Everyone has a Mt. Ashwabay story — a first ski run, a bluebird day on the hill, a summer hike with friends, or a moment of connection that made you feel at home on the mountain. These stories are what make Mt. Ashwabay more than a recreation area; they make it a community. We’d love to hear yours. Share your story, photo, or memory and help us celebrate the people, places, and experiences that keep the spirit of Mt. Ashwabay alive all year long.
Where Heart and Community Come Together—A Home Ski Meet at Mt. Ashwabay
Last Monday, as the temperature dipped to –5 degrees and the RealFeel hovered closer to –23, Mt. Ashwabay hosted a high school ski meet for the Northern Ski Conference.
On a day when even the conditions seemed determined to push people away--the ski teams from Mt. Ashwabay, Medford, Rhinelander/Northern Pines, Wausau, Rice Lake Cameron, and independent skiers still showed up.
The chalet was packed, standing-room-only with skiers, parents, and families. Gloves and boots were stuffed with hand warmers. Strangers swapped tips for staying warm. Ashwabay coach Kathy Radtke shared her legendary trick—tucking pieces of beaver fur inside her mittens to keep her hands warm. Very Northern Wisconsin. At the top of Jerry’s Run, Mt. Ashwabay skiers ducked into the starting house between slalom and GS runs. There, bundled up and catching their breath, they lounged on a worn leather couch and old chairs while frozen pizzas cooked on two Pizzazz rotating ovens just below the starting ramp. Despite the brutal conditions, the mood was light. This was their place.
For many of the athletes, skiing at Ashwabay started young—and not always smoothly.
“I started when I was seven,” said Willow Macrum. “I was on a snowboard at first, but I got frustrated and switched to skis. And I kept taking MADski lessons until I felt confident doing all the runs myself.”
Others took a little longer to find their spark.
“In sixth grade, I didn’t really like skiing,” Emmi Roush admitted. “But then I got passionate about it and got fired up. Now it’s just fun to go.” That growth—from awkward starts to confidence—came up again and again.
“You start the season kind of flopping around,” Wylder Moriarty said, “and you finish the season skiing really well.”
“You never know when you’re going to have a breakthrough,” Emmi added. “And if you miss a practice, you miss a chance for one of those.”
Ashwabay’s ski team may be small, but the athletes are well aware of what they can do.
“We’re small, so you wouldn’t think we could compete,” Willow said. “But because we have such great coaches—Kathy Radtke and Doug Olson—we can ski anything.”
They race against much larger programs, including schools combined into single teams and major conference competitors.
“We’re such a small area,” said Logan Roush, “but we still compete with places like Granite Peak—which is basically three D1 schools put together.”
And they hold their own.
“Our team performs really well in the conference,” Willow said simply.
Sunday Nastar races at Mt. Ashwabay also came up as a quiet training secret. “Doing Nastar every weekend helps a lot,” said Sunshine Walburg. “You get used to running gates. I used to get really nervous, but since I do it all the time, I don’t get nervous at meets.”
But racing isn’t the whole story.
“It lets me ski as much as I want,” added Tyler Lind. “It’s a good way to get better and get more time on the hill.” Ask the team about their favorite run, and it becomes clear that Ashwabay is more than a hill.
“Jodi’s Bowl,” Willow said without hesitation. “Untouched powder most of the year. It’s kind of a secret—off the beaten path.”
“Don’t judge it by how small it is,” Emmi added. “Even though there’s only one chairlift, there’s a lot hidden here. Lots of wood trails. What we lack in size, we make up for in spirit.”
Because what stands out most at Mt. Ashwabay is the sense of community. “The people and the overall vibe are the best part,” Sunshine said. “I know everyone—the workers and the people who come here.”
“It’s a gathering place,” Willow added. “There’s love here. Even though it’s a small hill, people ski the heck out of it.” That sense of belonging extends off the hill, too. Willow shared how he learned to create AI-generated songs as part of a calculus project, and how he created a song about the Mt. Ashwabay Ski Team on the bus ride home from a meet. It’s creative, upbeat, and captures all the feels. And on a day when the wind cut hard, visibility dropped, and the cold tested everyone’s resolve, the Ashwabay Ski Team proved exactly what makes this place special—not the size of the hill, but the heart behind it.
Mt. Ashwabay 2025/2026 Ski Team Roster: Willow Macrum Logan Rousch Gavin Olson Kaeden Werner Tyler Lind Wylder Moriarty Makwa Dahlin Marit Zifko Emmi Rousch Sydney Wroblewski
