by Armand Gutierrez, President  

It’s June and the start of the 2026-2027 NSC season. Our recent elections resulted in one change: Jeanne Katsuro (VP) will also be Trip Director. Thanks to all of you that took the time to vote, and you can read the full election results in Karen Soo’s article.

NSC Annual Membership Meeting/Luau Picnic

The NSC Annual Membership Meeting/Luau Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, July 18th, so mark your calendars. As usual the club will be providing beverages and a lunch entree and you can bring a favorite side dish. Details will be in the Picnic Flyer. An Evite will also be sent out in June so we can get a good headcount of who is attending.

2027 NSC Ski Week

Plans for Snowmass for 2027 are in progress, with lodging at the Timberline Condos confirmed (again) for 23-30 January. Yes, there were some changes since we could not get enough units at the Crestwood (6-13 Feb). The Ikon Pass includes Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk, and the Ikon Base Pass is good for only Snowmass. If you don’t want to get an Ikon Pass then Sports America is offering 5-day (adult/senior) lift tickets that will be good for all four mountains. So, stay tuned for further developments in the coming months.

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei

(requires a password that was sent earlier as a separate email).

2027 FWSA Ski Week

FWSA is going to Val Gardena, February 27 – March 6, with an extension to Puglia and Rome, March 6-13. Val Gardena stands as a distinguished ski destination within the Dolomites, featuring 112 miles of slopes, world-class lifts, and convenient access to the Sellaronda and the Legendary 8 (slopes). Val Gardena is on the Ikon pass: Ikon Pass – 7 days, Ikon Base Pass – 5 days. For details and signup forms go to the BAC & FWSA tab on the website (https://www.niseiskiclub.org/events/).

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

By Armand Gutierrez

By now many of you have purchased next year’s season pass and hoping that next year’s ski season will be better than this year’s. Unfortunately, snowfall prediction is more of a mystery than an art and the two main season pass companies, Vail Resorts (Epic) and Alterra Mountain Company (Ikon) have already grabbed your attention (and maybe money) for purchasing next season’s pass. Given the high prices of season passes, your next thought should be on what are the refund policies in the event that you can’t get to the ski slopes.

Refund policies vary between Epic and Icon and here is a simplified guide to their season pass refunds.

Epic Passes

Pass insurance is included in every Epic Pass, but scope it limited. There are two different situations: personal events and qualifying resort closures.

• A personal event includes losing your job, a season-ending injury or illness, pregnancy, a military post change, and more.
• Resort closures include a full ski area closure, including due to a pandemic (think COVID-19), or a natural disaster (remember the big fires at Sierra-at-Tahoe?). Strikes by resort employees are not covered.

Ikon Passes

The Ikon pass implemented a new pass insurance option, but this option was not well publicized and you may not be aware of it. Refundable passes that are more expensive replaced the old deferral policy, which allowed pass holders to defer an unused pass to the following season if it hadn’t been scanned by a certain date. Keep in mind that both passes at the lower-tier price are completely nonrefundable.

The new refundable Ikon Pass is priced at $1,619, or a refundable Ikon Base Pass is priced $1,109 (early-purchase rates). If you don’t scan your refundable pass by Jan. 15, 2027, you get a full refund. User your pass once before that date and you get a 50% refund. Two or more scans and you’re out of luck. Purchasing the refundable option will set you back approximately $150-$220 (based on early-purchase rates).

Source: https://www.skimag.com/ski-resort-life/

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

The polls are now closed and here are the final results.

The Board Members for 2026-2027 on June 1 will be: 

• President: Armand Gutierrez
• Vice President: Jeanne Katsuro
• Treasurer: Jason Ku
• Trip Director: Jeanne Katsuro
• Newsletter Editor: Karen Soo
• Membership Director: Armand Gutierrez
• Board Members: Curtis Otaguro, Roland Lee

Thank you for your participation and support. These board members will work hard to ensure that you enjoy your membership in the Nisei Ski Club.

If you are interested in helping with specific events or activities—such as the picnic or the annual non-ski trip—please feel free to contact any member of the board.

Congratulations to all the winners, and we wish the Nisei Ski Club continued success in the coming year.

By Armand Gutierrez, presidente de membresía

It’s the start of June and we already have 58 members that joined in April and May. Looks like those people took advantage of the $5 discount by joining before the May 31^st deadline. And by the time you read this that means you were too late and missed the deadline (there’s always next year). Included in the 58 are 8 new members:

Christine Dews

Mitzi & Jorge Minjarez

Susan & Gordon Wong

Julie & Forrest Nishioka

Suchen Zhu

The NSC board is continuing to meet monthly (via Zoom) and discussing plans for the upcoming season.  Thanks to Jeanne Katsuro’s effort in getting non-ski events for this season, starting with plenty of events for 2026:

• 20 June, Saturday – Mahjong Event with Judy Hom
• 20 June, Saturday – Tiburon Bike Ride with Roland Lee
• 18 July, Saturday – Annual Membership Meeting/Luau Picnic
• 15 August, Saturday – Bowling Event with Jeff Honda
• 27 September, Sunday – The SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers
• And more on the NSC website

Jason Ku (our treasurer) and I are working on fillable-PDF membership forms to make it easier to sign-up, one for new members and another for renewing members. Since a number of members are using Zelle for membership payments this is also being incorporated in our membership plans. Speaking of Zelle, almost half of the signups have been via Zelle.

For other NSC events go to the Events & Ski Trips tab on the website at: https://www.niseiskiclub.org/events-ski-trips/, and for BAC/FWSA events go to the BAC & FWSA tab.

So with all this activity for this season there’s something for everyone and, most importantly, the board hopes to see all of you at the Annual Membership and Luau Picnic in July.

NSC Pickleball Event | May 9, 2026 | Sunnyvale Tennis Center

By Alex Kami, NSC Member

Getting close to retirement (12 Mercurian years).  Golf, collecting used toothpicks, selling plasma might not be enough.  Look here!  Intro to pickleball (p-ball) in my hometown (Sunnyvale) with NSC friends.  That’s how I got to the NSC P-ball Event on May 9^th. 

First and foremost, let’s give a big kudos to Tina (and Jeanne) for organizing the event!  Seriously, we had 28 attendees!  Reserving the courts, ensuring everyone got a chance to play, bringing equipment – these are daunting tasks, and pulled off without a hitch.

As a beginner, my perspective is a bit limited, but suffice it to say, everyone brought their A-game.  Saw some of the advanced players (e.g., Lori, Lorraine, Yvonne, Jadine) holding Selkirk titanium-uranium enriched-quadruple graphite paddles and donning $2,000 pneumatic Air “P”orden shoes to give max range on the court.  Fortunately, there were a good number of us whose line was, “Why does the ball have so many holes?” 

The beginner group was fortunate to have John and Jeanne coach us.  Especially Jeanne who patiently taught us from the ground up with upbeat support.  “Great serve, Doug!”  “Perfect return, McKenna!”  “Sweet lob, Christie!”

My turn.  First serve – an ace that would make Jannik Sinner shiver in his shoes.  “Foul!  You’re not supposed to serve overhand.”  Next serve wasn’t as great.  “Foul!  You’re not supposed to bounce the ball on a serve.”  Caught a line drive to the shortstop for a point.  “Foul, you’re supposed to let the ball bounce on the first volley.”  Ball clips the net and returned a tough underhand return – point?  “Foul, you went into the kitchen!”  What?  If you want me to avoid the kitchen, you need to put in an island or sink so I can see it! 

I kind of understood how Dreymond Green feels; did 50 pushups to atone for my sins.  Putting the joking aside, hats off to Jeanne!  For the beginners, the game would’ve been a lot less fun without her guidance. 

With so many players, I thought I may not have as much playing time – wrong.  Two factors.  One – the leaders did a great job in coordinating the rotations and having people with the same abilities play together.  Second – the food.  As with all NSC events, we had a ton of delicious food.  Even the most passionate p-baller couldn’t resist walking off the court to slam down a spam musubi or savory chow mein. 

While p-ball was the focus of the event, I admired the sense of community felt with each person.  Many play regularly with each other, and genuinely enjoy the company.  During lunch, much of the conversation were around fun times at the Lake Chabot hike and the Collette Painted Canyons trip.  Both the NSC membership and the ski program are much smaller than the past, but it’s so nice to see everyone still maintaining close relationships and common interests.

At the risk of consuming too many bytes on our website, here’s our roster in the context of baseball.  Coaches: Tina W (manager), Jeanne K (pitching coach), John T (hitting coach). 

SJ Giants: Christie D, McKenna D, Brenna D, Douglas H, Shari F, me. 

Sacto River Cats: Tom W, Dean & Lydia S, Helen L, Denise S. 

SF Giants: Mark T, Norman C, Tom S, Jadine T, Wendy L, Curtis O, Lori L, Bertie & Mike M, Yvonne W, Don W, Sally L, Corey L, Lorraine T.

by Roland Lee, Board Member

Join Nisei Ski Club for bike ride around the Tiburon Loop on Saturday, June 20th, 2026

Bike riders are welcome to join the event. If you are not planning to ride, you can visit the Museum on the water front walkway path.

The NSC bike ride and museum are all free.

We will meet for lunch after the bike ride. There are restaurants on the main road near the Tiburon Ferry.

Electric bikes can be rented at the Trek bike store next to CHP office in Corte Madera.  They cost $ 100.00 for 24-hours.

RSVP by Wednesday, June 17
Please let us know if you are a Bike Rider or Non-Bike Rider.
Email to Roland Lee Tiburonloop@niseiskiclub.org

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Please join us on Saturday, July 18th at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale for our annual Nisei Ski Club Luau Picnic.
Bring a gently used coat or sweater for the ONE WARM COAT DRIVE

Time – 12:00pm – 5:00pm

You will receive your Evite invitation at the end June. It will be sent out from Armand G.

Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, July 15 so we can order the right amount of food for the picnic.

by Armand Gutierrez, President

The Nisei Ski Club has participated in a variety of charitable organizations, and over the past few years we have supported the Asian Pacific Film Fest, Achieve Tahoe, and a one-time donation for the victims of the Lahaina fire in Hawaii in 2023 through cash donations. Now NSC has an opportunity to make an impact on people’s lives by participating in the One Warm Coat Drive. The One Warm Coat organization https://www.onewarmcoat.org/ is a national nonprofit organization that embodies a movement of kindness through the donation of coats to people in need.

This charitable opportunity is now available to the membership and for you to join Jeanne Katsuro and I on this charitable endeavor. So how can you help? Simple. At the Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic on July 18, all you need to bring is one warm coat (or more if you have them). The coats can be for adult or young kids, and should be clean and wearable (no holes or rips). The coats collected at the picnic will be picked up by Jeanne or myself, and stored until October or November when they can then be taken to one of the One Warm Coat designated drop off locations. From there they will be distributed to people in need during the Thanksgiving or Christmas season.

by Jeff Honda, Board Member

Join Nisei Ski Club and try out your bowling skills on Saturday, August 15. Lunch to follow at Fourth Streel Bowl. Check out their extensive breakfast / lunch menu. https://4thstreetbowl.com/coffeeshop/

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

Please see the brochure below.   Signups can be made at the link below.

        For important reservation information visit

https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1417445.

This is a small group trip for only 24 people.  If we reach 19 people, the trip will be Nisei Ski Club Exclusively.  Currently, we have 16 people interested in going on this trip.

We already have 3 signups.

When you sign up, I recommend that you pay in full based on the package you choose. Given that there are constant fuel surcharges the airlines cannot hold the air prices in the contract. If you pay in full, the price will hold.

You can place a deposit of $698.00

Deposits are refundable up until September 17.

 Final payment date is January 17, 2027.

Note: Again, paying in full will protect you from any future airline price increases.

Land only price will remain the same.

Seat Reduction Date is September 10, 2026.

All reservations made after this date is subject to availability and price change.

Travel Protection Insurance is $549.00

This is a great travel insurance, where you can cancel the trip for no reason.

Many of you prefer Business Class. Please sign up early because there is limited number of Business Class seats available on the flight.

It will be first come, first serve. Once the Business Class Seats are filled, then Collette can try to get you on Business Class on a different flight.

Hopefully, the price will be the same, but this will be determined at the time of the request.

I have requested the price for Premium Economy.  This price will not be determined until the end of June 2026.

You can sign up Economy and as soon as Premium Economy is available change your reservations.

It is always best to sign up early and pay in full based on which package you choose.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Does anyone know Janice Takeshita?

If you do, please email me or invite her to the NSC picnic on July 18th.

I recently found a photo of one of her recipes tucked away in my files, and this week I decided to try making it for the first time using my trusty hand mixer. The result was a simple shortbread cookie with a wonderful crunch — not too sweet, just the perfect balance of flavor and texture. I actually used 2 cups of corn flakes, and they turned out great! Enjoy!!

Bon Appetit – Julia Child and Karen Soo shares the same birthday

Makes 4 dozens or in my case 44 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. butter / 2 sticks – room temperature
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 c. corn flakes, crushed (I used 2 Cups of corn flakes. I loved the extra texture)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets or use Silpat mats.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla.
3. Slowly add flour a little at the time.
4. Add baking soda and crushed cornflakes, combining well. 
5. Form into 3/4 “balls and press onto cookie sheets

Bake 12-15 minutes

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Come on out and volunteer your time to help the local community.

Mountain View Buddhist Temple is having their annual Obon Festival.

Dates – Saturday, July 18^th and Sunday, July 19th.

This year, the Mountain View Buddhist Temple (MVBT) Obon Festival bazaar committee members had developed an online volunteer sign-up page for the various activities and booths leading up to the bazaar and during the two-day bazaar on Saturday, July 18^th and Sunday, July 19^th.

 Positions available – Will be updated next month https://sangha.mvbuddhisttemple.org/obon/

In the past years Nisei Ski Club members had volunteered at the Obon Festival Beer booth. You know how that goes. A little pour, a little taste on the side. BURP..

Here is the link for the BEER BOOTH- Hurry before it gets filled up. SIGN UP PAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT MONTH

Thank you for stepping up to the plate to VOLUNTEER!

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

May is here and that means it’s time to bring an end to the NSC 2025-2026 season. This was not exactly a great ski season with less-than-average snowfall in Tahoe, but we did have numerous non-ski events for this season:

• Miniature Golf Event
• SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers (twice)
• Annual Luau and Membership Picnic
• Pickle Ball Event (twice)
• Bike Ride – Alameda Creek/Fremont
• France 12-day trip
• Bike Ride – Tiburon
• Lake Chabot Hike
• NSC Potluck at Miraido Village
• Park City Ski Week
• FWSA Chamonix Ski Week
• Lake Chabot Hike

Upcoming Events

There are numerous events scheduled for 2026 and a few for 2027. Many thanks to Jeanne Katsuro for putting together a Calendar of Events and those events are now on the Events & Ski Trips tab on the website at: https://www.niseiskiclub.org/events-ski-trips/.

There are a several events coming up:

• 9 May, Saturday – Pickle Ball with Tina Woo.
• 20 June, Saturday – Mahjong with Judy Hom
• 20 June, Saturday – Tiburon Bike Ride with Roland Lee

Membership Report

There were no new members and our total remains at 114. June is next month and that marks the start of the NSC 2026-2027 season, and it’s time to restart the upcoming season with a return of our standby events and a few new ones. Beginning this month you can take advantage of the $5 membership discount if you sign up and submit your membership form by May 31^st (there were a few early birds in April). Please submit your application to Armand Gutierrez (Membership Chairman).

2027 NSC Ski Week

Plans for Snowmass for 2027 are in progress, with lodging at the Timberline Condos confirmed (again) for 23-30 January. Yes, there were some changes since we could not get enough units at the Crestwood (6-13 Feb). The Ikon Pass includes Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk, and the Ikon Base Pass is good for only Snowmass. If you don’t want to get an Ikon Pass then Sports America is offering 5-day (adult/senior) lift tickets that will be good for all four mountains. So, stay tuned for further developments in the coming months.

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei (requires a password that was sent earlier as a separate email).

Board Nominations & Elections

The nominations process is complete and the next step is elections. The elections designee (that would be Karen Soo) has indicated that there were no new nominations, and two board members are not returning for this season. Therefore, the slate will consist of the incumbents that are returning to the board. The election ballot will be distributed in the coming weeks.

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Doing what you love is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness. (from a fortune cookie)

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Nisei Ski Club’s elections will be held in the month of May and we need you to vote. Most of the 2025 Officers and Board members are coming back for 2026. Sadly, board members Joel Hayashida and Jeff Honda will not be returning. We hope to see you at the NSC picnic in July…

Ballots will be going out next week. Please do your civil Nisei Ski Club duty and VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great news, we have 2 written articles from long time member Haruko Nagaishi and new member Christie Dews. Thank you for your submits. See slide photos below.

By Haruko Nagaishi , NSC Member

On April 4, 2026 19 hikers and 3 dogs went on a beautiful hike at Lake Chabot Regional Park.  It was led by Roland Lee and Judy Fong and Judy’s husband Winston Fong.  It was a 3.8 mile hike on a loop with the last part on the East Ridge Train which was on wooded trails in the shade and overlooking the lake.  This was much appreciated because of the heat.  After the hike, many of us went to either Bass Seafood Express or Canyon BBQ in Castro Valley.  Many thanks to the leaders for a well planned outing.

By Christie Dews, NSC Member

It was a beautiful day for a hike and another memorable event with the Nisei Ski Club—proof that the group offers much more than skiing.  The hike at Lake Chabot drew an excellent turnout and the weather could not have been more ideal.

Participants enjoyed a scenic route with views of the surrounding landscape, rolling hills and the lake itself during the latter part of the trail. The setting provided a perfect balance of sun and shade, making it a really enjoyable and refreshing experience.

The event was well organized and offered a wonderful opportunity to connect with new people. 

There were plenty of good conversations along the trail, including an especially inspiring one with Alyssa. 

We parted ways at the end and went on to two different venues for lunch, rounding out a fulfilling day of activity and connection. 

Fun excursions like this continue to highlight the variety of experiences the NSC and Bay Area have to offer and there is great anticipation for the next outing.

CHECK OUT THE SLIDE SHOW

By Angela Ren, NSC Member

Thirteen Nisei members headed out on Collette’s Painted Canyons of the West trip for 9 days in late April.  We all had a fabulous time immersing ourselves in some of the most beautiful and iconic landscapes in our country if not the world while meeting and spending time with old and new friends.

Here are some of the highlights:

Denver, CO:

Our whole group met in Denver where we began our over 1,000-mile journey to be covered over the next 7 days.

Grand Junction, CO:

We headed out of Denver early the next morning on our way to Grand Junction, CO.  We spent most of the day riding the bus as we admired the gorgeous scenery of the Rocky Mountains and the Glenwood Canyon which was carved by the Colorado River more than 3 million years ago.  Our bus arrived in Grand Junction at a winery called Varaison Vineyards & Winery right in time for us to enjoy a private dinner that was specifically catered just for our group.  Besides being treated to a wonderfully prepared dinner, the winemakers also gave us an incredible lesson in how to choose and drink the different varietals of wine.   We all learned and experienced wine tasting in way that made us realize we have been choosing and drinking the wrong wines for decades!

Moab, UT:

Our journey continued from Grand Junction the next morning to the Colorado National Monument.  We saw sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Red Rock Drive.  Our bus made a few stops through the park to allow us to take some selfies and ussies with breathtaking views as our backdrops.  As we made our way to Utah on the Upper Colorado Byway, known by the locals as “River Road”, we rode alongside the Colorado River and marveled at the Fisher Towers which looms over spectacular mesas.  We arrived in Moab around dinnertime and had another fabulous dinner at one of the most popular restaurants in town.

The next day, we set out to explore the otherworldly oases of 2 national parks – Arches and Canyonlands.  At these 2 parks, we discovered a world of mesas and canyons.  At the Island in the Sky in Canyonlands, we looked out over a landscape of ethereal valleys and dreamy horizons.  Our last stop of the day was a pilgrimage atop the sheer sandstone cliffs of Dead Horse Point State Park.

Bryce Canyon City, UT

Traveling through the dramatic Utah desert on Scenic Highway 24, we visited the Capitol Reef National Park.  This Park is named for the curved white walls that resemble the US Capitol building.  As we continued on the Million Dollar Road, we took in the stunning views of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where layers of warm reds and oranges melt into smooth sided peaks. 

The next day, we spent the entire morning at Bryce Canyon National Park where we saw the famous hoodoos – vibrant rock formations likened to fairy chimneys.  Some of us took advantage of our allotted time and did a short hike to get up close and personal with the graceful geology.  We also took in the sprawling vistas walking along Sunset Point, leading into Sunrise Point Rim Trail. 

Springdale, UT:

At Zion National Park, the first item on our agenda for the day was taking a ride on Zion’s open-air tram where we trekked along the Virgin River through the 2,400-foot deep, half-mile wide Zion Canyon.  The rest of the day we were given the time to explore the Park on our own.  All 13 of us had a plan to do some of the hikes that were within our limitations.  Once we reached the banks of the Virgin River, 4 members of our group decided to roll up their pant legs, remove their shoes & socks, and braved the frigid waters of around 55 degrees to hike as far as they could go through The Narrows hike.  The rest of us who decided to keep our feet warm and dry, continued on a few more leisurely hikes and then called it a day.

Las Vegas, NV:

The last full day of our trip ended with an overnight stay in Las Vegas.  A few members of our group decided to try their luck at the casinos, while a few more attended one of the numerous live performance shows. The remaining group members decided to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

We all had an amazing trip and many of us want to make plans to visit these parks again in the future.  Although these parks by themselves are extraordinary, this trip was more memorable because we all enjoyed this time together with fellow Nisei members who are all fun and easy to get along with which was the main reason that this trip was amazing!

CHECK OUT THE SLIDE SHOW

by Tina Woo, NSC Member

Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 11:00am – 2:00pm 

Sunnyvale Tennis Center

$20.00 per member

$25.00 for non-members

One of the 4 courts will be designated to teach Beginners how to play

Lessons will be given by intermediate Nisei Players.

Please bring a potluck item to share at 12:30 pm

We’ll play from 11:00-1:00pm – Snack and eat until 2 pm.

The Club will provide pickleballs and water

For more information email Tina Woo pickleball@niseiskiclub.org

Write Check Payable to Nisei Ski Club

Send check to Nisei Ski Club c/o Tina Woo, 21577 Villa Maria Court, Cupertino, CA 95014

by Roland Lee, Board Member

Join Nisei Ski Club for bike ride around the Tiburon Loop on Saturday, June 20th, 2026

Bike riders are welcome to join the event. If you are not planning to ride, you can visit the Museum on the water front walkway path.

The NSC bike ride and museum are all free.

We will meet for lunch after the bike ride. There are restaurants on the main road near the Tiburon Ferry.

Electric bikes can be rented at the Trek bike store next to CHP office in Corte Madera.  They cost $ 100.00 for 24-hours.

RSVP by Wednesday, June 17
Please let us know if you are a Bike Rider or Non-Bike Rider.
Email to Roland Lee Tiburonloop@niseiskiclub.org

by Judy Hom , NSC Member

Email Judy at mahjong@niseiskiclub.org to be added to the wait list..

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Please join us on Saturday, July 18th at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale for our annual Nisei Ski Club Luau Picnic.

Time – 12:00pm – 5:00pm

You will receive your Evite invitation at the end June. It will be sent out from Armand G.

Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, July 15 so we can order the right amount of food for the picnic.

by Armand Gutierrez, President

The Nisei Ski Club has participated in a variety of charitable organizations, and over the past few years we have supported the Asian Pacific Film Fest, Achieve Tahoe, and a one-time donation for the victims of the Lahaina fire in Hawaii in 2023 through cash donations. Now NSC has an opportunity to make an impact on people’s lives by participating in the One Warm Coat Drive. The One Warm Coat organization https://www.onewarmcoat.org/ is a national nonprofit organization that embodies a movement of kindness through the donation of coats to people in need.

This charitable opportunity is now available to the membership and for you to join Jeanne Katsuro and I on this charitable endeavor. So how can you help? Simple. At the Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic on July 18, all you need to bring is one warm coat (or more if you have them). The coats can be for adult or young kids, and should be clean and wearable (no holes or rips). The coats collected at the picnic will be picked up by Jeanne or myself, and stored until October or November when they can then be taken to one of the One Warm Coat designated drop off locations. From there they will be distributed to people in need during the Thanksgiving or Christmas season.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Discover the 2026 AAPI Heritage Month Celebration Guide
San Francisco’s Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month is your gateway to exploring vibrant traditions and diverse cultures. Our carefully curated guide features an array of exciting AAPI cultural performances, workshops, film screenings, community festivals, and author talks taking place throughout May 2026. Consider this guide your passport to experiencing the rich heritage of our community.

https://apasf.org/#guide

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

My week of skiing at Chamonix brought back memories from 2012 and there was plenty of snow. That’s a group photo of us skiing at La Flégère, one of six resorts at Chamonix. After returning from my ski week (and week in Paris/Normandy) I thought I’d be able to get a few more weekends of skiing up at Tahoe. Wrong! After looking at the Northstar, Heavenly, and Palisades webcams it became apparent that my ski season was over. Would it be correct to assume that this ski season was one of the worst for Tahoe? Let’s hope that next season is better than this season.

Here is a list of resort closing dates:

April 12, Northstar

April 19, Heavenly

April 26, Kirkwood

April 26, Mt. Rose

May 24, Mammoth

May 25, Palisades/Alpine Meadows

Keep in mind that the numbers of open lifts/trails are limited.

Upcoming Events

There are a numerous events scheduled for 2026 and a few for 2027. Many thanks to Jeanne Katsuro for putting together a Calendar of Events and those events are now on the Events & Ski Trips tab on the website at: https://www.niseiskiclub.org/events-ski-trips/.

Membership Report

Let’s welcome new member Geoffrey Wong that joined in March and our total is now 114 members.

2027 NSC Ski Week

Plans for Snowmass for 2027 are in progress, with lodging confirmed 6-13 February. The Ikon Pass includes Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk, and the Ikon Base Pass is good for only Snowmass. So, stay tuned for further developments in the coming months

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei (requires a password that will be sent as a separate email).

Board Nominations & Elections

Well, it’s that time again for holding our board nominations and elections for the 2026-2027 season, and an email for making your nominations for the board will soon find its way to your inbox. There is an opening for a regular board member as Joel Hayashida has decided to take a break, so please consider nominating yourself if interested. As you know,volunteers run this club, and without them this club would cease to exist, and it’s been in existence for over 65 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. 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 experience.

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.