Volunteer for YEP and save a puppy

Ok, I guess the puppy thing was a little overboard but did you know that we serve over 5,000 kids each year?  Not possible without your help.  Thank you.

Here is your weekly call for help.  Let me know if any of these dates work for you and I will get you on the calendar. I have highlighted the programs coming up very soon that we still need help with.

Friday November 11^th – 2 more Volunteers at the climbing wall from 8:45 – 1:15

Monday, November 14^th – 2 programs

•   1 volunteer needed for 5^th graders climbing at the REI Pinnacle wall in Denver.  10:15 – 2:30

•    2 volunteers at the wall from 3:30-5 

Tuesday November 15^th – 4 volunteers needed from 3:45-5:15

Wednesday November 16^th - 5 Volunteers needed from 3:45-5:15

Friday November 18^th – 4 Volunteers needed 3:15-5:45

Tuesday, November 22^nd – 5 wall volunteers needed from 9:45-1:15

Monday November 28^th – 2 sessions

•     5 volunteers at the wall from 8:45-1:15

•     2 wall volunteers needed from 3:45-5:45

Wednesday, November 30^th - 5 Volunteers needed from 3:45-5:15

Let me know what works for you. Shoot me an email or give me a call at 303-303-996-2762.

Ryan Johns

Youth Education Program Manager

Susan Ershler to speak at 2012 Backcountry Incident Review Conference

The CMC has snagged a dy-na-mo speaker to be the keynoter at its annual backcountry incident review conference next year.

Susan Ershler of Seattle is the 4^th American woman to climb the seven continental summits and the 12^th to climb Everest. She was an executive in the corporate world for years. She routinely charges corporations around the world tens of thousands to inspire their sales teams with tales of how she sets ridiculously difficult goals – and meets every one of them.

Now she’s agreed to share her experience and insights with backcountry trip leaders in Colorado to help them push themselves – and their trip participants - to new heights in the backcountry while managing the risks they face.

Ershler’s presentation is set for Saturday, March 10 during the 2^nd annual conference during which we dissect what went wrong on backcountry trips that went awry, and what the leaders did to bail themselves and the participants on their trips. There’s nothing theoretical here. The trips to be discussed feature accounts of real trips on which people’s lives were in danger. The goal is to hear directly from the trip leaders themselves, to look into their eyes and understand what they went through and what they learned, so that everyone can learn the lessons they learned.

It’s spine-tingling stuff. At the first conference earlier this year, we heard from the leaders of trips on which all sorts of things went haywire, including one on which a trip participant died.

Listen to the voices of some of those who attended the first conference in early 2011. “A wonderful event…inspiring and educational,” one wrote.  Wrote others, “I thought this would be a loooong day, but time went fast and al the speakers were so interesting.” “The content was uniformly great.” “I’ve been in the backcountry for 25 years and I still learned a lot.” “Making this an annual event would be much appreciated.

The conference is open to anyone who leads trips into the backcountry – or wants to learn more about doing so. It runs 9 am – 5 pm in the CMC headquarters auditorium at 710 10^th Street in Golden. Lunch will be served. Admission is $10 for active CMC trip leaders (will lead at least three trips during 2012), $20 for all other club members and for search and rescue volunteers, and $30 for non-members.

To register, visit www.cmc.org/birc.  Seating is limited; early registration is encouraged.

Landmark Ruling on National Forest Roadless Areas

October 27, 2011

The 2001 Roadless Rule, promulgated by the Clinton administration, was reinstated and affirmed recently in a 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals decision.  This puts to rest years of litigation and uncertainty about a policy that now protects nearly 50 million acres of undeveloped Forest Service lands nation-wide.  The decision overturned a lower court ruling and affirmed that the rule is the law of the land.

Colorado's seven National Forests, with roadless areas displayed.
© Connor Bailey, Sothern Rockies Ecosystem Project

This historic decision protects outstanding opportunities in our forests for hikers, climbers, bikers and other human-powered forms of recreation.  The rule forbids logging, road building and development in inventoried roadless areas.

This ruling affects the national policy.  The state of Colorado has been working with the Forest Service on a draft rule that would only apply to forests within Colorado.  This process is between draft and final forms, so until such a process is complete, the national rule applies here in Colorado.  The future of the Colorado rulemaking process is unclear in light of this decision, but the Department of Natural Resources has indicated that the process will continue.  

Stay tuned for how this shakes out, but, for now, let’s celebrate a great victory for the wildlands of our National Forests!

High fives for YEP Volunteers (this month only)

No seriously Ryan Johns, YEP Program Manager, will be giving out FREE* high fives to anyone who volunteers for a Youth Education Program.  That right we said FREE*.  We have had a lot of help recently and we really appreciate it.  Our programs literally don’t run if we don’t get your help.  YOU ROCK!

Here is a list of programs coming up that we need help with.  Please take a minute and look over the list and let me know if you are available and I will get you signed up.  If you are available for the REI programs please let us know ASAP so that we can tell REI. 

There are a lot of dates here.  Please read it carefully and email Ryan to let him know what you are available for.

We need help on the following days:

Thursday, November 3^rd – 3 volunteers needed at the wall from 1:15-4:30

Monday, November 7^th – We need one volunteer to help spot students slacklining at their school from 12-4pm

Tuesday, November 8^th – We need one volunteer to help spot students slacklining at their school from 12-4pm

Wednesday November 9^th – 5 Volunteers needed from 3:45-5:15

Friday November 11^th – 5 Volunteers at the climbing wall from 8:45 – 1:15

Monday, November 14^th – 5^th graders climbing at the REI Pinnacle wall in Denver.  10:15 – 2:30

Wednesday November 16^th - 5 Volunteers needed from 3:45-5:15

Friday November 18^th – 4 Volunteers needed 3:15-5:45

Tuesday, November 22^nd – 5 wall volunteers needed from 9:45-1:15

Monday November 28^th – 2 sessions

·         5 volunteers at the wall from 8:45-1:15

·         5 wall volunteers needed from 3:45-5:45

Wednesday, November 30^th - 5 Volunteers needed from 3:45-5:15

Thanks so much for helping our YEP program! Feel free to share this post with your friends too!

*free high fives are dispensed upon actual arrival on dates confirmed. Simply signing up for a class does not guarantee a high five.

Annual Dinner Time of Year!

It's that time again! As we bring our year to a close and get prepared for our Centennial year chock-full of events, come join one or ALL of the Groups Annual Dinners. We have great speakers, great food, and great company to boot. See details including links to purchase tickets/make reservations below:

ASPEN:  

 

Date and time:  Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 6 pm.

Where: Mountain Chalet-top floor, 333 East Durant Avenue, Aspen, Colorado 81611

Cost: $36-includes a drink, appetizers, delicious buffet dinner as well as dessert.  Price includes gratuity.

Tickets:  Please (1) call Carol Kurt at 925-6648 or email Carol at kurtskarma@aol.com to reserve a place and (2) then send your check made out to CMC-Aspen to Greg Rydell, POB 446, Woody Creek, Co. 81656.  Limit 80. 

Deadline: Must receive check by December 4, 2011.

Additional info:  If there is space available at the door, the price will be $40.  We will have our famous CMC hats with solar powered lights available for $15 plus a couple of CMC belt buckles which are $30.  These make great presents and help us fund our activities.

Mountain Chalet, Aspen

BOULDER:

Date and time:  Saturday, November 5, 2011 at from 5-9 PM

Where:  Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, CO

Cost: Admission is $10 per person. Potluck dinner & BYOB. Please bring a food dish to serve at least 6-8 people & label your serving dishes.

Tickets:  Signups available online at http://www.tiny9.com/u/CMC_Boulder_Annual_Dinner

Deadline: None unless sold out

Speaker:  Long-standing member David Robertson as our keynote speaker. Dave will share photos and memories of his extraordinary 1969 skiing expedition across the Juneau Ice Fields of Alaska. 

Dave’s wife, Janet Robertson, will also speak briefly at the Annual Dinner about the new CMC Press book 100 Years Up High: Colorado Mountains and Mountaineers, celebrating the Colorado Mountain Club’s Centennial.  Jan is one of the book’s five authors. The book will be available for sale at the event.

Additional info:   The Boulder Group’s Best of Boulder Hikes pack guide book will also be available for sale, along with other CMC press books. Look for the book sales table near the front entrance at the Avalon. 

Avalon Ballroom, Boulder

DENVER:

When:  Sunday Nov 13, 5:30-9:00

Where:  Green Center at the School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401Golden

Cost: Member $30/nonmember $35-includes buffet style/plates for carnivores and vegetarians

Tickets:  Members: http://www.cmc.org/events/eventdetails.aspx?EventID=2549

               Nonmembers: http://www.cmc.org/events/eventdetails.aspx?EventID=2584
* if registering more than one person in the same transaction, please put their name(s) in the "comments" section

Deadline: November 6^th

Speaker: John Fielder, world-class photographer   

Additional notes: We'll reserve a table for your group.  Tables seat 8.  Join friends and celebrate the recognition of exceptional CMC volunteers!

Green Center at School of Mines, Golden

FORT COLLINS:

When: Saturday November 19th, 2011 6PM

Where: The Lodge at MacKenzie Place, 4751 Pleasant Oak Drive, Fort Collins, CO

Cost:  Reservations are $25 prior to November 3rd, $30 by November 10th and includes buffet style dinner, tax and gratuity.

Tickets:  http://fortcmc.org/MonthlyFlyer/AnnualDinnerFlyer2011-1.pdf

Speaker: Jonathan Waterman: Running Dry: A Journey from Source to Sea Down the Colorado River

Additional info:  Guests accompanied by CMC members are welcome. Non-CMC members are also welcome to attend the dinner and program by making a reservation. Their price is the same as for members.

The Lodge at Mackenzie Place, Fort Collins

EL PUEBLO:

When:  Friday, November 4, 2011 from 6:30 pm

Where: Ascension Church, 420 West 18th Street, Pueblo, CO 81003

LONGS PEAK:

When:  Friday, November 4, 2011 from 7-9 pm

Where: Callahan House, 312 Terry Street, Longmont, CO 80501 

Cost:  Free for members– Paid by the Longs Peak Group. Coffee, tea and a dessert included.  

Tickets: Reservations on http://www.cmc.org/events/eventdetails.aspx?EventID=2598

Speaker:  Executive Director of the CMC, Katie Blackett and by the CMC President, Alice White

Additional info: Surprise speaker! 

Callahan House, Longmont