Batawa Ski Hill

Please check out this opportunity to be a part of our community

We’re just under ONE WEEK away from kicking off our brand new Batawa Hiking Program and it all starts with you!

Join us next Sunday, May 24th from 10 AM – 12 PM for our Volunteer Orientation. This training session is all about getting our amazing volunteers prepped, equipped, and ready to hit the trails before our athletes join us. No athletes at this one, just us, the trail, and everything you need to know to make this program a hike to remember.

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just love being outdoors and giving back, we’d love to have you on the team.

Sign-up link in our bio!

Over the past few days, there has been significant discussion surrounding unauthorized trail modifications and activity occurring on Batawa Private Property.

We want to thank the many community members who reached out respectfully and constructively, including those who shared additional information privately about this issue and other occurrences in and around the community.

The trails at Batawa exist because of an enormous amount of volunteer effort, stewardship, and cooperation between landowners, Batawa Ski Hill staff, Quinte MTB, and trail users. These trails are built and maintained with safety and sustainability in mind.

Unauthorized trail work, trespassing, fires, motorized vehicles, aggressive behaviour toward trail users and volunteers, and modifications to trail features create real safety concerns and can have a significant negative impact.

We recognize that some individuals are youths, and we encourage everyone to approach this situation - and future ones - with respect and perspective. Accountability matters, but so does ensuring conversations remain constructive and appropriate.

The individuals involved have now been identified, additional information has been received, and the matter is being handled through the appropriate channels. The Ski Hill has also invited those involved to sit down with us to discuss positive ways they can become involved with the trails and broader trail community moving forward.

Our focus remains on protecting the trails, supporting a positive trail culture, and continuing to provide a safe and sustainable riding environment for the community.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support responsible trail use, stewardship, and respect for private property.

Canadian Ski Patrol - Frontenac Zone ski patrol team member, Rob, was featured by Bladder Cancer Canada as part of their awareness campaign, sharing his journey with bladder cancer and his return to the activities he loves most - including skiing.

Rob’s positivity, resilience, and commitment to staying active continue to inspire our community both on and off the hill. We’re grateful he chose to share his story and help raise awareness for others navigating a diagnosis.

You can learn more and watch Rob’s story here: Bladder Cancer Canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4um_7rh7zfc&t=30s

We are excited and ever so grateful to see the Adventure for Every Ability program hit the Batawa trails this season.

Please see the original post to learn how you can get involved.

Special thanks to Kristina Schwartz for getting this program launched at Batawa and to Quinte MTB volunteers for maintaining the trails.

🥾 We are so excited to announce that this spring, Ontario Track3 is launching a brand-new pilot hiking program in partnership with , as part of our “Adventure for Every Ability” program!

This program is designed to expand our adaptive offerings beyond the ski hills and winter season by providing inclusive outdoor experiences for children and youth with disabilities. Over four Sunday’s this June, participants and volunteers will explore different trails in the Batawa region through guided adaptive hikes and nature-based activities that the whole family can be a part of.

The role of volunteers in this program is straightforward but meaningful: keeping athletes safe, walking with them, being a friend and mentor, and helping them enjoy the outdoors. Since this is a brand new program ran exclusively by volunteers, their work is invaluable and allows Track3 to have the opportunity to offer these programs.

If you enjoy spending time outdoors and want to make an impact in your community this spring, then register as a volunteer for this pilot program: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Y2cbTWHstYREESYYSuWp12yBbbtHbu32U3aI74ib2Qw/viewform?edit_requested=true

We want to give our community a heads-up about some activity on the North side.

Last night, some riders were on Bootlegger Trail (North Side) with shovels, digging into existing jump features. The riders refused to cooperate with the Quite MTB board director who had asked them to stop and attempted to educate them about trespassing and their actions.

A reminder to all trail users:
• Batawa Property/trails are PRIVATE property
• No unauthorized trail work is permitted at any time
• Features are built and maintained by experienced volunteers - modifying them without proper knowledge often leads to damage and safety concerns

Unfortunately, the work done last night compromised parts of the trail.

Our trail stewards (Quinte MTB volunteers) and Batawa staff are actively working to identify those involved in violating trail rules and trespassing. Incidents like this will be reported to police and handled accordingly.

We take trail safety and stewardship seriously. Please respect the work that goes into maintaining these trails so everyone can continue to enjoy them safely.

If you recognize the individuals involved, we encourage you to share this message with them directly. You can also reach out to us privately at [email protected]

Sincerely,
Batawa Management

Congratulations and a heartfelt thank you to Kristina Schwartz for spearheading the introduction of the Ontario Track3 Adaptive Sports Association Association hiking program at Batawa this summer.

This initiative is a powerful reflection of what we’re all about - breaking down barriers, creating access, and making the outdoors something everyone can enjoy. It’s a true example of our Small Hill, Big Heart mentality in action.

We’re so grateful for the passion and dedication that made this possible, and we can’t wait to see the community come together on the trails this season 💚

We wanted to share a quick trail update to keep everyone in the loop on current conditions and ways to help out 👇

Blowdowns on the Batawa North trails were cleared yesterday. The trails are now rideable and open, but please be aware there’s still debris that needs to be cleaned up.

On the South trails, several blowdowns remain. Our operations team will be working on clearing these throughout the week.

Once all blowdowns are removed, trails will be marked as OPEN, but they’ll still be in pre-cleanup condition.

The club will be posting in their Facebook group soon to rally volunteers for trail cleanup - stay tuned if you’re able to lend a hand!

Trail Closure Notice

Due to seasonal melt and runoff, the Batawa South trail network (adjacent to the ski hill) is currently experiencing muddy conditions, standing water, downed trees, and significant erosion and drainage issues - including large displaced rocks and washouts.

For your safety, and to help protect the trails from further damage, we are asking the public to please avoid using these trails until further notice.

Trail work will begin once conditions improve, including further melt and ground drying, before our crew can assess and complete repairs.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.