I started skiing in college during the mid 1970s. I was going to UC Davis the same time as Bill Killibrew, who was the son of the then owner of Heavenly. They had a $5 midweek ski deal for college students. Needless to say I missed a few week days when powder & sunshine beckoned from the Sierra.
Right after college a friend of mine & I decided to take a ski safari in the Rockies. We started out in Big Sky, Montana where some friends of his were working. Big Sky was an undeveloped ski area in 1978. The snow was good but it was very cold. We were typically skiing with air temps from -5 deg F to + 10 deg F & it was a big change from skiing in the Sierra. On New Year’s eve it was -30 deg F. I have never experienced such cold temps.
After a couple of weeks in Big Sky we migrated to Jackson Hole. We hit great ski conditions with 6 to 12 inches of new snow every day. Nothing like skiing the Hobacks in prime powder conditions. Jackson is great mountain when conditions are good. After a couple of weeks there we migrated south to Snowbird in SLC. Utah has the best powder snow conditions if you are there at the right time. I spent 2 months working & skiing at Snowbird. I got to know the mountain quite well & had some epic Utah powder days skiing the Cirque, Great Scott, Gad chutes & other classic runs off the tram. During this season I got in 80 days of skiing in the Rockies.
After I started working in Silicon Valley I usually got a pass at Squaw & typically logged 20 to 30 days each season. I have spent many days skiing at Squaw & have gotten to know the mountain well. I have usually skied 10 to 30 days each season since I got out of college. I started skiing with Nisei Ski Club in 2000. The week trip or long weekend trips are of more interest to me as I like skiing at new & different resorts.
My favorite mountains to ski at are Squaw, Whistler, Jackson, Snowbird & Deer Valley. Anywhere there is a nice steep bowl, chutes & great powder is the ski experience for me.
I spend most of my spare time cycling , skiing & hiking. Cycling is my main focus as I can do it year round when the pavement is not wet. I do both road & mountain biking. On road rides I typically do 50 to 80 mile rides. Also I like mountain biking at Tahoe & the Flume trail & Hole in the Ground are some of my favorite rides at Tahoe.
I worked in semiconductor marketing for about 20 years. However in 2002 I transitioned to Financial Services. My main focus is Financial Planning, Investments & Portfolio Management. If any club members have questions or need some help feel free to contact me with your questions.
