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January, 2021 - ?
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
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:
Let me start with the "elephant in the room." We cancelled Hawaii Ski Week, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of us are still going to Aspen, "on their own" so to speak, with the tickets and accommodations already secured by our travel agent, Ski.Com, but the majority of the 25 who ultimately signed up (including Yours Truly), are probably breathing a sigh of relief (for me there's no "probably"). Alan's email to the trip participants has been reproduced below. Note that we are/will be planning Aspen-Snowmass for 2022 so the trip to the intended destination has, in a sense, just been postponed for a year.
On the personal side, I am also cancelling my customary 5-6 week trip to Utah which I take immediately following Hawaii Ski Week. Some of the people I meet up with there have also cancelled: The ones who are still going are driving from their homes in other mainland states and, therefore, better able to remain in their "bubbles." You newer members might not know that I almost lost my life in a skiing accident in New Zealand 7 years ago, and I don't want to push it because I don't know how many lives I have left. I wish those of you still going a good, safe trip and be sure to plan out, well in advance, where you are going to get the required Covid-19 test now required by Pitkin County-Aspen. If any of you were thinking of personal ski trips to California, beware of closed accommodations: The state has mandated the closing of lodging at Mammoth, in the Lake Tahoe area, and, perhaps, other ski destinations so skiing is limited to those who live there, those of have friends who live there, and those who can drive there for the day.
I have had an inquiry as to when we might resume sponsoring weekly or monthly activities such as tennis and hiking. We will take a look at it when we enter Tier 3 and can accommodate up to 10 people.
With Las Vegas as a favorite destination for so many in Hawaii, I was amused by the news that a small ski area an hour's drive north of Las Vegas is being expanded (see below). Heck! If I wanted to gamble and ski, I'd go to Lake Tahoe rather than our 9th island.
As I mentioned in last month's Newsletter, those of you looking for Christmas gift or two, maybe a gift for yourself, might want to take another look at our Hawaii Ski Club shirts. Pictures of our newer shirts are on our website, www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com : Click on the "shirts" link. We also have some of our older shirts for sale which are not pictured on the link. You can contact Caroline, caroline@hawaiisnowskiclub.com to arrange to discuss and order shirts.
A hui hou kakou and stay safe out there,
TOBY
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
EMAIL
TO TRIP PARTICIPANTS
December 12, 2020
Aloha Ski Club members,
Due to the recent
significant increases in Covid-19 infections and deaths on the mainland, and
because of constantly changing and differing travel regulations from state to
state, the Hawaii Ski Club Board met on Zoom Thursday (12/10/20) to discuss the
January 2021 Aspen Snowmass ski trip. The board primarily considered health and
safety issues for our members and the possibility of additional travel
requirements and restrictions associated with this ski trip. After careful
deliberation, the Board voted unanimously to POSTPONE the Aspen Snowmass trip
until January 2022.
Postponing the ski trip will be a disappointment to
some members, but it will be a relief to many who have privately expressed
concerns about going on a ski trip during a worsening pandemic. Ultimately, the
primary reason for postponing the ski trip was the health and safety of our club
members.
Despite the postponement by the Board, for those who still wish
to ski at Aspen Snowmass next month, please contact Geof Chu at geofchu@aol.com
since he is planning his own trip that is NOT associated with the Hawaii Ski
Club and welcomes others to join.
Since the Trip Committee began working
on the Aspen Snowmass trip seven months ago, many thought that Covid-19 cases
would diminish before the January ski trip. Instead, the situation has
deteriorated, and Covid-19 is responsible for the worst pandemic in modern
history. Just in the past month Covid-19 infection and death rates have spiked
throughout the country and globally, with dire projections that it will continue
to worsen over the next few months. This has resulted in increased concerns and
uncertainties regarding a safe ski trip at this time. Aspen and Pitkin Counties
announced new travel requirements just last week requiring proof of a negative
Covid-19 test taken 72 hrs prior to arrival in Aspen to avoid being quarantined.
This is in addition to Hawaii’s requirements for Covid-19 testing or
quarantining for everyone returning from the mainland. Even if you remain
Covid-19 free, there is still the uncertainty that someone else in your condo
may become infected, requiring that everyone in your condo be quarantined.
Although new vaccines appear to be just around the corner, they will not be
available in time to safeguard us on next month’s planned ski trip.
As a
result of the trip postponement, there will be a 25% cancellation fee assessed
on the cost of your condo lodging, but not on your lift tickets. If you
purchased an airline ticket through Ski.com it is non-refundable but is reusable
for another trip within a year with no change fee. If you purchased an airline
ticket yourself, you should check with the airline for their policy. Since you
registered and paid for the trip individually, you must send an email to Marcie
Hawks at marcie.hawk@ski.com notifying her of your trip cancellation and
requesting a refund. This must be done prior to December 18. After this date,
your entire condo fee is not refundable. I have asked Marcie to check with
Crestwood Condos to see if they will credit the 25% cancellation fee towards
2022 lodging but have not yet heard back from her. I will update you with
additional details as soon as they are available.
This
unprecedented decision by the Board to postpone the ski trip until next year was
an extremely difficult one to make. But I assure you it was done only after
careful consideration and deliberation of the current and predicted future
Covid-19 situation and travel restrictions, and with the health and safety of
our membership first and foremost.
ALAN
EXPANSION OF LEE CANYON, NEAR LAS VEGAS
(Excerpted from the Far West Ski Association News Flash,
December, 2020)
LAS VEGAS HAS MORE
THAN GAMING: The
Las Vegas ski area’s Lee Canyon has
been given the green light by the U.S. Forest Service to move forward with
expansion plans to add two new lifts, 23 ski runs, mountain bike trails, a
mountain coaster, additional parking, a zipline, and other amenities. Located
only an hour north of Las Vegas, this expansion is highly anticipated as Las
Vegas’s area of interest in outdoor recreation has increased. Las
Vegas tourism has always been centered around gaming and luxury, but this
expansion appeals to a new market in Southern Nevada tourism. While Lee Canyon
has occupied its 785-acre area since 1964, this expansion will allow them to
accommodate the growing interest in Winter activities and the growing population
in Clark County.
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