To those Memberships who chose Leave of Absence Status for the 2020-2021 season

Summer seems to have finally arrived. Dennis, Kyle and crew are engaged in off-season club maintenance and preparing for what we all hope is a typical 2021-2022 snowsports season. This past season influenced many families to seek activities outdoors because of related pandemic restrictions. As a result, many guests were introduced to Ausblick Ski Club and the impact to our Waiting List was significant. Furthermore, we experienced over 40 Ausblick Memberships that elected to choose Leave of Absence; which gives them a priority re-enrollment for the 2021-2022 Membership renewal. I point this out because it presents a problem with managing the timing of filling memberships for the coming season.

Our invoices of the previous season General Membership are usually sent out the first week of July for the upcoming season, with payment due by the end of the month. Given the unique situation at this time, our priority re-entry memberships could fill nearly all of our historical annual turnover if everyone rejoined. This information is intended to help you understand an offer we are making to insure your priority is honored, but you must act to insure your membership in the 2021-2022 season.

Your invoice will be e-mailed in the coming days. E-mails that bounce will be mailed paper statements. We’ve implemented an on-line payment option this season to afford our receiving your payment quickly. Payment by check via mail will still be an option. Invoice payment due dates will be 30 days from invoice generation. Last season’s General membership invoices will be sent out the first week in July via e-mail and on-line payments will be afforded to everyone receiving invoices.

It’s important to understand our club is limited in the number of memberships we can have annually. Our intention is to do everything reasonably possible to insure you can rejoin the club if that’s your decision. Once the general membership invoices are released, vacancies will renew quickly.

If there are any questions, please call General Manager / Membership Chairman Dennis Evinrude at 262-246-3090.

Bob Turowski
President – Ausblick Ski Club

I find it interesting that last season COVID dictated our last day of snowsports was 3/16/20, and that this year our final operational day was just 5 days later due to unseasonably high temperatures impacting our conditions. Historically speaking, the second half of March each year is generally questionable and often limited to weekend operations only. Sadly though this season, we weren’t afforded more “spring deck time” with family and friends as was the case in many previous seasons.

And so we look forward to another summer, optimistically with relaxing pandemic concerns and opportunities to return to a near normal. At your ski club routine maintenance operations will continue along with finalizing our efforts on the next step of Ausblick’s Long Range Plan. Our goal is to secure the Capital Funding necessary to complete the snowmaking & electric infrastructure, allowing us to abandon and fill the cooling pond at the top of the hill. Several efforts need to fall into place, however if they do our snowmaking capabilities should be significantly increased.

If the above didn’t get you excited, maybe looking forward to General Manager Dennis Evinrude’s Anniversary Celebration will. Yup, 2021 marks 50 years at Ausblick! Plans are to hold a celebration sometime late in 2021, details will be sent out as soon as they’re available.

On behalf of the Ausblick Club Board of Directors, our sincerest Thank You to all members and guest for everyone’s patience and consideration of one another during the season as we all had to adapt to pandemic guidelines. It wasn’t a perfect situation, however it was much more than many thought would be possible. Our “Wait List” of families submitting applications for membership increased by over 90 during our December-March 20/21 snowsports season. Thank You all for introducing your friends to the Ausblick experience.

In closing, I’m certain our entire membership would express their appreciation towards General Manager Dennis Evinrude and his Leadership Team this past season. Lynn-SnowSports School Director, Kyle- Snowmaking & Grooming Operations, Reid-Front Office & Lift Operations; along with their respective teams as they all worked so diligently to afford Ausblick’s Membership and Guests the best possible 20/21 snowsports season. Special Thanks to the Ausblick Ski Patrol for their dedication to service our club during the “pandemic” season, and to all those members who financially gave support during the modified Ski Patrol carnival.

Bob Turowski – President
Ausblick Ski Club

It’s been just over two weeks since Ausblick has opened for the 2020-21 snowsports season; the holidays are behind us now and with some luck we’ll return to knowing what day of the week it is upon wakening each morning. Holidays have that effect on many of us.

Race camp is over as our Ausblick Race Team begin their competitions, our SnowSports Instructors are on track for a record season and ski terrain and conditions have been outstanding as usual here at Ausblick. Two months ago there was a lot of uncertainty looking forward, however after meeting with staff and spending time at the club myself, there’s no doubt everyone’s working together to make this season as typical and enjoyable as possible. Staff, Leadership and fellow Membership all appreciate everyone’s co-operation. Guests are impressed and have told us so.

Looking forward into January the forecast is much kinder than previous years, which if it doesn’t change will certainly make our lodge limitations less of a potential issue. Within the lodge the table limitations appear to be manageable thanks to our considerate membership. One area needing attention is for everyone to refrain from leaving personal items and boot bags under or on tables while out on the hill. Members looking for an open meal table assume it’s not available and may not have another option. Please store personal items in the cubby storage located by the restrooms or under the benches along the wall while out on the hill.
Luggage tags on boot bags, etc., will be helpful in locating any bags left under tables if they’re stored by management to free up unoccupied tables. Also, placing name & address stickers on equipment is helpful in recovering anything misplaced or mistakenly taken home by someone.

Lift operations are improving as the season progresses. While lines may seem longer, realize that we eliminated the “singles” line, therefore the remaining two lines absorbed those individuals. As the season progresses, the novice skiers & boarders asking for the lift to be slowed should learn to load without the accommodation. Also, there have been a number of younger skiers losing their skis upon loading the chair. If this repeatedly happens, please have the bindings checked. Lastly, it’s important to remind everyone that our policy is to bring down the lift chair restraint bar upon loading. Please inform any guests of the practice.

In spite of the unusual circumstances our snowsports season is faced with this year, one can’t overlook the number of families with children enjoying our club this season. Some of them will be future parents of our club, we already have multi-generational families. With that in mind, please use caution when driving in our parking areas.

Best of Luck to our Race Team in the weeks ahead and Thank You to our Membership and Staff for all your co-operation this season.

Bob Turowski – Club President
Dennis Evinrude – General Manager

A reminder as we approach opening day

Opening day is nearly upon us and understandably, we’re all excited to have our favorite winter activity available to us, especially this season. Leadership and staff have worked tirelessly to prepare the club; more-so than ever due to the pandemic. The purpose of this newsletter is to remind everyone of a few important issues as we open for the season. General Manager Dennis Evinrude will be sending out more specifics in another message.

Our COVID-19 Plan is posted on the Ausblick.org webpage for complete details. I would encourage asking guests to review the document prior to their coming out to the club and having them stop at the front desk to sign our Health Agreement upon arrival. Members whom have already obtained their annual I.D. card should have already executed the document.

Regarding our health, please elect to stay at home if you or a member of your immediate household may be displaying symptoms of COVID. While this may be difficult, keep in mind our staff potentially could be infected and the impact might have serious operational consequences. We need enough healthy staff to remain open so we have a season.

Everyone by now is familiar and hopefully accustom to wearing face coverings, social distancing, using sanitizing stations, etc. Snowsports in itself is a good fit for compliance. Furthermore, while the initial few weeks of the season may be challenging for everyone, we need to keep our eye on the weeks ahead as the temperatures warm and most of us welcome spreading out onto the deck and spend more time on the hill. If we can manage to stay open, our time at the club might become more like a typical mid-late season by late January.

I’ve asked our Ski Patrol to assist lift operations staff in reminding those in line about maintaining social distancing. I’d ask everyone to please understand Patrol and staff requests are intended to keep everyone safe and healthy. Those individuals not willing to comply with our COVID protocols while at Ausblick will be asked to leave the premise.

Social Events will need to be evaluated as we experience the season. Men’s & Ladies Day may be possible with limited attendance, other events might prove possible as we see how effectively the season progresses. We’re committed to have an enjoyable season because we’re optimistic that together we as a club, can adapt, co-operatively keep everyone healthy and safe and add to the friendships and memories we all enjoy as Ausblick Members.

On behalf of the Ausblick Ski Club Board, have a wonderful Christmas Holiday Season,

Bob Turowski – Club President

Let me begin by welcoming all the new members who have joined the Ausblick family this year.

New Member Orientation

As I look to the December weather forecast, it appears as though seasonal temperatures may be finally approaching. I understand everyone’s looking forward to our opening day, especially this snowsports season. Kyle and his outside Operations Team are anxiously awaiting cold enough weather to fire up the snow system, Lynn has been busy booking SnowSports lessons and our Front Office/Lift Crew Manager Reid is readying his staff for opening day. All we are awaiting is reasonably consistent nighttime temps in the low 20’s for approximately a week.

Our Operation Plan appears to be consistent with other ski areas relative to COVID-19 Guidelines. Nearly everyone by now has a lot of experience in social distancing, wearing masks, awareness of COVID symptoms and the expectation of refraining from exposing fellow members if you might be symptomatic. We’re all in this together and together we’ll make the most of the forthcoming season.

Ausblick has taken several measures to afford social distancing. We’ve added two 20’ x 30’ tents as alternatives to capacity issues within the lodge. We’ve also added several outdoor grills as optional cooking space which I’m certain will be popular as the season progresses. We’re cautiously optimistic that we may still be able to schedule our Men’s and Ladies Day social events with attendance limitations, and possibly other events yet to be determined as guidelines evolve.

So even under the often frustrating circumstances we have endured this past summer, there is always something to look forward to, such as another season at Ausblick. I personally am so thankful to our leadership team of G.M. Dennis Evinrude, Manager’s Kyle (Outside Operations), Lynn (SnowSports Programs), and Reid (Front Office/Lift Ops), along with their respective Teams. They have work so diligently so that we can have another snowsports season.

On behalf of your Board of Directors, I sincerely wish the entire Ausblick Family of Members the most enjoyable Thanksgiving possible. Be Safe; I hope to see everyone at the club in the near future.

Bob Turowski
President-Ausblick Ski Club

Temperatures are moderating, Fall is in the air and I’m certain there’s a lot of curiosity regarding our club as we prepare for the upcoming season. We’ve decided to not get ahead of all the seeming weekly changes on the current pandemic in hopes that by this point it may be possible to determine where the public governance will be at the opening of our upcoming season. With that in mind, it appears there will still be authorities issuing guidelines to be followed which Ausblick will need to prepare for. We also recognize that these guidelines frequently change as time progresses. Our personal opinions and experiences may or may not be helpful as we here at Ausblick adapt to the pandemic and strive to find a bit of the good old days in our lives. Please understand that our club will do it’s best to achieve a reasonable balance in embracing the recommended safeguards to insure the health and safety of our membership and employees. Our goal is for you to experience as much as possible of a near-typical Ausblick season. We’re all in this together; hopefully we can all participate in making the transition to ensuring another SnowSports Season.

Ausblick has been monitoring industry decisions for the past couple months and while we are different than the commercial industry offerings, there are a few themes that appear a certainty; two of which we all have months of experience with, face coverings & social distancing. Other areas that modifications are under consideration for are within SnowSports Instruction, Kitchen availability, locker accessibility, lodge capacity limitations, social events, etc. Potential solutions under consideration are a separate area for those preferring to avoid the lodge and simply boot up to ski, outdoor grills available (weather permitting), sanitation stations, etc. Lift expectations at this point will be 2 per chair unless from the same household and separation within lift lines. As we continue forward on our commitment to provide our membership as near a normal experience this season as possible under the guidelines set forth, we will keep you informed via constant contact communication. Who knows what might change in the next 10 weeks!

Many of you have been asking about the annual Ski Sale typically held in the coming weeks. As you might have guessed, pandemic social distancing obviously prevents us on a practical side from offering the event as in the past. So this year we’ve decided to open the parking lot to Sellers & Buyers on Saturday, October 10th (rain date: October 17th). The event will be similar to a flea market offering, so mark your calendars. Selling of items will be restricted to Members, buyers are open to the public.
Sale begins at 12-noon either day. Please watch for more details from Dennis in the near future.

Our club Board of Directors has experienced some changes at our Annual Meeting in August. Leaving our Board are long term members John Siepmann, Mike Wichert and Rick Jansky. All three should be recognized for their contribution and commitment to Ausblick over the years and the Board certainly Thanks them for their service. It’s been a pleasure working with them and incorporating their contributions and guidance into Ausblick’s direction over the years.

New members joining our Board include Abby Horn, Dan Johnson and Scott Robertson; affording experience and relationships representing the National Ski Patrol and the Ausblick Race organization. We look forward to their input, perspective and ideas going forward from here. Thank You all for your willingness to serve.

Lastly, our membership openings are filling very quickly. There are under 50 remaining available memberships remaining before we must close membership per our ByLaws restrictions. Our concern at this point is previous members who may be waiting to renew. They could possibly miss the opportunity to get back into the club if the remaining openings are exhausted before they act. Please contact Dennis Evinrude, Membership Chairman if you may have questions prior to making a decision to renew your membership.

Please watch for updates via Constant Contact on the latest activity for our Ausblick community. Our goal is to achieve as normal of a season as possible given the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in. I would hope that by working together, adapting as we can and understanding that we’re in this together; our time at Ausblick will remain a club to enjoy family, make friendships and offer memories to be shared for years to come.

Bob Turowski – President

I hope everyone is managing the COVID-19 adjustments as well as possible under the circumstances. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide everyone with an update on the activities at our club and to offer you some insight into our perspective of what lies ahead for us as a club. Relative to the COVID-19 situation, you may rest assured that our Membership safety remains on the forefront. We will integrate reasonable changes if needed into our operations until which time it’s no longer necessary (restrictions are easing every month) so that our club can reopen with confidence for the 2020-21 SnowSports Season in December.

Our Board of Directors and Club Management are in the process of planning the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year which begins July 1st. Under the circumstances, we feel the prudent path to take is to prepare for a typical season at this point and adjust if necessary given any limitations placed upon the club as we near the 2020-2021 snowsports season. The Board has already decided that Membership Dues will remain the same as last season, and with that in mind please note your Membership Renewal Invoice will be coming your way shortly. Please watch for a Constant Contact notice asking for interest in receiving your invoice via e-mail rather than through the mail. Respond accordingly and if you suspect we may not have your most current e-mail, please notify Dennis at DEvinrude@ausblick.org to make any adjustments.

Our Annual Membership Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday evening, August 19th @ 7pm. Proxy votes for the election of three Board Members will be mailed out to all members 10 days prior to the meeting. You must have renewed your 2020-2021 membership for your ballot to be counted either by proxy or in attendance at the meeting.

In closing, I’d like to offer a huge Thank You to Dennis Evinrude, Kyle, Lynn, Amber and all the employees working at Ausblick the past several weeks to accomplish tasks in preparation of our upcoming season. Our Lodge has been painted, grounds refreshed and seasonal maintenance is well ahead of schedule. While we remain cautiously optimistic going forward, our enthusiasm grows daily by the progress gained in our overcoming the pandemic.

Bob Turowski

This past weekend featured our Ski Patrol Carnival, accompanied by 7” of new snow and a blowout attendance by Ausblick Membership and Guests. For those who were able to attend, it was obviously an incredible combination of a welcomed snowfall, enthusiastic parents, children & guests. Our Ski Patrol works hard to plan and execute this annual fundraising event and it all came together just perfectly this year, thanks to the weather, attendance and your generous contributions. On behalf of your Board of Directors, I congratulate the Patrol on an outstanding event and to the Membership for their financial support of our Ski Patrol.

And as long as we’re mentioning events, keep in mind we have several still planned and upon us. Wednesday Feb. 12th is the beginning of our Wednesday Evening Adult nights with live music from 7-10pm. We’ll have live music for a total of five weeks this season. Our 2nd. Men’s and Ladies Day events are scheduled for 2/13 & 3/3 respectively. Looking further out, GM Dennis Evinrude will do his best to determine the opportune time to schedule our Membership Appreciation Deck Party. Our Deck Party is most enjoyed by sunny skies and mild temps, so please watch for a short notification via constant contact and Website announcements. While we have a substantial base which we’re confident can get us through most unexpected weather changes, it’s always advised to check our website announcements and camera to get the latest updates.

In closing, I call your attention to two important additions to Ausblick this season which you may have noticed. First, our new YURT which the Snowsports School has transitioned to. This generous contribution on behalf of Bob & Kathy Kuelthau has made a substantial improvement our ability to provide snowsports activities and to provide much needed space within the lodge during peak periods. If you’ve not seen it, please stop in for a look. And secondly, we have an incredible influx of families with young children joining Ausblick, we are so fortunate! The carnival and most weekends make that obvious. Along with our good fortune, we need to remain aware of driving safely through our parking lot at all times and along Mary Hill Road.

The second half of the season at Ausblick is always the best! Enjoy your club, bring friends, meet more friends and make memories here at Ausblick.

Bob Turowski – President

The season is almost upon us at Ausblick; and so a quick update seems to be in order.

First is an update on the Yurt mentioned in previous newsletters. It gives me great pleasure to announce the construction of the yurt on November 9th by volunteers of the Ausblick Membership. This project will host our Ski & Snowsports Team throughout the season, thus making additional space available within the lodge for members and guests. Championed by Members John Siepmann and Mike Wichert and constructed under the direction of John & Mike, along with volunteers: Brian Bence, Dave Denton, Scott Grady, Scott Robertson, Paul Woldt, Dennis Berg, Jeff Buth, David VanTheil, Bob Kuelthau, Bill Bruss, Bailey Wichert, Michelle & Andy Minor, Mat Weber, Pat Barney whom also supplied the TeleHandler, Bob Turowski and from the Ausblick Management Team, Dennis Evinrude and Kyle Martola.

Special Recognition goes to longtime Ausblick Members Robert & Kathleen Kuelthau for their generous donation which covered the cost of the Yurt.

More pictures and a time-lapse video can be found on the Ausblick website “Ausblick.org” under the History and Photos tab.

Regarding the weather and snow……………….
While some area Ski Area’s have recently opened, it’s important to understand that Ausblick’s snowmaking budget is fixed, based upon this season’s membership dues revenue. As such, we have historically targeted the first week in December as the most reasonable probability the base we put down will not be lost due to a warmup. Currently we have approximately 40% of our target base, however there’s a warm spell forecast, so Dennis and staff have decided to cease making additional snow until the weather trend co-operates again. On the positive side, our second high capacity snowmaking pump is about to be placed on-line and with the new gun operational we should be able to make snow faster than previous years.

One final reminder to the families that are new to Ausblick this season. The New Member orientations are Nov. 20th. (6:30-8pm) and Nov. 24th. (1-3pm). If you’ve not signed up for one of the sessions, please contact Dennis Evinrude to reserve your place for your selected date.

Thank You for your time and attention, and a special Thank You to all who made the new yurt possible for the upcoming season.

Bob Turowski
President – Ausblick Ski Club