Dear Ashwabay Alliance Community,
When I think about the opportunities we’re creating for kids across the Ashwabay Alliance, I often find myself reflecting on my own childhood.
I grew up participating in programs like 4-H and competitive swimming—experiences that shaped far more than my schedule. They taught me what it means to belong to something bigger than yourself, a lesson that stayed with me long after practices and meetings ended.
That sense of belonging is something I see taking shape every day here.
When you look around our small community, it’s remarkable how many doors are open for young people—especially during the winter months at Mt. Ashwabay. Youth across our region can take part in a wide range of programs designed to meet them where they are and help them grow, including:
- MADski – Learn to Ski & Snowboard
- Friday Night Youth Nights
- Junior Race Program
- Freeride Program
- Holiday Mini Camps
- Nastar Sundays
- CANSKI 4-H Program
- Mt. Ashwabay Ski Team
Some of these programs are school-sponsored, while others are supported through scholarships to help make access possible. But all of them offer more than time on the hill. They create consistency, confidence, and connection—often becoming the very places where young people discover what they’re capable of.
As we begin to look toward summer, that same spirit continues—just expressed in different ways.
The Ashwabay Alliance recently received a generous grant from the Winter Wheat Foundation to support both our Bluegrass Camp and a brand-new Summer Theater Camp at StageNorth. I’m deeply grateful for their support and excited to expand youth programming that invites creativity, collaboration, and self-expression for kids across the Chequamegon Bay.
At its heart, the Chautauqua experience has always been about art, recreation, and education. Across the Ashwabay Alliance—from the ski hill to the Big Top—we’re committed to making those experiences accessible to people of all ages and all walks of life.
Alongside our camps, our annual Free Family Series and Chautauqua-style events at the Big Top will once again bring music, storytelling, and shared experiences to audiences of all ages.
Whether you’re young—or young at heart—we look forward to welcoming you into our recreational programs, educational opportunities, and the many musical experiences still ahead.
Respectfully,
Garry Schalla
Where Heart and Community Come Together—A Home Ski Meet at Mt. Ashwabay
Last Monday, as the temperature dipped to –5 degrees and the RealFeel hovered closer to –23, Mt. Ashwabay hosted a high school ski meet for the Northern Ski Conference.
On a day when even the conditions seemed determined to push people away—the ski teams from Mt. Ashwabay, Medford, Rhinelander/Northern Pines, Wausau, Rice Lake Cameron, and independent skiers still showed up.
The chalet was packed, standing-room-only with skiers, parents, and families. Gloves and boots were stuffed with hand warmers. Strangers swapped tips for staying warm. Ashwabay coach Kathy Radtke shared her legendary trick—tucking pieces of beaver fur inside her mittens to keep her hands warm. Very Northern Wisconsin.
At the top of Jerry’s Run, Mt. Ashwabay skiers ducked into the starting house between slalom and GS runs. There, bundled up and catching their breath, they lounged on a worn leather couch and old chairs while frozen pizzas cooked on two Pizzazz rotating ovens just below the starting ramp.
Despite the brutal conditions, the mood was light. This was their place.
For many of the athletes, skiing at Ashwabay started young—and not always smoothly.
“I started when I was seven,” said Willow Macrum. “I was on a snowboard at first, but I got frustrated and switched to skis. And I kept taking MADski lessons until I felt confident doing all the runs myself.”
Others took a little longer to find their spark.
“In sixth grade, I didn’t really like skiing,” Emmi Roush admitted. “But then I got passionate about it and got fired up. Now it’s just fun to go.”
That growth—from awkward starts to confidence—came up again and again.
“You start the season kind of flopping around,” Wylder Moriarty said, “and you finish the season skiing really well.”
“You never know when you’re going to have a breakthrough,” Emmi added. “And if you miss a practice, you miss a chance for one of those.”
Ashwabay’s ski team may be small, but the athletes are well aware of what they can do.
“We’re small, so you wouldn’t think we could compete,” Willow said. “But because we have such great coaches—Kathy Radtke and Doug Olson—we can ski anything.”
They race against much larger programs, including schools combined into single teams and major conference competitors.
“We’re such a small area,” said Logan Roush, “but we still compete with places like Granite Peak—which is basically three D1 schools put together.”
And they hold their own.
“Our team performs really well in the conference,” Willow said simply.
Sunday Nastar races at Mt. Ashwabay also came up as a quiet training secret.
“Doing Nastar every weekend helps a lot,” said Sunshine Walburg. “You get used to running gates. I used to get really nervous, but since I do it all the time, I don’t get nervous at meets.”
But racing isn’t the whole story.
“It lets me ski as much as I want,” added Tyler Lind. “It’s a good way to get better and get more time on the hill.”
Ask the team about their favorite run, and it becomes clear that Ashwabay is more than a hill.
“Jodi’s Bowl,” Willow said without hesitation. “Untouched powder most of the year. It’s kind of a secret—off the beaten path.”
“Don’t judge it by how small it is,” Emmi added. “Even though there’s only one chairlift, there’s a lot hidden here. Lots of wood trails. What we lack in size, we make up for in spirit.”
Because what stands out most at Mt. Ashwabay is the sense of community.
“The people and the overall vibe are the best part,” Sunshine said. “I know everyone—the workers and the people who come here.”
“It’s a gathering place,” Willow added. “There’s love here. Even though it’s a small hill, people ski the heck out of it.”
That sense of belonging extends off the hill, too. Willow shared how he learned to create AI-generated songs as part of a calculus project, and how he created a song about the Mt. Ashwabay Ski Team on the bus ride home from a meet.
It’s creative, upbeat, and captures all the feels.
And on a day when the wind cut hard, visibility dropped, and the cold tested everyone’s resolve, the Ashwabay Ski Team proved exactly what makes this place special—not the size of the hill, but the heart behind it.
To listen to the AI-generated song by Willow Macrum, click HERE.
Mt. Ashwabay 2025/2026 Ski Team Roster:
Willow Macrum
Logan Rousch
Gavin Olson
Kaeden Werner
Tyler Lind
Wylder Moriarty
Makwa Dahlin
Marit Zifko
Emmi Rousch
Sydney Wroblewski
Where Music and Confidence Come Together—Finding Her Voice with Paityn Conner
Paityn Conner has been singing for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve been singing before I could even talk,” she said.
By fourth grade, she was already stepping into the spotlight, performing her first solo—Puff the Magic Dragon. It was an early moment, but one that led her to pursue other opportunities.
After singing the national anthem at school sporting events, Paityn decided to audition for Big Top Idol Jr. after hearing about it from her teacher, Nick Kuka—a former Big Top Idol winner. She submitted her audition online and waited.
“A few weeks later, Severin Behnen reached out,” Paityn said. “We had a few practices, worked things through—and then suddenly I was on the Big Top stage.”
That experience marked her first true big-stage moment at Big Top Chautauqua, and it came with lessons that stuck.
“I learned that I do need to take advice,” she said. “Listening to different perspectives is one of the best things you can do.”
Paityn went on to win Big Top Idol Jr. That experience and others continued to open doors she never expected, including singing the national anthem for the Milwaukee Brewers.
After Idol, she kept saying yes to new experiences—this time to Bluegrass Camp.
“I took guitar, mandolin, and songwriting lessons,” she said. “Karl Wallin was my guitar teacher, and he explained everything so well. It got me excited about playing guitar and made me want to keep going.”
What stood out most was the environment.
“Nobody’s judging you,” Paityn said. “It’s there to teach you, and everyone is kind, supportive, and just wants you to try.”
After Bluegrass Camp, Paityn found herself back under the big blue tent, but this time as part of the Blue Canvas Orchestra in Ladies of the Canyon.
Alongside other former Big Top Idol winners, she performed in group numbers and stepped into solo moments, singing anthems like Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, Dream a Little Dream by The Mamas & the Papas, and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.
“Working with other vocalists and musicians was huge for me,” she said.
“I really struggled with stage presence at first,” Paityn admitted. “I felt super awkward. Some of the solos were higher than I was comfortable with.”
But with time, repetition, and support, things shifted.
“I learned how to make it fun—not just stand there,” she said. “That made a big difference.”
Today, Paityn is 16, lives in Cable, and is a junior at Drummond High School. She’s on track to graduate early and plans to attend the University of Wisconsin–Superior to study environmental science and biology, with hopes of becoming a fish biologist and possibly working in a fish hatchery.
Music, however, remains a constant.
“I want to keep doing shows with Danielle Diamond and Ladies of the Canyon,” she said. “I want to keep performing at open mics—keep it as a hobby—but get gigs whenever I can.”
She’s already planning to perform at the next open mic at The Backstage, guitar in hand and possibly alongside Karl Wallin.
From a fourth-grade solo to the Big Top stage, Paityn’s story is a reminder of what can happen when young people are given the space to try, learn, and grow—one opportunity at a time.
