Gang Blog
Each monthly newsletter will explore a topic which will, hopefully, generate discussion and debate. Emails from our membership will be printed so that a dialogue can take place. Please send your emails to
Fran and Barry Lazarus at
This month's blog topic:
What can OTHGI do for you that it is not already doing?
Winter Update - It’s been a perfect “snow storm”
Snow is falling fast and furious in ski country. The Colorado state-wide snow pack remains at a solid 125% of average so far this season. There have been numerous powder days for those who favor the steep and deep while snow quality has resulted in fabulous grooming for the intermediate cruiser. It has been a “perfect snow storm” in the mountains.
Join in the fun with us on our ski days:
Arapahoe Basin: Mondays through April 20. Meet in the base lodge at 8:30am and be ready to ski at 9:00am.
Breckenridge: Tuesdays through March 31. Meet at the Vista Haus atop Peak 8 at 9:00am and be on the slopes by 9:30am.
Keystone: Thursdays through March 26. Meet at the Summit House on Dercum Mountain at 8:45am, welcome and announcements at 9:00am, and be skiing by 9:15am.
Loveland: Fridays through April 24. Meet at the Information Kiosk at 8:45am and be ready to ski at 9:00am.
Snowmass: Tuesdays through March 31. Meet at the Ullrhof Restaurant, upper level near the front at 9:45am and hit the slopes at 10:00am.
Steamboat: 7 days a week, including holidays, through March 28. Meet at the chuck wagon across from the gondola entrance at 8:50am. Board the gondola at 9:00am sharp.
Vail: Mondays through March. Join the 50+ Ski with Us program. Contact Vail for details of meeting place and time.
Winter Park: Wednesdays through April 15. Meet inside the Balcony House near the lift ticket window at 8:45am and ski at 9:00am.
Health and Wellness
Skiing above 9,000 feet in a foot of fresh powder on a blue bird day is fantastic. Don’t we all love those days? But the sun in the mountains reflecting off the snow can wreck havoc on our skin says OTHGI member, Bella Blom, M.D., a board certified dermatologist and part-time resident of Breckenridge, Colorado. Dr. Blom recommends the generous placement of sun cream with a minimum SPF of 30 on all exposed skin surfaces at least 30 minutes before heading out to ski. Not only will sun cream reduce the chance of skin cancer, it will retard the aging process. And lest we forget, we are all getting older!
Look for soaps with moisturizers built into the bar. Dr. Blom believes very hot showers that seem to go on forever are not good for the skin. Bella can spoil all the fun after a hard day on the slopes, but it is a fact that excessive showering or hot-tubbing actually dries out our skin. Finally, all of us enjoy that skiers tan that we love to show off to our friends back home. Dr. Blom comes to the rescue with the suggestion of a self-tanning moisturizer with a safe chemical base (found in your local pharmacy) that actually gives us the desired effect without all the sun side effects.
View from the Top
We wanted to keep OTHGI members abreast of our state of the union in light of the economic climate affecting all of us. Unprecedented times lie on the horizon. But we are tackling 2009 with sound business tactics and optimism, and we thank all of you for your continued support and participation.
Our membership remains solid and stable at 3500 representing all 50 states and 14 foreign countries. Recently, 35 new members joined as a result of our association with AARP. A Google ad is being developed which will give us significant exposure on the world’s largest search engine. We continue to explore other corporate relationships which will appeal to the active over 50 individual and couple.
For some, there is the question of why should I be a member of OTHGI at all? From its inception OTHGI has been a for-profit company. Beginning with one ski trip in the 1980s and due to the wishes and desires of the membership over the years, trips have multiplied and broadened their appeal to include hiking, biking, and rafting adventures as well as golfing vacations around the world. We realize these adventures could not happen without your participation. Thank you! We are constantly working to provide appealing trips that are fairly priced and give the “most bang for the discretionary buck.”
Vail Resorts has iced the ski slopes a bit for the Gang this season. OTHGI is thriving at A-Basin and Loveland, has partnered with Keystone as of February 1, 2009, and believes Breckenridge will be fully on-board next season. There are constant challenges in working with the corporatization of the ski industry, but we are up for those challenges. Most importantly, OTHGI has always been and remains the framework for life-long friendships and group camaraderie.
We are diligently working to keep the lines of communication open with our members while providing the best benefits and discounts. It’s been a tough year for all of us - without question. But the sun comes up every morning, snow falls in the mountains in the winter, bike pedals start spinning in the spring, and peaks are summited each summer. We are bullish about our future and the continued support of the Gang.
Doug Lofland, President
and Jeannie Barresi, Managing Director
Travel Tips and Deals
Some may have favorite airlines and will want to go directly to the specific site online. Others may wish to use frequent flier miles to book a flight. Sometimes that can be done online; other times one must call the airline directly. These telephone numbers may be found in your local telephone directory or on the airline homepage.
Traveling to a faraway place can be unnerving and frightening to some. IT NEED NOT BE. Our Bike Thailand Adventure begins June 15 and ends July 1, 2009, with a pre-trip in Bangkok June 12-15 and a post-trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, July 1-5. Again, for those wanting easy biking with no more than 20 to 30 miles a day this is the trip for you. Biking is an unforgettable way to sightsee on this trip along with the opportunity to kayak on the River Kwai (remember the movie), train on the Thai-Burma Railway, ride an elephant, and a take a speed boat tour. Of the 17 days we bike only 8 days. All bikes are provided upon arrival at your destination.
As of this writing, some excellent travel sites to visit are: Travelocity at www.travelocity.com/flights, www.kayak.com, and Orbitz at www.orbitz.com offering flights from Denver (DEN) leaving June 13 to Bangkok (BKK) and returning July 1. The lowest fares to date are American Airlines $1600 and United Airlines $1626 with stops in Los Angeles LAX and again either in Tokyo NRT or Seoul ICN or Taipei TPE. Other sites to check out are airfare.com/Bangkok and priceline.com and hotwire.com. Keep in mind that fares change almost daily and occasionally hour to hour. Flights with the fewest stops generally cost the most. Most flights arrive in Bangkok between 11:30 pm June 14 or 1:00 am June 15. It is very common to see crowds at the beautiful, new Bangkok airport in the middle of the night.
We will be very happy to help you with your flight arrangements wherever you are located or however long you wish to stay. Contact the staff of OTHGI at info@othgi.com or Fran and Barry at blazflaz@comcast.net for assistance.
Last Minute Avails
Women's Golf Clinic
May 11-16, 2009
One Space Available!
If you've ever wished you could have one of the finest golf instructors in the world analyze your strengths and weaknesses and give you personalized instruction,
your wish has come true! We've teamed up with the renowned Bird Golf Academy to provide 11 women (sorry, guys!) a personalized clinic
in Sedona. Book now!
Join OTHGI today and save!
Join Over the Hill Gang International by March 15, 2009 and receive 20% off a new one year membership.
Click here to join.
OTHGI 2009 Trips:
Ski Trips:
Winter Park Ski Week:
March 1-8, 2009
Serre Chevalier/Cinque Terre: March 7-18, 2009
Utah Ski Sampler:
March 8-15, 2009
Bike Trips
Bike Thailand Pre-Trip:
June 12-15, 2009
Bike Thailand:
June 15-July 1, 2009
Bike Thailand Post-Trip:
July 1-5, 2009
Bike and Barge Moselle:
Sept. 26-Oct. 4, 2009
Bike Seychelles: Jan. 2010
Golf Trips
Sedona Women's Golf Clinic: May 11-16, 2009 (1 space)
Golf Prince Edward Island: Sept. 8-18, 2009
Easy Adventure Trips
Slovenia/Austria Walking:
Aug. 31-Sept. 10, 2009
Sedona Easy Adventure:
Oct. 14-21, 2009
Guatemala Easy Adventure: Oct. 27-Nov. 7, '2009
OTHGI Jackets
We are pleased to offer our
deluxe OTHGI Ski Jackets – new or gently used – to our members for an unbeatable price. Our 3-in-1 jacket is royal blue and black with the OTHGI emblem, embossed in yellow on the back and breast pocket.
The jackets are waterproof and breathable, have numerous pockets and a hood in the collar.
The 3-in-1 styling allows for endless versatility. Sizes are available in limited quantities. New jackets are priced at $199 plus shipping. Gently-used jackets are $99 plus shipping or jackets may be picked up at our office in Colorado Springs
(2121 N. Weber Street) or
at the Summit County Senior Center in Frisco, CO.
