The January thaw has passed, and we are looking forward to a great rest of the winter!  We are starting to line up lots of events for the next couple of months, covering everything from skijoring to ski lessons, races, and a full-moon XC ski Potluck.  

The start of winter had people out enjoying the hill.  Tubing was an extremely popular new attraction at the ski hill over the holidays, and we have had several large groups of people having parties or family get-togethers enjoying it since.   

Friday Youth nights have continued to be a great time up at the hill, and this year we have began to play music and have lights and lasers on the hill to make the night skiing even more fun!  Don't forget to come out Friday Nights through March 10th for $10 lift tickets, free rentals, and more!

The MADski program is still a popular Saturday morning activity, getting kids out improving their skills on skis and snowboards.  Lessons start at 10am every Saturday through February. 

This coming week we are hosting two ski races!  Come support your local teenage skiers and snowboarders at the annual Ashwabay Invitational Ski and Board Race this Tuesday, January 31st.  Or, if you would rather race yourself, join us on February 4th for the Ashwabay Summit XC race; all participants get a cookie!  The end of February and beginning of march will bring the King and Queen of the Mountain and Ed's Dual GS races as well.

Not a racer?  Join us February 11th for one of our annual Full Moon XC Ski and Potluck Pancake Dinner.  We provide the pancakes, free ski rentals, and warm fires in the chalet!  

Interested in learning a new sport?  Join the Superior Area Telemark Skiers as they host World Telemark Day on March 4th with free lessons, rentals, and an after party in the T-Bar (the party has a $20 cover that includes beer, food, music, and door prizes, with the 100% of the proceeds going towards natural terrain improvement at Mt. Ashwabay.)  Or bring your pup and join us February 26th for a Skijoring clinic on our new dog-friendly trail!

Volunteers are at the heart of Mt Ashwabay. Prepping for winter requires mowing, brushing, and trail clearing.
 
Please mention this to your friends and forward it on to them as well.
 
From local ski enthusiasts Jeff Kriner, Keith Opperman & Scott Bowker:
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We are looking at clearing some brush on some expert terrain at Mt. Ashwabay and would love some help. Some areas could use more attention to make it more fun & improve the quality of skiing/riding.
 
Saturday, November 12th & November 19th we will be meeting at the hill at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot. 
 
If you are up for helping out, please dress smart, including eye protection plus work gloves and bring any tools (loppers, heavy duty clippers, weed wackers, chainsaws, walk behind brush cutters/brush hogs) you think might be helpful in clearing brush/thick weeds.  If you don't have any tools, feel free to bring some gasoline for powered tools or just your hands will be great as well. 
 
If you have access to a walk behind brush cutter/brush hog, a tractor with a brush cutter attachment, a trailer or a truck that could carry a walk behind brush cutter/brush hog like the Billygoat BC26 Outback Brushcutter (72” long x 31” wide x 48” high  335 pounds), or a vehicle that could pull a trailer with a walk behind brush cutter up Swiss Miss please contact Mt Ashwabay at 715-779-3227 with your contact info & equipment details. 
 
Absolutely no children at this event, as it could be potentially dangerous. If you have a very responsible teen who is up for a hard days work, then by all means he/she can join us. 
 
We plan on starting on the future glades area to the skier’s right of The Drop.  If there is time and man-power, then taking on Hemlock, The Drop, spine of Jodi's Run, the area under the upper chair lift and the back bowl ridge area between Hemlock & Swiss Miss.  Bravo and Scalpers have some lighter vegetation that can be taken out too if we have time.
 
We know this seems like a daunting task, but it will make such a difference in the stoke factor at the hill this winter.  Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
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Volunteers are needed throughout the course of the year for a variety of tasks ranging from: Filing & organizing records, Fundraising, Weatherization, Facilities improvements, Trail clearing, Brush clearing, Wood-splitting. Snowmaking, Grooming, Race course setting, Rental Shop, Café, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Repair & upkeep of equipment, Cooking, Cashiering, Set-up & clean-up, Housekeeping, Parking lot/Security and more.
   
If you'd like to know more, or find other ways to help Mt Ashwabay, please contact Mt Ashwabay at 715-779-3227.
 
Working together we can make the Mt Ashwabay Advanced Terrain Vision a reality.  We now are on Phase 2.  Mt Ashwabay is a not-for-profit organization with IRS 501c3 tax exemption. 

Thanks for a great race, folks!  Results are listed below:
 
Woman
 
Grace Hogan              1:00:03          
Kristin O’Connor       1:29:10
Kim Biedermann       1:39:18
Megan Meyer             1:39:25
Jordyn Bremer          1:45:30
Jamie Bremer            1:46:12
Lora Heule                 1:52:22
Cheryl Maki                1:52:41
Jade Maki                   1:53:00
Tomi Brunner           1:59:42
Jeanneane Huberty   1:59:43
Kim Roegner              NA
 
 
Men
 
Shane Sundbery        52:10
Jake Fahrenkrog       53:12
Richard Geisen          53:18
Ladislaus Strzok        53:19
Ross Freiderich         1:00:15
Mark Abeles-Allison  1:05:29
Lars Leafblad            1:05:39
Ryan Adams               1:07:09
Larry Young              1:11:37
Jacob Vallejo              1:13:14
Colin Drake                1:13:25
Pete Carlson              1:20:30
Richard Allan             1:20:31
Ryan Golz                   1:29:44
Ryan Gorecki             1:30:55
Andrew Wagner        1:31:07
Edwin Monroy           1:31:26
Chris Henderson       1:31:32
Brian Bremer            1:45:40
Josh Bremer              1:46:10
Russ Heule                 1:52:10
Rus Maki                    1:52:42
Todd Kahl                  1:59:50
Reilly Dougherty       NA
Patrick Delgado         NA

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Double Doughnut Derby this year at Mt Ashwabay. This fatbike race is a great way to experience winter in a fun new way. Check out some great photos after the break provided by Volunteers Steve Vizanko and Scott Nesvold