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We so appreciate all our friends and supporters for making 2018 such an amazing year! As we reflect back on the incredible experiences we shared - from camping and fishing to biking and skiing to nature art walks and field work - we are so grateful for your participation and collaboration throughout. It is truly each of YOU and our amazing community that make GOL! come alive and inspire the ways we share and celebrate our outdoors together. We look forward to much adventuring with you all in the new year!
Happy trails,
--the GOL! Gang
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GOL!-LCSD
 
Students and educators ended the semester with more memorable field work. From Kindergartners to seniors, LCSD Panthers continued to embrace the Expeditionary Learning principles and connect with the natural world. According to a tenet of EL Education, “A direct and respectful relationship with the natural world refreshes the human spirit and teaches the important ideas of recurring cycles and cause and effect. Students learn to become stewards of the earth and of future generations.” We see this in Lake County schools every day.
Kindergarten students in Derek Lindquist’s class demonstrated some admirable perseverance & adventurous spirits when they snowshoed 2 miles round trip between the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center to the Cookhouse yurt while learning about importance of preparing for weather weather. At the yurt, they enjoyed chili and hot chocolate compliments of the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse and story time with Jennifer Marruffo from Lake County Public Library. Many thanks to the parents, family, and friends, and Andrea Kurth from the Leadville Ranger District, who all helped make this “Weather Wonders” Learning Expedition fun and successful!
Ari Gino and Lindsey Cade’s 7th and 8th grade math students continue to finish each unit with an outdoor, applied-learning experience. Most recently, the 7th graders examined diameter, circumference, and pi as a mathematical constant using tree stumps in the outdoor classrooms at LCHS. 8th graders studied constant rates of change by timing their walking on the snowy stadium steps above Federico Field and then graphing their movement.
The CMC dual-credit Wilderness Experience course concluded the semester with a 6-day/5-night backpacking trek through the magical canyons of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Highlights included constant laughter, a giant sandstone “gymnasium,” mountain lion tracks, ancient pictographs, fresh-baked backcountry pizza, personal growth, and deepened relationships that are truly fostered when we welcome new challenges and are wholly present with one another away from the many distractions and demands of modern life. Thanks to CMC Outdoor Education Professor, Cooper Mallozzi, GOL!-LCSD Community Learning Director, Becca Katz, for facilitating another incredible Wilderness Experience course this semester! And congratulations to the LCHS students who stretched themselves through this course and capstone adventure!
Adventure Days
 
Fifty Lake County students joined us for our December 7th Adventure Day. The weather couldn’t have been better, nor the spirits higher. The kids and staff had a blast sledding, making (and eating!) snow ice cream, digging snow forts, and playing in the pool. With help from our partners at GARNA, they also explored some of the science behind local animals’ winter adaptations. To learn about heat loss and the insulating properties of body fat they put their hands in ice water and then tried the same experiment but with an insulating bag of Crisco. Then they checked out some animal hides and compared their puffy jackets to these furry coats. To experience how wide feet help us float on the snow they headed into the forest with Gear Library snowshoes on their feet. We have three more Adventure Days this winter on January 18th, February 19th, and March 15th. Those three days will focus on skiing and boarding at Ski Cooper; learning to ski with Cooper’s Ski School; Ice Skating; and Tubing and other fun snow play.
Registration is still open for the upcoming Adventure Days - join us!
Tinkergarten
 
A fun first fall season (which, admittedly, looked a lot more like winter by the end) of Tinkergarten wrapped up in November with an outdoor snow kitchen and baking extravaganza. Thanks to the guides and explorers who joined for this maiden voyage of Tinkergarten in Leadville. GOL! hopes this program can continue to be part of the early childhood (ages 18 months - 8 years) *outdoor* opportunities in our community. If you want to become a trained (and paid!) Tinkergarten leader, please reach out to Becca Katz at bkatz@lakecountyschools.net / 719.293.5169 to learn more.
Ski and Snowboard Program Scholarships
We have closed our Ski and Snowboard scholarship applications for the 2018/19 winter, and are very excited to announce we have awarded nearly $17,000 of financial support to enthusiastic young Lake County skiers and boarders. This year we are supporting participation with SOS Outreach, Cloud City Ski Club, Lake County High School Ski Team, and Ski Cooper’s Panda 3-day Beginner Lessons and Grizzly Bear 8-day Intermediate Lessons. When you’re at the hill this winter, keep your eye out of the next generation of Ski Cooper shredders!
Three families have also received scholarships to spend a day in ski lessons together at Ski Cooper. As one mother said after receiving the scholarship, “My family has lived in Colorado for over 15 years, and we have never been able to go out and try skiing. All around us people are driving up to Ski Cooper, and walking around town with skis, but we could not afford the cost of even a 1-day experience. We’re looking forward to spending some family time together, and getting to see what it’s like.”
Gear Library
We are excited to announce that the community Gear Library is almost fully outfitted. GOL! has have acquired all of our soft goods and warm layers, kids and adult snowshoes, mountain bikes and snow bikes, most gear for camping, and a fleet of kids' Nordic skis. To finish off our menu of gear, next, we will introduce a fleet of adult Nordic skis and backpacking gear. Get Outdoors Leadville! Is very excited to be able to lend gear to our community in 2019. The 2019 workshops and activities calendar is being finalized now - stay tuned for opportunities starting in January!
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Check out the new Woods & Flyfishing course video!
Kudos to LCHS woodshop teacher Colin McFee for the inspiration & instruction, and huge thanks to Kurt Brewer of Lenzkap Productions (and a LCSD bus driver!) for the videography & production!
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WOOHOO! A Rockies Rock level shout out to all who contributed to the Dead Horse Ultra fundraiser and helped raise $2500 for Get Outdoors Leadville's summer camp! Through this incredible generosity, Rockies Rock Adventure Camp can provide more scholarship support for local families this summer. Thank you to all the Team Rockies Rock supporters for helping GOL! get Leadville kids outside, active, and connected to nature! Team Rockies Rock had an absolute blast running the 50K together and already have plans for more races in 2019! (If you're interested in racing with or for GOL!, just let us know - we'd always welcome more folks to join in the "fund-running" fun!)
--Team Rockies Rock
Beth, Evan, Josh, McKenzie, and Tim
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Register Today!
Join GOL! and friends for another season of FUN, OUTDOORSY Adventure Days! If your kids loved Rockies Rock, they’ll enjoy these 1-day programs that include biking, hiking, skiing, sledding, learning and lots of outdoor play time!
Adventure Days are all-day (~8a-3:30p) outdoor outings for K-6th grade students during select teacher professional development days when students don’t have school. They are inclusive, outdoor-based programs that emphasize fun, play, connection to the natural world, outdoor recreation, individual growth, and community building. Transportation and meals are provided.
Upcoming GOL! Adventure Days are on:
- January 18
- February 18
- March 15
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UPCOMING ADVENTURES & EVENTS
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Community Nature Connection ~ January 10, 2019, 7:00-8:30p at Colorado Mountain College, Pinnacle Resource Center (Library building), Room 317
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Join GOL! to experience the nature-inspired art of Leadville's own Marika Guthrie. Learn how Marika creates her whimsical outdoor scene cloth paintings and make one of your own! Free! All ages welcome (youth <15 yo should be accompanied by an adult).
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RSVPs helpful but not required: jradilla@co.lake.co.us or 719.293.5533
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Professional Development for Youth Program Providers ~ RSVP here or contact Jackie with questions
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Taking Kids Outdoors ~ January 7, 1:00-4:30p @ LCIS Play Yard
TKO is an interactive, outdoor workshop for youth program providers of all stripes – from teachers to after school club leaders to summer activity staff – who want to take kids outdoors. In this 3.5 hour session, participants will learn about why taking kids outdoors is awesome. They will also develop a toolkit for how to teach and lead kids outdoors effectively including planning/prep, student management, risk management, Leave No Trace, and practicing inclusivity in outdoor spaces. The workshop is taught outdoors to demonstrate outdoor teaching and facilitation techniques in situ.
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Gear Library Orientation ~ January 7, 4:45-6:15p @ GOL! Offices (328 W 5th St)
The GOL! Gear Library Orientation will familiarize participants with the resources available in Get Outdoors Leadville!’s growing gear library and how to access those resources. By the end of this workshop you’ll know the ins and outs of what gear GOL! has and how to borrow it. (For Program Providers only - GOL! will have its community member lending going in spring 2019!)
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Nordic 101 ~ January 13, 9:00a-noon @ CMC Climax Building
In this whirlwind training, youth program providers learn how to help kids enjoy the magic of winter through Nordic skiing. Participants will learn a teaching progression, starting with overview of introductory technique tips and finishing with fun games and activities to do on skis! Much of this workshop will be spent outdoors on skis.
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Bike 101 ~ January 13, 1:00-4:00p @ LCIS Play Yard
Youth program providers leave this workshop ready to help youth fall in love with biking. Youth leaders can expect to gain a sound understanding of biking risk management from bike and helmet fit to the ABC Quick Check to hand signals and following distance. Participants will also learn basic technique instruction including posture, shifting, and braking. Finally, there will be an overview of daily bike care. Much of this workshop will be spent outdoors on bikes.
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Adventure Days
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Fun, full-day outdoor programs for K-6th graders on select LCSD non-student contact days: Jan 18, Feb 19, and Mar 15. Join us for skiing, boarding, nature learning, and snow play!
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Register now or review the Adventure Day Frequently Asked Questions if you need more info! Contact Cisco Tharp with questions or for enrollment help at ctharp@co.lake.co.us or 719.293.0445.
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