Thanks to the recent snow and the hard work of our snowmaking team, all of our cross-country ski, fat bike, and snowshoeing trails are open, including the Erdman Trail that connects to CXC and Pleasant View.  

All of our Alpine ski & snowboard hills are open; as always, please follow ski patrol instructions/signage as to where you may downhill ski and snowboard! 

Please help us keep the trails in great shape by not walking or hiking with them in regular shoes or boots; please use only skis, snowshoes, and fat bikes on the trails until the snow melts!  

Snowshoeing at Blackhawk 

Snowshoeing is great exercise, so much fun, easy to do around the perimeter trail and other trails at Blackhawk, and helps “groom” the fat bike trails! Please follow the trail map and signage. Generous Blackhawk member Larry Meade has donated snowshoes for use on the trails we hike on in warm months. They’re in the East Chalet for anyone to use. If you’d like to donate snowshoes, we welcome your donations! Simply reply to this email to let us know you’d like to donate. 

Skijoring Begins 1/21 

If you are interested in skijoring (cross-country skiing while being pulled by a dog), our first event will occur this Sunday, January 21, after Nordic Kids lessons, at approximately 3:30pm. We will meet at the maintenance barn, and appropriate skijoring equipment is required. Please contact Guy Perez at guy.perez@blackhawkskiclub.org for more information. 

Clothing Store Open til 1/21 

Our clothing store is open until 1/21 for purchasing clothing with Blackhawk logos. Check it out. Also, if you want to look as fantastic as the Mattison family below, we'll be selling Blackhawk hats in the chalet during the winter carnival and possibly some other times, as well. Stay tuned!

Enjoy Winter/Blackhawk Partnership 

EnjoyWinter is America’s largest independent importer and distributor of cross-country ski equipment. They import and sell over a dozen brands that primarily specialize in one Nordic product category and make their own gear. Enjoy Winter specializes in Nordic but also have a wide assortment of Bliz Goggles & Helmets and Start ski wax & tools for the alpine racer. They sell to 150 ski shops across America as well at EnjoyWinter.com 

They are open for Madison business at 8845 S. Greenview Dr #5 Middleton WI  M-F 10-4 and after hours and on weekend by appointment; call/text 406-585-2660 or email andyg@enjoywinter.com. Blackhawk members gain 25% off MSRP on most of their products online and in store by using Blackhawk as promo code, and Blackhawk racing juniors gain 35% off MSRP using BlackhawkJR. Elite racers can reach out to EnjoyWinter regarding athlete individual sponsorship. 

Women's Alpine Ski Clinic 2/11 

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 Sunday, January 14 from 1-3pm. Cost is $60/per session. Email kelsey.berg@blackhawkskiclub.org to sign up. 

Winter Carnival 2/17 

Our annual Winter Carnival will be held on 2/17 from 12:30-3:30 pm. Enjoy meeting other Blackhawk members over snacks and drinks. We’ll have snow-related games and activities, too. If you can volunteer to help out, please contact Kelsey Berg at kelsey.berg@blackhawkskiclub.org. 

Hugh Jass Fat Bike Race 2/24  

Blackhawk is hosting the Hugh Jass Fat Bike race on Saturday, February 24th. This is a great event to participate in, or to watch! For more information, or to sign up, go to: https://hughjass.bike/races/race-5 

Cross-Country Ski Clinic Wednesdays at 12pm through 2/7

Generous Blackhawk member Peter Berbee is launching a weekday xc ski skills improvement clinic at Blackhawk on Wednesdays at noon, through February 7. Meet at the bottom of Hill 2, if you have AWD or 4WD. Please be mindful of the road conditions and park at the top of the hill if the road is slippery, and if you don't have AWD or 4WD, park at the top and walk down. 

What we will work on: Fundamental skiing skills. The emphasis will be on how we stand on skis, how we glide on skis, how we push on skis, and how we push on poles.   We will explore these skills with fun and games, agility practice, and drills. There will be time to practice mindful blending of these skills back into our techniques as well as addressing specific areas participants would like to work on. Sessions will last for one hour. 

Plans to cover classic vs. skating will be discussed at the first session. Bring your preferred style of skis to the first session--we will be able to work in a group with either technique the first day. 

Goals for this clinic include fun and increasing efficiency and speed in a safe, collaborative, and welcoming environment. 

Who should attend: Any Blackhawk member who wishes to improve their XC skiing and can get away for an hour midday in the week. All levels are welcome. Nordic skiers who are teaching skiing or thinking about teaching skiing are especially encouraged to attend.  

 No fee. Participants are encouraged to make a donation to Blackhawk Ski Club in the form of money, or any volunteer activity at the club. Full or Limited Blackhawk Ski Club Membership is required. 

Your clinic leader: Peter Berbee will lead this group. Peter is a skiing enthusiast and fully certified (level 3) PSIA cross country instructor.  He has over 20 years of experience teaching skiing with several programs and ski schools at this level.  He has also taught at clinics to train and certify ski instructors for the PSIA working as a cross country ski examiner.   

 Please contact Peter if you have questions at pberbee@gmail.com. 

 HUGE THANKS to Peter for offering this clinic; many members have requested something like this, and we are so grateful to Peter for offering it! 

 Other cross-country ski reminders, now that the trails are snow-covered and groomed: 

• The new biathlon ski trail is only open to those who have a US biathlon membership. The has been requested by the land owner for insurance purposes. We are in the process of having signs made. 

• Observe the skier's responsibility code (it works for XC skiing, too!) 

• Respect Ski Patrol's directions; they are here to keep everyone safe! 

• Hill #4 can be used for xc skiing except during open ski and on Tuesday nights.  Ski Patrol will close off hill#4 to alpine skiing at other times. No uphill skiing on Hill#2 when ropes are running.  

• CXC Pass is required to ski on Pleasant View Golf Course and adjacent CXC trails. Blackhawk members may ski on the Erdman connector but not onto the golf course or CXC trails without a pass. 

• Stay to the left of the trail like an English driver. 

• Busy times with varied abilities on the trail: 

Mon 5:30-7 

Wed 4:30-7 

Sun 2-3 

Jan 27 & 28 Regional Biathlon race 

March 3 Biathlon Race & Nordic Kids Cookie Race 

Uphill Skiing at Blackhawk  

  Uphill skiing is an essential skill to master and a great workout that many of our members enjoy, from biathlon, nordic, and even the occasional skinning by telemark and alpine skiers. To ensure this is a safe activity for everyone, please be mindful of our uphill skiing rules and guidelines: 

• Always be visible to snowcats and other skiers, especially in the dark! 

• All skiers must abide by the skier responsibility code. 

• When descending, watch for marked slow zones, blind spots and other skiers 

• When tow ropes are running, uphill skiing is limited to specific areas and/or hours with exceptions for nordic programs further defined in our uphill skiing guidelines. 

Outdoor Exploration 

Our Outdoor Exploration New Year's Day hike was so much fun! We made cereal and pretzel necklaces, crafted some nature journals, and took a snowy trek around Blackhawk with Special Guest Hike Guide Rick Hardy! 

Our Parents' Night (scheduled for tonight) is CANCELLED due to expected low temperatures, but stay tuned for upcoming Spring 2024 Outdoor Exploration Events! 

Lost Equipment 

Please label your equipment. Many of us have similar looking equipment, especially skis. Recently, some people have mistakenly taken skis that look like theirs but belong to someone else, so please make sure that the equipment you take home is yours. There is a lost and found in the north end of the chalet that contains lots of lost children's clothing. 

Important Dates 

1/17-2/7 Cross-Country Ski Clinic, Wednesdays at noon 

1/21 Skijoring begins! 

Jan 27 & 28 Regional Biathlon race 

2/11/24 Women’s Ski Clinic 

2/17/24 Winter Carnival 

2/24/24 Hugh Jass Bike Race 

3/3 Biathlon Race & Nordic Kids Cookie Race