Red Eye Ski Club
Where West Central Wisconsin Skiers and Boarders Meet

Après Trips Reports:
 

Lutsen, 14-16 March 2008
Tahoe, 20-26 February 2008
UP Trip, 9-10 February 2008
Big Sky, 23-28 January 2008
Mt. LaCrosse, 12 January 2008
Spirit_Mountain, 5 January 2008
Lutsen Pickup Trip 2007 posted 5/3/07
Steamboat Springs Trip 2007
Big Mountain Montana Ski Train Trip 2007 posted 2/17/07
Whitecap & Powderhorn 2007 posted 1/23/07
Spirit Mountain Dec. 30, 2006 posted 1/12/07
Lutsen 2006, posted 4/13/06
Whitecap 2006, posted 2/16/06
Whistler/Blackcomb 2006, posted 1/25/06
Spirit Mountain New Year's Day 2006, posted 1/6/06
Eau Claire Express, posted 8/10/05
Wissota Bike & Golf,  posted 7/8/05
Lutsen,  posted 3/31/05
Giant's Ridge posted 2/24/05
Salt Lake City ,  posted 2/27/05
UP (unofficial) Mystery Trip, posted 2/24/05
Welch Village posted 2/24/05
Sun Valley posted 4/6/04
Granite Peak , posted 4/6/04
Pine Mtn & Ski Brule Trip, posted 2/1/04
Salt Lake City (unofficial), posted 2/1/04
Anniversary Party, posted 1/30/04
Wild Mountain 2004, posted 1/6/04
Red Cedar, posted 7/16/03
Vail, posted 3/30/03
Spirit Mt./Giant's, posted 3/10/03
UP Murder Mystery, posted 3/10/03
Pine Mt./Ski Brule, posted 2/7/03
Austria, posted 2/4/03
Welch, posted 1/15/03

LUTSEN 2008 We had a great time at Lutsen once again. Great weather, great snow and great friends. Can't wait for next year when we take TWO BUSES full of Red Eyes to Lutsen!! woo hoo - Amy Click here to see Amy's Lutsen 2008 photos: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ajptivy.3ci2vmki&x=0&y=mkp3nf&localeid=en_US Here's a little video Amy made at Lutsen. Click here to Amy's Lutsen http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q69/herrmann9/ski%20videos/?action=view¤t=28d14321.pbr

The Red Eyes –     Submitted by: Dave White If Lake Tahoe isn’t the most entertaining ski resort town in the world, I don’t know what is.  This place has it all!  Fabulous nighttime entertainment, fine dining, exciting casinos, first class hotels, and of course great skiing!      With scenery like this you feel like you can ski forever!  Granted, the weather wasn’t exactly like you see here everyday.  Fact of the matter is that in a winter of record- breaking snowfall, we witnessed a 36-hour blizzard up close and personal at Squaw Valley.     On the left we’ve got Sharon leading a group of Red Eyes from Nevada to California at world famous Heavenly Ski Resort.  The group on the right is bidding farewell to our newest Red Eye, (40 year old) “birthday boy” Scott Kies (4th from the left) at Northstar resort. As usual, when the sun sets, the Red Eyes smoothly transitioned from “ski mode” to “party mode”.  On Saturday night, several of the Red Eye eligible bachelors made their way to the grand opening of “The Zone” (party lounge and sports bar) at Montbleu where Playboy Playmate (Miss February) Heather Rene Smith was celebrating her birthday.  YES – That really is Heather with “Mr. Happy” Brandon Sands.        While Brandon was putting the moves on “Miss February”, lots of Red Eyes took in a tribute to the Beatle’s entitled “Yesterday”, that played nightly at the Horizon Hotel & Casino.  Everybody loved that show! Of course it wouldn’t be Lake Tahoe without a little gambling.  The biggest winner appears to have been “Trifecta Jonny” Seep, who, while taking a brief break from the Craps table, nailed the 10th race trifecta at Santa Anita Raceway on Saturday afternoon.  Here’s    “Trifecta Jonny” with the lovely teller from Harvey’s Race & Sports Book, who sold him the winning ticket.  On the right, Jon demonstrates his horse racing strategy with some other horse savvy Red Eyes on the mechanical horse DERBY at the Horizon Casino. It was a great vacation, and a destination that will be back on the Red Eye ski trip schedule just as soon as an airline decides to restore direct flights between Minneapolis and Reno…    Click here to Amy's Tahoe video: http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q69/herrmann9/?action=view¤t=fe60a4ec.pbr

Great Adventure to the U.P.-February 9 &10, 2008 by Sue Block On Saturday, Feb. 9, several Red Eye members arose bright and early to catch the 6:30am bus departing from Memorial High School (perhaps that’s where the name “Red Eye” originated!).  After a stop in Bloomer for more members, we were off for the great white north (e.g. Ironwood/Bessemer, Michigan area).  The bus arrived at Blackjack ski area about 10:15 am.  Thirty eager skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes for a great day of skiing.  The snow was beautiful, the slopes were uncrowded and the skiing was wonderful.  At 2pm we gathered for the traditional binding “safety” check and initiated another member into our club.  The group also participated in an awesome human slalom and no one got hurt!  As we packed up to leave that afternoon, the wind started to pick up and the temperature started dropping. At 4:30pm we pulled out of Blackjack and headed to the Day’s Inn-Hurley where we checked into deluxe accommodations complete with a microwave/refrigerator in each room, a 24 hour hot tub/pool area and a friendly staff.  After soaking in the hot tub and debating the merits of the Packers vs. Vikings and skiing vs. snowmobiling with some Minnesota sled-heads we got ready for dinner.  Dinner was at the Iron Nugget where the group enjoyed a pizza and wing dinner complete with salad, dessert and soda.  Tom W., our official entertainment scout, reported on the Hurley entertainment options.  Due to extremely cold and windy weather, only a few brave Red Eyes ventured out to check out downtown Hurley. Sunday morning we awoke to -20 degree air temperature and -45 degree wind chill.  The wind was howling out of the northwest with gusts up to 30 mph!  UGH!  After much consideration and input from others, the trip leaders Jim and Sue Block decided not to ski at Indianhead that day.  (Yet another first in the Blocks long line of ski trip “firsts” for us!  Boo hoo!).  Luckily, the group was understanding so we relaxed at the hotel, ate breakfast and some of us got more hot tub time!  At 10:30am we headed for home.  Along the way we watched movies, played a word scramble game and visited.  Arrived in Eau Claire about 4:30pm and the weather still hadn’t gotten much warmer.

BIG SKY- Montana 2008 Welcome to Chet Huntley’s dream.  When the former NBC News anchorman first set eyes on “Lone Peak” he knew this was one of God’s great creations, and it was his vision that lead to the development of Big Sky Ski Resort.  Although Chet never lived long enough to see his dream become reality, the Red Eyes have come to appreciate Chet’s vision through their spectacular 2008 trip to BIG SKY. While we rolled into Big Sky under the cover of midnight darkness, the moonlight provided a tease of what lie ahead for us a daybreak.  Take a look at this shot… What a view to wake up to every morning from the bedroom window of our Big Horn Condominiums!  The skiing was spectacular everyday, and two of our four ski days were “blue bird” skies just like you see!!!       With the weather co-operating and the vast terrain of both Big Sky and adjacent Moonlight Basin Resort, the task at hand was to ski it all.  I can’t speak for the entire group, but I can tell you that I left plenty of unexplored territory for the next visit J!  The incredibly convenient poma lift, just across the street from our condos, made for little wasted time in making first tracks each morning.  Likewise the ski-in ski-out access made the 4 o’clock return to our Big Horn condos a breeze, skiing down “Silver Knife” right to our back door. Even though the skiing was spectacular, we are fortunate to have Red Eye ski club trip leaders that had the foresight to realize that there is more to a ski trip than just skiing!          While the always under control trip leader “Mr. Big” contemplates the final run of the day, co-trip leader and Social Mistress Amy “The Queen of Lutsen” Wieczorek is already staking out another Après Ski opportunity!  Amy always had a plan.  Sometimes she forgot what the plan was, but nonetheless, it was a plan… One of the particularly popular Après occurred at Chet’s Bar, in the Huntley Lodge, where many Red Eyes demonstrated a multitude of previously unknown musical talents during the “Famous Austrian Brothers” show.   With the aid of large quantities of disinfectant (actually Peppermint Schnapps and Jack Daniels Whiskey) Carol Figi left little doubt that she could clearly “blow” better than any of the women that Montana had ever seen, and Diane Bergh proved to be particularly adept at playing the popular “Pecker Teaser”… While most of the really daring Red Eye Après events occurred at a local watering hole called Whiskey Jack’s, unfortunately those photos were confiscated by Montana authorities and were being reviewed by the local D.A.s office for possible charges… Fortunately I was able to charm this good looking Bozeman Montana Correctional Officer, on the dance floor, eventually convincing her that I was Dick Cheney, and that the mischievous Red Eye’s at Big Sky (including Manfreid “Twinkle Toes” Deutsch, Carol “Bad Girl of the North” Figi, “Lightning Linda” Johnson, Tom “Wild Man” Wilson, and Maggie “Green Machine” Smith – all seen in this photo) were actually CIA operatives trying to uncover a ring of Canadian terrorists posing as Red Eye imposters…  We clearly exceeded the legal limit for laughs and good times on this trip!  If you missed it, it was your loss! Sincerely, “Mr. Big Dick” Cheney

Mt. LaCrosse Day ski trip January 12, 2008 Report submitted by Karen Cauble The first day ski trip planned to ski at Mt. LaCrosse did occur.  As planned, it was a “pick-up” trip (carpool) to visit the ski club’s “chicks on sticks” in the LaCrosse area!  We did, indeed, support their little mountain! On Sat. morning, at 8:00 a.m., Dave W., Pam W., Carol F., Vicki F., Linda J. and Karen C. carpooled from Eau Claire.  We arrived at the resort sometime around 10:00 a.m. ?  Five other red eyes traveled from their own locations and met us at the resort;  Dan/Debbie C., Manfred D., Tom W., Mary R.  The LaCrosse ladies had a table reserved for us in the bar area. As told by the skiers, the snow conditions were O.K., but the skiers still managed to check out the local hill.  Some of the runs were closed due to a race competition that was taking place that day.  I managed to talk to the locals in the chalet and visit with skiers as they came in for lunch. We left the hill around 3:00 p.m. and headed to Mariel C.’ s house.  The ladies had invited us for a chili feed. Everything about it was delicious! Thank you to Mariel for sharing her house, Sharon, Shirley, and Joyce for all the food planning and helping put this day together.  It was truly a success and we enjoyed the camaraderie.

Spirit Mountain We had a great trip on Saturday, January 5, 2008 at SPIRIT MOUNTAIN.. A Big thank you to Brandon & Tyler for leading this great trip. Amy W has videos. Look back here in a few days for photos. - Amy

LUTSEN PICKUP TRIP: “Things I Learned at Lutsen” This report is a narrative of a recently completed season ending “pick up” trip to Lutsen, through the eyes of trip member Fred LaGeese, and compiled by an anonymous author. The TOP 15 LIST of “THINGS FRED LEARNED AT LUTSEN” #15 – Surprisingly it only takes 4 Red Eyes to exceed the 680 pound gondola weight limit… #14 – If you didn't think it was possible to party until 4:00 am, night after night, you obviously have never spent any quality time with Brandon Sands, Amy Wieczorek, and Dave White. #13 – Despite what the label on the egg carton says, Dave's homegrown bantam eggs are neither “extra large” nor “poop free”, if you know what I mean… #12 - Amy loves the songs on Dave's MP-3 player. At least the ones that were recorded after she was born… #11 – Much like a small toddler, allowing Brandon Sands to take too long of an afternoon nap comes with severe consequences later that night… #10 – “Swimsuit Sunday” is a beautiful thing… J #9 – Don't ever use your good skis in April… #8 – A direct snowball hit to the ear hole is painful, no matter how small the kid is that launched the 4-foot laser shot. #7 - “Last Call” at Papa Charlie's doesn't necessarily mean “ Last Call”… #6 – Don't drink Red Bull after dark! When Amy refers to a “Brett Favre” she ain't talking about football, and yes – Red Bull, Hpnotiq, and Vicodin do NOT mix well… #5 – Just because some cute blond girl tells everyone in the bar that she's sleeping with you tonight, doesn't necessarily mean she's really going to show up… #4 - When you're playing strip poker, 4-Kings really does beat 3 Aces… #3 - There is a reason that they call it “Melt Down Weekend”... #2 - Yes – “Road Rash” is a serious problem when you fall while skiing topless. 1 – “ What happens in Lutsen stays in Lutsen ”!!!!!! The Queen of Lutsen: This could be trouble: This IS trouble: Oh, oh, this is SERIOUS trouble:

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS 2007 Submitted by: Dave White, posted 4/12/07 With a pot of thick black “Kwik Trip” coffee, a pack of beef jerky, my freshly soaped 30-year old cowboy boots, and a resurrected Panama Jack cowboy hat, I was ready to board the motor coach for “Cow Town USA”. Apparently the “cowboy apparel memo” wasn't widely circulated though, as there were only two of us on the coach that were dressed appropriately… Boarding the plane, it became apparent that we were surrounded by a renegade group of NASTAR ski racers that were ironically scheduled to compete in the NASTAR National Finals at Steamboat, during the same time period as our visit. When we got off the plane at Hayden International (it's not really an international airport, but it sounds kind of impressive…) we walked across the tarmac in a pouring rain. I had vivid flash backs of the ill fated 2006 Red Eye trip arrival to pouring rain in Salt Lake City. Thankfully my cowboy hat was semi waterproof, which helped keep that thin spot on the top of my head from getting soaked. With nary a flake of snow in sight we headed off on the 30-minute shuttle to the Lodge at Steamboat, praying in unison with the NASTAR racers that we would miraculously find snow on the mountain. It turned out that there was in fact plenty of snow on all of the runs at Steamboat, but the weather remained unusually warm. What little precipitation fell during our stay was mostly in the form of very light rain. Much like our trip to Whistler/Blackcomb last year, the successful “lift” strategy was to ride the gondola to mid-mountain both going up in the morning AND coming back down at the end of the day. Skiing at the highest possible altitude always provided the better snow conditions. The 3-bedroom condominium accommodations at “The Lodge at Steamboat” were just terrific, and the frequent shuttle buses made getting around Steamboat a breeze. We had easy access to the lifts, grocery stores, ski shops, restaurants, and nightlife entertainment. The bullet point highlights from Steamboat (many of which are supported with photographic evidence) include: A fabulous Sunday evening Red Eye spaghetti dinner / Birthday party (for Fred Hoeser who turned 39 one more time…) coordinated by our lovely condo hostess Mary Anne Kies. It was an awesome spread of great food including a huge birthday cake! I'm going to trade my Cinnamon Raison French Toast recipe with Mary Anne for her original Italian Spaghetti Sauce. An unusual Red Eye ski trip coincidence occurred on this trip in that the average daytime temp at Steamboat, and the average Red Eye trip participants age were both the exact same number, 60! The unusually warm spring temps and bright sunlight turned what is universally known as “Ski Town USA”, into what we are now referring to as “Slush Mountain USA”. Water skis would have worked well by mid-afternoon. After three days of skiing with neither coat nor gloves, even the SPF-50 couldn't prevent a distinct sun tan line from forming on both of my wrists. Fortunately I was wearing pants at all times… The soft snow conditions made some of the flat “green” runs very slow, which created a bit of crowding on the intermediate “blue” runs. BUT that same soft snow also made many of the more difficult “black diamond” runs ski-able for even some of us intermediate level Red Eyes! While “Fred & Fred” (and company) are rumored to have tamed the nastiest “black diamond trees and moguls” that Steamboat offered up, I'm very lucky to have survived “ROLEX”, a Steamboat signature 800 foot black diamond vertical mogul head wall… Without some of the regular hard partying Red Eyes on this trip, Jon “Party Boy” Seep and I had to coerce some of the casual beverage consumers to step it up a notch at Steamboat. While only a couple of us actually made it to the “Tug Boat” dance floor, we found several Après ski sun deck opportunities at the base of the main gondola. During one of the more entertaining sun deck outings I accidentally demonstrated the trick of pouring Steamboat Pale Ale (a fabulous local brew) into my new ski boot. Sometimes I'm such a “dork”… Speaking of “new equipment”. Carol “Bad Girl of the North” and formerly “Flying Figi” is all decked out in brand new Atomic skis and Dalbello ski boots courtesy of the fine retailers at the Steamboat Ski Shop. Unlike Linda Johnson and Maggie Smith who pulled a similar stunt last spring at Afton Alps, Carol was not inebriated at the point of purchase… It wouldn't be Steamboat Springs without horseback riding, so yes; two anonymous Red Eye cowboys (or cowgirls) went calf roping at “Del's Triangle 3 Ranch”. (No there wasn't really any calf roping, but I'm trying to make this stuff sound good…). After a couple glasses of liquid courage it was revealed that one of them had never even been on a horse before… Oops! The safe return of all 28 Red Eyes from Steamboat concludes a very successful 2007 ski club trip season. Thank you to trip leaders Fred Hoeser and Carol Figi for going the extra mile in putting together this great Steamboat trip!

Big Mountain Montana Ski Train Trip 2007 Trip report by Dave White; posted 2/26/07 When I put this trip together, I was envisioning an economical ski trip to a relatively unknown Montana destination for a group that would hopefully include the 24 people required to meet the group discount minimum requirements. What it evolved into was an ULTRA economical ski trip to NOW much better known Big Mountain Montana AND Fernie British Columbia destinations, for an unprecedented large group of 54 Red Eyes! Right from the start, you knew this trip was going to be way different. No security checks and no photo Ids required here, because we traveled the good old-fashioned “rail” way! The silver sided, stream lined, Amtrak “Empire Builder” provided a scenic and relaxing ride all the way to Whitefish, Montana – the home of “Big Mountain”. About a dozen Red Eyes upgraded to the “sleeper” berths, while the other 42 wandered freely between the coach car, diner, lounge, and viewing platforms. It was my first train experience, and I'm at a loss for words to describe how wonderful it was. For large ski group travel, I'm now convinced that it is clearly the easiest way to travel. In these days of “full plane” flights, the reality is that not all of our skier's baggage is likely to get loaded onto a plane, for weight restriction reasons. With Amtrak - baggage is a non-issue. The accommodations at Grouse Mountain Lodge were just as promised. Everyone raved about the complimentary daily hot breakfasts, the easy access to complimentary shuttle buses, and the friendly “can do” attitude of everyone at Grouse Mountain. Two of the four ski days at Big Mountain were what they refer to in Montana as rare “bluebird” days. Unlimited blue skies revealing spectacular summit views of the Rocky Mountains, Glacier National Park, and the vast Flathead Valley. One look at some of phenomenal Red Eye photos from this trip, and you will know exactly what I'm talking about. While the clear skies brought some cool nights and windy conditions at the summit, it was actually quite balmy compared to the –20 degree bitter temperatures that paralyzed Wisconsin while we were in Montana. 29 Red Eyes made the early morning motor coach departure on Friday for what turned out to be a spectacular day of skiing at Fernie, in the Canadian Province of British Columbia. We saw several elk herds on the way up to Fernie, a couple of which put our motor coach into a four wheel evasive maneuver to avoid turning the elk into hood ornaments. One of the unexpected services at Fernie was the free tour guide ambassador program. Most of us took advantage of these friendly tour guides for much of the day at Fernie. The Saturday night “Moonlight Dine & Ski” option turned into a harrowing adventure. While the dinner at the summit chalet was wonderful, and the nighttime views were awesome, the moon did a disappearing act before the ski trip back down the mountain. The lack of any significant moonlight, and a few logistical errors in judgment, lead to what some are referring to as the “Big Ravine train wreck on skis”. While the Red Eyes are a proud and talented group, we obviously have some shortcomings in nighttime navigation skills. In addition to the wonderful skiing, some of the Red Eyes took advantage of side trip opportunities to snowmobile in the Rockies, go dogsledding, and go cross-country skiing in Glacier National Park. The Montana outdoor entertainment options were virtually endless. We spent our last night in Montana enjoying a festive Super Bowl party (yes gambling is legal in Montana…) and a delicious Italian halftime buffet at Grouse Mountain Lodge. After the football game we enjoyed some more Red Eye BINGO and distributed a wonderful assortment of prizes and souvenirs. Finally, I would be remiss, to not recognize the dedicated Red Eye “bar flies” on the Big Mountain trip. Lead by our ski-less “lady on crutches” (Amy Wieczorek) and Jon (“smokem if you gottem”) Seep, there were no dehydration issues on this trip. Rumor has it that a select group of seven hard living Red Eyes, who just can't get enough, continued the post party celebration well into the night in downtown Whitefish. Who would have guessed that playing ping-pong at 2 am in a Whitefish bar would be such a challenging and memorable event?… It was a fabulous trip, and it went by way too fast. As the trip leader of such a large group there were some challenges, but it was a wonderful group of 54 people, and I truly appreciate the great friendships that I have with so many. ******************************************** Amy W. had a slide show of photos from off the hills. Click here to see all of the photos: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ajptivy.5nqyko72&x=0&y=-57xqno A few of the choice selections are pasted below: The late night bar crowd: A Pair of Wangs: Eric and Jon: Hot tubbing: Hot Tub Dave in his natural element surrounded by women: The next photos show the whole gang at dinner:

WHITECAP/POWDERHORN MOUNTAINS, January 13-14, 2007. Trip Report by Sue Block ; posted 1/23/06 Fabulous 2-day Economy Trip Who says inexpensive can't be fun? Thirty three Red Eye members had a great time on the January 13-14 economy trip to Whitecap and Powderhorn Mountains ! Leaving Eau Claire at 6:30 am on a cold Saturday morning, we arrived at Whitecap at 10am and enjoyed a full day of skiing. At the end of the day we loaded the bus and headed to the Day's Inn in Hurley where several members piled in the hot tub causing it to overflow! We enjoyed a delicious pizza dinner complete with cake and party hats to celebrate the birthdays of Jeannie F. and Eric W. After dinner, some Red Eyes checked out the night life in Hurley. We even had some members (including the “Bad Girls of the North”) attempt cage dancing. You'd have to be there to understand! Other members headed back to the hotel for a heated game of Trivial Pursuits. Hint: you definitely want Fred H., Kurt J. or Shirley A. on your trivia team! Sunday morning found us loading the bus at 8:15 am to head to Powderhorn for a fantastic day of skiing. The runs were groomed, the hill was uncrowded, light snow was falling and the sun was shining. Our crack (or is it crackpot) safety team performed another successful binding check on new members Janeen and Nickol G. It was a wonderful day of skiing. After a quick stop in Hayward for dinner we arrived in Eau Claire about 9:30 pm. Jim and Sue B. want to say thank you to a great group of skiers and boarders---you make leading a trip easy! Some of the trip's highlights (or low lights depending on your point of view) were: Lots of members are sporting new skis this year. Fred L. even had a new jacket and helmet (so Sue can't pick on him anymore). Brandon S. has a new “James Bond”-type device. He has a wallet that comes with a wake up alarm. When the alarm goes off, he tries to answer his wallet (or was that supposed to be a cell phone). As usual, the Block-led trips always seem to come back with an injury. Steve M. had an airborne snowboarding incident with a badly sprained (?) ankle. A very successful binding check and human slalom. I don't think Janeen or Nickol knew what was coming! Karen C. got the butt skis out and attempted another run down the hill. (See the photo array below of the butt skis in action.) Sue B. had a very creative lift experience at Whitecap. She got a little too anxious to get on the chair but there was no room so she executed a 360 degree maneuver around the chair lift operator without mishap. Dave W. took out several skiers and boards again this trip. At least, several people on the bus claimed to have been mowed over by Dave! And finally, the Red Eye Cage Dancing unit is a newly formed sub-group of our club. Here's their promotional photo: The whole handsome snowfull group: A selection of the Red Eye UP skiers: Karen C. and her butt skis, closeup, and in action: THE END, or, at least, Karen's END.

SPIRIT MOUNTAIN, December 30, 2006 posted 1/12/07 Trip report by Kurt Jacobson and Karen De Mars   A dedicated group of 15 friendly Red Eyes embarked from Eau Claire early Saturday morning to enjoy a day on the slopes of Duluth 's most famous hill. After boarding a month-old Blackhawk Express—a bus just screaming to be broken in past the 10,000 mile mark—the group prepared for the short trip north and the promise of snow. Many felt the anticipation of leaving behind the rain and brown ground of the Chippewa Valley, and the strong dose of milk and cookies provided seemed to help brace the group for the journey. With a quick stop in Bloomer to pick up three more eager Red Eyes, the bus sped steadily along. The highway traveled was smooth and easy, with some passengers experiencing three successive bald eagle spottings en route. A second pick up in Trego yielded Red Eye number 19, and with just miles to go, the group met its 20 th and final member at Spirit Mountain, arriving shortly before 10am. With 75% of the slopes open, the Red Eyes wasted no time in setting out and testing the conditions on Spirit's generous runs. After a full am of downhilling, most group members—many with new ski legs and some with new equipment—were ready for the chalet by the afternoon. Relaxing and visiting during lunch was a welcome break, as were the delightful chocolate caramel pecan pretzels shared among the eaters, courtesy of our Trego friend. The pm brought further adventures for the group, and despite longer lift lines, the Red Eyes found plenty of space to ski and snowboard until twilight set in. By 5 o'clock, everyone had found their way to our Blackhawk Express, and we were off to refuel our human tanks by tracking down some supper at the Miller Hill Mall. A host of dining options greeted our hungry crew. With ample time for both eating and conversation, the Red Eyes were in no rush to leave Duluth before they were ready. Some were even found enjoying the mall's massage chairs while others discovered a few shopping bargains. Loading the Blackhawk for the final ride home, we bid a fond farewell to Spirit and reveled in another great day of skiing memories.

LUTSEN 2006----“PIZZA CUTTER” Trip report submitted by Amy Wieczorek,   Posted 4/13/06  The weekend started out great. The bus loaded very quickly and we were out of the parking lot by 6:12. As everyone was passing Shirley’s cookies, passing jell-o shots, mixing their first drink and getting comfortable for a 5 hour drive, we stopped at Kwik Trip in Bloomer and picked up our other 3 skiers. ` Once on our way, the Flying Figi Entertainment started. Carol, my co-trip leader, had a whole briefcase full of trivia games, prizes, and sharpened #2 pencils. We had trivia about skiers, ski equipment, ski Olympians and ski jumping. We had enough games to make the 5 hr drive fly by. After a few games of trivia we played the scavenger hunt game. I had everyone email me an interesting fun fact about them. I put them all together to make a social mixer, and everyone learned a lot about everyone else. Some of the facts I had to make up because some people didn’t get back to me with a fact. (Sorry Jon & Brenda)  We had a tie for first place between Jeanne Figi & Jenny Gostomski.  After that game, everyone socialized and relaxed the rest of the way. We checked into the hotel around 11:30, a little later than expected because we had to drive through a the snow storm. After we handed out room keys & lift tickets to everyone, some people decided to turn in and others decided to hit the bar. I managed to walk all the way to Papa Charlie’s just in time to have one drink and then we got kicked out. (Dewey & I forgot about the MN bar close time.) Saturday morning, Manfred drove up and met us at the hotel. I gave him Vicky’s ticket since she was unable to make it at the last minute. The lifts opened at 9 and I think almost everyone was on the slopes by 10:30am. The weather was sunny and beautiful, and the runs were excellent with some fresh powder on them. Quite a few skiers had lunch on top of Moose Mt at the new chalet. (Some even got free mozzarella sticks.) The chalet was grilling brats on the deck and had a ½ barrel of Miller Lite on tap. Slope Slurpers decided on a liquid lunch. We stayed on Moose Mt until 2:30 and then headed back over to Eagle Mt. By 3:30 the lines were very long at the bottom of Eagle Chair & Bridge Chair. We did one more run and decided to head back because we didn’t want to be late for the 4:45 wine party in the condo. The condo filled up fast. We had 35 people skiing with our group and 33 were in the condo, so we approached maximum capacity. By 6:30 the condo mates were hungry and we were sent back to the main lodge. Now that the hot tub was not packed with Red Eyes, we decided to jump in. The tub was unbelievably hot--the temperature must have been 110 degrees. We could dangle our feet in the water but that was about it. Papa Charlie’s was having the “Kurt Jorgensen Band” on stage at 9:30.  I told everyone to get there early to try and avoid the cover charge. We got there at 8:00 and told them we were there to eat, and proceeded to the restaurant. After dinner we found about 20 Red Eyes upstairs in the loft area watching the band. After a few drinks we headed to the dance floor. If you ever get the chance to dance with one of the Sands, don’t pass it up. They are great swing dancers. We closed Papa Charlie’s again and took the shuttle back to the hotel. Once we walked in the door, a security guard handed Brandon a noise ordinance violation. It claimed his room was loud and one more complaint and they would be evicted. The Sands were not even in their room from 8 pm to 1:30am, but the guard said there had been a complaint.  The funny part about the violation was that the room number listed was #305--Jim & Sue Block's room. They were not out at Papa Charlie’s, so maybe they had a party in their room. Sunday the hotel restaurant had all-you-can-eat breakfast which was excellent and exactly what I needed. Eric planned a race at 11:00 on the top of Mystery Mt. According to my sources Jon Seep was the winner of the race. He was the only one to race down the right path and find Carol at the finish line. Everyone else took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong run.  The safety binding check was a success at Lutsen. Mike Kane has safe bindings with accurate settings. The Human Slalom was at 1:30 over on Moose Mt. I think we had a record number of crashes and wipe outs in all of Red Eye history. Kris Reali was the first one to go down. She tried to stop on a steep icy part of the run and lost her footing. Once on her back, she just kept sliding until the run flattened out. Eric came along and thought it looked fun, so he fell onto his back and slid down next to her. After the numerous snowballs that hit me as I skied between the gates, I wanted to keep a lot of speed to fly by the snowboarders and hit them with some spray. As I was getting closer to Dewey, I had too much speed. I am not sure exactly what happened but I think I ran over my pole. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air and rolling and lost all my equipment. My first yard sale since 1984. When I finally stopped all I could do was laugh. (I wish Dewey had a video camera to catch it on film.) After my accident Dewey was gaining speed and couldn’t make it around his next gate. He tried to swerve but all he could do was grab his gate and take it with him. POOR JENNY. She felt like she was hit by a Peterbuilt Truck. Michelle Jensen also lost control taking a gate to sharp and down she went.  After that we all made it down safely. I think we had over 25 skiers for the human slalom. It was hard to count as the Slope Slurpers kept coming out of the trees. Next we headed over to White Wolf for some speed races. Who could bomb the hill the quickest? It really had to do with wind resistance and wax. Eric really wanted to win so he laid down to have the least wind resistance. I don’t know how he could see or have control but he didn’t care. He just wanted to win. The gondola was not running at normal speed, but I never knew it would take me 40 minutes to get to Eagle Mt. The only highlight about waiting in line was I got interviewed to be on the news. The reporter noticed my Packer ski hat and came over to talk to me. Once on our way back, we could not believe how bumpy the ride was. We could hardly stay seated. We hit a bump so hard that Dewey flew up and hit his head on the ceiling and turned the light on. We went through a couple tunnels on the way down and Brandon’s favorite quote from the weekend was from Eric, “I don’t remember going through any tunnels on the way up to Lutsen!”  The bumps did not stop Gerry & Barb from passing out wine, cheese and crackers. They were loved by everyone on the bus. Not so loved were the Bloody Marys that Jim & Jeff were handing out. One drink and my lips burned for 15 minutes. We renamed them Burning Mary’s. Eric would like to say thank you for the burning O-Ring the next day. Jeanne Figi actually liked the drink, which was a good thing since I made her drink it every time she yawned. We played some more trivia on the way home and we also watch the movie “Red Eye.” I told a couple of stories and sang along with Jeanne’s cowboy joke. Everybody in the back of the bus learned what a pizza cutter was, thanks to Dewey. A couple of other favorite lines from the weekend were "Drink or Pass,"  "Wear the Fox Hat,"  "Lock it up," "I still got the box," "You're killing me smalls," "wickets in the butt," "pizza slice," "credit card,"  "bat in the cave," "pour in the fun," and, of course "Don’t mess my Hairdoooo." I would like to thank everyone who came on the Lutsen trip for making it great. I can’t wait to take another trip with everyone again. And I hope to see you all at the Spring Banquet on April 21st. Pictures have been posted on the Kodak Gallery. Here are the links: Amy’s pictures:     www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ajptivy.4qc2vfo2&x=0&y=-dz6mj4 Jim’s pictures:    www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=xsbqeed.ffz5y3h&x=0&y=uajc43

Whitecap Mountain One-Day Trip  February 11th, 2006.  Trip Leaders - Eric Wieczorek & Dave White.                                                                                          Trip Report submitted by: Dave White  Despite what the critics said, it is possible to pack a whole weekend of fun into just 15 hours.  You just have to be organized, and play fast.  And that’s what we did on Saturday February 11th.  With a 6:00 AM meeting time, and an aggressive agenda there was never a dull moment. We had 36 fun lovers on the morning motor coach, and were joined by 4 more thrill seekers that met us at Whitecap Mountain, making this one of the biggest Red Eye Club trips in recent years.  Along with the usual group of Red Eye “die-hards,” we were joined on this trip by 16 friends & guests, several Red Eyes making just their 2nd club trip, and a couple of former Red Eyes that now realize how much fun they’ve been missing. Highlights of this fabulous “Day Trip” included – Free breakfast bags carefully prepared by Red Eye Master Chef Eric “The Animal” Wieczorek.  That guy can bake some awesome muffins.  And how does he get them in those little bags??? John Candy showed up, as promised, providing double feature movie entertainment with “The Great Outdoors” followed by “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” The Red Eye motor coach version of “The Price Is Right” starring “Vana” Bergh and “Vana” Cauble was a smashing hit.  Multiple CASH prizewinners arrived at Whitecap with extra spending money A special Red Eye Ski Binding check was conducted by certified binding mechanic Tom Wilson, and his able bodied assistants.  It’s safe to say that Carrie Brahmer won’t forget her first Red Eye ski trip anytime soon… J There were five “Double Black Diamond Experience” survivors lead by professional tour guide Eric “The Animal” Wieczorek.  (Yes the same guy that bagged up breakfast…).  Survivors included “Ballistic” Brandon Sands, Bob “The Weather Guy” Trihy, Karen Cauble, Amy Wieczorek, and myself (although I must admit I mastered part of the Double Black run with my butt closer to the snow than my skis if you know what I mean…) The Whitecap Mountain ski patrol reportedly provided a free snowmobile ride back to the chalet for one skier that was supposedly “too drunk to ski down the hill.”  Not sure who it was (too polite to name names…) but rumor was that it was the same Red Eye that was seen earlier in the day trying to ski “UP” a rock cliff. The Red Eye “Corcheval Cat Track Race” was won by Eric Wieczorek.  (Yes – the same guy that bagged up breakfast and lead the Double Black Diamond Experience.)  He was everywhere. Guest “Trip Meteorologist” Bob Trihy reportedly heard the Ski Patrol doing some afternoon avalanche control blasting from one of the chairlifts.  (I’m thinking Bob must have drank his lunch from an aluminum can…) Dwight (Dewey) Sands demonstrated his “premature chair lift exit” routine (sometimes referred to as “falling off the chair lift”) at the top of Eagle Nest Mountain.  By the tracks in the snow, it appears to me that “Dewey” misjudged the end of the chairlift ride by at least 100 feet.     It’s believed that the “Human Slalom” at Whitecap Mountain broke the all time Red Eye Club record for both length and participation with “32 skiers/boarders” stretching over “350 yards” down the hill!!! The evening dinner at “Beil’s Restaurant” was spectacular.  Patty Beil had her staff ready and waiting for our every need upon our arrival in Park Falls.  The food was terrific, and it was a “clinic” in how to effectively accommodate a motor coach full of hungry and thirsty Red Eyes. We were within minutes of meeting the predicted 9:00 PM motor coach return time to Eau Claire, proving that “yes you can pack two days of fun into just 15 hours”!!!

Whistler/Blackcomb 06’                                                                                                             Submitted by: Dave White 1/21/06 Trip Leaders Fred Hoeser & Dave White  Everything you have ever heard or read about the magnitude and majesty of Whistler/Blackcomb is absolutely true.  It is unquestionably the most impressive alpine ski complex on the North American Continent.  To think that I, along with 23 other Red Eyes, had the privilege to see and ski one of God’s very best is still hard for me to believe.  The 8-day Whistler Red Eye Trip can only be described as a tremendous success!  From start to finish, this trip was filled with fun, friendship, laughs, good times, and fabulous skiing.  It snowed the day that we arrived, and every single day that we were there!  Dispelling the criticism that Whistler sometimes has marginal snow conditions, it actually snowed 53 inches of Pacific powder during our 7-day stay!  Along with us, the Canadian locals were frenzied with excitement over all the fresh track opportunities! On Fred’s advice, most of the Red Eyes took advantage of a 3-Day Ski Esprit option that provided a small group guide and lesson experience.  The groups were divided based on skiing ability.  It turned out to be a blessing in a multitude of ways. It pushed all of us to extend beyond our normal skiing comfort zone.  Learn new and better techniques.  Handle all types of snow and terrain conditions.  It created a wonderful bonding experience between people that you don’t often ski with.  In my case, Manfred Deutsch, Carol Figi, and Sharon DeCicco were all in my Esprit group.  I really enjoyed the time that we spent together laughing and learning each day. It allowed us “lift line cutting” privileges during those three days.  That turned out to be a huge advantage on both Saturday and Sunday, when the fresh powder dump drew thousands of local and vacationing skiers creating long lift lines. The experienced ski instructors/guides took us to places all over both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains that we would likely never have found on our own.  Always pushing our envelope but never placing us in dangerous situations that we could not handle.    To help pass the time on the long motor coach rides between Seattle, WA and Whistler, BC I had developed a “Whistler Bingo” game that actually evolved into quite a social activity throughout the entire trip.  Whistler bingo games were continuously in play from January 6th through the 18th.  We had 10 individual game winners of Whistler souvenir pins and pens, and five grand prize Whistler souvenir winners.  Grand prize winners included Larry Shingleton, Mary Anne Kies, Manfred Deutsch, Liz Biazo, and Diane Bergh.  My mind is so full of great memories, that I could fill pages with stories but here are a few of the many highlights from our trip – Watching the “Fire and Ice” show in Whistler Village on Sunday night.  It was a tremendous display of nighttime daredevil trick skiing and fire juggling.  It was awesome, and unfortunately one of the few places that I didn’t have my camera with me. “Face Planting” for the 6th and final time on Blackcomb Mountain.  I’m not real graceful in the knee-deep powder and frequently found my body moving downhill faster than my skis – never a good situation.  Despite what they tell you, its VERY DARK and HARD TO BREATHE when you find yourself plunging head first four feet under the snow.  Thank God for helmets! Speaking of helmets – They have quickly gone from being “nerdy” to “necessary”.  Many of the Red Eyes on this trip were sporting them, and at last count there were five new helmets, purchased by Red Eyes while we were in Canada.  Rumor among the ski instructors is that within five years helmets will be required at Whistler! Skiing the “Dave Murray Downhill” run (in Mary Ryden’s case much of it was on the seat of her pants…).  This is the venue that will be used for the Men’s Downhill and Super-G events during the 2010 Winter Olympic games.  I’ll be watching for that on TV... Sitting in the outdoor hot tubs with giant snowflakes obscuring the view of the people right next to you, on a nightly basis.  I spent a lot of time out there soaking my aching body, often times drinking one of the many beers that I stole from Melissa Wieczorek, and dodging snowballs from one of Kyle Wang and Brandon Sands skirmishes.   Watching the DVD video produced during the Ski Esprit program.  There were Red Eyes crashing and burning all over Whistler during those three days of Ski Esprit.  It was amazing to see the spectacular tumbles that some of our best were taking, yet everybody walked away unscathed.  It can only be attributed to the powder soft snow that we were landing in.  Fred has a copy of the DVD if you don’t believe me. Listening to Kyle and Brandon’s daily stories of how they had cheated death yet one more time.  By the looks of the massive new hole in the bottom of Brandon’s snowboard, I’m inclined to think that most of their stories are probably true… Al Cernohous marriage proposal to Liz Biazo on top of Blackcomb Mountain Tuesday.  Just one of many reasons to party hard at Whistler!!! Demo-ing skis with Carol Figi on Blackcomb.  We tried several pairs of new Head and Rossignal skis in the powder and bumps of Blackcomb.  I’ve never demo-ed skis on the mountain like that, but I definitely recommend it if you’re shopping for new skis or boards. Several great dinners in our luxurious condominium units at Legends.  There was one in particular where I discovered that Manfred is quite the cook.  He even does the clean up and washes all the dishes.  I’ve already decided that Manfred will be assigned to the same condo as me for all future Red Eye Trips… The wrap-up party on the last night at Boston’s Pizza in Creekside, BC was a blast!  Great pizza, plenty of beer, lots of stories, endless laughs, and more Whistler Bingo.  This was a spectacular Red Eye Ski Trip!!!!  Pictures: Dave White's Whistler pictures- http://evite.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=owv61g9.txa3rq1&x=0&y=hgbv73   Amy Wieczorek's Whistler pictures http://evite.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ajptivy.4x63703u&x=0&y=jm6608

SPIRIT MOUNTAIN, New Year's Day, 2006:  Friends and Family Trip Trip leader:  Kathy Schulz         Report by Fred Hoeser    Posted 1/06/06 As I gaze out my window this Jan. 2nd AM in disbelief at the rain pelting down, I am amazed at our wonderful Red Eye luck at picking Jan 1 as our first club outing of the season.  After a bit of a tardy departure due to late arrival of the motor coach, we zoomed up to Spirit.  Kathy was concerned about crowds, but her worries were unfounded as the chalet had tons of space for the group and the lift lines (except for the high speed quad) were short to nil.  Yours truly was on the slope by 11:15 AM and quickly discovered fantastic carving snow.  I don't know, maybe it was the sugar overload caused by all those goodies, but I can tell you that had there been Minnesota State Troopers on the hill, there would have been several Red Eyes pulled over for breaking the sound barrier.  WOW!    Except for a tense moment looking for Sue B at the end of the day, the trip went without a hitch.  Sue managed to get stuck on a lift for 20 minutes due to a combo of mechanical failure (Spirit's) and bad timing (Sue's).  Kathy chose Jimmy Johns Subs for our mobile feast on the return journey.  The subs were great and we all enjoyed the evening's feature, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, as a way to wind down after a fun day out with the Red Eyes.  Thanks, Kathy, for a wonderful job.

Red Eyes Ride the Eau Claire Express  by Dave White, posted 8/10/05 Ten hardcore baseball fan Red Eyes cheered the Eau Claire Express on to a disappointing 6-3 loss at the hands of the Rochester Honkers Sunday night (Aug. 7th) at Carson Park.  Despite the wild cheering from the Red Eye fan section, and 1,500 other spectators on Luther Midellfort night, the Express just couldn’t get anything going until the 9th inning, when they finally managed to score twice and avoid being shut out. It was obvious that things were not going our way when while trailing the Honkers 6 to 0; six (6) real Canadian honkers (geese) did a Carson Park “V” formation flyover during the 7th inning.  It was a great night for baseball, sunny and warm.  Word from the right field fan deck was that it was especially “sunny” out there!  Does the term “burned retinas” ring a bell?…    On a more serious note, the game was delayed for almost 30 minutes after the home plate umpire took a foul ball right in the head.  He was transported to Luther hospital, but unfortunately there was nobody there who could help, since all of the doctors were at the Luther Midelfort baseball game promotion. Oops…  Everybody had a good time at the game, and it was great to get out and have some summer time fun!

Lake Wissota Bike and Golf Report (June 25th, 2005) by Dave White   posted 7/8/05  Last Saturday's Red Eye Bicycle marathon and Golf Tournament at Lake Wissota Country  Club was a huge success.  Just as promised, the weather was absolutely perfect.  Eleven athletic Red Eyes, biked, or drank beer, or ate food, or played golf, or all of the above.  Did I mention that we drank some beer?    After biking for over 50 miles (not really, but it sounds good doesn't it?), there was plenty of time for cheeseburgers and socializing at the bar before the winner take all golf tournament teed off in front of a heckling crowd of by standers at 1:04 pm.  Two foursomes battled it out on the unforgiving links of Lake Wissota.    At the end of the day, prizes and awards were distributed as follows -  * Best dressed biker - Karen Cauble (though the voting was very close...) * First biker back to the start / finish line - John Plesac  (though there was some question about his eligibility using roller blades instead of a bike...) * Most golf balls lost in the water - John Plesac  (the days only double winner, barely beating out Sue Block who actually lost more balls, but not just into the water if you know what I mean...) * Best cheating and lying to achieve the lowest golf score - Dan Case  (I think Dan shot a legitimate 38!  Obviously he didn't drink quite as much beer as some of us...)       Since Saturday's outing was so much fun, I was asked by several Red Eyes to plan another summer event!                           3 pm?                                   4 pm?                          6 pm?     I'm working on a Night at The Ball Park idea for Sunday August 7th.  Probably a 4 o'clock potluck cook out at Carson Park, before the 6 pm Eau Claire EXPRESS vs.. the Rochester Honkers NWL baseball game that night.  It will be the EXPRESS final weekend home game of the season, and it will also be Luther Midelfort promotion night.  I've got Carol Figi (I think she's the Vice President over at Luther now...) doing some research on that aspect of the event for me.  Maybe they will be giving away free colonoscopies to the first 500 fans that night...   We might also work some biking or roller blading in before the cook out for the really hard core Red Eye athletes in our club.     Watch for more details to follow, BUT MARK YOUR BUSY SUMMER CALENDARS NOW FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 7th!

Lutsen trip 2005 remembered       March 4-6, 2005 Trip Leaders Jim and Sue Block                    Posted 3/31/05  The Red Eye trip to Lutsen turned out to be a rousing success and a lot of fun was had by all.  Thirty one avid skiers loaded the bus in Eau Claire (okay, only 30 as we picked up the last person in Bloomer) for a skiing adventure.  We arrived at the Best Western in Grand Marais at 11:15pm and checked into our spacious rooms.  We awoke Saturday morning to a gorgeous sunrise over Lake Superior.  The sun and warm temperatures continued for a great day of skiing.  Upon return to the hotel we enjoyed a wine and cheese party in the lobby and then had a wonderful dinner at the Birch Terrace, an old house that has been converted into a restaurant.  Judging by the noise level, everyone was having a good time.  Social director, Tom W., suggested the Gunflint Tavern as the place to go for music and dancing so many Red Eyes headed out for that establishment after dinner. After our deluxe hotel continental breakfast on Sunday (some of us received a milk bath first) we headed out to Lutsen.  Unlike Saturday there were no crowds.  The weather started out sunny and warm but we watched a huge cloud front move in across Lake Superior and the weather changed!  It got windier, colder and clouded over (memories of Alta) but many Red Eyes remained on the hill.  Two lunch groups convened at Papa Charlie’s and Mountain Top Deli.  At 1:30 we held the infamous human slalom.  On the way home, we stopped in Duluth for wonderful box lunches that we ate on the bus while watching the movie “Ray”.  By the way, we watched the end of the movie at home and all you missed was about 10 minutes where Ray recovers from his addiction and  receives recognition in his later years for refusing to play to segregated audiences in Georgia. Some “memorable moments” (I didn’t say they were good or bad!) include Really BAD jokes from the trip leader A member sitting on the bus with a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag and sipping his wine (or so he claims it was wine) Jeannie F. being hit by on an out of control child skier on her FIRST run Saturday.  Jeannie was bruised but able to ski.  In her positive manner, Jeannie stated “at least I saved the kid from skiing off the edge of the hill into the trees.”  We are officially changing Jeannie and Carol’s names to the “fractured Figi sisters” (formally known as the “flying Figi sisters”) A warm Red Eye welcome is extended to new members Angela and Fred. Shirley A. celebrated her 70th birthday on Sunday.  I want to ski like her when I’m 70! Seeing Esther H. standing in the middle of a HUGE mogul field! Maggie S. got “carded “on Saturday night.  She was thrilled! Tree skiing.  Karen C. was spotted dragging Michelle through the trees (although Michelle seemed to be enjoying herself).  Fred L. told Sue B. to follow him down a “tree run”.  However, Fred failed to mention there were also large moguls involved.  Maury L. booming laugh as we watched the movie Uncle Buck on Friday’s bus ride.

Giant’s Ridge Recap         February 11-13, 2005            by your trip leader, Karen Cauble      posted 2/24/05 On Friday, Feb. 11th one by one, ski club members arrived, loaded the bus and we departed for Northern MN at 7:05 p.m. The bus driver got us to Giant’s Ridge in timely fashion, approximately a 3 hr. and 40 min. drive!  I think that beats a record. When we got to the Lodge, we learned that a film is being made in the area based on the taconite mining in Eveleth.  Staying at our Lodge or at the Villa were Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, Francis McDormand, and others working on the film.  On Saturday, we awoke to blue skies with lots of sunshine all day long!  The temperatures rose to the upper 30’s.  Throughout most of the day, we were “shedding layers” to acclimate to the warmer temperatures.  While we were watching a member take his ski lesson on the bunny hill, we had one photo shoot (outside the bar’s entrance) without ski jackets on!  That normally doesn’t happen at Giant’s Ridge!  Sat. evening:  After dinner in the Wynne Room, some retired to their rooms or the bar.  Others went to town.  The nearby metropolis of Biwabik had a free shuttle to and from the hotel to the bar called Bullwinkles.  About 8 of us made the long journey to the bar.  Some of us had fun for about 2 hours of dancing, while one managed to close the bar  (that would be the youngster of the group!!).  Sunday brought us a change in the weather.  Cloudy skies with wind.  The front was coming in over the West.  The trip leader managed to be the 2nd person on the chair lift by 9:00 a.m. (only a boarder in front of me) and made some really nice runs early in the morning.  It was a grooming paradise  I believe Fred H. was about 5 minutes behind me!  Around 11:00 a.m., we all had to load our belongings on the bus outside the hotel entrance because we had to be checked out of our rooms.  There just happened to be two buses out there and thanks to Gloria for helping Maurie get on the right bus!  Ah, good ole’ Maurie!  We managed to get everyone back on the bus in the evening after the dinner stop at the Miller Mall.  We came out of the restaurants to find that it was snowing heavily, and it snowed most of the way back to Eau Claire, but driver Roy managed to get us back by 10:30 anyway. Thanks to Tom W. for conducting the official club safety inspection, “the bindings check.”  We were short on men to help with the double binding check, but the ladies pulled it off, actually testing their ski lifting abilities! And the safely checkees were  Janet S. and Kay M.  Thanks ladies!  You are now officially Red Eyes!  Thanks to everyone for making the trip a success!  See you on the slopes …maybe Lutsen in March or next year!  Your trip leader, Karen Cauble.   Salt Lake City 05’ (re-visited)     Jan. 29-Feb. 5, 2005 Submitted by Dave White  Posted 2/27/05 Writer's note:  I appreciate Trip Leader Fred Hoeser's letting me substitute for him with this SLC report, so that I can limit it to strictly the facts, and not a bunch of rumors, gossip, or misleading photographs… J  After being part of the SLC scouting trip in 04’, I was really looking forward to returning with the big group in 05’.  Despite the rocky start on day one, with over half of our luggage not making the Delta flight (mine included), Jeannie Hoeser’s incredibly unfortunate emergency hospitalization, and the pouring rain during the walking tour of the bus and train station facilities, somehow this trip really came together. The weather in the Wasatch Mountains wound up being perfect all week.  The skiing was spectacular everywhere we went.  Alta, Solitude, Brighton, and Snowbird were even better than I remembered from last year.  Snow Basin and Deer Valley were brand new experiences for me, and Deer Valley in particular was beyond description.  That place was truly a “lifestyles of the rich and famous” setting.  It’s always amazing how much skiing your legs can stand when the snow conditions are so fabulous and terrain opportunities are so vast.  Of course some of us suffering from sleep deprivation and dehydration supplemented our physical abilities with liberal amounts of Ibuprofen and Budweiser (you know who you are…)     One of the really neat things about SLC was the easy access to the city bus and light rail train system making it easy to get to all four of the Cottonwood Canyon ski areas, and downtown Salt Lake City destinations.  Combined with the chartered bus trips to Snow Basin and Deer Valley, we had no need to drive anywhere during the entire week.  There were also plenty of restaurants, including the ever popular Midvale Mining Café, within easy walking distance of the hotel.   Some of the more memorable highlights (either witnessed by me, or supported by photographic evidence) included: Carol Figi’s near death experience at Solitude.  I saw that wreck, and unlike my little incident with Carol Pasnecker, the “Flying Figi” crash was not my fault…  I was certain that my CPR training was going to come in handy that day.  Fortunately for her, I didn’t get a chance to try it out.  Fred, Jim, and Sue Block breaking the sound barrier at Alta one morning.  I tried to keep up with them for nearly three hours and I’m still cleaning the burn marks off my skis.  I’m not sure how fast we were going, but I’m certain it was illegal!  Those three are dangerous and should be avoided when mounted on skis. The side trip to the Italian restaurant was fun, and I like Italian food, but some things just are not meant to be eaten.  Take for instance, squid on pasta.  I don’t care how much beer you used to wash it down, those tentacle bearing critters were gnarly… Skiing inside of a cloud is kind of frightening.  About 20 of us pretty much tip toed down Little Dipper and Devil’s Elbow at Alta, in a fog that was so thick we couldn’t see 15 feet.  Forget the map, and we couldn't see any of the trail signs.  Riding the lift back up in that fog was kind of like watching the chair in front of us disappear on its way to heaven… Cher is getting old, but she can still draw a crowd as witnessed by some of the Red Eyes who saw her farewell concert tour stop Monday night at the Delta Center. The days of Karl Malone and John Stockton are long gone, as many Red Eyes who watched the pathetic Utah Jazz lose to the totally inept Charlotte Bobcats Tuesday night at the Delta Center now know. Despite what the bartender downtown says, the last train back to Midvale leaves Salt Lake City long before 1:00 am.  I know a couple of Red Eyes who found that out the hard way (no names necessary…)      Having been a Red Eye for just a couple of years, this was a great opportunity to get to know quite a few people and make some new friends.  It was a terrific time and I really hated to leave.  Thanks again to Fred for organizing the trip, and it’s really unfortunate that his wife Jeannie wound up spending nearly the entire week in the hospital.

Red Eye Ski Club “It’s a Mystery” unofficial UP ski trip      January 7-9, 2005 Posted 2/24/05                     Submitted by Fred Hoeser Four intrepid Red Eye’s met at the Shopko N parking lot at 7 PM on Friday Jan 7th for what turned out to be a trip full of mystery and great skiing.  The intrepid four, henceforth to be known as I4-Shirley, Vicky, Dan and Fearless Fred-piled into the Fred Mobile for the 3 ¾ hour drive east and north to the Days Inn in Hurley WI.  After a hearty continental breakfast I4 headed to Whitecap Mtn Ski Area. [Mystery #1: Where were the two Red Eyes who said they would be meeting us at Whitecap? It’s still a mystery.]  As we arrived at the parking lot, we marveled at the lack of vehicles as we parked in the front row next to the lodge.  By this time it had begun to snow and the light fluffy stuff continued off and on through the weekend.  [Mystery #2: Where is all the snow in the Midwest this year?  Answer: in Michigan’s UP.]  Though not a huge year for snow, Whitecap reported a total of 72 inches so far this season.  I ambled up to the ticket window with my voucher for 1 free day of skiing at Whitecap Mtn (won as a door prize at the last Red Eye Ski Club banquet) and got ready for a day of great skiing on surprisingly good snow.  [Mystery #3:  Why don’t more skiers in the Chippewa Valley join the Red Eyes?  Just look at all the perks.  This prize alone is worth more than the cost of one year’s dues to the Red Eye Ski Club.]  The weekend temps were in the mid to upper 20’s with practically no wind, allowing us to stay out on the slopes as long as our legs held up.  [Mystery #4:  Where were all the skiers?]  During the entire weekend, the largest lift “line” I encountered was 4 people.  Most of the time one could ski right in to the chair. Saturday evening we ventured out to Don and GG’s, one of Dan’s favorite UP restaurants.  He warned us that we should be prepared to wait, yet when we arrived at 6:45PM we had no problem getting a booth.  In a normal year every motel on US-2 would have a No Vacancy sign up.  Not this year.  Even on Saturday evening there were rooms to be found. Sunday morning brought more light snow as we headed east to Indianhead.  Again we parked in the first row.  The snow was groomed to perfection.  Yours truly spent the entire day carving grooves in that great corduroy.  Again, no lift lines and not a bit of a trouble finding a table in the chalet.  The only slight downer for the trip was the drive home, as it was slow going due to (what else) more snow![Mystery #5: Why didn’t more folks sign up for the UP Murder Mystery trip?  Great Snow, Wonderful Weather, No Crowds, and a Great Time. You folks really missed out on one fantastic trip.]

WELCH VILLAGE, Friends & Family, Milk & Cookies Trip    December 19, 2004 by Gloria Hochstein               posted 2/24/05 A select group of Red Eyes and specially selected friends and family enjoyed a December day of sun and skiing at Welch Village, near Red Wing, Minnesota.  It was cold outside when we left Eau Claire about 7:30 a.m., but the mood in the bus was warm and festive as we sampled a wide variety of holiday goodies and washed them down with many glasses of milk (and coffee and juice.  A few folks missed the bus (literally and figuratively) when they mistakenly concluded that we wouldn't be skiing if the 7 a.m. thermometer was in the single digits.  Not only do Red Eyes ski even if the air is rather crispy, but, on this day, the sun also looked down on us with favor.  By the time we reached Welch Village and hit the slopes, the temperature was in the teens.  The skiing was very nice with no lift lines, a bright sun, and good company.  We had 16 on the bus from Eau Claire, and Mary R. and Manfred joined us at Welch.  The runs were groomed, and we all got in as much skiing as we could do for our first official Red Eye trip of the 2004-2005 season. By late afternoon, as the temperature started to descend, we loaded the bus and went to Treasure Island Resort, by Red Wing, for dinner at the Tradewinds Buffet (which was included in the trip package).  The food was delicious, and we sampled cuisines from all around the world.  I personally am especially partial to the peel-and-eat shrimp and the mussels in the shell, but I also tried the enchiladas and the stir fry and the prime rib with hot mushrooms.  Most of the Red Eyes finished off their meals with at least one visit to the pastry and dessert area.  We spent so much time at the buffet that there was little time to throw our money at the machines and blackjack tables, but no one seemed to mind when we got on the bus and rode home, satiated by our excesses of skiing and dining.  We got back to Eau Claire about 9:30 Sunday evening.  A propitious start to the Red Eye 2004-2005 ski season.

SUN VALLEY,  IDAHO, March 20-27, 2004                                             by Gloria Hochstein                posted 4/05/04  The operative word in the Sun Valley trip was SUN!  It was spring and summer weather from the moment we arrived in Ketchum, Idaho.  The mountain melted beneath our feet.  Because of the unseasonably warm temps, the snow at Sun Valley was corn snow at best and slush at worst, but everyone enjoyed themselves anyway by skiing and doing numerous other activities in the sun.  We had a wonderful week in and around Ketchum. Some skied every day, and some of us went snowshoeing up at Galena Lodge, and Linda and Dotty (aka Tweety) jumped off the mountain and paraglided their way down to the grassy field in front of our condos.  Everyone walked the biking/hiking paths all around the town and to Sun Valley and beyond. LaVonne and Diane encountered wild life (elk) on one early morning walk.    Most of us took the wagon ride to and from Cabin Ridge (pulled by teams of draft horses including Bonnie and Clyde, and Burt and Angie). At Cabin Ridge we had food such as buffalo ribeye steaks and trout and salmon.  An unexpected amusement was the musical presence of a Norwegian accordion player who regaled us with Christmas songs and tunes from famous musicals, especially The Sound of Music.  We made his year because we all sang along--loudly.    We really liked the condos at the Christophe. We were grouped together with three condos on each of three floors, very close to the outdoor pool and hot tub.  There were many memorable events, including a welcome party thrown by Resort Quest the night we arrived, Saturday, March 20.  Good food and plentiful amounts of wine, beer, and soda along with interesting conversations.  Monday evening, all 36 people found their way to Condo 501 for pasta and sauce and pesto and garlic bread and salad and more wine.  Not a crumb was left over and the conversations lasted well into the evening.  We also discovered a number of very good restaurants in Ketchum, at Sun Valley, and on the mountain.  The Roundhouse at mid-mountain serves exotic fare such as wild boar sausage with red cabbage, and very good quiches and salads and other exciting entrees, all to the tune—you guessed it—of another accordion player! Doug Metz was lost for the first two nights of the trip, but he finally found us on Monday and it was great to get to see him again.  And Joel H. had to leave midweek to be with his ailing mother.  For the rest of us,  the travel to and from Sun Valley was much less eventful than last year's Vail return, and we were very thankful for that.  We started from EC at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 20, and nibbled on muffins and juice on the bus.  Gordon, the bus driver from Boise to Ketchum was a master of packing too much stuff into places under the bus, and remained patient during our grocery stop before the condos.  He must have liked us (or the tip) because he came to pick us up for the return trip on March 27.  On that leg of the trip we stopped at a Subway shop for pre-airline sandwiches.  We also has GOURMET cupcakes on the return bus, courtesy of Shirley Anderson and others, to celebrate Fred's birthday.   On March 20, we did have to travel up and down more stairs, escalators, and elevators than we had planned at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport because the group ticket check was moved back upstairs, for that day.  (Tom Gray of Ski Adventures sent us a large apology for the inconvenience caused by Northwest's misinformation.)  But the return check in at the Boise airport was a very pleasant surprise. As we got off the Sun Valley Stage bus from Ketchum, a skycap came up to us with our boarding passes and luggage claim tags in his hands.  It was raining as we pulled up, so he had us wait inside  while he and his assistant unloaded all the bags and skis and took them into the terminal.  All we had to do was identify our bags and take our boarding passes and claim slips and head to the gates.  We didn't have to lift a single checked bag.  We tipped them, of course, but it was worth it.  We were headed to the gates 20 minutes after our bus pulled up.  We pulled into the Memorial parking lot Saturday, March 27, about 9 p.m., tired but relaxed from a really good trip.  Michelle and I want to thank you all for the lovely books of photography of the Sun Valley, Idaho, area.  And once again, we are grateful for the Red Eye Ski Club spirit of camaraderie and cooperation that makes these trips so pleasant and so much fun for all of us.

GRANITE PEAK TRIP           March 7, 2004                                                  by Karen DeMars                          Posted 4/5/04   A hearty (a.k.a. "fanatical") group of 13 Red Eyes left the Memorial High School parking lot bound for Wausau, Wisconsin, shortly before 7:30 am Sunday morning.  Our fearless bus driver, Ray, kept us plugging along eastward on Hwy. 29, despite the less-than-stellar road conditions.  We arrived (almost) at our exact destination, managing to miss the left-hand turn by the Granite Peak Ski Area sign when trip co-leader, Karen DeMars, announced, "Turn right here." (Karen meant "turn into the upcoming location."  The driver interpreted the statement literally and immediately turned in the direction of right, getting the bus stuck in the mushy ski area parking lot.  All snafus unsnafued, we staked out a comfy spot inside the new and lovely Mountain Chalet lodge and got our gear on.  By 9:30 am, we caught the nearest lift, the fabled "Comet," to the top of the slopes.  Conditions proved to be a dream come true...as four inches of the heavy, wet Midwestern-version-of-the-fluffy-white-stuff fell throughout the morning.  Fred Hoeser described the challenge of navigating through several of the runs as comparable to "skiing through Dairy Queen soft-serve" ice cream. As the day progressed, and the groomers worked away the "powder" surface, the runs just got better and better.  By 4:00 pm, many Red Eyes were having too much fun to consider leaving the slopes. Others, however, had already burned off their reserve tanks of energy and needed to stop and refuel.    Dinner reservations at one of Wausau's finest eating establishments had been made, and the Red Eyes were ready to honor them. After loading the bus and leaving Granite Peak at 4:30 pm, we drove the short distance to 2510.  Yes, that's both the name of the restaurant and its address. (The directionally- challenged member(s) of our group did appreciate this.) The staff at 2510 was warm and welcoming and so were the fireplaces, strategically located  throughout the facility.  Red Eyes dined on a wide variety of delectable menu items and enjoyed more-than generous portions and efficient, friendly service.  We boarded the bus for the return trip home between 6:00-6:30 pm.  The roads were now cleared, and traveling was easy.  A short movie (or "teaser," as the case may be) was shown, courtesy of the Chippewa Valley Museum.  The "teaser" showcased local skiing talent performing jumps at Eau Claire's Silvermine Hill.  One still-alert Red Eye even recognized a relative as being one of the jumpers in the film!  By 8:30 pm, the last of the Red Eyes were leaving the Memorial High School parking lot and heading for home.  All in all, another grand day of adventure! Post script:  There is one skiing-related injury to report.  Veteran Red Eye, Vicky Finstad, had the unfortunate experience of suffering a strained knee after only one-and-a-half runs down the slopes...the good news is that nothing was torn or broken, only pulled.  The even better news is that Vicky has been fitted with a brace and will not have to cancel her plans to attend the trip to Sun Valley!  Also, for those of you who have not heard about Tom Wilson's loss, there is sad news to report. Tom had to cancel his trip to Granite Peak when one of his best friends passed away.  The wake was held at Tom's home.  On behalf of all Red Eyes, we send out our prayers and well wishes to Tom, his friend, and their families.