We had pretty good attendance at our October club meeting and fair attendance at the November meeting, both outside at the Flat Duck Event Venue. However, the Board felt that with the low turnout in November and expecting cooler weather in December, that it would be best to cancel the December meeting. We had already decided that the Christmas party (with food, drink, and close quarters) would not be prudent this year. (I’m going to really miss this event, but am looking forward to seeing everyone as soon as possible.) The board will be meeting again the first week of December and the January meeting will be one topic of discussion.
Chattanooga Ski Club’s first (and hopefully last) trip casualty of the 2020-2021 ski season has occurred. We had several members scheduled to go on Crescent Ski Council’s Steamboat trip (December 5-12). Unfortunately, that trip has been cancelled. They had planned on staying in condos, as we frequently do, but the property owners are not allowed to place guests from more than 1 household in a shared unit. Doing so would break Colorado’s public health order to limit social engagement to those within your immediate household. While this cancellation is certainly disappointing, if you look for a silver lining, then maybe it is best as Steamboat hasn’t opened yet this year due to a lack of snow.
As of now, our Taos and Mt. Bachelor trips are still proceeding as planned. One thing we are watching is New Mexico’s state-mandated COVID-19 lockdown orders that shut down all ski resorts in the state through Nov. 30.
If you are planning a ski trip of your own, be sure to stay up on the rules where you are going. This is from skiessentails.com: “Summit County, home to Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Silverthorne ski resorts, has issued regulations regarding short term lodging that visitors would do well to be aware of. Under the new rules, "No more than 10 individuals indoors and/or outdoors from no more than 2 households at short term lodging operations." In other words, those booking lodging within Summit County will only be able to stay with members from one other household, and with up to 10 people total. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $5,000 or 18 months in jail. Additional restrictions include the mandatory use of masks, a 9:30 PM curfew on bars and businesses, and a ban on social gatherings from 10 PM - 5 AM.”
The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) reports that an advisory group of ski industry leaders from across the country (including Vail Resorts Inc., Alterra Mountain Co., National Ski Patrol, US Ski and Snowboard, and many more) established the Ski Well, Be Well foundational best practices, according to scientific guidelines put forth by infectious disease experts, including the CDC and WHO. Ski areas will comply with additional federal, state and local regulations as they are implemented. You can see their best practices on https://nsaa.org/skiwellbewell (be sure to click on the “Read the Document” button.
At the November board meeting a couple of changes were made. First, Jim Mullenix is moving to the Programs chairman. For several years Jim has put in a lot of hours as Trip Coordinator planning our wonderful Western and European trips. If you have been on any trips in recent years, you know how much fun they are and we all owe Jim more than we can repay for providing us with great trips. Taking over as Trip Coordinator is Scott Kramer. I’m sure Scott will continue to provide us with great trips. Be looking for a survey from Scott about where you’d like to ski in the future and what features you are looking for in a trip.
Stay safe everyone,
Bob