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Ski Trails The monthly newsletter for Suburban Ski Club May, 2016

Website: http://www.suburbanskiclub.org

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Suburban Ski Club Members,

Since ski season is over, my editor suggested we dump the

photo of me in ski gear and go for a new look. However,

just because you don’t see me in ski clothes, that does not

mean that skiing is not on my mind. In fact, I can report to

you that our 2017 ski program was discussed at the

Executive Board meeting on April 16 and at a special

meeting of the Trips and Tours Committee last Sunday.

At the latter gathering, in addition to the members of the

EB, we invited several members of SSC to attend who

could offer a variety of opinions on our skiing program.

Our primary focus was the major trips and we brainstormed

about several destinations.

Although the focus of our meetings was the major trips, we did not neglect the other facet of our

ski calendar – i.e., bus trips to more local destinations. Last year we had ten bus trips that included

a very popular overnight excursion. We don’t plan to scale back in 2017 and you can be assured

we will continue to have the most ambitious and largest schedule of skiing opportunities of any

club in the area.

Please be sure to read the Report from Trips and Tours on page seven for details.

Last Sunday’s Trips and Tours meeting took place at the Shaker Heights home of Jack and Sandy

Ganz and we want to thank them for hosting the meeting. And we should offer them a second

round of thanks for organizing the very successful wine tasting on April 12th at Shaker Wines. The

event was more than fully subscribed with thirty-two of us in attendance. See the photos later in

this newsletter.

Please check the Calendar of Events in this newsletter. We have several very interesting things on

tap for this month of May. Sue Evan is taking us to the Holden Arboretum on May 17th and

Cindy and Mark Bacon are hosting an EAT on May 19th at Salmon Dave’s. On Thursday, May

12th, our own Colette Gschwind is playing and singing at Pub 91 in Willoughby. Again, read on

for details about these and other club events.

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We would like to welcome new members Gail Fisher and her son, Tommy. We look forward to

meeting you at our social events and to skiing with you next season.

Last month we ran a photo of Erich Bernkopf holding the birthday cake we presented to him at

the final membership meeting of the season. His actual 90th birthday is this month, May 13th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERICH. You are an inspiration to all of us.

Beth Silverman, President of SSC

president@suburbanskiclub.org

MAY BIRTHDAYS

What follows is another edition of our series recognizing the birthdays of SSC members. Don't

worry, we do not publish the year of your birth, just the month and day! Our data base of birthdays

is far from complete. Please remember to include your birthday on your membership form. It is

not necessary to give the year of your birth if you do not wish to do so, but we need your day and

month in order to recognize your birthday. Here are the May birthdays we have on file:

AJ Aman (5/18), Erich Bernkopf (5/13), Steve Chmielewski (5/27), Stephanie Cole (5/27),

Madelynn DiCillo (5/26), Debora Duerk (5/14), Tommy Fisher (5/21), Bob Glenn (5/20),

Diane Glazer (5/3), Joyce Goldsmith (5/31), Michelle Gugick (5/15), Nancy Lukens (5/6),

Steve Mellinger (5/13), Ed Noss (5/9), Almuth Riggs (5/28), Sue Siefert (5/21), Brooke Stock

(5/27), Jack Stone (5/30), Steve Szilagyi (5/18), and Cathy Vento (5/9).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you all.

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

May - June, 2016

SKI SHOW: Saturday, May 7: Cleveland Ski Travel Show

SOCIAL: Thursday, May 12, 7:00 – 10:00 PM: Colette Gschwind at Pub 91;

Willoughby Hills

MEETING: Sunday, May 15: Executive Board Meeting

SOCIAL: Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 AM: Canopy Walk and Emergent Tower at Holden

Arboretum; Kirtland, OH

EAT: Thursday, May 19, 6:00 PM: Salmon Dave's in Rocky River

SOCIAL: Sunday, June 5, 1:00 PM: Hike at Whipp’s Ledge; Hinckley, OH

SOCIAL: Tuesday, June 21, 6:00 PM: Nighttown; Cleveland Heights

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UPCOMING EVENTS IN MORE DETAIL

Thursday, May 12, 7:00 – 10:00 PM: Colette Gschwind at Pub 91, Willoughby Hills Those of you who have never seen or heard Colette Gschwind are in for a real treat. She is doing

a solo acoustic gig at Pub 91; 2749 SOM Center Road (near the intersection of Chardon Road –

Route 6) in Willoughby Hills, 44094. Phone (440) 494-7674. Check out their website and the

menu: www.thepub91.com

Last month some SSC folks attended one

of Colette’s performances at Pub 91 and

had a great evening. You can drop in

anytime between 7 – 10 PM on May 12

and join other SSC friends for some

wonderful music and an opportunity to

socialize along with enjoying some food

and beverages.

On the left is at peek at our own SSC

celebrity.

Thursday, May 19, 6:00 PM: EAT at Salmon Dave's

Cindy & Mark Bacon are taking us to Salmon Dave’s in Rocky River. The address is 19015

Old Lake Road; Rocky River, OH 44116. Their phone number is (440) 331-2739. It is located in

the Old River District of Rocky River and the menu is described as featuring a “fusion of Pacific

Rim Cuisine with All-American favorites.” You can check out their website for the menu and

directions at www.salmondaves.com

There is a Happy Hour from 3 – 7:00 PM. If you go to the website, you can find a description of

the Happy Hour with its reduced-priced appetizers and cocktails. We plan to meet in the bar at

6:00 PM and be seated for dinner at 7:00 PM.

Cindy has arranged for us to have their private dining room. However, the seating there is limited

and Cindy needs to have a number for our party by May 10th in case we have too many for that

room and need to reserve space in the main dining room. Please Email Cindy at

cindykirmm@att.net or call her at (216) 409-6570.

There is some parking in back of the restaurant and other spaces on Old Detroit Road.

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Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 AM: Canopy Walk and Emergent Tower at Holden Arboretum

Canopy Walk and Emergent Tower

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

To join us: E-mail Sue Evan sueevanoh@gmail.com or call her: 440/623-9153

For more information: holdenarb.org

The Canopy Walk is a 500-foot

long elevated walkway built 65

feet high, which gives you a

unique perspective of the

forests.

The Kalberer Emergent Tower

will take you above the trees to

a height of 120 feet where on a

clear day you can see all the

way to Lake Erie!

The gardens and trails are also included in the admission. The rhododendrons and azaleas may be blooming. There is a small eating area with salads, sandwiches and vending machines

Tickets: $9 for seniors and $14 for adults (Free if member of Holden or Cleveland Botanical

Garden)

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Sunday, June 5, 1:00 PM: Hike at Whipp’s Ledges; Hinckley, OH

Sunday, June 5, 2016 (weather permitting)

Start time: 1:00 PM (bring own water & snack)

Meeting place: Whipp’s Ledges Picnic area (State Rd.)

To sign up: Cindy Bacon cindykirmm@att.net or 216/409-6570

Directions: See Interactive Map at: www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Whipps-

ledges.aspx

Hinkley Reservation is one

of the few places in

northeast Ohio with

exposed sandstone ledges

of Sharon Conglomerate.

Long and short hikes will

be available.

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Tuesday, June 21, 6:00 PM: EAT at Nighttown; Cleveland Heights

Margie & George Bakale are our hosts for this EAT at the famous Nighttown, 12383 Cedar Road;

Cleveland Heights, OH 44106. We meet at the bar for cocktails at 6:00 PM and sit down for

dinner at 7:00 PM. Nighttown’s menu and other information can be found on their website:

www.nighttownclevleand.com . Phone number (216) 795-0550

Details about available parking and directions will be forthcoming next month. Deadline for your

reservation is June 14th. Please contact the Bakales at margaretbakale@hotmail.com or (216) 371-

2580.

FROM THE SOCIAL COMMITTEE:

A SCHEDULE OF 2016 SOCIAL EVENTS

May: Date: Tuesday, May 17

Canopy Walk and Emergent Tower at Holden Arboretum

10 AM gathering time

$9 for seniors; $14 for adults

Contact: Sue Evan sueevanoh@gmail.com 440/623-9153

June: Date: Sunday, June 5

Hike at Whipp’s Ledges

Contact: Cindy Bacon cindykirmm@att.net 216/409-6570

July:

Date: TBD (before RNC)

Music Box Supper Club (dinner & music)

Contact: Judy Stowe judystowe@gmail.com 440/250-9959

August: Date: Saturday, August 20

Picnic/Concert at Blossom

Contact: Ann McBrian mcbriana@gmail.com 330/618-8450

September: Date: Saturday, September 17

Annual Clambake

Contact: Ed & Mary Ellen Noss lpdptra@gmail.com 330/569-3170

October: Date: Saturday, Oct. 1

Towpath Bike Ride

Contact: Chris & Greg Orlowski orlogc@sbcglobal.net 216/749-4887

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A REPORT FROM THE TRIPS AND TOURS COMMITTEE

As your read earlier in President Beth Silverman’s Message, plans for our 2017 ski season are well

underway. There is still work to be done but the basic structure is in place. Our immediate concern

is the three major, week-long trips. After they are in place, we can fill in the calendar with our bus

trips. As you know, our motto is “We Ski Every Week” and that will certainly be true for our 2017

skiing program. We can share several points that came out of our meetings and discussions:

With the recent growth in membership, Suburban Ski Club is now large enough to offer

three major trips in 2017: two to the West and one to the East

The first Western Trip will be in January (probably January 21-28)

The Eastern Trip will go back to Sunday River & Sugarloaf, Maine (probably Feb 5-11)

The second Western Trip will be in March (possibly March 5-12)

The western ski areas we are considering for 2017 and possibly for 2018 are:

o Banff/Lake Louise

o Crested Butte

o Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons with a possible one-day option to

Alta/Snowbird

o Snowmass/Aspen/Buttermilk (lodging @ Snowmass)

o Steamboat

In addition to excellent skiing, we want access to good restaurants, bars, shopping and other

interesting activities

We want lodging that is convenient to the ski area, and keeps us together as a group. We

prefer condos over hotels but would consider both

We’d like to develop a forum for offering skiing opportunities in addition to our regular

ski calendar, such as a bargain Spring ski trip out west and Larry Grewe’s idea for a

Boyne Mountain trip

So, where are we at this point?

The destination for the Eastern Trip has been decided and we are happy to report that we can again

offer this all-inclusive trip at the bargain price of $999. The modest cost of this trip offers an

opportunity for those who might find the price of a western trip prohibitive, especially for some

couples who would be facing two large payments. But it also is attractive to someone who would

like to add a second major trip without paying the price of another western trip.

The foregoing five possible destinations for the western trips are not ranked in preferential order.

In fact, they have been listed alphabetically. We currently have a few proposals from tour

operators for some of those preferred areas and we are soliciting more. Once those are in place,

the Executive Board we will make a decision on the two western trips for 2017.

The Executive meets again on May 15th and we are hopeful that decisions will be made on our two

western trips. When the dates for all three major trips are finalized, we can then move on to

working the bus trip schedule into the 2017 calendar. We anticipate being able to announce major

trips in the June 1st newsletter and also give some tentative dates for the bus trips. In addition, we

will have prices for all three major trips. Prices for the bus trips will not be available until the ski

areas release their lift ticket prices and until the bus companies respond to our requests for bids.

We hope you are excited about what is going to be a great ski season in 2017. Please stay tuned

as we roll out the details and then make your plans to join us on the slopes.

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WHAT WERE WE WHINING ABOUT? A PHOTO ESSAY ON THE APRIL 12TH WINE

TASTING:

Thirty-two SSC wine enthusiasts gathered at Shaker Wines for a tasting conducted by the

proprietor, Gene Veronesi. The store is located at 20100 Van Aken Blvd, Shaker Heights, OH

44122. Phone number: (216) 283-630. Website: www.shakerwines.com A light meal was served

along with a sampling of four wines. There were two glasses each of Sauvignon Blanc,

Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. In addition to being instructed on how to sample

a wine and what to look for in each variety, Gene also assigned us the task of deciding which of

the two in each variety was the higher priced.

On the left, Gene is talking with

Annette Yamada about the finer

points of a chardonnay.

.

Pictured here are our hosts, Jack and

Sandy Ganz, absorbed in trying to

decide which is the better Pinot Noir

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From left to right are Bill

Littell, Mark Nemecek, Pat

Snyder and Michele Boim.

They all look very happy.

Could that be explained by

the number of empty glasses

on their table?

Bill, who would like to

moonlight as a sommelier,

appears to be toasting “A

votre santé”

On the left is SSC President,

Beth Silverman. On the

right is her husband, Tracy

Blake. The unidentified person in

the middle seems to be

overwhelmed at being seated

with two celebrities.

[Editor’s Note: The editor apologizes for not being able to credit those who submitted the

previous photos and for not being diligent enough in soliciting additional photos from the

participants in this wonderful evening.]