Hawaii Ski Club – November

President – Geof Chu – 330-7432
Vice President – Anita Hodges, 486-8667
Secretary - Kathlyn Wong
Treasurer - Wanda Sowell – 487-7485
Craig Shaffer - 261-5989
Gordon Ng (See Contacts)
Toby Kravet – 224-1065
Wanda "Wandi" Sagum - 523-0982
Linda Giers
Sylvia “Sam” Wright

Every Monday evening (except on holidays): 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!

November 11, (Sunday): Pre Thanksgiving Pot Luck at Bill Roth's house in Kahaluu

November 22 (Thursday): Annual volunteer assistance to Salvation Army’s serving of Thanksgiving meals at Blaisdell Center

December 15th (Saturday): Annual Christmas Party, General Meeting, and Boat Parade at Darrell Large's House in Hawaii Kai

It was good seeing the large turnout at this year’s Annual Kick-off Meeting on September 27, 2007. We also got a few members signed up that we haven’t seen in a few years. Among them, past president K.C. Mueller has been missed, and we welcome him back. As we start off the new year, I hope to see a lot of you at the Holiday Parties we have planned thru the end of 2007.

We distribute the membership roster so that members can contact other members for social purposes. I have noticed that some members have used our roster and/or mass e-mail lists for advertising and business purposes. The majority of the members I’ve talked to consider these advertisements as “junk mail” and would rather not receive them. So please use better judgment and show consideration for your fellow members.

Bill Rothe and Rebecca Horne are, once again, hosting the ski club's Pre-Thanksgiving Pot Luck at their house, 47-461 Hui Kelu St., on Sunday, November 11, in verdent, rural (don't mind the dogs, chickens and Pakalolo growers along the way) Kahaluu. This is an event not to be missed. The Pot luck is scheduled to begin at 4:30 PM. , but you are welcome any time after 2 p.m. with your appetite, beverage(s) of your choice, and a potluck side dish, as assigned (see below), to feed from 6 - 8 people. Also, bring your own serving utensils for your dish.

From Honolulu, take the Likelike Highway (from central Oahu, the H3) to Kaneohe. Go "up country" on the Kahekili Highway, approximately 3 miles, to Valley of the Temples and take the first left hand turn, at or after the first traffic light beyond the cemetery, onto Hui Iwa St. Hui Kelu St. loops across Hui Iwa St. twice. Do not take the first left onto Hui Kelu but wait until the "second coming" which is approximately .4 mile further down. Take a left onto Hui Kelu, and you will find Bill's house about .5 mile further down on the left, just above the point where the street dead ends. Google Maps locates the house pretty accurately but Google Earth puts it in the wrong location. If you get lost, you can call Bill at 239-4332 (and we will send out the Ski Patrol to bring you in).

For several years, the Club has provided volunteers on Thanksgiving Day to feed the homeless and less fortunate of our community at NBC arena. This generally occurs earlier in the day, and therefore, gives the volunteers ample time to attend family Thanksgiving meals and/or other personal activities planned for the day. Please watch for email announcements as soon as the Board receives details from the Salvation Army.

Our Club's Christmas Party will also serve as our General Membership Meeting. It will be on Saturday, December 15th to coincide with this year's Hawaii Kai Marina Boat Parade. The parade starts at dusk so don't be late! Arrive at the home of DARRELL and RHETA LARGE, 583 Kumukahi Place, Hawaii Kai. Directions to their house as follows: Take H-1 EAST and continue on Kalanianaole Highway (HI-72 E) for another 4.2 miles. Turn LEFT on Hawaii Kai Drive and go 0.9 miles. Then RIGHT on Kumukahi Place and go 0.3 miles to arrive at 583 Kumukahi Place, which will be on the left. Call either 395-6825 or email: darrellnrheta@aol.com if you have questions.

POT LUCK, BYOB, and bring your bathing suit for the spa! GIFT EXCHANGE: $15 minimum worth, and NO WHITE ELEPHANTS! This gift exchange, while traditional, is optional so members do not have to participate by bringing a gift. Of course, please remember that those "great" and "I wish I'd gotten that one" gifts mean that you need to bring something nice to exchange. If you can't think of anything, a bottle of alcoholic beverage always seems welcome.

So far 13 club members have made the commitment to go on next October's trip to Arizona and the Grand Canyon! Eleven of us have taken leave of our senses and signed up to go on the grueling mule ride with an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor. The other two members (the smart ones) are considering a shorter mule ride on the north rim of the canyon or possibly a float ride on the Colorado River. We have secured 2 cabins at Phantom Ranch. Nine of us will be in one cabin and two members will be in the other cabin. Because this second cabin can sleep 4 people, we have space for two more people! So if any of you now have a hankering to join us on this mule riding western adventure, please let us know as soon as possible so that we will change this reservation.

Other activities will include experiencing the incredibly beautiful Antelope Slot Canyon near Page, hiking around Sedona, and exploring Monument Valley. The overnight stay at Grand Canyon's Phantom Ranch is so popular that reservations MUST be made a YEAR in advance.

We plan to leave Honolulu at night on October 3 (Friday) and will return home on October 12 (Sunday). We will fly into Phoenix, then drive up to Sedona. From there, we will make a loop eastward past the Meteor Crater to the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert, then up past the Canyon de Chelly to Monument Valley. From Monument Valley, we'll head to the Antelope Slot Canyon near Page, then go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon before arriving at the South Rim where our mule ride departs. We'll complete the loop to Phoenix for the flight home. This trip will take just a little over one week. (A map of Arizona is included below.)

The Grand Canyon mule ride is not for everyone. There are strict height and weight restrictions as well as other physical conditions that must be met. Also, the ride itself is a grueling 5 1/2 hours down to the Colorado River on the canyon floor and another 4 1/2 hours on the return. Brief stops are made to rest the mules every 30-45 minutes, during which time it is possible to take pictures but not dismount. Water and restroom facilities are available at Indian Gardens, about 2.5 hours down the trail. Lunch is also provided at Indian Gardens for the mule riders, a 12 oz New York steak dinner, and breakfast will be given at Phantom Ranch. (It's possible to substitute a vegetarian chili dinner in place of the steak dinner.) The overnight stay is in rustic cabins equipped with bunk beds, a cold water sink and toilet. Showers are provided at a central location. The cost of the Phantom Ranch mule rule is $401.16 for one person and $709.46 for two people, with each additional person (up to 10 max) at $312.11. However, a group of 10 mule riders will qualify for groups rates. The rate for 10 people is $3,278.34 which breaks down to $327.83 per person (the cheapest way to go). The maximum group space allowed at Phantom Ranch is 20 people per day (total of hiker and mule groups). Because the mule ride to Phantom Ranch is extremely popular, we MUST put in our reservation request on October 1 of this year. We do realize how difficult it is to commit to a trip a year in advance but unfortunately we must have firm commitments for the Phantom Ranch stay/mule ride. These reservations must also be pre-paid. The U.S. National Park web site states that a waiting list is maintained for cancellations but that the chances of obtaining reservations on the waiting list are slim.

For those who are not interested in participating in this particular mule ride from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch, there are several other shorter, less strenuous mule rides from the North Rim of the canyon. (Please click on the web sites below to learn more about all these mule rides.

October 4: Arrive in Phoenix. Pick up rental car and drive for 2 hours to Sedona. Stay in Sedona for 2 nights.

October 5: Sedona (click on the web site below and the video to learn more about Sedona). There are also many hiking trails around Sedona.

October 6: After leaving Sedona we'll visit the Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert, The Canyon de Chelly and then spend the night in Kayenta near Monument Valley.

October 7: We'll take a guided morning tour of Monument Valley before heading to Page, near the Antelope Slot Canyon, where we will spend the night.

October 8: Guided morning tour of Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons before heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Then on to the South Rim for the night.

October 9: Mule ride with overnight stay at Phantom Ranch. For those who prefer not to go on the Phantom Ranch mule ride, you may want to go on one of the shorter mules rides from the North Rim. Another option is to go on a one-day smoothwater float ride or a white water (rapids) raft ride on this day (click on web site below for more information). Or simply explore all there is to see on the South Rim of the canyon or go on some of the free ranger-led walks. There are free shuttle bus services on the South Rim.

October 10: Explore the East Rim and the West Rim of the canyon. Stay overnight at the South Rim.

10 ski club members, including new members Elsie McGrew, Linda and Clyde Uchima, journeyed to Albuquerque for the 36^th annual International Hot Air Balloon Festival. Weather was perfect all week, especially for our up, up and away hot air balloon flight on Wednesday, Oct. 10^th. Amidst the 700 balloons, Wandi, the Millers and our new club members, floated up into the windless sky. The rest of us (Lori, Jo, Sam and Myra) opted for a less expensive flight away from the balloon field, but still experienced the calm and quietness of being over a thousand feet above ground. Our balloon dipped into the Rio Grande River and floated over the trees and residential areas. Balloons of every shape (football, pumpkin, wine bottle, green monster, noah’s ark) and color made this festival a photographer’s delight and one not to be missed.

The group took side trips to Taos, Santa Fe, Sky City, Petroglyph National Park, Sandia Tramway, among other places.

Thanks to Wandi for organizing this trip!!!

Myra

On October 4th, approximately eight ski club members braved the crowds at the Waikiki Shell for an evening with Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band. Fortunately, "Yours Truly" arrived early enough to get near the front of the line and enable us to score an excellent position at center stage on the grass, almost up to the rail fencing off the reserved seating. Since most concert goers, including those in reserved seating, stood for most of the concert, the premium ticket people had nothing on us. Jake Shimabukuro opened the show with his dazzling ukulele solo work and then joined the Coral Reefers for, I would guess, about 75% of the show. Jimmy sang many of his hits, with the appreciative crowd of Parrot Heads singing along, and he promised to return next year. I'll go again. Will you?

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 7 calendar days from the end of the month. Thanx much.