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Ann Arbor Ski Club Monthly Newsletter

11 . 15 . 2020

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Meet Up

Calendar

State of the Club
Trips
Around Town

Tips & Member News
Ends & Odds
A2SC By The Numbers

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State of the Club

A Message From the President
of the
Ann Arbor Ski Club

I hope that everyone is holding up as best that can be expected during these trying Covid times. I wanted to let everyone know what the current state of the club is:

· Club Status:

The Ann Arbor Ski Club is temporarily in hibernation waiting for the Covid pandemic to improve. WE WILL BE BACK! We just don’t yet know when that will be.
The last event that the club held was the ski trip to Breckenridge which returned on March 14, 2020. The trip to Utah which had been planned for the end of March was cancelled and refunded to the members.
The annual business meeting which was scheduled for the end of March was also cancelled and has not yet been rescheduled.
Since we did not hold the annual business meeting, we also did not have annual elections for new board members and president. The AASC constitution provides that the current board, president and all other club officers continue in their roles until the business meeting can be held. As of today we are are targeting an Annual meeting for March 2021 (i.e. one year delayed)
The AASC board continues to meet, via Zoom, about every other month.
Dennis Slough continues to publish the eBlast, now once a month. He also continues to maintain the website.

Ho·

Upcoming activities and trips:

We currently have not scheduled any club meetings, ski trips or other activities.

Lane Hotchkiss had solicited quotes for 2021 western ski trips to Park City (Utah), Big Sky (Montana) and Whistler (British Columbia, Canada). The board decided to not place deposits and sign contracts for those trips at this time. With the 2021 ski season rapidly approaching and Covid currently spiking nationwide, we now are thinking that we will move these trips to the following 2022 ski season.

· Membership and Dues:

All memberships were to have expired on 04-30-20 for the 2019/2020 season. New annual dues would have been required at that time.
Instead the board voted to extend the membership season for an additional 12 months without requiring payment of new dues. The new expiration is next April 30, 2021.
Therefore the club continues to have a paid membership of 300+.

Only a few records in our membership database have been updated with the new expiration date so you may see a message indicating it's time to renew if you log into our web server. Ignore it!

· Trips by Other Clubs:

The AASC board feels that with the Covid situation, it is currently too risky both physically (for the members) and financially (for the club) to organize ski trips. However we realize that not everyone feels the same way. For those people who feel differently, there are other trip options.
The AASC is a member of the MDSC (Metropolitan Detroit Ski Council). The MDSC is a collection of 15 ski clubs in Michigan, northwest Ohio and southwest Ontario. As a member of the MDSC, AASC members are welcome to participate on trips organized by other member clubs. Of the 15 member clubs:

7 clubs are planning western USA trips (1 via Amtrak!)
3 clubs were planning trips to Canada (recently cancelled)
2 are planning trips to Europe (current status unknown)
6 are planning trips within Michigan
5 (including AASC) have no current trip plans

T-Birds have space on their Telluride trip, Jan 16

See the MDSC tri-fold document or check MDSC's website for more information
In addition the MDSC, for the first time in 3 years, is also planning to directly run a trip: Feb 27, Snowmass, Colorado
Some trips have already been filled. Some trips have been cancelled. You will need to check with the individual clubs to determine availability.

· Up North Trips:

At this time we are not planning to offer any of our traditional up-North ski trips for 2021 (e.g. Schuss-Shanty Instructional, Terrace Inn, various XC ski trips). That might change depending on how Covid progresses.
In lieu of formal AASC ski trips, we may try to facilitate informal ski weekends where somebody suggests a date and a location and leaves it to everyone to make their own arrangements. For example, we had planned to go to Terrace Inn the weekend of Feb 5 this season. If Covid calms enough, maybe some people would still like to go there that weekend.

Speaking of Terrace Inn, Moe and company reached out with an email recently to some of us. They have been open through the summer and are looking for patrons for Thanksgiving and the coming winter. They are offering some special prices.

· The Future:

The AASC board continues it's commitment to the long term health and vitality of the club. When the pandemic subsides, we will return to skiing, other trips and socializing. We may lose some membership, but I believe we will come back strong. I am sure there will be pent up desire for the activities and fellowship that the Ann Arbor Ski Club has provided for many years.

Very Best to All,
Greg Robertson
Ann Arbor Ski Club President

Stay Safe!

Trips

A²SC is a club with a membership in MDSC.

The Ann Arbor Ski Club has elected to NOT organize ski trips this winter due to the pandemic.

The Board has indicated they'll reconsider the possibility of Michigan trips later in the season. But, for now A²SC has not organized a trip this ski season.

A few other clubs in the Metropolitan Detroit Ski Council are putting together ski trips out west, up north, and to Europe.

As a member of A²SC you are entitled to join these trips as if you are a member of their club.
That is a benefit that derives from our club being a member of the MDSC.

Individually members may assess the risk of joining a ski trip during the pandemic differently and decide they would like to join one of these trips. Find the details on sister club trips here and here.

Here are a few things MDSC says about ski clubs...

Want to have fun, travel, participate in outdoor activities & sports, socialize, go to parties and dances, and MEET diverse singles and/or couples?

If so, consider joining a ski club that does it all!

Members are of a wide-age range and are into more than just skiing. In addition to new friends and a great social life, you will be introduced to life-long activities.

True dat!

Around Town

Not-Now-Kapow !

Nothing scheduled. Stay safe!

Not All Are Cancelled

Southeast Michigan Ski Swaps listed by Bob Cowen of Alpine Valley

All swaps are concerned with safety protocols. I can't speak for others but please feel free to use what we (at Alpine Valley) are doing if you need examples.

Our objectives: faster, easier and safer. We are requiring that all items be registered on-line at our swap website (SwapAV.com); no on-site computers for public use.

Reservations must be made for drop-off and pick up; we should have done this years ago because it eliminates long lines.

We will limit the number of people in the building when necessary (will vary based on the time of day).

Masks will be required, hand sanitizer will be available, doors will be open to improve air circulation, face shields may be used in certain areas such as cashiers, floors will be marked at 6' increments where necessary to ensure social distancing.

These protocols are continuously reviewed and updated.

And, Bob leads us to a useful Facebook group.

Racing

Alan Osterdale

Alan, who serves as a Director on the Board, is also the Activities Coordinator. And, he leads the Competitive Skiing Committee.

Alan Osterdale provides this info on ski racing this year. He'll be contacting racing regulars directly. If you haven't raced before and would like to get involved reach out to Alan.

As of now we will be racing again this year. Due to COVID there will be changes.

The rules are fluid right now, but dates of races are set and will not change. The MAAC guideline for 2021 racing is here. Below are some highlights.

Othmar Warming hut will be limited to ten people at any one time, due to this fact Boyne will close the warming hut to only essential personal of the MACC. But, the bathrooms will be open

Snowflake is no longer a bar, so no awards given there this season. The awards will be given at a fire pit in-front of the main lodge. A bar will be available.

Snowflake does continue as a restaurant.

These rules may change as the situation changes.

Registration for racing this year will start in December.

Alan is looking for input from racers.

Should we co-ordinate housing? Want to group lodge again with proper care regarding the virus?
Do we need a place on Superbowl where we can change, store gear and warm up, like a gazebo, tent, or portable ice shanty?
Does anyone own such a shelter that we could use? Also, a portable heater would be nice.

Alan committed to bringing one portable heater.

And, since we can not use Othmar and Snowflake as gathering spots Alan will need everyone's mobile numbers for communication during the race day.

Member News & Tips

What About Michigan's Northern Resorts

via Freep

The National Ski Areas Association trade group's "Ski Well, Be Well" document identifies an assortment of best practices for snowsports properties to follow in an effort to reduce COVID-19 transmission risks.