by Armand Gutierrez, President
La Niña or El Niño? One brings a lot of rain and the other doesn’t. Do you know the difference? Read on and learn. As we ease into the fall season and greet the upcoming months with cooler temperatures, weather forecasters are up to their ears in data, models, simulations, and predictions. And the latest prediction from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is that there is a 70% chance of wet weather in the Pacific Northwest (that includes us in the Bay Area) due to La Niña, and that translates into snow in the mountains and, hopefully, our winter wonderland in Lake Tahoe. So there you have your answer: La Niña brings wet weather and El Niño brings dry weather. Of course, along with the wet weather, aka rain, we need that Polar Express cold air from Alaska to transform raindrops into light and dry snowflakes. Yes, it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming ski season.
Vail Resorts Ski Operations
If you are an Epic Pass holder you may have received an email providing details on their upcoming winter operations for 2021-2022 for Vail resorts, and this would include Northstar, Heavenly Valley, and Kirkwood in the Tahoe area. This season Vail Resorts is focused on COVID-19 protocols in indoor spaces. Fortunately, our skiing activities are mainly outside, with the exception of on-mountain dining and shopping in the village. The following implementations are designed to combat the spread of COVID-19 while still providing an enjoyable ski day:
- Mountain access – No reservation system and will load lifts and gondolas at normal capacity.
- Face coverings – Only required in indoor settings, not required in lift lines, chair lifts, or gondolas.
- Dining Reservations – Reservations will be required at many of the on-mountain restaurants, and expect expanded seating and dining capacity.
- Dining Vaccinations – Proof of vaccination will be required at indoor and on-mountain restaurants.
- Employee Safety – All employees required to have COVID vaccinations.
These protocols are subject to change based on the local public health guidelines and changing dynamics surrounding COVID-19.
2022 NSC Ski Week to Steamboat, CO
The Steamboat trip is fully booked and all we need is a good winter dump of snow to create our winter wonderland. As a reminder, 10 October is the due date for final payments, so please send those in on time.
COVID-19 Protocols and Vaccinations
Steamboat has issued the following COVID-19 protocols based on recently updated recommendations from the CDC:
- Face coverings – Only required in indoor settings for non-vaccinated individuals. For vaccinated individuals, masks are recommended.
- Enhanced Cleanliness and Disinfectant Measures – Steamboat recommends common COVID-19 prevention practices such as facial coverings in public indoor spaces, physical distancing, and practicing healthy hand washing/sanitizing.
- Like Vail Resorts, these protocols are subject to change based on the local public health guidelines and changing dynamics surrounding COVID-19. Additional information can be found at https://www.steamboat.com/covid.
I have received several requests for condo mates to be vaccinated, and for clarification NSC is not going to mandate that all attendees be vaccinated. However, in order for me to ensure that assigned condo mates are vaccinated I need to know who is, or is not, vaccinated. So, please let me know (president@niseiskiclub.org) if you are vaccinated (or not). One other note – if you are NOT vaccinated you may not be able to board on our United flight, or the airline you have chosen, if the airlines mandate proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test. If you are denied boarding and cannot go on the trip then you most likely will not be able to get a refund since all trip costs will have been paid. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
QotM: If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
