Yosemite Winter Club

Thank you for your support!

We would would like to thank everyone for their support and hope to see you next year for the 2010/2011 winter season.

Memberships for next season will be available in October.

Silver Ski 2010 Local Racer results, Great Racing!

The Yosemite Winter Club hosted the historic Silver Ski Slalom on March 20 and 21. More than 125 junior ski racers competed, including 28 members of the Yosemite Ski Team.

The course was challenging, and many young skiers were disqualified for crashing or missing gates. The Yosemite skiers did well even under these challenging circumstances.

Meghan Shields was awarded the Rusty award for exceptional sportsmanship. She was involved in helping her teammates, contributing to a positive team environment and helping with the work of setting up and taking down the practice race courses.

Silver Ski Results

Saturday

2nd David Medema - J3 Boys, El Portal

3rd Jackson Wright – J6 Boys, Yosemite Valley

4th Emerson Action - J6 Girls, Ahwahnee

4th Ryan Armon - J5 Boys, Yosemite Valley

5th Anna Medema - J4 Girls, El Portal

5th Caleb Young – J4 Boys, San Jose

8th Meghan Shields – J4 Girls, Ahwahnee

9th Eliza Amstutz – J4 Girls, El Portal

10th Maren Guy – J5 Girls, El Portal

10th Isabel Sun – J4 Girls, El Portal

Sunday

1st Leo Kari – J6 Boys, El Portal

1st David Medema - J3 Boys, El Portal

4th Meghan Shields – J4 Girls, Ahwahnee

5th Eliza Amstutz – J4 Girls, El Portal

5th Jack Kari – J5 Boys, El Portal

5th Caleb Young – J4 Boys, San Jose

6th Emerson Action - J6 Girls, Ahwahnee

7th Nielsen Guy – J4 Boys, El Portal

7th Josie Waltner - J6 Girls, Bass Lake

Yosemite Ski Team Racers in the Silver Ski Slalom: Blake Action, Emerson Action, Eliza Amstutz, Natalie Armon, Ryan Armon, Charles Bales, Pavel Breish, Dawn Canapary, Maya Canapary, Maren Guy, Nielsen Guy, Jack Kari, Leo Kari, Liam McMichael, Anna Medema, David Medema, Cameron Moore, Emma Shields, Meghan Shields, Isabel Sun, Josie Waltner, Jackson Wright, Brittany Young, Caleb Young, Jacob Young

The Silver Ski race 3/20/10

The Snowflake 2009 Newsletter

Download the> 2009 Snowflake Newsletter PDF

Nic Fiore - The Ambassador of Yosemite

Nic Fiore: Yosemite Loses a Legend

On Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009, our friend and long-time associate, Nic Fiore, passed away. He was 88. Nic was loved and admired by thousands whom he taught the winter sport of skiing at Yosemite's Badger Pass. He will forever be remembered as "The Ambassador of Yosemite." For a retrospective of Nic's life and career, please visit this link to a Los Angeles Times story by Times' staff writer Dennis McLellan.

Said Dan Jensen, chief operating officer for DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc., "Nic was one in a million and I feel privileged to have known him. His spirit and force of personality made him an instant friend to everyone he met. Nic was a champion for the sport of skiing and will forever be remembered as the goodwill ambassador for Yosemite. He made countless friends of those he met throughout his career at the Badger Pass Ski Area, the High SierraCamps and The Ahwahnee. I am truly saddened by the news of Nic's passing and extend my deepest sympathy to his family."

For those who wish to make a donation in Nic Fiore's name, Nic's family asks that you please contact The Yosemite Fund at 800.469.7275.

Cross Country Skiing

The Yosemite Winter Club Cross Country section (XC Section) was established about 30 years ago as a component of the Yosemite Winter Club (YWC). The Cross Country Ski Section of the YWC is open to everyone who is a Winter Club member.

The XC Section carries on the long-standing tradition of cross-country outings into the backcountry of Yosemite in an organized fashion. We are brought together by our love of both Yosemite and the cross-country ski experience that together make a truly unique experience. We welcome new skiers wishing to share in that experience with us.

Our ski year begins with a food packing party held annually, generally on the last Saturday in September. We pack food into mouse-proof containers to cache in the high country. These provide for dinners and breakfasts as well as snacks, juices and an assortment of beer and wine. Members going on trips are responsible for bringing their own lunches. Paper plates and bowls are also provided by the club. This helps minimize the weight of your pack for the trips.

January 22-24, we will kick off cross country skiing with our “First Ski” weekend, held at the home of long time members and former club leaders Don and Kay Pitts at their “Falcons’ Nest” in Yosemite West. We usually gather 40-50 members for a great party – pot luck/get together and sleep over and enjoy some semi-organized skiing on Saturday and Sunday, usually out of Badger but we have been known to ski Yosemite West if the conditions are right.

Overnight trips

Hockey Team

Hockey lesson and scrimmage information.

Interested in learning the basic skills of hockey? If so, The Yosemite Winter Club Hockey Program will be teaching basic hockey skills for the 2009-2010 winter season.

Lessons will start in December providing the ice rink is open.

We also have scrimmage nights for folks whom have completed the program. If you already have good strong skills you can probably pass the test in a night or 2 and play. Scrimmage times to be announced.

You may sign up at any time by joining the Yosemite Winter Club and the Ice Skating Institute.

Basic Hockey lessons will be every Thursday night from 6-7 p.m., excluding December 24 and January 31. You must be at least 5 years old at the time of sign up, be able to skate forward in control and be a member of the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) and the Winter Club. Hockey players will also need to provide their own hockey skates, full face, helmet, gloves and a stick for classes. Other gear may be required as students advance.
Those who completed last year’s Hockey Program can sign-up for Scrimmage Nights as well: Tuesday and Friday nights 6-7 p.m.excluding holidays.

You must join the Yosemite Winter Club ( Adults $15/Children $10), the Ice Skating Institute ($13) and fill out the YWC Release of Liability and the DNC Release of Liability.

Snow Ball at The Ahwahnee, February 27, 2010

Start: Feb 27 2010 - 6:00pm

End: Feb 27 2010 - 11:59pm

Snow Ball at The Ahwahnee

This year’s Snow Ball will be on February 27, 2010 at the elegant Ahwahnee. Enjoy a music-flled, champagne reception, a silent auction that celebrates the arts, an exquisite four-course dinner and a night of dancing to live music. Chef Percy Whatley has planned a delicious menu with a choice of entrees that includes Red-wine-braised Brandt Farms Beef Shortrib, Pan-seared Pacifc Black Cod Fricassee, or Risotto Verde. Spend the night
in a cozy room and have breakfast before you hit the slopes at Badger Pass or head to Curry Village for ice skating.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - Buy your tickets by December 15 for $75 per person (a $20 discount)! Tickets purchased after December 15 will be $95.00 per person. Early Bird Special tickets will be available for purchase at the Dinner Dance on December 5 or by calling 209/379-2602. Don’t wait, last year tickets were sold out weeks before the event. BOOK EARLY.

HOTEL ROOMS – This year we have a wide range of hotel options for our Snowball guests. Curry Village Cabins with Baths will be $99 if booked by December 1, 2009 and $119 if booked after that date. Yosemite Lodge Rooms will be available for $129 and Ahwahnee rooms will be available for $399. These rates are only for Snow Ball guests. Booking information is available on our website yosemitewinterclub.com.

Invitations will be sent to members in December. For more information, call 209/379-2602 or 209/988- 6104. Hope to see you there!