Gelandesprung Ski Club News

President's Message for April 2026

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:02:44 GMT

This was an unusual ski season for Gelandesprung and for the resorts in the Rocky Mountain range. We planned our January trip to Telluride over a year ago. The strike by Telluride ski patrol caused us to cancel the contract a few days before our departure date. It was a good decision. Although the strike ended two days prior to our planned arrival, the mountain was not fully open the week that we would have been skiing.

The Trip committee considered all options. First, we decided to go to an Epic pass resort so that our trippers would be able to use the passes that they purchased. As we considered Epic sites, we ran into the problem of not being able to find lodging in the Summit County areas or other areas that we considered. The exception was Telluride, the week of March 21 to 28. That, combined with the fact that a survey of people that signed up for the January trip indicated they would prefer Telluride.

We had 30 people on our trip to Telluride. The heat and drought affected ski resorts throughout the U.S. Rocky Mountains. We had 122 runs open on the Sunday after arrival. By the end of skiing on Saturday, we were down to 42 runs open. In spite of these conditions, I never heard a significant complaint. Everyone I talked to was making the best of the situation and enjoying the hell out of the runs that were available. We had a blast, mostly skiing until 1:00 to 3:00 depending on personal choice.

With Telluride behind us, we will be working on our trips for next year. Our plan is to have two western trips. One will be our week-long trip to Whitefish Montana, early in March. Many of our members will choose to ride the train to enjoy the scenery and a lower travel cost. The other trip will be shorter, starting about February 6 or 7. The shorter trip will have lower costs and will require less time away from work. We are evaluating a trip to Ogden Utah but it will be a couple of months or more before the details of the location, etc. are set.

We also need to reconsider our Midwest trips. Bussing cost is very high. We would like your ideas for the type of Midwest trips you would consider going on. We will look into driving on your own to resorts along with other travel options besides a bus.

Our Spring Banquet/annual meeting will be a good time for you share your ideas with us. Now is the time to sign up. The date is April 10. We ask that you have your signup from the newsletter sent to us by April 3. If you are a little behind, check in with Pia Heldt at Social@Gelandesprung.org

We will also have our elections for Treasurer and Vice President. There will be an opening since Scot Wederquist will be leaving the Board. Scot has been very helpful helping us manage corporate considerations for our club. Please consider helping your ski club. It is a good opportunity for you to influence our decisions and to help the club choose activities and trips that our members will appreciate.

Wishing you all the best this spring,

Tom Piette

President's Message for March 2026

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:17:21 GMT

March's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Happy March everyone. Many people prefer skiing in January and February. Conditions are usually dependable. That has not been the case in Colorado this year. Fortunately, snow has been falling throughout the Colorado range over the last week or two and Southwest Colorado has had huge snow dumps. Wolf Creek, Telluride, Crested Butte and other resorts in the region have received a good amount of snow. March is my favorite month for skiing. I love the warmth of sunny days and the great snowfalls that are typical of spring in the Rocky Mountains.

As you know, we canceled our January trip to Telluride because it was shut down due to a strike. The Western committee evaluated many alternatives for a ski trip. It was not easy to find lodging during March, because of vacations during spring breaks. This, and the limitations from a major airline caused us to choose Telluride with our rescheduled trip from March 21 to March 28. I also wish to thank Mike Bast for his effort on finding a solution, so that people who wanted to ski at Crested Butte would be able to enjoy both locations.

People that were signed up for the January trip that are able to go in March, are already signed up. Ski Group is managing the refund process for those that are not able to participate in the trip.

The trip was advertised via an eblast and our Facebook Page for anyone else that might want to join us. It will be a much smaller group because of the change but we promise to have a good time and share photos.

Finally, spring is around the corner and with it our Spring banquet on April 10^th. The banquet is our annual membership meeting that will include elections for Vice President and Treasurer. Phil has agreed to run again. Scot wants to spend more time working with his favorite charities and will resign from his position as VP. Please consider joining the board. It is fun and rewarding work that allows you to help run the club to assure fun and longevity of this organization.

Wishing you all the best this spring

Tom Piette

President's Message for February 2026

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 22:58:11 GMT

February's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

This is a difficult post for me to write. Telluride has been on our short list since 2019. Following about 9 months of planning, the Western Trip committee and the Board agreed on January 6^th, that the January 10^th trip to Telluride should be canceled. Sixty-five people that signed up are disappointed. Yet those that were at our meeting agreed it was the right thing to do, due to the ongoing strike by the Ski Patrol at Telluride. It was the right decision. Although the strike ended January 12^th, very few lifts were running during the first several days that we would have been skiing.

Following this decision, Ron Quick surveyed the people that had signed up regarding their availability for a new trip and asking where they would like to ski. Ron, Frank Wickham, and Joe Kucharski have been spending many hours during the month to put together a different trip on very short notice. Telluride was chosen by more people than the other locations combined. As I write this, the committee expects to have a recommendation within a week. Details matter in this regard. We need to find the right block of days along with lodging and transportation. Although there will be fewer people able to make it on the trip, there is still a lot of work to complete. Frank will not be able to join us due to an essential project at work. Ron has stepped up as well as Joe to provide leadership.

Your first notice of our trip announcement will be on our Facebook Page and in an eblast to members that were on the original trip, along with general membership.

Our Midwest trip to Afton Alps and Welch Village is planned for March 6-8^th. Now is the time to sign up if you would like to go. We would like to see more people enjoying these locations that are less than a 4-and-a-half-hour bus ride from Green Bay.

Finally, we will have elections for Treasurer and Vice President at our Spring Banquet in April. There will be an opening for Vice President as Scot will leave his post after four years and will be spending more time helping charities in the Sturgeon Bay area. Please consider becoming a board member. You would be able to get to know more people in our club and help our club by regularly sharing your ideas. There is some work but there are many benefits as well. Talk to me or other board members if you have any questions.

Thank you all for your support of Gelandesprung and our friends at Sly Fox,

Tom Piette

President's Message for January 2026

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 14:59:13 GMT

January's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

It is hard for me to believe that it is already 2026. I am happy to report that our club is doing very well. We ran two good trips including the snowy weekend trip to Searchmont Ontario and the snowy Western trip to Beaver Creek. We received good feedback from our trippers for each of the trips. Of course, that happens with great conditions. We take 100% credit for the great conditions. On the other hand, Meteorologists are responsible whenever we have poor conditions.

We also reestablished our Facebook Page for the purpose of Marketing our club, including using it to advertise Gelandesprung’s activities, especially ski trips. Our members and the public can view the page at Gelandesprung Ski Club of Green Bay, Sports Club at https://www.facebook.com/gelandesprung. The Gelandesprung Group on Facebook remains available for our members to share their photos and stories related to the club as well as to communicate with club members to join them on activities, especially skiing.

We had a great time at our Christmas party last month with excellent participation. You can see the group photo on our Facebook Page. Congratulations to Neils Jenson. He won the ugly sweater contest by a landslide. It was truly ugly. At the Christmas party, we shared that our Western trip to Telluride is sold out and it will be upon us in a few days. I can’t wait. I missed the last opportunity due to a family trip to Whitefish, which was a fantastic experience.

In fact, Whitefish will be our next destination in early March 2027. Traveling Amtrack to Whitefish has been requested by a lot of our members since our last visit to Whitefish in March 2013. It will be an option for travel, as well as plane and automobile. This will truly be a planes, trains, and automobiles type of trip. Amtrack is a fun way to travel and it’s also a great opportunity to get to know people better as you socialize and watch the beautiful scenery and wild animals as you pass through North Dakota and Montana, including the southern portion of Glacier Park during the final hour or two on the train. You leave the train in the city of Whitefish, about 15 minutes from the ski resort.

The Western Trip committee has been training for several years to take on more trips. We will start having a second trip out west beginning in 2027. It will be less than a full week to appeal to those that prefer an economical shorter trip. We hope to be able to share more information this spring. We believe this will be a great alternative for our members that find it difficult to go on longer trips. This also provides another opportunity for a second trip.

Finally, we discussed our intentions to offer more opportunities to socialize with our members and friends at events throughout the course of the year. We have some good ideas for things to do to augment our current activities. We will have more to share over the coming months as we finalize our plans for fun.

Finally, we will have elections for Treasurer and Vice President at our Spring Banquet in April. If you are interested in running for either position, please talk with a Board member.

I wish everyone of you a great year, including good health and a lot of skiing during this best time of the year.

Tom Piette

President's Message for December

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:56:23 GMT

December's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Winter is coming! It is now time for us to enjoy great times with our families and friends. With that, I sure hope that you will be attending the Club Christmas Party on Tuesday, December 9th. The start time will be immediately following a Board meeting that starts at 6 pm. We will make the Board meeting as short as feasible. Please join us and remember to RSVP to social@gelandesprung.org by December 1, so we can plan for the appropriate amount of food. Don’t forget to wear your ugliest holiday sweater to win a special prize. Our Christmas Party is one of the fun gatherings we have. We are having a good year and we would like to see as many of you as possible.

For the coming year, we will be adding a few new twists to our social activities in addition to our downhill skiing. We will share some of these ideas with you at the Christmas Party. Additionally, we will be asking you to share the kinds of social events that you would be interested in enjoying with the club. In my experience, the bike rides, golf outings, happy hours, and other social events have been an opportunity to have a great time with people in our club. Our diverse backgrounds make for some great conversations and deeper friendships.

Our trip to Telluride is around the corner. As you know, it is one of my favorite spots among all of the great resorts we have in the Rocky Mountains. My skis are sharp and waxed as I wait for the early season skiing at Granite Peak and perhaps a day trip to Snow River.

That said, the most important message I have for you is to wish you a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends.

Merry Christmas,

Tom Piette

President's Message for November

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:27:13 GMT

November's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Welcome to November, the traditional start of our ski season in this region. Let’s hope that the snow is good early enough for us to get our ski legs ready for the trips beginning with our trip to Telluride in January.

We had a good size group of people for our Fall Banquet on October 2. We had a good time and we shared that our Midwest trip will be to Afton Alps and Welch Village from March 6 to March 8, 2026. Information and the signup sheet are in the newsletter. We also announced that we are finalizing plans to return to Whitefish from March 6-13 2027. Can you believe that our last trip to Whitefish was March 2013? Given the number of requests by our members it is our intent to include Amtrack as one of the options for travel. It was a lot of fun twelve years ago and it will be again.

Our final openings for Telluride were filled in early October. We are still accepting applications for Telluride on a wait list basis. I encourage you to sign up if you want to go. It is possible that we will be able to get another condo which would create spot for you. It is also possible that someone will need to drop out, creating an open spot. If and/or when spots become available, we will notify the first person to sign up on the waitlist and they will have the choice to join first. Of course, we would place people with consideration for their gender.

As discussed last month, we were able to regain access to our Facebook Page with the help of Niina Baum, Owner of Valo Media in Rhinelander. The purposes of this Facebook page are to communicate to our members and to advertise our ski club so people become aware of our club and the opportunity to join a local group of people that love the sport of skiing & boarding. Our members and the public can view the page at Gelandesprung Ski Club of Green Bay, Sports Club at https://www.facebook.com/gelandesprung.

If you go to the page, you will see the ad for our Telluride trip. We will soon have our Midwest Trip advertised on the site. We will also use the page to advertise our other activities such as membership meetings, and other social events. Only our Administrators will be able to post on the page. We currently have four Administrators including Scot Wederquist, Luke Davis, Claudia Elsner and myself.

We will also maintain our Facebook group (Gelandesprung Ski Club Public group). You become a member of the group by liking the site. The group is set up so we can all post information. Examples would be to post photos of scenery or people at our events, a suggestion to informally meet other members at a ski area, go for a group bike ride, or any other appropriate posts. Brian Fowle is the administrator for the Facebook Group.

Wishing all of you a great Thanksgiving holiday and good luck to all hunters looking for that 30-point buck.

See you soon,

Tom Piette

President's Message for October

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 21:17:13 GMT

October's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Our Telluride group has filled out well after a good start since last month. As I write this we have three airline seats remaining for the round trip to Montrose. If you want to join the fun, now is the time.

If you purchased an Epic pass and have not received any communication for the pass, call or email Crystal at Ski Group, not Epic. Her email is crystal@skigroup.net and her phone number is 970-313-4217.

I discussed the effort to re-establish our Facebook page last month. Our members and the public can view the page at Gelandesprung Ski Club of Green Bay, Sports Club at https://www.facebook.com/gelandesprung. The purpose of this Facebook page is to advertise our ski club in order to make people aware of our club and the opportunity to join a local group of people that love the sport of skiing & boarding. If you go to the page, you will see our ad for the Telluride trip. We will soon have our Midwest Trip advertised on the site. We will also use the page to advertise our other activities such as membership meetings, and other social events. Only our Administrators will be able to post on the page.

We have continued to add members to our club in recent years, mostly through personal interaction. We continue to be successful running our trips. Yet, our members’ average age has increased. The page will help us to reach out to people that are younger than our average age to assure that we continue to go downhill for the next 50 years.

We also will maintain our Facebook group (Gelandesprung Ski Club Public group). The Facebook group was set up by Brian Fowle a few years ago because we lost access to the page. You become a member of the group by liking the site. The group is set up so we can all post information. Examples would be to post photos of scenery or people at our events, a suggestion to informally meet other members at a ski area, go for a ride, or any other appropriate posts.

A third site, “Friends Who Like Gelandesprung Ski Club of Green Bay” is a group that was developed by a member for members. That person agreed to eliminate that group to avoid confusion.

I hope to see you at our Fall Banquet on October 2, 2025. It will include a traditional banquet and a speaker, Andrea Weyenberg, will discuss the benefits of aquatic exercise as we build strength and improve flexibility for the coming ski season.

Scot will discuss the plan for our Midwest Trip in March. A benefit for those that buy the Epic Pass is that they will get one day of free skiing at our Midwest destination.

See you soon,

Tom Piette

President's Message for September 2025

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:34:43 GMT

September's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

The signup period for Telluride has gone very well. If you want to join the fun, now is the time. Our unused Delta Airline seats must be dropped by September 10th. Our United Airline seats will remain into the month of October. Don’t forget, when buying the Epic pass through Skigroup.net, you will get a $50 discount applied to each individual account at checkout. A credit of $50 will be issued for the Epic Full season pass ($1075), or 5 and 6 Epic Day All Resorts passes. Just enter TripRebate50 in the Discount Code space and click Apply and you will get an instant credit of $50.

As you may know, Gelandesprung lost control of our Facebook PAGE several years ago due to some difficulties. Brian Fowle tried to regain control of the page with Facebook but ran into significant problems with the Facebook team. The approach that we used for the last several years has been to set up and use a Facebook GROUP (I didn’t know the difference). One difference is that you must “like” the page in order to regularly see the posts. I encourage you to do this if you have not done it yet. This Facebook GROUP has served us well and it will continue to be available for our members to use to share photos and other information.

Although the GROUP has its benefits, it also has limitations. For this reason, we have decided to spend time, with the help of a Valo Media, to regain access to our PAGE. After weeks of effort, Gelandesprung now has access to our PAGE.

The purpose of the PAGE will be a marketing tool for our club. Posts to the PAGE will be made by the administrators. As an example, our trips and other activities will be advertised on the page. This is a part of our effort to reach out to people in the area that do not know about Gelandesprung. With this, we expect to find more people with a shared interest in skiing and boarding. This aspect will supplement our person to person sharing of the benefits of our club in order to increase our membership. We have been providing opportunities for skiing & boarding, and other social sports for 56 years. We want to be sure that Gelandesprung continues to be a resource for the younger generation. This is my top goal for my term as President of your club.

To find our new page, open Facebook and search for Gelandesprung Ski Club of Green Bay, Sports Club. You will notice that our logo is prominent on the page. You will also notice there are a lot of photos going back years. A cache of photos was supplied to Valo Media by a number of our members. Niina Baum (Valo Media) selected the photos and developed the advertisement.

As you perform the search on Facebook, you will also see “Gelandesprung Ski club, Your Group.” This is the site developed by Brian and it will remain for your use.

A third site, “Friends Who Like Gelandesprung Ski Club of Green Bay is a group that was developed by members for members.

My hope is that we begin to see growth of our club with people that have the desire and energy to help take our club into the future. And I hope to see all of you at our Fall Banquet on October 2^nd. We will be having a more traditional banquet this fall. We will also have a guest speaker, Andrea Weyenberg, who will discuss the benefits of aquatic exercises.

Tom

President's Message for August 2025

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 18:05:38 GMT

August's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

This is often the time of year when things slow down for our trip planning. This year is not that kind of summer. We have the ongoing planning process for Telluride and we are working to improve our presence on Social Media.

Our trip to Telluride will open Saturday, August 2^nd. Many things have changed in this industry since I ran my first trip to Sun Peaks in 2018. You are all aware that costs are up. This is caused by substantial inflation. Behind the scenes, what you don’t see is that airlines have become more difficult for us to work with. The number of seats on a plane is usually limited to fewer than we need for a group of our size. We were fortunate to resolve the seats issue by booking three different flights departing Green Bay and Milwaukee. This will also eliminate the need for a bus ride in Wisconsin. The difficult issue is that we will pay full price for any unused seats by mid-September. Because of this, airline flights will be dropped before this penalty kicks in. If you sign up late, we might not be able to help you with your transportation. Please review the August newsletter for more information.

Our accommodations will be excellent. Each bedroom in the condos is like having a hotel room with access to a common living area and kitchen. Most beds are kings that split into twin beds. If you have not been to Telluride, you will be in for a treat at a bucket List destination.

Our club is doing very well. We have good membership numbers and we are filling our trips. We have been going downhill since 1969. We intend to assure that Gelandesprung stays relevant for a long time. To that end, we will be updating our social media platform to reach out to people in the area that are not aware of us. We believe this approach could add a few members this year and would likely increase our total membership over the coming years. We are working to re-establish our public Facebook page and we will continue our Facebook group for use by our members. I’ll cover this in more detail next month.

Telluride accepts the full Epic pass and Epic Day passes. It does not accept Epic Military Passes or Local Passes. Refer to trip information articles in the newsletter for details regarding the passes. You should also consider all other skiing that you would like to enjoy next winter before you purchase your Epic pass. For example, the Midwest trip might include a location that will accept the Epic pass. These and similar questions will be resolved over the next several months.

Please share this information with your friends and acquaintances. This is a “bucket list” location that might be the reason that someone joins our club. We offer good trip planning at a good price. You sign up, “write a check” and show up. Yet, the people that we ski with are the greatest selling point.

For all of us, this is a great time to get out and ride our bikes. The strength and fitness cycling provides can help us ski safely and avoid season-ending injuries.

One such opportunity to get together this summer, for all members and non-members, is Quick’s Bike Ride at noon, August 23 from Silarian Winery. See the newsletter for detailed information. This is also a great opportunity to meet people and learn about Gelandesprung if you are considering becoming a member.

Thanks to all for supporting our Club.

Tom

President's Message for July 2025

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:34:53 GMT

July's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

As I write this post, I am thinking it would be a good day at the beach with the temperature in the 90’s. Yet, this is the time of the year that your Western Trip Committee members are working through the details of our trip to Telluride Colorado, January 10, 2026. We have secured good flights from Green Bay and Milwaukee which eliminates the need for bussing on this leg of the trip. Ron Quick, Frank Wickham, and Joe Kucharski are working through details of the trip in order to open the trip for sign up later in the summer.

Telluride accepts full Epic passes and Epic Day passes. It does not accept Epic Military passes or Local passes. Refer to trip information articles in the newsletter for details regarding the passes. You should also consider all other skiing that you would like to enjoy next winter before you purchase your Epic pass. For example, the Midwest trip might include a location that will accept the Epic pass. These and similar questions will be resolved over the next several months. We are continuing to tentatively plan Saturday, August 2, as the first day to sign up.

Telluride is a fabulous location for skiing and apre ski. The San Juan mountains are spectacular to view. It will likely be a very long time before we go back, so do your best to join us on the trip. We will be sending out more information via email and Facebook during the month. Please stay tuned.

Please share this information with your friends and acquaintances. This is a “bucket list” location that might be the reason that someone joins our club. We offer good trip planning at a good price. You sign up, “write a check” and show up. But the people that we ski with are the greatest selling point.

Finally, Rita and Gary are leading one of the most fun activities of the year on Wednesday, July 23^rd. It is the summer ride to Ledgestone Vineyard. Check the newsletter for details. Please note that if you are working, you can start riding a little later (5:30) or meet everyone at Ledgestone Vineyards & Gnarly Cedar Brewery. This is also a great opportunity to meet people and learn about Gelandesprung if you are considering becoming a member.

There is also the Quick bike ride on Saturday, August 23^rd. This is a fun and challenging ride. It starts at noon and begins and ends at Silarian Winery. This ride is a bit more challenging as it is on hilly roads and 20 miles long with one hydration stop at a local bar on the route. Food and drink will be available for purchase at the end of the ride. See Ron’s flier in this newsletter for more details.

For all of us, this is a great time to get out and ride our bikes. The strength and fitness cycling provides can help us to ski safely throughout the season.

Thanks to all for your support.

Tom Piette

President's Message for June

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:27:25 GMT

June's Newsletter (click here)

Welcome to summer everyone. I have been enjoying some golf and I’ll be on my bike this weekend. This is a great time of the year and I intend to take advantage of warm weather over the next five months. We do have a couple of bike rides planned and we might have another. The Board also discussed having a picnic later in the summer along with the possibility of additional social activities. A picnic would likely include the options of a group cycling event or golf at a local course.

Our Board met May 13. I am pleased to share that we approved the recommendation of the Western Trip Committee to travel to Telluride January 10-17 for a great week of skiing. If you have not been to Telluride, I can tell you that the San Juan Mountain range is one of the most beautiful you will see. They are part of the Rocky Mountain range and were formed by volcanic activity about 35 million years ago. Because they are young, the San Juan’s have not eroded to look like the Appalachians.

The skiing at Telluride has something for everyone. One area is dedicated to well-groomed green and blue cruisers. It is a great spot for building your skills. Other areas include a mix of run types to satisfy any type of skiing that you prefer. My choice of the best ski areas in the US and Canada include Telluride, Sun Peaks, and Vail, in no particular order. Yes, there are other great locations but this is my list based upon skiing, lodging, and the towns.

The town of Telluride is another draw. It is an old mining town with great history. You have an easy walk wherever you want to go. There are shops to visit and some very good restaurants. Easy access to the town is provided via the gondola that runs late into the night.

The members of the Western Committee heard you. We will be flying out of our local airports for Telluride with only one stop on the way to the Montrose airport. Other options would have required a VERY early two to three-hour bus ride.

The signup for this trip will be Saturday, August 2. Keep your eyes on our newsletters and Facebook to stay up to date.

Finally, share this information with your friends and acquaintances. We offer good trip planning at a good price. You sign up, “write a check” and show up. But the people that we ski with are the greatest selling point.

Thanks to all for your support.

Tom Piette

President's Message for May

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 31 May 2025 23:30:00 GMT

May's Newsletter (click here)

We had a wonderful ski season. We started at Searchmont with excellent conditions and ended with a great trip to Beaver Creek and Vail, that also included plenty of good powder. Thank you to Adam Hansen and Frank Wickham (Searchmont) and Ron Quick and Kevin Klasen (Beaver Creek) for your leadership and to all of you that joined us on the trips. Each trip had as good of a group as we could hope to have. Thank you for trusting Gelandesprung with your ski trips.

We had our annual business meeting at the Spring Banquet April 11^th. Your Board will include the same people for the next year. I was voted to a new 2-year term as president of your club. Mark Heintzkill will be the secretary and Pia Heldt will be the social events coordinator for the next two years as well. Mark and Pia spoke to each other and decided each would prefer that move as well.

We are working on our next trip. The Out-west Trip Committee has agreed to recommend Telluride. We expect to have a definitive decision for our western trip no later than the middle of May. At this point, I suggest that you keep January 10-17 available for our trip.

We will also be providing more information regarding cycling rides hosted by some of our members and other summertime activities.

Please join our events during the summer and fall. It is a great way to get to see your friends and make new friends that enjoy the same activities.

Finally, share your experiences with your friends and acquaintances. We offer good trip planning at a good price. You “write a check” and show up. But the people that we ski with are the greatest selling point.

Thanks to all for your support.

Tom Piette

President's Message for April

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:15:29 GMT

April's Newsletter (click here)

Hi all,

In my last post I said I was looking forward to having great snow for our trip to Beaver Creek. It’s great when the snow comes as hoped with good conditions throughout the week and fresh powder on several days. We had a great group of people, a good trip leader (Ron Quick), and Kevin Klasen as a first-time assistant trip leader (start to finish). Kevin exhibited his excellent leadership skills throughout the week. Thank you Ron Quick and Kevin Klasen for all of the work to prepare and lead the trip.

Our Annual Meeting is at our Spring Banquet 6:00 PM April 11, at The Woods. Please sign up immediately and email Phil and Mark if you are signing up as you read this. Their emails are treasurer@gelandesprung.org and social@gelandesprung.org.

We will have elections for President, Secretary, and Social Events Coordinator. This is your club. Please consider participating as a Board Member or as a Chair to share your ideas to make us better. I started my time on the Board in 2014 and have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know many people through this activity.

In addition to elections to the Board, you will have the opportunity to vote to approve or disapprove the re-write of our bylaws that govern how our club operates. Our objective with this re-write of the bylaws to be concise and better organized without changing the content in any significant way from the guidelines that have led to our success over the years.

Claudia Elsner has determined that she will be able to continue to lead our marketing efforts. We will be cutting back on our participation in Farmers Markets to decrease the workload. Claudia has added a lot with her effort and I am pleased to have her continue. However, Claudia and the Board would like to find a volunteer that would be willing to help us to develop our presence on social media sites. As is, we do have a Facebook account that everyone can use to post trip photos and/or announce to friends that you are skiing and would like others to join you at a favorite location. Please make your interest known to us. This is not an elected position and Claudia would be happy to help you get started in this role.

Additionally, we will share the details of the policy that would allow a parent or guardian to take an 18-year-old adult on our ski trips, beginning next season. This is a change that has been requested for years by some parents. Our members demonstrated excellent support for this concept with an advisory vote during our Fall Social. The policy includes clear expectations to meet our objective of allowing young adults to participate without creating problems for trip leaders.

Finally, we award the Dick Wortiska Service Award at our Spring Banquet. This award is a high honor. The first step for this is to have one of our members submit a nomination to the Board. You may email the nominations to me at president@gelandesprung.org. Please review the award guidance in this newsletter.

Tom Piette

President's Message for March

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 21:53:45 GMT

March Newsletter (click here)

Hi all,

As I sit to write this post, we are one week from our trip to Beaver Creek. Snow conditions are good and more is on the way. With luck, we will get one of those late-season weather systems dropping copious quantities of fresh powder, followed by blue skies. Yup, I want it all! Regardless, we have a good group and we will have a great time. Thank you Ron Quick and Kevin Klasen for all of the work you have put into prepping for the trip.

We are also closing in on our Annual Meeting at our Spring Banquet 6:00 PM April 11, at The Woods. We will have elections for President, Secretary, and Social Events Coordinator. This is your club. Please consider participating as a Board Member or as a Chair to share your ideas to make us better. I started my time on the Board in 2014 and have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know many people through this activity.

Claudia Elsner will be stepping away from her role as our Marketing Chair in a few months. I will miss her knowledge and dedication to raising awareness of Gelandesprung Ski Club. We could use an energetic individual to continue Claudia’s great work. Please make your interest known to us. This is not an elected position and Claudia would be happy to help you get started in this role.

You will also have an opportunity to vote to approve or disapprove our rewritten By-Laws that govern our Club.

Finally, we award the Dick Wortiska Service Award at our Spring Banquet. This award is a very high honor. The first step for this is to have one of our members submit a nomination to the Board. You may email those nominations to me at president@gelandesprung.org. Please review the award guidance in this newsletter.

Tom Piette

President's Message for February

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:20:42 GMT

February's Newsletter (click here)

Piette's Post

Hi all,

How things change! A month ago, we were at the end of a very warm period that delayed the opening of ski areas in our region. The very cold weather recently has helped many of our ski hills to make plenty of snow. I have finally been able to go skiing more often. I have been to Granite Peak several times and I can tell you that it has almost all of its runs open and in good condition. The good news for Searchmont is that the area is getting the Lake effect snow that is expected and had a foot of snow the week that I am writing my post. Those that signed up, will likely be skiing as you read this post.

The Beaver Creek trip is just a few weeks away. Those of us that are signed up are looking forward to a great time skiing two amazing ski resorts, Vail and Beaver Creek. This trip is also at wait list only status.

We will be ramping up our discussions and planning for 2026 during February, beginning with our Board Meeting February 11. Please send your suggestions to Ron Quick (trip.chair@gelandesprung.org) and Scot Wederquist (vice.president@gelandesprung.org) to share your thoughts for the resort you would like to visit.

As long as we have to wait for the ski season, it passes so quickly. We only have about nine weeks left in our favorite season. Ski while the skiing is great!

Tom Piette

President's Message for January 2025

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 16:54:37 GMT

January's Newsletter (click here)

Piette's Post

Happy New Year as we welcome 2025,

Winter has arrived and our regional ski areas are reaching full capacity. I know many of our friends have been making turns on our local slopes for weeks now. It is shaping up as a more normal winter versus last year, when many of our resorts suffered throughout the season.

Our trip to Searchmont is just around the corner, January 31 to February 2, 2025. Searchmont has been getting lake-effect snow over the last few weeks and it’s normal for this to continue throughout early winter. With more than 700 ft. vertical drop and 100 acres of slopes, Searchmont is a great Midwest location for the weekend.

We have room on the bus for more skiers and boarders. Our deadline is January 10, 2025. We will be giving up any unused hotel rooms at that point. Sign up now to make sure you have a spot! Cross-country skiers will enjoy a good trail system at Searchmont and a local park. Check the newsletter for details.

It was fun to watch the professional downhill races on the Birds of Prey over the last couple of weeks. The women raced Birds of Prey for the first time ever before Christmas. It has me wondering on which part of the race course I would crash if I were trying to ski fast on that run. Yet, I expect to ski the run at my own, possibly glacial pace, when the club is at Beaver Creek and Vail from March 1 to March 8, 2025. This trip is wait-list only at this point.

Looking ahead, we have elections for our Board coming up on April 11, 2025, at our Spring Banquet. The open positions are President, Secretary and Social Events Coordinator. If you are interested in any one of these positions, please let a current Board member know. There will also be an opening on our Volunteer Committee for a Marketing person. Please consider serving on the Board or on the Volunteer Committee, as it is a good opportunity to get to know more members and make our club better.

Wishing you a great 2025. I hope to see you soon.

Tom Piette

President's Message for December

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 16:06:34 GMT

December's Newsletter (click here)

Piette's Post

Hi all,

As I am writing this post, the first snowfall of the year has happened. It’s about time! Although I know we enjoy the warm weather and summer activities, I am looking forward to having a lot of fun on the slopes this year. The long-term forecast is calling for cooler weather and more snow than average. With luck, this will be true and we will all be able to enjoy local downhill and Nordic skiing.

Our first trip, back by popular demand, is to Searchmont from January 31 to February 2, 2025. Searchmont is known for excellent natural snow conditions due to lake effect snow, good lifts and great runs. We also stay in a nice hotel, the Water Tower Inn, with excellent restaurants close by. We will probably go elsewhere next ski season, so don’t miss your chance this year. Cross-country skiers will enjoy a good trail system at Searchmont and a local park. Check the newsletter for details.

Beaver Creek/Vail is March 1-8, 2025. I can’t wait. Beaver creek and its accommodations (The Charter) are great. Beaver Creek is known for being an early stop for world cup skiing (Birds of Prey for downhill), great runs with beautiful grooming and bowls for those that want it steep and deep. The complimentary chocolate chip cookies are also a hit with our skiers. Being able to take a short inexpensive bus ride to Vail as often as I wish during the week is the cherry on top of a great trip. Vail is also a top ski resort. The frontside has every type of run from Green Groomers to steep bumps. Additionally, Vail takes bowl skiing to the next level with huge areas of groomed and ungroomed snow for all levels. Riva Ridge is my favorite last run of the day of anyplace I have ever skied. Almost four miles long, Riva Ridge is Vail Mountain's longest single-run ski trail and is fun from top to bottom. It doesn’t get any better.

Our Christmas party is right around the corner on December 10. Along with a great menu of Chicken Cordon Bleu, Prime Rib, or grilled Salmon we will have Matt Buch (DPT) presenting injury prevention for skiers and snowboarders to our members. His presentation will go about 30 minutes and he will stay for questions after.

You don’t want to miss this. If you did not sign up by November 30, and you want to go, it will still be possible to order food from the pub if necessary.

I’m looking forward to a great ski season. I hope to see all of you at the party.

Tom Piette

President's Message for November

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 22:31:59 GMT

November's Newsletter (click here)

Piette's Post

Hi all,

We had a nice time at our Fall Social this year. I thought using the approach of having a small-plates dinner was a nice change of pace. I would like to hear from you, if you attended, to tell me what you thought of this type of meal. Send a note to me at President@Gelandesprung.org to let me know. I will share the feedback with the Board.

We had the usual discussions regarding the trips that our clubs have planned. At the time of the Social, our trip to Beaver Creek already had 66 people signed up. We have 11 “pillows” remaining and plenty of room on the flight out of Milwaukee. The sign-up period will end November 29 because any unused rooms and seats on the flight must be given up at that time. If you want to join us for an unforgettable time at Beaver Creek, sign up right away.

We have not discussed the idea of using “Ship Skis” to transfer ski gear in the past. This is something that SkiGroup will be offering. Ron will write an article for next month’s Newsletter to cover the details and cost of using this service instead of carrying and paying for our luggage onto the buses and planes. Pia and Phil Heldt have used this approach and reported they love the simplicity and convenience of having luggage delivered to and picked up from the hotel.

Scot has done a great job of planning a trip to Searchmont, which is back by popular demand from people at the end of last year’s trip. The bus will leave Green Bay the week before the Super Bowl, on January 31, 2025 and returns us home February 2, 2025. The trip is open for sign-up now. I hope to see you on the trip!

We asked people to fill out a survey regarding the question of allowing younger people to join our trips. The surveys demonstrated very strong support to allow 18-year-old adults to join our trips. The caveat is that they will be allowed only if they travel with a parent. The reason for the parental limitation is that we allow alcoholic beverages on our buses and the National drinking age is 21. Gelandesprung leaders would be placed in a no-win situation of “policing” minors regarding alcohol consumption without the parent. The Board will move through a process to define how this will occur, assuming the Board approves this change. We will have this addressed no later than the Holiday party in December.

Finally, I would like to get the word out that we have elections for the positions of Secretary, Social Events Coordinator and President at our Spring Banquet, which will be held at The Woods on Friday, April 11, 2025. Please consider becoming involved with the club. I have been on the Board for about ten years. I can tell you that this experience has been worthwhile in many ways. One of the greatest feelings is seeing people have so much fun at our events and trips. You can talk to any one of us on the Board to express interest. The Christmas party (Dec. 10) would be a great time to do that.

Tom Piette

President's Message for October

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 23:16:00 GMT

October's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Winter is coming! Snowmaking operations should be starting in about 6 weeks.

Summer is officially over and our ski trips are opening for the winter season. Beaver Creek (with Vail) opened September 14^th as discussed last month. As I write this, we have over 60 people signed up and we still have room for more. Our flights this year, as scheduled, will be much easier to deal with. Our direct flight from Appleton sold out very quickly. We also have a direct flight out of Milwaukee Mitchel Field. As scheduled, each flight is at a good time so we do not need to leave home in the middle of the night. Beaver Creek and Vail have some of the best skiing in the West. I know I am looking forward to this trip, especially after not being able to go last year. I hope to see you there.

Scot and the Midwest trip team have done a great job of planning a weekend trip to Searchmont January 31 to February 2, 2025. We have information about our Midwest trip in the body of the newsletter. Keep reading and we hope you can join us.

Please plan to join us at the Seasonal Kickoff Fall Social Thursday, October 17. We have changed the format from a Banquet to a Social. We are using an informal approach to allow for plenty of visiting with our ski club friends. We think this will be a fun event for all and we will have some good Hors d’oeuvres. We will have a limited number of announcements during the event to keep you up to date on our news. Our intent is to keep the announcements concise so you have time to socialize. There is a registration form in the newsletter that is due by Saturday, October 5.

Finally, I would like to get the word out that we have elections for the positions of Secretary, Social Events Coordinator and President at our Spring Banquet, which will be held at The Woods on Friday, April 11, 2025. Please consider becoming involved. I have been on the board for about ten years. I can tell you that this experience has been worthwhile in so many ways. One of the greatest feelings is seeing people have so much fun at our events and trips. You can talk to any one of us on the Board to express interest. The Fall Social would be a great time to do that.

Tom Piette

President's Message for September

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:41:37 GMT

September's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

It is Labor Day Weekend, signaling that our summer is passing into our memories and autumn will be here in a few weeks. This also means that we are days away from the opening of our trip to Beaver Creek/Vail next March. Beaver Creek and Vail are personal favorites for me to ski and it is included on the Epic pass that you will use for this trip. We moved the first day to sign up, to one week later for your benefit. This will allow you to have enough time to choose your options without a time crunch.

The trip opens for signup on Saturday, September 14^th, at 9 AM. We will be using the same signup system from SkiGroup that we used last year for our western trip. The link to the website to sign up is in this issue of the newsletter. Ron Quick, our trip leader, has more information in this newsletter, please read the details and make your plan. You will find the Charter to be a great place to stay regardless of your choice of rooms

I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. One of the ways to do that is to join us at the 2024 Quick Bike Ride at Silarian Winery on Saturday, September 21^st. It is a good venue and includes a live band. Check out the details in the newsletter.

We are also hoping to have a good gathering for our Fall Social (formerly our fall banquet), Thursday, October 17^th. Based on feedback from the club, we are using an informal approach to allow for plenty of visiting with our ski club friends. We think this will be a fun event for all. Any meeting portion will be short and to the point. See details in the newsletter for sign up.

One thing I learned while watching “Game of Thrones” is that “winter is coming.” Granite Peak and other resorts will be starting their snowmaking process about two months from now. I hope to see you on the slopes.

Tom Piette

President's Message for August

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 22:07:05 GMT

August's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

As I write this, we are experiencing some very warm, humid weather. Yet this is the time of the year that it is best to build the fitness that we use while skiing during our coming season. I am sorry to say that my fitness level is not where I want it to be. I have somehow been distracted by golf and three weeks of vacations for travel and for UP golf. I can tell you that I am hitting the ball as straight as ever. Unfortunately, it is straight into the woods, straight into the water, etc. Perhaps I should change my focus to cycling to build those muscles for skiing. On the other hand, the law of averages would indicate that my next round will be great…

I am happy to say that Rita and Gary Delveaux organized another good ride to Ledgestone Vineyard & Brewery. Thank you! Several people mentioned to me that the participation was great and everyone had a good time. I returned home from Sweetgrass too late for the ride. Better planning (by me) should be expected for next year. I do like to participate in our activities and see many of our members.

I do have a question for all of our members. We stopped having our summer picnic during the pandemic. Please write a note to me if you believe we should start having a picnic again or a different activity to bring our members together (President@gelandesprung.org).

Finally, I have been asked by several people about the sign-up for Beaver Creek, March 1 to March 8, 2025. The short answer is we needed to delay the opening from our original plan because we have not yet received the airline costs that we want to have. The sign-up will happen either the final week of August or early September.

Enjoy the rest of your summer,

Tom Piette

President's Message for July

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:31:42 GMT

July's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Summer has arrived in full force with the high temperatures we are experiencing in mid-June. Yet, this is the time that our Beaver Creek/Vail trip planning is going strong for 2025. The details for Beaver Creek are in this newsletter, along with pricing.

We have talked in the past about major changes in the ski industry. We have discussed purchasing Epic Day passes for this trip as the best option versus Beaver Creek passes. The cost difference is huge so the Epic pass is the option we are using. You may also choose from other Epic pass options. Read the newsletter for details.

We will be opening the trip for signup early this year, which will be July 20^th. An e-blast will be sent out closer to the sign-up date with links/information on signing up. Lift pass pricing and availability of a condo or hotel are the reason we will do this. Stay tuned and read the newsletter for more information.

Thank you to Claudia and Joe. The first bike ride for members of Gelandesprung, Sly Fox Clubs, and friends was held June 15. Claudia and Joe shared their cottage with us as the start and finish point. I am happy to say that the tradition of a great ride in Door County continues. We had a choice of a 20-mile or 30-mile ride. We all had a great time and the hospitality was as good as the ride.

Tom Piette

President's Message for June

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 14:04:48 GMT

June's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Summer, often a skier’s second favorite season, is finally here. It’s time for me to get out on the bike and play golf. I hope to see all of you along the way. We have several bike rides sponsored by our members throughout the course of the summer. I intend to participate in most of these and I hope to see you there.

There have been a lot of changes in the western ski industry over the last five years. Consolidation of resorts into Ikon, Indy, Epic and other ski resort groups has changed how we are able to run trips. We simply cannot run trips with the same approach we did in the past.

Our Western Trip Committee also had some changes and now includes Ron Quick, Frank Wickham, Kevin Klasen, Jeanine Bosdech, Jim McMonagle & Tom Piette. It is our intent to open the trip to Beaver Creek (March 1 to 8, 2025) early this summer, likely during July. This is much earlier than we expected and is being driven by changes in the ski industry that make rooms more difficult to secure later in October. The bottom line is that this change is to assure that people can participate and participate at a lower cost.

Ron has a good article in this newsletter that covers some of the detail. Please read the June and July newsletters to be aware of the opportunity to purchase lift tickets now at a lower cost than later in the season.

Finally, I mentioned that three rides are scheduled. The newsletter has information on them. If you have any other ideas for club activities, please let me know. I will be happy to help you get the ball rolling.

Have a great summer!

Tom Piette

President's Message for May

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 30 May 2024 21:52:48 GMT

May's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

With the arrival of May, we are beginning our2024 fiscal year. With that, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you to send in your membership form and dues for the new year.

We had our annual meeting at the Spring Banquet Aprilon26.As planned, we had plated meals for this meeting and it was a big success. Our Social Events Coordinator, Mark Heintzkill, asked membership for their thoughts on this approach and he received a resounding round of applause for the quality of the meal. Interestingly, the baked haddock (which was great!) was the most chosen entre. Sirloin steak and Prime rib were the other choices. I didn’t hear a single complaint.

Highlights of the meeting included:

Phil Heldt (Treasurer) reported that the club earnings were 1.14% more than our total expenses($160k). This is the first time since Covid that income was greater than our expenses.

· Phil also reported that costs are up substantially for a number of services (i.e. web page). Our dues do not cover those costs.

Both Phil Heldt, and Scot Wederquist were rewarded for being good at their jobs by being nominated and re-elected without opposition.

We typically have one and occasionally two Dick Wortiska Service Award Winners. This year, we named four deserving winners due to special circumstances. I predict this will never happen again. Please join me in congratulating:

· Rita Delveaux for a long history of marketing our club, running trips and bike rides, and her work on the Board

· Mike Bast for his service on the board over decades. Mike has served in multiple positions as a Director and has been serving as our membership chair for years. Mike does far more for our club than meets the eye in this role. He has also been a trip leader and has organized rafting trips for the club.

· Special circumstances led to recognition of the team of Kevin Klasen and Ron Quick. Ron agreed to help lead the trip as soon as I needed to drop out at the last moment due to illness. He led the Friday group of traveling through Calgary. He also helped Kevin via telephone. Kevin led the group traveling through Vancouver. The connecting airlines bumped most of our passengers on the flight to Kelowna and claimed that there were no reservations for them. This was not true; everyone had a reservation. Kevin was on site and helped people work through the issues to get all but one person to be boarded on a flight that night. Kevin was the last one and arrived at the hotel early the next morning. One person could not be found and made their own travel arrangements.

Finally, we have several bike rides planned for the summer and we have room for other activities. Contact the board if you would like to organize an activity for the benefit of club members. We would be happy to help create and promote the event.

Thanks, Tom

President's Message for April

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 17:42:40 GMT

April's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Welcome to the first Post of spring. As much as I love to ski, I’m also happy to welcome the warmer temperatures that usher in months of cycling and golf.

That said, I am happy to report that our trip to Searchmont was excellent. Thank you, Adam Hanson and Frank Wickham, for leading 33 fun-loving people to the good snow conditions and great terrain at Searchmont. Everyone seemed to have a great time and consensus is that we should go back. One aspect of the hill that I certainly did not fully understand before the weekend was that Searchmont added a chair lift and a new run that caters to green slope skiers. Several of us took that new run and found a wide and gentle slope through the woods. It might be just what some of our members would prefer in order to be comfortable on the slopes, especially early in the day. I’ll leave the rest of the story for our trip leaders Adam and Frank. You can also go to the Gelandesprung Facebook page and see the photos from several of our participants.

Our Spring Banquet Business Meeting will be held April 26 at the Woods. There are a few very important things to be aware of.

First, this is the time of year that we encourage you to nominate someone for The Dick Wortiska Service Award. This award is established to recognize people for leadership and/or service in any number of ways. If you have an idea of someone to nominate, contact me and I will be happy to help you prepare the nomination. The Full Board will choose the winner of the award at our meeting on April 9.
Second, many of you were requesting different food at our banquets. This is the first experience you will have with this significant change to plated meals that you must order ahead of time. To order your plated meal, you MUST sign up by the deadline in a week or so. See the article in this newsletter for meal choices and information about sending in your sign-up.
Third, the positions of Vice President and Treasurer are up for election at the banquet this year. Although Scot and Phil have both agreed to run for election again, anyone that wishes to become involved is invited to run for one of the positions or to indicate that you would be interested in helping down the road.
Fourth, we are working to update the Bylaws for our club. We intend to have a draft version available for review prior to the Spring Banquet

Finally, if there is a summer activity that you would like to share with club members, put your thoughts together over the coming weeks. We would be happy to work with you to market an event for the benefit of our members and friends.

Tom Piette

President's Message for March

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 15:58:40 GMT

March Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Our trip to Big White ended after last month’s Post was submitted. Most of you know that I had to drop out of the trip at the last minute. I would like to recognize and thank Heidi Janowski, Ron Quick and Kevin Klasen for providing great leadership for Big White. The trip had significant challenges from the start. Alaska Airlines altered the schedule for the Saturday group late in September. The Friday flight was canceled 2 ½ days before departure. Each of these changes created problems for our travelers. Once people arrived, they were faced with poor weather throughout the week, with the exception of a bluebird day on Friday.

I received a number of comments from people regarding the issues. Most of people that shared their thoughts with me were complimentary of the leaders and the entire group for making the best of situations that could not be controlled. Some people compared the conditions to those that occur closer to the coast. Although Big White is much further from the coast, this unusual event had a significant impact. If we choose to select a trip to this region in the future, it is likely that we would be hundreds of miles further north.

I was also asked if we should have canceled the trip when airline issues arose. The problem is that we sign contracts with the resorts well in advance of the trips. For example, we signed a contract last summer to go to Beaver Creek March 1 to March 8, 2025. The contracts include limited flexibility to drop condos and rooms based upon the number of days prior to the trip. It is also very difficult to find lodging for a group once we get within a year of the trip.

Prior to joining the ski club to participate in trips, I learned to enjoy the simplicity of choosing what trips to go on, packing and writing a check for less money than I could travel on my own. I have been on a couple of trips where conditions were not ideal. But I have had amazing experiences as well. The powder days I experienced at Breckenridge (48 inches), Aspen (25 inches), and last year in Salt Lake (100 inches) include three of the best powder trips I have been able to enjoy. I also enjoy going to places I would never have gone on my own. Lake Tahoe, Sun Peaks, Whitefish, and Banff are on that list for me. Consequently, I remain committed to continuing to help our club meet the wishes of our members for great ski trips.

I do appreciate the feedback from everyone and the understanding of the situation by most of the people that reached out to me. The Board is interested in your thoughts. Please feel free to share your ideas by sending a note to me at President@gelandesprung.org.

Finally, the trip to Searchmont is March 22- 24. Although the trip signup period is past, you could call us to see if a hotel room is available if you want to go.

Tom Piette

President's Message for February

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 23:13:07 GMT

February's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

As I write this, the trip to Big White with 71 people is closing on its final days. The participants were challenged with travel issues and an atmospheric river hitting the west coast and flowing to the Okanogan region of Canada bringing warm weather, limited visibility, and light rain on multiple days of the trip. I was challenged with missing the trip when I tested positive shortly before I was due at the bus stop. It came at a poor time for me but it would have been much worse for everyone if I was sick while on the trip. Thank you to Heidi Janowski and Ron Quick for ensuring people had a good week in spite of the weather. The trip story will be in the newsletter next month.

Looking forward, we have a good trip to Searchmont coming up March 22 to March 24. Searchmont is a favorite destination for our members due to the good terrain and the snow conditions we typically enjoy given the propensity for good storms off of Lake Superior. I am happy to report that the sign-up is proceeding well and there will be a good number of people.

During the signup period, we had a prospective new member to our club ask about the possibility that we would allow his 19-year-old son to join him on this trip. The Board has decided to address this possibility during February. The thought process is that we do want to remain a club for adults. Eighteen-year-old people are adults that are able to join the military, have a full-time job in industry, get married, etc. They are not allowed to legally purchase or consume alcoholic beverages in the United States, with limited exceptions.

Our club no longer supplies alcoholic beverages for our trips and other events. Therefore, we will consider the issue. It is not a given that this suggestion will result in a change to our by-laws that specify age 21 as a requirement for membership. We have significant questions to address in order for this to happen. It is possible that we would start with a trial approach this year by voting to approve a temporary rule to allow this approach on only the Searchmont trip this year. We will only proceed with such a change if we are convinced that we have the right approach. For example, adults are allowed to bring and consume alcoholic beverages on our trips. We must never have an incident in which a member illegally supplies alcohol to someone that is 18, 19, or 20 years old.

The Board is interested in your thoughts. Please feel free to share your thoughts by sending a note to me at President@gelandesprung.org.

Tom Piette

President's Message for January

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

January's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Happy New Year everyone. We are at that time of year where we expect snow and cold temperatures. As I’m writing this, I am asking where is that weather? These warm temperatures and rain are damaging the finances of our Midwest Ski areas including our favorites: Granite Peak, Snow River, Brule, Powderhorn and others. I suggest that at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, we all go outside and shout “We want snow!!!”. Perhaps someone will hear that and change the weather pattern. It’s either that or we write to the National Weather Service and ask them to forecast colder weather and snowfall instead of this weather.

I am happy to say that we had a great turnout (55 people) for our Holiday Party on December 12. Everyone had a great time. People are definitely excited about our ski season. We have 70 people that plan to go to Big White in a few weeks, the signups for Searchmont have been strong and we expect more people to sign up during January and February.

IMPORTANT: For anyone on any of the winter trips this winter, you need to know that the pickup spot in Appleton has changed. Instead of a bus pickup at The Bar, The Northland Mall on Northland Avenue is the location. The pickup location will be in front of the old Shopko store between Kohls and Festival Foods. Park in the spaces closest to Northland Avenue.

The Green Bay pickup will continue to be at The Woods. For all Gelandesprung and Sly Fox trips, drive westward into the parking lot and turn left (south) as far as possible and turn left (east) to park in the area close to the homes.

The Big White trip is only a few weeks away. Details for travel information and information regarding Big White will be published and sent to all trippers no later than January 12. The Big White Pre-Trip Meeting will be at The Woods, 6:00 PM on January 23. The meeting will cover details of travel plans including any late changes. Additional information about Big White will be shared including information about the location of lodging, meeting spots, lifts, etc.

The trip to Searchmont is departing March 22. Adam Hanson (Trip Leader) and Frank Wickham (Assistant) are the leaders for this trip. This location is a longtime favorite. New owners have invested a lot of capital to establish a great lift system and no ski races are planned. Check details in the newsletter and join us!

Trip teams have put in substantial time to prepare for this season. Let’s get out and have fun!

Tom Piette

President's Message for December

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 23:03:18 GMT

December's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving with your family and friends and that your holiday season is off to a great start. With December here, many of us are ready to move to huge snowfalls and great skiing in the coming weeks.

Our plans for winter activities are going great. Our Christmas Party will be at the Woods at 7:00 PM Tuesday, December 12, after a short Board Meeting. Although we do ask for a small donation, we’ll have some good food and prizes to celebrate the start of the ski season. Gelandesprung covers a good portion of the total cost of this party. Many prizes are contributed by our sponsors. We will include short updates on our trips to Big White and Searchmont. Come for the party and stay to enjoy time with your friends. Please, RSVP to Mark Heintzkill at social@gelandesprung.org. It’s always a fun time and I am looking forward to seeing our members.

Planning for our trip to Big White is nearly complete. We are pleased by the great response for this trip to the Okanagan region of British Columbia. It takes more time to get there than some areas. The payoff is the great skiing and boarding with less crowding on the slopes. Adding to the adventure, we did add the day trip to Silver Star. I expect that our bus to Silver Star will be full or nearly full by the time you read this message.

The trip to Searchmont departing March 22, is in good hands this year. Adam Hanson has agreed to lead the trip to a longtime favorite for the club and my personal favorite Midwest ski hill. Improvements to the lift systems, through repairs and by replacing a couple of the old lifts, along with improvements of other amenities promise to make this a great trip. Additionally, we chose this weekend, in part, because there are no races planned. Signup forms can be found in our newsletter and we will have signup forms at the Christmas party (bring your checkbook).

Finally, I wish all of you a great Christmas, Hannukah, or other holiday and the Happiest New Year that you can imagine.

Tom Piette

President's Message for November

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

November's Newsletter (click here)

Piette’s Post

Happy November everyone. I have two favorite times of the year for outdoor fun. Clearly May through October can be great for cycling, golf and other outdoor activities. Most of that is over, but ski season will be here in about a month. In my view, there is no better sport than skiing and boarding in the mountains. I treasure the time I spend with friends skiing the best runs in the Rocky Mountains. Local skiing is great too. As I write this, local ski areas are about a month away from opening. I intend to be Granite Peak weekly throughout the winter to strengthen my legs and refine my skills.

For me, now is the time to get ready by visiting the YMCA. I was reminded today that the first day in spin class after a six-month hiatus is the hardest part. But it is a part of the price of being ready to ski throughout the day at our trip to Big White January 26 to February 3. Long ago, I used to train for a few weeks before a trip. For whatever reason, it seems to take three months these days, maybe because I am over 55 years old this year.

Our trip to Big White has grown beyond our initial limit of 64. We still have limited room available for anyone that would like to join us. Big White is far from the coast and is in the region of Canada that is known for great snow throughout the season. And the price for the trip is as low as you are likely to see again, given the inflation we continue to experience.

We announced the trip to Searchmont (near from March 22 to March 24, at the Fall Banquet. Searchmont has been a favorite weekend destination for Gelandesprung for a long time. I am happy to share that the owners have made great improvements to the lift systems since our last trip. Searchmont now features three triple lifts and one quad. The terrain is very good and the area is known for getting significant lake effect snow. There is also Nordic skiing is also available. The trip is open for signup. See the flyer in the newsletter.

Our Christmas party will be on December 12 this year. Similar to recent years, we will have a buffet and ask for a small donation to help cover the cost. Please review the information in the newsletter and RSVP to attend.

I hope to see you December 12, at our Christmas Party.

Tom Piette

President's Message for October

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 11:00:00 GMT

October's Newletter (click here)

Piette's Post

Isn’t it great to be enjoying some great fall weather as we enjoy paddling, cycling, golf, hiking and other outdoor activities!? Yet, this time of year always gets us thinking about skiing and boarding down those mountain trails in the coming winter. I couldn’t be more excited about the skiing experience we will have at Big White in January. We’ll have the great snow and good weather of the Okanagan region of Canada to enjoy for a week. If you have not signed up yet, we have one spot remaining that includes Friday to Friday transportation. We also have limited hotel and condo availability for a few people willing to provide their own transportation. You can pick a nice hotel or a luxury condo for your experience. Both are true ski in/ski out and they are close enough to easily visit friends at either location.

The Fall Banquet is Friday, October 6. Sign up today and join us at the Fall banquet on Friday, October 6. We will have more news about Big White including a review of some of the amenities. Scot Wederquist will also share information with you about the trip to Searchmont March 22 to March 24. Searchmont has been a favorite destination for us for years. The bus is usually full for that trip because of the great terrain and the good lake effect snow that the area receives. The new owner has made significant improvements to the lift systems to enhance our skiing experience.

We received a lot of feedback during our spring banquet regarding a number of topics. One question that we asked you was if you would prefer to have different food at The Woods during future banquets. The survey results strongly supported changing the food. Although we will have our typical menu at this banquet, we intend to make the change that you prefer at the Spring Banquet. We will ask you to complete a short survey at this Fall Banquet to enable us to know what you would like to have based upon the choices available and the costs for the options. So, show up and share your thoughts with your elected Board regarding our banquet food and other operations of your ski club.

Finally, we had three great bike rides this summer. Thank you to Frank & Shelly Wickham, Rita & Gary Delveaux, and Ron & Jackie Quick for your efforts to provide great bike rides and camaraderie to our members every year.

I hope to see you October 6,

Tom Piette

President's Message for September

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 23:00:00 GMT

September Newsletter (Click Here)

Piette’s Post

I hope you have had a great summer. We have a few activities that I want to bring to your attention as we head into autumn.

First, Skigroup’s on-line sign-up system has worked out great for us so far. I have heard compliments from our older members about how simple the system is to use. Mistakes are easily resolved as well by calling Skigroup directly.

We will have a big group of skiers at Big White and we are closing in on the maximum number of people for our flights. Sign up now if you want to join us. See the newsletter for details.

Big White (and Sun Peaks) are in the Okanagan Valley. Check out the Post about the valley at https://www.ski.com/blog/7-reasons-we-love-the-okanagan-ski-resorts/ .

We also have the Fall banquet coming up October 6. Consistent with the results of our survey at the spring banquet, we are considering options for a different dinner or dinners. Check the newsletter for more information. We will also plan to start sign up for our Midwest trip at this meeting.

The annual Quick Bicycle ride is scheduled for September 23. It will depart from and return to Silarian Vineyards in Cato. The ride will be similar terrain to previous rides. It is always a ton of fun. Check out the newsletter for details on this as well.

Finally, the full Board continues to meet at 6:00 PM the second Tuesday each month at The Woods. Everyone is welcome at these meetings.

See you later,

Tom

President's Message for August

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:00:00 GMT

August Newsletter (Click Here)

Piette’s Post

I’m starting with a review of some of the significant topics covered in the survey people filled out during the Spring Banquet, then I will move on to new information regarding our trip to Big White.

Survey Highlights:

Everyone that attended the Spring Banquet was provided an opportunity to share their opinions and ideas by filling out a survey. The response to this was very good. Thank you to everyone for helping the full Board to understand your preferences. I will briefly comment on several of the highlights, especially those related to skiing and other activities. Pia Heldt will share other survey results at a later date.

With respect to skiing, the preference for ski-in/ski-out lodging came through loud and clear by being the highest approval rating for any of the questions. It is also clear from the survey that people love going back to places they like. Sun Peaks and Telluride had the highest scores for favorite North American destinations. Aspen, especially Snowmass, Lake Tahoe and Vail were close behind in the rankings. Searchmont, Lutsen and Whitecap were identified as favorite locations in the Midwest.

We also had a question about the food that is offered for our banquets. Many people stated that they were okay with anything because the reason for attending is to see the people. I agree. Yet, 23 people favored a more upscale meal versus 6 people stating that they preferred we continue with the family style meals. We will work with The Woods to identify alternatives as we go forward.

Big White:

It is to your advantage to stay current with our planning process for Big White. You may sign up online starting August 28^th, and send your check in no sooner than September 1. The reason for having an early signup is to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate. We will be posting significant information before the September newsletter comes out so that you will be ready for the signup. A signup date will be approved at the next Board meeting. The date will be quickly communicated to everyone via the web page (Gelandesprung.org) and the “Gelandesprung Ski Club” Facebook page.

The final price for the trip will be announced a few days prior to the signup date. Given that the exchange rate could change quickly, we will be more accurate with setting the correct price for the trip by waiting. To help you plan, we set the maximum price at $2,200 for the base package of all travel, skiing and lodging, etc. If the exchange rate does not change much between now and early September, we will be able to set a lower price. Please read the information carefully. You also need to verify that your passport will not expire before September 3, 2024. If it does, you will need to apply to renew your passport immediately and you will probably need to expedite the renewal process. There is more information in this newsletter.

Finally, Big White and Sun Peaks are in the Okanagan Valley. Check out the Post about the valley at https://www.ski.com/blog/7-reasons-we-love-the-okanagan-ski-resorts/ or at the Facebook page. You may also access the link at Gelandesprung.org by clicking on the “Trips” button.

Tom

President's Message for July

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 23:00:00 GMT

July's Newsletter (Click here)

Piette’s Post

Summer is a great time for all of us to get outside and enjoy the summer playground we have in Wisconsin. Many of us enjoy water sports, cycling, pickleball, outdoor concerts, golf and other activities. These activities are a great way for us to stay in shape for the coming ski season. Get out and enjoy!

We had our first member-sponsored cycling event June 10^th, at the Wickham’s 11^th Annual Bike Ride. We met at the Wickham estate prior to a start in Downtown Sturgeon Bay. The weather was perfect and the ride took us through 25 miles of the beautiful countryside. Our group enjoyed some great beverages and food at Kitty O’Reilly’s after the ride. As always, the Wickham’s hospitality was exceptional. Read more about the ride in the newsletter.

July 19 will be a great day highlighted by Rita’s ride on the Fox River Trail from Voyager Park to Ledgestone Vineyards & Gnarly Cedar Brewery. This has also been going on for 10 years or more. It is a relatively short ride of only 8 miles to the Vineyard with a good group of your friends. Relaxing at the Vineyard and telling stories with our friends for a couple hours is the highlight of the ride. The trip back, in the dark if you stay late enough, is another great part of the day. Non-riders meet us at the vineyard as well. Read details about it in the newsletter. I hope to see you there! To quote a popular TV show, “winter is coming.” Staying active this summer will help our ski legs to be strong as we are skiing and boarding this winter.

Finally, we plan to get more information to you this month regarding our trip to Big White next January. Watch for more information to appear on the website (gelandesprung.org) later in the month. Our sign-up period will be in later August or September. Also note the relatively low altitude that will minimize any altitude effects. See the trip teaser in the newsletter.

Tom

President Message for June 2023

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 23:00:00 GMT

June's Newsletter (Click here)

Happy June everyone. Summer is here and it’s time to play golf, cycle, and think about next year’s skiing locations for all of us. We are a ski & snowboard club so I’m starting with that. Both the Western trip and Midwestern Trips are in the planning process at this time. Ron Quick, Mike Bast and I just returned from the CMSC Trip Seminar. We learned some good information for the benefit of our club. I’ll discuss this next month.

We have chosen Big White as the destination for our next Western adventure. Although we expect an early sign-up period, a lot of work remains before we will be ready. You will likely see the information first on our website sometime in July. See the early teaser information below. I can tell you that our travel agent told me that we would love the location.

Scot Wederquist will lead the effort for the Midwest trip again this year. The Midwest team will convene this month to work through the process to select and organize the trip. We expect to have the trip planned later in the summer.

Now, let’s get back to summer! We have a good lineup of summer activities for members and non-members that would like to join us.

The annual Wickham bike ride in Door County is coming up June 10 at 9:30 AM. It is open to members and non-members. You can review information for this in the newsletter. You can also go to our website (Gelandesprung.org) and click on the “Events” button at the top of the page to review all upcoming events on the calendar or in the column to the left of the calendar. Note that if you click on the Wickham 11^th Annual Bike Ride, you will see details for the ride.

RIta’s ride on the Fox River Trail to Ledgestone Vineyard and Brewery is scheduled for July 19. This is pure fun for a short ride to the vineyard and a great visit with friends. You may click on the button in the calendar for that information.

Ron and Jackie’s ride will be scheduled later in the summer, likely in September.

We stopped having the picnic after years of low attendance during the pandemic. If this is an event you would like to see again, let me know at president@gelandesprung.org

Have a great summer everyone!

Tom

President's message for May 2023

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 31 May 2023 23:00:00 GMT

May's Newsletter (Click here)

Piette’s Post

I have enjoyed being a part of the Gelandesprung Board for years. Throughout this time, I have worked with Board members doing their best to meet the interests of our members. I am honored by the trust you have placed in me to be President for the next two years. I will do my best to meet your expectations and to provide value and fun with our Club Activities. I have big shoes to fill following Julie Steltz and Adam Hanson who served as President during my time on the Board. Each of them was dedicated to having a great club for our members. Please also welcome Pia Heldt as Secretary and Mark Heintzkill as Social Events Coordinator.

Our club has dealt with the pandemic, high transportation cost, and worker shortages over the last three years. Notably, the weekday trips to Brule stopped working as soon as the pandemic hit and it did not rebound this year. Yet, we have succeeded with western trips to Big Sky in 2022 and Salt Lake (4 resorts of POWDER!!!) in 2023. We also had a wonderful bus trip to Afton Alps and Welch Village this year. It was a lot of fun for me to visit so many new places along with an old favorite. Feedback from trip participants indicated that most other people had a similar experience.

With normal travel returning, our Western Trip Committee is currently in the process of receiving quotes for our trip locations during the next two seasons. We will be making a choice in the coming weeks regarding next year’s trip. Having a ski-in/ski-out location is our goal for at least the next couple of seasons. The Western committee includes Ron Quick (Chair), Frank Wickham, Tom Piette, Heidi Janowski and Kevin Klasen. Our Midwest committee led by Scot Wederquist, along with Brian Mudd, Kevin Klasen, Luanne Glielmi, Pia and Phil Heldt, will be meeting soon to plan for next winter. Feel free to share your ideas with any one or all of us at any time.

People attending our Spring Banquet were provided the opportunity to provide feedback to our Board with a survey. If you did not attend the Banquet and you would like to provide your comments, please request a survey from Pia Heldt, secretary@gelandesprung.org . Finally, please congratulate Brian Fowle for being the recipient of our Dick Wortiska Service Award for his exceptional service. Our club is successful through the efforts of our volunteers. Participation is rewarding. We get to know and become friends with more of our members and we enjoy the activity. I encourage you to consider becoming involved.

Tom

President's message for April 2023

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 22:34:51 GMT

April Newsletter 2023 (click here)

I can’t think of a better final article to generate for you than this one right here following our trip to Utah. I won’t say too much about it as I know we will have a dedicated article later in this issue with all the highlights. Hopefully you will enjoy learning about our new member, Tom “No Ticket” Piette, or our new Band Director and a celebrity Toastmaster, Richard Sarnwick.

This article began during the tail end of our trip and has been worked on in fits and spurts since our return. I’ve found this has been one of the tougher articles to generate as it’s so bitter sweet. On one hand this is my last article and am confident your new President will perform the job duties to perfection and have no qualms about passing the baton. On the other, I’m reflecting on all that we have done or been through in the decade I’ve served on the Board in either the role of Social Chair or this last 4 years as President. I’ve realized it’s been a lot.

Along the way we have said goodbye to dear friends of the club, where we walk in their footsteps every day. We have also introduced countless new members through referrals and partnering with the Venture Ski Club. We have gone to some amazing places with unique experiences such as Amtrak across America, Canadian ski adventures and a few times, truly epic ski conditions with fresh snow. We also saw the club successfully emerge and continue to thrive following the pandemic.

Along the way I’ve met and worked with so many individuals on who knows what topic. As I reflected on all this it once again became crystal clear as to the secret of our club’s success. It’s not the leaders or the places we have been, or plan to go, or things we do. Yet more important, it’s the people. You, the member is what makes this a great organization. There are far too many to be named yet I will say thank you to all. Thank you for being a member, for voicing your opinions, for attending our planned activities and most importantly, putting faith in us, as your Board. Thank you.

I have said it before and will reiterate this again. Although I am stepping back from the Board, I am hardly leaving the club. I will continue to be an active member and will be chasing the dragon with you, seeking the mythical perfect line. I have, and am fully committed to provide insight and leadership in an advisory capacity as needed. So, I’m far from gone! You will see me here, there, and everywhere moving forward. Maybe I’ll even run a trip or two.

Once again, thank you all!

Ski ya later!

Adam

President Message for March 2023

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 23:00:00 GMT

March Newsletter 2023 (click here)

Happy Friday post snowpocalvpse 2023!

I trust that you are all well and have unburied yourself from the storm. As for me, I rode it out in Milwaukee while waiting for a flight to Florida for work. It was really just rain and some ice where I was.

Now, I’m at my gate, waiting to board, yet, not without my obligatory preflight Starbucks. While I wait, I decided it was an opportune time to write you this month’s article.

As I write this we have wrapped up a new trip to Minnesota. I had a phone call with Frank while on their way out. Everyone was having a great time. Up next is our much-anticipated Utah trip with nothing but giddy anticipation from me. Did I mention that Tuesday of the trip will be my bday? Looking forward to skiing with you all!

The Spring banquet is around the corner and I would like to remind you to submit an RSVP! During this year’s event, we will elect new Board Member positions where nominations are open for President, Social and Secretary. Currently, Tom Piette will run for President, and Mark Heintzkill for Social. We don’t have any takers yet for Secretary. Please speak with a Board member about your interest in stepping up. We will also award the annual Dick Wortiska Service Award to our most deserving member(s) who consistently go the extra mile to keep our club running.

Be sure to read further into this issue for more details on anything I referred to in this issue.

As I typed the last paragraph, my boarding call came on. Time to scoot!

Ski ya VERY soon!

Adam

President's message for February 2023

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT

February 2023 Newsletter (Click Here)

Greetings all from an Eau Claire, Wi parking lot!

As I wind down my term as President it’s dawning on me that this is one of my few remaining articles. Although a weird place to be punching this up today while I wait on my next appointment, the timing is perfect. I woke up this morning to a few fresh inches of fluffy POW! What a great inspiration!

We have had great interest in our new trip this year with Scot Wederquist at the helm arranging the behind-the-scene details. That is to say, he is helping us launch a new trip to Afton Alps in Minnesota, as a mid-week trip option. We are pleased so far with the initial interest as we have enough to justify a deluxe motor coach bus, which we are moving forward with. Last I checked, there was openings, but they are filling fast. Please, to our last-minute stragglers, this is your LAST CALL! Sign up today!

The club is attempting day trips to Brule where our first trip in January was a bust with virtually no interest. The next one will be in March where we are taking registrations and your decision TODAY is crucial to our planning.

Our Utah trip is finalized for a week in March which so happens to fall on my birthday. Drinks will be happily accepted. For those whom have been with us; we all know one certain member who seems to have a birthday’s every darn day. Well, I’m really having one and this is not a drill.

This will be my third time on a trip for my birthday and every time the weather and conditions have been epic, and I expect the same for this trip. I make no promises yet, if you’re at all hoping to get on this as a last-minute addition, call a trip leader today and cross your fingers!

Well, there you have it members. Ski ya later!
Adam

President's message for January 2023

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

January 2023 Newsletter (Click here)

Happy New Year!

I hope that you all had a safe and wonderful holiday season. I’m sure some of you faithful readers have big New Year’s Resolutions and I wish you well on that journey.

As the club embarks into the new year we will be passing off the leadership reigns to whomever is elected as your new President, Social Chair and Secretary. At this time, we have candidates slated for President and Social and are seeking candidates for Secretary. Please contact a Board Member with your questions and more importantly, your volunteering to run for any of the open roles.

In March we will head to Utah for a week of skiing with a full roster. The planning has been immense with more moving parts than usual. This would not be possible without the extraordinary efforts of our West Committee. Please make it a point to thank them in person as they have truly had to work extra hard on this trip.

For those of you seeking Midwest trip options, we are pleased to offer a few different choices from day trips to a midweek overnight trip. You are welcome to sign up today and I ask that you read this issue for more details. Registration is important to our planning, plus it tells the Board if it is a trip worth planning again. Should you still not have enough options for trips, please check out the Sly Fox Ski Club which we have a link to on our club website.

Ski you soon!

Adam

Click below for newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Click Here

January 2023 Newsletter

December 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 00:01:00 GMT

December 2022 Newsletter

President's message for December 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Happy December members!

Hard to believe that it’s the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. I just hung up my bow and rifle and hunting boots today. At that time, I took down my ski equipment and began looking to the season.

First on my mind is our Holiday Celebration. Our Social Chair has arranged for another wonderful reception at The Woods and those details are available later in this issue. We do ask for your RSVP to alert the Wood’s staff as to our needs to ensure you have a great time. Please submit your reservation today.

We do have some Midwest trip options for you which are getting only a lukewarm reception. We have planned these trips based upon having maximum participation to keep costs low and packed with value. As times are changing, we are seeing less interest in these styles of trips. If you are planning to go and appreciate these Midwest trips please let us know by signing up today. A continued lack of interest may prompt further change. More trip information is in this issue.

We have opened the trip to Utah which, as expected, has gone over very well. At last check, just before the holiday, we were within striking distance of our maximum capacity. Those who submit registrations should get a confirmation email from our Treasurer. Frank has included information in this newsletter regarding trip insurance and other topics of interest you may find relevant to your vacation.

Happy holidays all!

Think SNOW!
Ski ya!

Adam

November 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:01:00 GMT

November 2022 Newsletter

President's message for November 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Good day Gelandesprungers!

I am very pleased to share with you great, long overdue news which you have been eagerly waiting for.

After a lot of hard work & perseverance in the 2-minute drill, we have successfully finalized our Utah trip details! Now, maybe the Packers will take a hint and do the same!

We apologize for the delay in the release of this information and appreciate your cooperation and support.

Please read this newsletter for the trip details.

Ski you soon,

Adam

October 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 23:01:00 GMT

October 2022 Newsletter

President's message for October 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 23:00:00 GMT

Hello and welcome to fall, 2022! I am sure that I’m not the only one reading this that is looking outside at the fall colors and beginning to daydream of powder days.

I assure you that the Board has the same thought and will be speaking at our banquet on October 7 about our options. During that time, we will discuss, in greater detail, the trips and pricing. We will also be speaking about the challenges we are being faced with in planning our trips, namely Utah. One of the largest culprits is working with the airlines and attempting to get seats. We don’t have all those details yet and are going to hold off opening the trip a bit longer than usual. It is probable that registration will begin in November. Seeing as this will be a March trip, the delay still provides everyone ample time to plan. When we have the details, an eblast will commence and information will follow in subsequent newsletters!

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Ski you later,

Adam

September 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 23:01:00 GMT

September 2022 Newsletter

President's message for September 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 23:00:00 GMT

Hello G’sprungers and welcome to another edition of my monthly mindless dribble which I hope you enjoy!

The nice thing about this time of year is the changing season and the fact that enough stuff is happening that I have worthwhile information to share. I’d like to start with a few updates about spring elections and end with the ski season.

At our next Spring banquet, we will be electing President, Social Chair and Secretary. I am pleased to share that Tom Piette will run for President and a relatively new member, Mark Heintzkill, will be on the ballot as your new Social Chair. We are still seeking candidates for Secretary as Tom Piette will be on the ballot for President. We would like additional folks to run for each of these positions and ask that you raise your hand early so we don’t have to twist it at election time.

As for the real reason we are here: skiing! Trips are coming together for both out-West and Midwest. There a few more details necessary to solidify before we have anything official for you. Our hope is the trip list is enough detail to block out your calendars and get your finances in order. Hopefully you won’t have to break a piggy bank or rob a 401k to join us.

Last but not least, please submit your Fall Banquet RSVP so that we may plan properly. That is all for now.

Thank you, gang!
Ski you soon!
Adam

August 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 23:01:00 GMT

August 2022 Newsletter

President's message for August 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 23:00:00 GMT

Well it is August and we all continue to stay busy in the off season. Just recently Rita Delveaux organized a social outing with biking to a local vineyard that was well attended. In a few weeks Ron and Jackie Quick will once again host a BBQ and bike ride. Our social chair is putting the final touches on the Annual Fall Banquet and will be looking for your RSVP here very soon! I am also pleased to say that our Midwest trip committee has some new ideas, providing you some additional variety to your season.

Our Western trip committee is in the process of finalizing the trip costs for Utah next March. I’m very pleased with contributions each person has made in these endeavors these past few months and extend a sincere Thank You to everyone on and off the Board alike for everything you’re doing! Please continue to read this and upcoming issues closely for details as they become available.

I also want to remind you that we are actively seeking individuals interested in serving on the Board next season whom will be voted in at the Spring Banquet. On the ballot is President, Social Chair and Secretary.

It’s July 31, 2022 with a projected high of 85. It’s hard to say this yet I feel it is an appropriate closing for this month’s ramble! Think snow!

Your leader in going downhill,

Adam

July 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 23:01:00 GMT

July 2022 Newsletter

President's message for July 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 23:00:00 GMT

As usual, July isn’t a big month for noteworthy subject matter. However, there are a few items as the club has been staying active.

Last month, The Wickham’s hosted another bike ride from their home which was well attended by our cyclists in the group. As is tradition the route was different this year which helps avoid monotony and keeps everyone returning for more.

For those whom enjoy any combination of wines, beverages, live music, cycling and general time with friends then you should join Rita Delveaux. Rita, and I’m sure Gary, will be hosting a bike ride along the Fox River Trail to Ledgestone Winery. Live music will be at the venue and non-cyclists are welcome as well by meeting at the Winery. Just let Rita know your intentions soon so she knows how many to plan for. We have the details later in this issue.

In August Ron and Jackie Quick will be hosting another bike ride from their home in Maribel and your invited to as well. Again, please read this issue for more details.

Your timely RSVP for any event is requested especially when someone is preparing their home. Please be kind and let your host(s) know with at least a 2-week notice.

Also noteworthy in the ski industry is that Indian head and Black Jack have been purchased by the same company that owns Lutsen and Granite Peak. News sources are saying to expect improvements to the hill’s infrastructure including new lifts which would be a much-needed upgrade in my own personal opinion.

That’s all for now folks! Till next month, ski ya later!

Adam

June 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:01:00 GMT

June 2022 Newsletter

President's message for June 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Hello all!

I hope that you all had a great Memorial Day weekend and are ready for the summer months. I see my lawn is ready for its first mow of the season.

Like every year we have reached the point in the calendar where we don’t have a lot to share so this will be brief. The Board is working diligently on our next ski season. While we wait for those details I’d like to invite you to join us in any number of summer social activities being hosted around the area by our fellow members. Full details are included in this issue, providing a number of options to get out and socialize with your ski family.

Have a great June!

Adam

May 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 31 May 2022 11:01:00 GMT

May 2022 Newsletter

President Message for May

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 31 May 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Good morning Gelandesprungers! It’s currently 6:46 am on April 30 and I’m out Turkey hunting. The action is slow so I figured why not crunch out this monthly dribble you have come to enjoy or destroy.

The Board and I are pleased to welcome Phil Heldt as treasurer and Scott Wederquist as Vice President. Both have stepped into the role with enthusiasm and new ideas. Scott is already grabbing the proverbial bull by the horns and getting to work on mid- west trips. Meanwhile Phil twiddles his thumbs waiting on registrations to roll in. I guess he has it easy the next few months. I’m very pleased with their addition to the Board and their energy thus far. I would be amiss if I didn’t take a few moments to say one last time, thanks to Brian Mudd and Brian Fowle who have just “retired”. You lucky dogs!

In the coming months we will begin collaborating on finding folks interested in running for President, Social and Secretary. Many of you know, I will be winding down my time as President and looking forward to retirement next spring as well. At that point it will be 10 years of selfless volunteering to help lead the organization. This is one role we will want to find a superb candidate for and hope to hear some of you express interest.

Your social chair has created another full summer of events include annual favorites which we will be publishing in the newsletter. If you have ideas and are willing to put on an event, please let her know at social@gelandesprung.org

Well, these turkeys won’t hunt themselves so I’m going to get out my box call and go back to work!

Gobble! Gobble!

Adam

April 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 23:01:00 GMT

April 2022 Newsletter

President's message for April 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 23:00:00 GMT

Happy April everyone!

As I type this on March 22, it is about to rain quite a bit across a wide part of the area, which sadly will likely impact our beloved ski hills. I just ask myself if this means if March will go out like a lamb?

By the time you’re reading this, we will be about to meet for the annual Spring Banquet where we will celebrate our year together, review financials, elect new officers and find out who will be bestowed the honor of the Dick Wortiska Service Award. Once again, we will be at The Woods Golf Course, with a family style banquet which we have grown fond of.

Now that it’s the “off season” the real work begins for the Board and its Committee chairs. As you may know, this is when we make important decisions about the upcoming season, largely our Midwest trips. These have been a challenge these last few years, which Covid certainly impacted. We have been striving to address the trip requests of you, our customer, and offering a variety of day and weekend trips. The reality is, we have not been filling them which leaves us in a tough spot. We have been trying to maintain the bus yet have had to cancel that portion due to low interest. The trips have proceeded as drive ups trips, yet there is even less interest in that! I hope you can see the dilemma we face and understand there will be tough decisions to make which won’t come easily, even if it’s the right thing to do to preserve the viability of our club. Nothing is finalized yet and everything is on the table as to how we proceed. You can help by providing your constructive feedback to a Board member or even volunteering to help with the planning.

Another topic for you to think about in this off season is your ID for future travels. If you plan to fly within the U.S., visit a military base or other federal buildings, the Department of Homeland Security will require identification that is REAL ID compliant (or show another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport) beginning May 3, 2023. The club is not requiring anyone to update their identification to this new format, yet we do want you to be aware of its impact by not preparing. Please read more information and make a decision for yourself at https://www.dhs.gov/real-id If you choose not to upgrade, please plan to bring the alternative identification.

Truly, your fellow ski bum,

Adam

March 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 23:01:00 GMT

March 2022 Newsletter

President's message for March 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 23:00:00 GMT

We have successfully returned from our overdue, and much enjoyed, West trip to Big Sky, Montana. It was my 2nd trip to this resort and I was reminded why it is my favorite ski resort. It is truly an epic place to ski with something for everyone to have fun and enjoy. I like to say thank you to our trip leaders Tom Piette and Claudia Elsner for their contributions to making the trip a success. Their efforts mean nothing though without your participation by signing up and joining in the fun!

Over the last few months we have been seeking volunteers to fill vacant positions as Treasurer and Vice President. I’m pleased to say that we do have two individuals who plan to run for these important roles at our spring banquet in April. If you have not yet raised your hand and are still interested in running, let us know, as there is nothing wrong with a little competition at the election.

Your Social Director, Jeanne, is putting together plans as we speak for our spring banquet, and has included information in this issue. Please get your RSVP in quickly, so that we can plan properly. At the banquet, Frank Wickham will provide an important tutorial on our website functions that you can use to better interact with the club. He is also putting energy into rolling out online registrations with more details to follow!

Ski ya later!

Adam

February 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:01:00 GMT

February 2022 Newsletter

President's message for February 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Hello members,

I hope this finds you all doing well, and managing to get out on some ski runs by the time you read this! I've been able to get out on the Big Snow I trip with Sly Fox and intend to join our club on additional trips later in the season. I do have a few items to share with you today.

For starters, it's time to address the reality of the current Covid surge. The Board and I realize everyone has their own viewpoints on the matter. Despite that, we do ask that you be respectful of your ski club family and consider wearing a mask as much as possible when on a ski trip with us.

We are working towards improving our administrative systems starting with the monthly newsletter. This month marks the first of a new way to distribute the newsletter and share info with you. We welcome your constructive feedback that we may evaluate for future improvements. Stay tuned in future months as we share additional news on new things you can start using.

We are still accepting registrations for upcoming trips where it is important to fill as many seats as possible. This helps us meet the budget to remain sustainable, and your advanced registration helps us plan accordingly. Please visit our trips page https://gelandesprung.org/trips and click on the trip you're interested in.

As I close, I will leave you with these words of skiing wisdom!

Turn right.

Turn Left.

Repeat as necessary.

-Adam

January 2022 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:01:00 GMT

January 2022 Newsletter

President's message for January 2022

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Hello and Happy New Year fellow Gelandesprungers!

It is Monday after Christmas, and I am looking out the window at some fresh snow which is the perfect motivation to write this column. I hope you all had a great Holiday and were able to celebrate your family traditions.

I know many of you are setting out on your New Year's Resolutions and so is the club. I'd like to share a few things with you today. For starters, we are making strides towards utilizing our website and systems focusing on efficiencies, reducing errors, and removing redundancies. This is so that we can provide you, our member, access to the things you need faster and easier. Ultimately, we are working towards an online registration and payment system, however, we are not at that point yet. We are doing this in stages, which will start with the newsletter distribution.

Historically we have been sending you a link to a PDF file which we have done this month. Beginning in February, you will continue to receive an email with a link to the newsletter which will instead direct you to our newsletter page (https://www.gelandesprung.org/news/) where you will see the same information as what would be provided in the PDF. We realize this is a change and welcome constructive criticism in February on the new process. Please also watch each month for additional tips on the things you can do with the new website.

An additional New Year’s Resolution that was made is to eliminate providing alcohol on our bus trips. Members are allowed to consume alcohol on the bus by bringing it on board themselves. Please plan to keep these items under your seat or in the overhead bin to avoid tripping hazards. Please refrain from glass or other fragile containers.

We are seeing low registrations for our day trips where it is important to fill the seats and ask that you get your sign ups in today.

In the meantime, get your skis shined up and grab a stick of Juicy Fruit as the taste is going to move ya!

Ski you soon!

Adam

December 2021 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:01:00 GMT

December 2021 Newsletter

President's message for December 2021

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Hello!

It is the day before Thanksgiving and wanted to say on behalf of the entire Board, Happy holidays! We are grateful for the opportunity to selflessly serve the needs of the club and thank you for being a member!

In a few days our annual Holiday Celebration event will be held at The Woods and more information is included in this issue. Not only will we celebrate the holidays together, we will be sharing more details on each of our ski trips. Please submit your RSVP quickly so that we can properly plan.

All of our trips are open and filling up. If you plan to join us on one, submit your money and registration soon so that you’re not left at home!

We continue to seek out a volunteer for a new Vice President for the upcoming spring election. Interested parties should speak with any Board Member.

Thank you and have a safe and wonderful holiday season.

Ski you soon!

Adam

November 2021 Newsletter

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:01:00 GMT

November 2021 Newsletter

President's message for November 2021

Gelandesprung Web Architect — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT

My favorite time of year is upon us. With fall, which includes walks in the woods, hunting, bonfires, falling leaves, and who can forget raking them? Truth be told though, it's a page turner for the winter ski season which is what I love most. We are excited to be returning to a full ski schedule this season with many options for you to choose from. With that, I wanted to share a few quick updates.

1) In December we will have a holiday gathering, at The Woods, being organized by the great Jeanne Stilp. Please read the flyer in this newsletter, as we are doing things differently this year.
2) We continue to seek out volunteers to serve as trip chairs! Please raise your hand, by contacting Brian Fowle.
3) We have found a likely candidate for our Treasurer position; however, we are seeking out Vice President. Both positions will be voted into office at our Spring banquet. Please seek out any Board Member to express your interest in these roles or to get questions answered.
4) Trips are open! Please help us plan properly by submitting your registrations early. This enables us to effectively address the logistics of trips from transportation, lodging, food, and of course your lift tickets! It becomes increasingly more challenging to address these needs with late registrations. Our volunteer trip leaders are often the ones handling this planning, where your advanced cooperation is appreciated.

Thank you for being part of our Ski Family, where the Board and I are looking forward to skiing with you very soon!

Adam