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Nestled high up in the Colorado Rockies, the YMCA's Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby made the perfect place for the 44th annual Ski for Light. A whopping 271 skiers, guides, and worker bees descended on the resort for what many often call "the experience of a lifetime." Some came with dog guides or white canes, some came in wheelchairs, some came nervous at the prospect of skiing or of guiding a mobility-impaired or blind skier for the very first time. Everyone came because of a wish to do something bold, and with a spirit of adventure that had brought people from places as close as Winter Park, Colo., and from as far away as China and Norway.
VIP Karen Wood remembers: "Melinda Hollands and I offered Hotel Staff Orientation on Saturday before SFL officially started. There were some staff there from Malaysia. They were in Colorado for a six month work program. They had never seen snow before. They were quite amazed by it. They said they were trying out all kinds of winter sports while staying and working at Snow Mountain Ranch. Many staff told me that week how much they appreciated the orientation about how to interact with blind people, mobility impaired people, and guide dogs. That was heartwarming. It is so cool that as we are traveling around the country having fun and skiing, we are also educating the public about guide dogs and people who happen to have a disability."
There really is something invigorating and magical -- and initially rather exhausting -- about skiing at altitude, and in the Rockies, in particular. Of course, there was no need to wait 'til our skis were pushing powder to get invigorated -- walking or taking the resort's shuttle to the dining commons each morning did the job nicely, as early daytime temperatures were often in the single digits! In case the night owls among us were not sufficiently roused by that nippy, sometimes snowy hike to breakfast, the beautifully-groomed trails awaited, and ski conditions did not disappoint!
Along with the need for our guides to tell us VIPs about upcoming turns in the trail and about changes in terrain, they also had to be alert for the very real possibility of rather up- close moose sightings -- not a factor at every SFL event! The large mammals were roaming around a bit more than not, so excitement and caution were both in the air. First printed in an article titled, "Life-changing Experience for Visually and Mobility Impaired Skiers Returns to Granby" (The "Sky-Hi News," January 26, 2019), VIP Melinda Hollands describes how her guide: "showed me tracks in the snow where there had been a moose and so I got off the trail and knelt down to feel how big they were. That's stuff that we might miss otherwise." I, myself, was living and laughing it up in my sit ski one day with guides Heather Hall and Scott Bertrand, when we ended up needing to curtail our afternoon ski about half- way down the 5-K trail because it seemed that about 5 or so moose were a little distance ahead on the tracks, and weren't showing signs of going anywhere fast!
The days were full of exertion, laughter, and shouted greetings as we passed one another on the trails, and the evenings were filled with dances, good-natured bidding wars at our annual silent auction, and special interest sessions on everything from ski waxing tips to mindfulness meditation. Peter Slatin recalls: "It was also really special to participate in a popular Trivia Night (the first I remember at SFL). Dan Beckman -- a longtime guide and physician from Indiana -- clearly spent long hours coming up with a remarkable array of challenging questions for the crowd, and he was rewarded with a full house and plenty of friendly -- discussion -- about the correct answers." We were also treated to evenings of heart-warming, beautiful music as many of us gathered for several evenings running to fill the lobby of Indian Peaks with song, weaving harmonies around the familiar strains of, "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," "Here Comes the Sun," and dozens more timeless favorites. Nancy Stevens and Judy Potter had brought their guitars, and we all brought our voices, creating some of the most magical moments of the week.
Along with the chance to ski and to shoot an audio-guided laser rifle, a guide's race was held for the first time: Some guides skied hard, and others just enjoyed the chance to find their own rhythm in the tracks and to revel in the fun and novelty of the friendly competition as they each headed for the finish.
Race day brimmed with its typical excitement, and it found Yours Truly in brand-new ski pants and jacket, allowing for notably more freedom of movement in my sit ski than I'd ever experienced wearing my more constricting bibs.
Karen Wood recalls: "Kate was a real doll of a guide! She was so much fun! She helped me with my glide and when I put that together with the strong snowplow that I developed at the New England Regional SFL with guide Joan's help, I was a much better skier this year. Joan told me that the secret to snowplowing is that you have to have an attitude -- "don't let those skis take you where they want to take you, you make them go where you want them to go." That clicked for me and my snowplow has been much stronger ever since. I only fell once on race day and Kate said that it didn't count since no one saw it -- oops, sorry Kate, I guess I shouldn't have told anyone. But hey, I cut 45 minutes off of my 10k time!"
Peter Slatin sums it up well: "I am always surprised that a course that takes forever to complete during the week suddenly is finished all too soon during the race. It doesn't really matter that I can barely breathe at this point - the sense of achievement and pride I feel on being welcomed by cowbells, shouts, and hugs inevitably brings me to tears. Of course, these are tears of joy, but also of wonder at my great fortune at being part of this group."
On departure day, I boarded the bus for the two-and-a-half-hour ride down the mountain to the Denver airport. The night before, I'd rocked out on the dance floor with a hired band, and had spent precious time with my guides. Now, as we pulled away from Snow Mountain Ranch, the strains of a John Denver classic reached my ears -- Heather had pulled up the song on her phone, as she knew I'd been hoping to hear it. "The Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky." I sang along quietly with a lump in my throat. Someday, I thought, when all that is left is love and memories, it is these shining moments that I will carry with me on that trail, too!