|
|
|
|
A Social Club For Snow Skiers and Sports Enthusiasts
Contents
- April Meeting
- Two "A" Rated Trips - Austria and Andorra
Andorra The Pyrenean Country!
Tackling the Tyrol Innsbruck!- March Door Prize Winners
- Austin Skiers 2001 - 2002 Trips
- Look At Photos, Get a .pdf Newsletter!
- One More Time Get Your Stories in the Newsletter!
- FROM the TOP - NOTES from the PRESIDENT
- From the Editor...
- OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
- Information
Date and time: Tuesday, April 9, 2002, 7 - 9 P.M.
Location: Austin Sun & Ski Sports
2438 W. Anderson Lane
467-2782
Topic: Cycling - The best spots in Central Texas
By Kevin Juhl, Trip Chair
So what's an Andorra? Well it's not a goat, and it's not something to eat. As a lucky few Austin Skiers found out at the end of January, Andorra is a unique little country tucked in between France and Spain, with enough culture from each to go around! And experience culture is what a lucky few did before the trip proper, as Deanna Cluck, Pat Dobberfuhl, and Cindy Swannack took the pre-trip excursion to the "South of France". The gals toured the French Riviera, starting with a trip to the city of Nice and its picturesque Old City and fabulous marketplace. The next day it was a drive through the rolling hills of the Provence and into the medieval city of Avignon, where they were free to explore the quaint town center and its charming restaurant. Another day and another city and this time it was the Catalan city of Perpignan with its pedestrian center and its colorful markets. After a good meal and some needed rest it was on to Andorra la Vella. One of the gals summarized the pretrip in writing: "so beautiful, so many crepes, so few days."
On January 26, the rest of the group left for Andorra. The day we arrived in Barcelona, Spain it was sunny and warm, a great day in all respects except that this was a ski trip, and a few of us hoped it would be cooler. After loading the bus, we began the four hour drive up to Andorra where we joined the Texas Ski Council (TSC) in a number of Texas city clubs there. Since it was getting late, several in the group had dinner in our hotel, which ran the gamut from simple to downright bizarre. The first course was an Andorran vegetable soup this was a couple of smaller than small meatballs and a sliver of carrots. For the main course Will Edwards ordered the fish, thinking that it would be a nice filet, but instead when it was served, it was the head minus the eyes - bon appetit, Will! Cindy Swannack and Jim Howalt on the other hand ordered the beef with mushrooms and potatoes, thinking of course it would be a beef stew. As the waiter placed their plates on the table, they searched high, low, and top to bottom for the potatoes. Jim motioned to the waiter, who quickly pointed out the half piece on each of our plates! But not to worry, the vino tinto (red wine) was good, and even better, it was cheap! After a serious day of skiing, Tom Remaley and Will Edwards found a tapas bar not too far from the hotel called the "Lizzaran Bar" (aka Lizard Bar). They enjoyed the food (tapas) and the local atmosphere so much that during our daily 6 p.m. happy hour they convinced some of us to try it out for dinner. The place was small and was filled with locals. It was crowded, but we were lucky that we found a couple of tables in the back, while Tom and Will sat up at the bar selecting their tapas and talking with the locals. Sheri Gallo struck up a conversation with some of the waiters and found that they were from Argentina. Before the evening had ended they had exchanged e-mail address. And the best thing: like the food, the price was simple - dinner for two with beer, wine and tapas was only 13 Euros (about $12 U.S.).
On Monday the bus picked us up and took us to Pal-Arinsal. Pal is situated along a tree-lined ridge with runs cutting through the trees, and is connected to Arinsal via a cable car. The skiing in Arinsal was in an open treeless valley, but since the snow as a little thin, most of the skiing took place on a few runs that ran down the valley. On Tuesday the group skied Val D'Ordino, with its twin valleys and mostly opens treeless skiing on its mostly red (European "more difficult") and blue ("easiest") runs. Wednesday we skied Soldeu/El Tartar, a large resort with easy access from Andorra la Vella via a gondola from Canillo. But not all of it could be skied due to the thin or hard snow pack in numerous places. But it was a wonderful place to ski and explore, and the food was first rate. Also the "Countess" of Andorra made an appearance on the slopes to ensure a perfect day. On Thursday (our last day), we skied Pas de la Casa/Grau Roig, a large resort that had a very French feel to it. Access to the resort was made easy by a recently installed fast Funicamp cabin lift that took us from Encamp to the ski area of Grau Roig. Pas de la Casa/Grau Roig had multiple treeless valleys to choose from and a verity of terrain to ski. The conditions were such that for the beginner and intermediate it was a great day to enjoy and explore. But for those more adventurous in the group, the thin snow pack and hard surface limited the skiing to only the groomed runs. Although we didn't have the best snow conditions during our stay, the warm, sunny days and spectacular scenery ensured that our ski experiences were satisfying.
Our last night in Andorra 15 of us had dinner at "Fonda del Marge" a family run hotel and restaurant. This was a truly a gastronomic marvel and a fitting last meal in Andorra. The father provided the group with a watchful supervision and even had time to flirt with our ladies, and the son employed excellent English, the patience of a saint, and wonderful service. Our group tasted some of the best paella ever, and three had the special, which consisted of shrimp and fish on a skewer hanging vertically. As a first course some of us had the clams and mussels, which included "Razor clams". Someone in the group claimed these were an Andorran practical joke for the unsuspecting tourist; most returned the delicate morsel to its shell. As for the desert, the chocolate mousse was to die for - a perfect ending to our stay in Andorra.
From Andorra we left for the beautiful port city of Barcelona, Spain. After checking in, some of us took the city tour which took us to see the famous 19th century architect Gaudi's Catedral Sagrada Familia, the Pueble Espagnol, the Olympic area, a scenic outlook of both the city and the port, and a quick tour of the Barri Gotic which included the old cathedral. Then it was back to the hotel to take a short breather before heading back out to see the sites and for some to get ready for the Flamenco Show with dinner. As the week ended most returned exhausted to the States, except for a few who stayed on to do the post trip excursion to Zaragosa and Madrid. We can certainly say that we got to experience the best of Iberian and French culture in the tiny but memorable land of Andorra!
by Gary Roth, Trip Chair
Austria, what a country! Beer is cheaper than water and the bus drivers sell it, even when they are driving! This was especially convenient since we spent a great deal of time on buses. This trip offered sightseeing excursions to Salzburg, Venice, The Swarovski Crystal World, Bavarian castles and of course the Mall of America. (We had a 5 hr lay over in Minneapolis.). It took three airplane rides to get us to Munich, with Nancy Roth offering her endless supply of home baked banana muffins on each flight. Once there, we met some of our new non-Austin club members: Forrest Bean from Atlanta, Bob McDougall from Idaho and Wayne Ingaldson from Toronto. We fought sleep and tried to listen as our guide Verena explained all the options available to us on the way to Innsbruck. Did you know that the Alpenzoo is the highest zoo in Europe? (and Nancy said the bears and goats there like banana muffins). Unfortunately, among the other things we learned was that it had been unusually warm in Austria during January and the snow conditions at the closest ski areas were not particularly good the week we were there. That didn't prevent Kurt Jacquin, Phil Naughton, Carol Harkabus and Richard and Forrest Bean from trying an Olympic bobsled run one night. Kurt said it cost about $1/second, but was worth every penny. Not to be deterred by weather reports, those who chose to ski on our first full day in Austria set off for the Stubai Glacier. Too bad our trip leader, Gary Roth, couldn't find the right mid mountain restaurant he told the group to meet at for lunch. Richard and Forrest seemed to have missed the bus back to Innsbruck that day. They told many stories about how they got back including one about beautiful Austrian women giving them a ride. Will the truth ever be known?
The next day found 15 skiers at a very crowded St. Anton, Switzerland with Ken Fargason managing to finagle a discount on his lift tickets again. At the end of the day, Ken and Crystal Cowen showed up at the bus in a taxi, just as the bus driver became tired of waiting. They had better luck than Laurie Hoffman, Carol Harkabus and the Bean Brothers. The day they all went to Schlick 2000, their bus driver decided not to come back for them at all. We wonder what it was between the Beans and those Austrian bus drivers? On our 4th day, it finally began snowing. Franz Karner took a bad fall during a white out, became acquainted with the Austrian ski patrol and got a gratis helicopter ride off of St Anton. Jim Howalt stood by sympathetically and took photos of the whole event. Later that evening, Dr. Pam Howard offered pain meds, but Franz chose to medicate with Vodka. Since our hotel included breakfast and dinner each evening, we had lots of opportunity to enjoy those fabulous Austrian desserts and plan our skiing alternatives together. Picture 12 Americans in an Irish Pub in Innsbruck where 2 talented young Austrians performed very old American rock and roll. The entertainers probably hadn't planned on a sing-a-long that evening, but seemed to have had as much fun as we did.
On our return bus trip to Munich, Kent Douglass gave us an unusual geometric description of the highlights of downtown Munich while Katharina Pamiljans transformed herself into a bus tour guide. Her language skills were invaluable to us, but when she pointed out a statue of Napoleon without his clothes on, it made us wonder if tour guides make this stuff up? We spent our last evening in Europe at the famous Hofbrau Haus in Munich. You can't imagine the size of a beer stein that holds an entire liter of beer! Tere Ayson, and Cindy Berry said they saw someone drink three of them without ever getting up! Impressive capacity! Another early morning departure from Munich gave us five hours to wait in the Amsterdam airport looking for ways to spend our last remaining Euros. Tere Ayson, Cindy Berry, Mary O'Neil, Brian and Bernise Wilson, who took the post trip extension in Amsterdam, and spent hours in the airport looking for their ground transportation. Furthermore, they missed the fun of a 10 hour flight from Amsterdam to Memphis with an out-of-order toilet, followed by the announcement that we shouldn't use the lavatories unless absolutely necessary. All the while, the flight attendants were serving drinks. Were they kidding? Who did that?
Our thanks go to pre and post trip party hosts Gary Goble, Debbie Gajewski and Jim Howalt. Thanks also to Assistant Trip Chair Barbara Jacquin, especially for her authentic goulash soup. The Innsbruck trip proved once again, that no matter where in the world they go, or what conditions they encounter, Austin Skiers know how to have a good time.
|
Park City insulated Mug |
Charles Gordon |
|
Club Med eyewear retainer & boot tote |
Mary Lyons |
|
Jazzercise T-shirt |
Mary Gasal |
Trip Chair: Wendy Buck
Come with us on an epic journey to the South Seas! This 14-day extravaganza begins in New Zealand, where we fly from Los Angeles. The itinerary here includes Queenstown's Copthorne Resort Lakeview Hotel and the famous Camp Street shopping and dining district. We'll explore the entire vicinity with chances to do bungy jumping, jetboating, and a variety of other outdoor activities from locales ranging from rain forests to ski areas. Then it's on to Auckland for a brief day stop, where we can experience the famous Maori culture center, before leaving the next evening for Fiji and a six-day stay at the fabulous, 5-star Sheraton Resorts Denarau Island Hotel. Here we can take in dazzling views of the Nadi Bay, play golf, tennis, or just relax in the spa and fitness center. The price includes round trip air from Los Angeles (add approximately $360 for air from Austin), breakfast throughout the entire trip, all airport/hotel transfers, a welcome party on arrival in New Zealand, and 12 nights lodging. Price doesn't include departure taxes from New Zealand and Fiji. Possible excursions include three nights in Sydney, Australia (pretrip), and a seven night scuba dive option to Taveuni, Fiji. Time's running out hurry before it's too late! This is going to be a great trip! Don't miss it!
Trip Size: 12 skiers
First, remember our Web site photo album! This is where you can relive our trips in splendid color pictures, almost like being there! Go to the site (www.austinskiers.org) and click on the "Photo Album" link on the left. Enjoy! If you have trip pictures you want to post, contact our Webmaster, Cliff Hoagland at skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org
Also, now you can view and download a .pdf version of the newsletter! This provides you with a more visually accurate version, complete with graphics and often color photos! Go to our Web site and select the "Club Newsletters" link. Once there you have a choice beginning with last month's newsletter of selecting "Web Page" (the standard format) or "Adobe Acrobat" (.pdf version). Note: to view the .pdf version you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer; this is a free program easily found for downloading if you don't have it; our Web site has a download link for it as well.
This is a 3rd and almost final call for sharing your best (or worst) ski moments with the Club newsletter readers! We want to hear from you! We're putting together an article for a future issue to hear from our Club members. We'd love to hear your greatest (or worst!) ski moment! What's the most memorable thing that's happened to you at the slopes? What is your most embarrassing moment? Your best success? Your greatest blunder? It's up to you, and we love funny or upbeat stories! Sound good? Then here's all you have to do:
Keep it fairly short 1 paragraph or about 50 words is a good benchmark.
Keep it clean at least use discretion when telling your tale!
Make sure you identify yourself submitting "Jack" or just using your cryptic e-mail might not do it!
Submit to the Editor:
via e-mail: newsletter@austinskiers.org
by regular mail: send to Editor, Austin Skiers, 13507 Couri Pass, Austin TX, 78738
hand deliver to any Austin Skiers officer at meetings or happy hours
Remember, this is your newsletter, so we'd like to hear your stories! Also remember if you e-mail to put your real name. You've kept it to yourself, now share it with the rest of us!
Springtime in Austin Texas. Just about time to start thinking about where to go skiing next year. What? That's not on your mind right now? This very topic has been on the mind of about 14 members of the Trip Planning committee, including me. We have been researching and requesting bids based on your interests and feedback. I had the honor of sitting on the Texas Ski Council Pre-Select committee this year. The Committee goes through all the TSC bids received from the various resorts and tour operators and determines if the bid is of good value or of interest to our Club members.
The Pre-Select committee had their work cut out for them. Over 60 bids were reviewed and all of them sounded wonderful. But there was no way we could have all these areas present at the bid meeting in San Antonio, so we had to whittle the selection down to a more manageable number. The slate of trips to be presented at the Bid meeting is excellent. Personally, I'm torn between several of the areas. But every trip has its good points and its not so good points. The Trip Planning Committee, the Club members attending the bid meeting and your feedback will help our club delegates determine which of trips would be best for our Club.
Please let us know where to cast our votes for next year's Texas Ski Council trips. Look at the list below and let Liz Earhart, V.P of Trip Planning, know if one of the destinations is on your must attend list for next year. Your feedback is welcomed and wanted! Then keep your fingers crossed that the majority of the council delegates also want to go to those same destinations. I'll report back to you in May on the final selections.
Texas Ski Council 2002-2003 Bid Proposals
|
Fall Round Up: |
Winter Expedition: |
Final Showdown: |
|
Breckenridge, CO |
Chamonix, France |
Big Mountain, MT |
|
Crested Butte, CO |
Champery, Switzerland |
Big Sky, MT |
|
Snowbird, UT |
Lillehammer, Norway |
Jackson Hole, WY |
|
Winter Park, CO |
Sestriere, Italy |
Quebec, Canada |
|
|
|
Sun Valley, ID |
|
Telluride, CO |
||
|
Traditional: |
Winter Shootout: |
Summer Expedition 2003 |
|
Mammoth, CA |
Jackson Hole, WY |
Costa Rica |
|
Snowmass, CO |
Lillehammer, Norway |
Innsbruck, Austria |
|
Steamboat, CO |
Sestriere, Italy |
|
|
Whistler, Canada |
Sugarloaf, ME |
|
|
Vail, CO |
|
And it's not too late to register for the TSC Bid Meeting if you want to vote in the Club caucus. You can listen to the ski areas and tour operators pitch their resort and help us determine if the trip has value for our members. You can also talk with the ski area reps at the Ski Show Saturday. Hurry to signup, because we are running out of time. The meeting is April 19th in San Antonio. Contact me if you want more information.
Tere Ayson
April 6 Spring Gardening Festival at the Lady Bird Wildflower Research Center
April 6 11th Annual Hill Country Crawfish Festival
April 7 Texas Food and Wine Festival at the Salt Lick Pavilion
April 9 monthly meeting at Sun and Ski
April 12-14 Port Aransas Sand Castle Contest
April 14 Gospel Brunch at Stubbs' BBQ
For questions on Special Activities, contact Cindy Berry, Activities V.P. at activities@austinskiers.org.
May 10-12
spring campout near Blanco, Texas
(note date change!)
May 14 monthly meeting at Sun & Ski Center
May 18 canoeing at Zilker, lunch at Chuy's
For questions on Special Activities, contact Cindy Berry, Activities V.P. at activities@austinskiers.org .
On Saturday, April 6 the Spring Gardening Festival will be held at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center. Come browse with a wagon while listening to local musicians, pick up hard to find native plants and seeds, and get advice for helping them flourish. Also, there'll be walks and talks by local experts, and children's activities in the Little House at 2 p.m. Vendors & artisans will be on hand selling their goods, including food vendors, and there is a cafe on site. We'll meet outside the front gate at 10 a.m. The cost is $7. The Wildflower Center is located at 4801 Lacross Ave, just past Circle C Drive and South MoPac. Contact Rhonda Keenan for more information: e-mail: rhonda.keenan@eds.com, .
On Saturday, April 6 from 3-6p.m., the 11th Annual Hill Country Crawfish Festival gets going! Camp Ben McCullough (FM 1826, across from the Salt Lick BBQ restaurant) is the place; admission and parking are free. Costs include food and drink; there'll be music and fireworks at dusk. Bring coolers (no glass), chairs or blankets for sitting. Dogs not allowed but kids are (activities for them). After entering, look for the Austin Skiers section. All money foes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information, call Cindy Berry at activities@austinskiers.org .
Sunday, April 7, 12-4 p.m. is when we're hitting the popular Texas Food and Wine Festival at the Salt Lick Pavilion, off FM 1825 about 15 miles south of Austin. Buy your tickets online for $35 at www.texaswineandfood.org by March 31 (they're $40 at the door cash only!); the price includes food and wine only. We'll meet inside front gate at 11:45 a.m. (the food runs out by the afternoon). We're making carpool plans, and there's also a bus for $10 departing from the downtown Four Seasons Hotel. For transportation and other information, contact Cindy Berry, activities@austinskiers.org or Rhonda Keenan, e-mail rhonda.keenan@eds.com, .
If the weekend is sunny, be a spectator at the Port Aransas Sand Castle Contest April 12-14. Kent Wick is heading up getting a group interested in attending (not participating in) the contest on Mustang Island, plus doing some other fun stuff on the South Texas coast. The event begins Friday morning and ends Sunday at noon. For a weekend of it, see the Texas State Aquarium ($9.25) and the USS Lexington ($10) with new IMAX theater. You should make your own reservations; for more information look at the Sand Fest site (www.texassandfest.com) or contact Kent .
Sunday, April 14, we're joining Stubbs' Barbecue for their weekly Gospel Brunch. $14.95 admits you to a great breakfast, barbecue, mimosas, Bloody Marys, and of course great Gospel music by superb singers. For the best seats, make your reservations by April 3. Stubb's is Located at 801 Red River (corner of 8th and Red River); their number is 480-8341. To reserve by email, contact Rhonda Keenan e-mail rhonda.keenan@eds.com .
The dates are now May 10-12 for our Spring Campout in the Hill Country near Blanco. One price of $10 for adults and $5 for kids includes barbecue dinner Saturday and breakfast Sunday morning (all other meals are on your own). Come out Friday for the tranquility of the land and stay Saturday for volleyball, biking, and/or shopping in nearby Blanco or Wimberley. Or, just come Saturday night for an old fashioned barbecue (beer) and barn dance (still $10 for adults, $5 for kids for just Saturday night only). Please make reservations with Cindy Berry by writing a check for $10 per person by April 30. Questions? Write Cindy at activities@austinskiers.org . Also, if you're interested riding motorcycles out to the campout, write Mike Hagye at newsletter@austinskiers.org .
Saturday, May 18, we'll meet at 9 a.m. in the Canoe rental area on Barton Springs in Zilker Park for a morning of canoeing. Work up an appetite or just join us at Chuy's on Barton Springs for lunch. Bring your sunblock.
Apparently there is a new "trend" in the ski industry, if you believe some articles in the National Ski Club Newsletter (published out of Colorado and sent to over 2,500 ski clubs nationwide). Seems that some "ski" clubs are yielding to perceived financial and membership pressures to gear trips to non-skiing destinations or exclude skiing altogether. Justifications include the aging, less athletic member population, the increased pressure to fill trip slots, the mounting difficulty in recruiting skiers compared to the general population. Some clubs have geared leadership towards general (not ski) travel, or even changed the name of the club itself to reflect "travel" in general, not just winter sports.
Granted, these might be appropriate responses to individual club financial and membership problems. But, as a "trend", I don't like it. At some point doesn't a "ski" club, if it stops being one which fosters skiing and winter sports interests, turn into a "travel" club? If so, there are dozens of great "travel clubs" out there already with great deals; there are far fewer "ski" clubs around. I say this even as I've just returned from leading the Grindelwald/Greece trip, which was one in a lifetime(!), yet with only four of 12 days skiing, and with number of our members choosing not to ski at all. But skiing was clearly the focus, and for the many skiers on our trip, making runs under the breathtaking faces of the famous Eiger, Mnch and Jungfrau peaks was an unparalleled experience I'm not sure there's a more beautiful ski spot in the world! For many of us, the stark contrasts of Greece were made even more enjoyable because we skied Switzerland.
Hey, maybe you disagree; maybe you feel the same way. That's why it's so important at this time of year to make your voice heard. Tere is asking for your response to next year's preliminary trip suggestions on p. 7. Look'em over and get back to her. Talk to our Planning Committee (Liz Earhart is V.P.) and let them know what you're looking for. Get involved! It's not a stretch to say the future of our Club is in your hands, skiing or not. Your participation is not only welcome, it's essential. Seize the day!
Mike Hagye
President Tere Ayson
president@austinskiers.org
| V.P. Trips Doug Jordan | |
| V.P. Trip Planning- Liz Earhart | |
| V.P. Programs Elva Hibbs | |
| V.P. Publicity Gary Roth | |
| V.P. Membership Barbara Jacquin | |
| V.P. Special Activities Cindy Berry | |
| Secretary Barbara Bobo | |
| Treasurer Cindy Swannack | |
| Newsletter Editor Mike Hagye | newsletter@austinskiers.org |
| Webmaster Cliff Hoagland | skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org |
| Past President Anthony Beissner |
| Cathy Collins | |
| Mary Gasal | |
| Jim Davis | |
| Neil Martin |
The Austin Skiers' newsletter is published monthly, 12 issues per year. Subscription is included with payment of yearly membership fee. Articles and correspondence should be addressed to the Editor by e-mail at newsletter@austinskiers.org or by phone (see above). Deadline for submission is the 15th of each month. Send issues regarding the Club Web site to skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org. For more information on the next Club meeting or other related activities, contact any of the following:
Austin Skiers is a non profit ski club
For questions on Special Activities, contact Cindy Berry, Activities V.P. at activities@austinskiers.org
Return to the Austin Skiers' Home Page.
Send comments about web site content to: skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org
|
