Thanks to those who helped split wood on Saturday! Stay tuned for more volunteer opportunities this fall. Here’s the latest on what’s going on at Blackhawk!
Click the headers below to be taken straight to your topic of choice! Or, read on!
Winter-Related News
Mountain Biking News
Blackhawk History
Reminders
Events
Join us for Snowmaking!
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer snowmaker, there will be a meeting at the maintenance barn at 9am on Saturday, November 1. No experience is necessary to become a snowmaker, and we are always looking for help. If you are an experienced snowmaker, please attend because we have acquired new snowmaking equipment and will go over its operation. If you cannot make the meeting, please contact Rick Hardy at rick.hardy@blackhawkskiclub.org
Sunday Fall Combo for Youth Athletes
All youth are welcome to join coaches and instructors from our Alpine, Nordic and Ski Jumping programs to get ready for winter! We meet Sundays 4-5:30 at the West Chalet for agility, strength and endurance at the club and at nearby trails through Nov 9! Register in SkiClubPro for the remaining sessions!
Facilities Updates
We continue to make progress on the Hill 2 rope tow. Check out the new feature in the photo below that you can try out in our terrain park area this winter! Plus, we'll have an exciting facilities announcement next month!
Volunteer as a Ski or Snowboard Instructor
Do you enjoy being outside and working with kids? Looking for an opportunity to volunteer? We are looking for youth ski & snowboard instructors to help teach lessons throughout the week. Previous instruction experience is not required; training is included.
Join us for an informational Zoom meeting on Thursday, November 13th at 7:30pm. LINK to Zoom meeting, password is 968834. We will go over plans for the season, what to expect as an instructor, and go over any questions you may have. Please email Kelley Linnan at blackhawkskiclub@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Get your BH Gear Early!
We are pleased to announce that the Blackhawk Team Noname apparel store is open at EnjoyWinter! Shop at https://enjoywinter.com/blackhawk and use Promo Code “Blackhawk” to receive discount of 25% off listed msrp. These “semi-custom” items can be purchased at any time and will be printed on demand. Most items are in stock for possible next-day availability. Some items may be out of stock in the U.S. temporarily and will be restocked based on demand every 2 weeks.
Nordic Ski Updates
New Snowmaking Capacity for Nordic Skiing
Thanks to a generous donation from the Meanwell family, we've added a snow stick to the nordic loop to make more snow for cross-country skiing!
Announcing Thursday Night Adult Nordic Skate Ski Lessons!
This program will provide intermediate Nordic skiers with technical skills to become more efficient, focusing on the fundamentals of skate skiing. The program is being offered to adult skiers who have some experience skiing. This program is not for beginning skiers. The lessons will be led by Mark Torresani who has coached youth and adult Nordic skiers and biathletes for over 35 years, including coaching at National and Regional clinics. Private lessons and video analysis will be available as time allows and at a rate of $50/ hour for those seeking additional instruction.
Schedule: Mid December through late February, based on snow conditions
Thursday Evenings 7:00 PM to 8:PM, starting at The Biathlon Range.
Cost $100
Limited to 10 participants
October 21 –Out There Nordic Cross Country Ski fitting
Wondering if your skis fit you well? Bring them by for an assessment with Out There Nordic. BNST members, this is your time to check your personal gear or to get sized for rentals. Use the QR code from the flier in the West chalet to sign up.
Borah Blackhawk XC Ski Kit Store
Our store will be open until 10/26 at https://blackhawknordic.itemorder.com/shop/category/279829/
Feel free to drop in 10/21 during ski fitting to try on sizes/styles.
BNST (Blackhawk Nordic Ski Team)
Middle School ski team (grades 5-8) and high school ski team (grades 9-12) begin practice in November. Email alysa.hinde@blackhawkskiclub.org for questions about the high school team and amy.grunewald@blackhawkskiclub.org for questions about the middle school team.
Biathlon Update
Biathlon is wrapping up its fall season with another successful running race in the books! There is still one race left before the winter season starts, and there are plenty of spots for novice racers with zero prior experience. If you are interested in seeing what biathlon is about, this is a fantastic opportunity. The race will be Sunday, Nov 9.
Winter season is starting shortly and there are still spaces available on the Junior and Developmental teams. The developmental team requires participants to be at least 10 years old by December 1, 2026 and at least 1 year of a nordic program such as the BNST/Nordic Kids Junior Ski Team/MadNorSki's ski team, etc. The club has rifles to provide to the athletes. There is also plenty of space on the master’s team for any adults that would like to try out biathlon!
Please email Josh at joshua.wilson.215@gmail.com for further information about the race and/or signing up for the winter season.
BART Update
Check out the new BART apparel store!
Mountain Biking Updates
Women’s Ride 10/22, 6pm
Meet at the West Chalet at 6pm for a no-drop ride around Blackhawk! Women will self-select into skill groups and ride trails based on abilities. Some groups may also ride over to the Middleton trails, based on skill level. Bring bike lights! Hope to see you there!
“Fall Back Celebration” Sunday, November 2
We are planning to celebrate the change of seasons by gathering at the Blackhawk East Chalet on Sunday, November 2. Our clocks will “fall back” early Sunday morning, and the sun will set around 4:45pm, so come out to gather with other members:
2:00 – 4:00 PM: Kids Ride/Hike. Costumes encouraged. Bike or hike with your families and other members.
4:00 – 5:00 PM: Gathering around a bonfire at the East Trailhead. Some snacks and drinks will be provided. Feel free to bring some for yourself and to share.
5:00 – 7:00 PM: Night Ride - We’ll tour the trails with our headlamps and bike lights.
Please contact us if you’d like to volunteer (e.g., provide snacks, lead biking or hiking groups, etc.). If you have any Halloween decorations you’d be willing to loan or donate, we’d love to use them to make the ride extra fun for everyone. Think skeletons, ghosts, cobwebs, pumpkins, lights — anything that adds a spooky touch (family-friendly, of course). Plan to decorate at noon on Sunday.
Racine Skills Park Construction Begins Soon
Construction will begin soon on the “Racine Skills Park” near the East Trailhead. Chad Landowski will be doing this work, funded by the generous gift from the Racine family. Chad was our first professional trail builder and built Roller Coaster, Howling Wolff, Twist and Shout, Ziggy Up, and the Connector trails. One of the challenges in maintaining this skills park is erosion, given the high use and being out in the open and not protected from a canopy of trees. Therefore, we are planning to install state-of-the-art “Trail Armor” once the features have been rebuilt, so that the surfaces will last much longer.
Name the Area Near the Southeast Hub
What’s in a Name? As you know, we’ve been asking members for suggestion for some of our new trails, and revised trails, including:
a. Don’t Worry and Be Happy
b. Dropper Down
c. Jump Around
It’s now time to name the area near the Southeast Hub, where all the wood features are (e.g., skinnies, teeter-totter, boardwalk). If you have any suggestions, please post them on our Facebook page or email them to bike@blackhawkskiclub.org. We’ll review them at the end of the month and then make a sign for that area.
Your membership dues make a difference! We had an amazing summer and early fall of riding on our trails. This was the first season where we hired a Trail Crew to keep the trails maintained and do some needed improvements on trails that had worn out. We’re going to review what worked and what could be done better and make plans for next summer. As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to us at bike@blackhawkskiclub.org.
Honoring Indigenous People at Blackhawk
By Jill Stevenson and Pat Remington
Monday, October 13, was Indigenous Peoples Day–a day that encourages us all to delve deeper into and honor the history and experience of indigenous peoples on land we now occupy.
In 1948, Blackhawk Ski Club organizers purchased 30 acres of land west of Middleton in an area then known as “Tomahawk Ridge” to support a ski jumping community. In 1960, club leaders purchased an additional 30 acres adjacent to the area.
But before this land was used for outdoor sports education, Algonquin people (known as “mound builders”) camped and used the plentiful waterways in the area. The “Teejop” (4 Lakes) region was then occupied by Ho-Chunk Nation citizens, living off the land and governing until they were forcibly evicted by an 1832 treaty.
While the explicit rationale for the 1947 choice of the club name and warrior logo is not mentioned in readily available historical documents, organizers were obviously familiar with the significance of the Ho-Chunk Nation and its ancestral ties to this area. Considering the original logo, the club appeared to be named after Chief Blackhawk (1767-1838), a respected Sauk leader who fought for his ancestral lands, which he felt were fraudulently ceded to Americans. He became a symbol for indigenous resistance to the U.S. government.
As authentic stewards of our club’s history and land, we will work towards understanding the historical and current experience of the people who used this land before us, the Ho-Chunk people, and amplify their voices and culture.
This work is ongoing among Blackhawk Ski Club leaders. In the 1980’s, for currently undocumented reasons, our logo was changed from an indigenous warrior to a black hawk. Within the last decade, the club’s logo was thoughtfully reconsidered to ensure consistency with modern cultural respect norms. The Board reconfirmed support for the use of the black hawk logo.
Interesting resources abound for our education, including information about:
-Current Ho-Chunk government and experience
-Oral history video
-historical boundaries, languages and cultures.
There is a web of learning pathways to be found for all ages at Blackhawk. Instructors, children and adult athletes, volunteers, board members and staff are learning from each other, their own bodies, and nature–not just about how to excel at a sport, but that hard consistent practice pays off, showing up matters, and considering someone else’s experience deepens friendships.
Blackhawk membership is not just about your sport of choice, it teaches us how to live and work in a community. These are life skills and are essential for stewarding a shared mission. There is no reason that, as members, we cannot challenge ourselves to learn more about the indigenous people who were the first to call Wisconsin home.
We are grateful for the social, recreational, and work opportunities presented by Blackhawk Ski Club, acknowledging its location on the sacred ancestral homelands of the Ho-Chunk Nation. We desire to be responsible stewards of this land, and are committed to maintaining our high quality trails and restoring biodiversity.
Reminder: Car Tags are Coming
Car tags will be coming for anyone who registered in September or October; mailing takes 4-6 weeks. Reach out to cartags@blackhawkskiclub.org with questions.
Reminder: 3rd Annual Family Orienteering Challenge!
Kick off your Thanksgiving Weekend with a Family (Rubber) Duck Hunt on Wednesday, Nov 26 @ West Chalet. All ages welcome. Pre-Registration Required by November 20 on SkiClubPro
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! More details at https://blackhawkskiclub.org/youth-programs/outdoor-exploration Contact jen.stclair@blackhawkskiclub.org with any questions or if you'd like to help out!
Upcoming Events
For upcoming events and additional details, keep an eye on our club calendar: https://blackhawkskiclub.org/news/club-calendar
Through 11/9: Youth Combo, Sundays, 4-5:30, West Chalet
10/22: Women’s MTB Ride, 6pm, Meet at West Chalet (bring bike lights)
10/21: Out There Nordic cross-country ski fitting (by appointment), West Chalet
11/1: Snowmaker training, 9am, maintenance barn
11/2: Fall Back Mountain Bike Celebration, 2-7pm, East Chalet
11/9: Fall biathlon team running race
11/13: Volunteer Ski/Snowboard Instructor Zoom Meeting, 7:30pm
11/26: Orienteering Challenge (registration required)
A happy dog on a walk at Blackhawk in October