CHANGE IN DATE Clubhouse Work Party Now 5/19-21 (Or: The bricks come tumbling down)

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1 4/1/2017 ALL THE NEWS THAT FITs SWC, PO 228,Schenectady, NY Clubhouse Phone (802) Clubhouse Address: 3650 VT-100, Waterbury Center, VT Clubhouse Reservations: A SCHENECTADY WINTERSPORTS CLUB PUBLICATION Phone numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted. WEB Site: Annual Meeting April 13 Ice Cream Social and Election of Officers We will see a four week 1982 trip in three canoes from Norway House on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba down the Hayes River to York Factory on Hudson Bay; roughly 400 miles Hang on! This will be the last meeting of the season, see you in the fall. Pay your dues now. The meeting will be at the Ancient Order of Hibernian's 1748 State St. The meetings are now featuring an early start at 6:00 for an informal get together with members and new folks. There will be pizza ($3.00 contribution) delivered at 6:30 for those who don't have time for dinner at home before the start of the formal meeting at 7:00. Ancient Order of Hibernians, 1748 State St. is just east of Rt 7 (the Cross town) in uptown Schenectady. To find the Ancient Order of Hibernians take State Street toward Albany. It is on the right side about 4 ½ blocks past the Rt 7 overpass. If coming from the Thruway take I-890 to Rt 7 East and exit at State Street (Rt 5). Turn right at the top of the ramp and go East 4 ½ blocks. From the Troy direction, take Rt. 7 all the way to State Street (Rt 5) and turn left at the top of the ramp and go 4 ½ blocks to 1748 State St. Schedule of Events April 7-9 Club Appreciation (Cheap days) at Stowe April 13 Annual Meeting with Elections and Ice Cream Social April 16 Stowe Mountain Resort Closes May 4 First Thursday Evening Bike Ride of the Spring Season May 11 Second Bike Ride May Spring Work Weekend at the Clubhouse CHANGE IN DATE Clubhouse Work Party Now 5/19-21 (Or: The bricks come tumbling down) The date of the Spring Work Party has been changed due to my doctor s orders and my wife s enforcement of the orders. Please change you plans if possible to come up and get some of this important work done this spring so we can do even more this fall. There will be a project focused work party at the Clubhouse this spring. We will be working on preparations for an upgrade to the kitchen and men s bathroom. We need to remove the remaining old chimneys that are no longer used so we can move some walls and complete the upgrades to the kitchen and bathroom. We have a volunteer who will be leading the chimney removals and will need a goodly number of folks who will be the human conveyor belt that conveys the bricks to a waiting dumpster on the lawn. If you have empty 5 gallon buckets, we will need them also. In addition to the bathroom and kitchen prep work, we plan on putting on a second coat of paint in the kitchen and new paint in some of the bedrooms. All this is in addition to the multiple tasks to prepare the house for summer activates. We also have a number of outdoor wood working projects planned: the roof flashing that got rained out last fall; trim repair (after 60 years some is rotting away); repairing the deck and picnic table. We have more outdoor work with yard work, and the ongoing recovery of our back 40 and the clearing around the disc golf hole basket. We have a number of other jobs that need doing as well. We always have more jobs than we can complete. Stay over on Monday and do some biking, hiking or paddling (or some of each) with others who can get the time off. Call Gina or Bill on ( wkornrum@nycap.rr.com )to let them know you are coming and find out what kind of tools you should be bringing.

2 Thursday Night 2017 Bike Rides Our season will begin on May 4 and I will soon be out beating the bushes to at least get May filled up. If there is a date that you would like to host a ride, be sure to give me a call ASAP. That way you can get a better chance at picking a date YOU want. You already know that biking is an excellent form of aerobic exercise and it is a great way to keep in shape for next year s snow season. It is also nice to take an evening ride and then have some pizza and beer or other delicacy your host might come up with afterward. I want to thank all the hosts who have or will volunteer to lead a ride. Please call me (Terry) at or me terrytamer7@gmail.com to volunteer. Your fellow club members will also really appreciate it. TerryTamer Bike Ride Schedule: May 4 - HOST NEEDED May 11 - HOST NEEDED May 18 - HOST NEEDED May 25 - HOST NEEDED June 1 - HOST NEEDED June 8 - HOST NEEDED June 15 - HOST NEEDED June 22 - Towpath Regatta - No Ride, paddle instead June 29 - HOST NEEDED July 6 - HOST NEEDED July 13 - HOST NEEDED July 20 - HOST NEEDED July 27 - HOST NEEDED Aug. 3 - HOST NEEDED Aug HOST NEEDED Aug HOST NEEDED Aug HOST NEEDED Aug HOST NEEDED MVHC Need someone to take over the Thanksgiving Breakfast. Call John Rack for details The Door Combination has Changed We changed the Clubhouse door combination during the Fall Work Weekend. The new combination is on your GREEN club membership card. You need to PAY YOUR DUES to obtain your new card with the combination. Pay your dues on line so you don t have to rush at the last minute. If you wait till the ski season, you may find John, our membership volunteer, or me gone skiing and you will not be able to make a reservation or get the combination. A Word from your Clubhouse Director by Bill Kornrumpf This issue I am starting this note while flying back from a ski trip to Verbier, Switzerland. I was up before the sun and will still be up well after then sun has set 6 times zones to the West. Looking back on Dorie's stories of her Ski Sherpa I could have used one today. Schlepping skis, boots and all the rest of my ski paraphernalia through two airports may be good for my stamina but then my stamina needs improving so maybe this was a good thing after all. Now it will be back to work with finishing up the Clubhouse ski season and planning the work parties for the spring before we move on to the full time work of bike riding and other summer related efforts. I see that the Clubhouse is well booked for the March Cheap Ski days so I hope all goes well with the weather. {Editor s note: the March Cheap Ski days saw 46 people at the Clubhouse enjoying 50 inches of new snow} I am looking forward to getting back home and spending some time at the Clubhouse in the March spring days with a few parking lot parties thrown in (I'll let you know how that works out). I want to thank all of our volunteer Clubhouse Hosts who have made it possible for us to provide the means for us to have a successful season. They have donated their time to get the food on the table and most importantly, to fill out all of the paperwork so we can see who has been there and where we can make improvements. Dorie tells me that we have had a good fiscal year so we will be planning on some improvements. Let me know what you think our priorities should be and I will try to organize the work parties accordingly. You can drop me a line at wkornrum@nycap.rr.com with your suggestions. I am still looking for a few woodworkers to build night stands and maybe a new dining room table. They can be built at your own shop and I will get them up to the Clubhouse in time for next ski season. The plans are complete and we have the prototypes at the Clubhouse so you can see what a good job Walt Kangas did with the design and fabrication. We have volunteer hosts for the month of April weekends so now it s time to start thinking about a Spring, Summer or Fall event you would like to host. It doesn't need to be a super duper themed weekend; just volunteer to be up there hosting and we can help you with notifying all of our members that there will be a host and good things to do. We need to have at least one weekend each of biking, hiking, and paddling, dirt biking and attending events in Stowe. If you are a Craft Beer fan, there is always a Brew Tour of the 5 crafters in the Stowe area. Call Terry Tamer if you would like to host a weekend at the Clubhouse. That is all for this issue. Do a Snow Dance.

3 Cheap ski days To get the council days offered by the CSC, you need a sticker to go on the back of your membership card. If you got this year s card already and there isn t one on the back of your card, you can receive your sticker by mailing a selfaddressed stamped envelope to: Dan Kirkpatrick 166 Goode St Burnt Hills, NY Tell me your name and how many stickers you need. 1 sticker per card. NYCDSC and CSC council days are up on the Facebook page and SWC website. Refunds for We understand that situations arise. For that reason, we have issued refunds for Clubhouse Pay in Advance and returned Stowe Ski tickets. However, this has increased the work load of our volunteer ticket chairwoman and our treasurer. We are instituting the following refund policies to compensate for this additional volunteer work. Our refund policy for Stowe Ski Tickets is to refund the price of the ticket less a $5 handling fee after we receive the tickets. In addition to the $5 fee, we will not refund the credit card transaction fee. The ticket must be returned by April 15 for a refund. Our refund policy for advance payment for room reservations is to refund the amount paid in the form of Clubhouse usage vouchers if the reservation is canceled two days before the first day of reserved usage. The vouchers can be used for stays at the Clubhouse and are transferable. There is no expiration date for the vouchers. We will not refund the credit card transaction fee or a $5 handling fee. You will need to request the refund by ing Bill Kornrumpf at wkornrum@nycap.rr.com. We want your aluminum Ski Poles The used ski, balcony railing project has been well received and we would like to extend the feature to our spiral staircase as well. The plan is to use the ski poles as balusters on the spiral staircase. We will need a fair amount of ski poles to make this work so please look in your basement and garages for Aluminum Ski Poles. We don t need matching pairs but they need to be relatively straight. You can drop them off at the Clubhouse basement or bring them to a meeting. We will not get to this project before the Spring Work Weekend. We can t use carbon fiber, bamboo or steel poles since we need to flatten them on one end. Thanks, Bill Kornrumpf Clubhouse Reservations Everyone staying at the Clubhouse YEAR ROUND should use the on line reservation system. We have had conflicts arise when members have just gone up without reservations and set up in a room that is already reserved. Just as important as your reservation is your presence up there. We have had a number of No Shows without cancellations. It's really a bummer when a member wants to reserve a bed, can't do so and then the bed is not used because someone hasn't canceled their reservation. This has happened a fair number of times this year as the ski conditions have been so variable from day to day. It is particularly rude when it happens during a popular event like the Cheap Ski or Holiday periods. You need to cancel at least two days before your planned usage so the Volunteer Hosts can plan on the meals and sleeping arrangements for families and friends. I don't want to labor the point so, in the words of Forest Gump: And that's all for that... Make your reservations and cancel as soon as you change your plans. On line Payment System Our on line payment system is working well. It is best to make your payment before you go up. That way, you don't need to log in at the clubhouse and spend valuable recreation time making payments to the host or mailing it in when there is no host. When you pay on line and bring a copy of your receipt, you don t have to make our any additional paperwork at the clubhouse. It also reduces the work load for our volunteers when you pay on-line. For Sale I have a mixed cruiser from the 1980s that I would like to sell. It's in great shape as it s been stored inside. Its best use now would probably be a training boat. Bill Hagan Cell Ski Club Appreciation Days at Stowe Being a member of a Ski Club or Council* has its perks! Ski for $46/day on Ski Club Appreciation days at Stowe Mountain Resort. April 7-9 is the last remaining Cheap Ski days period. We hope there will still be snow on the mountain. Jr tickets are $34/day. This year, you are able to GO DIRECT to a Stowe Mountain Resort Ticket Window, present your Valid Club or Council ID Card and Driver s License to receive the discounted ticket rates.

4 Great Clubhouse Rates Good news! We did not raise the Clubhouse rates this year. The best way to keep the rates down is to use the place and bring your friends with you. It is the best deal available in Northern Vermont. Dinner is usually served on Hosted Saturday nights and during special periods when we have a host to coordinate the meals. It simplifies all of our volunteer s work if you pay by credit card so we have eliminated the Credit Card fees for online payments. So, pay on-line in advance and come on up. Remember to sign-in on the register when you arrive so we know you were there and can keep track of the usage Rates Ski Season Non-Ski Season Year Round With Host Lodging Lodging Dinner Members $28.00 $25 $10.00 Non-member $33.00 $33 $15.00 Juniors (7 to 17 & 18 if in school) $10.00 $10 $5.00 Child (less than 7) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Discounted Stowe Lift Tickets We still have a few Stowe no black out lift tickets available. But, there may be cheaper options available so check the Stowe.com website for the up to date info on ticket prices. If you have unused tickets, you will need to mail them to Anita Cartin, 906 Heather Lane, Altamont, NY by April 15 for a refund. After that date, we will not be able to issue any refunds. If you still want to purchase tickets we are asking that you use the website and credit cards to order your discount tickets. 1. Call Anita on to see if she will be able to fulfil your order, then: 2. Log into the SWC website 3. Click on the Cheap SWC Ski Tickets button 4. Click on How to purchase SWC Cheap Ski Tickets 5. Enter the password from your Membership card 6. Follow the directions to finish payment via credit card Names and Numbers to Remember Board of Directors: Dorie Valenti, President C Bob Miller, VP Administration H John Bidell, VP Nordic C George Astle, VP Activities C Dan Kirkpatrick,VP-Alpine H Ed Greiner, NNYP President C Keith Freeman, Secretary H Margaret Parks, Treasurer C Bill Kornrumpf Clubhouse Director C wkornrum@nycap.rr.com Terry Tamer, Clubhouse Host Coord. H Bill Schaefer, At Large H Mary Warden, At Large C John Rack, Mohawk Valley Hiking Club H Pete Weykamp, Past Pres H Others John Boscarino, Membership H Anita Cartin, Ticket Vouchers C Will Seyse, Programs Chair H Sue Knapik, Newsletter Editor H sbknapik@yahoo.com Dorie Valenti, Webmaster doriev@verizon.net Clubhouse at Waterbury Center Change of Address Notices Change of Address notices should be sent to: John Boscarino boscarino126@aol.com, 126 Polsin Dr, Schenectady, NY Do not send to the editor, or the Club PO Box, they will get lost Bill Schaefer at the March 9 Meeting talking about 80 years of history for the Club with movies and slides

5 President s message What do fish think? They must think something or we, as the top of the line predators, would not need to develop intricate strategies on how to catch them and we wouldn t need to create elaborate fish stories on how we caught them or take pictures of our great catches and perhaps even Photoshop the images of our lesser catches into something more than what actually was and then send these images out to all of our cyber friends, to those who will return a text or exclaiming, WOW! And to those who will return an image of a bigger catch, a bigger fish than the one you just caught, at which point you will vow to catch one even bigger! What do fish think? One angler told me they don t think. Fish are either hiding in the weeds from a bigger fish or they are darting out from under their weedy cover to grab a bite to eat and that is all they do. So then why can t we catch them? I ve been out evenings in a canoe spin casting and paddling all around the lake using rubbery worms, spinners, and nothing! Not one bite. Not a nibble. One evening on my way up to the lake I stopped by Stewarts and bought a container of 12 worms (without any of my spin casting mentors seeing this) and I wrapped the wiggly earthen creature onto the hook of my spinner and from the shore I cast out, and I couldn t believe it! First cast! I caught a large mouth bass all by myself and the fish didn t swallow the hook and I took my picture and unhooked it and released it back into the lake, and watched as it high tailed its way back into the weeds. What do fish think? They think worms are a supreme delicacy that can only be found on hooks and thus they have learned to nibble; they can nibble worms right off the hook, a one prong hook, a two prong hook, a three prong hook, any hook, which is why Stewarts sells a dozen worms per container because feeding a dozen worms to the nibbling ichthyoids is easy and they wait for us. They sense us somehow and they dart out from their weedy covers and nibble away at our worms, one after another, and we feel them nibbling and we say, hey! I gotta nibble and we try to outsmart them and we let them nibble a little more and when we jerk the pole to set the hook, they are gone! And we reel in a wormless bare hook. What do fish think? They think we anglers are their personal chefs. They love us. One time I was up at the lake and decided to try my hand at fly fishing because I was done enabling the fish, they thinking they are such hot stuff, getting fat on eating all my worms, and swimming around with that hoity toity attitude, like catch me if you can. There are no worms when fly fishing; there are only flies. What do fish think? Fish know what flies are hatching! Fish will only bite on fresh hatched flies! Fly fishermen must know the hatch and then tie on a fly which matches the hatch if we want to catch a fish. I know nothing about the different types of flies and when they hatch, at least not yet, but before getting into all of that, I need to learn to cast the line from a fly rod, and this is not an easy task for me, and so one evening I went up to the lake to practice my casting and I tied on a neon pink fly because I did not want to chance, albeit a remote chance, of a fish going after my fly because I still have no idea how to bring in a fish on a fly rod; you don t just reel it in, you pull it in somehow. Nevertheless, no matter, I cast out that neon pink fly and I swear, that fish was at least 2 feet long! I m not kidding. Holy Moly! Jumped right out of the water! What was that fish thinking?! There are no neon pink flies in this area. There have never ever been neon pink flies in this area! What in god s name was that fish thinking?

6 Walt Kangas on the slopes of Verbier Switzerland Bill, Bill & Jean with two friends at Verbier Switzerland

7 9 of the 46 SWCers at the Clubhouse during March Cheap Ski weekend The Fireplace crew at March Cheap Ski weekend

8 Schenectady Wintersports Club Northern New York Paddlers PO Box 228 Schenectady New York Give a Gift of Membership Now is the time to sign up friends & family Membership is from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017 Please check your Newsletter delivery preference: version of the Newsletter Address (This saves trees & club resources). Receive Newsletter by postal mail: (Slower, higher club cost) Name Age Group (circle 0ne) Address ZIP Phone New Member( ) Renewal( ) $25 individual( ) $35 Family( ) For Family Membership, please indicate: Name of Spouse Age Group (circle 0ne) Names and Ages of Junior Members To qualify for family membership, children must be under 18 or 18 and still in High School. Interested in volunteering? Circle any that you are interested in: Clubhouse, SWC Board, Snow Show, NY Capital District Ski Council, Activities, Warren Miller Movie, hiking, biking and other Club help such as outreach. Make check payable to SWC and mail with the completed application to John Boscarino, 126 Polsin Dr, Schenectady, NY