Hawaii Ski Club – April 2009

President – Toby Kravet – 808-224-1065
Jonathan Carr
Geoffrey Chu
Michiro Iwanaga
Bill Hodges
Anita Hodges
Alan Teramura
Linda Giers
Caroline Sluyter
Mike Tsutsui

Additional events, such as concerts, hikes, excursions, may be added. Watch your email for possible updates.

Every Monday evening (except on holidays and, of course, during Hawaii Ski Week): 4:30 P.M. A group of ski club members and their friends play tennis at Keehi Lagoon courts, off Lagoon Drive. Stay in shape and share refreshments afterwards!

July 4 (Thursday) NO GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Have a nice Independence Day holiday!

July 12 (Friday) 4:00 P.M. Pau Hana at TJ's Sports Bar and Grill, 600 Kapiolani Blvd. (One Kapiolani Building). This is the building right at the fork of King St, and Kapiolani Blvd. behind the water fountain and across from the Fasi Municipal Building.

July 27 (Saturday) 9:00 A.M. Hike the Aiea Loop Trail (4.2 miles) which begins and ends in the Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area at the top of Aiea Heights Drive. We will leave from the first parking lot approximately .4 mile past the park entrance.

August 1 (Thursday) 5:00 P.M. General Membership Meeting at Ruby Tuesday, Moanalua Shopping Center.

August 23 (Friday) 4:00 P.M. Pau Hana at the Row Bar (now under the management of Tamura's), Restaurant Row, 500 Ala Moana Blvd.

First, an apology. In the last Newsletter I accused half the volunteers for the Special Olympics of having shown up late, having gotten (understandably) confused about the parking arrangements at this new venue for the event, and having gone home when they could not be assigned, as a group, to the promised station with the rest of us. This, I am advised, was "fake news." They WERE on time and had no trouble finding parking: It was the Special Olympics staff at registration who were confused. In any case, I hope this hasn't soured anyone on volunteering for Special Olympics as it is a very worthy event which has stayed popular with our membership for a number of years. I trust that we will be back to the University of Hawaii next year and that the "Hard Times at Iolani High" will be forgotten.

Second, as you can see in "Announcements" below, we have now added another, earlier trip to Japan. For those of you who are interested, you can now go to Niseko, and, as it is back to back with the later trip to Rusutsu, if you want to ski both, you can just go to Hokkaido and stay. How good is that? Kudos to Alan for having outdone himself, putting three trips together for 2020. Be sure to give him a humoungus pat on the back when you next see him.

Third, if your club tee shirts are getting a bit worn and tired and you are interested in one or two of the new styles, check out the "shirts" link on our website and email Caroline caroline@hawaiisnowskiclub.com with your order or for additional information. Rather than always lugging a ton of shirts to our meetings and ending up with a large inventory of unsold shirts as we have in the past, we would like to start encouraging pre-orders, and we don't want to put in an order until we get enough to make the mathematics work.

Fourth, as you can see from the schedule, Mike is leading his second hike this coming month, and I hope more of you show up than was the case for the May hike on Kaena Point where only Caroline came to keep Mike company. The Aiea Loop Trail is closer to town, normally well maintained, and has a little something for everyone: Ups, downs, red dirt ridge, forrest, mud, and some nice views. While it is not THAT difficult, you might get dirty and might have to traverse some slippery spots so don't wear your smooth soled tennies.

Lastly, in "Announcments" below, Anita is already requesting volunteers for packing meals at Meals on Wheels this coming September. This is another periodic event which normally gets a pretty good Club turnout. Contact her if you are interested in helping.

JULY PAU HANA
at
TJ'S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
One Kapiolani Building
600 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 100
July 12 (Friday) 4:00 P.M.

Great dive bar with excellent food and bargain drinks. This town location is very similar to the Westside's - Chez's and sometimes compared to the old Side Street Inn with a lower price point. Parking is free and plentiful and the $8 Coors Light/ $11 Heineken pitchers are a bargain. Pool tables and darts for those who want to play. Surprising good is their garlic fried rice, pork chops, and Korean fried chicken. They seemed not to have a menu for it, but their thin crust pizza hit the spot. Not known for their service, you will just have to deal with it. The Yelp reviews are pretty accurate.

AIEA LOOP TRAIL HIKE
KEAIWA HEIAU STATE RECREATION AREA
Top of Aiea Heights Drive
July 27 (Saturday) 9 A.M. (Promptly)

Mike Tsutui will be taking us on this 4.2 mile hike of moderate difficulty. This is a fairly well maintained trail which is mostly shaded but has a short dry ridge section and often has some muddy sections near the end or start (depending upon whether we go clockwise or counter clockwise). We will begin hiking promptly at 9 AM from the first parking lot on the one way road to the top. Judy drive up Aiea Heights, enter the park, continue another approximately .4 mile, and look for Mike and the rest of us.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
RUBY TUESDAY
Moanalua Shopping Center
930 Valkenburgh St.
August 1 (Thursday) 5:00 P.M.

Come to Ruby Tuesday for our August General Membership Meeting. While the actual meeting will probably not start until sometime between 5:30 and 6:00, come at 5:00 to start with the grinds and the stories.

TOBY

AUGUST PAU HANA
at
THE ROW BAR By Tamura's
RESTAURANT ROW
500 Ala Moana Blvd.. #1
August 23 (Friday) 4:00 P.M.

This bar has been here since its opening in 1988 and is the only original survivor on "Death Row." I am sure all of you have been here at least once in your life. After umpteen changes in management it is now part of the Tamura family. Happy Hour = $5 wells/wine/drafts and limited discounted pupu. There are discounted specialty drinks and an extensive full priced appetizer menu. Food is from the adjacent Tamura's Tavern. If you haven't been here for a while, come on down and reminisce about the old bars and eateries that have come and gone. You won't be disappointed.

If you're into beer, mixology drinks & cigars, this is the place for you. Plentiful validated parking is available.

JUNE PAU HANA AT EIGHT50
Pearl City Shopping Center
850 Kamehameha Highway
Pearl City, Hawaii
June 21 (Friday) 4:00 P.M.

I was amazed to drive from Kalihi to Pearl City at the beginning of the normal Friday afternoon rush hour and get there in thirty minutes. Luckily, Craig (Shaffer), who had come "all the way" from Kailua was also there early so I didn't have start drinking alone. It's kind of a small place but has one of the most extensive beer and whiskey menus I've ever seen and, while they did give tastes of the beers on tap to help you make up your mind, the number of bottled beers, many with esoteric names, was numbing, and I was disappointed that I couldn't try them all. Just as Geoff had told me, the pupus weren't cheap, but they were tasty. We had as many sixteen members show up with six still there enjoying themselves when I left shortly before 8 P.M. I'd go there again, if only to start trying our more of those exotic beers.

Lanakila Meals on Wheels is again requesting volunteers to package meals for seniors and the disabled in our community. The next date our club has been assigned is Saturday, Sept 14 from about 8:30-11:00 (the amount of time depends on the number of volunteers: the more volunteers, the less time we spend working!!). If you are interested in helping, please email Anita, anita@hawaiisnowskiclub.com . Since we sometimes work directly with housebound seniors, every volunteer must undergo a security check. IF YOU ARE A REPEAT VOLUNTEER AT LMOW, YOU DO NOT NEED ANOTHER SECURITY SCREENING.

The ski trips described below are for Hawaii Ski Club members. You can join the club by completing the form on www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com. Annual membership is $25 single or $35 couple. To register, click on the "Sign Up" link, complete the form online, take a screenshot or copy and paste it into your computer, print it out, and mail it to us with the appropriate payment (address on form). If you are unable to complete it online, you can print out the blank and complete it by hand.

HAWAII SKI WEEK 2020
BIG SKY RESORT
BIG SKY MONTANA
January 17 - January 25, 2020

If you're looking for uncrowded slopes, mixed terrain ideal for groups or families with varying level of expertise, a massive amount of terrain—5,750 acres to be exact—and a relaxing, laid-back mountain setting then a Big Sky ski trip should be a topof-mind choice. Being off the beaten path, as Big Sky is, certainly has its perks: lift lines are nonexistent. Locals and return visitors joke that if they have to wait in line for more than two minutes it’s a busy day. Big Sky also offers a handful of exceptional, rustic Montana dining experiences, sure to gratify guests looking for a unique meal.

Options Include:
• Roundtrip Air Honolulu to Bozeman Airport
• Charter Bus Roundtrip Ground Transfers
• Hotel Room at Summit at Big Sky or
• 3 Bedroom Condominium at Big Horn
• Group Lift Tickets
• Discounted Group Ski Rentals
• Women’s 3 Day Clinic (Jan 18 – 20)

Niseko is the arguably one of the top ski resorts in Japan and is located in the northern island of Hokkaido, about a two hour shuttle bus trip from Sapporo. It receives a yearly average of 45 ft of dry powder with abundant tree skiing. The mountain is divided into four ski areas serviced by 3 gondolas and 30 additional lifts and the terrain is approximately 30% beginner, 40% intermediate and 30% advanced. We will be staying in Grand Hirafu, the largest of the four ski areas. There are a number of shops and restaurants within easy walking distance from our hotel. Package cost for airfare is $1,000 economy nonstop on Hawaiian Airlines to Sapporo. Land package includes 7 nights hotel with buffet breakfast, roundtrip shuttle bus from airport to hotel, and 6 days lift tickets with cost ranging from $1590-$1912 based upon twin occupancy and room type. Airfare upgrades and single supplements for hotel are available at additional costs. For additional information and signup form, see the Trips section of our website, www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/trips.htm. You can also contact Alan Teramura, alan@hawaiisnowskiclub.com (808) 372-9970. If you would like to extend your trip to include Rusutsu (below) contact our packager, Schewe Travel Associates, shchewetravel@hawaii.rr.com

Trip includes roundtrip to Sapporo, roundtrip motor coach transfers from airport, 7 nights lodging at Rusutsu Resort Hotel, breakfast and dinner vouchers and 6 out of 7 days lift tickets (add $35.00 to total price if under 60). The hotel is ski-in/ski-out with 6 restaruants, onsen, movie theatre, swimming pool, and onsen. Total price is $3,781 with for a single occupancy room and $2,984 for double occupancy. For an extra $500 - $600, depending upon hotel, you can spend an additional 3 days skiing Niseko. For additional information and signup form, see the Trips section of our website, www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/trips.htm. You can also contact Alan Teramura, alan@hawaiisnowskiclub.com (808) 372-9970.

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.

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.