This ski trip was originally scheduled to go to Telluride Ski Resort, but a ski patrol strike that started in late December caused the owner of Telluride to close the entire ski resort. At the time, there had not been a lot of snow at Telluride due to a La Nina year, with only lifts 1 and 4 open and a minimal number of trails open. Since the resort was closed, Sandy Guadette of Ski Group worked on moving us over to Crested Butte and Grand Lodge. The strike was eventually resolved on January 9th, but the vendor had already moved us over to Crested Butte. This move was made on January 7th. Bear Creek would not give back to Ski Group the deposit, although Sandy got the Grand Lodge to reduce their rate to a corresponding amount of what she lost on the deposit. Grand Lodge room rate was cheaper, although van transfer was more expensive. Ski Group did proved a $100 refund due the the difference in cost between the two resorts.

Mountain Limo was contracted by Ski Group to take us initially to Telluride, which was then switched to Crested Butte. They were very organized and met us with signs at the airport. Darren, Weston and Chris were the drivers and did a good job in helping load and unload all the gear.

At Grand Lodge, we were provided the Emmons Suites, with a king bed and a Murphy king bed (better than pull out sofa bed). Although this takes up some room, it was a pretty good accommodation. The kitchenette had a microwave, small coffee pot, toaster, some pots, pans, dishes, utensils and silverware. A small amount of cooking can be done in the room.

The first night, we had a wine and cheese party in the trip leader’s room. This worked out well and everyone came to the party. I purchased 12 bottles of wine, although only around six were used on the first night; I had purchased more wine and food than what was needed. So we had a pot luck party on Friday night and were able to finish up most of the rest of the wine and some of the food. Having everyone in one hotel room for both of these events worked well and it was not too crowded. Some people came and went at different times, so that helped.

The snow conditions were ok. The resort received about 1” and 2” just before we got there, then it never snowed the entire time we were there. Most of the time it was sunny although there were some clouds. The temperatures were around the mid 30s for the week, which softened up the snow by 11am or so, which made for some decent skiing. The last day was colder and windier, which did not make for a great skiing day and most were finished by around  2 pm. Crested Butte did not have a lot of snow making going on and we only saw some snow making guns on one run during the first couple of days. And that run only opened up on Thursday.

Most of the other ski resorts in Colorado were in similar conditions, as there were not a lot of snowfall events. Vail reported that this was the worst snowpack in the recording station's 47 year history.

Most of the lower part of the mountain was open, but the upper parts of the mountain with black and double black runs were not open due to lack of snow. A good part of the trails were groomed each night and there were only a few locations that were icy. Some of the trails were not groomed and had a decent amount of moguls. But in some areas, the snow was thin with a lot of small trees, rocks and grass sticking through the snow, so a skier had to be careful. These runs continued to deteriorate as the week went on.

We went to the Bruhaus Restaurant for the group dinner on Wednesday night. I had called in advance and they were very accommodating. We had 3 long tables set up upon arrival. I believe that most of the club members were in attendance. The Knoxville Ski club joined us, although only two of the 15 on the trip joined us. The trip leader was named Kevin. The food and drinks were really good and this was a popular restaurant for our group, as several went there more than once. The Secret Stash pizza place and the Public house were also popular places to go.

So overall, it turned out to be a successful ski trip. We were pleasantly surprised that the slopes were in good enough shape to enjoy skiing. Most of the ski participants participated in the group events that we had during the week. Everyone got along well and found ski partners that met their abilities.

We contacted all air travelers the day before to make them aware of bad weather driving to Nashville.  Everyone made it to the airport on time. There were 16 people on group air, one couple had same flight schedule. We met eight people at Denver airport that came in night before, or early flights from Alabama.  All this went well.

Lesson learned - contact the bus company 24 hours in advance to verify pickup time. The bus company had 10:30 PM instead of 10:30 AM as our arrival time. We lost about an hour waiting for them to find someone to pick us up, but everyone in the group was patient. 

We had a one hour food/liquor stop in Wheat Ridge at Walmart and Molly’s Liquor. We then boarded the bus for the rest of our four hour trip to Snowmass.  

The check-in at Crestwood was smooth. I personally delivered all lift tickets once everyone was in their condos. One boot bag went to the wrong condo, but I sent a group text and the bag was recovered. 

On Sunday, we had a welcome wine and cheese reception. There was plenty of wine/beer, and there were a few charcuterie boards. Tyler Dame and Sonya (from Aspen/Snowmass tourism) came to the event. They spoke near the end providing information on skiing and local restaurants. They opened up for questions from the group. 

Lisa Jennings (Snowmass tourism) left a $100 gift certificate at front desk for us for Sundance liquors.  We were able to buy four nice bottles of wine and a 24 pack of beer to supplement Tuesday’s party using the certificate.

On Tuesday (2/3) we had a group dinner party in the Independence Room.  We had six lasagnas,10 pizzas delivered, salad, cookies, box wine and extra wine/beer complements of Snowmass tourism.  Four people in the group (Hilda/Jo Ann, Nancy H, Bunny and Meshon) offered to bake a lasagna in their condo. Everyone had a wonderful meal and time to socialize followed by polkas, old time rock and roll, and music from the 70’s on the PA system using my playlists.  Many danced in spite of the 8,000+ ft. altitude. A true group effort between lasagna baking and cleanup after the event.

On Wednesday, several decided to meet for a beer at a brewery in Snowmass village. It was a bit loud and too crowded to all sit together until several left for dinner at another location. I would not recommend this.

Alison Bolnick had a fall resulting in a broken bone in lower leg/ankle. Karen Hall was with her when it happened and helped her at the clinic. Hilda also stopped there on her way back from Aspen.  By the time I found out about it, they were on their way back to Alison’s condo. Alison’s roommates were amazing in helping her for the next few days along with getting her home from Nashville airport (thank you to AB Maynard, Doug Werth and Janet Schmeidlein).

On Thursday, we had happy hour in our condo. We had two types of chicken wings (from Walmart),  leftover pizza, some cheese and chips. Some of the box wine was still available. In spite of our small living area, almost all 35 attended and had a great time.

We were generously allowed to use the Independence Room again for our ‘leftover party’ on Friday night. All there enjoyed themselves for our last night.

After some minor issues loading the bus, we left on time for our trek back to the airport. There was some delays/confusion checking a group in at Denver airport. We had plenty of time to stop for food/drinks before boarding flights home. Group flight was delayed one hour for changing of the front tires.

Several in the group flew to Aspen, some used Eagle.The weather was great, so no issues with their flights.  

There’s a first time for everything - this is one for us.  As the departure date for our Telluride trip approached recently, we learned that Telluride Ski Resort was forced to close for an undetermined time due to a strike by their Ski Patrol. This, paired with a serious lack of snow, had our leaders trying to decide whether to cancel the trip altogether with no refund or go with little or no expectation of skiing.  To the rescue came our group trip agent, Sandy Gaudette with SkiGroup.net. Within a very few days, Sandy came up with a plan and made it happen! She was able to have our group spend a great week at Crested Butte, CO for essentially the same cost and great accommodations! Changing destinations meant negotiating refunds from Telluride, booking bus shuttles, last minute lodging and other endless details.  Just to let you know how valuable a travel agent can be.

Until next month,

Hilda Jones, President

Dear Ski Club Members,

Tuesday, December 2nd kicks off the Christmas season for me. I hope to see you all at the epic Christmas Party at The Car Barn!  If you have not made your reservations, make them NOW  on www.Chattanoogaskiclub.org. Problems registering? - contact a board member or me! Food, dancing, games, raffle, pics with the Grinch and the best camaraderie with your ski club friends. It’s also a good opportunity to bring a friend who might want to become a part of this fun group.   

Ski trips are coming up right around the corner. Trip leaders are making the final plans. Whether you ski or not, you can be a part of this very special experience! 

Meanwhile, Jim Mullenix, our Trips Coordinator, is working closely with the rest of the board to plan trips for 2027!!! Yes, these days we must plan that far ahead to get the best accommodations, locations and prices for our club. We work hard to offer the most advantageous destinations for the cost -- BUT, the most valuable thing we offer is sharing the experience of traveling with a great group of folks who love the outdoors and especially those exquisite mountains! Here’s to a wonderful season of travel experiences with the Chattanooga Ski Club.

Happy Holidays,

Hilda Jones, President
423-903-8128 cell

Behind the Scenes

Twenty individuals make up your ski club’s current Board of Directors, including elected positions, appointed Committee chairpersons and current trip leaders for future trips. 

What’s on my mind today is how smart, insightful, focused and dedicated these individuals are when it comes to making our club run well. All have diverse and valuable talents and areas of expertise that they are willing to share.These folks are intent on making the right decisions for our organization and they work well together. I feel so fortunate to have this group making up the board.

One challenge the board has is to shift focus as our members’ needs change.This is something I think we are doing rather well. Admittedly, it’s a never-ending pursuit.This is where you as a member may impact the direction of our activities.Voice your ideas for new activities at meetings or to board members whenever you like as well as let us know how you feel about the things we are currently doing.

In an effort to keep my column short enough that it is likely to be read, I’ll end with a quote from Mae West - “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Hilda Jones,
President

It seems to me that time speeds up as we get closer to the end of each year! Obviously, that is an illusion, but with the many events our club has on the calendar… it surely feels real. So I’ll get right to it…

Be sure you have as many of these events on your calendar as will fit:

*October Members Meeting @ Farm to Fork Restaurant on Tues. Oct 7  (program to be presented on ballroom dancing)

*Len Foote Hike – Oct 17-18

*Flat Duck Halloween Party - Oct 25 (plan your costume!)

*Crescent Ski Council Fall Conference in Gatlinburg- Oct 24-26

*November Members Meeting @ The Enclave Club Room (program to be presented on the new Lookouts Stadium)

*Christmas Party @ The Car Barn Venue - Dec. 2 (be sure to register for this on the website!)

As you all know, more details are available on all events are available on our website and keep an eye on our Facebook page as well.

A Closing Thought:

I’m grateful for this community and excited for the adventures ahead. Let’s make this season memorable—on and off the slopes. See you at the parties and on the mountain!

Warm regards,

Hilda Jones,
President, Ski Club

The Anticipation of Fall and Ski Season

The approaching change of season is marked by a contagious sense of anticipation. What a great array of summer events we have had!  We will soon be happily bringing along our flannel shirts and warm jackets for the upcoming cool evenings as we hike, gather around the campfire and otherwise enjoy the cool weather as it makes excitement grow for being in those snowy mountains we love so much.

With snow ski season around the corner, preparation becomes key.  Be sure your travel plans are set and if you are a skier, know what lift passes you will need and when to buy them for best value.  Our trip leaders are there to help. Early planning is essential!

Après-Ski: The Social Side of Winter

The ski season is as much about community as it is about sport. Après-ski, the tradition of gathering after a day on the slopes, is a beloved ritual. Fireside lounges, lively bars, and cozy cafés fill with stories of epic runs and comical tumbles. Live music, local cuisine, and seasonal festivities create a unique mountain culture, making our ski trips wonderful whether you ski or enjoy other activities in the mountains.

Looking Ahead: The Promise of the Season

As the snow ski season nears, excitement builds and preparations intensify. It is a time of renewal, adventure, and connection to both nature and community. Whether you are a lifelong skier/boarder or other winter sport enthusiast, this season offers the chance to embrace the spirit of winter, challenge yourself, and create lasting memories with friends.  So wax your equipment and plan your journeys.  The mountains are calling, and the snow awaits. May your ski season be filled with powder days, bluebird skies, laughter, and discovery, as the world transforms into a playground.

Cheers,

Hilda Jones,
Chattanooga Ski Club President

Wow! Our summer activities are really keeping us hopping - Lookouts night (thank you, Bob Tramel); the lake party (thank you, Beth and Mike Rawlston, Jinksie and a host of others); and the upcoming Hiwassee paddle day and potluck dinner (thank you, Cindy and Neil Gawlowsk). Before we can catch our breath, we’ll be packing and preparing for the Bardstown bourbon tour, Len Foote Hike Inn and Halloween party.  Barb Wise, thank you for your leadership and inspiration for these great non-skiing activities that help make our club so meaningful. 

All the while, our ski trips and Portugal trip are filling up nicely.  If you have not locked in your place on these trips - get in touch with trip leaders soon!

Opportunities to Get Involved

Our club thrives because of the energy and commitment of its members. There are countless ways to get involved: join a committee, lead a trip, help organize an event, or simply share your love of skiing with others. Volunteering is not only rewarding but a great way to meet fellow enthusiasts and give back to the community that supports us all.

We are actively seeking volunteers for upcoming trips, mentors for new members, and creative minds for all sorts of things.   If you have ideas for new events, workshops, or ways to improve the club, please reach out to any board member.  Remember that board meetings are open to members - just let an officer or committee chair know you are interested in being included in the meeting plans.

And finally - 

It is my hope is that each member finds something meaningful through our club - be it the thrill of a new run, the joy of teaching a friend, a hike, a day on the river, just meeting for dinner - the warmth of community with club friends.

The loss of our dear friend, Bebe Eyssen leaves a hole in our hearts.  It brings the realization that tomorrow is not promised.  We should make the most of each day.

Thank you for entrusting me with the role of president; I am honored to serve alongside capable and dedicated friends.

Warm regards,

Hilda Jones,
President

Myra Altschuler with Travel Protectors gave a seminar on trip insurance on July 16 via Zoom. In it, she explained the two types of trip insurance and gave advice for navigating the complex issues surrounding when and what to insure. 

The two main types: 

• Standard (medical) - 100% refund of costs for illness, injury or death
• Cancel any reason - 100% refund for medical reasons; 75% refund for other reasons 

Of course, there are requirements for using trip insurance, time limits, and other considerations to keep in mind. 

• For a preexisting condition to be covered, you must buy trip insurance within 14 days of your first payment of any kind toward the trip.

• You must see a doctor during the trip and obtain documentation of the illness or injury. 
• Only obtain coverage for non-refundable charges, but you can increase your coverage if your estimate is too low.
• Trip insurance reimburses you, it doesn’t pay for expenses upfront. 
• Medicare doesn’t pay costs outside of the U.S. Check with your secondary carrier, if you have one, to see if they cover costs overseas.

Annual trip insurance, which covers any trip you take for a one year period, works the same, but it only covers a set amount from the year of purchase. If you use up your annual amount on a trip, you can purchase another annual policy within a short window of time.

The entire presentation is available for viewing on YouTube. Here is a link: https://youtu.be/aPkfYs4ZeK4?si=06ftznKjG7lmdGwe