Ski for Light, Inc.® Bulletin News and Information about the People and Programs of SFL International Summer, 2003 Ski for Light, Inc.®, 1455 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408–2648 Phone: 612-827-3232 Web Site: www.sfl.org General Information: Info@sfl.org >From the President By Larry Showalter This summer is a very active one for many in the Ski for Light community. Some SFLers are kayaking, some are sailing, some are canoeing, some are tandem bicycle riding. Still others are trekking with llamas in the high Colorado wilderness, and in October a group will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. I hope that you are keeping active too, and that you have found things that interest you in your local area. If not, why not start a group on your own? Call a few Ski for Light friends and get together for a day hike or some other outdoor activity. The fun doesn't need to stop just because there is no snow. Planning is well underway for Ski for Light 2004 in Green Bay, under the leadership of event chair Marie Huston. Everyone came away from the 2001 event held in Green Bay with the feeling that the trails at the Brown County Reforestation Camp, where we will be skiing, are just about perfect for SFL. They are wide, well-groomed, are gently rolling with wide turns, and protected from the wind and elements by the forest. Make your plans now to join us. Elsewhere in this edition of the Bulletin you will find information about the event, and instructions for obtaining an application or for completing it on-line. More and more people are using the on-line application form, and even if you are a bit reluctant to stick your toe into the world of on-line forms you should give it a try. It is very easy and non-threatening, and it makes life much easier for the applications coordinators. Planning for the next event actually began earlier this summer when a number of Ski for Light people gathered for a day in Minneapolis for an event wrap-up meeting. Many good new ideas came out of that meeting, and I think that you will notice some program enhancements in Green Bay and at future events. Ski for Light will be represented at two functions this year that have long-term implications for our program. In August, two members of the Corporate Sponsor committee will attend the annual Outdoor Retail Trade Show in Salt Lake City, thanks to the sponsorship of JanSport. Their goal will be to re-sign our corporate sponsors of the past and to sign up several new ones. In October, Vice-President Marion Elmquist and I will represent SFL at the bi-annual U.S./Norway Forum in Minneapolis. The Forum is sponsored by the Norwegian Consulate in Washington and brings together numerous organizations from around the United States who have an interest in Norwegian culture and heritage. We will be seeking new relationships while working to strengthen those that already exist. Ski for Light was recently notified by a person who last attended one of our events more than a decade ago that we were being named to receive a financial bequest in his will. He stated that Ski for Light had been a landmark event in his life, and he wanted to help make sure that the program continued to have a similar impact on others. This is a great way for anyone with similar feelings to support the program. Please consider adding SFL to your own will! This is an election year for Ski for Light. Fifteen seats on the Board of Directors and all officer positions are up for election in Green Bay. If you are interested in getting involved as a leader within Ski for Light please give some thought to running for the Board. The next edition of the Bulletin will contain more information on this subject, including instructions for nominating yourself or someone else to the Board. If you would like to know more about this before then, contact any member of the Board with your questions. Have a great summer. Ski for Light 2004 By Marie Huston Ski for Light returns to "The Badger State" in February 2004. Green Bay, Wisconsin will once again host the International Ski for Light event; the dates are February 8-15, 2004. We will be staying at the Radisson Hotel and Conference center, which even includes a casino. Wolf howls can be heard from the resident pack (caged) at the Reforestation Camp where we will be skiing. I'm sure many of you heard what a great time we had back in 2001, so mark your calendars now and let the applications begin. You can apply on-line at www.sfl.org You can also request an application from one of our coordinators: Lynda Boose, Visually-impaired Participants (VIP) Applications Coordinator E-mail: lynda@sfl.org or Phone: (906) 250-7836 Brenda Seeger, Guide Applications Coordinator E-mail: brenda@sfl.org or Phone: (507) 274-5502 Jeff Pagels, Mobility-impaired Participants (MIP) Applications Coordinator E-mail: jeff@sfl.org or Phone: (920) 494-5572 The Event Committee has begun planning what will be a wonderful event, complete with near perfect skiing conditions, and the chance to meet new & old friends. So please come join us on the trails in 2004. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at marie@sfl.org. GUIDES NEEDED by Bjorg M. Dunlop Guide recruitment may not seem like an appropriate subject in mid-July, but Ski for Light 2004 in Green Bay is less than seven months away! Before you know it, it will be time to dust off your skis for another winter of fun on the snow. Please tell any cross country skiers you happen to meet about the wonderful Ski for Light experience. Share your enthusiasm, and encourage them to check our website - www.sfl.org . The website provides a wealth of information, and applications for SFL 2004 are now available on-line. Think Snow! Editor's Note Summer is the best time for all recruitment, and remember that part of the mission for Ski for Light is to introduce mobility-impaired and visually-impaired people to cross country skiing. So please don't keep your experiences to yourself! Feel free to share this Bulletin, your enthusiasm, and our website: www.sfl.org. Also, if you know of any organizations who may be interested in SFL, either for recruitment or funding purposes, contact either the publicity or the appropriate recruitment committee. Publicity: Duane Farrar, Chair E-mail: duane@sfl.org. VIP Recruitment: Suzanne Brown, Chair E-mail: suzanne@sfl.org Guide Recruitment: Bjorg Dunlop, Chair E-mail: bjorg@sfl.org or MIP Recruitment: Jeff Pagels, Chair E-mail: jeff@sfl.org Getting the Ski Tracks Ready by Eija Jacobsen Yes, it is summer and it seems like everyone is busy with summer activities: tandem biking, hiking, white water rafting and many other outdoors adventures! It is so wonderful to have all these opportunities for summer fun, even though I could live without the East Coast humidity! So why an article about cross country ski tracks in the snow? The winter will be here sooner than we might think. Some of us will be lucky enough to get on the tracks in October, gliding smoothly into the Winter Wonderland. Do we ever give any thought to what happens on the tracks during the spring and summer months? Or do we just assume that Nature takes care of everything? Well, that's what I thought! Yet, how does it work? What happened to that annoying branch that hit my face when I was too slow ducking last year? Why are these tracks now wider than they were last winter…. There are a number of SFL folks, along with those who work for the parks, who use their weekends to prepare the trails where tracks will be set for us. They cut the brushes, get rid of those otherwise annoying branches which would hit us if not cut off, and they might even have to take down some trees so that it is possible to maintain the tracks. They may also spend time rebuilding and repairing trails so that ski tracks might be re-routed to better accommodate the skiers. And if you think about all that work, it is not that easy or comfortable. Climbing up on a tree with a chain saw to cut off a branch is not that simple; these workers actually put themselves at great risk. Nonetheless, their work is voluntary, and they go the extra mile for all of us. I suggest that we give them all some thought, and send a big "thank you" their way! “SFL Family” News SFL skier Linda Medleau has been chosen by the Association of Women Veterinarians to receive the Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of the Year Award! Linda is a professor of veterinary dermatology at the University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine; and the second edition of her book on this subject is due out some time in 2005. Congratulations, Linda! SFL skier Amy Bower was recently honored as the Massachusetts blind employee of the year. Amy is employed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. as they say, hats off to you, Amy! As many of you know, long-time SFL guide Lisa Wangberg and her husband Jerry have decided to make Alaska their permanent home. To do this, they have temporarily moved to Florida. Jerry has been in the Air Force, but in order to both hang on to his retirement and stay in Alaska, he is now in Florida training to fill a National Guard slot. Lisa says it is a challenge getting used to the heat and humidity, but the kids are enjoying themselves. And Lisa says "I don't mind taking time off work at all.!" The Wangbergs plan to head back up north in December; we wish them well, and thank them both for their years of hard work for SFL. Finally, we have an update on the man many call "The Father of SFL", Olav Pedersen. This news comes from SFL guide Scott Bertrand and was posted recently on the Ski for Light listserv. As many of you have heard, Olav had to be taken to a hospital here in Denver for some complications from some falls at his home in Breckenridge. Soon after that he was moved to a hospital in the mountains closer to home in the town of Kremmling. Olav is currently in the nursing home wing there. Brenda, Megan, and I went to visit Olav on Sunday the 6th of July. The hospital is small and has a good staff that can help Olav. Currently Olav's condition is as such he is in a wheelchair and cannot walk. He does have movement in his legs but is to weak. There is a therapist that will be coming in three times a week to work with him to see if he will be able to walk again. Olav's speech is very quiet, but you can still have a good conversation with him. He does get tired fairly fast. You can send cards and letters to the address below and the staff there will make sure he gets them and will even read them to him if he wants. It is recommended that you do not make phone calls. They do not have e-mail where you can send messages like some metro hospitals, but you are more than welcome to e-mail them to us and we will be glad to take them up to him. Here is the address: E-mail: bertrand@denveronline.net Send cards and letters to: Kremmling Memorial Hospital District Attention Olav Pedersen P.O. Box 399 Kremmling, Colorado 80459 Please keep Olav in your thoughts and prayers. SFL Regional Spotlight: New England Regional Ski for Light by Vicki Post In each issue of the Bulletin, we will turn the spotlight onto one of our nine regional affiliates. These regional groups were established by people who were inspired to recreate their own SFL experiences in a more local and intimate setting. It is our hope that you will enjoy their stories, and that you will support them in their efforts. We travel this time to the east for the New England Regional Ski for Light. Imagine gliding through the woods, flexing your knees as you go over the many rolling hills, trying a bit of snowshoeing or tubing down a hill! Imagine skiing in a place that guarantees snow, with a group of people that guarantees an experience of real New England hospitality! Chances are, you would be spending a winter weekend with the folks at the New England Regional Ski for Light! New England is where it all began for this country; it is also the site of the first SFL regional. New England Regional Ski for Light (NERSFL) was incorporated in 1977. Earlier that year, members of the Norumbega Lodge in Boston were approached as potential guides for Ski for Light International, which was held in Woodstock, Vermont. That experience led one of the guides, David Bergesen, to found the regional. So in the beginning, most of NERSFL's guides were members of the Sons of Norway, which gave this regional a distinctly Norwegian flavor. Nowadays, guides come from many different venues, and the Regional offers a unique blend of old and new traditions. Currently, NERSFL offers two weekend trips each winter, and in the summer, one weekend and one day trip. The summer weekend includes hiking and canoeing, while the day trip is a tandem bike ride. Beginning next year, NERSFL plans to ad a second weekend trip to its summer agenda. Stay tuned for details! But it is the winter trips which draw the largest number of people. The first trip usually takes place in early January at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vermont. Craftsbury is located in what is known as the Northeast Kingdom near Canada, and on its web site, the center guarantees snow! According to NERSFL vice-president, Cindy Wentz, the accommodations are down-to-earth, including dormitory-style rooms and a large common living room with its own refrigerator. The trails are right outside the door. During the day, you may ski or snowshoe on gentle woodsy trails, or go explore longer black-diamond routes for a challenge. Evenings feature everything from wine and cheese to raffles to "wicked" scrabble games! Wentz says this setting is especially welcoming and intimate, and most typical of old New England. The second winter trip takes place in New Hampshire, in either late February or early March, depending on the timing of the International Event. The exact location may vary, but skiing is often at the Great Glen Trails, the site of the International event in 1998. Lodging is at the Royalty Inn, which is more resort-like, and includes a pool and hot tub. While it may be a little less intimate, this trip offers a lot of opportunity for some good outdoor fun and good community spirit! Wentz says each trip averages about 40 people; both trips feature good food and great skiing. The VIP skiers are paired with a different guide each day for variety, and people are encouraged to ski in foursomes, although this is not required. NERSFL seems to draw very committed people to it; many now serve on the SFL Board. NERSFL treasurer, Earl Prentice, has been there since the early days, and at age 87, still participates in at least one winter trip a year. Despite this, Wentz says the biggest problem, as with many regionals, is a lack of guides. She says there is usually a waiting list for visually-impaired skiers, but encourages everyone to apply anyway. According to Wentz, "We are a very welcoming group!" If you would like more information about NERSFL, including dates and details about upcoming activities, you can check out their web site at www.nersfl.org. You can also call NERSFL at (781) 667-9270. As for me, I'm packing my suitcase! Regional Round-Up Regional programs offer you an opportunity to continue your SFL experience, meet new friends and improve your fitness skills. We encourage you to take advantage of them. In this Bulletin, you will find some remaining summer events, and some of the upcoming winter programs. A more complete schedule of winter events will be in the Fall Bulletin; in the meantime, you can check for updates on our web site at www.sfl.org. Black Hills Regional Ski for Light Mount Rushmore Century Fall Ride September 27, 2003 Join fellow cyclists for a day of riding through the beautiful Black Hills. Challenge yourself and friends. Pick from three different distances: 27, 64 and 100 miles. Registration fees, respectively, are: $25, $30 and $35. A T-shirt and water bottle will be given to each registrant. This annual bike ride is one of the fund raisers for all BHRSFL programs and is sponsored by the Rapid Valley Lion's Club. For further information, contact Janice or Don Morgan at (605) 348-5026. Bob Marshall Camp September 5-7, 2003 Spend a weekend in the high pine forests of beautiful Custer State Park. This includes private lake access for kayaking, canoeing and fishing. Complete with cabins, hot showers and a kitchen/dining facility for great meals. Cost: $25 (non-refundable). BHRSFL Ski Swap November 1, 2003 Get ready for the upcoming ski season. Come to our GIGANTIC!! ski swap to sell or purchase. You will find a vast array of ski equipment, accessories and clothing. Doors open at 12 noon and close at 3 pm. This annual, one day fund raising event is held at the Rushmore Civic Center, Rapid City, SD. Consignments will be accepted on Friday October 31 from 5 - 9 pm and Saturday November 1 from 7 to 11 am. Black Hills Regional Ski for Light January 25-29, 2004 25th Anniversary Cost: $190 (Scholarships are available) For further information about this or any other BHRSFL event, please contact BHRSFL: Phone: (605) 341-3626 or Don Theye: E-mail: artpimp1@rap.midco.net Hope to see you here in the hills! Colorado Regional Ski for Light January 23-25, 2004 Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby, CO. Contact: Dave Thomas E-mail: yourdama@ecentral.com New England Regional Ski for Light Cross Country Skiing/Snowshoeing January 9-12, 2004 Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, VT February 27-29, 2004 Royalty Inn/Great Glen Trails, Gorham, NH Contact: NERSFL P.O. Box 2170 Brattleboro, VT 05303 Phone: (781) 667-9270 E-mail: info@nersfl.org Web site: www.nersfl.org Sierra Regional Ski for Light March 13-15, 2004 Tahoe/Donner Cross Country, Truckee, CA Contact: Betsy Rowell Phone: (916) 362-5557 E-mail: montbets@pacbell.net Web site: www.srsfl.org Wisconsin Regional Ski for Light January 23-25, 2004 Wisconsin Lion's Camp, Rosholt, WI Contact: Bev Helland 10168 Amber Trail Edgerton, WI 53534 Phone: (608) 884-4955 E-mail: bhelland@madison.k12.wi.us SFL Sponsors Please remember to support our corporate sponsors whenever you can. Jansport Bison Designs Bushnell Canine Hardware Cascade Designs Chuck Roast Columbia Cool Pooch Crazy Creek Dahlgren Devold Dreamsacks Eagle Creek Grabber Granite Gear Hog Wild InSport Isis Jytte Mau Mountain Hardwear National Geographic Maps New Hall's Wheels Optic Nerve/Mountain Shades Polarmax Princeton Tec Salomon Thor-lo How's your format? The Ski for Light Bulletin is available in ink-print, on audiocassette or via e-mail. If you would like to change the format you are currently receiving, please send your request to Judy Dixon at judy@sfl.org. Also, please let us know if you change your address. With each issue of the Bulletin, a number of copies bounce back to us; this can get expensive, and it takes us extra time to track people down. So again, please help us keep our database up to date. Thank you. The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. Remember that your contributions and feedback are always most welcome. You may submit articles as e-mail or as a word attachment; if you do not have e-mail, you may send a typed article through the mail. Send all items to Vicki Post: E-mail: vickip@sfl.org Address: 1849 Clay St. #2, San Francisco, CA 94109. The deadline for the fall Bulletin is October 15, 2003. We look forward to hearing from you. Ski for Light, Inc. is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Editor: Vicki Post E-mail: vickip@sfl.org Layout and graphics: Eija Jacobsen E-mail: frmetouny@hotmail.com Electronic version: Duane Farrar E-mail: duane@sfl.org Special thanks to: Judy Dixon E-mail: judy@sfl.org