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February, 2021 - ?
EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President – Toby Kravet – 808-224-1065
Jonathan Carr
Geoffrey Chu
Michiro Iwanaga
Anita Hodges
Alan
Teramura
Caroline Sluyter
Mike
Tsutsui
Karl See
Nelson Dang
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Newsletter Editor
Toby Kravet
(Click on Contacts for e mail addresses)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Nothing scheduled due to COVID-19 limitations on activity.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
Every month in this era of the pandemic I wonder how I am going to put a Newsletter together with little to report- - - - and yesterday, it "rained a bit." I was just getting ready to go out for my afternoon exercise and, unexpectedly, Geoff called from Utah, from his hotel in Utah where he is doing a bit of pre-Aspen boarding (he is one of the ones still going). A summary of the phone call is below.
By the time you receive this issue, it will only be a couple of days away from the date the Club would have departed for Aspen-Snowmass had we not cancelled (postponed until next year) out of an "abundance of caution." I would be interested in emails from the few of you still going, on your own, so to speak, to hear what it is like skiing and participating in after-ski activities with the COVID-19 precautions in place. I'd also be interested in where you got your pre departure COVID tests in Hawaii to meet Aspen's requirements: When I was "shopping around," about six weeks ago, I couldn't find any that would guarantee a quick enough result.
Below is an email from a retired friend who lives in Vermont but drives to Salt Lake City every year with his wife for the season to ski Alta (He's such a good skier, I can't go where he goes). He doesn't have to worry about after-ski activities at the area because he rents a condo for the season and eats "at home." I asked him what it was like there, and his response is below.
Also below are a couple of items from the latest Far West Ski Association's News Flash.
A hui hou kakou and stay safe out there,
TOBY
ITEMS OF INTEREST
CALL FROM GEOF
January 19, 2021
My home away from home in Utah is Extended Stay America, Union Park, Midvale, and when Geoff has joined me there for a short period, we have made a pilgrimage to the nearby state liquor store for bottle of single malt so that we can share as few sips in the late afternoon/early evening to celebrate the day and lubricate the discussion of dinner. When the my IPhone sounded at 4 PM, it was Geoff, sipping single malt and gloating. He flew from Honolulu to Las Vegas, rented a vehicle, and drove to Utah (about 6 hours). He had just come back from a day boarding at Brighton, will be spending the next day (today, inauguration day) at Solitude, both in in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and plans to go to Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday. He said that he doesn't need to make reservations to board with his Ikon pass as that is good at all three areas. He did, however, have to make reservations at Snowbird to park (Although much of the Snowbird parking has been booked until the end of the season, they have left some portion of the parking available for booking on "short notice." Little Cottonwood has not been allowing roadside parking this year). He said the hotel is practically empty and that he got the room for the unheard-of price of $47.00 per night (I have never come close to that price with my over 30 day discount). Geoff advised that he has an appointment for a PCR test with 24 hour turn-around time at a Walgreens in Kearns, Utah, suggested by the desk clerk at the hotel, where he will drive after skiing on Thursday and that he will begin his drive to Aspen (6.5 hours) to meet up with the other Hawaii folk on Friday or Saturday, depending on when he gets the COVID test result. He expects to get a COVID test in Las Vegas for his return to Hawaii. I failed to ask him about the snow conditions at Brighton. I do know that it is a low snow year, so far, in Utah.
EMAIL FROM A FRIEND IN SALT LAKE
January 4, 2021
"Greetings from Salt Lake, the Covid capital of Utah! Alta, as usual, has the
best snow in Utah. That's not saying much, it's as good as you can get for a 40
inch base! We ski most every day, everything is open, including the main chute
on Baldy. Getting to the steep stuff, off the high T is the issue. Groomers are
quite good and refreshed with man-made occasionally. Parking is an issue as so
many people work remotely and ski the morning. Snowbird has reservation parking
and is booked out through March! Some people, not us, arrive at Alta on powder
days at 7:30 and sit in their car for two hours. Big lines socially distanced,
masks enforced in the lines. You can't go in anywhere, only to pee. Only one
place to get a drink of water. Unless you have a locker, everyone boots up at
the car and if you eat lunch, it's at the car or outside for the most part! Strange year! In the Valley, huge rates of Covid,
positivity rate at 25% and four to five thousand new cases a day. Don't see any
snow on the horizon. Golf in Mesquite or St George? Stay safe!"
FAR WEST SKI ASSOCIATION
NEWS FLASH
January, 2021
THE SIX LONGEST SKI LIFTS IN THE WORLD: Have you ever wondered where the longest
ski lift is, or if you are ON one of the longest? Here’s a list, according to
“Trip Trivia”: Peak2Peak Chair – Whistler B.C. This lift runs 2.7 miles.
Zlatibor Gold Gondola – Zlatibor, Serbia is 5.6 miles. Slide Brook Express –
Sugarbush, VT, is 2.1 miles long. Sunshine Express – Telluride, takes 10 minutes
(no designated distance). Coulouvrier Chair – Grand Massif, France is 1.7 miles,
and Titlis Rotair Gondola – Engleberg-Titlis, Switzerland. No distance mentioned
for this rotating gondola, offering riders a 360 degree view all around.
FWSA 90th ANNIVERSARY HISTORY BOOK: FWSA has published its history on the 90th
anniversary of its birth in San Francisco as the California Ski Association, a
division of the National Ski Association. The book is 80 pages in magazine
format and includes invited articles from noted historians on California,
Arizona, Washington, Utah, Idaho and Oregon ski history, notably Ingrid Wicken
of the California Ski Library, John Lundin, Seattle, Jane Jackson, Flagstaff,
Mike Korologos, Salt Lake City, Eve Chandler, Boise, and Emilio Trampuz, Salem.
Association scholars include Barbara Razo, NSPS, Orange,, Jane Wyckoff, Irvine,
George Eachus, Costa Mesa, Steve Reneker NSPS, Riverside, and Chuck Morse, La
Habra. The book benefited by help from Robin Morning, Mammoth Lakes and Randy
Lew, Battle Ground, Washington. Limited quantities of this outstanding
publication will be available for purchase on www.fwsa.org in the FWSA Store.
$20 for members and $25 for non-members.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
HAWAII SKI CLUB IS ON FACEBOOK
If you are on Facebook, add the HSC as a “friend.” You will be up-to-date with recent HSC activities that members upload. The HSC Facebook page has photos from members on ski trips and at Club activities. You can also include your personal photos and announcements relating to the club for all HSC members to view.
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Contributions from the membership to future newsletters are encouraged and will be greatly appreciated: Please e mail them to Toby (see Contacts) no later than 9 calendar days from the end of the month. Thanx much.
Updated club info available at http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com