Summer 2009
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.
Hello all! I hope this finds you enjoying your summer. It has been unseasonably cool the past few days in Iowa -- just glorious -- not the typical hot, humid Iowa July. So far this summer, I've been riding my bike and swimming, and I am getting ready to do some inline skating.
Why all this activity? To stay in shape for Ski for Light, of course!
As I write this, it is six months away, but Cara Barnes and her event planning team are already hard at work planning for another wonderful International Week in Provo and Soldier Hollow, Utah. For those of you who were there in February, remember the fantastic trails, the gorgeous lodge, the scrumptious lunches, and all the fun we had. For those of you who weren't there, well, eat your hearts out. But, wait! You can experience it all in 2010-again for the repeaters, and for the first time for those who couldn't join us this year.
Many of you know that the Soldier Hollow Cross Country Ski Resort informed us at the '09 event that they will be naming our 5 k trail the "Ski for Light trail."
The Planning meeting for 2010 will be held the first weekend in October, and I hope we'll get to see what the trail markers for the SFL trail will look like. Just think, our own permanent trail!
Get your applications in. Apply now and beat the rush! You can do it all on line at our web site, www.sfl.org.
Later in this Bulletin, you'll see the list of committee chairs, and some of this year's committee members. We're in the process of putting together a sort of SFL job bank, where committee chairs can send out the needs they have for their committees-the kinds of jobs that need to be done, and the skills required--and members of the SFL community can contact our "job bank coordinator," Brook Yates for match ups. This is something we haven't done before, so we may work out kinks along the way, but we know there are jobs to be done, and willing workers to do them. It's just a matter of sorting it all out.
Brook will be sending out a note to SFL Announce at some point and we'll get the ball rolling.
So, enjoy Summer and Fall, apply for 2010, and.....oh no! I hear that pesky Nordic Track calling to me again from the basement! Time to do another workout.
Cheers! Don't forget to tell everyone you know about Ski for Light and the 2010 Event.
By Cara Barnes, Event Chair
While Austin Powers might call thinking about snow in the middle of summer "shagadelic baby," the not so secret agents of Team 2010 (otherwise known as the Planning Committee) are already thinking about snow and working on the details of Ski for Light's 35th International Week, January 31 through February 7, 2010.
Applications for the event are now available, so get out of your lawn chair, put down that shaken, not stirred, drink and apply now! Left your shoe phone at home? No worries; just Get Smart and apply on line at www.sfl.org. The 2010 event will take place in the beautiful, rugged Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Participants will stay at the Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in downtown Provo, and ski at the Soldier Hollow cross-country ski area in nearby Midway, Utah. With an annual snowfall of 84 inches and the availability of snow making equipment, there will be no shortage of snow at Soldier Hollow. Skiers can choose among immaculately groomed trails for first timers, or challenging Olympic courses. Back at the Marriott swim a few laps in the heated, indoor pool, soak in the hot tub, attend a presentation on a topic of special interest or just socialize. Evening activities at the event will include a talent show, a silent/live auction and Norway Night, along with some other delicacies cooked up by our evening programs coordinators. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to think snow, mark your calendar for January 31-February 7, 2010 and apply to attend Ski for Light's 35th annual event. This bulletin will not self-destruct and is not For Your Eyes Only. Using the Cone of Silence when talking about Ski for Light is not recommended so spread the word and apply now!
Agent Barnes
Team 2010
Remember that most people hear about Ski for Light from people like you. Every year, Ski for Light welcomes new visually and mobility impaired skiers, instructor/guides and worker bees, also known as volunteers. We could not stay vibrant and alive without new members of our growing SFL family. This summer and fall, as you talk with all the people you will encounter, please remember to share your SFL experience with them. You can also take advantage of the vast resources available to you on our web site: www.sfl.org.
We look forward to seeing you and many of your friends in Utah; thank you for any and all recruiting efforts on our behalf.
The following is a list of current SFL Committee chairs and some of their assistants. If you wish to get involved in some way, please contact any of them, or stay tuned for the "Ski for Light Job Bank" coming soon.
Annual Appeal: Chris Leghorn, Chair
Board Development and Elections: Scott McCall, Chair
Budget and Finance: Larry Showalter, ChairWendy DavidJohn HollenbachDoug Boose, ex officio
Constitution and Bylaws: Wendy David, ChairRenee AbernathyJohn HollenbachJennison Asuncion Larry Showalter
Corporate Sponsors: Crystal Skahan, ChairDavid FiskTheresa Montano
Endowment: Suzanne Brown, Chair
Foundations: Linda Mumford, Chair Holly SchmalingAngela O'Rourke Guide Recruitment: Val Keever, Chair
Long-range Planning: Suzanne Brown, Chair
Mobility-impaired Participant Recruitment: Dianne Brunswick, ChairTed EllicksonHeather Hall
Publicity and Public Relations: Cara Barnes, ChairPeter SlatinDuane FarrarTheresa Montano
Regional Liaison: Duane Farrar, Chair
Risk Management: David Fisk, Chair
Site Selection: Brook Yates, Chair
Ski for Light Bulletin: Vicki Post, Chair and EditorBjorg Dunlop
Ski for Light International Week Planning: Cara Barnes, Chair
Sons of Norway and Norwegian Community Liaison:Marion Elmquist, Chair
Visually-impaired Participant Recruitment: Renee Abernathy, Chair
Compiled by Vicki Post
Earlier in this Bulletin, we all heard the sound of Marion Elmquist's Nordic Track calling her from the basement. So, we know what she doesn't do in the summer. What we do want to know is what some of you do to keep in shape year 'round. We hope this will give you some new and interesting ideas, and that this will inspire some of you to prepare a little more than you might otherwise do. So here's a sample of what folks are doing.
By Marvin Liewer
Ski for Light is the big event of the winter for me. To really enjoy the week I want to be physically ready to ski. The visually impaired skiers seem to get better and faster each year. In Soldier Hollow I was a guide for for Rod Maccoux and he just informed me that he recently completed his first marathon in 4 hours and 27 minutes. Wow! No wonder I was all worn out by the end of the week in Utah. So here's what I do for exercise in the summer. I ride my bicycle. As an incentive to ride I sign up for an organized week long event ride. This forces me to train. This year I rode the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska (BRAN). www.bran.org
In June I joined approximately 600 riders for the week long event. Similar to SFL we started on Sunday and ended on Saturday. We were a diverse group with people of all ages from many states. We rode 454 miles in seven days. Our personal gear was hauled forward to our destination each day. We usually camped out on a high school football field. To be ready for a ride of such distance and duration I started riding in March and rode 900 miles prior to the ride. The training paid off as I had a good week.
The toughest day was the third when we rode 75 miles against a strong wind. To add to the challenge it rained for part of the day. During this day I had decided that riding was no longer fun and this would be my last long distance bicycle tour.
Day number six proved to be an exhilarating day. We were now headed north towards our distination of Omaha and the wind finally switched to our backs . This part of Nebraska is quite hilly with corn and bean fields broken up by rivers and tree lined creeks. Birds, wild flowers and deer were common. Much of the time I let myself coast down the hills while taking in all the scenery. I was in high spirits and by now was pondering where and when my next ride would be!
Day seven, the last day reminded me of the SFL race/rally day. The faster riders who finished early gathered around and cheered as the remaining riders completed the journey. One of the riders was a big heavy man. He was riding with his young son. For this man to complete the ride, it had to take supreme effort. We cheered for him as he reached the end of the 454 mile ride. He slowly got off his bike and exchanged hugs with his son and other family members. I sensed the strong emotions and feelings that this father and son felt. This proved to be the most emotional moment of the trip for me.
Only six more months until SFL 2010. I must keep riding.
And for those of you in the Pacific Northwest, here are some ideas from SFL guide, Bob Stevenson: The SkiBiWalHiVi Club (Skiing Biking Walking Hiking Vikings) is mostly members of Edmonds Sons of Norway, but membership is not restricted. The club has no by-laws, but if we had them they would read no meetings, no dues, no records, no elected officers, just outings. I am the permanent Vice President. We get out every Tuesday for a hike in the Cascade Mountains. We also do an annual trek to the Kendall Katwalk which is an all day affair north of Snoqualmie Summit on the Pacific Crest Trail. We stay at the District Two Sons of Norway Facility near Stampede Pass on the nights before and after the Katwalk hike. There is a great web site for the Kendall Katwalk if anyone is interested in checking it out. Just enter Kendall Katwalk and you will find it. This year we go there on Friday August 14. So this keeps the quads in shape and it's good for the cardio vascular system. Cindy Labon is coming out this summer for the Katwalk hike. Bob Miller has also made the Katwalk trek in the past. It is mostly a good trail and the alpine scenery is spectacular from the Katwalk part of the trail that is blasted out of nearly vertical rock. Other ideas include biking, kayaking, working on upper arms with therabands and weights, and doing lots of stairs. Of course, you must also keep your socializing muscles in shape, so hanging out with a beer in the company of friends will help. And finally, keep SFL alive in the summer by talking to as many people as you can about the winter event and the great organization behind it; recruiting muscles need work too! Good luck and happy exercising!
Late summer and early fall are generally quiet times for the SFL regional groups. The regionals are smaller versions of Ski for Light, and they provide a variety of interesting and affordable activities throughout the year. Like SFL International, these regional affiliates are busy planning their upcoming winter activities. For the latest information on these activities, please visit the regional round-up page on our website: www.sfl.org. Meanwhile, if you have ever thought about starting a regional affiliate group in your area, please let us know, or feel free to contact any of the regionals for information and inspiration. If you like this idea, but have no snow in your area, consider other outdoor activities that may help prepare folks for cross country skiing. We encourage you to support the SFL regionals whenever and however you can.
By Brook Yates
On April 10th, 2009 I boarded a plane in Denver, Colorado for Bangor, ME to set out on a 69 day journey to pedal bike across the northern part of our great nation. I decided on this plan in December and ignored all of the naysayers, warning me, "It will be too cold...it is dangerous to do it alone, especially for a woman...it is too many miles per day...wont' you be lonely?" etc. I cannot say the naysayers were all wrong, but I vouch that the obstacles I faced did not outweigh the hundreds of ways this journey positively impacted my life and those I came into contact with along the way. To sum up such a journey in a short summary will somehow always fall short. The trip began with frigid mornings, beautiful views of the east coast shoreline, and the rolling hills in Vermont and New Hampshire. I was also starting to feel the strenuous toll of biking through serious injuries in my Achilles tendon and knee. I suppose I deserved it, considering I did not train for this trip and on my first day out I tackled 74 miles pulling about 40 pounds of gear. I also continuously ran into human being after human being who demonstrated enormous generosity by welcoming me into their homes, randomly buying me meals and giving me hitch hike rides in times of desperation. I thought to myself, "Wow! The east coast sure does know hospitality!" I thought my lucky streak of generosity would eventually fade but I proudly report that each day across the entire nation I met someone who in some small way did something for me to support my efforts.
I made my way through the plains of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois hoping for the weather to warm but to no avail. I missed the gorgeous scenery, mountains and rivers but found my groove pedaling through the flat corn fields. What would have been mundane days pedaling on the roads turned into extraordinary days as I met interesting people who expanded my horizons in small ways. It was enduring the days of biking on flat and uneventful stretches that allowed me to fully appreciate the rolling hills and amazing scenery throughout my journey.
Of course I learned something new nearly every day including the existence of significant hills in Iowa. I skirted the Mississippi River and found my way into "The Land of 10,000 Lakes." Declaring one state friendlier than another state may be analogous to a parent telling one child they love them more than another child. However, I will go out on a limb as I reflect back over my experience and admit that I had more experiences in Minnesota with overtly genuinely nice and helpful individuals. Keep in mind the small margin of the previous statement as I came across mainly friendly people all along the way. I reached the Mississippi headwaters and biked west towards North Dakota.
One of the greatest advantages of adventuring solo is the liberty to make decisions at any point without consulting anyone. Once I reached the border of North Dakota I realized I had fallen behind schedule and also decided not to fight the headwinds of the plains. I boxed up Charlie and Bob (my bike and trailer) and boarded my first American train and enjoyed speeding across the plains of North Dakota. With only 3 states remaining I began my way across Montana. Although eastern Montana's landscape is similar to North Dakota, my excitement grew as I neared the western side of the state.
My two friends, Nicole and Gretchen, joined me for a one-week leg of my journey. They dropped their car off at Glacier National Park and hitchhiked with their bikes and trailers 350 miles east to meet me in central Montana. Having company was bittersweet for a variety of reasons and the jury is still out on whether I enjoy riding solo or with company. The three of us worked through arguments, laughter, lots of cooking, and major headwinds to arrive in the most magical place on my entire trip - Glacier National Park. I hope to take time to further explore this precious jewel someday, but I am grateful for our two days in this majestic place.
The girls reunited with their car and I continued heading west to conquer Idaho and Washington. From the beginning of Glacier to the Pacific Ocean, I had endless days of indescribable views with countless streams, valleys and mountains. I reached the edge of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, and another good friend Hilary joined me for the last six days of my journey to ride with me to the Pacific Ocean.
The day I touched the Pacific Ocean brought both a sense of accomplishment and devastating news. On one hand, I was ending one of the most unforgettable adventures I have ever experienced; however on the other, I had received news that my mother had a tumor in her brain. When my flight from Seattle to Denver landed, I received a phone call from my father with results from my mother's brain surgery biopsy (her procedure began as my flight took off from Seattle). I was grateful my best friend Andrea picked me up from the airport as I collapsed into her arms and muttered through the tears the results of the biopsy, "it is cancerous." I soon realized that the timing of all of these occurrences could not have been better: I was afforded sixty-nine days to spend making this epic personal journey to prepare myself for the next year that would be dedicated to spending as much time with my mother as possible.
This story leaves out many of the struggles I experienced, but I will not forget the days that the wind took every bit of spirit inside of me leaving me in tears on the side of the road, nearly peeing my pants trembling with fear of the cracks of lighting splitting above me and no sign of refuge in sight, staring up at countless intimidating hills, the serious and significant pain in my Achilles tendon and knee, my numb hands and feet on countless frigid mornings when only insane cyclists would dare ride, having to dig deep inside on the days when I did not want to jump on the saddle, hoping and praying that each passing car, RV, and 18 wheeler had a focused driver at the wheel and would not accidentally swerve 1 foot to the right, getting honked or yelled at by angry drivers or they days when the universe just did not seem on my side. With all of this being said, if someone handed me a gift of sixty-nine days and money enough for the trip I would eagerly hop back on the saddle and bike back across the country.
Short stories of random generosity: The Apple: I wanted to purchase a piece of fruit at a convenience store (only store in about 20 miles). The clerk told me they had no fruit and then she said, "Hold on a minute!" She ran into the back and grabbed an apple from her lunch box and would not allow me to leave without accepting her apple.
The Lunch: While biking on the Erie Canal I stopped into an adorable tea house café to get out of the relentless cold and wind. Once I finished my yummy meal I went to pay for the meal and my server told me a local gentleman had already paid for my meal. I never even talked to him!
The Cheerleader Farmers: I had been climbing up a never-ending hill for nearly 45 minutes and I spotted a house sat near the top. An elderly couple came out of their garage and began cheering me on. "You can do it, you are almost there!" In my exhaustion I mustered a wave in gratitude and the tears came pouring down my face.
The Tour Guide: I met a gentleman at a convenience store and after learning about my route he met me at my destination campsite to ensure I arrived safely. He felt sad my route avoided a State Park so he offered to drive me to the Park and he gave me a tour.
The Sprinkler: One hot day I got off my bike and stood on someone's sidewalk allowing the sprinkler to whisk the heat away from my body. An elderly woman came out of her house and said, "Are you OK?" Once she realized the logic to my insanity she went into the house and came back out with two freshly baked cookies bundled in a paper towel.
The pastor and family: I arrived to a small town in upstate New York completely drenched and nearly hypothermic with no place to stay. I walked into a church and after sharing my story with the pastor he invited me into his home with his family and provided me a warm shower, a big meal and wonderful company.
To list all of the people who supported me along the trip would include hundreds of people but I want to recognize the SFL community members who provided assistance in some capacity. I do so with reservation in fear of accidently forgetting some names so please excuse me if I make a mistake. A big thanks to Glenn Beachy, Marsha and John Soucheray, Nancy McKinney and Rich Milstead, Brenda Seeger and family, Doug and Lynda Boose, Roger Young, Betty Thompson, Wendy David and Larry Showalter, John Klemaseski, David Fisk and Jennifer Davey
Fun Facts Total miles biked: 3,400 Total miles traveled: 4,300 Average miles biked per day: 55 Variety of vessels of transportation: Motorcycle, bicycle, commercial airplane, private airplane, pontoon boat, river raft, horse, 3 wheeled off road vehicle, ferry, bed of a truck, SUV's and train. States I traveled through: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington. Lodging: 11 hotel/hostels, 28 couchsurfer hosts (www.couchsurfing.com), 17 nights of camping, 4 SFL hosts, and 10 random hosts (usually these have entertaining stories to go along with them) Sleeping surfaces: 41 beds, 14 nights on my camping pad, 13 couches, 1 RV, 3 blow up mattresses.
If you want the full story from day one to the final day please visit, www.brooksbiketrip.blogspot.com
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