Karen Soo, Trip Director

Do I sound like a broken record? We need more sign-ups for Trip 1!

Happy New Year! What a way to start a new year! After 4 years of drought conditions, we are finally getting a nice base of snow in the Tahoe area. Our first weekend trip is scheduled for January 29 – 31, 2016 for Heavenly / Heavenly.

The bus company and hotel are requesting deadline commitments by January 13, 2016. So we need you to send in your checks. We will be skiing 2 days at Heavenly and staying at the Blue Lake Inn, which is practically a block away from the gondola. Breakfast is available from the hotel. Amy Tsuhako and I will be your trip leaders.

I know the Christmas holidays might have put a dent in your wallet. If you want to send in the money later, then I will allow you to do this provided you are a loyal NSC member and that I know your word is good. Just email me if you are joining us or not at TripDirector@niseiskiclub.org.

The snow is great right now. This is what we all have been waiting for. It’s also a good way to get in some runs in before the NSC weeklong Utah trip. So stop thinking about it and send in your money along with your sign-up form now.

Did you know Nisei Ski Club has a ride share group? If you have available transportation or want to share a ride with someone from our club, this is the place to be. It’s an open communication forum for our members to go skiing with another NSC member. Sometimes it’s a one day trip or an overnight trip. We ask that you pay for the gas if the other is driving. Or if you are able to drive, then your passengers will pay for the gas. The more people sharing the ride, then the lower the cost.

Lodging is available for overnight trips. Please email Sandy (the moderator) at rideNSC-owner@yahoogroups.com if you want to be added to this list.

See you on the slopes.

If you have any questions, please email Karen Soo at TripDirector@niseiskiclub.org.

Sandy Kiyomura

A group of skiers used the rideNSC Yahoo Group to arrange rides to Tahoe. We skied Northstar for 2 days. The snow and the skiing were simply awesome.

To join the NSC ride share group, send a request to me (Sandy Kiyomura, the moderator) at rideNSC-owner@yahoogroups.com.

Left to right: Allen Hu, Greg Wong, Hong Chin, Armand Gutierrez

Sandy Kiyomura

Sandy Kiyomura

I am starting the NSC race team. Who’s joining? We only need a few skiers. Information about how the ski league works is in my December article. NSC will supplement $25 of your fees and you will be skiing at your own level.

I will be participating in the January and March races. Use the rideNSC Yahoo Group to arrange a ride. Contact Sandy Kiyomura at skiyomura@gmail.com if you are interested. It’ll be fun!

Armand Gutierrez, NSC President

Let the ski season begin! A few resorts opened before Thanksgiving and after Thanksgiving more resorts have opened with an abundance of snow on the slopes. The season looks very promising and the weather forecasts are for more rain in the Bay Area and more snow up at Tahoe. If you haven’t planned on taking a trip up there before the Christmas holidays then what are you waiting for? And don’t forget to signup for one of the weekend ski trips. There’s going to be plenty of snow this season so let’s take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer.

Last month there was a contest to identify this ski location and earn a free lift ticket for the first weekend ski trip. Well, there were no correct guesses. Those that did guess mistakenly named California ski resorts, which weren’t open at the time the newsletter was published. The correct guess was Loveland, CO.

So  let’s try this again with a new resort, and as a hint this location is somewhere in California. Once again, as an added incentive the first person to correctly identify the resort and signup for any weekend ski trip will get a free one-day lift ticket. Email your answer to president@niseiskiclub.org. (Board members excluded, deadline is 31 December, and only one answer per person so guess carefully).

Ride Sharing Service

Sandy Kiyomura has set up a ride sharing service (a first for NSC!) for NSC members to facilitate getting to the slopes with other members. The service is called rideNSC and you have to join Yahoo Groups in order to gain access. Members can post to the group to either offer a ride-sharing opportunity or make a request that you’re interested in joining with somebody that might be going up. Details can be found in Sandy’s rideNSC article.

Park City/Canyons Ski Week 2016

The Park City/Canyons trip is moving along well and we had one new signup, so that puts us at 46. The final payment is due December 10^th so be sure to remit your payment if you haven’t already done so.

Christmas Greetings

This has been a good year for NSC with the highly-popular Jackson Hole Trip, numerous hikes, a pizza social, and what looks like the start of a good ski season. At our November board meeting we had all board members in attendance, which is sort of a rarity considering there are 11 board members. On behalf of the NSC board I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens

Sandy Kiyomura

If you haven’t already heard, this is the El Nino Year. In an effort to create more opportunities to ski at Tahoe, NSC has established a Yahoo Groups for ride sharing called rideNSC@yahoogroups.com. The purpose of rideNSC is to connect people who need a ride with people who can offer a ride. So, you can offer a ride or ask for a ride.

It’s simple. When you offer a ride, please state:

• preferred dates
• ski areas
• where you might be staying
• what the costs will be

Anyone who is part of rideNSC and is interested can respond to you.

To get started, visit the rideNSC group information page. If you have a Yahoo id, then click on Join Group. If you don’t have a Yahoo id, click on the subscribe link.

I am the moderator and will approve (or disapprove) your membership. All members of the Nisei Ski Club can join the group. We ask for standard on-line etiquette. That means you should be “adult-like” in your postings. That means no offensive language or say anything that your mother would not approve of. Therefore, if you are interested in finding some new ski buddies this year, visit rideNSC group and start sending posts to ridensc@yahoogroups.com.

Questions? Send email to Skiyomura@gmail.com

Sandy Kiyomura
Hey, skiers and boarders! It’s time to head to the mountains. This is the earliest opening in decades for most resorts. I was lucky enough to get a few turns in after Thanksgiving. I skied Squaw one day and Northstar another. Operations were limited but who’s complaining? Just being on the snow made the trip worthwhile. Most likely, by the time you read this, the entire mountain will be open.

I am also the benefits director for BAC and I wanted to let you know that if you don’t have a season’s pass, you might want to consider Sierra at Tahoe. NSC belongs to BAC (Bay Area Council of Snow Sports). BAC has a corporate agreement with Sierra at Tahoe to get discounted tickets (any day, holidays also). As part of NSC, you are entitled to all the benefits of BAC including discounted lift tickets.

Here’s information about the Sierra at Tahoe ticket rates:

You can purchase on-line tickets at the Sierra at Tahoe online store

Login (all upper case) CRP-BAC
Password (all upper case) SNOW1940

If you have further questions, contact Ryan Parker. He is our contact person at Sierra at Tahoe:
email address rparker@sierraattahoe.com and phone number: 530-543-3134.

Another important feature is that the Adult E-Ticket can be exchanged at the ticket window for the first timer’s introduction to skiing or snowboard package (ages 13 and older). The package includes a 2.5 hour lesson, rental equipment, and a limited access lift ticket ($114-$125 value).

More BAC benefits to NSC members
As I mentioned, NSC belongs to an umbrella organization BAC. (Bay Area Council of Snow Sports). As part of NSC, you are entitled to all the benefits of BAC. That includes discounted lift tickets, racing, and travel. For more information on these benefits, go to www.skibac.org.

There is an excellent international travel program as well as an annual ski week. This year, BAC is going to Telluride and Cortina for its international trip. I have written an article about racing, and as a member of NSC, you can participate.

If we can get enough people for a race team (maybe 5), then we will need to register in December. I have already registered. Presently, there is no NSC race team, so please contact Sandy Kiyomura if you’re interested.

Sandy Kiyomura

Did you know that you could ski like a pro? The Bay Area Snow Sports Council (“BAC”) is the umbrella organization that Nisei Ski Club belongs to and has a race league that you can join. The BAC race league is the Open League Race where you will compete with people of your skill level, gender and age. There are 8 races during the season (4 weekends) and you can race in as many of them as you like. Some races are Slalom and others are Giant Slalom.

Here is the web site: Open League Racing Race Schedule. As you can see, there are clinics as well as races. There is a fun race on December 13th at Alpine, where you can race for FREE. This would be a good day to sample the race course. Lift tickets are be $43-$68 (depending on age) and include an $18 lunch voucher!

Here’s some facts about how the league works:

• What does it cost? $115 for the season. However, the Nisei Ski Club will supplement $25 of your fees.
• How long does it take to race? There are 3 different times for racers each day. For instance, advanced skiers may be at 10am, Intermediates at 12 noon and Beginners at 2pm. Most of the time, one finishes his/her race in an hour, so you still have plenty of time to ski.
• How do I know what level I am? In your first race, you will have a time. Depending on your time, they will determine your level (1-10). Levels 1-4 are Advanced, 5-7 are Intermediate and 8-10 are Beginners. If you are very fast, they will “promote” you to the next level.
  Once your level is determined, you will race in that category for the season. If you have 2 strikes (very good times), they will move you up a level.
• How can I get to the races? Nisei Ski Club has established a Yahoo group for ride sharing and people can car pool. I have been staying at the Apres cabin (since I’m a member) and guests can stay for $25 a night.
• Why should I race? Three reasons: it’s fun, you get the best snow on the mountain and you will become a better skier.

Questions? Contact me, Sandy Kiyomura at skiyomura@gmail.com. I will be racing for Nisei Ski Club.

Armand Gutierrez, NSC President

Are you ready for some skiing this season? If not, then feast your eyes on the photo that was recently taken at a well-known ski resort. Yes, this place is already open for business! Granted, it’s probably a lot of man-made snow mixed in with Mother Nature’s early snowfall, but these people are already skiing (and you’re not). And when do we get our share of the ski season? Well, Northstar and Heavenly are scheduled to open on November 20th, and Squaw Valley on the 25th, subject to weather conditions, of course. Karen Soo is already planning two weekend ski trips so look for details on dates and places in her write-up. It’s been several years since NSC has had a weekend ski trip so it’s muy importante that we get as many signups as we can to ensure that these trips are successful. As an added incentive, the first person to correctly identify the resort in the photo AND signup for the first weekend ski trip will get a free one-day lift ticket. Email your answer to president@niseiskiclub.org. (Board members excluded, deadline is 20 November, and only one answer per person so think carefully).

Snowbomb Ski Shows
It’s not too late to sign up for the San Jose Snowbomb show on Nov 7-8. Greg Wong will be there on Saturday and I’ll be there Sunday afternoon. Entry to the show is free by securing passes at this site: http://www.snowbomb.com/ski-board-festivals/ and scroll down and then click on “Purchase Tickets Here” under San Jose. Many thanks to Karen Soo and Curtis Otaguro for attending the SF Snowbomb show.

Park City/Canyons Ski Week 2016
The Park City/Canyons trip is moving along well and we currently have 45 signups. The second payment is due November 10th so be sure to remit your payment if you haven’t already done so. Also, an email was sent out to everyone about a change in our return flight from Salt Lake City. We were scheduled to return at 8:10pm on flight UA5333, and the new schedule is 5:18pm on flight UA5765. For those of you making your own flight arrangements that means you might be able to take the return shuttle bus with the rest of the group.

Karen Soo, Trip Director

Good news, we have finalized the two weekend trips that are scheduled for 2016.

The prices for the bus and the hotel lodging have gone up. We cancelled both weekend trips in 2015 due to lack of snow. Now we have to think positive and hope that we will not cancel our 2 trips for 2016.

We are given early cancellation dates from the bus company and the hotel. If you are interested in going on our weekend trip, SIGN UP EARLY. We will not cash your check until the trip is taken.

We need 35 people to get the bus trip moving, so start asking your friends, co-workers and come on our trips. We will charge you extra if you sign up past the due date.

Discounted Lift Tickets

Did you know that you can get discounted lift ticket if you go skiing on a scheduled BAC race day?  As NSC members, you can go up to the table that is set up by BAC and get a discounted lift tickets.

You don’t have to race, just get there between the hours of 7:00am to 8:00am and tell them you are with Nisei Ski Club. It’s that simple. Please look at the schedule for BAC race dates. There are races scheduled at Alpine Meadows, Northstar, and Sugar Bowl. Link: BAC race schedule.

Editor’s note – check out this October 2015 post on another way to get discounted lift tickets

SAVE THE DATES

Trip 1 – January 29 – 31 Heavenly / Heavenly

Trip 2 – March 11 – 13 Squaw / North Star* (* Depending on snow conditions Sugar Bowl)

Snowbomb Ski Shows

Snow Bomb Ski shows are coming to San Francisco – October 31 and November 1^st and San Jose on Nov 7 and 8^th. Admission is free. You need print out an entrance form. Free lift tickets are included with the Powder Pass or VIP admission fees.

Please refer to the website for more information http://www.snowbomb.com/ski-board-festivals/

 Club Appreciation Day

The Bay Area Snow Sports Council is sponsoring a Club Appreciation Day on Sunday, December 13, 2015. BAC will offer discounted lift tickets. Lunch vouchers and free fun race are included in one price. Detail pricing are still being worked on and will be announced soon. Link: Club Appreciation Day information.

The only obstacle is that we need good snow coverage by December 13 and you have to provide your own transportation. Maybe we can plan a car trip?

Let’s hope we have a fabulous snow season.

Sandy Kiyomura

I am “Vet woman”

This is what you can hear at the starting gate at the top of the race course. BAC (the Bay Area Council of Ski and Snow sports ) has a race league every season. You, as a member of Nisei Ski Club are eligible to race. There will be a free race day on Sunday, December 13 at Alpine Meadows. Discount lift tickets will be available. So if you’re thinking you can’t race, December 13 might be a good day to try. There are ten categories of racers. The “almost pro” racers are level 1 or 2. I’m an “intermediate” level 7. Within each level, there are categories based on gender and age. I am a “Vet woman” (so age has its benefits). When one places first, second, or third in their level/category, points are awarded to the individual as well as the club. There are three types of races: Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super Slalom. Most skiers will find they are better at one than the others.

Some of the advantages of racing are: you will become a better skier, you will have the best snow on the mountain, you will meet other skiers, and it’s fun. Throughout the season, there are clinics you can participate in. I belong to another ski club and they have a cabin in Kings Beach. On race weekends, they offer not only lodging, but meals for the weekend. It’s like a weekend trip without the bus.

One other advantage is that anyone can get discount tickets on race day if you show up by 8:30 AM where the racers are. Mark your calendar for race days.   https://sites.google.com/site/openleagueracing/home

You may contact me at: skiyomura@gmail.com if you have questions.

Armand Gutierrez, NSC President

I’m sure everyone has read about the big El Niño coming this season and that there will be plenty of rain and snowfall. As much as it would be great to think about unprecedented piles of powder in the Tahoe area I’m going to take a wait-and-see posture and see what Mother Nature really brings us. I do believe that Tahoe will get a more-than-normal snowfall and that is most encouraging from the previous years meager snowfall. As such, Karen Soo, our trip director, has already started planning on two weekend ski trips for the season – one trip to South shore and one to North shore. Look for details on dates and places in Karen’s write-up, and although it’s only October, now is the time to start planning for these trips.

Snowbomb Ski Shows

Yes, it’s getting to be that time of year again for the annual Snowbomb Ski Shows. This year the San Francisco show is on Oct 31-Nov 1, and the San Jose show is on Nov 7-8. Last year’s show in San Jose featured numerous vendors from ski resorts and, of course, a humongous ski gear/clothing sale at redonkulous prices. We need volunteers for both of these events so let me know (president@niseiskiclub.org) if you want to attend, represent NSC, and get in on all the excitement that these ski shows have to offer. You can also coordinate with Karen Soo (tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org).

Park City/Canyons Ski Week 2016

The Park City/Canyons trip is moving along well and currently we have 44 signups. If you’re still sitting on the fence about going and haven’t signed up now is the time to do so. Although the second payment isn’t due until November, feel free to send it in now and avoid the November rush.

Sandy Kiyomura

In August, BAC sponsored a fundraiser for Disabled Sports USA. I attended the Oakland A’s game and tailgate party and had a great time (although the A’s lost) and watched the Star Trek fireworks show afterwards. During the tailgate party, I purchased raffle tickets and won a back pack and other small gifts. Another raffle was for a California Gold Pass. This pass allows the holder to ski at most California resorts any day. It is also transferable, which means anyone else may use it (once a day). Well, I had a lucky day.

While I was hiking Machu Picchu in Peru, I received notice that I had won the California Gold Pass! (worth $2,000). This means that I (or anyone I lend the pass to) may ski for free (holidays and weekends too).

Since I have already purchased a Squaw/Alpine pass as well as a Northstar/Heavenly pass, I will “rent” out my card, with proceeds going back to Disabled Sports USA. If you would like to ski for a reduced rate, contact me at skiyomura@gmail.com. Rates will be $60 weekdays, $75 weekends and holidays. Preference will be given to longer rental periods.

While in Machu Picchu, I learned that I won the California Gold Pass!

Jake the Ski Fool says “follow me to Park City/Canyons for our 2016 ski week trip.” For the 2015-16 season, Park City is combining with The Canyons to bring you over 7300 acres of skiing. NSC has not been to Park City since 2001 and it’s time to make a return trip. There’s a new gondola that will take us to Canyons for additional skiing at no extra cost.

Dates: February 20 – 27, 2016
Price: $1375 (Senior – $1310)

Trip price includes:
• Roundtrip airfare from San Francisco to Salt Lake City on United Airlines
• Roundtrip charter bus from Salt Lake City to Park Station Accommodations
• 7 nights stay at the Park Station condominiums (one block walk to Town Lift)
• 5 of 6 day lift ticket (6-day optional, senior (65+) also available) for Park City and Canyons
• Farewell Dinner
• NSC Souvenir
• Mid-week activities at additional cost:
o Winter Zip Tours
o Heliskiing
o Sleigh Rides
o Guided Snowshoe Tours
• Price does not include Baggage Fees. See United Airlines current baggage fees
o Baggage fees as of May, 2015: $25/first, $35/second. Boot and ski bag are considered a single bag.

44 sign-ups received as of September 30, 2015!

Sign up now. Link to flyer and sign-up form: Park City 2016 flyer.
Sign-up deadline: October 10, 2015

Did you get a good view of the harvest moon and lunar eclipse on September 27? I was hoping to see a blood moon but the cloud cover in the East Bay obscured it. I didn’t see the moon like the picture on the left. The picture on the right shows what I saw. The blood phase was just ending and the eclipse phase was starting.
      

One of the ways that Chinese celebrate the harvest or autumn moon is with mooncakes. One of my favorite mooncakes is the traditional one filled with lotus bean paste with an egg inside that looks like the full moon. Boxes of mooncakes are usually adorned with pictures of the moon goddess Chang’e. As a child, I knew exactly what was in the box when I saw her picture!

The moon is a symbol of harmony and unity. The autumn moon festival is a time to get together with friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the moon. This autumn, make plans to get together with your Nisei Ski Club friends!

Armand Gutierrez, NSC President

I first joined NSC back in 2002 in order to go on the 2003 Vail trip. Being a newcomer I didn’t know any of the members but that didn’t last long. As the years passed, I found myself more involved with the club – first as a board member, then membership chairman, and eventually as president. Throughout those years, I met a lot of great people, great skiers, and in particular, one individual that caught my attention – Hi Fujii. It’s ironic that you can see, talk, and meet with people on quite a few occasions, but never really get to know them. When I attended Hi’s memorial service at the end of August, I learned more about this amazing individual in two hours than I had ever learned about him in all my previous years with the club. There were numerous stories about his fishing and skiing adventures, the Over-The-Hill Gang, and, of course, fond remembrances from his family. It would have been great to know all this about Hi before he passed, but sadly that option is no longer available. At the reception that followed I had the pleasure of meeting some of his old buddies who are truly going to miss him, as will I. Hi Fujii is no longer with us, but his legacy with the club and fond remembrances will never be forgotten.

August Pizza Social

Our first Pizza Social was a fun time for all those who attended. It was a small group (8-9 people) and we had one potential new member show up to meet some NSC members and learn about the club. We feasted on pizza, quaffed some ales, and had a lively discussion about skiing, baseball, the Niners, and some politics. If you missed out on this event because of where you live then drop me a line at (president@niseiskiclub.org) for a suggestion on where to have the next pizza social (e.g., east bay, mid-peninsula?).

Park City/Canyons Ski Week 2016

The Park City/Canyons trip is moving along well and so far we have 37 signups. I am expecting four more people to signup, which will bring us to 41. Although we have lodging reservations for 40 people additional condos are available, so if you haven’t signed up now is the time to do so.

Hoyt Nelson

It’s the end of an era with the passing of one of our club’s founding fathers, Hayami “Hi” Fujii. Hi was born in Berkeley and earned his degree in engineering at Cal Berkeley. After returning from the American internment center in Utah he started his first job at HP in engineering sales, where he stayed for 42 years until his retirement.

A little more than 50 years ago, Hi, Sam Yamoto, Tats Sumida and a few other Japanese Americans associated with the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) got together for a few ski trips to the Sierras and decided to form what is now called the Nisei Ski Club. Sam gave ski lessons to Hi and others, which impressed Hi so much that he was successfully talked into becoming the first elected president of the club for the 1966-67 season (the year this writer first joined the club). The club quickly grew in just a few years to over 400 members and frequently ran three buses on trips to Tahoe with pickups in San Jose, Berkeley and Sacramento. Soon, weeklong trips to destinations like Aspen, Vail and even out of the country were added. Summer activities included camping, fishing, water skiing, dances, parties and many other activities. Hi and a few other members brought their ski boats for our yearly water ski trips to Lake Berryessa and on many local fishing trips. On the weeklong club trip to Sun Valley in January 1969, Hi and Phyllis (Matsuo) were engaged and have been married ever since. Hi became a lifetime NSC member in the 1990s and was active on the club board of directors until 2014. Besides skiing, Hi was an avid fisherman (making many local and yearly trips to Alaska), handball, running, long-running poker games with friends, and was an active member in his church. At the club picnic in 2014, Hi finally hung up his skis and donated them to the club for a younger skier in need of them. Several months ago, Hi had heart surgery and went to a rest home for recuperation. After a month or so, he transferred to his home in Cupertino where he stayed until his passing on the morning of August 8, 2015.

He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; sisters Vickie Yumoto and Michiko Uchida; son Roger and Elaine (daughter-in-law); and daughter Barbara. We will all miss him and hope his skiing the fluffy clouds of paradise will be as happy as on Utah’s powder. Hi’s memorial service was held on Friday, August 28, at the Wesley United Methodist Church in San Jose.

Frank Chang

On Friday August 28^th, twenty or so NSC members attended “A Memorial Service Celebrating the Life of Hayami ‘Hi’ Fujii”, a founding father of the club and its first president. The Wesley United Methodist Church was full – a testament to how Hi touched the lives of so many. Several people shared “Personal Remembrances”, including family members, past co-workers from HP, fishing and poker buddies, and our own fearless leader Armand, representing the NSC. It was a hot day and the crowded church was warmer than usual. And yet, everyone seemed to enjoy listening intently to countless stories celebrating Hi’s interesting and full life. Armand’s ski stories definitely brought a smile to the NSC members in the audience. I think we all appreciate how lucky we are to share in the legacy that Hi has left.

One of Hi Fujii’s enduring legacies is the Nisei Ski Club. Over 50 years ago, Hi and his friends formed the Nisei Ski Club with the objective of promoting the sport of skiing, friendship, and fun within the community.  This club has created many lasting friendships and memories. Yes, there’s some secret sauce that has made this club special.

Not only did Hi meet his wife Phyllis through the club but I also met my husband Winston through the club. Winston likes to say that Nisei Ski Club is secretly a matchmaking club and he might be right. We counted 30 couples who have met through the club and married but we’re sure the couple count is in the hundreds. If there weren’t a Nisei Ski Club, many of us would have never met. Thanks, Hi!

I met Hi in the late 1990s when he was active in the club again. He attended many of the weeklong trips like the Steamboat Springs trip in 2005 and the Panorama trip in 2007.

NSC Presidents – Steamboat Springs (2005)

Pajama party night – Panorama Trip (2007)

Hi and Tom organized the club’s yearly salmon fishing trip for many years. Until these trips, some of us (like me) had never gone salmon fishing before. Thanks to them, I caught my first wild salmon.

Hi and Tom organized yearly fishing trips

Besides skiing and fishing, Hi helped the club with its year-round activities. For many years, NSC used to make Chinese chicken salad to sell at Nikkei Matsuri. Winston remembers meeting Hi at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple. Winston picked up the chicken and Hi picked up the lettuce. Hi had to drive all the way to Tanimura & Antle Farms in Salinas and back — easily a 160 mile round-trip! That says a lot about Hi.

Hi delivered the lettuce for making NSC’s Chinese chicken salad

Stewardship of the club has been passed on but the club holds steadfast to its original principles. Hi’s objective of creating a club to promote the love of snow sports, friendship, and fun in the community still holds true. We are lucky to share in the legacy that Hi has left and we will miss him greatly.

 Hoyt Nelson

It was a pretty hot day for San Francisco, but because of its elevation, shadiness on Mt. Davidson trails and the fact that we were done before the temperature peaked, all 7 of us agreed we were better off than in San Jose.   Homes and gardens in this district are generally beautiful, but not over the top (as in the Sea Cliff area). We were treated to lots of fuchsias, forget-me-nots and other flowers not normally found in the wild along the steep trails. Unfortunately, ivy vines have nearly killed many of the trees along the way. The 103 ft. concrete cross at the top was awesome, but the view (normally one of the best in the city) was somewhat obscured by smoke from the forest fires north of San Francisco. After finishing, we walked by many interesting restaurants along nearby W. Portal Ave. before settling on Fres ca (Peruvian tapas, etc). Not many had tried Peruvian fruit drink – chicha, but I persuaded us to get a pitcher – which all agreed was just right after a hike. It wasn’t until we got a few miles south on the way home that we realized how much hotter it was back home.

Hoyt Nelson

On July 12th, eleven club members and friends met at the base of the grand Pacheco stairs on a balmy day in San Francisco. We trooped by many grand and beautifully landscaped (except for the many brown lawns – in honor of our drought) followed by neat homes from the 1040s to 1960s. From Golden Gates Heights Park, we got good views looking west over the Sunset neighborhood and ocean, but even more 270 degree sweeping views to the north over Golden Gate Park from Grandview Park. The highlight however was the magnificent Moraga stairs with its sweeping vertical diorama of sea creatures, under land animals, under birds, under stars and the sun at the top. The hike was sprinkled with more than a dozen stairways which primed us for a delicious dim sum lunch nearby on Irving between 26/27th Avenues. A few of us also shopped for more food across the street.

Armand Gutierrez, NSC President

As we enter August, I was reminded by Mammoth Mountain to lock in on low season pass rates for the upcoming season. As they said in their email – “let the count down to winter begin!” And with all the news about a 90% chance for a strong El Niño, that’s enough to get me excited about the upcoming season. Of course, that 90% is only a prediction and the real deal will be if there is plenty of rain starting in November.

The Mountain View Obon Festival was quite exciting this year and I would like to thank the following volunteers: Alex Kami, Bill Lee, Curtis Otaguro, Wes Kawase, Brian Hess, Ken Kato, and David Uyeda. Once again NSC has stepped up to the plate and volunteered for this event.

 Coming up, we have Hoyt Nelson and David Schultz leading the St. Francis Woods Hike on August 16^th. This is a very popular hike so be sure to gander at the flyer for details.

August Pizza Social

At one of our past board meetings, we had lunch at The Garret in Campbell and feasted on a couple of great pizzas. After a lively discussion, I mentioned that this would be a great place to host a pizza social for the club. I don’t recall having an event like a pizza social so let’s give this a try. What’s the purpose of this pizza social? Well, for starters I think it would be a great way to get members to sit around the table, talk about skiing, quaff an ale or two, and enjoy the NSC camaraderie. Mark your calendar for August 27^th and let’s have an old fashioned pizza social at The Garret in Campbell at 6:30pm. Yes, it’s a Thursday evening but what better way to get a head start on the weekend. An Evite will be sent out later this month to remind you of the event, plus date/time and directions.

Park City/Canyons Ski Week 2016

The Park City/Canyons trip is moving along well and so far we have 28 signups. I am expecting about eight more people to signup, which will bring us up to 36. There’s room for 40 people so if you haven’t signed up now is the time to do so. This year we’ll be having a mid-week potluck dinner, something we haven’t had for several years. This is always a fun night visiting other condos and sampling the best of their cuisine. Don’t forget to get the Tahoe Local Pass (http://www.skiheavenly.com/plan-your-trip/season-passes/season-passes-explorer.aspx), which will be good for five days of lifts at Park City/Canyons as well as Heavenly Valley, Northstar, and Kirkwood. And if you ski a sixth day, then your lift ticket will be half-price.

Here’s a blast from the past! I found some pictures of my NSC skip trip to the Canyons, Utah in 1999. There was a lot of snow on that trip. The skiers really enjoyed fresh powder that went up to the knees.

The El Nino watch is on for Utah. It’s not clear what El Nino will bring for Utah in the winter. Regardless of whether the snow is great or not, the NSC camaraderie is always tops. Check out this picture of happy NSC’ers.

Karen,
Please thank all the volunteers who helped out at the bazaar this year. As always I appreciate their time and efforts in helping to make the Beer booth a resounding success. Sadly, I am retiring as chairman of the beer booth this year. I really appreciated all of your help over the past years in being able to get volunteers from the Nissei Ski Club. Take care and I will see you.

Thanks,
Grant Joo

A big thank you to our volunteers: Alex Kami, Bill Lee, Curtis Otaguro, Wes Kawase, Brian Hess, Ken Kato, and David Uyeda who manned the beer booth on July 18-19. Here’s a picture of David Uyeda on duty at the booth.