[nfbmi-talk] ski for light

Fri Nov 19 16:04:06 UTC 2010

Editor's Note: Each article in this edition is preceded by "**" to promote faster searching for and quicker access to specific articles.

Ski for Light, Inc.®

1455 West Lake Street

Minneapolis, MN 55408-2648 

Phone: 612-827-3232 

Web Site: www.sfl.org

General Information: Info at sfl.org

Ski for Light Bulletin
Fall 2010

News and Information about the People and Programs of SFL International

Skiing. Sharing. Learning.

 The mission of Ski for Light is to enhance the quality of life and independence

of visually or mobility-impaired adults through a program of cross country skiing.

**

President's Message
by Marion Elmquist
Even though I'm enjoying the Fall colors in Colorado and Iowa, I am so ready to start skiing. We just had the 2011 Event Planning Meeting at Snow Mountain Ranch and I think the skiing there will be better than ever.  The Nordic Center has a new track grooming machine, and the tracksetter reported that he grooms the tracks every night.  I'm really fired up to ski, ski, ski, and to see old friends and meet new ones and to partake in the interesting Special Events sessions and other activities that will be offered.

For those of you who haven't been at Snow Mountain Ranch, it's located in the YMCA of the Rockies, near Winter Park, and we'll be staying in three hotel-like buildings on site.  It means that we'll be virtually able to ski in and out of our lodgings.

The area is one of the premier Nordic ski areas in the country.  The trails weave through some wooded areas, and up and down Pole Creek.  The drive from Denver to Snow Mountain Ranch climbs out of Denver on Interstate 70, then turns off on Highway 40 through Empire, over Berthoud Pass, through Winter Park and past the downhill ski resort, and through Fraser and Tabernash and finally to Snow Mountain Ranch.

The planning committee is busily working on the line-up of the week's events, and you'll read more about that later in this issue in Event Chair Theresa Montano's article.  There should be some new, fun activities for the week plus our fun regulars like the silent and live auctions, which you'll read more about later.

We have skied at Snow Mountain Ranch on seven previous occasions, and they are excited to have us back again.

And I'm excited to see everyone and participate in all the activities Theresa and her team have planned for us.   See you soon!

**

Winter Rocky Mountain High
by Theresa Montano, 2011 Event Chair
We weren't quite strapping on the skis at Snow Mountain Ranch for the SFL Planning meeting in mid-October, but the weather was freezing in the evenings and snow was in the near future. Together with the folks at Snow Mountain Ranch, we were preparing and planning for the best Ski for Light week.

As a first-time SFL Event Chair, I enjoyed the brainstorming and process involved in making the week accessible, safe, and fun for everyone, even our four-footed friends! It was interesting to experience the passion the committee has for SFL and making the event a wonderful week.

Imagine a sleigh ride around the beautiful Rocky Mountains under millions of stars at the altitude of 8,750 feet (2,667 meters);  stars so bright, you can almost reach out to touch them, returning to a bonfire with a hot beverage to keep warm, and singing along with your SFL friends.

How about a nice dip in the pool or soak in the sauna to end a long day of skiing? Snow Mountain Ranch offers a 25 yard indoor swimming pool for lap and recreational swimming, and a sauna. Lifeguards are on duty during all swimming hours.

There are laundry facilities available at the Kiva Center which is the same building as the pool and sauna. So a dip in the pool is a good way to spend time while doing your laundry.

How about joining your new and old friends for après-ski at the fun evening programs? Perhaps you'd like to relax with some good conversation or join in the exciting activities around a roaring fire at the Ski for Light social room in Indian Peaks?

Be sure to pack your warmest and toastiest winter boots for walking around the grounds.

We'll be nestled in the Grand Valley in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I promise you will know what a Rocky Mountain High truly is when you experience the beauty, serenity, fresh air and the skiing on the smooth, well-groomed trails with SFL friends.

There is nothing like it in the world, and you will love your Ski for Light adventure in the Colorado Rockies.

**

The Ever-Popular SFL Auction!
The SFL Silent and Live Auctions will return to Wednesday of the SFL International week.

See all the fun and interesting and creative things folks donate to the auctions. They include things that individuals have made or created, and items that our Corporate Donors give to us.

Prepare to get into bidding wars with your pals, and help to raise the money that is so important in helping Ski for Light finance this event that means so much to all of us.

So, get your creative juices flowing.  Please help by donating items new, crazy or handcrafted. Jewelry, ceramics, knitted, carved or sewn. Or, bring a gift card from your favorite place or something that celebrates your hometown or region.

The exciting evening starts with a preview of the auction items, and culminates with the exciting and lively closing of bids and finally the live auction.  Approximately $1,700 was raised over a three-year period on one item, a tent that had been donated by one of our corporate donors. Two years in a row, the tent was donated back to SFL by the person who made the winning bid.

So, get ready to empty your piggy bank and have a ball at the SFL Auction.

Send your items to:

Ski for Light Auction

c/o Snow Mountain Ranch

S10098

Attn:  Conference Office

1101 County Road 53

Granby, CO  80446

Contact Becky Prosser with any questions at prosserr at charter.net

**

SFL Freecycle Box             
This year, SFL introduces a Freecycle Box.  If you have a gently used pair of gloves or a hat that just isn't right for you, consider donating them to the SFL Freecycle box. That not-quite-right for you item may be perfect for another SFL-er. The location of the box will be announced during the SFL week. Unrecycled items will be donated to a local charity at week's end.

**

Ridderrenn 2011
by Marion Elmquist
The 2011 Ridderweek will be Sunday, April 3 to Sunday, April 10 at Beitostølen, Norway.  The actual Ridderrenn 20 kilometer race will be Saturday, April 9.  The event was about one week later in 2010 and the skiing was simply fabulous.  It was a great week.

Ski for Light owes its existence to the Ridderrenn, as it was Norwegian immigrant, Olav Pedersen, who had worked with Ridderrenn founder Erling Stordahl, who brought the Norwegian idea to the States in 1975.

Every year Ski for Light sends an "official" guide/skier team to the event and more SFL-ers join for the week of skiing, fun and socializing.  The week is similar to the SFL week; the skiing is similar to the wide open skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch or Soldier Hollow.  There's a 5 or 10 k race for women and men, a biathlon, and of course the Ridderrenn.  And, during the evenings there's a talent show, dances, music, auction, entertainment, and socializing with old and new friends.

On Friday, there's a downhill, alpine ski race, with hotdogs wrapped in lefse and burgers that spectators can enjoy while cheering on the racers.

After the week of skiing, the group spends a couple of days in Oslo, touring, learning about Norwegian history and seeing the sights, led by an SFL friend who is a certified Oslo tour guide.

Join the SFL group going to Norway.  I'll lead a Special Interest session about Ridderweek during the SFL International week.  If you want to learn more before then, please contact me and I'll be happy to fill you in on the details.

E-mail:  mlelmquist at gmail.com

Phone:  515-279-3681

**

Getting Off the Bench
by Sheila Styron
Growing up as a healthy albeit totally blind child attending public school, I was often prevented from participating in mainstream physical education activities. I spent hours sitting on a bench while sighted peers played volleyball and other sports. True, I did perfect a piercing wolf whistle while hanging around, which not just anyone can do. However, I was a tomboy, loved outdoor activities and felt deprived when others in and out of school had so many opportunities to engage in physical activities which weren't accessible to me.

I worked on perfecting cartwheels in my front yard which, although I practiced with boundless energy, I never got quite right. If there had been more inclusive recreation programs around in the sixties, I know I would have participated. One of the downsides of mainstreaming was the absence of accessible sports and outdoor activities.

In high school, I co-owned a tandem bicycle with a girlfriend, but like so many other young girls both sighted and blind, never did manage to talk my parents into buying me a horse. I hiked the John Muir Trail with the YMCA, my hand lightly touching the backpack of the person in front of me, and hung out at the beach with my friends, a fair skinned teenager flirting with skin cancer.

Training with my first guide dog during the summer between high school and college loomed large in my life. Walking with Inca made me feel like I was flying where I had previously only felt like I was tagging along. As an undergraduate at UCLA, the closest I came to playing sports was singing the national anthem at football games. After earning my B.A. in music, for the next few years, exercise meant carrying around equipment for band gigs. Later, I discovered workout tapes which I did with sighted girlfriends who showed me the routines. Remember Jane Fonda and Cindy Crawford?

Fast forward to the late nineties when I began working with others who were blind or visually impaired. I started hearing about this great cross country skiing program, Ski for Light, but it wasn't until 2002 that I finally got around to applying. The internet was still up and coming and I didn't know anyone who attended, so basically I didn't know what I had been missing. Then I spent my first week in Colorado, skiing beside my wonderful guide Inger, who was of course Norwegian. With only the sound of her voice and a set of manmade tracks in the snow to guide me, I began experiencing some of the best fun I've ever had. The camaraderie at SFL is amazing, not to mention six days of skiing and yoga every morning followed by stretch class. Imagine, an entire week of guide dog friendly physical fitness Heaven, unless you prefer to sleep in a little later, hang out, dance the night away and concentrate on boning up on your social skills. Whether you're the competitive sort who wants to ski as much as possible, or would prefer to enjoy a more leisurely vacation in a beautiful setting, Ski for Light is an annual treat that once tried, many return to experience again and again (www.sfl.org).

In 2009, there were still more than a few adventures on my to do list, which is when my good friend and colleague, Donna Permar, discovered the Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind on the internet, where people come to sky dive, bungee jump, white water raft, wind surf, hike along beautiful Oregon trails and so much more! Needless to say, this sounded great, so we signed ourselves and husbands up and along with our four guide dogs headed off to Sandy, Oregon. Near the base of Mount Hood and situated on 23 beautiful fragrant acres, the Oral Hull Foundation offers a wide variety of opportunities for adults who are visually impaired and crave experiences from participating in activities like wind surfing to simply breathing the fresh air at camp which actually does smell green. For a daredevil like myself, it's exhilarating to be able to sky dive one day, then take on class 3 rapids the next. However, I realize that jumping out of airplanes is not on everyone's list, and time spent at the Oral Hull Foundation represents a unique experience for each attendee. I was deeply touched by others' reflections during our final evening together, notably, one person's newly found confidence that she would be able to adjust to her blindness as the result of her life-changing Oral Hull experience (www.oralhullfoundation.org).

Much has changed in the world since I was a child sitting on a bench while my classmates participated in activities I could only dream of enjoying. Now there are great inclusive adaptive programs out there like Ski for Light and the Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind, and I encourage each of you to take advantage of the fantastic opportunities they provide for people with disabilities to finally get off the bench.

**

Regional Round-Up
The following is a list of winter events hosted by Ski for Light's nine regional affiliates. These regionals offer you the chance to experience the great outdoors in some interesting local and intimate settings. You will note that some of the regionals are still finalizing details for their winter activities, so we encourage you to check our web site for the most updated information, www.sfl.org, and go to the regional round-up page.

The regionals are an important part of the SFL experience, and we encourage you to take advantage of them and to support their efforts in whatever way you can. Happy dreaming and planning!

Black Hills Regional Ski for Light
Dates: January 24-27, 2011

Deadwood, South Dakota

For more information, go to www.bhsfl.org

Colorado Regional Ski for Light
Winter Weekend
January 21-23, 2011
Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby, Colorado
Contact: Brenda Bertrand
Telephone: 303-789-8342
Email: bbertrand at craighospital.org
Web site: www.cosfl.org
            Please join us for a weekend of cross-country skiing at one of the premier Nordic centers in Colorado. A kids' day is also being planned, although the details are not yet available. For applications and information on all our events, please visit our web site.

Michigan Regional ski for Light
Dates: January 14 - 16, 2011
Held at the Ralph McMullen Recreation Center, Higgins Lake, Michigan
On-line registration: www.msfl.org

Montana Regional Ski for Light
February 27 - March 3, 2011
West Yellowstone, Montana
Lodging: West Yellowstone Holiday Inn
Web Site: www.sflmt.org
Contact: Ed Durbin
Telephone: 406-366-0491
Email: edurbin at midrivers.com

New England Regional Ski for Light
    New England Regional Ski for Light will host two winter ski and snowshoe events in January, and early March 2011.

Craftsbury Outdoor Center

Craftsbury Common, Vermont 

Dates: January 7 - 10, 2011

Our annual trip to one of NERSFL's favorite winter places.  Ski right from the lodge. Great food! Trip includes three nights lodging, double occupancy with hall baths, all meals from Friday evening through Monday lunchtime, and trail passes.  There will be opportunities for cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

Cost: $270.  Additional $20 late registration penalty will be charged if payment received after December 1, 2010.  (This trip fills fast, so register early!!)
    NOTE: We will be holding a fun and exciting silent auction and raffle at this event.  Be sure to bring unused items or unwanted holiday gifts that would be enjoyed more by someone else than by you and your family to donate, as well as any items you solicit from your favorite merchants.  And don't forget your dollars to purchase auction items and raffle tickets!

The Wayside Inn 

Bethlehem, New Hampshire 

Ski or Snowshoe at Bretton Woods

Dates: March 4 - 6, 2011

Check out the vast variety of trails at Bretton Woods (and perhaps the dogsled rides!)
    The Wayside Inn offers spacious double rooms overlooking the Ammonoosuc River and features meals prepared by the award winning chef/owner.  There is easy access to great skiing and snow-shoeing at Bretton Woods, with 3 other x-c centers within an easy drive if Bretton's snow conditions are not satisfactory.  Price includes ski pass, 2 breakfasts, 2 bag lunches and Saturday night dinner.
Cost: $175 if payment received by January 15th, 2011. Additional $20 late registration penalty will be charged if payment received after January 15, 2011.  For more information, please visit our web site: http://nersfl.org

Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Ski for Light
Land of the Vikings, Sherman, Pennsylvania
Dates: January 16 - 23, 2011
Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, hiking and other activities.
Cost: $535 double occupancy, $655 single 
Contact: Bjørg M. Dunlop
310 All Peat Beds Rd, Earlton NY 12058
Phone: (518)731-8741
E-mail: bjorgmd at aol.com

Puget Sound Regional Ski for Light
Ski for Light Puget Sound has six ski days planned this winter:

Saturdays, January 8 and 22, February 12 and 26, March 12 and 26, 2011.

Cost: $80 for the season; $20 per single trip.

    This includes the cost of transportation by chartered bus to the ski area at Stampede Pass and use of the Sons of Norway's Trollhaugen Lodge.  La Nina predicts heavy snowfall this winter so we should have an amazing ski season. If you'd care to join us please contact Doug Sundberg, President, Phone: (206) 297-7579.

Sierra Regional Ski for Light
Nineteenth Annual Three-day Event; Truckee, CA

Dates: March 12 - 14, 2011

Skiing at Tahoe/Donner Cross Country Resort

Lodging at Best Western Tahoe/Truckee Inn

Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, great food, and great fun!

Cost: $200 double occupancy

Extra costs: $40 if you need skis

$129 for single room

$39 double occupancy for Friday night lodging for out-of-towners

For applications and more information, contact:

Vicki Post

Phone: (415) 928-2711

Email: vickipost at earthlink.net

Information is also available on the web site: www.srsfl.org.

Wisconsin Regional Ski for Light
Dates: January 14 - 16, 2011
at the Wisconsin Lions Camp Rosholt, Wisconsin
For more information:

VIP skiers contact: Bev Helland

E-mail: bevhelland at yahoo.com 

Guides Contact: Mike Graper
E-mail: getgraper at gmail.com

Ski for Light Canada
33rd Annual Event
February 7 - 13, 2011
Kamloops, British Columbia
Web site: http://www.skiforlightcanada.com/
Contact: Barry Nelson, President
Telephone: 604-463-8777
Email: barrynel at telus.net

Ski for Light Japan
16th Annual Program
January 8 - 10, 2011
Ura-bandai, Fukushima, JAPAN
Web site: www.sflj.org
Contact: Toshiaki Aomatsu
Email: info at sflj.org

**

SFL Family News
Congratulations to Ted and Sarah Ellickson who recently welcomed a new addition to their family; Aylin Grace was born on August 19, 2010. We at SFL welcome her also, and we are sure she's already doing stretches and warming up for her guiding days.

SFL president, Marion Elmquist, recently received the 2010 Ambassador's Award from the US-Norway forum. The award was presented on October 25, 2010 at this year's meeting. "With annual awards like this one, we often tend to look to those who have done something new during the last twelve months. But this year, we want to honor someone who has worked relentlessly for many years," said Ambassador Strømmen.  "The Ski for Light initiative, with Marion as President, is a very worthy recipient".

Our congratulations go to Marion for her years of service to the US-Norwegian community on behalf of Ski for Light, and we thank her for her continued work in fostering this relationship.

**

A Thrilling Success in the Grand Canyon
by Nancy Stevens
For my fiftieth birthday present, with help from a partial grant from Challenged Athletes foundation, I took the trip of a life time rafting in the Grand Canyon. Many people who had experienced the canyon told me it was life changing for them.

I thought about what would make this trip life changing for me? The packing list sent by the staff at Canyon Expeditions was very small. I asked myself could I really only bring 4 shirts, then I asked the harder question: could I live without my watch and without my Book Sense to read me to sleep? With some apprehension, after our orientation, I left my high tech conveniences in my suitcase.

I had the opportunity to do a rim to rim hike in the canyon last year, and thoroughly enjoyed the peacefulness of the canyon, however, we had to reach camp sites by a certain time. I was always mindful of my progress in trying to keep up with the other hikers over the four-day trip.

This year, because we did not have a schedule to keep, I truly experienced the meanings of being in the moment and going with the flow. The guides were absolutely fantastic and gave us options at dinner of what was in store for the next day. Our typical routine was rafting, hiking, lunch, rafting and dinner. Then we slept under the stars with the sound of the river to lull us to sleep. The unique part of this company is that they offer the opportunity for 6 people to paddle in a paddle raft, kayak in a single person kayak known as a ducky or we could choose to ride in an oar boat.

The way we knew it was time to start packing in the morning was the sound of the Conch shell blown by one of the guides. When the second sound of the shell echoed off the canyon walls a bit later, we knew breakfast was ready. We had no idea what time it was by the clock. We just knew it was time to begin another day of adventure.

I spent the majority of my days paddling in the 14 foot paddle raft with 5 other paddlers, and our trusty guide Matt.

The fourth day of the trip, I had one of the most amazing experiences which I never imagined happening for me. I had the opportunity to paddle myself in one of the duckies through a small rapid. I have tried paddling in a single kayak on a lake in the past, and usually ended up going in circles. How-ever, on the river, I was able to feel the direction of the current and use the paddle to steer. This was going with the flow. I paddled by listening to the guide in the paddle raft giving instructions to the 6 paddlers, and by listening to the other kayaker calling out go left or right. Go meant I was where I wanted to be.

It's hard to describe the thrill I felt when the paddle guide suggested that he thought I would be able to paddle through the rapid. Joy who was in the second ducky described the river just before the rapid as a V shape where the water is very calm and still. As we paddled up to the V, Joy yelled right, go, go, go. I felt the ducky slowly being sucked into the point of the V where the waves began splashing up in to my face. The ducky rocked back and forth being pushed by the water. I just kept thinking to myself stay upright, go with it, use the paddle to stay in the wave. Joy was behind me excitedly hollering go, go, go. Yippee, I was where I needed to be! Matt was in front of me in the paddle boat saying all forward, forward 3. Before I knew it we were done within 30 seconds. Both Joy and I finished upright in our duckies. We were elated. I threw my hands up in the air still holding my kayak paddle.

The experience of successfully paddling the ducky through a rapid in the Grand Canyon was a thrill I'll never forget.        I am still not quite clear how this trip changed my life, but it reminded me that over and over, the SFL philosophy is still true; if I put my heart and mind to something, amazing things are possible.

**

Setting Tracks for the Future:
SFL Tracksetter Society
by Laura Oftedahl
The Ski for Light Tracksetter Society was established in 2006 and honors and recognizes special friends who have remembered Ski for Light in their estate plans. Gifts are added to an endowment fund, helping to ensure that SFL is around for many years to come. Ski for Light acknowledges the membership and expresses gratitude with a commemorative, framed print of antique Nordic skis from the Ski Museum in Oslo. Members are also invited to a special reception at each annual event, and if they so choose, will be listed in the SFL Annual Report.

We would like to hear from anyone who has made, or is considering making Ski for Light a beneficiary in his or her estate plans. For more information, a brochure about the Tracksetter Society and endowment fund is on the SFL website: www.sfl.org, click on Ways to donate, then SFL Endowment and Gift Planning Brochure. The brochure is also available in print from the Ski for Light office.

**

The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. It is available in ink-print, on audio cassette, or via e-mail; The Fall edition of the SFL Bulletin is now also available online at www.sfl.org/sflb10c.html, if you would prefer to read the Bulletin in your browser. There is also a pdf version of the Bulletin available for downloading and printing, at www.sfl.org/sflb10c.pdf if you would prefer that format. If you wish to change formats, please send your request to bulletin at sfl.org.

 For future Bulletins, remember that your contributions and feedback are always most welcome.  You may submit articles as e-mail or as a word attachment; if you do not have e-mail, you may send a typed article through the mail.  Send all items to: 

Vicki Post

E-mail: vickipost at earthlink.net

Address: 1849 Clay St. #2, San Francisco, CA  94109.

The deadline for the Spring Bulletin is March 15, 2011.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Editor: Vicki Post

E-mail: vickipost at earthlink.net

Layout and graphics: Bjorg Dunlop

E-mail: bjorgmd at aol.com

Electronic version: Duane Farrar and Larry Showalter

E-mail: duano at mindspring.com

E-mail: Larrysho at mindspring.com

Special thanks to: Fram Lodge #3-564, Sons of Norway

**

Corporate Sponsors
Our thanks go to the following companies that have provided products or services to help support Ski for Light. Many of these companies have stood behind us for years - and we're grateful. Be sure to think of our friends when you're gearing up for your next adventure.

Jansport 

Birkenstock USA LP 

Blue Ridge 

Canine Hardware 

Columbia Sportswear 

Dansko 

Fox River Mills 

Granite Gear 

Hog Wild 

Injinji Footwear 

ISIS for Women 

Katie's Bumpers 

Larabar 

Leki USA, Inc. 

Life Is Good 

Marmot 

Mountain Hardwear 

Pacific Cornetta 

Park's Sportsman 

Running Funky 

Terrasoles 

Timex 

Utilikilts 