Armand Gutierrez, President

Sad to say but April is here and that means the ski season is coming to a close. Most Tahoe resorts will be closed by the end of April (Northstar and Heavenly). Squaw Valley usually stays open later but it hasn’t been officially announced yet. Due to the abundance of snowfall, especially in March, this has been an extraordinary season. Hopefully you had a good ski season this year, whether it was at Tahoe or the Vail ski week.

Nominations & Elections

Well, it’s that time again for holding our board nominations and elections for the 2018-2019 season. Soon you will receive an email for making your nominations for the board. 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 this year! 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 at the annual June picnic. Ask any of the current board members and I’m sure they will tell you that by volunteering they get back more than they ever gave. By volunteering you will experience social benefits as well as provide a greater sense of self-worth, trust, and lots of fun. 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.

Big Sky Ski Week 2019

For next year’s ski week, NSC will be going to Big Sky, Montana. Our last visit to Big Sky was in 2002, so it’s time for a return trip. Last year Sports America offered the Epic Passes at a discount for any member that signed up for Vail, and the Tahoe Local Pass was good for 5 days of skiing at Vail.

For 2018-19 Big Sky will be on the Ikon Pass, and is also good for Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows. Here is what you need to know about the Ikon and Epic Passes for the Big Sky trip:

• Purchase the Ikon Pass (Big Sky, Squaw/Alpine) from Sports America and receive a discount on the Big Sky trip. Go to this link to purchase: Sports America/Ikon-Nisei.
• Purchase the Epic Pass (Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood) and receive a discount on the Big Sky trip. The Epic Pass cannot be used at Big Sky, but if you go on the Big Sky trip you will receive a trip discount. Go to this link to purchase: Sports America/Epic-Nisei.
• Purchase the Epic Pass before April 15th and get six buddy passes and the lowest rate for the pass.

For additional information on both passes go here: 2018-2019 Early Bird Season Pass Prices.

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

Judy Bracken

Question: What can be better than a 60th anniversary ski trip with the Nisei Ski Club?

Answer: A 61st anniversary ski trip with the Nisei Ski Club!

Seriously, we had a blast in Vail with this large group of Nisei ski club attendees. Though the snow level in Colorado was low, the spirit of camaraderie and fun was alive and well. We started off the trip with a rather long travel day, but once we were settled in our condos we awoke to a grey sky Sunday on the slopes. Some of us went on mountain tours to get the lay of the land. Others explored on their own. This required a constant study of the resort maps to figure out whether you were on the back or the front side of the mountain and which bowl you were in. Ski lifts had both numbers and names; numerous access roads connected them all. Then there was the constant pursuit of the best snow. Staying at the highest elevation and in the trees seemed to be the trick.

Those that experienced mountain tours found the group leaders to be friendly and engaging. The other folks on the tours often turned out to become friends that might be seen on some of the other ski days. The mountain is so vast that chance meetings with other club members were fairly rare. But most every afternoon there was the apres ski hot tub meeting where conversations turned to highlights of the day or upcoming plans.

As we continued through the week, some opted to take days off the slopes shopping, cooking or taking it easy by the fireplace. Some ventured to the nearby resorts of Beaver Creek or Keystone. Tuesday night’s potluck dinner was a grand affair. We spent the evening prowling through the condo complex, searching for the best food and stuffing ourselves silly in the process. As always, the food was superb and not to be outdone. What a bunch of great cooks we have in this club!

The grand finale was a dinner at the nearby hotel dining room. Tables of ten were filled with smiling and well exercised skiers of all ages. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and a great talk by our esteemed club president Armand. Before everyone went home to pack up, a group picture was taken by the fireplace.

The morning bus ride was made more dramatic due to a fast moving wet snowstorm. The bus could not get up the hill, so everyone pitched in to move the gear downhill through the snow for stowage. All made it on the bus and we headed to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

The organization of these trips and the behind the scenes activities that make it happen are impressive. Many thanks to all those folks that work hard ahead of time making room arrangements, airline reservations and much more. We are looking forward to the next one!