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I am Gay / Lesbian / Bisexual / Trans- gender / Straight
is this club right for me?
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The answer is, emphatically, yes! We are not a family
club with children, nor a singles club for people who just
want to find dates. We are a bunch of people who
just want to ski and snowboard, and do other outdoor
activities, with friends. We have fun sliding on the
snow, and it doesn't matter what your orientation is. Of
course, we do have to share rooms on overnight trips, so if
you need to be matched up with someone, you can let the trip
leader know what your preferences are if it matters to you.
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Can I bring a straight friend?
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Yes, and members often do. We are primarily about
camaraderie during skiing and snowboarding events. We
are not a dating/singles club (though members make new friends
of all kinds of course!).
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Can I bring my child?
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Only if he or she is an adult.
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Can I smoke at SAGA North events? / Are
SAGA North events smoke-free?
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Smoking is not allowed indoors, both for social events and
trips. With hotel rooms, you are free to ask for a smoking
room when you check in, provide both roommates agree to that.
Condos and homes are often rented as non-smoking units.
SAGA North does not try to match smokers up with other
smokers.
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It looks like transportation is not provided for any of the
weekend trips. How do I get there?
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This is one of the advantages of being in a club. Your trip
leader will send out a list of the other people going on your
trip, with with their email, phone and city. You may send an
email to the other people letting them know you need a ride,
or are willing to give someone else a ride. This may sound
intimidating if you don't know anyone, but it is actually a
good way to introduce yourself to the other members. Most
members are willing to give another person a ride if it isn't
a long ways out of the way. Riders are expected to share the
automobile expenses.
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Do other people in the club [ ski / snowboard /
cross country ski / hike /
roller skate / play cards ]?
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Yes, we primarily do ski and snowboard events during the
winter and outdoor activities, such as roller skating and
camping during the summer.
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How does SAGA North decide where to plan the trips?
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Members volunteer to lead trips wherever they like. It
is up to you as a member to help out. We are a diverse
club and if you do it, they will come!
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I don't eat [ meat / nuts / dairy / pork ... ].
I need special accomodations.
I have a friend I want to room with, but paid separately.
What can I do?
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For any special request, please contact the trip leader.
That's part of what they are for, though we won't promise that
every request can be taken care of. If you think your request
might be a problem, please contact the trip leader before you
sign up. Every detail trip description page has a link at the
bottom for contacting the trip leader.
Most dietary or roommate requests are easily handled, but
don't wait until you go on the trip to deal with it. Many
meals will have something for vegetarians, but it always helps
the trip or event leader to know how many to plan for. To be
assigned as roommates, both persons must notify the trip
leader.
When it comes to choice of bedrooms, usually the first to sign
up get the better bedrooms, if there is a significant
difference. Other factors are also considered, such as a couple
that wants to share a bed. However, if you have a genuine need,
we will try to accomodate, if possible.
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What happens if I have never skied / snowboarded before?
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On all of our trips, there are a wide and diverse range of
skiers/snowboarders from beginners to the more advanced.
Almost all resorts offer lessons, which we recommend for those
just starting out. Let the trip leader and your roommates know
they will be happy to direct you to where you need to
go.
If you are interested in joining,
click here.
If you want more information,
click here.
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This is my first time. How do I get my equipment?
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All the resorts where we have trips have one or more shops
where you can rent equipment. This usually takes about half an
hour (or more if there is a large crowd). You can also rent in
town and take the equipment with you, although this is less
convenient. If this is your first time, the resort might
exchange the lift ticket or voucher for a package deal that
includes a limited lift ticket, equipment, and lessons that
won't cost much more (if any) than the original lift ticket.
When renting or buying equipment, boots are the most important
to get a good fit, especially for skiers if your feet
hurt, nothing else will matter. If you rent at the resort, it
is easy to exchange a bad pair of boots.
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This is my first time. What do I need for clothing?
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For inner wear, stick to synthetics, that will not collect
moisture and lose it's warmth. (Avoid cotton.) Two to four,
thin, but warm, layers of inner wear, both top and bottom,
allows you to adjust to the weather conditions better than
really heavy clothing.
For outer wear, the most important feature is water-resistance
for both the top and the bottom. A hood will come in handy if
it gets stormy. While warmth is important, too much can be a
problem -- you can always add more layers underneath when
needed. Plenty of pockets can be handy.
Accessories to cover your hands, neck, head, eyes, and often
even your face, are also necessary.
And don't forget the sun block.
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I haven't been to Tahoe before: where can I get info on the
ski resorts?
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We've got links and season pass info right here on our
Ski Resorts
page. We also have links to road and snow conditions on our
Ski Resources
page.
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What happens if I go on a trip and there is
[ too much snow /
not enough snow /
too hot / too cold ]?
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Hey, that is part of the fun of skiing! We are a social
organization and we make the best of all situations.
Sometimes we generate heat and sometimes we generate
cold. But, always we have fun! On rare occasions,
if there just is not enough snow to ski or ride, we will
cancel the trip and issue refunds when possible.
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What are the club demographics?
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We do not explicitly track this. It is a mix of
men / women, gay / lesbian / bi /
transgender / straight, couples / singles,
skiers / riders, different ages and races. What we all
have in common, generally, is that we love to slide on the
snow, and we are friendly to anyone no matter what your
demographic might be.
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Where are most members from?
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Besides San Francisco, we have had members from all around the
SF Bay area from San Jose to San Rafael, and from
Fremont to Oakland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, and Concord
and even a few in other Northern California locations like
Santa Cruz, Monterey, Stockton, Sacramento, and Yuba City, to
name just a few.
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What does "SAGA" stand for?
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Officially, nothing. It's just the word
"saga".
When the original SAGA club was formed in Los Angles in 1975, it
was reported that SAGA meant "Skiers and Gay Athletes". In 1979
SAGA San Diego was formed, and then in 1981, this club was founded
as "SAGA North" by some SAGA members who had moved from
the Los Angles area to San Francisco, and it was incorporated the
following year. In 1999, the board decided to informally call the
club "SAGA North Ski & Snowboard Club" without
changing the corporation name or filing a fictitious business name.
Around 2010, some SAGA North members were less inclined to
see the name as an acronym, and favored using "Saga"
instead of "SAGA". Then in 2013, the board chose to
return to using "SAGA" again.
Currently, the registered legal name is
"SAGA NORTH", the full informal name is
"SAGA North Ski & Snowboard Club", and for short, you will see
"SAGA North" in most places on this website.
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What kind of business is SAGA North?
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"SAGA NORTH" is the legal name under which the club was
registered as a 501(c)7 non-profit corporation in the state of
California in 1982. It is governed by an executive board elected
each year by the members. As a non-profit, net income is retained,
used only for club operations. (The state capitalizes the names of
all corporations in the registry, so that is not significant.)
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Is SAGA North involved with any business associations?
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For many years, the club had been associated with
Team SF,
an umbrella organization for various LGBT sports clubs in
San Francisco that helps organize the teams they send to the
Gay Games. (Unfortunately, there are no winter sports in the Gay
Games, so while some SAGA North members have attended the
Gay Games for other sports, SAGA North has never had the
opportunity to participate as a club.) SAGA North was not
charged any dues for its association with Team SF, but it is not
known if this relationship is still active, since
SAGA North has not sent a representative to any of the Team
SF meetings for quite a few years.
In 2015, SAGA North joined the
Golden Gate Business Association,
the LGBT Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco.
Sometimes, when SAGA North organizes trips to the various
gay ski events, those can include some competitions and social
events. SAGA North has occasionally helped sponsor official
or unofficial parties at these gay ski events, usually jointly with
other ski clubs. This sponsorship exists only for that specific
event, and it has never included any control over the organization
that manages the gay ski events.
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