Every year, we organize at least
one or two weekend bus trips and one or two longer
trips, as well as joining forces with other ski
clubs (within the NWSCC and FWSA) to organize
multi-club trips. We also have informal
day-trips to Mt. Hood ski areas.
In past years, we've had
anywhere from a dozen to about 20 ski days
at Timberline and Skibowl. We ski
there as a group mainly in December and then
again Spring skiing in March, April, and
May.
In January and February, we are
less active locally.
In the middle of winter, we
are usually busy with ski trips, PACRAT
races, and other events. But, we
will most likely ski together at Skibowl
and Timberline every weekend in March.
April and May, until Memorial Day, when
all the regular ski passes (Fusion pass,
Spring pass) expire.
Join in the fun!
Make the effort to join us in Sandy, so we
can start the day together!
More alternate
transportation
Since
about 2018, Timberline has been providing its
own shuttle buses between Government Camp and
Timberline, encouraging us to leave our cars
in Government Camp. These buses run
around the clock, so you can expect them once
every 30 minutes or once an hour.
Timberline's
shuttle buses stop at only two places:
1.
In the parking area just below the Ice Axe
brew pub.
2.
In the parking lot of the Summit ski area
The
problem is that one bus stops only at the
lower end of Govy while the other bus only
stops at the upper end. The same bus doe
NOT pick up at both locations.
These
shuttles are free for
everyone who has a Timberline or Fusion Pass.
Come ski with
us! Just for fun. Can
you show us some new trail. a secret stash,
a hidden slope? Or can we show you
something new you haven't skied before?
Let's find out.
Normally, we meet
at McDonald's in Sandy
(left at 3rd traffic light in Sandy)
around 7:30 - 7:45am. You'll
find us either in the parking lot, or
inside McDonald's, getting a cup of
coffee. From there, we can either carpool
or caravan (follow each other's cars) to
the ski area. NOTE: This carpooling
is optional. It doesn't happen every
time. See what is announced ahead of time
in our Forum.
Please
Join one or both of our club's Forums
(Weekend and/or Mid-week). You can post
messages there, see when other people are
planning to go skiing, and communicate
with them.
Simply
click on one of the Forum buttons
in our main menu. Then click
on "Join this Group" in the upper
right of the window. Give the system
your email address, so that you can then
automatically receive an email whenever
someone posts a message in the Forum or
replies to your message.
Alternate
ways to meet:
(if you miss us in Sandy)
1.
On the mountain, meet us around 9:00
am (or 8:00 am after May 15)
near the ticket office, or just outside
the day lodge, near the free ski check,
ready to go skiing.
2.
On
a 2-way radio,
find us on Channel 6-19.
Just ask for "Mountain High" people!
On some nice
day (when it's not windy or rainy in
Sandy), let's try using the Mt. Hood
Express bus. A bus ticket costs only
$2, and it saves you not only the cost of
gas but also the wear and tear on your
car. We'll try to announce those
days in advance.
Catch
the bus on the far western end of Sandy.
Even before you get to the first Sandy
traffic light (near Fred Meyer), turn right
at the ARCO gas station (barely visible from
Hwy. 26). Then an immediate left into
the parking lot of the Mt. Hood Forest
Center. Leave your car there and walk
up the few steps to Highway 26, where you
will see a small stop shelter. The bus
leaves there at 7:45 am, arrives at Skibowl
at 8:30 am, and at Timberline at 9:00 am.
The
current group of mid-week skiers tend to
be advanced skiers who enjoy powder
skiing and challenging terrain (trees,
bumps, ungroomed snow) at Mt. Hood
Meadows.
Here are just a few
of the regular mid-week skiers:
A group of us go skiing at Mt. Hood
Meadows on week days, all winter, often on
Thursdays, but also whenever there is good
powder, or whenever the fancy strikes!
At Meadows, find us in
the cafeteria in the
South lodge near the Schuss restaurant
(aka The Hamburger Place) around 8:00-8:30
a.m.(That's on the slope level,
which is 2nd floor). Left lodge as
you walk up from the parking lot.
You can connect with the mid-week
group by joining our online Midweek
forum page:
http://groups.google.com/group/MtHigh-midweek?hl=en . Click on the Join
this group link (on the upper right of
the page) and follow the instructions.
Please choose to receive all emails
from the group. That way, you will be
notified when the group starts making plans
to go skiing.
Once you join this Forum
(which is actually a Google Group), you can
post messages in the midweek forum whenever
you want. Only your first message, or
your first joining, needs to be approved by
a group moderator..
Sometimes we use 2-way radios to
connect on
Channel 6, Code 19,
but almost nobody in the Meadows group
uses radios any more, so this is not a
reliable way to connect.
Lots of terrain. There
are 10 lifts including one high-speed six-pack
(named Stella), 3 high-speed quads; 2 triple
chairlifts; 2 double chairlifts; 1 T-Bar, and
one conveyor lift. 10% Beginner, 40%
Intermediate, 35% Advanced, 15% Expert.
Open bowl and tree skiing. Long cruisers. 5
ridges, 2 enormous bowls, 92 named runs (from
Australia to Siberia). With 2,400 vertical
feet, and 2,900 acres, Schweitzer Mt. is
bigger than Alta or Snowbird (UT), Jackson
Hole (WY), Copper Mt. (CO), Northstar-at-Tahoe
(CA), Deer Valley (UT), or Aspen (CO).
Trees, trees, trees! Great
tree skiing. Yes, there are plenty of blue
cruisers too, but Schweitzer provides some
interesting glades. There are intermediate
trees, advanced trees, and double-black trees.
Take your
pick, but do try skiing around some of them.
Don’t miss gladed areas such as: J.R. Trees,
Glade-iator, Phineas Forest, and Shenanigan’s
(a.k.a: the Tree Farm).
Powder! Excellent, dry snow,
and plenty of it. This is what Schweitzer is
most famous for.
Ghosts, ghost, ghosts!
Capture some snow ghosts on your camera, and
listen for the ghost of Phineas Schweitzer
banging and clanging in his workshop when you
board the 6-passenger express lift named after
his wife, Stella.
To
sign up for this trip, simply do two things:
1. Make your hotel room reservation.
2.
Contact Linda and let her know your
situation. Do you need lift
tickets? Do you have a season pass?
When are you planning to arrive and how
many days will you ski?
Mt.
High ski trip
Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho
2 or
3 days of skiing.
Travel on your own by car.
The highways to
Sandpoint, Idaho, are usually clear
& free of snow.
February 13 - 16 or 17,
2021 -- Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday.
2 or
3 days of skiing.
Schweitzer
Mt., Idaho. offers 2,900 acres and 2,400
vertical feet, served by One high-speed
six-pack; 3 high-speed quads; 2 triple
chairlifts; 2 double chairlifts; 1
T-Bar. It is famous for its powder
skiing.
START
DATE: Sunday, Feb. 13 – Drive to
Sandpoint & check in.
Note that this trip (like the Mission Ridge
trip last year) will be different from our
usual ski trips - because of the virus
pandemic:
Everyone will be driving their own car. We
will NOT have a bus.
For lodging, you can select your own
roommate (optional), or simply have a room
to yourself. Your choice. We will not be
pairing you up with a stranger.
You are responsible for purchasing your
own lift tickets, either day tickets or a
season pass (IKON). We are looking
into group rates if we have a minimum of 15
people who do not have other passes.
SKIING
AT SCHWEITZER: 2 or 3 days (your
choice): Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Feb.
14, 15, 16.
Schweitzer
is on an exchange program with Mt. Hood
Meadows all access passholders and Loveland
Ski Area passholders, who can get 3 days free
skiing midweek; or you can get 4-7 days with
the Ikon Pass. Those are currently the
only passes we know will work at Schweitzer,
and this trip is not on blackout dates.
Like
many ski areas these days, Schweitzer will
sell tickets online in advance, at some kind
of discount which is not known at this
time. They have told us that the total
number of skiers should not be an issue at
Schweitzer on a mid-week day; there should be
no crowds.
KEEP OUR TRIP LEADER INFORMED
Everyone who signs up for this trip, please
contact Linda McGavin and let her know the
following:
Did you make your hotel
reservations, and for how many
nights (2 or 3 or more)?
Will you need a lift ticket,
or do you have a season pass (Meadows All
Access, Loveland, or Ikon)?
Remember
that you are responsible for making your own
hotel reservations and obtaining your own lift
tickets (or a season pass), but let Linda know
your plans, as we will be able to get group
rates if we have 15 people or more.
Lift
tickets
While
Schweitzer has not published their regular
winter season ticket rates as of late
September, they have told us the group prices
for 15-19 people:
Adult:
$81.00 plus taxes/fees = $88.87 (age 18–64) or
College/Senior/Military:
$77.00 plus taxes/fees = $84.48.
If we
do this you will have to pay Linda for your
lift tickets that she arranges, as only one
person can pay for those tickets. We
won’t know whether we can do this until we
know how many signups we have for the trip, so
don’t delay in signing up! (We
will also check to make sure that it isn’t
cheaper to just buy your tickets online.)
HOTEL - Book your own room at the Hotel
Ruby Sandpoint/Ponderay in Sandpoint, 477255
US-95, Ponderay, ID 83852; 208-263-5383.
Do it online, not
by phone.
Enter your promo
code SKI2022 before picking a room.
Please
book your hotel room early - there is no
penalty for canceling up to 4:00 pm the night
before your arrival.
Good
news: Group Rate – The hotel has
set up a special rate for our members who book
rooms for ANY TIME between October 16 and
March 31! You will book directly through
the website (hotelrubysandpoint.com)
using the promo code SKI2022.
NOTE:
You need to enter the promo code SKI2022 before
you pick a room so the rate will be
applied.
For
our dates, after the discount the rooms at the
Hotel Ruby should have either:
one single queen bed for $84/night + tax =
$96.60; or
two queen beds for $92/night + tax =
$105.80.
This
is one of the closest hotels to the ski area,
located just 11 miles or 22 minutes
away. The hotel is only 2 miles from the
parking lot where Schweitzer runs a free
shuttle bus between 7 am and 5:30 pm, every
half hour. https://www.schweitzer.com/plan/shuttle-and-parking/
Parking
on the mountain may cost big bucks if you want
to park in the premium parking, which is the
closest to the lifts and highest. There is a
secondary parking lot near the bottom of the
Musical Chairs lift which serves beginner
terrain. The only issue with that is that the
Musical Chairs is a slow double chairlift, but
it will take you to the other lifts.
The hotel offers free parking, wireless
internet, premium bedding, non-smoking rooms,
an indoor swimming pool and two hot tubs, and
a ski room. Enjoy a daily, complimentary
breakfast which includes waffles, cereal, mini
bagels, English muffins, blueberry muffins,
hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, orange juice, milk,
coffee, apples, and oranges.
The rooms have premium bedding, Wireless
Internet, Mini Fridge, Microwave,
Cable/Satellite TV, DVD Player, Free
Toiletries, Hairdryer, Iron/Ironing board,
Desk, and Alarm Clock. Note that there
are no elevators – if you need a ground floor
room please be sure to ask for it.
NOTE: The club is
not collecting any money for this
trip. We will pay the hotel
individually and buy lift tickets
individually. And for transportation,
we;ll drive our own cars.
2.
Contact Linda and let her know your
situation. Do you need lift
tickets? Do you have a season pass?
When are you planning to arrive and how
many days will you ski?
4 or
5 or 7 nights. Travel by car,
train, or plane.
NOTE:
This trip was full for a while
and
we had a waiting list. But we've
had a
few cancellations and the wait
list
has now cleared. There's room for
a few
more people.
March
13 - 20, 2022. Sunday - Sunday.
4,
5, or 7 nights. We are counting
nights, not days.
All
lodging starts on Sunday night, March 13,
regardles of your length of stay.
We'll all start together.
You
can choose how many days of skiing you want
at Whitefish. Just let our trip captain know
how many lift tickets you will need.
On
Wednesday, March 16, we
will have an optional day of skiing at Blacktail
Mt., about 1.5 hours away. We can
carpool there. Let Bill know if you want to
ski at Blacktail that day. The alternative
is to stay at Whitefish.
Transportation
Arrange
your own – planes, trains or automobiles. If
you fly, the nearest airport is
Glacier International Airport - located
between Whitefish and Kalispell.
Whitefish
Mountain Resort offers 3000
acres of skiing. Formerly known as Big
Mountain. It has 11 chair lifts (3 express
quads). It has 2,353 vertical feet and 105
named runs plus vast amounts of bowl and
tree skiing.
Blacktail
Mt. is somewhat smaller, but it
provides some variety. On a clear day, it is
visible from the top of Whitefish Mountain.
Blacktail offers 1,000 acres, 1,339 vertical
feet, about 20 named trails plus 5 gladed
areas, served by one triple chairlift and
two double chairlifts.
Accommodations
We
will be staying at the Kandahar Lodge, a
very nice on-mountain hotel with a Swiss or
Austrian feel.
It
has a lobby/great room with a huge
wood-burning fireplace, a fine dining
restaurant open only for dinner, and a
small separate bar. It is true ski in, but
to ski out, you have to walk about 100
yards across a road and parking lot. Or
you can take the free van that will take
you to the lifts or wherever you want to
go (not into town, there’s a free public
snow bus for that). The van only runs
during the day. At night it’s about a
five-minute walk to the bars and
restaurants in the upper village, or to
catch the snow bus into town. Kandahar
Lodge has no elevator, and the rooms are
on the second and third floors. There is
plenty of outdoor parking, a huge hot tub,
and a complimentary continental breakfast.
Bill,
our trip leader, will put people needing a
roommate in touch with one another, but will
not be assigning roommates.
Everyone
will have to find their own roommate or
pay a single supplement (double room
cost).
Lodging
Prices:
$420/person for 6 or 7 nights (we get the
7th night free)
$350 for
5 nights
$280
for 4 nights.
We
will make every effort to put those
looking for a roommate in touch with
each other, but we will not be assigning
roommates. Everyone is responsible for
finding their own roommate and everyone
in the room will need to have the same
arrival and departure dates.
Lift
ticket
prices:
NOTE:
To provide maximum flexibility, lift
ticket prices are listed here separately.
But we did get a 20% group discount. The
discounted tickets need to pre-ordered
before the trip from our trip leader, Bill
King. The discounted prices are:
Adult
1-day $68
Adult 2+ days $63/day
65-69 1-day
$59
65-69 2+ days $54/day
70+ 1-day
$21
70+ 2+ days $20/day
2+
days tickets have a two-day grace period
(2 of 4; 3 of 5; 4 of 6, etc.)
As
far as we know, holders of unrestricted
season passes for Mount Hood Meadows
will still get 3 free days.
Reserve
your spot:
Spaces are limited, so send your Dough Transmittal form
along with a $150 deposit
to reserve your space.
The Zermatt Resort & Spa is
located in Midway, Utah. Participants
have the option to ski/ride Deer Valley,
Park City, and Sundance Resorts.
There's a lot do for non-skiers such as art
classes at Sundance Resort, shopping,
tubing, ice skating, snowmobiling, sleigh
rides, or soaking in a 10,000-year-old
Crater Hot Springs.
All rooms include free
parking, deluxe continental breakfast, high
speed internet, fitness center, indoor
swimming pool (slat water). It's a non-smoking
hotel - pet friendly. 10 minutes from
downtown Bend. 35 - 40 minutes to Mt.
Bachelor.
Per person, double occupancy.
Choice of a King bed or 2 Queen beds.
Sign up with your roommate of
choice or pay a single supplement of
$100. We will not assign rommates
for this trip.
You have the option to arrive
early on Thursday night (for Friday skiing) or
to stay Sunday night. We will be asking for
people to sign up with a roommate of their
choice or to pay a single supplement; we will
not assign roommates on this trip. Sign up
early to get the room of your choice, as we
have a limited number of rooms and La Quinta
has told us they will sell out of rooms and we
may not be able to add more.
The price of $290
(PP/DO) for adults includes 2 nights’
lodging at either place, 2 continental
breakfasts, and a 2 consecutive day lift
pass. Prices are lower for seniors, super
seniors, children and teens!
Seniors 65-69
and teens 13-18** pay only $260!!
Super seniors 70+ and youths 6-12** pay only
$230!!
Non-skiers pay
only $125.
** With 2
paying adults, children stay at no extra
charge – just pay group rate for lift
tickets.
Come early or
stay later. Great prices available for
add-ons to either end of the trip.
NOTE: This is a
multi-club trip open to all Northwest ski
clubs. It is organized by the NW Ski Club
Council. Payments for this trip should
be sent to the NWSCC; not to our club.
Instead of the Dough Transmittal Form,
please use the signup form mentioned above.
Join the Denali Tour and
Alaska Cruise June 21-- July 2,
2021. Participants can sign up for
the Denali Tour or Alaska Cruise or for
the combined two trips. The Denali
Trip starts with two days in Fairbanks,
AK, followed by two days in Denali, and
ends in Anchorage for those doing this
portion only. The Inside passage
Alaska Cruise starts in Whittier and
travels southward with stops in Skagway,
Juneau, and Ketchikan before docking in
Vancouver, BC.
Per Person Rates for the
Alaska Inside Passage Cruise:
$2,199.00 - Balcony
Rooms/ Obstructed Views
$2,299.00 - Balcony
Rooms/ Unobstructed Views
$2,599.00 - Junior
Suites
Plus $234.00 per person port fees
Included:
Welcome
Cocktail Party
$25
per cabin credit ($12.50/person)
Tips
- $14.50 per day per person ($101.50
wk.) charged to ship card daily
Those
who signed up for 2021 Coral Princess
received the FREE premium beverage
package; Free Wi-Fi; and FREE
gratuities (approximate value $900) and
this carries over when you were rebooked
for the 2022 Majestic Cruise.
2022
Majestic Princess new signups will be
informed of
"Special
Deals" at the time of booking.
WHITTIER, AK: BOARD SHIP BEFORE
8:30P.M. SATURDAY Those on the optional Denali Tour
will be bused to the ship on Saturday
about 5 pm
Those on the
Cruise Only: Option 1--Fly
into Anchorage Saturday and take ground
transportation to ship before 8:30 PM
Transfer $59. Option 2--Fly
into Anchorage Friday, June 24, 2022, and
stay at Captain Cook Hotel overnight and
take 2 transfers to ship by 8:30 PM
Saturday--$264 per person double
occupancy.
SHIP DEPOSITS:
$250 PER PERSON TO BOOK ROOM NUMBER
Check payable to "FWSA"
Send check to: Nancy Ellis, P .0. Box
9681, Truckee, CA 96162
Trip information and
registration on the FWSA.org website:
Find out how to apply for or
renew your passport in this recently updated
article on Passports.
Your Passport must be valid
until March 30, 2018 (six months after your
return). It is your responsibility to ensure
your required travel documents are in order
and with you.
Roatan,: located between the islands
of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of
Honduras' Bay Islands. The island was
formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan. It is
approximately 77 kilometers long, and less
than 8 kilometers across at its widest
point.
Basic Land Package (Price per person,
double occupancy)
Diver
Land Package: $1,534
pp Key
Deluxe Room (double
occupancy*)
Snorkel
Land Package: $1,419
pp Key Deluxe
Room (double occupancy**)
Non-Diver
Land Package: $1304
ppKey
Deluxe Room (double occupancy)
Single
Supplement Add: $257
Price
Includes
7 Nights at Anthony's
Key Resort - Dbl. Occupancy with 3 meals
daily
Use of paddle boards,
kayaks and snorkeling
Day excursion to Maya
Key and admission to Roatan Museum
Airport transfers
from Roatan Airport to resort
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Resort taxes(gratuities
are NOT included)
*In
Addition, the Dive Package includes
6 days of 3 tank
boat dives & 2 single tank night
dives
Buoyancy control
workshop
Shore diving
during shop hours
**In
addition, the Snorkel package includes
2 Snorkels daily by
boat with guide and 1-night boat snorkel
Underwater fish ID
card
Slide show and one
Dolphin Encounter
Contact: Randy Lew, FWSA Dive Trip
Leader,
P.O. Box 9237, Truckee, CA 96162,
530-304-0802.
Email: divetrips@fwsa.org
Visit
the “Must See” sites of Zagreb,
Plitvice Lakes National Park,
Split, Trogir, the islands of
Brač, Hvar, Korčula,
the “The Pearl of the Adriatic”
- Dubrovnik, and much more!
You’ll
be staying 3 nights in beautiful
4 Star hotels and the rest
aboard the luxury 5 Star MS
President yacht.
The
Deluxe MS President provides a
perfect platform to explore the
stunning coast and islands of
Croatia and Dalmatia. Built in
2012, this yacht-like cruiser
boasts sleek lines, and the
modern facilities expected of a
Croatian cruise vessel of this
standard. All en suite cabins
have been perfected to give you
the space and comfort required
during your cruise. Located on 2
decks, each feature either twin
or double beds,
air-conditioning, LCD TV, safe,
hair dryer and much more. The MS
President boasts a large indoor
restaurant-salon, comfortable
seating, bar and dining
facilities with an outdoor
terrace. Most of the leisure
time on-board is spent on the
huge sun deck with its plunge
pool, sun-chairs and large
shaded area. To make the most of
every swimming opportunity there
is a platform at the rear of the
ship with a ladder for easy
access to the water.
Trip
highlights include:
Lodging in 4 Star
hotels and “MS President” Yacht
- 5 Star
(Incredible value
– comparable trips can cost
$6500-$10,000)
Minimum number –
30 participants and maximum
number - 40, so sign up early!
Round trip group
air transportation from LAX
Ground
transportation will be by
airconditioned motor coach
Tips included -
drivers, guides & tour
leader, welcome and farewell
dinner, wine tastings & crew
tips
Explore Plitvice
National Park – the most famous
park in Croatia and a “wonder of
nature”
Guided walking
tours visiting several UNESCO
World Heritage Sites including
Diocletian’s Palace, Trogir, the
highest peak of Croatia - Vidova
Gora with breathtaking views of
the Adriatic, visit the Museum
of Olive Oil & enjoy
tastings, visit the birthplace
of Marco Polo – Korčula and so
much more!
The UNESCO World
Heritage Sites of Dubrovnik with
its 16th century stone-walled
old town, has gained popularity
and bolstered to global
recognition after serving as the
filming location for The Game of
Thrones.
Estimated
Group Air from LAX =
$1413.00pp
Air price DOES include
estimated Fuel surcharges,
Taxes and current Exchange
Rate – subject to change. It is highly recommended to
use the FWSA Group Air
Transportation.
Approximate
Land Packages (not
including air):
Starting at $3340.00pp - Double
Occupancy*
with
$5225.00pp - Single Supplement*
*Pricing is based on a minimum
of 30 participants and an
exchange rate of 1 USD to .87
Euros - subject to change.
Make
checks out to: Far West Ski
Association (FWSA). Please
reference “FWSA 2020 CROATIA
Trip” on each check.
Send
to:
Debbie Stewart
FWSA VP of
Int’l Travel
430 S. Church
St.
Visalia, CA
93277
Email: FwsaIntlTrvl@prodigy.net
or
Cell:
559/737-0882
CST #
2036983-40
Total visits from Oct.1,
2009 -- Sept. 30, 2010 was: 2,541
Total visits from Oct.1,
2010 -- Sept. 30, 2011 was: 1,825
Total visits from Oct.1,
2011 -- Sept. 30, 2012 was: 1,656
Total visits from Oct.1,
2011 -- Sept. 30, 2013 was: 1,685