Did you know that your membership in NSC also makes you an automatic member of two other larger ski groups? Besides our wonderful Nisei Ski Club trips, we have many other opportunities to travel with both the Bay Area Ski Club Council (https://www.skibac.org) or the Far West Ski Association (https://fwsa.org). Here is a listing of upcoming trips. Check the websites for more info.

• FWSA Mini Ski & Snowboard Week: Big White, Canada, March 29 — April 3, 2020
• BAC Bike and Barge, Italy, August 8 – 15, 2020; August 22 – 29, 2020
• FWSA Croatia, September 2 – 13, 2020
• FWSA 11th Annual Scuba Dive Trip: Cozumel, October 3 – 10, 2020
• FWSA International Ski & Snowboard Adventure: Chile, TBA Summer 2021
• FWSA Annual Ski & Snowboard Week: Sun Valley, ID, January 30 — February 6, 2021
• FWSA International Ski & Snowboard Adventure: Solden, Austria Int’l Ski Week , Feb. 19-27, 2021 
  with So. Spain Extension , Feb. 27-Mar. 7
• FWSA Mini Ski & Snowboard Week: Zermatt Resort & Spa, UT, March 2021
• FWSA Alaska Cruise & Denali Tour, June 19 – 30, 2021
• FWSA International Ski & Snowboard Adventure: Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, TBA 2022
• Africa, TBA 2022
• Galapagos Islands, TBA 2024

Here is your newsletter for the new year, and links to articles below.

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Avalanche Safety, by Dan Lew

Recipe Corner, contributed by Judy Hom

by Armand Gutierrez

The Whistler trip is here! We’ve got 51 happy skiers that will be tackling the slopes on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains for the first week of this month. On Sunday (2 Feb) most people will be leaving the slopes early to watch the Niners and Chiefs tackle each other on the football field at Super Bowl LIV (that’s 54 for you non-Roman numeral fanatics).

More details and photos of the trip will be in the March newsletter, so stay tuned to see what you missed if you weren’t part of the Whistler Yahoos. I’ve already been approached about the ski week trip in 2021, and all I can say is that you will need an Epic Pass.

by Dan Lew

Sadly, on Friday, January 17, 2020, a skier was killed in an avalanche  and  his friend seriously injured, while skiing off trail but inbounds at Alpine Meadows.  While ski resort avalanche deaths are rare, they do occur.  Indeed, on January 7, 2020, two people died in an avalanche  and five others were trapped at the Silver Mountain ski area in Kellogg, Idaho.  These deadly accidents remind us that even inbound resort skiing and snowboarding can be fraught with danger and there are ALWAYS inherent risks in the sport.

Personally, I was skiing with a group at a French Alps ski area when the last member of our group set off a small avalanche.  I was already at the bottom of the run so I was able to ski out of the avalanche’s path.  Fortunately, no one was injured but all six skiers were buried, albeit not deeply, and everyone was able to easily dig themselves out.

This article is to remind you of some commonsense practices to exercise while pursuing snow sports and other outdoors activities in the mountains or  other remote areas…this is NOT an exhaustive list!!

• Always obey resort instructions and heed the warning signs.
• Do not venture into CLOSED AREAS. As tempting as it may be, do not duck under ropes and barriers to ski “off piste” in closed areas .
• Do not ski alone especially if skiing or riding off-piste such as in trees or terrain into which you must hike or access via  a long traverse.
• If you do ski alone, let someone know where you are going  so they will know where to look for you if you do not return home. You don’t want to have ski patrol look for you after they discover that the only car left in the parking lot on the day of an avalanche belongs to you! That will be too late.
• If you separate from a group, make arrangements to meet up later–the bottom of the lift, the  lunch  spot, etc.
• Carry a loud whistle when in the mountains, whether partaking in snow sports, backpacking or other activities. If you get lost, escape an avalanche but are injured, a whistle could help locate you. Many trail daypacks have a whistle in their sternum strap. If you ski with a pack, check to see if it has a whistle, otherwise, carry one around your neck.
• Carry a Transceiver /Avalanche Beacon
  These are commonly carried by back country skiers, but can be another layer of safety at resorts. However, they are costly (~$200-$500). See resource guide below.

One more word of caution: always let someone know where you are going. In March of 1982, an avalanche at Alpine Meadows killed seven people. This avalanche was strong  and large enough that it destroyed part of the main lodge and buried parts of the parking lot. I was skiing in the Tahoe area the same day as that fateful avalanche; my colleagues at work who knew I had gone skiing that same weekend were concerned that I may have been in the avalanche. Fortunately, I was at a different resort but no one knew to which ski resort  I had gone!!!

Many of you know of the story of Aron Ralston whe had to cut off his own arm to save himself when a boulder fell and trapped his arm against a canyon wall.  No one knew where he had gone that day either. No one knew he was missing. No one knew to look for him!

Again, these are not substitutes for common sense and smart, safe practices. Of course, better to avoid being a victim by exercising good judgment in the first place.

RESOURCE GUIDE

RECCO enabled clothing: RECCO is a passive reflective device embedded in some ski jackets and pants to facilitate location of a buried victim. This is not a substitute for a transceiver/avalanche beacon.  A RECCO device works by reflecting a signal back to a RECCO detector.  The embedded reflector is completely passive and does not require batteries or any action by the wearer. In the Silver Mountain avalanche of January 7, a RECCO equipped helicopter was able to locate one of the victims. However, not many North American ski resorts utilize RECCO detectors.

AVALANCHE AIR BAG PACKS: packs that have airbags that are inflated by an  air canister or by small high speed electric fans ($500 without the canister – $1500 with canister). The inflated bag hopefully will keep you from being buried. It cannot however from preventing you from being pummelled into a rock or tree. Manufacturers: Arcteryx, Back Country Access, Black Daimond, Deuter, Mammut, Scott, etc.
NOTE – the compressed air canisters are generally not allowed on airplanes.

PACKS WITH BREATHING DEVICES: Black Diamond makes the “Avalung” pack with a breathing element that allows you to breathe up to an hour while buried. Reviewers question whether one would be able to get the mouthpiece into one’s mouth while buried or the viability of descending with the mouthpiece already in one’s mouth just in case.

AVALANCHE COURSES: 

• AIARE, American Institute for Avalanche Research Education has a list of avalanche courses. https://avtraining.org/ 
• The Sierra Avalanche Center is a resource for local mountain safety courses including AIARE courses. https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/education/providers

Again, use common sense and let people know that you’re out there!

Be safe everyone!

contributed by Judy Hom

Instant Beef Tenderloin Stew

From Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin

I tried this recipe out during the Christmas holiday and was impressed with how easy it is to cook and how delicious it tastes. I have made this recipe twice. I daresay that this is the quickest stew that I have ever made! It takes about 30 minutes instead of hours. The recipe is for 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 ½ cups diced potato (½ inch). I used large russet potatoes. Keep your potatoes immersed in water until ready to use
• 1 cup baby carrots (abut 4 ounces). I used the snacking baby carrots and sliced them in half diagonally
• 1 cup white button mushrooms (about 2 ounces). Wash your mushrooms just before use.
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• ½ cup baby peas, fresh or frozen. I used frozen peas.
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Beef tenderloin is also known as filet mignon. At $22/pound, it is very pricey but it is oh so good. Jacques says that New York strip streak, sirloin tips, and skirt steak are also tender enough to use. I made this recipe a second time with flank steak. The flank steak was noticeably less tender than the tenderloin but still quite good.
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock or red wine to deglaze the skillet for au jus

Instructions: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until the vegetables until tender and browned – about 8 minutes. Be sure to try out the potatoes and carrots to make sure they are soft enough. Add garlic, peas, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for 1 minute. Set aside, covered, while you cook the steak.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in another skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot but not smoking. Add meat to the skillet in one layer – don’t crowd the meat. Saute, turning, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat is browned on all sides. Do not overcook the steak. Transfer to a platter. Add the red wine or stock to deglaze the skillet. Boil for 10 seconds. Arrange the meat, vegetables, and juices on serving plate or 4 dinner plates. Serve immediately.

Extending the leftovers: If I had too much meat leftover, I cooked up a fresh batch of vegetables and added it to the meat. if I had too many veggies leftover, I cooked up a new batch of meat and added it to the veggies. I had delicious stew for over a week. 

I hope that you will try this out. You can find more information about this recipe by googling “Jacques Pepin Beef Tenderloin Stew”.

by Armand Gutierrez

Recognize this ski area? Only one person identified it as the top of the Teton Lift at Jackson Hole. With the Thanksgiving storm that came in, it’s a sure bet that all the Tahoe resorts will be open in December for your skiing pleasures.

Last month I mentioned that Northstar will have paid parking at the Village lot (Yellow lots) and free at the Castle Peak lot. Major bummer for Northstar fans. For you Squaw aficionados, there’s a rumor going around that they will also start paid parking. No surprise there. 

Whistler Ski Week 2020

The Whistler trip is just around the corner (1-8 February) and now is the time to get your ski gear ready. Ski tune-ups are always useful to get sharp edges for carving and any base work performed for smooth gliding down the slopes.  Tahoe resorts will be open in December and, hopefully, you can get a few days of skiing before the Whistler trip. The Whistler Orientation meeting will be held on Saturday, January 11^th, so mark your calendars. This will be an opportunity to meet other members on the trip, socialize a bit, and pick-up the souvenir gift. The Whistler pamphlet will be distributed by email since the Orientation meeting and our trip departure are very close. An Evite will be sent out in December that provides all the details. If you don’t receive an Evite, then let me know at president@niseiskiclub.org. Also, Karen Soo is coordinating the potluck dinner and will be sending out an email listing your condo mates so you can get a head start on putting together your potluck menu.

Christmas Greetings

This has been a good year for NSC with the popular Big Sky Trip, the annual picnic Membership Meeting, and the FWSA Historic Ski Club designation bestowed on NSC. On behalf of the NSC board I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

by Jackie Maruhashi

Thank you to the Nisei Ski Club (NSC) Board and members for your wholehearted support of the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest.  The FilmFest took place on November 1-3, 2019, at the CineArts Theater in Santana Row.  Nine out of the ten of our featured films screened to sold out crowds, making this one of the most successful film festivals ever, thanks to groups like the Nisei Ski Club.

The NSC sponsored “Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066,” and did its utmost to inform members by emailing, Facebook postings, and ticket raffling.  The massive outreach resulted in 30+ NSC members attending Alternative Facts, and other films such as “Chinatown Rising” and “Mayor Ed Lee,” while some members purchased the “all access” weekend pass.

“Alternative Facts” depicts a true World War II government plot to force the removal and incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast, 2/3 of whom were U.S citizens.  Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February 1942, authorized the War Department to establish military areas in which “any and all persons may be excluded…”  Although the U.S. was at war with Germany, Italy and Japan, only people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast were designated for wholesale exclusion and removal.  Even orphans with as little as one-sixteenth Japanese blood were removed.  With only a few weeks notice, families could take only what they could carry.  It is estimated that the evacuation cost the Japanese American community $6.2 billion in today’s dollars.

Decades later, two researchers studying the Japanese American evacuation found the “smoking gun,” evidence that government attorneys lied to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The attorneys removed a footnote in the brief to the Court that indicated that the U.S. Navy found no acts of sabotage by the Japanese American community.  The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans should have never happened…

Happy Halloween everyone. Now it’s time to start a new month and hopefully the ski season as well. Armand has lots of information about upcoming events in his message so make sure to read it all. Here are all of the November articles:

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Invitation to Special BAC Meeting

Utah Mini-Ski Week Space Available

Check the Links!

by Armand Gutierrez

November is here and the Tahoe ski resorts are getting ready for opening later in the month. Before you get too excited about skiing in November I submit the following:

This is the top of Pluto lift at Northstar. Hmmm, doesn’t look too promising.

Well, what about Squaw? Yes, that’s the view from Siberia lift. 

OK, one more that has more promise, can you guess this resort (hint: it’s not in CA).

Here’s the latest scoop on the following tentative opening dates: 

• 15 November – Squaw Valley
• 22 November – Heavenly Valley, Northstar
• 27 November – Kirkwood
• 28 November – Mystery resort

And for you Northstar fans, get ready for paid parking at the Village lot (sections A-L of the Yellow lot) and free parking at the Castle Peak lot at the entrance to Northstar. It isn’t definite whether this new plan will start this year or next year (a lot of Northstar season pass holders are quite upset about this). 

Other than skiing, November is the time we get together and celebrate a family Thanksgiving Dinner. If you’re going out of town (locally) for Thanksgiving then it’s best you leave early and expect the usual congestion on the freeways.  According to AAA the Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled weekend of the year. And why is that? Simple. Thanksgiving is the time of the year when family members travel far and wide to be with family and be grateful for who we are and what we have in our life. On behalf of the Board I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with family and friends.

Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest – Ticket Winners

Curtis Otaguro and Peggy Hori were the two winners for free tickets for the showing of Alternative Facts: the Lies of Executive Order 9066 at the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest 2019. Thanks to all that entered for a chance to win tickets.

Snow Fest Shows

This annual Snow Fest show is back again on 1-3 November at Pier 35 in San Francisco and 8-10 Novemberat the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. These shows are free and you can get your tickets at www.sfskifest.com. 

Warren Miller Film

For you movie buffs there will be a Warren Miller movie, the Timeless tour, at the Heritage Theater in Campbell on 16 November.

Whistler/Blackcomb Ski Week 2020

The Whistler/Blackcomb trip is full. Well, not exactly. There are condos available; however, I’m going to hold off on accepting additional people unless a condo unit can be filled with four people. You will also have to secure your own air reservations. So, if you haven’t signed up for this trip then now is the time to fill out the application and get your checkbook out as well.

Davos/Portugal Ski Week 2020

There are about 10 spots available for the FWSA Davos/Portugal trip (Feb 28 – Mar 7), and a few spots available for the extension week to Portugal (Mar 7-13). Davos offers 186 miles of guaranteed ski pistes, 57 cable cars/lifts, 110 slopes, and a vertical drop of 5,656 feet. If you’re interested on going on this trip then contact me (president@niseiskiclub.org) for details and the application forms.

Invitation to Special BAC Meeting – Monday, November 4th at 7:30PM at the Englander on 101 Parrott St. in San Leandro.  This year, BAC has decided to replace our annual Winterfest with a special meeting open to all club members.  There will be two speakers and exciting auction items available at the meeting.   

• Mr. Dennis Heffley, US Representative, Tourism Sun Peaks, Canada
• Mr. Michael Hayes of Brundage Mountain, Idaho
• Auction items available from Sun Peaks, Homewood and Big White (plus some additional surprises!)

Feel free to come early at 6:30 for socializing.  There is no charge to attend, and food and beverages are available for purchase from the Englander.

Here’s a sneak peek at the auction item from Sun Peaks!

Three (3) Night Stay in a Deluxe Room at the Ski In – Ski Out 4 Star Sun Peaks Grand Hotel Plus Two (2) Day Lift Passes for Two (2) People at Sun Peaks Resort.This is subject to availability of room and certain blackout dates.  Transportation to the resort is not provided.
The Value Of This Donation is $1,000.00!