for the all-day long classes were such a bargain; she had no hesitation to take a lesson!

Surprise 5: On Sunday, it was raining on the base and I decided to try my first attempt at SNOW SHOEING. The peacefulness of walking in the deep snow in the forest at Northstar was definitely different than the extreme excitement of skiing at Alpine Meadows on Saturday.

Surprise 6:  A little rain on Sunday scare a few members and many took the day off. Skiing at Northstar turned out to be absolutely the best.  Fresh tracks, moguls and fresh snow in between the trees. It was not raining on top and Northstar had 6 inches snow on the top summit. We also got our pictures taken by the Epic Mix Camera crew, provided by resort. The pictures were easily shared on Facebook for free!

Surprise 7: FOOD – While skiing and snowboarding is the most exciting and expected part of the trip, the dinner, breakfast and snacks were also impressive.  Even a vegetarian option was available on the bus. We had dinner with a few of the Nisei Ski members at the Hash House a Go Go at the Harrah’s (http://www.harrahsreno.com/restaurants/hash-house-a-go-go.html)

To our surprise to the both of us, the multicolored lemonade and the huge portions were more than enough to eat for the 2 of us after a full day of burning calories on the slopes.

To sum up in a simple way, it is a truly, truly FUN and memorable trip for two international students almost new to the US and totally new to the Nisei Ski Club.

A great big THANK YOU to all the members of Nisei Ski Club and Monterey Ski and Social Club for making our trip a memorable one.

If you were so unfortunate to have missed the Pinnacles National Monument hike on March 30th, here is a pictorial essay to soothe your sorrows.

Missed opportunities. Ever have one (or two)?  Missed opportunities come and go, and all one can do is lament about what could have been. Well, the Steamboat Gang certainly was at the right place at the right time. When I heard that the Steamboat Gang enjoyed a week of fresh powder there was a missed opportunity. I’ve been to Steamboat on ski week trips several times and the champagne powder has always eluded me. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like everyone had a great time skiing powder and enjoying the slopes. Now, I’m sure there were skiers on that trip that said, “I don’t know how to ski powder”. Hopefully, after skiing several days in that white, fluffy stuff you can now say “I skied powder, and I liked it!” Of course, now that you’ve tasted the champagne, powder skiing in Tahoe will never be the same.

Karen Soo, our Trip Director, tells me that Trip #2 is going and that’s good news for everyone. After Trip #1 was cancelled there was major concerns about future weekend ski trips. But, everyone rallied and now Nisei is going to Alpine Meadows and Northstar the first weekend of March. The snow is still pretty good up there so it should be good skiing, and Sidney Mar now has a chance to try out his new skis/boots.

As for me, well, I’ll be in Innsbruck, Austria from 2-10 March. I’ve skied quite a few places in Austria but this will be my first trip to Innsbruck. There are about 6-7 ski areas and I’m looking forward to new territory, meeting some friends I met with FWSA last year, and perhaps an opportunity for me to practice my non-fluent German.

28 people signed up for the NSC Week Trip to Steamboat Springs,Jan 26 – Feb 2, 2013. Due to medical issues, three people dropped out right before the trip, so only 25 people arrived at Steamboat.  We had a quick shuttle ride, 40 minutes, from Hayden (HDN) airport to our condos at The Ranch.

I’ve always heard of the fabled Champagne Powder.  I’ve skied over 20 years and I’ve never seen the light fluffy snow that you see in the Colorado Travel Ski Videos.  I once asked Dan Lew about this fabled power and he said he’s only seen it twice in his many many years of skiing.

In Dec, Steamboat had 100” of snow, but nothing until the week we arrived.  It snowed 2” the first night we were there and we got to make fresh tracks on our first day of skiing.

 

Then it snowed 14” the next day and I got to experience Champagne Powder. I was skiing in powder up to my hips and it was as light as air.  At one point, I tried to write NSC in the snow and I was only able to push the whole pile with only my finger tip and it was so light, I couldn’t feel the snow and I was only left with a bit of moisture and a breath of coldness on my finger tip as proof that I had touched it.

It continued to snow the rest of the week.  On Thursday morning, we had 24.5” of fresh powder (see photo).  We got Champagne Powder the WHOLE week.   I think we got a total of 45” the week we were there.  Thursday was the day the locals from Denver showed up, they skied until noon – where all the powder on the groomed runs was trampled down to packed powder, but the powder was still in between the trees.

 

On one run that was rutted out, I avoided one jump, but didn’t see the second one and wound up tumbling.  While in the air, I thought it was going to hurt when I crashed, but when I hit, it was like landing on a feather comforter.  I was not jarred and it was painless, pleasantly surprised, I just laid down in the snow and enjoyed the experience.

 

Snowboarders jumped 20 foot drops, crash landed, tumbled, and popped-up unhurt.  It was amazing.

 

The condos were great, the snow was great, and I had a great time skiing with all the NSCers on the trip.

 

I’d also like to thank the people on the trip for giving me such wonderful Thank You gifts.  The tablet and fleece have been getting more use than any other gift I’ve ever gotten.

 

You guys are all great and I know this is one of those once in twenty year experiences.

 

Thanks,

Morgan Hua

View the trip photos here: https://www.niseiskiclub.org/photos/

As President Armand noted in last month’s newsletter, Hi Fujii had to give up skiing for health reasons, and his Atomic racing skis were available to any member who could use them. I’m the grateful recipient of Hi’s skis. My eight-year-old skis were probably outdated and had outlived their usefulness, and the length of HI’s skis was the same as my old skis. Being the recipient of such great, gently used skis, I had to go out and buy new ski boots to accompany them. Thanks to Karen Soo’s recommendation, I was able to find great boots that fit well.

Sydney’s Former Skis

Now I’m all dressed for the ball with nowhere to go. Although I signed up for all three weekend trips, I was disappointed to learn from Karen that Trip # 1 to Alpine and Squaw Valley was canceled because only 12 people signed up. Trips # 2 and 3 are in jeopardy, too. As Karen noted in her plaintive E-mail, “the end of an era might be upon us.” Therefore, fellow NSCers, please get off your sofas and sign up for Trips # 2 and 3 and tell your friends about our great weekend ski trips so they can sign up, too.  Give me a chance to do justice to Hi’s skis and bomb down those double diamond hills. Oops, sorry, I got carried away. Give me a chance to intelligently and elegantly ski down those hills, just like Hi would have.

Sidney Mar

 Karen Soo – NSC Trip Director

What an exciting weekend. The 49ers were the favorite to win the 47^th annual Super bowl in New Orleans. There was so much buzz after the famous stadium  “BLACKOUT “at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. Was it Beyoncé’s strut that pulled the plug or was it Alex Smith with devil horns that turned the power off? Every 49ers fan in the bay area was jumping out of their seats when they scored their two touchdowns in the 3^rd quarter.

Sorry for the reminder, but the 49ers did not win the Super bowl. They just ran out of time.  Jim Haubaugh will continue lead the the 49ers to more victories. Colin Kaepernick will continue to shine next year. The 49ers are a strong team and they will come back next year.

Are the Nisei Ski Club weekend trips coming back next year?? Well that’s another story.  We got the greatest snow conditions, we scheduled three weekend trips for the 2013 season and we had the dates and destinations picked out. One problem, we are not getting our 30 sign ups to fill the bus.

We had to cancelled Trip 1, (Feb 8-10) three weeks prior to the departure date because we had only 13 sign ups. It looks like trip 2 is not going to meet the quota either unless we get 15 more people to sign up by this coming weekend.

Trip 3 for Mach 22-24 weekend – same story here – A low turnout with only 12 people.

I even asked the members who signed up for trip 1 to see if they would be interested in going on a day trip.  Only 5 people said they are willing to try out a local Bay Area Bus Trips.

Could this be an end of an era?  I know the 49ers are coming back next year but will the Nisei Ski Club?? The NSC officers will continue to support the weeklong trips for 2014 until that loses interest too.

We will continue work on non-ski events during the off season.  Just a reminder that this is a volunteer job for each and all of the officers and board members.

If anyone wants to go skiing in the coming weekends, please send me an email.

Happy New Year to you and your family..

Karen Soo aka NSC Trip director

tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org

Happy 4710 to all!!

The new year has brought us plenty of snow in the Sierras and Colorado.  I, for one, am waiting with baited breath for Steamboat pictures and reportages.

Unfortunately, despite the abundance of snow in the Sierras, trip # 1 was cancelled for lack of interest.  I’ve signed up for trips 2 & 3.    I hope to see you then!

In this month’s newsletter, Sydney Mar pays homage to Hi Fujii & his skis.  See his article here >> Sydney’s Skis <<.

President Armand Gutierrez’s Message

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Yes, the Year of the Snake.  I’m not particularly fond of snakes and we’ll get along well as long as they’re behind glass (like at a zoo). As the Chinese New Year begins and brings us a prosperous and good snow season, now is the time to take advantage of the good snow conditions up at Tahoe.

The ski season is in full swing and if you haven’t been to the slopes yet then what are you waiting for?
– For the rest of Armand’s mesage, click here >> Armand’s February Message <<.

Membership Activity

Our current membership stands at 52 members, which is the lowest membership that I have seen since I became a member back in 2002. This low membership has a direct bearing on the ability for the club to sponsor the weekend ski trips. Each weekend ski trip requires at least 30 signups, which was not a problem when the membership was 120+ people. But now, we’re nowhere close to that figure. Next year we may see a different NSC, one that will only be able to provide a ski week trip, and even this year’s ski week to Steamboat only had 28 people. Our summer activities probably won’t be affected because they usually don’t require any upfront money deposits and minimum signups.

Where is your Editor?

As for me, here are pics from my current wanderings

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Yes, the Year of the Snake.  I’m not particularly fond of snakes and we’ll get along well as long as they’re behind glass (like at a zoo). As the Chinese New Year begins and brings us a prosperous and good snow season, now is the time to take advantage of the good snow conditions up at Tahoe.

The ski season is in full swing and if you haven’t been to the slopes yet then what are you waiting for? There is plenty of snow up at Tahoe and January provided sunny skies and great weather for skiing. By now the Steamboat entourage has returned and I’m sure we’ll have photos and stories in the next newsletter.  I did check out Steamboat’s webcams a few times and it looked like they were blessed with some fresh snow and, hopefully, the famous champagne powder that Steamboat is known for.

Back in October Hi Fujii attended the NSC picnic and requested that his skis be donated to the club since he was “retiring” from skiing. The NSC Board decided that his skis would be donated to somebody that really needed a pair of good skis and that would put them to good use. Well, Sidney Mar became the recipient of those skis and now he’s looking forward to trying them out. You can read his story in the newsletter.

Unfortunately for Sidney, Trip #1 to Alpine and Squaw was cancelled due to insufficient sign-ups. Although those members have been rescheduled to Trips #2 and #3, there still is no guarantee that those trips will go. Last year all weekend trips were cancelled due to low signups, which was due to the fact that snow conditions were not very good. But this season there is plenty of snow and good weather conditions. The Board is very concerned that if all our weekend ski trips are cancelled this year, then next year might be no different and the club will only offer the ski week trip. Since the snow conditions are good then the main reason for cancelling our weekend ski trips can be tied to our membership. Clearly a membership of 52 cannot sustain weekend bus trips that require at least 30 signups. Once again I’m urging you to signup for one of the two remaining trips and help Sidney get on the slopes with his new boots and skis.

If you have any concerns on where the club is headed in the future then please drop me a line (president@niseiskiclub.org) and voice your concerns and questions.

~Armand Gutierrez~

2013 is starting out to be a good ski season. As mentioned last month, I made a trip to Tahoe just before the holidays and skied Heavenly and Northstar. Although not all lifts were in operation, the snow conditions made up for that. At Heavenly, there was enough snow to run through the trees and take in some powder runs. At Northstar, the Washoe run on Lookout Mountain had just opened and half the run had 8”-10” of fresh, untracked powder. Well, almost untracked, as I was the third person to go down. It was so sweet that a second run was mandatory!

With all the snowfall up at Tahoe, now is the time to signup for one, two, or three of the trips that have been planned. Karen Soo (trip director) has been working hard on making these trips affordable and fun. The first trip in February is to Squaw and Alpine, and both resorts have plenty of snow. We need your signups to make these trips possible or else they could be cancelled. Last year’s cancellations was understandable due to less-than-desirable snow conditions. But this year is looking real good. So remember why you joined Nisei Ski Club. You joined because the club offered ski trips at great prices, plus you don’t have to drive. So once again, I urge the membership to sign up for a trip (or two), invite a friend (or two), and let’s make this ski season a memorable one.

 Golden Gate Park Dec. 2 by Hoyt Nelson

The rain forecast probably lowered the attendance, but the weather turned out great for 7 of us, led by Karen Soo,  in a tour of the new California Academy  of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.  We got all shook up in an earthquake simulator, craned our necks in the planetarium, climbed up through the giant rain forest enclosure, marveled over the countless fish in the huge aquarium complex downstairs and gazed at the many displays of animals, birds, rocks, etc.  Except for the lack of parking, I believe everyone agreed it was a day well-spent.

Thanks Karen for your continuing support and service to our club.

~byline: Janet “hard butt” Gee ~

Back due to popular demand, Hoyt led six lucky members, to a repeat of his North Berkeley Hike on November 11th.  We really got our adrenaline going at the concrete slide at Cordonices Park.  Rod took the lead with a safe, conservative run using his feet as brakes, followed by Maggie.  Both Hoyt and myself were more aggressive and paid for it by landing squarely on our tailbones, while Karen had her Performance-Enhanced Cardboard mat with wax paper, which launched her three feet beyond, for the gold medal in slide jumping according to judges, Linda and Melissa, who wisely kept their feet on the ground.  Karen, Hoyt and I are still sore — owww!

We enjoyed great views of the bay, cool architecture of the homes, and of course, lots of stairs — some with colorful mosaic walls created by the neighbors.  We stopped for a snack at Cragmont Park where we tried to ID all the islands we could see in the bay, saw some rock climbers and found a few late blackberries on Keeler Path.  We even learned about Mayan history and culture from a painted mural on the way back to our start.

And what is a Nisei event without enjoying great food, so down the hill we drove to Karen’s fav, Vik’s Chaat House.  She and Hoyt ordered us a wide variety of Indian snacks, most of which lit my wimpy tastebuds on fire — lamb naan, poori, chicken biryani, veggie dosa — all really tasty!

Thanks again to Hoyt, our intrepid leader, whose hikes always take us somewhere interesting and scenic, whether wilderness or cityscapes — be sure to join us next time!

Did you VOTE???  If you didn’t, you have no right to complain!!!

This month, we have a lot of things for y’all.  Coming up is another of Hoyt’s popular hikes – on Nov 11, he will be leading the ever popular North Berkeley hike – see below for details.
STEAMBOAT – still 4 spots left, but time’s running out. 
Las Palmas Picnic – David Tsuhako’s picnic write up graces this month’s newsletter along with Bill Lee’s photo chronicle of the day.
Karen’s Trip Director article unveils the 2012-2013 weekend trips..
And, of course, we have Armand’s Presidential (get it?  Presidential, Nov elections…) which follows immediately.

Nisei Ski Club
November, 2012
President’s Message

November is here and ski season is getting closer. Are you getting ready for the ski season? The recent storms bode well for what might be a good ski season. Squaw Valley had a special one-day opening and many ski resorts are planning on early opening dates: Heavenly and Northstar – Nov. 16, Kirkwood and Squaw Valley – Nov 21, and Alpine Meadows – Dec 7.

Karen Soo is finalizing the weekend ski trips and she’ll be posting the schedule in an upcoming newsletter. However, our NSC trips are based on a minimum number of members signing up for the trips. Many of us were disappointed in
last year’s ski season, which affected the number of bus trips we could offer. This year the season appears to be starting off with early snowfalls and early resort openings.  When the ski trip schedule is posted be sure to sign up so the trips can be scheduled accordingly.

Last month, there was first mention about a “ski mentoring” program and for any interested members to send me a note. So far there haven’t been any responses, and implementation of a “ski mentoring” program can only happen when there is sufficient interest. If you’re interested then send me a note (president@niseiskiclub.org) and indicate your ski level and area of interest.

The NSC picnic held last month was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone that attended. Good weather, plenty of food, and meeting former members contributed to a great event. One pleasant surprise was to see Hi Fujii attend for a brief visit. Sad to say, his visit had a main purpose – and that was to donate his Atomic skis to the club since he is now “retiring” from skiing due to health issues. As a lifetime NSC member, we may miss him on the ski slopes but hopefully Hi will participate in another picnic or NSC event.

Membership Activity – Our current membership stands at 49 members.

FWSA Innsbruck/Garmisch Ski Week

Innsbruck is the Tyrolean capital and hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976. There are over 320 miles of trails easily accessible in 25 surrounding village resorts; and nine major ski areas that provide varied terrain for all levels of skiers.

If you’re interested in joining me on this ski week vacation, or just have questions about skiing in Europe, then drop me a line (membership@niseiskiclub.org).

Steamboat Springs Update
by Morgan Hua

I have only 4 seats left (out of 30) for the Steamboat Trip.  If you’re interested, please sign up ASAP.
Once I get the Fleece Souvenir embroidered, I will arrange for a get together to distribute the fleece and information packets.
That’ll probably be in Dec.  Stay tuned.

Karen Soo – Returning Trip Director

The first storm of the season fell last week. Squaw Valley had 3 feet of snow and they were open for one day. Lift Tickets costs $20.00 to ski one run.  Just imagine seeing the fall foliage with a blanket of snow on top.  It also rained on Halloween.  A positive sign that we’re going to have a good season in 2013.

The cost of the NSC weekend trip is still being finalized. Based on the survey given at our NSC picnic, we are going to the following resorts –…. Click for >> Rest of Karen’s Article<<

 Las Palmas Picnic – T’was a Beautiful Day to Picnic

~ byline : David Tsuhako ~

On a beautiful and sunny Saturday in October, close to forty NSC skiers, boarders and friends congregated atLas PalmasParkfor some grub and gab. As usual, Karen (aka Taste Soo Good Catering) cooked up a feast of BBQ pulled pork sliders and coleslaw. And as people started arriving to the party, a variety of scrumptious dishes added to the spread.  We all had our fill sampling succulent fall-off the bone ribs, king egg rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls, roasted chicken, somen salad, various pasta salads, quinoa salads, mac salads, California rolls, maki sushi, tamale pies, bruschetta, cheese cakes, lemon bars, and 7 layer finger …  >> Click here for the rest of David’s report <<

North Berkeley Hike – Sat, Nov. 11

~led by Hoyt Nelson ~

Come join us trouping through the hills of N. Berkeley in the gardens of some of the most picturesque old  “designer” homes in the Bay Area. I have mapped out a route based on several hikes from my favorite hike book in this area: “Hidden Walks in the Bay Area” by Stephan Altschuler.  There is an adult concrete slide near the start so you may want to bring a sturdy cardboard “sled” of at least 3′ x 3′.  For more speed, firmly attach a sheet of wax paper to the bottom (not plastic cling wrap).

The slide is very close to the start so you can take it back to your car if you want before the rest of the hike. The pictures in this flyer are from the preview I did in March.

It should take about 3.5-4 hours and starts at the Berkeley Rose Garden (intersection of Euclid & Eunice – click => for a MAP <=) at 10 AM.  More details will be sent after you sign up.  Bring layered clothing, camera, strong hiking shoes, water and snacks/lunch.  Bathroom facilities are at the start and at our lunch stop at Cragmont Rock Park.  There are several restaurants I can suggest for lunch after the hike and/or you can bring something for our Cragmont Park stop.  Rain may cancel the trip.  I will keep signups informed.  For more info contact Hoyt Nelson at: berkeley@niseiskiclub.org.

Oct 20 Castle Rock Hike by Hoyt Nelson

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day in the Santa Cruz mountains. The air was cool and clear with just a few wisps of fog draped over the distant hills which added still more interest to the already beautiful scenery that stretched nearly to the Santa Cruz bay. Ten of us (amazingly) got off to an on-time start, but the hike took almost 4 hours due to stops for the obligatory group photos and a longer-than- usual social break for lunch at the campgrounds just north of the upper end of our 5 mile squashed loop route. There were more rock scrambling spots along the trail than I remembered from my last
time here five years ago, but then, I’ve aged since then. There were, however a few new trail improvements in the form of fixed cables in a couple of short stretches, which a few of us really appreciated. We overtook a half dozen campers with large packs trying to negotiate one of 

these sections and Joel volunteered to hoist one pretty heavy pack up and across for one

 of them. I guess I wasn’t the only tired hiker since nobody wanted to take the extra ¼ mile trail up Castle Rock itself or the optional ¼ mile trail up from Saratoga to Hakone Gardens. That worked for me as well.

Karen Soo – Returning Trip Director

The first storm of the season fell last week. Squaw Valley had 3 feet of snow and they were open for one day. Lift Tickets costs $20.00 to ski one run.  Just imagine seeing the fall foliage with a blanket of snow on top.  It also rained on Halloween.  A positive sign that we’re going to have a good season in 2013.

The cost of the NSC weekend trip is still being finalized. Based on the survey given at our NSC picnic, we are going to the following resorts –

Trip 1 – February 8 – 10, 2013 (Squaw / Alpine)
Trip 2 – March 1 – 3, 2013 (Alpine / Northstar)
Trip 3 – March 22- 24 / Mt Rose / Sugarbowl (Subject to Change)

To gear up for the coming season. There is a couple of Ski related events happening in the bay area.

Nov 3-4 / 5^th Annual SnowBomb San Francisco Ski & Board Festival in San Francisco

Nov 17-18 / 4^th Annual SnowBomb Silicon Valley Ski & Board Festival in San Jose

Please send me an email if you would like to volunteer for 2 hours at these events to promote our club. In return, you will get free entrance to the event and free lift tickets.

I’m also planning a NSC outing to the California Academy of Sciences on Sunday, December 4^th. If you are interested in attending, let me know and  I will try to get group rate.

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

Karen

~ byline : David Tsuhako ~

On a beautiful and sunny Saturday in October, close to forty NSC skiers, boarders and friends congregated atLas PalmasParkfor some grub and gab. As usual, Karen (aka Taste Soo Good Catering) cooked up a feast of BBQ pulled pork sliders and coleslaw. And as people started arriving to the party, a variety of scrumptious dishes added to the spread.  We all had our fill sampling succulent fall-off the bone ribs, king egg rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls, roasted chicken, somen salad, various pasta salads, quinoa salads, mac salads, California rolls, maki sushi, tamale pies, bruschetta, cheese cakes, lemon bars, and 7 layer finger jello, to name a few.

As we munched on the food, we caught up with fellow skiers and boarders to mentally gear up for the up coming season, and of course “prayed” for better snow this year than last.  For some of us, we had not seen each other since the ski season ended, so we enjoyed listening to peoples non-skiing adventures over the summer. Some debated over the latest political and economical state of the economy, while others learned about new movies or TV series they should watch. Those that came to the picnic early, caught a glimpse of one of our founding members, Hy Fuji, who dropped off his atomic skiis to donate to the club.

After lunch, Armand, standing on a picnic bench, called to order the NSC board meeting, introducing the current board members at the picnic: Armand (President), Frank (Treasurer), Karen (Trip Director), Morgan (Ex-Officio), Brian (Board member), Hoyt (Board member), and Curtis (Board member).  Like all good meetings, it was short and to the point. Week long trip to Steamboat still had openings if people are interested, Hy’s skiis are for sale, Castle Rock hike was coming up as was anAcademyofSciencefield trip, and the weekend bus trips to Tahoe are in the planning phase.  Then we played the exciting game of Left, Right, Center, where the last person standing with a dollar bill gets to take home the “center” pot of money.  After 30 minutes of excitement, screams, and laughs among 18 participants, it was a battle between Morgan and I. Morgan rolls a push.  I roll a push, Yes! Morgan rolls another push.  Me too! Morgan rolls a Center.  I win!!!  With all that fun, we had to document it with photos (thanks to Bill for all the candid photos!) and a group picture—with the NSC sign of course!

Thanks to the board for putting this together. It was great seeing everyone and catching up with everyone. Hope to see you soon on future NSC events and lets all pray for good snow!

Thanks to Bill Lee, we have a photo chronicle of the day : >> Bill’s PicNic Pics <<

October’s upon us.  Halloween will be here soon.  I, for one, have been baying at the moon for the last several days and I’ve noticed that my exfoliation cream has lost its efficacy and  en plus, I’ve been going through a new razor every day as my facial hair is inexplicably becoming coarser.  Owooooooo.

In this month’s issue, Steamboat Update, Club Picnic, October hike, president Armand’s message and membership report.

_________________________________________________

Nisei Ski Club
October, 2012
President’s Message
Armand Gutierrez

Get Ready! Ski season is just around the corner. And one of my proposals for this year is to initiate a “ski mentoring” program. The purpose of this proposal is to have some of our seasoned members provide on-the-slope advice to help you become a better skier. Need help in moguls? How about tackling a black diamond run for the first time? Or maybe you want to step up from the green runs to the blue runs. Whatever it may be, I’m sure there is an NSC member who can help you. However, before we can implement this program it’s necessary to determine how many people will actually sign up. If you’re interested then send me a note (president@niseiskiclub.org) and indicate your ski level and the area of interest.

The NSC picnic is on Saturday, October 13^th, and the Evite invitations have been distributed to current and former members of NSC. As mentioned in the Evite and flyer, the best part of this picnic, aside from reconnecting with current & former members, is that there is no cost to you, as NSC will be providing the main entrees and soft drinks/water. However, feel free to bring a side dish or dessert to share. We will also have a short membership meeting to bring everyone up-to-date on club activities. Let’s hope Mother Nature cooperates and provide us with sunny skies and pleasant temps. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 13^th.

1.      Membership Activity
Our current membership stands at 46 members. Normally we would have a few more signups due to the ski week trip to Steamboat but that seems to have abated. There are still rooms available for this great trip and hopefully more people will signup at the October picnic.

2.      FWSA Innsbruck/Garmisch Ski Week
Innsbruck is the Tyrolean capital and hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976. There are over 320 miles of trails easily accessible in 25 surrounding village resorts; and nine major ski areas that provide varied terrain for all levels of skiers.

If you’re interested in joining me on this ski week vacation, or just have questions about skiing in Europe, then drop me a line (membership@niseiskiclub.org).

~Morgan Hua ~
The 2012-2013 snow season is predicted to be El Nino which is supposed to bring more snow.
Steamboat just got it’s first snowfall on Sept 26, 2012.  Their opening day is Nov 21.  We will be arriving on Jan 26, 2013.
Karen is also ordering the trip souvenirs from Marmot and various colors and styles are already starting to run out.

Second payment is due Oct 27, 2012 and I will probably release all the unused condos and plane seats before then.

If you want to go on this trip, you should sign up ASAP.

For details click this link : « Steamboat »

Picnic – Saturday October 13

Save the date and time! Come out and catch up with current and past NSC members.
The NSC board members would like to invite you to a picnic.

Who: NSC members and their invited Guests.
When:  Saturday, October 13, 2012 12:00PM – 5:00PM
Where: Las Palmas Park 850 Russet Drive, Sunnyvale.
Here’s the link to the picnic details: >> PICNIC Info <<

Hoyt’s Castle Rock hike -Saturday,  October 20

Don’t forget Hoyt Nelson’s Castle Rock hike! Click here for the details: «HIKE!»

NOTE : This is simply information for our membership, not an endorsement of the California Ski Company by Nisei Ski Club.

California Ski Company is the East Bay’s only specialty ski shop. We have been selling ski equipment—and ski equipment only—here in Berkeley for the past 22 years. We are dedicated to assisting your purchasing decisions with the most highly trained, knowledgeable staff in the Bay; our mission is to ensure your skiing satisfaction!

Now is the time to get lots of great deals on all your ski needs at the upcoming California Ski Company Fall Parking Lot Sale! California Ski Company is a seasonal business and does not have a big spring closeout sale like other “ski” shops that convert their ski business to a separate retail focus in the summer.

Instead of selling off their ski gear early to buy whatever they sell in the summer, California Ski Company keeps a full selection of gear in stock until the resorts close.  They then simply lock their doors for the summer hold on to their extensive inventory.

In the Fall, when it is time for them to re-open, California Ski Company kicks off the new ski season with  their giant Fall Parking Lot sale!

The sale takes place over three weekends and is designed to clear out all of last year’s inventory with huge price reductions along with some great deals on this year’s gear.  After last year’s slow Winter, there is a lot left over and many great deals ready to be had!

Skis up to 60% off!

All Clothing 30-60% off!

Helmets and other accessories to 60% off!

This year we will be stocking backcountry gear!

Don’t forget to ask for “facebook” pricing on tune ups and get a full ski tune (regularly $50.00) for just $35.00, this offer is good thru 10/31.

The Fall Parking Lot sale dates are: August 25^th & 26^th, September  1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd , and the final weekend is September 8^th and 9^th.  Hours are 10am to 6pm each day.  Please visit their website to find even more details at www.Californiaskicompany.com.

Byline : Celeste Rogers

The hikes organized by Hoyt were often embedded with hidden gems. I discovered San Francisco through the Stairs Hikes such as hidden gardens among the stairs and awesome views of the Bay and unknown lakes (to me) in Golden Gate Park.

This Lands End hike is no different. I discovered that there is a wonderful trail after the Cliff House, a blow hole inside the tunnel, the maze, the USS San Francisco Memorial, the Palace of the Legion of Honor (The Thinker is here), the Holocaust Memorial, the stairways, the incredible mansions on Seacliff Avenue, blackberry blooms, the perfect blooms of yellow, purple, white and red and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge set against the perfect blue sky on a cool breezy day. I could not ask for more from this hike with great wonderful people sharing stories, their activities and their food and making friends and meeting members whom we have not met in months.

At the end of the hike, Hoyt took us to a restaurant, Mandalay, that is zagat rated. Hoyt recommended the Tea Leaf Salad and ginger tea. The Tea salad is not what a salad is in our definition. It consisted of fermented tea paste, and all things fried, such as split peas, sliced garlic, broad beans, sesame, ground nuts, chili, shrimp paste and some lemon. One bite into the mixture which was mixed on the table as part of the dining experience, and you are hooked and filled. The ginger drink is actually mint with lemon juice and so cool, refreshing and delicious after a long hike of 6 miles and 4 hours later. Also, the coconut rice is a must if you happen to be there.

Food, hike, great weather, wonderful friends and beautiful scenery make for a perfect day!! Life is Good!!

Days later, I was still raving about this wonderful hike that make my Saturday last forever!!! A great BIG thank you to Hoyt and Nancy Nelson.

Cheers, Celeste

By : Celeste Rogers (ed. H.Nelson)

The Falls Creek got its name because of its musical & soft caressing water sound among tall straight redwoods. It was a shaded hike to soothe your soul and to be at peace within your heart.
We got off to a late start waiting for late comers. A larger group by Meetup was organized by Steven at the same time and same place that I normally participated every weekend took off for a 10 mile hike.

Hoyt was very kind to warn vehicles coming into the parking area to slow down as there was a huge “pothole” that scraped vehicle bottoms even for the SUVs.  Hoyt probably saved a few “broken” hearts that day.

As usual with Hoyt’s hikes, we learned a bit of history along the hike such as about the Lime Kilns, Powder Magazine and the Barrel Mill Area where we rested on fallen logs along the creek and have our packed lunch before looping back. The Barrel Mill manufactured parts for barrels that were used for shipping lime. The nearby redwood trees were cut into blocks to be sliced and assembled into barrels.

We took off to an organic winery where the fields have to be left fallowed for 5 years before being certified as organic. The patio of the wine tasting area was a great place to rest and chat before heading home after a lovely, relaxing and cool hike with such soothing water music that I took several recordings of the sound of flowing water.

Tom Ryugo a.k.a. “Gilligan”

Poppa and his Fish

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten excited about salmon fishing.  The salmon season was closed in 2008-2009, opened back up in 2010 with miserable results, and was pretty mediocre in 2011.  But 2012 opened with great anticipation because biologists, fisherman, and whale watchers alike all reported seeing conditions conducive for a banner salmon year.  The biologists counted lots of fish and the other observers reported the ocean being full of krill, anchovies, and other salmon food.  For salmon anglers, the year didn’t disappoint.  Starting in late May/early June, boats reported catching between 1-1.5 salmon per rod.  In early July, the scores increased to a fish per rod to limits (2).

With all that news, I put together a group to go salmon trolling aboard the New Seeker of Emeryville.  There were 8 of us: myself; Nelson Owyang; Karen Soo; Greg Wong; and Celeste Rogers (all NSC members) plus three other friends: Chris Mackey; Irena  and Mike Pattullo.  We arrived very early – 4:30 – because the boat was sold out (hot salmon fishing news travels fast).  Given that the previous day, all boats caught limits of salmon, we looked forward to a great day.  Chris even convinced his sister-in-law to babysit his two boys with the promise of a salmon dinner.  Alas, that’s why they call it fishing not catching.

The ocean was a tad rocky on the trip out so some of our group were looking a bit uneasy.  Plus, it was a long boat ride.  Not surprisingly, when Captain Harry stopped the boat after about two hours, somewhere between Stinson Beach and Point Reyes, some of our group headed for the rails and tossed their cookies.  The weather was overcast and breezy but the ocean had just the right color salmon like – brownish green water full of plankton.  On the very first drop, I had a bite and then a fish.   When the fish came into view though, it looked small, a measurement fish (minimum size for salmon is 20″).  I was thinking how disappointing after all the reports of fish averaging 12-15 lb.  Irena was feeling too uneasy to fish her line so I checked her bait and put it back down – but when the bait was barely 20 feet away, a big salmon came up and grabbed it.  I called for Irena to reel it in but she said she was in no condition – so I reeled it up.  A real beauty ~ 18 lb.  Not long after that, I had a bite on my own line – and another tough salmon fight.  After ten odd minutes, this salmon was in the net, also ~18 lb.

Meanwhile, however, the rest of our group weren’t faring so well.  Greg had turned several shades of green, Karen was looking queasy, the salmon seemed to be playing with Celeste (one took her bait and sinker when she closed her eyes for a few minutes), and the fish avoided everyone else’s line like the plague.  Despite seasickness, everyone in our group gamely toughed it out and kept on fishing.  Other passengers weren’t faring well fishing wise either – there were 4-5 other fish in the box but that was it.  Captain Harry finally decided to head north to Point Reyes where the rest of the fleet said fishing was better.  I reeled in my own line and then reeled in Irena’s line.  Just 15 feet from the boat, another big salmon hit the bait.  Alas, this one shook its head mightily and threw the hook.  Oh well – how disappointing.  An hour boat ride later, we were near Point Reyes with lots of company from other charter boats, skiffs, and commercial fishing boats.  There was a lot more action here but unfortunately, it came from small fish.  The ratio of undersized salmon to legal (barely) salmon must have been 5-1.  Most weren’t strong enough to release the trolling sinkers (which was good since people got their sinkers back).  Irena, Nelson, and Greg each pulled in a small but legal salmon.  Finally, Captain Harry said enough was enough – we should have stayed put at the first spot – and we were heading back to our morning spot.

Back at the previous spot, the passengers got a huge thrill from a pod of enormous blue whales feeding on the abundant krill.  The biggest looked to be 70-80 feet long.  Some surfaced barely 200 yards from the boat, shooting spouts from their blowholes and waving their big flukes in the air as they plowed through the water.  We joked about the extra charges for whale watching.  Everyone with a camera pulled it out and tried to time the whales so as to catch tails in the air.  Then it was back to salmon fishing.  The action wasn’t fast but it turned out well for our group.  Greg, having shaken off seasickness, hooked a big and hard-fighting salmon.  After a tiring fight, a 15 lb salmon went in the box.  Then it was Karen’s turn – but when the deckhands initially took her rod to work out a tangle, she was reluctant to take it back.  All that dithering gave the salmon a chance to shake the hook – and after Karen finally took back the rod, that’s just what it did.  Finally, at 3 o’clock, Captain Harry gave the order to wind up and head home.  Just enough time for one last thrill.  As Nelson reeled in his line, a big salmon clobbered his bait barely 10 feet from the boat.  A short but fierce struggle later (only ten feet to reel in), another 15 lb salmon was in the box.

Overall, it was a feast or famine day for passengers.  In our
 group, four people caught two legal salmon and four people caught none.  That seemed to go for the rest of the passengers – ~20 salmon for 24 people.  My big fish and Irena’s big fish tied for biggest fish on the boat so we split the jackpot.  I gave my share to the deckhands, Tom and Rob.  I also gave my smaller salmon and the carcass of the big salmon to Chris – couldn’t have him disappointing the family.  Also took home a bag of fresh salmon roe (tasty but very rich).  A fine day of salmon fishing for me when all was said and done.

~Tom~