Judy Bracken
Question: What can be better than a 60th anniversary ski trip with the Nisei Ski Club?
Answer: A 61st anniversary ski trip with the Nisei Ski Club!
Seriously, we had a blast in Vail with this large group of Nisei ski club attendees. Though the snow level in Colorado was low, the spirit of camaraderie and fun was alive and well. We started off the trip with a rather long travel day, but once we were settled in our condos we awoke to a grey sky Sunday on the slopes. Some of us went on mountain tours to get the lay of the land. Others explored on their own. This required a constant study of the resort maps to figure out whether you were on the back or the front side of the mountain and which bowl you were in. Ski lifts had both numbers and names; numerous access roads connected them all. Then there was the constant pursuit of the best snow. Staying at the highest elevation and in the trees seemed to be the trick.
Those that experienced mountain tours found the group leaders to be friendly and engaging. The other folks on the tours often turned out to become friends that might be seen on some of the other ski days. The mountain is so vast that chance meetings with other club members were fairly rare. But most every afternoon there was the apres ski hot tub meeting where conversations turned to highlights of the day or upcoming plans.
As we continued through the week, some opted to take days off the slopes shopping, cooking or taking it easy by the fireplace. Some ventured to the nearby resorts of Beaver Creek or Keystone. Tuesday night’s potluck dinner was a grand affair. We spent the evening prowling through the condo complex, searching for the best food and stuffing ourselves silly in the process. As always, the food was superb and not to be outdone. What a bunch of great cooks we have in this club!
The grand finale was a dinner at the nearby hotel dining room. Tables of ten were filled with smiling and well exercised skiers of all ages. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and a great talk by our esteemed club president Armand. Before everyone went home to pack up, a group picture was taken by the fireplace.
The morning bus ride was made more dramatic due to a fast moving wet snowstorm. The bus could not get up the hill, so everyone pitched in to move the gear downhill through the snow for stowage. All made it on the bus and we headed to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
The organization of these trips and the behind the scenes activities that make it happen are impressive. Many thanks to all those folks that work hard ahead of time making room arrangements, airline reservations and much more. We are looking forward to the next one!
