As the last of the snow disappears and summer springs up around us, I find myself reflecting on a banner snow season, a calendar chocked full of fun trips, experiences with new friends and photos to fill many pages of memories. Here are just the highlights of each of those trips.
Whistler in December
The 2017/18 ski season started off with close to 100 of us getting in our first turns at Whistler in early December. While the snow was not quite at it's peak, S'no Jokers found several peaks to ski. Enthused by a fresh new season, Whistler in December gave us all a great way to warm up our ski legs and get energized for the huge snowfall that greeted us in late December! Thanks go out to our trip leaders, Tony Eans and first-time co-leader, Shannon Kelley.
New Years on Mt Hood
S'no Jokers rang in the New Year skiing down the slopes of Mt Hood Meadows. Mother Nature did not disappoint as we brought in this wonderful snow-filled New Year. Keith Johnson and Cathy Pike ran their 2nd trip. A great time was had by all!
Cross-country Skiing and Snowshoeing across Winthrop
The snow just kept falling as the cross country and snowshoe gang enjoyed trekking along the quiet trails of Winthrop. Betsy Beuthal’s trip never disappoints! So many thanks, Betsy, for opening up your cabin home every year and keeping this much loved trip going strong!
Ice Wine Festival at Sun Peaks
We had so much fun at Sun Peaks and with the Ice Wine Festival last year that we did a “do-over” and had twice the fun! Thanks to our two-time trip leaders, Craig Johnson and Katy Myers, for making this trip such a memorable one!
South to Mount Bachelor
Next, we traveled south to Mount Bachelor. The combo of skiing and beer tasting was fun for everyone. Many thanks to Bill Feeley, and Tom Richards for teaming up again this year!
Europe on Skis!
A sizable group followed long-time trip leader, Jerry Fitts, to Europe for an incredible trip skiing Zurs, Austria for the first time. Everyone had a terrific time experiencing the Alps and all that this picturesque area has to offer. Several members seized the opportunity to explore Munich before returning home. Thanks, Jerry, for making Europe so memorable for so many over the years!
Powder Days at Vail
While some of our gang were overseas, a huge number of us crossed our fingers hoping for powder snow at Vail. Mother Nature came through and the gang had a couple of fantastic powder days with fresh tracks for everyone. Reports are in and it's a Thumbs Up all around for trip leaders Martin Berg and Maureen Richards.
Back Home to White Pass
Bringing us back home to a mountain we haven’t skied in a long time, Julie Byington and Nancy Reid, put together a wonderful cabin trip to White Pass. Crazy weather with high winds blew through the area as the group enjoyed the cozy cabin atmosphere with some tasty home-cooked food shared with many good friends. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to ski a mountain that we don’t get to enjoy very often.
Winter All-Sports in Leavenworth
Responding to popular demand for a Winter All-Sports local trip, we brought back our Leavenworth trip. This trip started with the Stevens Pass Club day, and on Saturday a group followed first-time trip leader and new member, David Nestvold, to Plain for some splendid spring cross-country skiing, while the rest of the gang skied in primo conditions at Mission Ridge. Half of our trip were first timers to the club. We hope that you had a blast and will go on more trips this season!
Beautiful Banff!
Led by our popular trip duo of Lorrie Tatum and Ken Shelton, S'no Jokers took off for Banff the very next day! While staying in the town of Banff, this adventurous group traveled to the area mountains to ski and take in the stellar views. They all had an amazing time. Thanks for another fun trip!
Springtime in Whistler
We wrapped up the year with our annual pilgrimage to Whistler for spring skiing with close to 120 of us taking over the village. This year, however, it wasn’t so spring-like. We had mid-season conditions with new snow, some white out, and some sunshine, but a great time was had by all! Kudos go out to first-time trip leaders, John Cossano and Val Lycette, who really went the extra mile to make this trip special. John led mountain tours, gave out ski tips, and together they put on two great socials. We had several new members on this huge trip and a special nod goes out to this trip leader team for all of their work and patience with the last minute trip changes!
Announcement! I’m finally getting to retire as Vice President, turning the reins over to our new VP Ellen Mohl and her ski committee team. They have worked really hard on the 2018/19 season to bring you more awesome fun trips. Sign up now!
Lastly a special thanks goes out to Linné Pullar, our Content Coordinator Extraordinaire, who is diligently working on the new website design that will be mobile friendly and will greatly improve our trip sign ups and user experience. Stay tuned, the new site is coming soon!
Now on to summer fun and those “up-hill” sports!
Kary York, retiring VP