Archive for October, 2014

NSC’s STAIRWAY HIKE IN OAKLAND ( ROCK RIDGE HILLS), SUN. Oct. 26, 2014 – NEW DATE

Nelson Stamp~Hoyt Nelson~

New hike date Oct 26, 2014

The temperature trend is going down now so let’s try for this new date. It’s a 5-mile steeple-chase through up-scale neighborhoods in the Oakland hills with even more stairs and hidden paths than in our SF stairway hikes. This hike was last run in 10-06, so it will be new to most of you.

We will meet on the E end of Broadway (near Hwy. 24) at the corner of Rock Ridge Blvd. at 10 AM. There is plenty of free parking on Rockridge. It’s about 4 blocks from the Rockridge BART (which should have bathroom facilities). From BART, go under Hwy 24, on College Av. And take the 3rd L onto Lawton.   Just across Broadway, jog R a few feet to Rockridge. We should be back to our cars by 1:30 and out from (optional) lunch by 3:00 or 3:30.

Bring warm and cool weather clothing, hat, camera, drinks and snacks and sturdy walking shoes. Except for shops on nearby College Ave., there are no places for food, drink or facilities. If we are lucky, we may find unlocked construction porta-potties along the route, but they don’t seem to be available as much lately. After the hike, we will plan to meet at a local restaurant for lunch (optional). Since we go mainly through residential areas, I have to limit size to 17 maximum, so contact Hoyt Nelson at rockridge@niseiskiclub.org soon for signups or more info.

 

RockRidgeHike Image 1  RockRidgeHikeflyer Image 2  RockRidgeHikeflyer Image 3

October 2014 President’s Message

~ President Armand Gutierrez ~

Fall is here and despite the warm-to-hot weather in the Bay Area, there have been winter-like conditions at the various ski resorts in Tahoe, Colorado, and Wyoming (think Jackson Hole). Although the early snowfall has only been a slight dusting of that fine, white powder at least it’s a start for what hopefully will be a good winter season. It’s too early to predict and even the weather-gurus can’t seem to agree whether El Niño will be a factor or not.

BAC Focus Meeting

Last month’s BAC meeting was a Focus Meeting on how to make our clubs stronger. Dennis Heffley, BAC President, gave a presentation on how to make clubs stronger, identify our strengths and weaknesses, and, surprisingly, to concentrate on attracting the 30-40 year olds for membership. Why the 30-40 year olds and not younger? Well, it turns out that the younger generation is busy with securing good jobs, trying to afford an apartment/condo, and generally have less disposable income. This makes sense because after graduating college my focus was on getting a job and finding an affordable place to live. Of course, back then finding an affordable place to live was much easier than it is today.

 

SnowBomb

Snowbomb Festival

The annual Snowbomb Festival is coming to town and if you have a chance to go then this is the place to see new equipment, ski/snowboard gear, and winter clothing. The first Snowbomb will be at Ft. Mason on 1-2 November, and the second Snowbomb at the San Jose Convention Center on 8-9 November.  If you would like to attend for free then all you have to do is volunteer to work at the BAC booth at either location. Working the booth consists of talking to people about joining a ski club (like NSC), answering questions about FWSA/BAC, and getting to know volunteers from other ski clubs. If you’re interested in being a volunteer then contact either me (president@niseiskiclub.org) or Karen Soo (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org).

 

October 2014 Membership + Jackson Hole Report

~ Da Prez, Armand Gutierrez ~

Membership Activity

Like August, membership in September dropped off quite a bit as most members joined in the previous months. However, there was one returning member and one former member that that signed up for the Jackson Hole trip.  Currently we have 90 members.

I would like to welcome the following members:

  • Ken Kato
  • Mike Ryall

Jackson Hole logo

Jackson Hole Ski Week (24-31 January 2015)

Interest in Jackson Hole is still there and we now have 73 signups. Currently, I’m making arrangements for our Farewell Dinner and finalizing our condo arrangements. To get everyone stoked on Jackson Hole there is a free mobile app called JH Tapped. This app provides a comprehensive all-season guide to Jackson Hole and includes webcams, trail maps, dining, weather conditions, and lift status just to name a few.

You can download this app for your tablet or smartphone from the Jackson Hole website (http://www.jacksonhole.com). Click on “mobile app” in the top row for a complete description and how to download. Jackson Hole has started to receive some snowfall so check out the webcams.

Karen Soo is finalizing work on the souvenir gifts, so be sure to make your selection as soon as possible to ensure you get the right color/size.