Our Clubs
The Wisconsin Hoofers is the premier outdoors club at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With nearly 2,000 members, Hoofers is one of the oldest and largest student organization on campus. From sailing on Lake Mendota to climbing at Devil’s Lake, Hoofers is a place where people of all abilities can learn outdoor skills and enjoy outdoor activities. Hoofers is proud to be part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate, the student programming and leadership board for the Wisconsin Union. Get outside with us and hoof on!
Mountaineering
Rock OnFrom conquering the rock wall at Boulders Climbing Gym to traveling the country in search of the most challenging climbs in the country, Mountaineering Club members take trips that challenge climbers of all levels.
Outing
Get FoundFrom canoe trips and backpacking excursions in the fall, to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, Outing Club members explore the country through wilderness excursions.
Riding
Change PaceFrom horseback riding lessons to schooling shows, Riding Club members are involved in all the ins and outs of riding and horsemanship.
Sailing
Set SailFrom learning how to sail a C-Scow to weekly Friday night socials, Sailing Club members spend time with fellow sailors on and off the water. The Sailing Club’s claim to fame: they have the second largest inland fleet of boats in the nation.
Scuba
Go DeeperFrom year-round trips and training sessions to socials with other divers, Scuba Club members (both certified and not) explore life beneath the surface.
Ski and Snowboard
ShredFrom weekly trips to Tyrol Basin to the Jackson Hole spring break excursion, Ski and Snowboard Club members know how to take advantage of winter.
Get Out and Get Active
How to Join
1. Pick a Club!
We offer six clubs: Mountaineering, Outing, Riding, Sailing, Scuba, and Ski & Snowboard. You can join as many clubs as you'd like! For more information, check out each club's site from the menu above, or head over to the Clubs page for an overview!
2. Create your Account!
When you're ready to join a club (or multiple clubs!), head over to our member site at https://members.hoofers.org to create your account! You must be a Union Member to join. Note that UW-Madison students are automatically granted Union membership.
3. Sign Up for Events!
Once you've joined a club, you can search for events and sign up from the Member Site. Pick your favorite event, sign up, and get ready for an adventure!
Contact Us
Wisconsin Hoofers
Memorial Union, Lower Level
800 Langdon St.
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-1630
info@hoofers.org
Contact Us
News
A special winter seminar is being held on March 6th at 6:30 in the festival room. Members and racers from the MYC will be there for a meet-and-greet.
Agenda:
- Why race sailboats
- History of E Scows
- Why race and E Scow – A Love Letter
- Spinnaker work
- Mendota Yacht Club
- Racing terms and what to expect.
- Tips for crew
- How to get involved
Nominations for Commodore, Vice-Commodore, or Rear Commodore will open February 21st and close the 27th. Be sure to check the Elections page for updates and anything else you might need to know
HMC ventured down to Puerto Rico this Winter Break! Some beautiful weather and stellar sport climbing makes for a good couple weeks.
The club heads out to the Red Rocks area annually for some of the best sport climbing in the country. This year, the group stayed in the Las Vegas area. Two weeks of good times!
Annual Halloween weekend trip to the Red! HMC camps at the legendary Miguel's Pizza campground every year, and sport climbs some most legendary crags.
Upcoming Events
Midwest Horse Fair Rodeo
We will be attending a PRCA rodeo at the Alliant Energy Center! Rodeo events featured indlude: saddle bronc, stear wreastling, bareback riding, team roping, tie down racing, barrel racing, and bull riding. More information about the rodeo events can be found here: https://midwesthorsefair.com/features/evening-entertainment/prca-rodeo
Transportation will be arranged closer to the date. Both hoofer members and non members are invited to purchase a ticket! Physical tickets will be distributed at a later date. Reach out to ridingpresident@hoofers.org with any questions.
Devil's Lake Climb & Clean with WUD Alt Breaks
Howdy folks,
Join us on Sunday, April 21st for a good old-fashioned Earth Day crag cleanup with WUD Alternative Breaks! There, we will clean up our beloved park, have a potluck-style lunch, and if time remains, go climb some rocks or go on a hike! We will begin our festivities at the South Shore parking lot at 9 am and finish around 2 pm. You can expect to be back in Madison around 3:30 pm.
Items to bring:
- At least 2L of water
- Sturdy closed-toed hiking shoes
- Sun protection
*can be rented from HMC, email a gear manager (gearmanager@hoofermountaineering.org) to reserve
Transportation:
- Carpool with us! There will be 20 spots open that are first come, first serve. If you have transportation and want to meet us there, shoot me an email (mountaineering@hoofers.org)
- Meet at Memorial Union Circle (parking circle between Memorial Union and Helen C. White hall) at 8 AM to carpool, otherwise you can meet at the South Shore parking lot at 9 am.
Question? Email mountaineering@hoofers.org
[4/21] Conservation at Sardeson Forest Preserve!!!
It's trail building season! Join us as we clear weeds, trail, and maybe cut down some old trees at Sardeson Forest Preserve! We'll leave MemU parking circle around 8:45am and get back around 3:00pm.
Please bring:
- Long pants/close-toed shoes
- 2L of water
- Lunch
- PPE (gloves, safety glasses) if you already have some—no worries if not
If you have a car and are willing to drive more people, please let us know (conservation@hooferouting.org). It'll let us bring more people and you will be my new best friend!!
TRASH DASH!!!
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Welcome to the Second Annual TRASH DASH!!!
Compete to win an AWARD!!
This Sunday from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, Teams of three will compete to collect as much trash from the Madison area as possible in 90 minutes. Trash bags and nitrile gloves will be provided. The team who has collected the most trash by weight after 90 minutes will be awarded new hoofer sweatshirts. Pizza will be provided for their efforts in keeping our city clean!
You are encouraged to sign up with a pre-determined team of three, but if you don't have one, sign up anyway and we'll figure it out the day of!
Gear Manager Office Hours
Gear Manager Office hours is a time to get gear and ratings from the gear managers. This even occurs every monday during the spring semester from 4-5pm.
Virtual Ground School
Event Information: Want to learn to sail? Come join us! Our Ground School lesson is an introductory and informational course about the Hoofer Sailing Club and all it has to offer. No membership is required to sign up for this course, though one can be purchased afterwards for access to all lessons.
About the Club: The Hoofer Sailing Club, established in 1939, is a collection of students and community members working together to maintain a fleet of boats for recreational and competitive sailing. Membership includes unlimited lessons and boat usage. Our fleet, one of the largest in the nation, includes dinghies, keelboats, windsurfing and even winter kiting. The Hoofer Sailing Club is an association of individuals working together to maintain a fleet of boats for recreational and competitive sailing, and to offer a top-notch instruction program. More information can be found online here.
Location: This Lesson will occur virtually through the Zoom platform. Members signed up for this event will receive an email from the lessons site on the day of the presentation containing a link and password for joining the meeting. Please keep an eye out for it.
Using Zoom is free. You do not need to install the app or create a Zoom account, but doing so may result in a better user experience. Please visit the Zoom website for more information (https://zoom.us).
Students who attend this lesson will earn their Ground School Attendance rating, which opens access to other sailing lessons.
Post-Lesson Resources:
HOC General Meeting
Hey folks!
Join us every Tuesday night for our Hoofer Outing Club general meeting! These are free to the public, and we meet in the Mendota Lodge in Memorial Union at 7pm (near the Lakefront and Outdoor UW office). We will be telling stories of recent trips, discussing upcoming events, and getting to know each other. Our meetings are open to all who wish to be involved in the outdoors! See you there!
No registration is required!
How to get there:
The General Meetings are typically in the Mendota Lodge in Memorial Union. This room is across from the Outdoor UW desk in the basement of the Union. To find it I would recommend either using Union doors right by the 80 bus stop, walking down a full level to the Wheelhouse, then taking the long hallway that will start with brown wallpaper and transitions to blue; the Mendota Lodge will be the last room on your left. You can also access it from the terrace if you walk inside the doors to the Union right by the wood staircase that goes onto the lake; the Mendota lodge will be the first room on your right.
Look forward to seeing you all there!
Water Safety Board Meeting
After the general club meeting, we will hold a meeting of the Water Safety Board in the Mendota Lodge in Memorial Union or online! This meeting is hybrid; see Zoom link at the bottom for virtual attendance.
Anybody is welcome to attend the meeting! Board members may vote.
This meeting will discuss simplifying the lake checkout rules for Lake Mendota during warm water (>60 degree) conditions.
Addition of an Advanced Lake Rating for open canoes.
Please see the meeting agenda here for details on the proposed change: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z1wnGA-ScQ1UFdL6th9stZjJHO815g40RN9NCKpj_38/edit#heading=h.ldgy2bowxkx8
This meeting will be hybrid. For those in-person, meet in the Hoofer Leader Lounge in Memorial Union; for those who want to attend virtually, here is a Zoom invitation:
Caroline Rose is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Water Safety Board Mtg
Time: Apr 23, 2024 08:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/98951828918?pwd=THZUamRFVmZrUHBIQlZTUFBCZnhGUT09
Meeting ID: 989 5182 8918
Passcode: 200185
HOC President Office Hours
Come and chat with me in the Hoofer office (across from the Mendota Lodge) about ideas, questions, or concerns you have about the club. Free coffee and tea if you email me ahead of time, just bring yourself and a mug! If you would like to schedule a meeting outside of these hours, email me at outingpresident@hoofers.org.
Virtual Ground School
Event Information: Want to learn to sail? Come join us! Our Ground School lesson is an introductory and informational course about the Hoofer Sailing Club and all it has to offer. No membership is required to sign up for this course, though one can be purchased afterwards for access to all lessons.
About the Club: The Hoofer Sailing Club, established in 1939, is a collection of students and community members working together to maintain a fleet of boats for recreational and competitive sailing. Membership includes unlimited lessons and boat usage. Our fleet, one of the largest in the nation, includes dinghies, keelboats, windsurfing and even winter kiting. The Hoofer Sailing Club is an association of individuals working together to maintain a fleet of boats for recreational and competitive sailing, and to offer a top-notch instruction program. More information can be found online here.
Location: This Lesson will occur virtually through the Zoom platform. Members signed up for this event will receive an email from the lessons site on the day of the presentation containing a link and password for joining the meeting. Please keep an eye out for it.
Using Zoom is free. You do not need to install the app or create a Zoom account, but doing so may result in a better user experience. Please visit the Zoom website for more information (https://zoom.us).
Students who attend this lesson will earn their Ground School Attendance rating, which opens access to other sailing lessons.
Post-Lesson Resources:
Stoke + Treat Night with Hoofer Mountaineering
Hi Mountaineers!
Come join us in Mendota Lodge on April 25th to eat some sweet treats and get stoked for outdoor climbing! There, we will hear from our incoming VP of education about all the incredible forms of climbing. From ice climbing to trad multi-pitches, there is more to rock climbing than plastic hold and 30ft walls. During this meeting, you will learn what trad multi-pitch climbing is and how incredibly amazing outdoor rock climbing can be. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced climber HMC wants to help you achieve your rock climbing goals. Come with questions, suggestions, ideas, and passion for this incredible sport! We want to hear from you about your goals and aspirations so we can run more clinics and socials that will benefit you!
Arbor Day at Devil's Lake
Hi folks,
Join us for another year at Devil's Lake for Arbor Day with Devil's Lake Climbing Guides. We are aiming to plant 60-80 trees in the Quartize Campground on the north end of the park. All details regarding the tree-planting aspect of this event can be found here! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO RSVP THROUGH THAT SITE PRIOR TO SIGNING UP FOR THIS EVENT! Afterwards, we will be joining forces with another crew of Mountaineers to hang out at the Lake and boulder! Note that I will be taking my personal vehicle and will expect everyone to pitch in a few bucks for gas!!! :)
Plenty of fun to be had -- you should really consider coming to this one!
- Claire
Rigging 420's
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Time to wash, wax, and rig the 420s! We will meet by the yellow pavilion. Please wear closed-toed shoes, dress for the weather, and bring a water bottle.
Trailer Training #4
If you anticipate using a FLEET/DOA VEHICLE to tow a Hoofer-owned trailer at any point this fall or winter, then attend this class to get your trailer towing certification! This would include towing a sailboat for lift-out, towing the horse trailer, towing the alpine ski trailer, or possibly towing the outing club canoe trailer. Please note that if someone cannot make this class, other trailer trainings will be offered in the future. Outdoor UW plans on running two trainings each semester. FLEET AUTHORIZATION WITH WISCONSIN HOOFERS IS REQUIRED. If you are fleet authorized with another UW department, you must submit paperwork with our office as well to become fleet authorized with Hoofers. There is no cost for the class. We will meet virtually before the in-person driving demonstration to get started and review the basics. After a short presentation, we will be leaving our meeting location to go to LOT 60 (by the UW Hospital) to perform the hands-on portion of the training—dress for being outside.
Previous experience driving a trailer is not required for this training, however, it is helpful as the in-person section doesn't provide much time to practice but instead is mostly meant to demonstrate skills and ability to drive a vehicle with a trailer.
If there are questions please reach out to Dan @ ddunne@wisc.edu. A Zoom link for the virtual component of this training will be sent to participants who are registered the day before the event.
Bouldering Social in Devil's Lake - Extension of Arbor Day celebration
We are going to meet up with fellow hoofers who spent the morning at Devil's lake for arbor day and have some fun bouldering. All levels of climbing experience welcome! Please be at memorial union by 12:45 to help load up the car.
Devil's Lake Bouldering: Reserve
Hey folks,
Are you looking to get out and have a fun day of bouldering with fellow hoofers? Well you have come to the right place. We are going to spend the day at the reserve, a really fun and classic part of Devil's Lake bouldering. Never been outdoor bouldering? All good, beginners welcome.