by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Get Inspired. Take Action. Be part of the green revolution.

Earth Day is April 22, 2024

EARTHDAY.ORG is committed to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040.

60% Reduction of Plastic Production by 2040

Health Risk – Plastics are a danger to humanity and all living creatures, disrupting the delicate balance of life on Earth.

Demand Change – Rapidly phase out all single use plastics, urgently push for a strong UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution, and call for an end to fast fashion.

Innovative Solutions – Investing in innovative technologies and materials to build a plastic-free world.

Babies vs. Plastics – This report, the first of five such reports, offers an over-view of some of the latest research studying the impacts of microplastics on the health of young babies and children.

Do your part and let preserve Planet Earth. Home to all of us. https://www.earthday.org/

by Armand Gutierrez, President

Presently I’m on my annual FWSA International Travel ski week in Madonna di Campiglio, and will be here from 23 Feb – 3 Mar. And after that I’ll be in Milan, Verona, and La Spezia for the extension week, returning soon 11 March. This is my first time skiing Madonna so I’m looking forward to new scenery, meeting new people and, as usual, great Italian cuisine.

FWSF’s Spring See’s Yum-Raising

FWSF is launching their Spring See’s Yum-Raising event. The Far West Ski Foundation, founded in 1964, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that is dedicated to conducting fundraising programs to provide grants to non-profit organizations that support adaptive and rehabilitative snowsports programs, athletic scholarships for junior racers, and various snowsports industry initiatives. If you are a chocoholic and interested in supporting the See’s Yum-Raising event then take a gander at the flyer in the newsletter.

2025 NSC Ski Week

The 20245 NSC Ski Week will be at Sun Peaks, BC with a tentative date from 25 January to 1 February. So mark your calendar and start planning on a ski week to Canada’s second largest resort with 4,700 skiable terrain acres. Also, check your passport’s expiration date.

Board Nominations

Now that it’s March it’s time to think about Board Nominations for the 2024-25 season. If anyone has an interest in joining the board for the next season and has questions about what it entails then just drop a note to any of the current board members, or perhaps you have someone in mind to nominate for the board. Please keep in mind that the Nisei Ski Club relies on volunteers to be on the board and undertake the running of the club. It’s not all work and no play. Board meetings this year have been online using Zoom. It is a convenience to attend a Zoom board meeting from the comfort of home, but I do miss the face-to-face interaction and the lunches afterward.

QotM: Passion is the genesis of genius – Galileo Galilei

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

After April 11, the Price goes up! ——Sign up now!

The Easiest Way to Sign up for the Eastern Canada Vacation is to hit hyperlink below & sign up under Nisei Ski Club # 1197844

1. Sign up Online   https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1197844

   Typing your own information assures all that it is correct

   Pay by credit card and get points!

   Collette Travel Insurance covers more than Trip Cancellation. It covers Medical Expenses and more.

2. Complete the Nisei Ski Club Membership Form

     Fill out the Form and Send it to Tina Woo Membership Chairperson

     With a Note that it is for June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025 Fiscal Year

     Sign up before May 31 ~ Early Bird Registration at $25 versus $30

     See Attachment for here. Membership Form

• Transportation to the San Francisco Airport
  • Flight to and from Toronto
  • All the Excursions everyday including 
  • Niagara Falls – Maiden of the Mist the boat ride
  • Niagara on the Lake
  • Thousand Islands National Park
  • Ottawa
  • Quebec City
  • Montmorency Falls
  • Maple Sugar Shack
  • Montreal
  • 9 days
  • 12 Meals – 8 Breakfasts and 4 Dinners

After April 11, the Price goes up! ——Sign up now!

Collette Trip Insurance: https://partner.travelexinsurance.com/policy/?plannumber=365ZA-0123

1. Cost of the Trip including the Deposit

The Cancellation for Any Reason ~ No Medical Reason Needed

2. Emergency Medical Expenses Covered in Canada

Medical needs including hospitalization up to $50,000  

Note: Your medical insurance policy may not cover medical expenses in another country

3. Travel Delay Coverage:    Example: If your travel partner needs to stay in a Hospital for any Medical Emergency, your expenses to stay in Canada with your partner will be covered up to $150/day up to $2100

4. Emergency Dental Expenses ~ $750

5. With the Collette Travel Insurance there is No Deductible.

This is Amazing insurance! It includes more than mentioned above.

Collette Registration Form https://www.niseiskiclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3_Collette-East-Canada-Registration-Form-NEW.pdf

Collette Credit Card Authorization Form https://www.niseiskiclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4_Collette-Credit-Card-Authorization-Form-NEW.pdf

I am excited that you are going to Canada with us! Jeanne

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Fifty NSC members gathered for a week of skiing at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We didn’t get any fresh powder but we did have a great time.

We left SFO and flew into Jackson Hole, Wyoming arriving in the afternoon. It was a simple, quick flight. We arrived on time and our 2 shuttle buses were waiting for us. On the way to Teton Village, we made a pitstop at Albertsons where the frenzies had an hour to shop. It looked like a scene from the Supermarket Sweep game show.

It’s Saturday night and we decided to unpacked, get hydrated and settled in with a home cook pasta dinner. We were ready for our first day of skiing the next morning.

Highlights of the Trip – First day of skiing and It was quite Foggy – No sun in sight. Braille skiing is what I was told.

Monday – Another foggy day and I’m already taking a day off. Yes, I’m becoming a wimp with my gimpy knee.

Tuesday – Inversion Blue Sky Day – Blue skies above the clouds. A great day of skiing.

We had our traditional NSC Condo potluck. Rendezvous and Teewinot combined forces and held our pot luck dinner in 2 Rendezvous condos.
Some delicious highlights were Shepherd pie, Midnight noodles (I need the recipe – Chris Yee) Tamale casserole and numerous healthy salads. 7-layer Jello and Nuttzo – 4 ingredient cookies that were also a hit. ( SEE WEBSITE FOR RECIPE) We had about 22 people participating between the 2 condos.

Nez Perce had their own potluck across the street with Steam salmon and Mac and Cheese. Everyone stayed within their building. Who wants to walk in the cold on frozen ice? Just to cross the street for more food. Forget about that.

Wednesday – Inversion Blue Sky Day – Blue skies above the clouds.

It was beautiful on top. I can actually see where I’m going. But once I hit that cloud layer, it was blindfolds on. This was not good for my gimpy knee. We met for lunch daily at the Rendezvous Lodge at 12:00pm. Tables were held for our members and we ate together, chatted and figure out where to ski next.

Our condo went to town that evening and had our dinner at the Gun Barrel Steak and Game House. We feasted in Elk Loin, with red wine and huckleberry reduction and slow roasted Bison Prime Rib – Medium rare. No complaints from the carnivores at the table.

Thursday – Another Inversion Blue Sky Day – Blue skies above the clouds.

I took the tram out at the end of the day with Sandy. We took pictures and tried out the waffles at Corbet Cabin. We didn’t ski down around the Volkswagen size moguls, but we did have the tram to ourselves and enjoyed the music and view. Check out the Video

That evening, NSC hosted the farewell dinner at the Mangy Moose located at the base of the mountain.

We feasted on Jumbo shrimp skewers with garlic, lemon, old bay and buttermilk fried chicken sliders with, tangy fire sauce, pickle, ranch, slaw, fried onion.

There was a buffet set up of Prime Rib, Steel head trout and grilled vegetables. Everyone had a ticket for 2 drinks and I’m thinking some of the Hawaiians boys from our condo ordered some expensive MaCallen12 year old whiskey. $$$

Friday – Our last day of skiing.

More Highlights

We had 15 newbie members on the trip. I’m still waiting for an article about their first-time experiences on a weeklong trip with NSC.

ZDid you hear about the moose on the loose that galloped down a green run near the base and made headline news. (Article) 2nd Article

I think this is the same moose that was hanging outside at our condo.  It was a young bull with one antler. I think it’s the same moose – See the pics and compare them for yourself.

It was great trip. It was fun meeting and skiing with the old and new members.

We hope you next year at Sun Peaks, Canada in 2025 . Are you coming? Please fill out those Survey…

by Dorise Ouye, NSC Member

I just want to thank everyone that attended the Jackson Hole weeklong ski trip. This is my first-time experience on a ski trip with NSC. The members were friendly and they made me feel welcomed. A really nice group of people.  I normally don’t ski with groups or out of state and this was a totally new experience for me.

A special thank you to the advanced skiers (Armand, Wendy and Wayland). Their patience was tested when I skied with them at Grand Targhee. I appreciated all the tips on and off the slopes. My first time skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  I had the chance to visit the Jackson’s National Elk Refuge with Carol W and Ahn.  Prior to the trip, I had never eaten bison or elk.

Visiting St John’s hospital wasn’t planned on my agenda. But thanks to Carol F who drove us multiple times to those hospital visits.

We had fun time shopping around the town square in Jackson Hole.  We stopped by the Million Dollar Bar & Silver Dollar bar. At the end, it was a very memorable trip.

Thanks to NSC board for all of your hard work and coordination. I just want to let you know that I appreciated all the work you did to make this a successful trip.

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

The Nisei Ski Club (NSC) had their ski week at Jackson Hole, Wy, and was joined by members of the Hawaiian Snowriders to honor Lloyd Maeda in a slope side memorial. Lloyd’s friends from the Hawaiian Snowriders included Jay Fukuda, Ed Ho, and Wesley Lum. They had traveled from Hawaii to join NSC for a week of skiing at Jackson Hole, Wy. From 27 January – 3 February.

So who was Lloyd? Lloyd loved to snowboard with his friend Roland Kutaka (they were from the dark side) in the club they organized called the Hawaiian Snowriders, with Jay Fukuda, Ed Ho, Beverly Uemura, Randy Chu, Tom Ho, Fran Tone, Stephen Sang, and Dave Lee. Jackson Hole was one of Lloyd’s favorite places to snowboard. In November of 2014 Lloyd, aged 59, passed after several years of suffering from the effects of Lou Gehrig’s disease. In 2015 the Nisei Ski Club held their annual ski week trip in Jackson Hole, and it was befitting that we decided, with the blessings of his family, to spread some of his ashes here at Jackson Hole off of the Casper chair lift, at the base of the grove of trees between the Sleeping Indian and Wide Open runs.

On Tuesday, 30 January, members of NSC joined the Hawaiian boys to visit with them at the same location, had a toast of Jack Daniels and Fireball and enjoyed each other’s company. The 3 days we had been skiing here had been overcast and near whiteout conditions caused by fog, but Lloyd cleared the fog with some blue skies for us today!  He watched over us while we are here and to keep us safe from harm. We miss you and will see you again. Aloha and ahui hou.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

What a difference 9 years make. Here is the NSC group picture from 2015 and 2024.

Can you spot yourself?

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

This month we are posting a cookie recipe. The cookies were made and served at the NSC Jackson Hole Potluck Night on Tuesday.

Thanks to Carolyn Wong, she packed a large cookie sheet in the bottom of her luggage.

This recipe requires only 4 ingredients.

The fun part after eating the cookies is picking out the fine seeds (Chia Seeds, Flax seeds) that got stuck under your crowns and in between your teeth. Sharpen those pinky nails or using a good toothpick will do the job,

This recipe is for a 26-ounce container of Nuttzo purchased from Costco. Skippy or Jiffy smooth peanut butter or almond butter may be substituted for the Nuttzo.

Enjoy

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

Ingredients

1. Mix together the brown sugar and regular sugar and break up the lumps.
2. Mix in the Nuttzo (or Nut Butter)
3. Add a pinch of baking soda
4. Mix in the eggs
5. Cool in the refrigerator
6. Use a teaspoon and make balls
7. Cook at 350 degrees for 11 minutes (do not overbake) ( Use Silicone mats)

Notes:

• When making a large batch, use a metal serving spoon to mix.
• Using a teaspoon to measure out the batter makes small cookies
• A large batch uses 4 large baking sheets

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Here’s interesting article that was printed in the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the price of lift tickets.

The price of lift tickets keeps going up. Eventually, we either pay the price or find another sport that is a little less expensive like pickleball or golfing on the weekdays. What do you think?

https://www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/article/private-ski-lesson-cost-lake-tahoe-18652272.php

by Armand Gutierrez, President

Welcome to the Chinese Year of the Dragon! Yes, the Chinese New Year starts February 10thand celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 17th. People born in the year of the Dragon (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, etc.) are often considered to be charismatic, ambitious, adventurous, and fearless.

Well, it’s happening again: the atmospheric river is cruising at altitude over northern California bringing wind, rain, snow, and stay-at-home conditions. On the bright side, our snow-capped mountains in the Tahoe area are the recipients of increased snowfall, and that is always a good thing.

2024 NSC Jackson Hole

The Jackson Hole crew has returned from a great week of skiing in the fog, a few sunny days, return of the fog, and a few days of light snow at the end of the week.  Unusual warmer-than-normal temps caused by an inversion layer created the low-visibility fog and it was necessary to use “the force” to guide us down the hill. Look for eyewitness reports in the March newsletter.

QotM: No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot. – Mark Twain