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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.
Has everyone been enjoying the Olympics? The excitement isn't over: Our own Hannah Chadwick will be competing as a track cyclist in the Paralympic Games, which run August 28 to September 8, also in Paris. I had the great privilege of guiding Hannah at her first Ski for Light event in Casper in 2020. Based on the workout she put me through then, despite it being her first time on skis, I will not be surprised if Hannah and her sighted cycling partner Skyler Samuelson Espinoza take home the gold. Go, Hannah!
You don't have to be a sports fanatic to love these quadrennial games, with their stunning displays of human spirit, diverse individual strengths, and international goodwill. Come to think of it, the Olympics are a lot like Ski for Light! Now if we could only get a certain world-famous rapper to join us for our own gold-medal event in Provo… You'll hear more on SFL 2025 in a bit, from our hardworking event chair Sheri Richardson; you'll also hear from Marion Elmquist, chair of our 50th Anniversary celebration, which kicks off with a fabulous party this October 12th in Minneapolis. I hope to see many of you (and maybe Snoop Dogg) at these once-in-a-lifetime gatherings.
On a sadder note: We lost a good friend this summer in William Anders, whose small plane crashed off the coast of Washington state on June 7. An Apollo 8 astronaut who went on to become U.S. Ambassador to Norway, Bill and his wife Valerie got to know Bud Keith back in the 1970s, at the Ridderrenn. They attended Ski for Light in 1981 and again in 1999, when Valerie helped launch the SFL Endowment Fund with a gift of $25,000, in Bud's honor. The Anders' continued support over the years inspired many others, and our endowment now exceeds half a million dollars, with annual proceeds to help offset our operating costs.
In a social media statement at the time of Bill's death at age 90, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he "offered to humanity among the deepest of gifts an astronaut can give. He traveled to the threshold of the moon and helped all of us see something else: ourselves," a reference to the iconic "Earthrise" color photograph Anders had the presence of mind to capture from space.
An extraordinary life like Bill's and the astounding feats of our Olympic and Paralympic heroes are closer reflections than we might think. May they be powerful reminders never to underestimate our own capabilities - or just how far we might go, together.
Have you ever dreamed of skiing like an Olympic athlete? Well, here's your chance! Okay, maybe that's not exactly true for all of us, but you really will have the opportunity to ski on the trails of Olympians if you join us at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway, Utah from January 26 through February 2, 2025. Nestled within Wasatch Mountain State Park, this amazing venue was constructed as the site of the 2002 winter Olympics and has just been selected as the site for the 2034 winter Olympics, as well . Here are a few of its exciting offerings:
For more information about Soldier Hollow, click here
I know that some of you readers are only interested in the skiing experience, but stay with me a bit longer because there's more! We will be staying at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Provo, Utah, located about 45 minutes from both Salt Lake City and Soldier Hollow. The Marriott is a full service hotel and offers many amenities, including restaurant, bar, indoor pool and hot tub, and a 24-hour fitness center in case you don't ski hard enough. You can check out more details about the Marriott by clicking here
The fourth largest city in Utah, Provo lies on the eastern bank of Utah Lake in Utah Valley. At an elevation of 4,549 feet (1,387 meters). The Wasatch Range contains many peaks within Utah County along the east side of the Wasatch Front. One of them, known as Y Mountain, towers over the city. There is a large hillside letter Y made of whitewashed concrete halfway up the steep mountain, built in the early part of the 20th century to commemorate BYU (original plans included construction use of all three letters). Wild deer (and less frequently, cougars, and moose) still roam the mountains (and occasionally the city streets). The geography allows for hiking, skiing, fishing, and other outdoor activities. For more information about Provo, click here
The area around the Marriott Hotel is extremely walkable. There is a wide variety of restaurants and shops nearby, as well as banks and a grocery store. As always, we will have fun and exciting evening programs, including the possibility of an outing to hear the Mormon Tabernacle choir rehearse their beautiful music in Salt Lake City. Throughout the week, we will have many opportunities to visit with old friends and make many new ones as well.
And now for the finale. Gold doesn't just refer to the Olympics, it also symbolizes a 50th anniversary. You may have heard somewhere that Ski for Light is achieving this impressive status in 2025, and we plan to celebrate! With our luxurious hotel accommodations, many fun activities and incredible skiing venue, we expect and look forward to the largest number of participants for several years. Applications are now available on-line at www.sfl.org/events/next
Please be sure to read all the introductory material prior to completing your application as there are a few process changes this year. Most importantly, please submit your application before October 1, 2024, so that all applicants may be considered for admittance. Guides are encouraged to apply early, too, as the number of available guides directly affects the number of visually and mobility impaired skiers that can be accepted. Now that you have the scoop, let's go for the gold!
When I think of Soldier Hollow, the first thing that comes to mind is smooth, deep, classic tracks. Scott and I ski there at the beginning and the end of the winter season, fitting in family visits to nearby Heber City around our busy ski instructing schedule at home in Alaska. We usually only bring our skate skis, but that doesn't prevent us from stepping into the classic tracks on the downhills and double-poling on the flats. Every time we ski there, I can't help but think, "Wow, this is the kind of grooming we need at Ski for Light!" And now, here we are. Just a few months away from enjoying the excellent trail grooming at SOHO with a few hundred of our best friends.
Let me take you on a tour of the trails. The easiest place to start your tour is the Stadium area next to the world-class biathlon range and the newly expanded Competition Building. The trails there are level and easy to ski, perfect for working on technique or a short warm-up. From there you may continue around the Sprint Loop where you can practice on a gentle downhill and loop back to the Stadium. When ready, you can venture out on the surrounding easy-to-intermediate trails. There is no way around it - you must climb some hills to explore even the easy trails. If you stay on the green or blue trails, the skiing is fun with moderate challenges. A few of my favorites are Lower and Upper Hollow, Spin 'N' Grin, Little Buckaroo, Big Buckaroo, Pony Express, and the aptly named Goin' Home. And yes, there is still a Ski for Light Trail!
From the Big Buckaroo or Goin' Home trails, you might be tempted to take a shortcut on the Olympic 5k course, or maybe explore Roller Coaster from Pony Express. Skier beware! Soldier Hollow trails do not mess around. Any trail that is marked as black diamond or expert means business. Unless you are 100% ready for long, steep uphills and crazy steep downhills, save these trails for another time.
I am not too bothered by the local skiers who whiz by me. Many of them ski these trails every day and are acclimated to the altitude. It is not as high as Snow Mountain Ranch, but the first day of skiing the hills at SOHO is always a reality check for this sea-level girl! After a couple of days, I feel right at home.
Utah is famous for its excellent snow, and Soldier Hollow is no exception. Add carefully designed trails, a top-notch snowmaking system, and professional groomers working with state-of-the-art machinery setting deep classic tracks, and you are going to have a great time skiing!
Hi SFL family, I hope you're all having a fantastic summer filled with exciting adventures and plenty of relaxation. I'm thrilled to share some exciting news about an upcoming event that I'm incredibly passionate about.
As many of you know, surfing is more than just a hobby for me; it's a passion that brings me immense joy and freedom. This summer, I'm excited to announce that I'll be participating in a special surfing event for people with disabilities, taking place on the beautiful Oregon coast from August 16 to 18. This event is set to be a remarkable celebration of strength, resilience, and the human spirit. It will bring together individuals from various backgrounds, all united by the common goal of conquering the waves. The sight of surfers of all abilities riding the ocean's powerful swells will be a testament to our collective determination to overcome any challenges we face.
For me, surfing is a dance with the sea, a way to lose myself in the rhythm of the waves. Despite being legally blind, the ocean offers a sense of clarity and connection that is hard to find elsewhere. Each time I paddle out, I'm reminded that my disability does not define me; it is merely one part of who I am. The real essence of surfing lies in the freedom it affords me; the freedom to feel, to move, and to be present in the moment.
This event will be more than just an opportunity to surf; it will be a gathering of kindred spirits. We will share our stories, laugh at our wipeouts, and cheer each other on as we catch waves. The camaraderie and sense of community will be as powerful as the ocean currents we navigate. It will remind us that, while our paths may be different, our destination is the same: to live fully and to embrace each moment. The organizers and volunteers have worked tirelessly to create an inclusive and supportive environment. Their dedication will allow us to push our boundaries and discover new strengths. This event will be a beacon of hope and possibility, showing us that with the right support, we can achieve anything we set our minds to.
If you ever find yourself drawn to the sea, I encourage you to join us. There is something profoundly transformative about riding a wave, feeling the spray of the ocean, and knowing that you are part of something much larger than yourself. Whether you're an experienced surfer or a curious beginner, the ocean welcomes you with open arms.
As we look forward to this incredible event in August, I hope to see some of you there, riding the waves and sharing in this amazing journey. Wishing you all a summer filled with joy, adventure, and unforgettable experiences.
The 2025 Ski for Light International week will mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of SFL. To kick off the celebration, there will be a gala Saturday, October 12, 2024, at Norway House in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There will be dinner, music, multimedia presentations live and from abroad, and more. The Master of Ceremonies is Einar Bergh, who has been involved with SFL since the earliest days. The festivities will run from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Norway House is a dedicated central hub in Minneapolis for Norwegian arts, culture and business and is located in the "Norway Block," that contains the Norwegian Church, Mindekirken, which continues to hold services in Norwegian. It is a fitting location for the 50th anniversary celebration of SFL, which is modeled on the Ridderrenn, Norway's annual cross-country ski event for visually and mobility impaired participants and exists because of the vision and leadership of Norwegian immigrant, Olav Pedersen and many Norwegian and American volunteers, and the Sons of Norway Foundation and lodges.
Leslee Lane Hoyem, chair of the 50th Anniversary Gala says, "When we were organizing and fund raising for the first Ski for Light, the greater citizenry almost laughed at us. Visually and mobility impaired persons cross-country skiing? Are you crazy? It almost caused a few doubts amongst the planners as to whether the program would succeed. Ha! Here we are 50 years later and we couldn't be more proud. I welcome you to the Gala and Minneapolis to celebrate our successes, from skiers to guides, to fund raisers and organizations who have all experienced, 'If I can do this, I can do anything'."
A block of hotel rooms has been reserved at the DoubleTree by Hilton, in Bloomington, 20 minutes from Norway House. To make hotel reservations, call 866-271-8967 and mention the Ski for Light Gala room block
Reservations for the gala are bing handled by Norway House for SFL. Use the link below to reach the Norway House website and reserve your place at the Gala. The cost is $100 per person, and the Gala is limited to 200 attendees. SFL Gala Reservations
If you have trouble reserving your space at the Gala, or have questions, contact Leslee Lane Hoyum at (612) 239-0447.
Also, vice chair Judy Dixon is working on a host of celebratory activities to happen during the international week in Provo, January 26 to February 2, 2025. Further on, you will read about a commemorative book that a hard-working committee has been working on, headed by editor Laura Oftedahl. We hope to see you at both the Gala and at the 2025 event in Utah.
When the first Ski for Light event was held, I'm sure that none of the people attending even dreamt that the organization would flourish for more than 50 years. But it has! We are putting together a commemorative book to be completed for the 2025 SFL event in Utah. The book will contain around 170 pages and 100 photos and will be packed with historical info, interesting experiences written by skiers and guides, and color photos. A committee headed by Laura Oftedahl has been working for more than a year and a half to write and gather material and photos for the book. The response to our call for stories has been widespread across age groups and disabilities. The deadline for submissions has passed, so look forward to the completed book in early January, 2025. It will be produced in print and in audio and braille files that will be down-loadable. Stay tuned for where to buy it online. Print copies will also be for purchase at the 2025 International SFL week in Provo, Utah!
Summer in the Pacific Northwest started out with sizzling heat for days on end, making it quite uncomfortable for folks in our part of the country.
We kicked off the season with a hike at the Edmond Watershed Preserve on Memorial Day weekend. After the six-mile sweaty hike, we ended up at Andrea's (a local guide) for barbecue and tuba music. The menu consisted of traditional picnic food&mdash"hamburgers/hot dogs, different kinds of salads and plenty of desserts!
In July, Tim McCorcle, Lynee Forsyth and others made a trip to Mt. Rainier for a hike and, according to Andrea, "Naches Peak was great. The weather was really nice. Quite buggy though. Went out for a nice dinner afterwards at a brew pub in Enumclaw."
On that same weekend, Sheri Richardson, I, and a friend took a three-day road trip to Quilcene, Wash. The trail we hiked at, Mt. Walker, was full of switchbacks, making all that upward climbing a bit easier. Then we drove up to the lookout--we were too smart to hike all the way up! I have never had two traveling companions who were so happy to see an outhouse! The afternoon sun got too intense, so we retreated to our rental AirBnB located on Linker Longer Road. We re-emerged after dinner and, as we were walking and checking out things in the neighborhood, a security guard on a motor bike circled us, probably wondering what the devil we were up to. We ignored him and went on with our very important exploration! We stopped in Poulsbo on the way home. We walked all around, including along the water front. We also managed to visit Sheri's favorite chocolate store and bakery, and went home with sweets!
In late July, we did another short hike at Franklin Falls before heading to Trollhaugen (the ski lodge we use) to support their efforts in fundraising. Dinner was a great spread: We had a choice of salmon or steak, along with all the fixings, and cake for dessert.
August will find us enjoying a kayak outing and barbecue at Linda Cooley's, and then we say goodbye to summer with a campout in September in Carnation, Wash.
In early March, New England Ski for Light had a miraculous ski event, with 11 inches of fresh powder on our Winter Wayside trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Led by SFL Guide Susan Zak and blind participant Jessie Mabry, the group skied at Bare Notch in Bartlet, N.H., a small family-owned venue with a cozy shed-like warming hut, and with beautiful riverside and higher ridge trails.
Upcoming events for the second half of 2024 are bountiful: monthly hiking, a Boston Harbor Islands tour and local paddling day-trips run from May to November, organized by SFL VIPs Minh Ha, Bonnie Vegiard, and Susan Bueti Hill.
The pinnacle 2024 Summer Wayside trip led by SFL guide Joanie Holcombe, and Jessie Mabry, on August 23 to 25 will include White Mountain hikes, tandem biking, rock climbing and kayaking. There are currently two VIP sign-up spots available!
Planning ahead for your winter ski itinerary, save the date for Craftsbury, Vermont ski trip January 9-12th 2025; Winter Wonderland Hike Trip February 15th to 17th. Additional trips TBD.
The Appalachian Mountain Club August '24 Outdoors Bulletin feature article, "A Shift in Perspective: New England Ski for Light and AMC's Outdoor Journey Fund," by Matt Morris, highlights AMC's commitment to DEI by sharing first-hand accounts from two NESFL winter hike trips AMC funds and volunteers supported. The article, introduced by AMC President and CEO, Nicole Zussman, promotes DEI and encourages volunteerism stating, "Supporters…make it possible for AMC Guides to host and coordinate joyful and meaningful experiences for groups like New England Ski for Light. We believe in a virtuous cycle that by getting people outside, it will foster a love for the outdoors and promote outdoor conservation." The full article, linked below, illustrates the passion that sighted guides and participants bring to outdoor experiences for a mainstream audience, underscoring the value the Journey Fund brings to our community. In doing so, you're brought along for the expedition with many quotes highlighting the winter climb up Mount Pierce, a 4,000 footer in the White Mountain Range. Participant
Jennifer Harnish reflected that "I grew up enjoying outdoor adventures with my family, and the two Highland Center trips provided the guiding support and camaraderie to bolster my self-confidence and to achieve a summit goal that I had never done even with vision."
Participant Maurie Hill praised the "respect, kindness, love, and admiration exhibited between guides and blind and visually impaired participants."
Founded in 1876, AMC is the oldest outdoor activity and conservation group in the U.S., with 275,000 affiliated individuals in 12 Northeastern chapters stretching from Maine to Washington DC. NESFL's recent partnership with AMC began with President Susan Bueti Hill's leadership in the Boston Ski Committee that provided more than $10,000 in compensation for Boston Chapter members who volunteered for our ski events. In the past two years, the Boston chapter Chair, Elizabeth Ryan, expanded DEI funds to the Summer Wayside trip. The Outdoor Journey Fund, through the New Hampshire Chapter, and the hard work and inspiration of Dan Heon, prompted our first-ever technical winter hiking series led by SFL VIP Minh Ha and AMC leader Dan Heon: leading with heart!
Like all SFL organizations, together we're expanding our horizons, growing VI leadership roles, making history, and having fun in the process.
The article:
"A Shift in Perspective: New England Ski for Light and AMC's Outdoor Journey Fund," by Matt Morris.
Three members of the Ski for Light community, as described below, were elected, or re-elected, or were honored recently. They each should be congratulated for their accomplishments.
Michael McCulloch was recently elected to the Board of Directors of SFL, to fill a vacant position. Michael has been an avid supporter and promoter of our organization since he first attended in 2017, most notably by recruiting many of his fellow Texans to also now attend ski week. He served as the Transportation coordinator of the 2024 event in Wisconsin, and is performing this same task for the 2025 event in Utah.
Judy Dixon was re-elected to serve another four-year term as president of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) during their recent general assembly of member countries held in Auckland, New Zealand. She was previously Secretary of ICEB from 2008 to 2016. ICEB coordinates and improves standards for braille usage in the English language.
Deborah Kendrick was honored by the National Federation of the Blind with a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award during their recent convention in Florida. The award honors individuals and organizations that are a positive force in the lives of blind people. Deborah was honored for her body of work as a writer to advance understanding of blindness and disability among the general public, while also providing useful information to the blind community.
Here's what to do when your new guide dog hunches over and poops in harness while she is guiding you on a moving walkway at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport:
1. Be grateful she started at the beginning of the walkway to give you time to react;
2. Pull out the poop bag you always keep in your front left front pocket;
3. Find the poop with your bag-mittened hand, grateful that she no longer has diarrhea;
4. Keep smiling as the bag dangles from your right hand in the final seconds of your ride;
5. Be glad this dog has learned to find a trash can when asked and is right on target;
6. In a soft voice tinged with horror and embarrassment, ask her "What were you thinking?" hoping the dog remembers that you have stopped in three different Service Animal Relief Areas (SARAs) in the previous 45 minutes where, each time, she insisted that the artificial turf and concrete floor alternatives were just too icky to use. What she was thinking is that she could wait for me to find her a better bathroom.
I could see Hildy's point. That day in January was just two months after she left Guiding Eyes for the Blind to become my fifth guide dog. In seven flight days at four different airports, she had already become my best-ever travel guide dog: She slept through every flight, not moving if I got up to use the restroom. Faster than any guide before her, she learned to steer me through the Tampa airport to first check my suitcase at the Delta ticket counter and then lead me without additional direction up the escalator to the E gates where Delta flights depart. She wagged her tail and offered kisses during the TSA pat down. She then dutifully guided me to the SARA in the Tampa Airport E Terminal where she had a final chance to go potty. Usually, she quickly peed there before we hurried off to the other end of the terminal to find our Delta gate.
I suspected that the problem was the security relief areas, not the dog. Some doggy potties are tolerable; most are not; others are nowhere to be found.
The investigation begins Hildy agreed that she had made a colossal miscalculation that led to the moving walkway incident; I promised to be more patient when she struggled to use a SARA. We decided to do a field study: For the next three months, we would visit at least one doggy potty in every airport where we departed, connected, or arrived and give an assessment. Hildy and I checked out the SARAs doggedly, anonymously, like restaurant critics but at the tail end. We visited 45 relief areas in 12 airports on 18 flight days. Hildy stoically squatted in each with an improvised SARA stance, balancing with her nether parts in the air. Whether she was posing for my photos or actually peeing, I'll never know.
We came up with an objective ranking scale: 1-3 points for smell; 1-3 points for clean-up supplies and working sink; 1-3 points for aesthetics; and an extra point if the accommodation was within eight gates of our arrival or departure.
The results are in We sat down to analyze the data together and agreed that only one doggy potty earned a perfect score. Despite Hildy's clear preference for relief areas outside baggage claim that offered real grass, she conceded that "inside security" provisions were necessary when we had connecting flights. That required us to eliminate four outlier airports that did not have inside security relief areas: Rapid City, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, and Rhinelander. We should note that for almost a decade, federal law has required commercial airports with 10,000-plus annual flights to have SARAs inside security. That's a topic for a different study. Doggy potties at Atlanta, Cincinnati, Minneapolis-St. Paul, NYC-LaGuardia, NYC- Kennedy, and Salt Lake City all ranked in the middle of the pack, each SARA scoring 3-6 points.
Most failed the sniff test, even by human standards, not deserving the minimum 1 point we gave them. As I held my breath and blinked my stinging eyes in the sealed rooms, I wondered how dogs, who detect scent 200 times better than humans, could stand it.
Many rooms were out of paper towels or poop bags or the sink didn't work.
I added the aesthetics criterion as I suspected it was no coincidence that a red plastic fire hydrant served as the unimaginative focal point for every SARA. Then I learned that federal law requires a fire hydrant or something similar, even if there is no ventilation. Apparently, someone at the Federal Aviation Administration convinced his colleagues that a fire hydrant or fake rock in would encourage male dogs to urinate. Hildy and I, amused by this reasoning, wondered if he personally needed such encouragement. As I couldn't ethically ding the SARAs for their ubiquitous red fire hydrants, we gave full aesthetic points only when there was art on the wall, a view, seemingly clean tile walls, or some other feature that made the SARA thoughtful and distinctive.
And the winners are…Tampa International Airport came in second. The caged, outdoor, well-ventilated SARA on the gate level in Airside E is at the far south end of that terminal. The faint whiff of jet fuel is a breath of fresh air when compared to the completely indoor SARAs that smell like you've stepped into the basement of a porta-potty. However, this Tampa SARA lost a point because Hildy and I nearly always fly from the far north end of that terminal, more than 10 gates away from the doggy potty. It nearly lost a point for uneven availability of paper towels and poop bags. Then we considered that as TPA is our home airport, we certainly did some over-sampling here, so we chose not to deduct points for lack of paper towel. TPA earned 9 out of a possible 10 points.
Drum roll... The best in-security dog relief area in the US, based on our field study, is the airport in Missoula, Montana. This private, one-dog bathroom has self-draining turf and a large window. There was no offensive odor that I could detect or that appeared to offend Hildy. Ample cleaning supplies were on hand for every visit. It is an easy stroll to all four of the airport's gates. MSO wins paws down in aesthetics for calling their accommodation the Service Animal Restroom instead of animal relief area and for tucking it between the men's and women's restrooms. The vacant/occupied lock system, consistent with those on the human bathroom stalls, is a nice additional touch. MSO earned the only perfect score: 10/10.
Hildy and I will continue our study of airport dog accommodations across America and hope to find more that deserve recognition. But for now, thank you to Missoula Airport Board members who appreciate that, indeed, dogs are people too.
Ski for Light, Inc. is loosely affiliated with eight regional organizations around the United States that share our name, but are independent organizations. They are located in New England, Northeast Pennsylvania, Michigan, South Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Northern California and Washington. Each group holds one or more winter events that include teaching and guiding visually- and mobility-impaired adults in cross-country skiing. Many of them also offer summer and/or fall programs, ranging from single-day hikes to week-long adventures. To check out the offerings of each organization for this year visit their respective websites, all linked from the Regionals page on the SFL website.
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.
Borton Overseas Travel * Dansko Shoes * Haiku Bags * Kuhl Clothing * Lodge Cast Iron * Wallaroo Hat Company
The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. It is available in ink-print or via e-mail. If you wish to change formats, please send your request to: info@sfl.org
The current as well as past issues of the Bulletin are also available online at www.sfl.org/bulletin. In addition to an online edition that may be read in your browser, you will find a downloadable pdf version of the current issue.
For future Bulletins, remember that your contributions and feedback are always most welcome. You may submit articles as e-mail or as a word or text attachment. Send all items to:
Andrea GoddardThe deadline for the Fall 2024 Bulletin is October 15, 2024. We look forward to hearing from you.
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