News from Gelandesprung Ski Club in Green Bay, WI

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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