greetings snowdrifters

, April 2018, NI Snowdrifter Newsletter

April Edition 2018

Greetings Snowdrifters:

Now that the holidays are be-

hind us, we can look forward to

the year ahead. You had a real

treat if you went on MJ's first

trip. Our racing department

scored some silver and gold for

the club. The snow was excep-

tional for an early trip because

the weather was cold enough to

prevent thawing during the day.

The second trip was also a suc-

cess with trip leaders Dave and

Lina. MJ was back in the driver's

seat with the fly-away to Steam-

boat Springs Colorado. The snow

was great and the weather coop-

erated with new snow on some

days and blue bird skiing on

the rest.

Most of us have been buying

the Mammoth VIP passes each

year. This year they have again

increased their rates and have

added the IKON pass. The IKON

pass has 26 destinations includ-

ing Heli-skiing with a price of

$899. The IKON base pass is $599

but has blackout dates and re-

cently added Mammoth. There

are discounts for Military and

student skiers (IKON Base Pass

$479). The Cali4nia pass has been

discontinued, and has been re-

placed by the IKON pass. Black-

outs are on holiday weekends,

and rest assured, we will not

schedule our ski trips during

blackout weekends. Of course,

there is always the "Black Pass"

that offers no blackouts and a

plethora of services and dis-

counts for a paltry $9,500. The

best choice will be to determine

where you plan to ski and buy

the appropriate pass.

As the president, my door is

always open. If you have any

questions or suggestions, please

feel free to talk to me at events,

email, or give me a call.

[email protected]

619-851-7116

The PREZ

https://www.ikonpass.com/en/

ikon-base-pass

http://mammothblack.com/

membership

Pg. 1: President’s Message

Pg. 2: VP’s Safety Message and our Board of Directors

Pg. 3: Travel Directors Message

Pg. 4: NIS Council Rep Update

Pg. 5: Activity Director and Race Director Messages

Pg. 6: Trip Reviews

Pg. 7: Off the Mountain Calendar and SD Council Happy Hour Flyer

Pg.8 & 9: SD Council Aspen Trip Flyer and IKON Ski Pass Info.

Pg.10 &11: Amsterdam Bike & Boat Trip Flyer

Founded in 1977

WHAT’S INSIDE !

... it’s the MEMBERS who

make North Island

Snowdrifters the great club

that it is!!!!

The purpose of this club is to attract, motivate, and retain members who share a common interest in skiing, snowboarding and other recreational activities; encourage, community service; and offer enjoyment to its members.

President’s Message Nick Cowell

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.ikonpass.com/en/ikon-base-pass

https://www.ikonpass.com/en/ikon-base-pass

http://mammothblack.com/membership

http://mammothblack.com/membership

http://nisnowdrifter.com/


VP’s Message Barry Cole

President Nick Cowell

[email protected] 619-390-6659

Vice President Barry Cole


Secretary Dale Voeltzel


Treasurer Mary Jo Lau


Resource Director Frank Arambarri

[email protected]

Travel Director Lina Arnold


Programs/Meetings Janie Lindenfeld


Activities Director Lynette Collins


Race Director John Walsh

[email protected]

Comms/Pub.Relations Kris Watkin

[email protected]

Membership Alan Godwin


SD Council Rep Rick Bonnett


Past President Dave Arnold


Newsletter Editor Debi Young


Webmaster Nick Cowell


For past newsletters and more information about our club visit www.nisnowdrifter.com

Sooner or later it’s going to happen to most of

us that go hard in pursuit of our sports pastimes

being weekend warrior. We are going to have some

sort of knee injury.

Knee discomfort is something most of us will

tend to “play through the pain”. Skiing offers the

most classic opportunity for this syndrome because

our window to play is small (a ski weekend) and it

involves having spent a lot of upfront money. We

take anti-inflammatory medications, use some sort

of knee brace or change the way we get around to

take some of the pressure off the “sore” limb know-

ing that it will “heal itself” and can be dealt with

when we get home.

While most knee discomfort is likely to be noth-

ing more than a sprain, persistent pain that lasts

more than 24 hours should be taken seriously. Get

off the knee, elevate it, ice it and take some kind of

anti-inflammatory medication. Then, when you are

feeling more comfortable, consider wrapping the

knee in a good brace when next you go out on the

slopes to add stability and support to the knee.

Then, when you get home, consider adding some

physical therapy to your regular schedule to

strengthen the knee ligaments and the muscles that

support it.

Putting off a visit to a doctor if the pain persists

is a mistake. The delay can make the situation

worse and the recovery more difficult. Strains and

sprains will heal themselves but tears around the

knee will eventually lead to more significant prob-

lems. There are more skiers that are put out of com-

mission for weeks, months or the entire season be-

cause of damage to ACLs, MCLs and all the other

CLs that support the knee.

Play hard, play smart and listen to your body.

Stickers are back! Ask a member

of the board for one. Put them on

your helmet or other gear so other

skiers know where you are from!




Many of our Snowdrifter members use our

website as a means of keeping up with our

club’s activities and news. Don’t forget we also

have a Facebook page. Facebook is a great way

to keep up with friends and other members.

You can post messag-

es and update the

club on activities and

ideas.

Travel Director & Trip Leader Message Lina Arnold

MEET YOUR TRIP LEADERS!

Last newsletter we introduced you to our

January and February trip leaders. This time we

are introducing you one of our March trip leaders

—Kris Watkin.

My parents

loved to ski - so

I started as a

child. I grew up

skiing Mam-

moth, part of

the time with a

ski club. When I

got married, I

had connections

to skiers from

Colorado - so I

branched out

and started ski-

ing more areas.

Then came

kids. Skiing became more localized for me.

(Grandparents make great baby sitters and like to

spend time with kids in the ski lodge). My kids

are now grown, though they like it when I help

fund family ski trips. After moving to San Diego,

I needed some new ski buddies. I am enjoying

meeting new people and skiing with the North

Island Snowdrifters.

Mammoth - February 2018

Our trip started with a KFC basket meal for the ride

up to Mammoth Lakes.

In the morning people head off to the shuttle stop

so our bus driver could sleep in after the long drive.

We had epic conditions at Mammoth Mountain. It was

an incredible blue bird day, with warm spring time

conditions, no wind and a sunny blue sky. What else

can you ask for in a trip!

We carefully arranged for the delivery of a cooler

full of beer, wine, soda, and water at Sans Nom’s in-

door hot tub. While some were relaxing in the hot tub

and sauna, a few condo mates were busy warming up

a dinner of baked ziti with a side of meat balls pre-

pared by our full blooded Italian chef with the assis-

tance of her Italian in training sous chef. The meal was

paired with bottles of red and white wine that were

approved by our wine tasting team last spring during

the planning of the trip.

Saturday a few early starters headed to the moun-

tain on the red line shuttle. The rest of us enjoyed a

continental breakfast in the condos as we waited for

the club’s bus to arrive and take us to the mountain.

We had another sunny day with a little bit of wind,

which kept the snow cool for a great day of skiing.

And for the few that wanted to do something differ-

ent, Lina took some adventurous condo mates to ex-

plore Tamarack and had a wonderful lunch at the

Lodge.

The evening started with another quick dash to the

hot tub. Then everyone made the short walk to Condo

27 for a pizza dinner.

Our last day was a true Mammoth Mountain day

with a little more wind. But in Mammoth we laugh at

wind speeds less than 90 knots at the top. The snow

was great if you could find a little shelter from the

wind, or you could go full Woolly and take the gondo-

la to the top and experience wind as it was meant to

be at Mammoth Mountain, strong and wild.


Miscellaneous news...

SDCSC Happy Hour - April 26, 4:30 - 6:00pm

The Shores Restaurant Bar, 8110 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla, CA 92037

2018 Convention in Reno - June 7-10, 2018: The Bay Area Snow Sports Council and Sierra League and Council are

Hosting the Annual FWSA Convention, to be held at the Atlantis Casino and Resort Spa. Activities include the

Annual Michael German Golf Tournament, kayaking on the Truckee River, day hike in South Lake Tahoe, Spa

Day at the beautiful Atlantis Spa, and other fun things, along with the usual Silent Auction, Travel Expo, Educa-

tional Seminars, Panel Discussions with local experts on forestry. Make your reservations now

https://reservations.travelclick.com/98418?groupID=2016540.

2018 Travel

Far West Dive - September 15 - 22, 2018: The 2018 FWSA Dive Trip will be to the beautiful Cobalt Coast Resort on the wonderful island of Grand Cayman! Additional information available on the website www.fwsa.org . Email Randy Lew [email protected] for more information.

Far West International Adventure - October 5 - 21, 2018: Far West will be going on an adventure trip to India.

We will be visiting all the must-see places while in Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. Of course, we’ll be visiting the

UNESCO world heritage site of the Taj Mahal. We’ll also be traveling by air, motor coach, and by train to get the

true experience of India. Included will be Ranthambore National Park where we go on 2 animal safaris.

Contact Debbie Stewart [email protected].

*This trip is limited to 35 participants, so mark your calendars now!

Aspen - December 6-12, 2018: The Annual Aspen ski trip will be taking place again this year. If you buy the IKON

pass from [email protected], you will receive $30 off your SDCSC Aspen trip. The pass, on sale now, includes

Mammoth, Bear Mountain, Aspen and Steamboat. The Aspen early sign up party will be June 23, 2018 at the

Sanfords’ house. At that time, deposits will be taken, and online registration will be open.

Contact [email protected] for more information.

2019 Travel

Far West Windjammer Sailboat Adventure - May 19-26, 2019: 1 Standard cabin and 1 Single cabin AVAILABLE!

NEW sailing vessel Sela. The ship departs from Tortola. Extended stay on the island of Tortola will be available.

Contact Sheri Parshall at [email protected] or visit http://www.fwsa.org/Travel/Cruise/2T019-FWSA-

Windjammer for more information.

SDCSC Australia and New Zealand - October 13 - November 1, 2019: with a pre-trip to Melbourne, Alice Springs

October 9-13, and post-trip to Fiji, November 1-5, 2019. Grand Circle Tours will be the tour operator on this amaz-

ing trip to Cairns and Sydney, Australia; Queenstown, New Zealand, Rotorua, and Auckland, before returning

back home. Contact Eileen Sanford [email protected] for more information.

Amsterdam to Bruges - April 27- May 4, 2019: The Amsterdam Bike & Boat will be an amazing bike trip. The trip

spends three days cycling in Belgium which will introduce you to famous brands of Belgium beer each served in

their special style glass and of course Belgium waffles! Three professional guides will be with the group on daily long or

short ride. We will be on the brand new, luxurious boat, the Manifique III ,with some large suites featuring outside decks, satellite TV and a jacuzzi on the top deck. Come join us for this wonderful adventure! Contact Eileen Sanford [email protected] for more information.

NIS Council Rep’s Message Rick Bonnett

https://reservations.travelclick.com/98418?groupID=2016540

http://www.fwsa.org/






http://www.fwsa.org/Travel/Cruise/2019-FWSA-Windjammer

http://www.fwsa.org/Travel/Cruise/2019-FWSA-Windjammer




Activity Director’s Message Lynette Collins

Cutwater Spirits Tour Review

We’ve done beer and wine but never whiskey!

Recently a bunch of NI Snowdrifters took a private

tour of the Cutwater Spirits Distillery. What a

blast!! We waited patiently for our very friendly

tour guide Katie to round us all up as there were

over the 10-person limit. She felt sorry for us decid-

ed to take the whole group on this very interesting

behind the scenes tour.

We learned how they distill the mash and we

saw all the filtration machinery. After the tour

many decided to partake in the whiskey tasting. It

was wonderful!! Very different and tasty whiskies.

After all that whiskey we decided to head out to

the fire ring on the deck and enjoy some of Cutwa-

ter's tasty food. It was truly a fun event we will re-

member.

UPCOMING EVENTS

(Watch for Meetups & eblasts for details)

Wine Tasting in Temecula - June 10: Hosted by

Val Clem (signups coming soon)

James Hubbell Tour in Julian - June 17: Amazing

Tour! Google it or call 760-855-1366

End of the Year member party at Presidio

Park date to be announced but probably July 13

(details soon)

Chili Cookoff - date to be announced soon

Downtown Gaslamp PUB Crawl – details out soon

(Hotels would be a blast and a great idea so we can

continue the fun!)

Seal Tour in the Bay - this summer

If anyone would like to head up a bike ride now

that the weather is getting warmer Please let me

know!!

Lynette Collins 760-828-8983 [email protected]

Our small but dedicated race team has been

turning in some good results at all races.

First race saw our Pres. Nick Cowell take a sec-

ond and third, while Rick Bonnett took two forth

places finish’s in a very tough competitive class.

Yours truly (John Walsh) had two second places

results with a ‘strike’ thrown in.

Next race was at Far West Ski Week with Rick

Bonnett our only representative. He did us

proud with two 1st place awards!

I don’t have final results from the SoCal races

but the team expanded to include Mike Hudak,

Reese Hudak, and Nate Melster.

We are gearing up to compete in the Far West

Championship’s at Mammoth on April 7-8-9.

Good Luck to All!

Race Director’s Message John Walsh



Mammoth – January 2018

The first trip of the 2018 ski season was great

fun. We had a full bus and 5 condo’s full of

Snowdrifter skiers and boarders. Leaving on

Thursday makes for an easy trip to Mammoth.

Mike & Carla were terrific helpers handing

out sandwiches when the Costco order went

sideways. But everyone was great sports & no-

body went hungry. We had a bit of a Star Wars

theme on movies, playing them in chronological

order, not the order they were released. The sto-

ry made so much more sense! Thanks Holly for

bring CD’S and sorry Hilda for the noise.

Friday morning brought a nice new covering

of fresh snow on Mammoth’s great slopes. After

the morning weather cleared, we were blessed

with great weather with no WIND! Barbara had

an unfortunate slip at the bus stop, and spent the

day in the ER getting finger stitches. But what a

trooper, not one word about being in pain.

Newbie snowboarder and first time to Mam-

moth traveler Liz was having a great time until

that slam to the butt! Ouch!

Mammoth hosted the final qualify event for

the half pipe and slope style for the Olympics

and there was a real party atmosphere at the

base. Mammoth had fireworks on the mountain

that Dale and Andre headed out to….it’s an ad-

venture getting home from the mountain after

the bus system shuts down at 6:30pm

Our wonderful bus driver Jim got us home

safely and early Sunday night. Thanks all for

making it so fun. And if anybody is missing large

black and tan ski gloves, contact me.

Steamboat - February 2018

Thirty NI skiers started the day at

O’dark’hundred to fly out to Denver. It started

out a little shaky at the Airport when the airlines

didn’t have enough staff to ticket all our luggage.

But we arrived safely with all the luggage.

On arrival to our slope side accommodations,

we had a nice welcome party hosted by the man-

ager of the Ptarmigan Inn.

The first day out was marvelous…still a little

light on snow, but coverage was good. The

mountain put on several tours and almost every-

one participated over the 5 days. They had offers

for all ability levels.

Steamboat is a bit timid when it comes to

wind and slows or shuts down the gondola

when just a gust happens. As Chris Polta says,

“these people would never make it at Mam-

moth”

We had several happy hours at various pubs

surrounding the base. Thanks to Anneli, Gary,

Chris, Pam, Lee, Bill, Dale, Mike, Matt, Josh Su-

san, Larry, Lana, Chuck, Christine for all coming

out to explore the establishments. Dilly-Dilly!

Treasurer and Trip Leader Trip Report MJ Lau


North Island Snowdrifters sponsored events are shown w/*

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

6:30pm

MONTHLY CLUB MEETING* Filippi’s 5353 Kearny Villa Rd San Diego, CA 92123

Any Member of the Board of Directors

Thursday, April 26, 2018

4:30pm - 6:00pm

Spring Council Happy Hour The Shores Restaurant See flyer below for more details

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

6:30pm

MONTHLY CLUB MEETING* Filippi’s 5353 Kearny Villa Rd San Diego, CA 92123

Any Member of the Board of Directors

Sunday, June 10, 2018

time to be announced

Wine Tasting in Temecula Meeting place to be announced soon

Val Clem (760) 803-5153 or Lynette Collins (760) 828-8983

Sunday, June 17, 2018 James Hubbel Tour Julian (760) 855-1366 to sign up Call Lynette Collins for more information (760) 828-8983

DATES EVENT LOCATION CONTACT INFO

greetings snowdrifters

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