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Published 28 April 2026
A Letter to MeetUp Members

Dear members of the NorCal Men's Skiing and Snowboarding MeetUp Group,

During the few months that I have held the leadership of this group, I've looked into different ways we might run this group. In doing so, I came across another, much more active NorCal group, called TrailHeadGays.com.

This is a group of primarily gay men, primarily based in San Francisco, that has both a website and an app meant to bring men-loving-men together for outdoor activities.

They primarily focus on hiking and camping, but they also have events for river rafting and other adventures. I even saw that that they had one ski and snowboarding trip planned this past season, for outside the state. They have their own non-profit organization and a volunteer team that runs the group, including coders who are actively updating their website and app to meet the needs of the group.

And as noted by the ski trip they held, there are already members in it who love to ski, too. I've spoken to their leadership team, and they seems very welcoming of the idea of having ski trips, too.

Thus, I now think that our best bet for our future in skiing together with other men who love men in Northern California is NOT to try and recreate the wheel by founding our own group, but instead to join TrailHeadGays.com. and work with them to create skiing events, as one part of their annual adventures together.

In Terms of This MeetUp Group -- Anyone Else Want to Give the A Go? You Have Until January 2027 to Ask

I'm committing to participation with TrailHeadGays, and am shifting into a mostly inactive role in this MeetUp.

Should anyone else who may feel differently than me, and want to continue to try and start something here, you just need to contact me and I'm happy to hand over the reins. That said, the level of control I have over the group requires a $300 annual membership (or more, if you pay monthly). My subscription expires on February 4, 2027. I will keep my subscription active until at least early January 2027 before I cancel it (so I won't be charged for a second year).

Between now and then, any of you can contact me and ask to take over. If no one comes forward, this group will become inactive beginning in early February 2027.

But mostly, I invite you all to now join TrailHeadGays. When you do so, let the guys on that site know that you want to go on ski trips. They are looking for more activity leaders, so if you are up for creating an event, be sure to let them know.

Wishing you all well, and may we all have a fantastic 2026-2027 ski season!

In partnership,
Markus Thorndike

p.s.
You also may be interested in checking out these alternative groups, all of which have active events and activities:

https://gayskiclub.com
https://sagala.org

See you on the slopes!