Nisei Ski Club

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Remember those crazy weekend trips that Amy T and I use to tour lead?

The real challenge as tour leaders is figuring out what to serve on the bus for 35 plus people.

Here’s a great idea that I should try at our next potluck party on a weeklong trip. Dare me?

https://fb.watch/hjg_aA2wvD/

by Tina Woo, Membership

We won the lottery!  No, not that one.  During the Thanksgiving break, our family was very fortunate to visit and hike “The Wave.”  It’s been on my son-in-law’s bucket list for several years. The Wave is a premier photographic destination in the US Southwest and is located in the Coyote Buttes North area at the Utah Arizona border. It contains many spectacular rock formations including: The Second Wave, The Alcove, Top Rock Arch, Melody Arch, Sand Cove, Fatali’s Boneyard and the Grotto.

A 6–7-mile (with an elevation change of 1,000+ feet) round trip hike is required to get to The Wave. Since there is no trail to The Wave, you should be able to use a map and compass or GPS to help with navigation. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) provides a map with your permit and instructions on getting to The Wave, and there are a small number of cairns along the way.

Only 64 people per day (48 permits granted three months in advance and 16 permits granted one day in advance) are allowed in the area. Applying six months in advance is recommended.  A permit is issued by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) three months in advance. 

Advanced permits for Coyote Buttes North are very difficult to obtain. All Advanced Coyote Buttes North permits are awarded by lottery held at recreation.gov. The lottery opens up four months in advance and popular times to visit are Spring and Autumn.

Here are some of our photos!  A most enjoyable trip.  While near Flagstaff, we also visited the Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki (a 900-year-old ancestral Puebloan site with over 100 rooms).

For More Information https://www.thewave.info/index.html

by Sandy Kiyomura, Board Member

Some of us skied Palisades, Alpine and Northstar before Christmas.  Roland Lee invited us over for dinner on Tuesday night for “tacos Tuesday “.  Pictured (left to right) Sandy Kiyomura, Elaine Graves, Roland Lee, Judy Bracken and Carole Henri. The “junior” skier in front is Amelia Maupin, Sandy’s granddaughter. Her mother, Misha took the picture. 

by Armand Gutierrez, President

Ski resorts are open and it’s time to dust off your gear, get the boards in for a tune-up, and join the skiing Santas. Tahoe resorts opened early this year (before Thanksgiving) and the low temps are keeping the snow in decent condition. Of course, more snow is needed so let’s hope and pray for some good weather systems to bestow upon us a winter wonderland.

SkiFest (formerly known as Skibomb)

The annual SkiFest shows for this year, and in the future, will be taking a different track now that SkiPro (https://skipro.com/) is taking over the helm. SkiPro is a major online ski/snowboard/apparel retailer and the SkiFests this season will primarily be a sales event with few resort/club booths, and BAC will not be hosting a booth. Event dates are:

• Sacramento – Cal Expo Center – Nov 18-20, 2022 (over with)
• Marin – Marin Civic Center – Dec 2-4, 2022

Palisades Tahoe Cup

Palisades Tahoe will be hosting the Audi FIS Ski World Tour (men’s slalom and giant slalom) on February 24-25, 2023. This is a call for volunteers starting February 13-27. If you want to be near the action while volunteering then click on the Volunteer Application Form at https://www.volgistics.com/appform/2049884748. For additional event details go here: https://worldcup.palisadestahoe.com. If you decide to volunteer then please let me know so I can report our participation to BAC.

Name This Resort

Well, there were only two responses for naming this resort: Jim Sanchez and Jason Ku. They correctly guessed that it is the KT22 lift at Palisades Tahoe. So, those ski warriors get bragging rights.

2023 NSC Ski Week in Breckenridge

All systems are GO for the Breckenridge trip in January. In a departure from previous trips, there will be no Orientation Meeting and the Breckenridge Pamphlet will be sent out shortly via email. We will have a Potluck Dinner on Tuesday and a Farewell Dinner on Friday. Hopefully you will get a chance to get a few days of skiing in before the trip. You know, just to limber up those legs and find out what hurts and what doesn’t hurt.

Christmas Greetings

This has been a good year for NSC with the popular Steamboat Trip, the annual Luau/Membership Meeting picnic, and the Pickle ball and Hiroshima Concert events. On behalf of the NSC board I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

QotM:  Any fool can know. The point is to understand – Albert Einstein

By Virginia Soo (Karen’s Cousin)

The Nisei Ski Club Pickle Ball Event took place on Saturday, Oct. 29th at the Saratoga Country Club. It proved to be very popular as all court slots were full. The Country Club provided water and towels and hostess Jeanne Katsuro brought paddles for those who needed them. The weather was very pleasant, not too hot nor windy. We were told Pickle Ball is the fastest growing sport in the US for the past two years.

We were organized into beginner and intermediate/advanced playing abilities.

Qyunh Nguyen, the advanced coach for the afternoon is a past winner of National Pickle ball Tournaments. Other accolades include her being a National Vietnamese Ping Pong champion. Pretty cool!  Qyunh certified Yvonne Lacinco who coached the beginners.

I can only speak for the beginners as I was part of that group. Yvonne started our lesson by instructing us on how to throw the ball to a partner without using a paddle. She showed us how to bend our knees, distribute our weight properly and follow through with our arm strokes. The key is to stay low. We moved on to aiming for a virtual target on our body (heart center). The hour-long lesson continued with a description of the court areas, placement of the players, how to release the ball when serving, where to move after play starts and how the score is kept. Yvonne told us the majority of the game is played in the kitchen. I found myself being in the kitchen at inopportune times and losing points for my team. Yvonne reminded us a few times to forget what we knew from playing tennis as strategy is not the same in pickle ball.

For the remainder of the afternoon, we played with each other while the coaches gave pointers and encouraged us from the sidelines. During games, more experienced players directed us on whose turn it was to serve after scoring a point and how to move into the kitchen once the ball bounced the appropriate number of times. I can say from personal experience that I had a really good time and learned a lot. Based on the turnout from the event, I saw folks had fun and would be interested in doing it again.

Jeanne did a great job of organizing the event. This included instructions on where to send our checks, directions to the club, court attire and etiquette. The Saratoga Country Club is a wonderful venue.

I did not attend the dinner afterwards at Golden Palace as I had a previous commitment.

– Virginia Soo

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

The Nisei Ski Club Pickleball event was a huge success!

We had 24 participants with 4 people on the waiting list.

For future events with limited participation, please sign up early!

Intermediate Pickleball players were so lucky!

We had 2 excellent Pickleball coaches, Quynh and Monica for 9 intermediate players for 2 hours of lessons. One of the coaches, Quynh competes on the National Pickleball Level. Yahoo! What a deal and incredible coaching!

The 15 beginners worked with Coach Yvonne. They were lucky in another way because Yvonne was able to spread them out, playing on 3 courts instead of the 2 designated courts.

The coaching by Saratoga Country Club was excellent and benefited us all.

After the 2-hour session, 13 Pickleball players and 2 additional Nisei Members met for dinner at Golden Palace in Cupertino.

Stan Chan, one of our Pickleball participants knew the owner of the restaurant and ordered special dishes for us. We had a fabulous dinner for a cost of $28 including tax and tip!

I loved the Special Chicken Sticky Rice, a dish that needs to be ordered the day before.

I wish more of you could join us!

Stay tune for more Nisei Social Events!

Take care!

Jeanne 

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Here’s a link to the 2022-2023 FWSA Skiers Guide. This is the 35th issue and one of the best ones produced. Lots of information about Far West and all the trips, events, and the work they do for promoting skiing. NSC is mentioned in several areas and you can find Nisei Ski Club

“El Presidente” Armand on page 21. (Still without a helmet) WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING ONE??

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/farwestskiersguide/2022-23/index.php

You can also find this link at https://www.skibac.org/

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

During the pandemic, I baked and tested a lot of recipes to consume or give to friends. This is an easy recipe to make.  Small enough for 2 people with leftovers for the next day.

You can use your hand mixer to whip this out quickly.
With chunks of sweet apples nestled in a tender and buttery rum cake, this French apple cake is the essence of simplicity. So good for an afternoon coffee or tea break.

I suggest using a spring foam pan, add extra powder sugar on top and don’t skip the rum.

Julia Child approves…Happy Baking

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo shares the same birthday.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Granny Smith) (3½ – 4 cups chopped)
• Confectioners’ sugar (optional), for decorating cake

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Don’t worry if the batter looks grainy at this point; that’s okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan. Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners’ sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
5. Freezer Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
6. https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-apple-cake.html

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

After being back in New York for 3 1/2 months, I still feel like an adventurous tourist. My guard is up and my Spidey senses are in full alert. There are so many things to do here that you can easily spend a whole week here. I had to acquaint myself with the New York subway system.  Am I standing at the right side of the platform? Is this train heading North or South? Slowly, its coming back to me.

NSC member Annette Li came out to New York on her own for a solo vacation. The weather in September was beautiful. The temperature was warm, so we were able to walk around in our tees and shorts.

I met with Annette at her hotel and we started our tour. We checked out the Vessel at Hudson Yards, walked the Highline, visited Little Island, ate lunch at Chelsea Market and visited Greenwich Village.

Two days later, I met up with Annette again and we took the train to visit Little Italy, NY Chinatown, City Hall and we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Can you believe that this is my first-time walking across the Brooklyn Bridge? So, I was really looking forward to doing this.

We had brick oven pizza at Juliana’s Pizza and then it was time for me to head home. We did take a lot of pictures along the way.

A month later, my brother Mickey and Curtis O. came to New York on the same week for a visit. My brother stayed home with mom and Curtis and I hit the town. We waited an hour at TKTS and brought 50% discounted tickets to see Beetlejuice on Broadway. A big savings for seats in the orchestra, 13^th row, center.

After purchasing our tickets, we walked south to the Vessel at Hudson Yards (Again). During our visit, the first level of the Vessel was opened to the public and we were able to go inside. Usually the Vessel is opened so you can walk around the inside and climb to the top. Unfortunately, there’s been a high incident of suicidal jumpers that force the closure on the upper levels. 

We continued walking the Highline (Again), visited Little Island (Again),stopped by Chelsea Market. Truely, I never get tired of the walk or the views. We stopped for lunch at Piccola Cucina Estatorio in the Village. We treated ourselves with an afternnoon snack at Domnique Ansel Bakery . Picked up an Original Cronut  – What’s a cronut? “half-croissant, half doughnut” pastry creation.  

We finally made it to the renovated South Street Seaport, where we rested and enjoyed the view of the Brooklyn Bridge. I was pooped. We clocked in 27,000 steps, about 7 miles that day. Pretty soon it was time to go back uptown via Subway to Times Square to see Beetlejuice that evening at 7:00pm

Two days later, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge (again).  I can now say I walked it twice in my lifetime. We ended up on the Brooklyn side called DUMBO where we had real NY Pizza. (Not deep dish or brick oven) We walked along the waterfront where you can see the view of New York City skyline.

We ended the day by taking a ride on Jane’s Carousel, A restored carousel from 1922. Cost of the ride – $2.00 What a bargain and a fantastic view. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_2rwvdjp2o

One of the highlight of Curtis’s visit beside visiting me of course is checking out to New York’s newest cultural experience called the Summit. You’ll read all about that in the next article.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

One of New York’s newest attraction is called the Summit at One Vanderbilt on 42 Street.

It consists of 3 levels of mind-bending, multisensory experience with views of New York and New Jersey. You can experience this in the daytime or at night. We opted for the daytime experience.

Unlike the Empire State Building, the concept of this experience is taking an observation deck and taking it up a notch to a level with multiple rooms and installations.

AIR An immersive art experience mixing transparency and reflective to create an illusion of boundless space. The experience being in a room with silver balloons and another room as if you are flying in the clouds.

LEVITATION Imagine stepping into a transparent glass-enclosed skybox extending over 1,000 ft above Madison Avenue. You have 90 seconds to take your pictures.

RELECT is a room of visual immersion art installation by artist Yayoi Kusama, 93-year-old Japanese Artist

ASCENT a sensory defying all-glass elevator reaching SUMMIT’s highest elevation (1,210 ft) above Midtown. This was no big whoop. We could had saved some money if we skipped this.

Lucky for us we had a clear, sunny, blue-sky day. The view was breathtaking and overall, it was a cool New York experience. We spent 3 hours there, taking loads of pictures.

For $75.00 per person, it includes our 18 digital photos. I guess the cost has to paid for the attendants who is walking around continuously Swiffering and wiping the glass floors and mirrors. We don’t want fingerprints in our Instagram photos.

Warning if you are afraid of heights, I would not recommend going there.

After we were done, we went to the famous Katz’s Deli, New York’s oldest deli for their delicious Pastrami Sandwich and where Harry Met Sally.