Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Posted on October 15, 2010 - by Editor

2010 Blackhawk Octoberfest

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect fall day! To go with the sunshine, sauerkraut, and brats homeowners of Blackhawk on the River sampled beer from McCall’s two breweries, Salmon River Brewery and the McCall Brewing Company.

From the Salmon River Brewery, we sampled the P.F.D. Pale Ale, the McToberbest, and the Salmon River Quiver.

From the McCall Brewing Company, we sampled the  Ponderosa Pale Ale, the Oktoberfest, and the Hefeweizen.

Nothing like enjoying an adult beverage in the sun! Happy Oktoberfest!

Posted on August 4, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

TREK 2010

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

This past weekend, a group of amazing teenagers participated in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Trek,” as this adventure is called, is a three day adventure where youths from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints re-enact the struggles and triumphs of their pioneer ancestors who crossed the country pulling handcarts. For Trek 2010, RedRidge at Blackhawk provided an ideal location to host this event that only happens every 4 years.

This year’s event included close to 400 kids arranged into 40 “families.” Each family consists of 10 kids and 2 adults (known as their “ma” and “pa”) arranged so that no one knows anyone else in their new family. Throughout the entire 3 day experience, each family is responsible for pulling their handcart with all of their possessions through meadows, forests, across rivers, and up hills. By the end of Trek, new friendships and bonds are forged through the teamwork each family must rely on.

Each day, the families encounter different obstacles that their ancestors struggled to overcome. And the fun doesn’t stop there! The first night out, organizers arranged for the group to experience the discrimination their forefathers endured in Missouri when the governor issued and extermination order on the Mormons. Close to 30 adults dressed up, painted their faces and came running over the hill to “capture” the group leaders just as everyone was settling down to go to bed. The leaders where then tarred and feathered and the kids were ordered “off the property.” After another 2.5 mile hike in the dark pulling handcarts, the group finally reached their destination for the evening.

Despite the late hour and the initial “scare,” everyone I spoke with considered the first night’s events to be a great experience that opened their eyes to the hardships many have endured…and left the wondering what other surprises were in store for them!

We are so glad that this amazing group could share their Trek 2010 with us here at Blackhawk. Thank you for letting us visit the festivities! We look forward to seeing more of the great pictures and hearing about the memories you all made during this adventure!

Posted on July 17, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Paint the Pony Extravaganza

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

The summer’s first Paint the Pony Ice Cream Social was a celebration of all things summer! Yummy treats including a special huckleberry peach cobbler, brownies, and, of course, ice cream with all of the toppings helped refuel event-goers after an afternoon of pony rides. Scooby Doo, Blackhawk’s trusty white horse, provided a living canvas for the event’s signature activity…painting the pony! In honor of the Forth of July, Scooby was even decorated with an American flag amongst red, blue, yellow and green handprints. And because the event was so close to Independence Day, we couldn’t let the day end without lighting a few sparklers!

Our next Paint the Pony event will be held on August 8th at 1pm. We hope you can join us at the River Lodge for this special event! Please RSVP to Jil at @ (208) 630-4348.

Posted on June 29, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Eco-Culinary Plant Walk

On June 12th Jil Wickander, Blackhawk’s Director of Outdoor Pursuits, led an eco-culinary plant hike throughout the Blackhawk Meadow where participants learned about new, yummy uses for plants we see everyday including dandelions and stinging nettles. Jil also shared her recipe for a great herbal insect repellent you can make with plants right outside your door. If you missed out on this event, you can still get a great recipe for herbal insect repellent to keep you comfy this summer below. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our next Summer Plant Walk scheduled for July 24th! If you would like to RSVP to this event, please call Jil at 208.630.4348.

HERBAL INSECT REPELLENT

2 Cups fresh American Pennyroyal leaves and flowers
1/2 Cup fresh Yarrow leaves and flowers
1/2 Cup fresh Tall Sagebush leaves
2 Cups rubbing alcohol
1/2 Cup distilled water
1 tsp jojoba oil

Combine all ingredients except jojoba oil and distilled water in a quart jar and let stand for three weeks. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter, discarding solids. Add distilled water and jojoba oil to the strained liquid. Pour into a glass sprayer bottle. Shake well before using. Apply as needed.

Posted on February 26, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Payette Lakes Nordic Marathon a Huge Success

The Payette Lakes Nordic Marathon to benefit the Little Ski Hill in McCall proved to be another huge success! This is the second year athletes have skied the 33 km point-to-point course beginning at the Little Ski Hill and ending at Blackhawk on the River. A big thank you to Edible Arts, Salmon River Brewery, Osprey Creek Music and all of the hard-working volunteers who helped to make this year’s event the best yet!

We hope you enjoy the pictures!

Created with flickr slideshow.

Posted on February 16, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Dog Sled Demonstration

With the 2010 Iditarod Race scheduled to begin on March 6th, Blackhawk wanted to bring a piece of this exciting sport to McCall, Idaho. Local musher Carol Riehle and her dogs Mambo, Giggles, TJ, Hadrian, and Avalanche put on an exciting show for Blackhawk homeowners and guests this past Saturday at our dog sledding demonstration.

Carol shared her insight and wisdom on equipment, technique and types of dogs that can be used for dog sledding and skijoring, in addition to providing ample entertainment with stories of dog piles and crazy Frenchmen (if you attended, you know what we mean!).

For more information on dog sledding and to learn how to start a team of your own, a great resource is the book by Bella Levorsen, Mush: A Beginner’s Manual of Sled Dog Training.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Posted on February 10, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Winter Carnival 2010!

The 2010 McCall Winter Carnival was the best yet! From the wonderful new friends we made sponsoring the Beer Garden to ushering the Grand Marshalls of the Mardi Gras Parade through town, Blackhawk is proud to have been a part of this year’s success. Check out the slide show below to see some of the highlights!

Created with flickr shildshow.

Posted on January 12, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Skijoring Demonstration a Hit at Blackhawk

Skijoring is a very old form of winter transportation. The first mention of it was the Scandinavians hitching up their reindeer, strapping on their skis, and traveling in the snow.

Today skijoring is done with horses, dogs, or snowmobiles pulling a skier. Skijoring competions have developed throughout the Western U.S. using a horse and rider, pulling a skier through a course that includes jumps, slalom through cones, and grabbing rings as they come into the finish line. The competition is fierce at some of the events, with best finishing times winning large purses. You Tube has a number of videos of skijoring competitions. A favorite of ours is Leadville Skijoring.

Out at the River Lodge at Blackhawk on the River, an invitational horse skijoring event gave horses and riders, and local skiers their first experience at this fun event. We would like to thank everyone who came out to watch, and a very big Thank You to our course groomer, Greg Lolly. We hope to continue this winter tradition at Blackhawk next year!

Posted on January 9, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Trees and Tracks Snowshoe Hike

Director of Outdoor Pursuits, Jil Wickander, lent her vast knowledge of the winter flora and fauna at Blackhawk to homeowners on a special “Trees and Tracks” snowshoe hike this past Saturday. Along the way, fox and deer tracks dotted the landscape as we trekked through the trees and along the Payette River.

In addition to animal tracks, we were also able to learn about a number of winter plants. One of the most prevalant plant species we encountered was Wolf Lichen (pictured on the tree above). This green lichen is found on trees throughout the region and seems to be one of those plants you see, but rarely acknowledge, so commonplace is its presence. In fact, this special plant has a long history with the indigenous people of North America. Wolf Lichen was the most widely used dye lichen, used from the Rockies to the Pacific coast, from California to Alaska. Some groups also made paint from it. This lichen is sufficiently poisonous that the Achomawi in Northern California used it, mixed with rattlesnake venom, to make poison arrowheads. The Apache painted wolf-lichen crosses on their feet so they could pass their enemies unseen.

Wolf Lichen also has medicinal applications and is used most commonly as a dermatological aid. Below is a recipe for a salve that can be used on a number of skin conditions.

Wolf Lichen Salve
Pack four cups of fresh Wolf Lichen into a quart jar. Fill the jar with olive oil. Pour mixture into a 2 quart pan, place on stove and heat slowly over low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain the oil through a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth, discarding solids. Add 1½ ounces of finely shaved beeswax to the oil and heat slowly over simmering water. Pour into salve jars and cool completely before applying lid. Use salve for treating eczema and similar skin conditions.

Posted on December 28, 2009 - by Editor

Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides

Dashing through the snow until January 2nd! Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to enjoy the beautiful snow-scapes while being pulled along by a horse-drawn sleigh. Wrap yourself in warm blankets and enjoy hot cocoa on this one-of-a-kind tour.

To schedule your sleigh ride, please call Jil at (208) 630-4348.