We’re grateful to our members for volunteering and participating in Blackhawk programs, events, and activities so enthusiastically! We hope Blackhawk provides you with a peaceful, joyful place to recreate and relax, and we look forward to seeing you soon. Here’s the latest news. 

Erdman Trail Closure 11/22-12/2

The Erdman Trail which connects the East Side of Blackhawk to the Middleton Bike Park will be closed from Friday, November 22, through Monday morning on December 2, due to deer hunting.  

Memberships Still Available

We have not yet reached our membership limit for the winter season. Please share this information with anyone that you know who is interested in joining the club. Our best form of advertising is word of mouth and members sharing their positive experiences at Blackhawk. 

We're Hiring an Administrative Assistant 

The club is looking to hire a part-time administrative assistant to work approximately 10 hours per week. Most work can be done from home; the hours are very flexible, and the ideal candidate would be a club member. Please look at the job description that you received from the Board of Directors email account for a detailed job description. 

Parking Tags and Stickers are in the Mail

Parking tags for new members and 2024-2025 stickers are in the mail! HUGE thanks to our volunteers for handling this major task—let us know if you’d like to help out! Returning members will receive stickers only, which can be added to your car tags.  

Thanks for Volunteering 

Thank you to all who volunteered for all club and program specific workdays in October. There are more opportunities to volunteer listed here. 

Do you have a skilled trade you could share with the club? Looking for another way to volunteer? We are looking for members to help with some specific projects - residing, painting, digging footings and setting concrete. Please contact Kelsey Berg (kelsey.berg@blackhawkskiclub.org) for more information on these projects. 

Welcome, New Ski Patrollers! 

Meet the Blackhawk Ski Patrol for the 2024/2025 season, including five new patrollers who recently completed their Outdoor Emergency Care certification. 

The Blackhawk Ski Patrol recently held its annual Outdoor Emergency Care refresher and pre-season meeting. Our roster has grown to nearly 39 volunteer patrollers, including five new patrollers who recently completed their medical training in November. 

The next training opportunity for interested candidates will be our Outdoor Transporation Course, starting Monday, December 9th at 6:00pm. This free course provides general training for aspiring patrollers of all skill levels, covering various aspects of safe toboggan handling and skiing/riding proficiency. You must be a Blackhawk member to participate. 

We have limited availability for the class, so please reach out to our patrol director, Rob Kudrle (skipatrol@blackhawkskiclub.org), if you would like to learn more.  

Two recent OEC Graduates, Jen and Leah St. Clair 

Mountain Biking Update 

The summer riding season is coming to an end, and it won't be long before the trails are frozen and even snow-covered. We'd like to remind all members who ride bikes and hike on the trails, that this transition from summer to winter riding can be very hard on the trails, due to the "Freeze-Thaw Cycle." When it freezes overnight and thaws the next day, the trails can become very muddy, so when you look outside, and it's perfect weather to ride (sunny and warm), you'll find that the trails are soft and muddy. The answer? Only ride when the trails are frozen. This means that you may need to come out earlier in the day, rather than waiting until the temperatures rise. If you want to know more about this, check out this explainer: https://ridenwnctrails.com/freeze-thaw-cycles-explained/ 

Please check our conditions page before going out to ride, and if there's a blue dot that says Freeze/Thaw, please follow the instructions.

Annual Orienteering Challenge November 27! 

Kick off your Thanksgiving Weekend with a Family (Rubber) Duck Hunt! Wednesday, Nov 27 @ West Chalet. Follow clues around Blackhawk to find 10 rubber ducks and end with a team hill sprint up hill 2! The course is approximately 1.8 miles and will take about an hour to complete. We'll have snacks, drinks, and team prizes! 
Register here by November 22. Register TODAY to grab your preferred start time! All ages welcome. Contact jen.stclair@blackhawkskiclub.org with any questions or if you'd like to help out! 

Intro to Ski Jumping Lessons Are Available! Come Check Out The Fun! 

Does your young skier enjoy racing down hills 1 and 2 searching out any bump jump they can find? Is your child looking for a new challenge or something different to do this winter? Skiers who can easily ski down hill 2 (usually ages five and older) are welcome to try ski jumping. 

Blackhawk offers an Introduction to Ski Jumping class on Tuesday evenings at 6:15, Saturday mornings at 10:15, and Sunday afternoons at 12:30. Beginning ski jumpers will learn the basics of ski jumping using their alpine equipment. When athletes are confident on the ski jumps, coaches will help transition kids to jumping equipment that the program provides. New jumpers have a chance to participate in Blackhawk’s home tournament on February 15th, 2025. As the young jumpers progress, they can choose to join the Blackhawk Ski Jumping Team. Helmets, tow rope gloves, and a sense of fun and adventure are the only requirements. Questions? Email jumping@blackhawkskiclub.org 

Nordic Ski Updates 

Want to take private cross-country ski lessons? Contact xcprivatelessons@blackhawkskiclub.org.  

Morning Nordic skiers, we appreciate your support of our youth Nordic ski and biathlon programs, as well as your support for the sport statewide! Please note these dates that we are hosting races in the mornings: December 14 and 15. More details will be added to the Blackhawk calendar. 

Mid-day cross-country ski lessons with Peter Berbee are back! Look for dates/times beginning in January.   

Come out and ski with your fellow members and meet new ski friends!  First outing of the season is a Women's XC ski on Friday, Jan 3.  Skiing with hot drinks and potluck to follow! Stay tuned for more opportunities! 

Biathlon Updates 

Biathlon’s winter season has begun. Dryland training until the snow falls or is made. The first biathlon running race on October 17 was a great success. We had a large contingent of youth biathletes along with few masters. We will have one more running biathlon race at Blackhawk on November 24. Our first biathlon ski race will be on December 15. Come out and cheer on our biathletes! 

Women's Alpine Ski Clinics

We are offering an alpine ski clinic for women taught by women! Do you want to improve your skiing or take it to the next level? Want to ski with friends and make some new friends? Need some tips to ski longer or more efficiently? Join us for an afternoon of skiing on Sunday, January 19 or Sunday, February 2. We are offering two clinics each day, one for beginners who already know how to ski but are most comfortable on green trails from 12-2pm and an intermediate/advanced clinic from 2:30-4:30pm. Cost is $60/per session, you can sign up for multiple sessions. Email kelsey.berg@blackhawkskiclub.org to with any questions or to sign up. 

Get Your Winter Gear! 

Stock up on winter gear with help from our winter gear page!

Upcoming Events 

For more upcoming events and additional details, keep an eye on our club calendar.

11/24 Blackhawk Biathlon Running Race  

11/27 Annual Blackhawk Family Orienteering Challenge 

12/14 Blackhawk Nordic Ski Team Race 8-11am 

12/15 Blackhawk Biathlon Ski Race