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We couldn't be more thrilled to be celebrating peak summer season with our Rockies Rock campers, leaders, and Junior Counselors! We've all hiked, biked, swam, climbed, gardened, practiced yoga, sang SO many songs, celebrated friendship, foot golfed, hunted bugs, practiced teamwork, and focused on our camp values of perseverance, collaboration, respect, curiosity, responsibility, craftsmanship, and compassion. Whew! And that's all just been in the first two weeks! We can't wait to continue the fun and learning in the next sessions. We post camp pics regularly on our GOL! Facebook page, so like us if you haven't already so you can keep up with all our camp adventures!
Did you know Leadville is now a GenerationWild community? Generation Wild is the state-wide movement lead-up by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to get kids and families outdoors more often and enjoying our amazing natural world together. GOL! is proud to be a Generation Wild partner, helping make Lake County kids wild in all the right ways! Check out the Generation Wild website for ideas on outdoor family fun and their list of 100 Things to Do Before You're 12. 'Cause kids grow better outside!
We'd like to invite you to become an Elbert Explorer! Join GOL! and friends or the Mt. Elbert Multi-Generational Camping trip on July 21st-22nd. We're joining forces with the USFS Leadville Ranger District, National Forest Foundation, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps for a fun weekend of stewardship and education. Camp, volunteer, learn & laugh together while showing some love to our Lake County treasure, Mt Elbert! Participants 14+ are invited to assist with trail work, while youth 8-13 years old learn about the area with GARNA. Food & camping gear is provided! Sign up through the link below or reach out to us for more information.
Happy trails,
--the GOL! Gang
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Rockies Rock Adventure Camp
Session 1 a Success!
Our first weeks of camp have flown by. Huge thanks to Colorado Mountain College, Cloud City Conservation Center, Lake County School District, Mt Massive Golf Course, Ski Cooper, US Forest Service Leadville Ranger District, Lake County Recreation Department, and our other program partners who have helped make camp such a success so far! Sunshine and smiling faces remind us why Leadville is the BEST place to live, work, learn, and play together! A few spots remain for Session 4 - check info below to enroll before the July 15th deadline!
GOL!-LCSD
Fly Fishing Coming This Fall
Colin McFee (Lake County High School Woodshop Teacher), Michele DeWine (Lake County High School Academic Dean), and Becca Katz (GOL!-LCSD Community Learning Director) attended a 1-day teacher certification training with the National Fishing in Schools Program. From running relays about Mayfly, Stonefly, and Caddisfly life cycles to casting velcro flies to a drill sergeant recitation, these three educators are ready to teach a cohort of students in Mr. McFee’s new “Woods and Fly Fishing” course starting this fall. In this new course, students will go fishing on Tuesdays and Thursdays during September and October, using other days to learn about aquatic entomology, fly tying, and watershed ecology. When the snow starts to fly, students will build their own fly rods and landing nets. We’re confident the National Fishing in Schools Program slogan “Cast a fly, catch a student!” will leave many of our students hooked! Please get in touch with Becca if you have something to contribute to this course and want to get involved!
Colorado Parks and Wildlife TENs Workshop
30 educators from Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Upper Arkansas TENS group (Teaching Environmental Science Naturally) gathered at CMC on the site of the future gear library for a morning of the Taking Kids Outdoors training. Teachers and youth program providers from communities including Cotapaxi, Buena Vista, Salida, Pueblo, Leadville engaged in a rich discussion of the many benefits outdoor learning has for students - both behavioral and cognitive. Teachers then explored the barriers educators face as they try to bring youth outdoors and possible solutions to overcome those barriers. Educators spent the rest of the workshop building a concrete toolkit for managing students outdoors.
Family Events
US Forest Service + GOL! + Latino Outdoors = Family Friendly Exploration
GOL! has partnered with the US Forest Service & Latino Outdoors Colorado to offer guided hikes around Lake County. So far we have enjoyed a hike to Interlaken at Twin Lakes, and a stroll along Turquoise Lake where we were able to identify the wild strawberry plants & raspberry bushes beginning to blossom. We will continue to offer monthly hikes through September, visiting locations like the Fish Hatchery, Rock Creek Dam, and parts of the Continental Divide Trail. Our next guided hike will be on Sunday, July 29th! If you are looking for a mellow Sunday afternoon in the outdoors, enjoying our environs with friends, please contact Andrea Kurth from the Forest Service or Jackie Radilla from Get Outdoors Leadville! for more information.
Community
We had almost 30 local program leaders join GOL! and Lake County Build A Generation on June 5th for Positive Youth Development training. It was a great day focused on how to best engage our youth leaders and lift up their voices to help create positive change in the community. Thanks to CDPHE for funding the training and Eagle River Youth Coalition for facilitating and bringing this session up to Leadville!
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Become An Elbert Explorer This Summer With GOL!
GOL! is ecstatic to be partnering with our local Forest Service ranger district, National Forest Foundation, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps to host a camping weekend July 21st-22nd at the south Mt. Elbert trailhead! And YOU and your family are invited!
Camp, volunteer, and learn & laugh together while helping care for a Lake County treasure! Participants 14+ years old are invited to assist with trail work, while youth 8-13 years old will hang with GOL! to learn about and explore the area. We'll have activities for Elbert-lovers ages 8 to 108! FREE! Food & camping gear is provided.
Sign up today!
Check out the NFF's Find Your Fourteener page to learn more about the campaign and restoration work happening on Elbert.
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Rockies Rock Adventure Camp!
 Rockies Rock Adventure Camp is an inclusive, outdoor-based day camp that emphasizes fun, play, connection to the natural world, outdoor recreation, individual growth, and community building. Activities and topics include: Mountain Biking, Fishing, Hiking, Free Play, Nature Art, Environmental Education, Outdoor Safety, Environmental Stewardship, and Teamwork. Rockies Rock is for kids of all backgrounds who will be in grades 1st - 7th in the 2018-19 school year. No outdoor experience required! Check here for information on enrollment and read here to review FAQs. Click here to go straight to enrollment!
Last day to enroll in Session 4 (July 30th-Aug 9th) of Rockies Rock is July 15th!
A special feature of Session 4' is the Trout Unlimited’s Stream Explorers program offered by Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA). Stream Explorers brings our older Rockies Rock crews into the aquatic world with science experiments, habitat exploration, fly tying, and fly fishing! Register for Rockies Rock Session 4 to participate!
For any questions or enrollment help, please contact Cisco Tharp: 719.293.0445 or ctharp@co.lake.co.us. Se habla espanol.
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UPCOMING ADVENTURES & EVENTS
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Mt. Elbert Family Camping Adventure: July 21st-22nd
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Hike with USFS/Latino Outdoors/GOL!
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Rockies Rock Adventure Camp (Mon-Thurs)
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Lake County Youth Corps
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Community Development Crew Hitch 1: July 9th-20th
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Community Development Crew Hitch 2: July 23rd-Aug 3rd
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Service Learning Crew Hitch 1: Aug 6th-Aug 10th
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Service Learning Crew Hitch 2: Aug 13th-Aug 17th
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Colorado Outward Bound School’s Educator’s Course - July 30th-August 2nd
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