The BOEC is hosting Ski Channel’s exciting new movie, “Winter”.
Riverwalk Center, Breckenridge
Friday, March 16, 8 PM
Doors open at 7 PM
Tickets are $15, on sale at the door and by phone (after February 27) at the BOEC office (970) 453-6422
“Winter” stars a who’s who of mountain sports athletes including: Ted Ligety, Simon Dumont, Sarah Burke, Rory Bushfield, Sean Pettit, Melissa Arnot, Johnny DeCesare, Jen Hudak, Julian Carr, Senator Bob Dole, Phil Mahre, Steve Mahre, Andy Mahre, Mike Wilson, Karina Hollekim, Kris Holm, Ted Davenport, Chip Hildebrand, Kirk Bauer and Matt Reardon.
The film travels to the furthest reaches of the planet and with a focus on mountain sport athletes who push the boundaries of their craft to sometimes unthinkable limits and dire consequences.
In addition to the riveting stories of world class ski athletes from around the world, “Winter” features the head of disabled sports USA, Kirk Bauer, as he leads a group of wounded warriors on a climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Also featured, is skier/base jumper Karina Hollekim, who nearly lost her life and her legs in a sky diving accident. Her amazing road to recovery is documented in this film.
“Colder, Higher, Farther: an evening with explorer/guides Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters.”
Please come join the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center and adventurers/explorers/professional guides Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters for an evening of photos, movies and stories from the world’s most wild and remote places March 15, 2012
In 2009 and 2010 Eric and Ryan set separate world records: Eric skied to the North Pole, South Pole and climbed Mount Everest in the same year. Ryan, with his partner Cecilie Skog, completed the first unsupported, unassisted traverse of Antarctica. Their stories and accompanying photos and video are exciting, humorous, and awe-inspiring.
Eric and Ryan are speaking on March 15th at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado to raise money for the BOEC’s Outdoor Active Retreats for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
Ryan has worked with the BOEC Wilderness Program, contributing his skills and experience to young people with Autism. In addition to raising awareness about the effects of human caused global climate change, Eric has a great interest in improving the lives of those, like his father, who are living with Parkinson’s disease.
In addition, the winning photos from the Banff International Photo Competition will be on display.
Suggested donation of $15. All proceeds will go towards scholarships for participants in the BOEC Parkinson’s program and for specialized cycling equipment.
RYAN WATERS grew up exploring the hills of the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern U.S. At the age of 18 he discovered climbing and a passion for travel that would eventually lead him to the great mountain ranges of the world. After working as a geologist for several years he began a career as an outdoor educator and mountain guide. Ryan is responsible for the development and delivery of Mountain Professionals expeditions. Working in the professional guiding and outdoor education field for eleven years has taken him to Nepal, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Tibet, Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, Tanzania, Greenland, Indonesia, Antarctica, and all over the U.S.
His guiding resume includes well over 35 expeditions in the Andes Range and 12 expeditions to the Himalayas. Ryan is a veteran of three expeditions to Mt. Everest, leading groups to the summit via both the Tibet and Nepal sides, Manaslu, and three expeditions to Cho Oyu in Tibet. He has led expeditions to K2, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum II in the Karakoram Himalaya of Pakistan and has climbed Lhotse and the Southeast Ridge of 7,200 meter Pumo Ri in Nepal.
An unsupported West to East ski traverse of Greenland expanded his interests into the Polar Regions. In 2010, Ryan and Cecilie Skog completed a 1,117 mile/1,800 kilometer Antarctic ski expedition over 70 days from Berkner Island in the Ronne/Filchner Sea to the South Pole, continuing to the Ross Sea to complete the first ski traverse of Antarctica without resupplies or the use of kites.
Modern-day explorer and expedition guide ERIC LARSEN’s life epitomizes adventure. A polar adventurer, dog musher and educator, he has spent the past 15 years of his life traveling in some of the most remote and wild places left on earth. In 2006, Eric and Lonnie Dupre completed the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole. During this journey, the duo pulled and paddled specially modified canoes across 550 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean. Eric successfully led his first expedition to the South Pole in 2008, covering nearly 600 miles in 41 days. Eric is now one of only a few Americans in to have skied to both the North and South Poles.
In 2009, renowned Polar Explorer Eric Larsen began an unprecedented journey to the top, bottom and roof of the world. During a continuous 365- day period, Larsen mounted major expeditions to the North and South Poles and an expedition to the summit of Mt. Everest. Larsen is the only person to have completed this trio in one year. To date, only 15 other people (and no other Americans) in history have been to all three ‘poles’.
Caddie Nath, Summit Daily News, Sunday, January 29, 2012
KEYSTONE — Petty Officer 2nd Class Benjamin Brown’s six years in the U.S. Navy left him scarred inside and out.
After support deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq and Korea, he was medically discharged in 2009 suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and extensive physical injures he sustained while doing military police work at his home base in Washington.
Five years and six surgeries later, he is finally beginning the healing process — on the slopes.
“This is amazing,” Brown said of his experience learning to snowboard Saturday. “All those injuries set you back and put you in your head. Snowboarding allows me to get out of my head. The way I look at it is … if I can face my fears out there, like, I’ve got to do this turn and it’s scary, I’m going fast, I could fall, but I’ve got to just do it, then that allows me to face one more fear out in the regular world.”
Brown is one of 22 injured military service members taking part in the Wounded Warriors program at Keystone this weekend, as more than 2,000 active military personnel from all over the country gathered at the resort for the annual SnoFest event.
For active service men and women and their families, the weekend — packed with parties, races, a wine tasting, a cardboard-derby and opportunities to ski and ride — is an opportunity to get away and reconnect with friends in the military.
For many wounded warriors like Brown, the weekend is part of the recovery process.
The Wounded Warriors program is a joint venture of the Keystone Adaptive Center and other organizations, which fundraise and collect donations to provide the ski weekend, including lodging, airfare and lessons with adaptive ski and snowboard equipment, to the military personnel for free.
“It’s getting folks up and out of the hospital environment,” Keystone Adaptive Center program manager Joe Kusumoto said. “Learning a new skill and getting on the hill is a great way to get some of that adrenaline out, especially for folks with post-traumatic stress disorder. Exercise helps with stress.”
Many of the soldiers and service members in the Wounded Warrior program had never tried skiing or snowboarding before this weekend. For the rest, the weekend was an opportunity to get back to the sport they loved before they were injured.
The Wounded Warrior program was started five years ago and was designed to fit within the greater SnoFest event.
SnoFest, which has been hosted at Keystone for more than 10 years, is officially a recruiting and awareness event for the Air National Guard, which looks to hire former or retired military personnel for reserve duty. But it has become a vacation tradition for many in the armed forces across the country.
“It’s really nice to see military personnel be able to come out with their families and enjoy everything Keystone has to offer,” resort spokeswoman Laura Parquette said.
Keystone and bases around Colorado offered packages and discounts to help service members afford the weekend away.
The benefits of yoga and massage therapy are far-reaching. Yoga helps us connect our mind to what is happening in our body, through focusing on and moving with the breath. Massage therapy also promotes awareness of our body; it provides us with an opportunity to relax and release tension we may be holding. I have been fortunate to have volunteered with the BOEC, teaching adaptive yoga and giving massage therapy to clients who are living with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). There are several factors to consider as a yoga instructor and massage therapist when working with individuals from these groups. Their motor functions and range of motion will be limited; there may be reduced sensation, and spasticity or rigidness in the body; there may be learning and cognitive difficulties, or emotional volatility. In my experience so far, the clients who are staying at the Griffin Lodge carry a positive outlook and have been optimistic about their yoga or massage sessions.
The adaptive yoga I teach has been done in a group setting, with clients and counselors joining in together. The counselors have been invaluable as they are able to assist clients in performing a stretch. The group environment encourages social interaction among the clients and a feeling of camaraderie. Many of them are testing their limits in the yoga class and it is helpful to have the sense of togetherness. Some clients, who are experiencing rigidity and spasticity, utilize the counselors to fully move them into a posture when they cannot do it on their own. Others, who have limited range of motion and mobility, also benefit from the counselors’ gentle support in moving deeper into a pose.
The yoga is adaptive in that the class is done while sitting in a chair or wheelchair, as is often the case. We start with the pranayama portion, which means “breath work,” and emphasize deep breathing techniques. Starting in a relaxing, mindful way sets the pace for a peaceful class rather than a vigorous one that may cause pain and strain. It is important to have bodily awareness so that we perform within our limits, while still receiving the rejuvenating benefits of yoga. We then move into a series of asanas, or “poses,” which is the stretching portion of class. We stretch the neck, the shoulders, the arms, forearms, wrists and hands in different ways. For many, this is doable albeit with some limited range of motion: straps are used to help clients get deeper into a pose. Next we stretch the muscles of the back, moving into forward bends, chest opening exercises, and spinal twists to promote movement and lubrication of the vertebrae. We stretch the legs as much as possible, doing leg lifts, hamstring stretches, and ankle rotations. If it is not possible for the clients to move their lower body on their own, we simply massage the leg, knee, and calf area. This self-massage improves blood circulation and is important in preventing complications such as decubitous ulcers. We end the class with a final relaxation, which allows the clients to rest after their exercise and gives their bodies a chance to integrate the stretching. Clients often feel calmer after a yoga class.
At the Griffith Lodge, I have given massage therapy to clients who are living with a TBI, MS, or ALS and to their partners, who are also affected by the circumstances. Giving massage therapy has been a joyful experience. These practices are restorative for the body and healing for the psyche and allow us ways to find pleasure in our selves, improving quality of life.
Massage therapy is performed for patients and their spouses, which is a healthy way for all to relieve the stress associated with living with a chronic illness. Massage therapy can be performed in a wheel chair if necessary, or clients can be helped onto a table using a body board. For clients with ALS, the heat produced by the mechanical nature of massage is therapeutic for controlling muscle spasms. For clients who have had a TBI, massage helps to maintain healthy muscle and connective tissue, as it brings blood supply and oxygen to the tissue and carries away metabolic waste, and it can be an integral part of rehabilitation. Only light effleurage or nerve stroking, which are gentle, low-pressure techniques, are done to areas where there is limited sensation. For clients with MS, massage is wonderful as a stress-management technique that can promote wellness and prolong remissions, as stress has been shown to exacerbate symptoms among some patients. Massage is indicated during subacute stages to maintain the health and mobility of tissues. Light massage, energy work, and nerve stroking are more appropriate during acute stages.
The Berthoud Weekly Surveyor helps to get the word out about BOEC’S programs being offered for adults living with MS. This article offers the unique perspective of both what it is like living with MS as well being a BOEC participant.
Hope Mountain Camp, an American Cancer Society camp for siblings of children with cancer, happened June 24-27 and this is my traditional recap……except this is going to be the BEST one yet!!
This year we did the same activities, but in NEW places. We camped on Friday and Saturday nights, both in amazing places. We rock climbed at Camp Hale (very beautiful and very interesting place) and we rafted the Colorado River. As per tradition, we tackled the ropes course on the last day.
Why such little commentary you may ask…. well this year I have the BEST thing ever for you all…. you get to actually SEE and FEEL camp. One of our amazing campers filmed the entire weekend and made a video!! I really really REALLY hope all of you will take the 10 minutes and watch the video ALL the way through, its so amazing and really gives you a good peak at how special Hope Mountain Camp is.. and what it means to our kids who come.
I also want to share with all of you a poem that this same camper wrote. She was inspired by our sharing circle and how the kids really rallied around each other. This year, I saw more positivity and encouragement than I had ever seen before during our circle…. and as always their strength and insight inspires and touches me.
Here is the poem:
Green, Yellow, Red, Green
A poem by Kaylee Pratt, Inspired by Hope Mountain Camp
Yellow light, red light, green light,
GO!
We’re born in this world
With nothing to know.
You play in the sun,
You play in the snow,
But then you get sick,
And go through chemo.
Life is a road,
And you are the car.
You can’t control death
To be near or be far.
Of all the places,
You go and you see,
You look through a window,
With no liberty.
An octagon sign
That tells you to stop.
The road is too short,
But in case there’s a cop,
You lay on the breaks,
And gather your thoughts,
And watch all the healthy
Pedestrians cross.
Sometimes you may help
Hitchhikers so sad,
A sibling, a friend,
A mom, or a dad.
They heal your scars,
You brush off their sand,
But sometimes you cry harder
When they hold your hand.
And sometimes a blessing
May cross your path.
A beautiful butterfly
Whose name was once Zach,
A bumper sticker
That may make you laugh,
A pretty new wig
Or a new floppy hat.
No U-turns,
No turning around,
One way street
Where maturity is found.
It’s been quite a while
Since your feet touched the ground.
Your road is as long
As your golden heart pounds.
You pass all the lights,
But follow the signs.
You play it safe,
Don’t cross yellow lines.
I have been here
With your hand in mine.
And really, the road
Is bumpy but fine.
Yellow light, red light, green light,
GO!
You’ve made it through
Much more than you know.
I’ve seen you hide,
And I’ve watched you grow.
You’ve reached the highway:
A long, smooth road.
I also want to take the time to thank the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center… the staff there really worked with me on putting together the best Hope Mountain Camp we could under our circumstances and our course director remains to be the BEST we’ve ever had (I shudder to think what I might have to do to work with someone different). She keeps us organized, on schedule and IN FUN. Once again, the BOEC continues to hire GREAT interns and ours this session fall into that category. And one last huge thank you to Erik Ortiz, as you will see or saw in the video.. he is a GREAT help to me at camp and the kids ADORE him. Thanks for being there Big E!
Watching the sun set on the mountains around the Upper Arkansas River Valley on the way home from a road trip to the Sand Dunes National Park, I almost forget just how crammed I am in the backseat of a Corolla with three other people. (I say “almost” because getting my camera out of my bag to capture the moment requires all of us to move at least four body parts.) Sitting in silence, it’s one of those rare instances I have experienced in my life when I have felt like there is absolutely nowhere I would rather be and nothing else I would rather be doing. I am in the moment, taking it all in, thinking to myself how much I am enjoying my life. The typical stresses and worries that creep to the forefront of my mind in daily life to negate this feeling for even a self-proclaimed optimist are nowhere in sight.
It dawns on me how seemingly random but then again not so random it is that this is where I am in my life. Less than three months ago, I never would have imagined I could have a “job” that doesn’t feel like a “job.” I never imagined I would be “working” for 37 cents an hour and loving every second of it. Six weeks ago, I never would have imagined that I would be able to call the other five people in the car, essentially strangers, my friends. Before coming to the BOEC, I was not able to even imagine the gravity of what I was getting myself into.
It all started last summer when I was working as an occupational therapist at a hospital in my hometown in Wichita, KS. Whether it was that I found myself living at home again as a 26-year-old when I had sworn that would never even be an option or that I was feeling physically and emotionally burnt out from working a job that requires constantly “being on,” I knew I was ready for a change. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and my job, but I knew I was not as happy as I could be given my current life situation. Having had some luck just jumping into new life experiences (ie just “trying” OT as a major or moving to Montana sight unseen on a whim), I applied to the BOEC. After all, I have heard someone say life was 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. What was the worst that could happen? I would have to hang out in Colorado for five months and come home broke afterwards?
Thinking back over my past six weeks as in intern here at the BOEC, I am realizing that’s just the way it had to be. I had to come here. I have an overwhelming premonition that this will be the pivotal time in my life, the point of reference I will make in X number of years as I trace what has lead me to where I am. I feel confident it is the first step on my path to finding my treasure, the intrinsic happiness that accompanies doing something you truly love. I do not know how or when or what that may be yet, but I am undoubtedly convinced the universe has conspired to put me where I need to be to figure that out. Specifically, I have managed to surround myself with people who will help me on my journey, whether they ever realize it or not.
Really thinking about the people I have met and the experiences I have had on courses has been a daunting task; it has turned out to be much more difficult and cathartic that I ever imagined. My experience with both staff and participants at the BOEC has left me with palpable emotions I have been almost unwilling to acknowledge until now, having suspected their true strength and wanting to be prepared to be able to understand and incorporate them into my life. I knew the magnitude of my experiences here thus far comes with great responsibility, as being lucky enough to have had them requires a “pay it forward” toll in such a keenly karmic universe. I have been forced to look inward, to challenge my perspective and life as I knew it as an admittedly selfish 26-year-old…the life I knew before coming to the BOEC.
I must ask myself daily if I would have the courage I have seen in so many participants. It is more than courage to do the Ropes Course or go rafting, although in many ways these parallel the bravery the individuals who come here must have simply to get through each day in their own personal life. It was the courage I saw in a participant with ALS to let go of the anger he felt over being “surprised” with a terminal illness, to seek advice on how to stay upbeat and positive. It was the courage of spouses of these participants with ALS to provide care and emotional support 24 hours a day when they are really the ones who will have the longest and hardest road ahead on their own. It is the courage the participants exhibit daily to not let their “disability” interfere with life, regardless of physical and emotional obstacles…to carry on even if you need someone to help you get dressed or go to the bathroom…those little things we all take for granted.
I have had to ask myself how much do I appreciate all that I value in my life? How would I react if it was all suddenly taken away from me and I was forced to change my values and priorities? The first time I met Dave during the ALS course, his smile lit up the entire room. Having lost all ability to swallow, he told us the towel in his mouth was “just for looks, girls” as he winked. Typing out messages on his iPhone as his only means of communication, he said he stays upbeat by “just appreciating what I do have that works,” even if it is only his right hand. His motto in life is “No matter how bad things get, seems you always have a choice of ham, bacon or sausage.” Would I be able to say that? How much do I worry about such comparatively trivial matters on a daily basis?
The ability to “adapt and overcome” as taught by the BOEC is most exemplified in our participants, although the motto in theory may have been designed to guide a fledgling intern trying to figure out how to “make it work” if you screw something up. Meeting a 38-year-old man whose brain injury cost him his marriage, family and use of his right side who says he is “extremely grateful” for his accident because of the knowledge and faith it has brought to him is epitome of the real life application of this concept.
To have participants with such challenges in their own life thanking me of all people for the experience they had while here at the BOEC has been the most overwhelming aspect during courses. If they only knew how thankful I was to be able to spend time with them! Each participant I have met has been such an inspiration, not only by their willingness to trust in us and try something new, but to see glimpses of what daily life back at home is like and their ability to maintain optimism. They have no idea that their acceptance, happiness, gratitude, and strength to overcome adversity offer invaluable insight into what it really means to be live a life worth living that truly incorporates all these qualities.
What they also do not know is that my motives during each course have been entirely selfish, as I can’t stop thinking about what I can take home from each experience. Each person I have met has offered me some tool to use to become the person I want to be when I “grow up.” I am reminded of a line from my favorite book, Paulo Cuehlo’s “The Alchemist”: “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense.”
I can say undoubtedly that the people I have met and the experiences I have had in this short time as a BOEC intern are bringing me a step closer to finding my treasure in life. And one day I will be able to make sense of it all, but for now I am content just to know I am a passenger in the backseat on the way to my next big adventure. I am headed in the right direction, and I surprisingly feel fortunate to be so crammed next to “strangers” who I know are essential to my journey. I can look out at the sun on the mountains and be in the moment, as I think to myself how much I enjoy and appreciate my life as a BOEC intern.
BRECKENRIDGE — Gene Dayton described the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center as the “little school that serves the world.”
With more than 2,000 participants — from 17 foreign countries and 40 states — utilizing the many BOEC programs just this year, that certainly can’t be disputed. Neither can the impact that Dayton and the rest of the local Nordic ski community has on helping the BOEC’s cause. More than 200 people gathered at the Breckenridge Nordic Center on Saturday for the ninth annual Breckebeiner 60k Ski-A-Thon and Snowshoe Bash, a fundraiser for the BOEC’s Tuition Assistance Fund.
“It’s a wonderful time for people to get together and enjoy the sport and come together around a cause that truly celebrates life,” said Dayton, founder of the event, operator of the Nordic center and one of the co-founders of the BOEC.
The mission of the foundation is to offer “life-changing outdoor activities for a diverse population of people” with mental and physical disabilities, serious illnesses, injured veterans, youth at risk and other special needs. And Saturday, people spun laps around the Nordic center’s trail system to help raise funds. participants took up sponsorship or pledged money on a per-kilometer basis. The final total is expected to be more than $20,000.
“Year number nine, and we’re hoping that we’ll double what’s been done in any previous years,” Dayton said.
They’re off to a good start. Dayton said this year’s event has an “open track” format, meaning people can do their skiing anytime during the week, up until April 1. Although, many opted to take part in Saturday’s festivities. With polka-style music — led by local accordion icon Helmut Fricker — as the backdrop, participants lapped around the center’s clubhouse, where dozens were gathered. Grills sizzled and the bonfires were blaring, and at the completion of each lap, participants were greeted to loud applause and some cow bells. People were dressed in costumes, some even unrecognizable, but the care for the cause was apparent.
“Many of our clients, because they’re disabled, don’t have very much money, so they wouldn’t be able to go on these experiences without the opportunities we provide,” BOEC executive director Bruce Fitch said.
The vast majority of people won’t make the 60k. Dayton said he expects 20 or so to do it. Many, though, are helping to raise substantial funds. Dayton said Mike Atkinson, pastor of Agape Outpost, has put up “thousands of dollars” this week for the BOEC.
“He pumped it up from the pulpit,” Dayton said with a laugh.
The event started nine years ago as Dayton’s 60th birthday party, when he asked friends and people in the community to ski with him to raise money for the BOEC. Dayton said it still gives him pride to see what the people of Breckenridge are willing to do for a noble cause.
“It’s a little town with a big heart, and it’s a town that serves the world,” Dayton said.
For the months of February and March, Rutkey Distributing and Samuel Adams will donate a portion of sales proceeds to the BOEC from any Sam Adams purchased at the following locations:
Liquor Stores
City Liquors- Breckenridge
Locals Liquors- Silverthorne
Skee Vue Liquors- Breckenridge
Breckenridge Summit Liquors- Breckenridge
Frisco Liquors- Frisco
Antlers Liquors- Frisco
Leadville Liquors- Leadville
Dillon Ridge Liquors- Dillon
Bars
The Dredge
Copper Top Bar and Grill
The Quandary
Kenosha Steak House
Tuscato Italian Grill- Frisco
Many thanks to Rutkey Distributing, Samuel Adams and all these participating businesses!
Please come join the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center and adventurers/explorers/professional guides Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters for an evening of photos, movies and stories from the world’s most wild and remote places
In 2009 and 2010 Eric and Ryan set separate world records: Eric skied to the North Pole, South Pole and climbed Mount Everest in the same year. Ryan, with his partner Cecilie Skog, completed the first unsupported, unassisted traverse of Antarctica. Their stories and accompanying photos and video are exciting, humorous, and awe-inspiring.
RYAN WATERS grew up exploring the hills of the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern U.S. At the age of 18 he discovered climbing and a passion for travel that would eventually lead him to the great mountain ranges of the world. After working as a geologist for several years he began a career as an outdoor educator and mountain guide. Ryan is responsible for the development and delivery of Mountain Professionals expeditions. Working in the professional guiding and outdoor education field for eleven years has taken him to Nepal, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Tibet, Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, Tanzania, Greenland, Indonesia, Antarctica, and all over the U.S.
Modern-day explorer and expedition guide ERIC LARSEN’s life epitomizes adventure. A polar adventurer, dog musher and educator, he has spent the past 15 years of his life traveling in some of the most remote and wild places left on earth. In 2006, Eric and Lonnie Dupre completed the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole. During this journey, the duo pulled and paddled specially modified canoes across 550 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean. Eric successfully led his first expedition to the South Pole in 2008, covering nearly 600 miles in 41 days. Eric is now one of only a few Americans in to have skied to both the North and South Poles.
