The stage was set. Saturday, August 16, at 6:00 pm. The deck at president Grant Shultz's house. The Rail Riders came from near and far ..... to partake of a delicious bounty, to share the friendship of the brotherhood,  and to conduct important business. 

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Hal "Spielberg" Lafever continues to outdo himself. His annual production surely rivals the best of any Warren Miller saga. His musical and photographic interpretation of our annual pilgrimage, reminds us of what the Rail Riders is all about (and Frank, it ain't Timmy). Of particular interest was the "unveiling" of those lost images of Grant at Big Sky ..... for additional photos click here    

Note to Paul Holt - Just a little head's up. There was some discussion about you. Missed the trip. Missed the party. The issue of a temporary suspension was put on hold due to your previous exemplary record. Plus having a real live ski instructor in the group is pretty cool. 

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Thoughts from your web site coordinator ..... I was truly surprised. Hell it wasn't too long ago I got an award for the most out of shape skier in the group. I understand that this award was not based on my skiing ability. So my commitment to our web site and lunches in Big Sky seemed to come up as my contribution.        

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There are some people I need to thank. The web site would not be possible without my buddy Sam Neff who has forgotten more about computers and web sites than I will ever know. Brother Brad was the true inspiration in the kitchen. The lunches at Big Sky were a neat touch and would not have been possible without him. And thanks to all who thought I was worthy of this honor. I will wear the crown proudly! I will represent the club honorably (except on Friday nights when I like to go out).        

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Mike Acerno, club historian, shared his scrap booking skills as he showed off his memorabilia from past trips. Now that he is retired, one can only guess what the future holds.

 

New members, Roger Brubaker, Steve Griffiths and Sean Houseknecht were formally vested into our prestigious club. What was anticipated to be somewhat of a formality, turned out to be as exciting as Michael Phelps winning his eighth gold medal. Essays were shared by the applicants although Steve stole the show with his photograph (perhaps he could email this site with it, for proper publication). Roger quickly sneaked through, as he answered the riddle posed by Frank (or was that Timmy). The voting for Steve and Sean ended in a tie, so that a conference call to vice prez Derek in Colorado was necessary for a final decision. In the end, as they say in Texas Holdem, they were "all in". So Congratulations.  

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Closing Comments ….. So whether this is the final activity of last season or the first activity of next season, I don't know. But I do know, what makes this club so great. We have all found ways to suck up to Grant. So whether it's working in the shop, making a DVD, updating web sites, or whatever. Soon we will all have another shot at beginning the year-long process of earning points toward RR of the Year or just being in good graces with Grant. "Let It Snow. Let It Snow. Let It Snow."