May 2025 Newsletter

We hope you're enjoying this amazing spring weather! Here's the news about upcoming programs and events in May! 

2025-2026 Executive Committee 

Kelsey Berg – President  

Amy Grunewald Mattison – Vice President 

Paul Kulas – Treasurer 

Jeff Iverson – Secretary 

Andrea Dlugos – At large 

Workday, Saturday, May 17, from 9 AM – 12 PM, Maintenance Shed 

Join us for a workday to pick up sticks and debris left from a controlled burn of the lower field (area instead the Siberian Highway). Meet at the maintenance shed, which is at the bottom of the club, at 9am. We plan to work until 12pm. Bring gloves and wear clothes that can get dirty since it can be sooty after a burn. All ages are welcome! 

  Email kelsey.berg@blackhawkskiclub.org to let us know you are coming or if you have any questions. 

  As always, we wouldn't be the club we are without our members, and we appreciate all you do to help care for the club! 

Mountain Biking 

Join us this weekend for a GRiT try-it clinic--details below!

Youth Mountain Bike Instructor Training 5/29, 5:30pm, East Chalet 

We are looking for youth mountain bike instructors to help teach lessons throughout the week. Previous instruction experience is not required; training is included.  Email kelley.linnan@blackhawkskiclub.org for details. Instructor training is May 29th at 5:30pm at the East Chalet.  

Ninja Mountain Bike Camps 

Blackhawk is pleased to announce that Ninja Mountain Bike camps are returning to the club for two sessions this summer: May 31-June 1 and August 9-10. Ninja offers multiple options for various skill levels, and also offers a women's specific program. Blackhawk members are eligible for a 50% discount using discount code Blackhawk50 during checkout. See their website for program descriptions and to sign up: https://ridelikeaninja.com/wisconsin/ 

Our May 31/ June 1 event has these spots open currently: 

  • 2 Day Camp - 1 spot (Saturday and Sunday) 

  • Jumping Clinic - 5 spots (Saturday afternoon) 

  • Int/Adv Clinic - 5 spots (Sunday) 

  • Co-ed Full Day Fundamentals Clinic - 2 spots (Sunday) 

  • Co-ed Fundamentals Trail Application - 3 spots (Sunday afternoon) 

Nature News at Blackhawk- Observations from Jill Stevenson 

There are few experiences more soul-engaging than experiencing the magic of nature. It can happen when you are seated at your desk looking out the window, driving down a neighborhood road, or on a hike, bike or run.  

On a cool day in early May, I walked the Perimeter trail*. Highlights included spotting a red cup fungus and listening near the Otter Den to the rich and varied whistling songs of the orioles, who arrived a few weeks ago! The male’s bright orange color helps you spot it when it flies between the trees. As for the fungus, it is also known as the scarlet elf cup and prefers damp, shady spots. Magical indeed! 

These experiences are frequent at Blackhawk but it is helpful to tune your senses to the seasonal goings-on, slow down, and brush up on your ID skills. The following tools increase the possibility of noticing the magic by getting you better acquainted with your plant and bird neighbors….Hope to meet you out there soon! 

  • Merlin:  This free app from the Cornell Bird Lab allows you to identify birds based on their calls or an uploaded photo, and is supported by eBird, the world’s largest database of bird sightings and sounds. Identification opens the door to so many answers for the bird-curious….warning: it is slightly addictive. 

  • Seek:  Seek provides identification of plants and creatures right through your phone camera and does not share your observations (especially helpful for children). My family has used it over the years to spur on reluctant hikers (“ID 3 ferns, a fungus and 2 insects! Go!”) 

  • iNaturalist: iNaturalist,  a similar app by the same designers as Seek,  provides an entire community of excited amateur naturalists who are able to share findings and discussion, and, as a result, contribute to citizen science.   

*Start at East driveway entrance and head through the pines, down Hill 6, past the Otter Den on Creek Trail and back up Hill 2, making a complete loop around the perimeter of Club property. 

Summer Biathlon Updates

Biathlon has a lot of changes this season and is excited to be starting up the summer!  

First, the youth race teams are being renamed. What used to be the “Introductory Middle School Team” is now the “Developmental Race Team,” and encompasses biathletes new to the sport; participating on the team for 1-3 years. What used to be the “Advanced Middle School Team” is now the “Junior Race Team,” biathletes will stay on this team for 1-3 years depending on age and space available on the next team. And lastly, what used to be the “High School Team” is now the “Senior Race Team.” Biathletes will join the Senior Race team in either 9th or 10th grade depending on space available. These name changes better align with the athletes that are on each team. 

We also have quite a few new faces to leadership roles in the program. Ian Olson is taking over as the Masters Coordinator. Thatcher Collins and Jill Stevenson are taking over as Race Directors. Todd Breiby and Josh Wilson are taking over as Program Directors. Joe Hamel will remain as an advisor to ensure a smooth transition and help the new leadership. 

Our youth and masters programs will be beginning their summer training the week of June 16th. Senior Race Team will be practicing Tuesday evenings, Junior Race Team Thursday evenings, Developmental Race Team is planning on Thursday evenings, (subject to change based off of interest) and the Masters Team will be practicing Wednesday evenings (starting on May 28th). 

The Blackhawk youth biathlon program will have a limited number of openings for new biathletes for the 2025/26 season. If you have or know of a middle school-aged student who is interested in biathlon, check out the Blackhawk youth biathlon webpage for more information, including whom to contact for more information.  

Parking Tags Are In the Mail

Parking tags for new members and 2025 stickers are in the mail! They may take a few weeks to get to you, so thanks for your patience, and 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 that you can add to your car tag.  

Upcoming Events 

For upcoming events and additional details, keep an eye on our club calendar: https://blackhawkskiclub.org/news/club-calendar 

  • May 17 – GRiT Try-it-Out Event  

  • May 31 – June 1 – Ninja Bike camp  

  • June 2 – Youth MTB lessons begin