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News and Information about the People and Programs of Ski for Light, Inc.
Skiing. Sharing. LearningThe 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.
Greetings, My SFL Family!
As we head into the dog days of summer, I hope this finds you well. The remarkable year of 2020 continues to challenge our creativity as we attempt to establish new rhythms and rituals for our days, as well as our willingness to explore alternative opportunities. The challenge posed by the upcoming 2021 Ski for Light International gathering was no exception. On July 23, the Ski for Light Board of Directors decided to stage an online 2021 SFL Virtual event next January instead of an in-person gathering at Snow Mountain Ranch. I would like to provide some insight around how we made this decision.
Bonnie O'Day, SFL board member and 2021 International event chair, spearheaded the effort to structure our decision-making process. Gleaning information and guidance from The Colorado and Grand County departments of public health, from Snow Mountain Ranch, and from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, she distilled her findings in a document identifying aspects of a Ski for Light event that would require significant attention to detail or modification in order to hold a safe in-person gathering. We distributed the document to several medical professionals within the SFL community, asking them to comment on its contents, and on the prospects for a group gathering at Snow Mountain Ranch. The Ski for Light-specific document was then distributed to the SFL Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
The consensus opinion of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors is that a Ski for Light event is a group gathering with a high risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus. This conclusion is based on the demographics of our group -- with the median age of guides being 65 and of skiers being just below 60, the majority of participants would be traveling to Snow Mountain Ranch from outside Colorado, transiting through airports and riding the SFL shuttle to Granby; that our vibrant social scene would be problematic for keeping consistent physical distancing; and that members of our guide-skier tandems interact in close proximity to each other, likewise making it a challenge to maintain recommended social distance.
We identified numerous modifications that should or could be made in an effort to lessen the risk of virus transmission. Considering the impacts of implementing these modifications, we concluded that, in doing so, the altered event would not be true to the spirit and mission of Ski for Light.
While I am disappointed that we will not be physically gathering at Snow Mountain Ranch in January, I am excited about the prospects for the 2021 SFL Virtual Get-Together. It will provide an opportunity for old friends who might not otherwise attend an event high up in the Rockies to drop in, to say "hello," and to catch up. It will provide a chance for newcomers to experience the vibrancy of the SFL community without having to purchase a plane ticket, and it will give them ample time to budget for the 2022 event. SFL Members will have the opportunity to display their creativity and ingenuity through the creative programming that will be the hallmark of the upcoming event.
The 2021 SFL Virtual Get-Together will not be the same International Week that we have come to expect. It will be Ski for Light, and it will amaze, inspire, and fuel us until we can gather together again in-person!
You know that feeling when you're smoothly diagonal-striding along in the tracks, maybe even double-poling at speed, swoosh, swoosh, all your fine classic Nordic technique coming together, your whole life moving forward on a clear line from here to there, and then, suddenly -- maybe a split second before the guide has a chance to call it -- the tracks wash out, your skis fly apart from under you, and boom!, you're getting an icy exfoliating facial?
Yeah, the last five months have been pretty much like that for most of us, if not worse. Where did the damn tracks go? When will we get them back?
Here's what I can say for sure: Our Ski for Light community is strong. We've conquered unexpected challenges before, and if we stick together, we can certainly overcome this one.
I hope more of you will consider contributing short videos or audios to our "SFL Well at Home" series, accessible in the following ways:
1. via Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/SkiforLight/videos/?ref=page_internal
2. via our website: www.sfl.org/well
3. via YouTube (coming soon): www.youtube.com/channel/UCGgaioekoncKk0iqGtyOOUg/about
Please send me your favorite in-home fitness hacks, motivational tips, questions and requests -- let's help each other get and stay in shape this fall and winter, so that when we are able to ski together again, our bodies will be ready.
My email is jycoppens@gmail.com; for sharing large files, Google Drive or Dropbox work well.
New this fall: We're developing a Ski for Light podcast, inspired in part by Tim's recent cameo on Eyes on Success www.eyesonsuccess.net/show%20notes/show%20notes%202030.htm
Give it a listen if you haven't already -- Tim did a great job.
I'm currently fielding suggestions for a snazzy podcast title, particular topics and speakers you'd like to hear, preferred listening platform(s), and anything else you audiophiles would like to share as we refine the concept and roll it out in the coming weeks. My goal is to create a space where SFL'ers can share our stories, celebrate our victories, confront common challenges, learn and laugh and have fun together -- simply with our voices. And if you'd like to lend your own voice to the podcast, by all means, speak up!
Thanks, everyone, and hang tough. We'll be back in the tracks before you know it.
The 46th annual Ski for Light International Event, set for the last week in January 2021, will go virtual, due to the continuing threat of COVID-19. The Board of Directors thought long and hard about this decision, considering the health of our attendees and the measures needed to keep everyone safe.
We had to operate under several assumptions as we considered whether to hold an in-person event. We assumed that the COVID-19 virus will still be active, that a vaccine will not be widely available by January 2021, and that social distancing and wearing masks will be recommended or required. We examined attendee characteristics from the last few years and found that a high percentage of them are considered at higher risk for contracting the virus because many are 65 years of age or older or have secondary health conditions. We used the US Olympic/Paralympic Committee Guidelines for Planning Events and the Grand County, Colorado, COVID-19 Activity Specific Protective Measures documents to guide us in determining what mitigation measures would need to be implemented to keep attendees safe during the event. We conducted an attendee survey, and consulted several physicians who routinely attend SFL.
We considered what actions we should take if we held the event, given the current situation and the likelihood of little change by January. We considered how we might keep everyone safe on buses from the airport to the lodging and to and from the ski site -- as well as further safety concerns around room assignments, meals, social events and evening programming, skiing, and the race/rally. We also considered actions we must take if someone became ill during the event.
The required mitigation measures would dramatically alter the flavor of the event and would significantly restrict social interactions. While cross-country skiing is the primary purpose of SFL, the social experience -- interaction with others, and being part of the SFL community -- is of equal or more value. For these reasons, we opted for a virtual 2021 event.
While the Board is, of course, disappointed that we won't meet in person, we are very excited about the possibilities of holding a virtual event: It might attract people who have considered attending an SFL week, but who have lacked the time or financial resources to do so. It may provide a wonderful opportunity to present SFL to a broader community and to engender interest in attending future events.
We are beginning to plan for our virtual event, with a wide range of accessible content to help our community stay active and engaged. A fitness or exercise competition, special interest sessions, a social hour, an auction, and a virtual banquet are being considered. We won't need the usual committees for an in-person event. Instead, we are proposing the following committees:
1. Program: This committee will consist of creative and talented people who can come up with interesting virtual programs and activities, including a fitness or exercise competition, a social hour, and special interest sessions.
2. Auction: What would an SFL week be without our usual Wednesday night auction? This committee will explore how to make it happen virtually.
3. Banquet: We need a special event to cap off the week. This committee will come up with something wonderful.
4. Technical: This committee will have technical expertise and will figure out how all of this will take place.
5. Public Relations/Recruitment: This committee will go beyond our usual channels to publicize the event
Please email me at bonnoday@gmail.com with your willingness to serve on one of these committees, or with your innovative and creative ideas. Together, we will make the event one of our best!
Virtual SFL, here we come! With all the talented and creative folks among us, we are bound to have another great year of sharing our skills or expertise with each other! Please consider doing a virtual Special Interest presentation for this very exciting venue! Past sessions have included:
The possibilities are endless! Be bold. Be creative. Make a proposal! These one-hour presentations are so popular, and -- necessity's being the mother of invention -- the virtual platform may provide even more opportunities for the sharing and learning that make SFL so vital!
So, please email me at wendydav@mindspring.com or call me at (206) 257-0077 (Pacific time zone) with your ideas and I will explore them with you. I am interested in all your creative thoughts. I will send you a PROPOSAL FORM once I have heard from you. Bring It On and help make this virtual SFL year of Special Interest sessions the best we've ever had!
My beautiful, leggy, 52 pound Guiding Eyes black Lab, Koala, warns me in advance when we are about to cross paths with another dog. I can feel added tension in the rigid handle attached to her harness. She continues to navigate, but as the person and dog get closer, I can feel Koala rise up. She walks on her tippy-toes, restraining herself from sniffing as we scoot past the dog. The moment I feel her rise up like this, I know that it is time to call out, "Can you please keep social distance? I can't see where you are."
A person alone on the sidewalk is less interesting to Koala. She is likely to maneuver us past them without giving me any warning. Someone with no dog might as well be a trash can to walk around. It isn't until I hear footsteps or a voice that I realize that we are passing a person -- who may or may not be masked.
In this time of social distancing, what my guide dog communicates has become an urgent matter. Guide dogs learn how to squeeze and weave themselves and their partners around obstacles. No one taught them to stay 6 feet away from other people. So, the question is, how to manage social distancing when you can't see the distance.
The answer depends on the venue in which you walk and whether the team is navigating inside or out. Observant neighbors in low population areas may naturally cross the street or provide space if they see a dog navigating in harness. In areas where sighted people are more focused on their phones than on other pedestrians, the guide dog handler needs a more proactive approach. When walking on harness outside, guide dog handlers are alert for clues -- voices of people engaged in conversation, or differences in how the dog is leading. It's harder when the handler suddenly finds herself shoulder-to-shoulder with someone on the sidewalk. In all cases, I've found that it is better to say, "Please keep some distance," rather than shouting, "Can't you see that I'm blind?"
Working a dog in harness inside provides new challenges that most guide dog teams can't overcome on their own. Some stores have designated one-way aisles. All stores have marked the floor in six-foot increments for people in line at the check-out counter. People with visual impairments may not see any of this. Sometime sighted shoppers offer directions; other times they just stop and stare.
It is good to plan in advance to make shopping as efficient as possible. If the store has special hours for vulnerable populations, take advantage of the likelihood that the other shoppers will also be working to keep social distance. This is one time that it is a good idea to call the store in advance, explaining to the manager the need for employee assistance. An employee who meets the team at the door can quickly locate items, and help the handler stay out of the way of others.
Some people have begun using their long, white canes in addition to their dog guides, as the cane's length requires sighted people to keep social distance. Others, like me, who aren't coordinated enough to handle the dog in harness on one side and cane on the other may need to provide additional, visual cues for those around them. Vests, tank tops and tee shirts that say "BLIND" or "VISUALLY IMPAIRED" in high contrast are used by athletes and are available at www.ruSeen.com. These draw more attention to disability than most of us would like in our daily lives. But, at this time of COVID, it is better to be noticed than infected.
After my gym closed in March, I was thinking about getting an exercise bike to keep up my cardio and to get ready for tandem-biking I had hoped to do this summer. Kris Gaumer, an SFL Guide and friend, invited me to join her with two other SFL VIPs -- Nancy Stevens and Brenda Henige -- for a twice weekly spin session on Zoom. I tried a spin bike class at the gym years ago, and it almost killed me, but I was desperate, and i agreed. Shortly, our merry, little band had grown by another VIP, Karen Burke, and Rita Howells, who will be a newbie VIP when this virus is behind us. We work out together on our bikes from our homes in Oregon, Illinois, Michigan and Tennessee. Yes, there is trash-talking, and Kris leads us through a murderous spin class, complete with loud, driving music and gasping. Of course, it helps somewhat that the playlist includes multiple tracks by both John Denver and Paul Simon!
We have all become such good friends that, when NPR organized a Zoom Trivia Night, we joined together on the "Spin The Web" team, ended up assisting the staff with their accessibility, and finishing in the respectable middle of the 500-team rankings. Kris and Brenda are training for a 4-day, 300-mile organized tandem ride in August, Nancy hikes and bikes, Karen just bought her first tandem, her pilot has just joined our group, and Rita and I are working on our fitness and trying to keep the Corona Creep down to a minimum. Thank you, Ski For Light, for introducing me to these fun, inspirational new friends!
If anyone is interested in joining us, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 6:30 - 7:30pm EST, please email Marian, mwildgruber@comcast.net, or Kris, gaumerkr@msu.edu.
When I sent out the article call for this issue, I was prepared to receive some interesting and varied replies. The ever-ingenious SFL community did not disappoint. Here are a couple of the brief stories that came in, along with one of my own!
Chad Morey writes:
"I have been shopping for someone to repair my antique clocks. Due to the coronavirus and being bored stuck at home, I took this opportunity to try to fix the broken clocks myself. Unable to take them to a repair shop, I started with the first one, which needed a pendulum adjustment -- it had been sitting on the floor for over a year. Ten minutes later, I had the clock up and running and on the wall. This inspired me to oil another -- that one also did not work and now runs. Most important, the experience has geared me up to take a look at my oldest clock -- I call it Grandfather. He's a 158-year-old mantle clock. six hours and a little elbow grease later, he was up and running again, too. I'm very pleased with it.
I'm not pleased with the coronavirus, but it has forced me to try to fix these antique treasures. Though I'm nervous that they'll be damaged further in my attempts to repair them, I also know that, sometimes, you have to break things in order to fix them. In the end, I have something that I'm even more proud of, and I'm working toward learning some new skills. I got interested in clocks because I enjoy the sound of the ticking and the chimes. I currently have 8 working wind-up or weight-driven clocks -- 7 of which chime. I have one or two more I'm still working on. In all, I've repaired ten so far! The chimes are kind of comforting."
Marilyn Gerhard, another VIP, describes how she's been spending her time this spring and summer:
"A year ago, I moved from the Sacramento, California home where I had lived for 39 years to Riderwood, a retirement community in Silver Spring, Maryland. Riderwood is home to approximately 2,500 residents. There are four, separate community centers, each with four apartment buildings attached, and a fifth community center with three attached buildings housing assisted living, rehab, memory care, and nursing care. My reasons for moving were that I had turned 80, had no relatives in California, and had two sisters already living there. A gated community, Riderwood has extensive, well-kept grounds, and plenty of places to walk, including a couple of short off-pavement trails. This has turned out to be a very good place to hole up while trying to wait out the virus. The administration has done a very good job of trying to protect us. The dining rooms are all closed, and food is delivered to our apartments. All community activities were stopped, but some groups are now meeting using Zoom. The fitness centers were all closed, but we have always been able to walk outside, as long as we stay on the Riderwood campus.
I have been able to get aerobic exercise using the stairwell near my apartment. My building is five stories high, so there are four flights of stairs from the first to the fifth floor. Several times a week, within a fifteen-minute period, I go up and down those stairs five times, making it the equivalent of going up and down twenty flights. Administration is now beginning to allow us to get together outside in small groups, as long as we wear our masks and stay six feet apart."
And a final, fun story from Yours Truly:
I'd been playing keyboard bass/keys for a little, all-girl classic rock/country cover band. We'd had some summer gigs booked, but both the pandemic, and the happy news that one of my band mates was pregnant, forced us to cancel all those dates. March had been our last practice, and then COVID-related shutdowns began the following month. We weren't meeting up to play at all, and I was climbing the walls!
On a late April day, when I was going stir-crazy and feeling the singular desolation of having been cut off from so much I loved to do (like play music, go out to eat, plan to attend concerts, etc), one of my band mates group-texted us to ask whether we were up for something cool and quirky. Did we want to gather in her driveway, and play a drive-up benefit gig for our local food bank? Though our drummer was initially hesitant because she's a caregiver, we quickly determined that our setup out there would allow for distancing and for a great time, too, so her yes sealed the deal!
That early May Saturday dawned with the threat of intermittent showers throughout the day. We checked the forecast with trepidation, noting that the heaviest rains were likely to fall toward the end of our scheduled gig. We groaned at the thought of getting wet right along with all our gear, but we just couldn't call it off at the eleventh hour, either. We were too fed up with feeling isolated, and were itching to play. The show would go on!
We set up around 1 PM, and caution tape would keep any onlookers at an advisable distance. Masked and gloved volunteers were set up between us and the street, ready to take donations anyone might offer during our four-hour gig. Feeling a little like rebels and not minding a bit, We started to rock out -- "All Summer Long," "Take It Easy," "Summer of '69: all our pent-up energy poured into those songs, and there was no stopping us. The surrounding neighbors all had okayed the concert ahead of time, and I can't quite describe the thrill of pounding out, "Bobby McGee," as cars motored by, drivers honking joyously to see and hear anyone gathered and playing upbeat, live music. They'd honk, and we'd cheer or wave in return. It was rather like thirst-quenching water after a long, laborious ski.
Two days later, our band leaders told the rest of us that we'd raised $95 in cash for the food bank, and had delivered them no less than 220 pounds of food! While we'd all been playing, generous listeners who'd driven up to see what was going on had left, had gone to the grocery, and had returned with donations of food! It ended up filling the trunk of our leader's Tahoe, and the whole thing still makes all of us smile!
Though we've had to take an official break since then and don't know when we'll resume playing, it was such an amazing last gig! While we didn't end up escaping the threatened rain, which began drenching our tarp and our gear despite our best efforts to keep dry (we had to pack it in about 30 minutes earlier than planned) nothing could dampen the joy of playing and of giving back to our community so concretely during this time of need! A local news station dropped by and got an interview with our lead singer, definitely one of the coolest parts of the day. Sadly, the story didn't seem to make the cut, as we avidly watched the late night news, hoping it had. It was still all right. We'd helped a few folks in need, and had had a blast while doing it!
Not long after my wife, Bonnie O'Day, and I discovered Ski for Light and got motivated to be in better shape for SFL each winter, we asked our fellow skiers what they did to keep fit throughout the year. Tandem cycling was one of the things mentioned, so we decided to give it a try. That one small step has not only improved our fitness, but it has led us into many fun adventures with our fellow SFL friends and others who enjoy cycling in the great outdoors.
The pandemic of 2020 forced us to cancel the weekly rides we normally do with the Tuesday Night Tandem group we started a few years ago, but, with a few trusted tandem captains, by using face masks and by taking other precautionary measures to avoid COVID-19, we have done a handful of local rides. I also reached a goal we have had for several years, cycling 150 miles along the entire Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Bonnie and I cycled part of the trail in 2017 with one of our SFL guides, Barry Tulkki, and his friend, Greg, and that experience whetted my appetite for more. Naturally, when I was presented with the opportunity to do the entire GAP Trail this July, with a local tandem captain to accompany me, I was ready!
The trail has a very gentle grade of only one to two percent as it climbs over the Appalachian Mountains and through four tunnels on its way to Pittsburgh. It is built on a well-maintained limestone base that follows several rivers, and shade trees most of the way help keep you cool on hot Summer days.
We covered 63 miles on day one from Cumberland, Maryland to Confluence, Pennsylvania, breaking up the ride with a stop for lunch in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania and with breaks for water at several trail rest areas. That evening, we stayed in a nice bed and breakfast outside Confluence, Pennsylvania, which is where the Casselman River meets the Youghiogheny (pronounced Yahka gany) River. This area is known as the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, and it is the site of the famous home called Falling Water, designed by architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
On day two, we only traveled about 33 miles, as we stopped for a fun three-hour river raft trip along the way. After spending the night in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, we rode another 54 miles to Pittsburgh on day three. There were an increasing number of campgrounds along the trail, which gradually became more urban as we made our way to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and to the Monongahela River. We spent our third night in downtown Pittsburgh, at the point where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet to form the Ohio River. The next day, we worked the hardest we had the whole trip -- climbing up the hills overlooking Pittsburgh to visit some of its neighborhoods. We then loaded our tandems into a rental van for the trip home to Alexandria, Virginia.
Although the usual rides with our larger group were canceled in the Pandemic Summer of 2020, my goal to ride the whole Great Allegheny Passage Trail was finally realized thanks to the support of a trusted tandem captain. To keep my spirits and fitness up so I'll be ready for the 2021 SFL virtual event and our 2022 in-person event, I continue daily walks with my guide dog, Boston, and I have propped the rear wheel of my tandem on a trainer so I can use it like a stationary exercise bike in my garage.
Much like the experience Bonnie and I have had with tandem cycling, I hope you will take whatever small steps you can toward keeping mentally and physically fit in this challenging time. - Then, we will all be ready for our next great SFL adventure!
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 * Beyond Coastal/Chums Sun Care * Big Agnes * Black Diamond * Borton Overseas Travel * Clif Bar * Columbia * Crazy Creek * Dansko * Darn Tough Socks * Energizer * Farm to Feet * Fjallraven * Fox River Mills * Garmin International * Glerups * Haiku * Kavu * Leki * Lodge Cast Iron * MountainSmith * Patagonia Pro * Peet Shoe Dryers * Spyderco * Travelon * Wallaroo Hat Company * Wigwam
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Andrea GoddardThe deadline for the Fall 2020 Bulletin is October 15, 2020. We look forward to hearing from you.
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