Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Annual Dinner Time of the Year

With the holidays coming up, the Four F's come to mind: Family, Friends, Festivities and perhaps my favorite-Food!

This month, the Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Pikes Peak, and Shining Mountains Groups have exciting guest speakers, diverse topics, and delicious food at this year's annual dinners. And the public is welcome to join all CMC members, so bring a friend to join the CMC family for food and festivities! Here's a sampling of what each dinner will offer. Visit www.cmc.org for more information.

Boulder


Our speaker this year is an important figure in Colorado mountaineering history, and a former CMC member and trip leader.  Howard Snyder led the 1967 Colorado McKinley Expedition and reached the summit along with fellow Coloradans Paul Schlichter and Jerry Lewis. They were forced by the U.S. National Park Service to combine with a group from Seattle for the climb, with fatal consequences. The disastrous expedition, one of the most controversial in North American mountaineering history, was chronicled in the 2007 book Forever on the Mountain by James Tabor, and in Howard’s own 1973 book, The Hall of the Mountain King.

When-Saturday, November 6th-
5:00 PM Reception
6:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Presentation
Where-Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapaho Road, Boulder
Ticket Cost-$11 in advance and $15 at the door.
Dinner- Everyone is asked to bring a dish serving at least five.

Denver

Meet and talk with "Private Freegate Stout" during the Cocktail Hour.  Private Stout was a member of the Zebulon Pike Colorado Expedition of 1807; Private Stout's adventures will be enacted by John Steinle a member of several Living History organizations.Our speaker--Wes Brown, "How the 1859 Gold Rush Put Colorado on the Map--is a mountaineer who has submitted about 400 named Colorado peaks, is a field member of the Alpine Rescue Team and is the founder of the Rocky Mountain Map Society. He is an advisor to the Map and Geography Division of the Library of Congress and long been a collector, student and author of old maps.  He is associated with the Denver Public Library and is active in the Library's acquisitions for its Western Collections.


When-Friday, November 19, 5:30-9:00pm
Where-Three Tomatoes Restaurant & Steak House at Fossil Trace Golf Course, Golden
Ticket Cost-CMC members - $28, Guest - $30 (Please call the CMC Office to pay with Credit Card)
Dinner-  Italian Buffet will feature both vegetarian and meat selections; no need to pre-order
  
Fort Collins


We have had a last minute cancellation of our planned program, but were fortunate in  finding an excellent speaker in Ken Jessen. Ken is a well known author of over 18 historical books and numerous articles on Colorado history.  With the upcoming 100th anniversary of the park this is a timely program. He will talk about the early history of the park including early industry and tourism which helped lead to the designation as a national park.   Contact: Don Carpenter (dec5018@comcast.net or 267-6793)

When- Saturday, November 13
6:00 PM Social period/Cash Bar
6:30 PM Dinner
7:45 PM Annual Meeting, Election of Officers, and Recognition of Members
8:00 PM Program –Ken Jessen -A Pictorial History of Rocky Mountain National Park
Where- Fort Collins Senior Center 1200 Raintree Ave.
Fort Collins, CO
Ticket Cost- $28
Dinner- Buffet Meal Menu: Appetizers (brie en croute w apricots,currants; grilled asparagus w
ham), spinach salad w roasted peppers and shaved parmesan, cashew stuffed chicken
breast, London broil carving station, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, vegetable du jour,
fresh-baked artisan bread w pesto/olive tapenade, coffee/beverage station w shaved
chocolate/whipped cream, chocolate fondue with fruit and cheese.
Remember: price includes the tax and gratuity.

Pikes Peak

Join the Pikes Peak Group for our annual dinner and presentation! Bill Slaughter will be presenting "Tour du Mont Blanc." It's a great way to meet old friends that you have shared time on the trail with, but only see the back their heads or hurried ahead of them because you are the strongest in the pack. Now, for one evening, you can relax and watch a program that will bring delightful memories of a past exhibition or a future dream. 

When -  Saturday, November 6, 2010-
5:30PM Social Hour
6:00PM Begin Program
6:30PM Dinner
7:25PM Presentation by Bill Slaughter - "Tour du Mont Blanc"
Where- Division of Wildlife, 4255 Sinton Road, COS 80907 (near the intersection of Garden of Gods and I25)
Ticket Cost-$22

Shining Mountains

Aquatic and terrestrial ecologists discuss the current and ongoing changes in how water is obtained and used by plants and animals, including humans, in Colorado.  The talk will be given by a tag-team couple:  Cathy M. Tate, ecologist, National Water Quality Assessment Program, U.S. Geological Survey and Tim Seastedt, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder.  

When -  Saturday, November 13, 2010-
5:00PM Social Hour
6:30PM Dinner
8:00PM Presentation
Where- The Crags(Golden Eagle Resort) The View Restaurant, 300 Riverside Drive, Estes Park, Colorado.
Ticket Cost-$15
Dinner - Early Reservations Recommended, Buffet Style