It takes an adventurous sort to make the commitment for spending a weekend on a loooonnnng bus ride… both ways over Donner Summit to the below-freezing enchantment of Lake Tahoe.  But, ahhhh, skiers have that destination-driven gene that makes them seek out the thrills of the hunt for perfect snow, steep trails, short lift lines, and good hot chocolate by the fireside at day’s end.

And did we mention friendship and camaraderie?  Yes, the desire to share these moments with other kindred spirits — to explain the steeps and moguls and snowy spills in vivid detail to each other — far exceeds the strain and pain of tight-fitting ski boots, drafty snow goggles, bathroom stops in a one-piece ski suit, and early-morning wake-up calls after a night of partying. Yes, because sandwiched between those dark bus rides is the Oreo-like snow we so excitedly long to get our skis on.

Long runs, blankets of snow, pent-up demand

Like a shot out of the gate at Del Mar, we attacked them thar hills… kicking up snow dust in our wakes.  Saturday at Alpine Meadows started with a burst of early sunshine to bring out the SPF 70.  Later the snow started and dusted us all afternoon long, only slightly diminishing the enthusiasm for Sherwood and the upper bowls.  Even the first-time skiers got a quick start with their lessons and practice.  And with not-to-be-beaten discount rates and tickets delivered right to our hands by Nisei leaders (they were great), we found the shredding ever so more beautiful and rewarding.

Nisei ski club members made the whole weekend a dream

But we get ahead of ourselves… When was the last time you had a drink at the bar of an off-the-beaten-path Bowling Alley?  I ask because behind this San Jose bowling alley was the meet-up spot for the start of the bus ride.  And since many of us were early for the 6:30PM bus departure, we had the choice of bowling a few games ($3 for shoe rentals) or having a cold one.  Easy choice, though the strange out-of-the-fifties feel to the dimly lit area evoked a spooky vibe to the experience.  Turns out the bowling alley had a big rear parking area that was really perfect for our cars.

With welcoming smiles and fantastic preplanning, Nisei trip leader Amy Lew greeted us and gave us the needed instructions about stowing our gear and skis.  We were in for a real treat, as we discovered, since our hot Asian-styled dinner and drinks were to be served after a stop in El Cerrito for the rest of the ski gang.  And a great dinner it was, with many Nisei helpers passing out the napkins and forks, drinks, and dinners.  It struck us all how selfless and loving those helping were to all the guests.

13 Monterey Ski Clubbers make the trip, too

With a fairly full complement of 39 ski-trippers on the bus, the talk turned to questions for the Monterey skiers and the friendly chatter continued for the whole ride.  Except for when the movie started and we were thrust into the underground London world of famed sleuth Sherlock Holmes.  But the real historic occasion was the coming together of skiers from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Monterey Bay Area, thanks to the Nisei offer for Monterey to join their ski trip.  Monterey gathered a worthy crowd of 13 skiers and winter adventurers for the trip, which included a sensational dinner at the Sands Casino and Hotel, our home for the weekend.  We had $5 off coupons for our dinner, 2 for 1 martinis, and a $10 credit at the slots, which bore $fruit for many of our players.

And now for the finale’…

Back to the mountains from our Reno overnight experiences, it turns out Sunday was the BIG day for skiing.  Many regard Northstar as a favorite at Tahoe, so with a quick gondola ride up to mid-mountain, we regrouped into our ski-buddy teams and criss-crossed Mt. Pluto from all angles.  Seven of us skiing together found inspiration in each others’ abilities, drawing on that energy within to keep the group (and ourselves) rapidly moving up and down the slopes.  The original day’s plan was to ski Sugar Bowl, but a big-rig accident on 80-west cut off our route to that destination.  Quick-thinking by David Jensen (he brought his computer for snow updates just in case) triggered the new plan to Northstar.  We all seconded his idea. And that’s how the story ends.

Well almost.  When Amy Lew mentioned snacks at the end of the ski day at the bus, we had no idea what to expect.  But as we came off the mountain and arrived at the bus for the trip home, gathered around the snack table was our legion of tired-but-happy skiers.  It was a veritable snack fest, including drinks and goodies and cheeses and chocolates and pate’ and fruit of all descriptions.  Thank you Nisei volunteers and leaders for making this a memorable 2010 ski trip. Your yeoman efforts to make it special for us travelers will be as remembered as the skiing itself.  Thank you all.

What’s included on a weekend bus trip with the Nisei Ski Club?

• Free parking at our pick up points in San Jose or El Cerrito
• Charter bus to hotel and ski resorts
• Two night stay in a hotel, usually in a casino in Reno
• 2 dinners on the bus, Friday and Sunday
• 2 continental breakfasts on the bus, Saturday and Sunday
• After ski drinks and snacks

Please note the following are not included in the trip price:

• Lift tickets, but as part of a group we qualify for discounted group rate lift tickets
• Equipment rental & lessons, if you are a NSC member, you may qualify for a partial reimbursement of your lesson cost
• Saturday’s and Sunday’s lunches at the ski resort, Saturday’s dinner

Here are some more details about this offer:

• This offer is only valid if you have never been on a trip with or never have been a member of the Nisei Ski Club within the past 8 years.
• Pay only $89 per person if you sign-up with yourself and a roommate.
• Pay only $99 per person if you sign-up and have a roommate assigned to you.
• Pay $185 per person if you want a  room to yourself. We encourage your to have a roommate.
• Free membership for the 2009-2010 membership when you sign up for a second or third trip with the Nisei Ski Club. You will be able to pay membership prices of $135 per person (with a roommate) for your second and third trips.
• Not valid with any other offer or promotion with the Nisei Ski Club.
• Free membership waives the $30 credit for first time Nisei Ski Club members who take a lesson until the following membership year.
• Nisei Ski Club is the final arbiter for any disputes with regard to this offer.

If you have any questions, please contact

An updated sign up form will be available soon. For now, please use code NSC89 on the current sign up form and subtract the necessary discount as indicated above. Download sign up form.

Click here for more information about our trip and trip schedule.

HIKING DISTANCE: 7.0  mi
ELEVATION GAIN (cumulative): 1200+ ft
HIKING PACE: Moderate
DIFFICULTY: Moderate

Estimated hiking time is 4 hours.

COST: Free, this is a benefit of your NSC membership

Where to meet: Almaden Quicksilver County Park – Hacienda entrance, New Almaden
Almaden Rd.
San Jose, CA 95120.
Meet in the Parking Lot & Parking is free

When: Sunday, April 11, 2010 10:00 AM (arrive by 9:45 AM, we will leave on time)
(Optional lunch at the Sonoma Chicken Coop on Almaden Expressway afterwards.)
San Jose – Almaden , 5925 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95120, Tel: (408) 997-1272

Directions: The Hacienda entrance is located at the south end of New Almaden. From Almaden Expressway, proceed 3 miles along Almaden Road through the town of New Almaden to the unpaved parking lot on the right.

The Pat Tillman memorial is directly across from this parking lot.

Contact: Allen Hu,

How to Sign Up: Email Allen with your contact information (Name, phone #, email address)

Sign up by:  Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Heavy rain cancels the hike. Contact trip leader if the weather looks questionable.

Dogs (leashed) are allowed everywhere in this route. There are bathrooms and water only at the Hacienda entrance. There are no parking or entrance fees. Bring adequate food & water. Maps will be provided.

LIABILITY WAIVERS NEED TO BE SIGNED AT THE TRAIL HEAD.

Where to meet: day-use parking lot (carpooling recommended)
Uvas Canyon County Park ($6 entrance fee)
8515 Croy Road
Morgan Hill, CA 95037

When: Saturday, May 8, 2010 9:45 am to noonish
(Optional lunch at the Sonoma Chicken Coop on Almaden Expressway afterwards.)

Cost: Free

RSVP: Brian Lee,

Directions:
Take US 101 South
Take exit 373 for Bailey Ave
Turn right at Bailey Ave
Turn left at McKean Rd
Continue onto Uvas Rd
Turn right at Croy Rd

Just before the park, Croy Rd narrows down to a single lane drive through the private community of Sveadal.  Please drive slowly and carefully.

Alternate South Bay directions:
Take Almaden Expy south to its end
Turn right onto Harry Rd
Take the next left onto McKean Rd
Continue onto Uvas Rd
Turn right at Croy Rd.

So far, the NSC kicked off this season with Bus Trip #1 to Squaw Valley on Jan. 8-10.  You can see some details of this trip in an article by NSC newbie, Tammy Lee.

Also, a happy NSC band of brothers and sisters converged on Whistler, British Columbia for our annual weeklong ski trip Jan. 24-31 led by yours truly.  While everyone came home content and exhilarated by the trip to the venue of the upcoming Winter Olympic games, we all felt the rush of the week go by oh so quick.  Stay tuned for next month’s articles on this great trip.

As our country’s president gives a State of the Union address in January this year, I will give a brief “State of the NSC Union” here.  In brief, the past few years have been challenging for our club in that our bus trips have been more difficult to fill.  While we are still a strong organization by most standards, it is time to start aggressively recruiting new members so that new people will inject this grand organization with new blood.  Your Board and I have been wracking our brains these past few years in the search for a “magic bullet” that will inject new vigor into our organization and hence attract new members.

The conclusion in this search for reasons are complex and varied.  In short, there is no simple solution.  One theory is that the Internet has made instant information gathering related to engineering local trips to Tahoe so easy that many would be bus trip attendees may not have a need for a ski club as a resource for such trips.  Another theory is that the nature of modern social networking websites such as Facebook make the coalescing of instant ad hoc ski trips very easy to organize amongst friends.  Yet another theory is that the NSC is in competition with for-profit companies that organize local ski trips and hence these otherwise NSC attendees are attracted to a more business-like approach to going on these trips.  (ed. Many non-ski clubs are having similar membership problems.)

Whatever the reasons, there is one thing that is clear: it is imperative for the NSC to try many different new “out of the box” approaches to attracting new members while focusing on our core competencies that have allowed us to thrive for 52 years.  While we cannot be “someone else’s ski club,” the NSC should evolve with the world on a continuous basis.

And so, I announce the “NSC Membership Stimulus Package.”

This new program is targeted to attract potential new members by the old fashioned tactic of giving a very awesome introductory price to previous non-members in order to really demonstrate the NSC value on these trips.  Please refer to the attractive details in the article by Trip Director, David Jensen, this month.  The Board and I really believe that the investment on behalf of the NSC in this area has a very good potential to jump start our new membership numbers and  lead the NSC to a vibrant future.

However, attractive prices WILL NOT alone guarantee success.  The NSC needs all of our existing membership to participate!  We need you to sign up for the 3 remaining bus trips AND to invite friends and family that could see the value of joining the NSC.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

So I end this message with a brief note about the picture this month from our just -completed Whistler trip which holds personal significance to me.  But I will get to the Whistler trip next month.  Meanwhile, please sign up for Trips 2, 3, and 4 and get your friends and family on those trips!

My first trip with NSC was Squaw Valley – a new resort for me, one time Olympic host, a place I’d heard about through friends and the media. One thing I noticed was the high elevation – at 6200 ft the resort entrance was already pretty high up. When I reached the top of the Funitel where my lesson was held,  it was 8200 ft and overlooking the lake at the highest resort I’d visited aside from Heavenly. That day fog covered the Lake, making it appear mysterious. Some of the newcomers in my class had not realized that it was the Lake.

John, the instructor on my first day, taught us how to ski in low-, bumpy, and high-sloped terrain. I was excited and confident to be in the class. We learned to turn our uphill knee out and to align our skis. The bumps were a special treat, but we stayed on the green slopes. The second day turned out to be much icier after overnight rain, and my practice run before the class was a disaster – I had no confidence under these snow conditions, as it was too easy to slip and lose control, and I hadn’t gotten over my fear of falling. As the class got underway however I just followed our leader. At one point, though, he went down a steeper slope, the kind I had no trouble with the day before, and I hesitated and took an alternate route. Later, I got over my fear and was able to follow him down the steeper hills. We learned to “pet the puppy above us” on turns. He also demonstrated the sideslip technique which was later useful when he took us down a narrow path on a blue slope. I was excited to try my first blue slope on the Gold Coast Express. It had a detachable chairlift, like the Funitel, and as a result was the most gentle lift experience I’ve had. It was a long run but when we followed the instructor it turned out pretty well. A great first intermediate slope experience!

The classes ended at 1pm, and I joined our group at the Gold Coast mid-station. Everyone had already arrived and was finishing their lunches. Although they all looked exhausted they were gung-ho to tackle the slopes again. What troopers! I didn’t have the energy to do any more on the first day but on the second, I tried the Gold Coast Express again with Debbie Fong and Joel Hayashida, the club president. I made it, although at one point I balked at the steepness – a tendency that’s all mental because I’m afraid of heights. I noticed I’m a little out of shape since no one complained of burning legs. Perhaps there is a technique for skiing without much exertion to their legs. I hope to learn that technique in my next ski lesson.

Throughout this 2-day trip, I got a lot of help with my equipment from my “valet”, Tom Lee. He’s not my actual valet but he wasn’t skiing so he volunteered for the job, which was very nice of him. He carried my skis while I trudged along in my unwieldy boots with the poles. He also brought back my shoes when I had to return the rental equipment.   Hi Fujii, an octogenarian who was the only member to qualify for a free lift ticket (wow – I can’t wait to get older and get these terrific discounts), hinted that he wanted a valet too, but was mostly ignored for his efforts. Tom wasn’t about to carry two sets of skis. I started to imagine what it’d be like having a valet in other areas of my life, like getting out of my car in the rain with the groceries.

All in all, it was a very nice first trip with the club, and I gained hope to improve my ski skills after listening to others tell stories of how they used to be like me but got to their present level. I would really like to be an intermediate skier, able to go on the high slopes and enjoy the scenery from up there, not to mention stop paying for expensive ski lessons. I even thought about getting my own skis. One thing I forgot to mention is my sun burn. I peeled for 3 days and it hurt. I had to use aloe to soothe it. Next time I’ll have to have better protection from the sun. The food was very well planned and it was a pleasure to hang out with the club members after skiing. Thanks especially to Debbie and Joel for taking the time to take me around the slopes at Squaw. I am looking forward to my next trip with NSC.

Too easy? Try this one:
Take 10 objects and place them so that they form 5 rows of 4 objects each. The rows will be all the same length and the spacing between adjacent objects is all the same.

The NSC had another successful ski season last season with three Tahoe area weekend bus trips.  Ex Officio, Curtis Otaguro led the NSC to Telluride, CO for a successful weeklong trip.  Karen Soo and Tom Lee led a great long weekend trip to Mammoth Mountain resort in March.  Hoyt Nelson, Dick Wong and Brian Chan led a handful of Bay Area hikes.  In the spring, we had another successful chicken salad sellout at the San Jose Nikkei Matsuri Festival.  We had a great Hawaiian-themed post season event in May.  We tried our hands at Bocce Ball in October, biking south San Jose in September, and even waged on horse racing in November.  Finally, in November, we held our Olympic-themed preseason event and gave out quite a lot of prizes.  There was great food, drink and socializing.  Yes, the NSC held quite a few fun events this year!

On the other hand, this 2009 Board also got down to some organizational grunt work.  The biggest accomplishment this year was obtaining a California Seller of Travel (CST) number which among many other benefits, means that we now comply with state law that regulates organizers of travel with other Bay Area Council (BAC) ski clubs.  Thank you to the CST committee for pushing the small mountain of application paperwork thru!

Also, we boosted the marketing of the NSC brand by completely redesigning the website to be more in line with modern sites creating links to several important third-party, value-added web services.  The look and feel is vastly improved in a professional way.  Thank you to the web redesign committee for your diligent efforts!

Moving forward into 2010, we have Bus Trip #1 on January 8-10 that converges on Squaw Valley resort for both days.  Lodging for Friday and Saturday nights is at the Sands in Reno and the price is $135 (a significant cost reduction from last season).  More details on the website at http://www.niseiskiclub.org/trips/.  As I write this article, there is a big winter storm brewing and expected for the second week of December.  Moreover, the temperatures have been very chilly so far this winter.  Prospects for a great snow season are very good so please sign up now for this first bus trip.

Our Whistler trip, January 24-31, 2010, is set and our lucky group is already salivating at the snow reports as Whistler smashes all historical records for most snow in November with over 18.3 feet of snowfall!  It looks like this season will host monumental snow conditions for both the 2010 Winter Olympics and the NSC!

The long weekend trip of March 24-30, 2010, led by Trip Director David Jensen, is a thumbs up. We have passed our minimum signup number and some astute members realize that this trip will be yet another awesome one.  Snow conditions at Mt. Bachelor auger for auspicious snowfall  as well, when we hit those slopes in late March.

Don’t forget our other three scheduled Tahoe bus trips.  Trip 2 is to Alpine Meadows and Sugar Bowl on February 19-21, 2010.  Trip 3 spends two days at Northstar-at-Tahoe on February 26-28, 2010.  And Trip 4 consists of Mt Rose and Sugar Bowl on March 12-14, 2010.  Please sign up as early as possible as the NSC has cutoff dates for minimum headcounts for every trip.

So as you can see, 2009 has been a very busy year for the NSC.  We have had a whole bunch of fun while also managing to improve the club.  It is no accident that the NSC has existed for over 50 years as we manage to keep activities going despite any external world pressures.  So please enjoy a wonderful holiday season and we will see you on the slopes in the upcoming 2010 NSC ski season!