The vehicle is packed 43 skiers climb aboard the bus. Doughnuts and coffee make the rounds, as does the group's affable vice president, Paul Boran. Mr. Boran plays up his role as the group taskmaster, keeping a learned eye over the activities. His high-decibel declarations sound as if he were competing with a snapping winter wind, not a gently humming bus engine. For the novices on board, and there are a few, he lets loose with some basic instructions.
Groans greet the announcement.
Mr. Roberts, a 38-year Navy Research Lab veteran, joined the club about 15 years ago. He says the group on average schedules about 10 trips a year. But fluctuating member turnout and weather that gums up the highways typically whittle the number of trips actually taken down to about six. Die-hards, he says, keep the group on an even keel. On the ride out, conversations are limited.