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When I sent out the article call for this issue of our Bulletin, I waited on tenterhooks to see what would come in. The 2020 SFL week in Casper, Wyoming, was many things - atypical, frustrating, windy, beyond challenging in so many ways - but never boring! It was also a rousing testament to the successful navigation of uncertainty, and to the memorable, big-hearted kindness of strangers. In my eleven years with SFL, I don't think I've ever seen our whole organization and a host venue work so hard to make ski week happen, given the obstacles thrown at all of us by unexpected amounts of snow, and by tough road and weather conditions. Throughout the week, I couldn't help but wryly recall the Chinese proverb, "May you live in interesting times." The SFL spirit was alive and running hard, trying to keep up with and to stay one step ahead of the craziness. "Making lemonade" seemed to be a theme, and it turned out to be a "week of yes," though things certainly got off to a rocky/slippery start!
Skiing was to commence on Monday, as usual, and the travails of that day, alone, make such a good story that they have their very own article, further on in this issue. Still, one SFLer's description sums it up here: Minnesota guide, John Ofstehage, opens his recollections by reminding us of John Lennon's saying, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." Ofstehage recalls: "Large tour buses transported us to the McMurray Mountain Park ski area. It was a windy, snowy day, and, as the morning wore on, the steep mountain road got slippery. Two of our buses full of guides and skiers got stuck on this road -- one going up, and one coming down. Then, somewhat ironically, an official-looking car, with a large "VISIT CASPER" logo emblazoned across its hood and sides, slowly slid into one of the buses, unable to stop or turn on the steep and icy road. Uffda! So, with that, the way was completely blocked and it took several hours for the local sheriff, snowplows, and a large heavy-duty wrecker to sort the whole mess out!"
Guide Cecelia Walsh describes the week: "Almost every day brought transportation travails, changes to ski schedules, weather worries, or matching mischances. From having too few guides, to too few snow chains. From over-sized (delicious) steaks and not enough steak knives, to backward sliding buses. From whistling Wyoming winds to shrinking race tracks. From a maze of a hotel to a breezy tent for a lodge. From county sheriff's orders to vacate the mountain to overwhelming the Ramkota bar/restaurant's capacity."
Sadly, as Cecilia mentions, Monday was not the only day of transportation-related mishaps and aggravation; still, a decent bit of skiing happened each of the first four days. Novices and old hands, alike, traversed the challenging trails, putting in some serious muscle power on memorably difficult uphills on both the 5 and 10K courses. For the first time in collective memory, a MIP guided a VIP, as well. Brian Price, a local sit skier from Casper, heard about the event, and signed on as a new guide as the week was about to start. We were beyond thrilled to have him: A Paralympian, he jumped in with no prior SFL experience to guide VIP Tim McCorcle, and Tim says, "It was great, Brian was extremely competent, and we had a blast! We hope he comes back!"
Steve Brinker, a motorcycle-loving guide with the Michigan regional SFL and another first-timer at International, recalls, "Getting up this one hill with my visually impaired skier, we ran into a sit skier and her guide, really digging in for all they were worth to climb that same hill. Seeing their effort and struggle, knowing we were all on that hill together, and celebrating when we'd all reached the top- that moment epitomized my experience of the whole week."
The evenings boasted special interest sessions, a performance of cowboy poetry and music by a pair of local artists, a couple dances, a talent show, and our usual silent auction. Then came Friday and the news that our ski area would be closed for the day because of unusually high winds and unsafe conditions! Our stellar planning committee, led by Event Chair Judy Dixon, shifted again into high gear on a moment's notice, frantically arranging alternate activities for about 250 of us. Some of us explored the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center at which a great special interest session had been held the day before, part of our group toured an archeological museum that allowed blind visitors to touch fossils and other artifacts, and still others of us attended a kickboxing class led by VIP Karen Wood. Many of us gathered for various singing and musical jam sessions. Though we weren't on the snow, we were doing what SFL does best, managing to have a great time in spite of it all!
Race Day was cold and challenging. First-time VIP, Audrey Farnum (an Oklahoma lawyer and winner of this year's Jan Haug award) recalls: "The first lap was horrendous, and I kept falling. On a really steep hill, I kept needing to side-step up it after falling down and sliding backward repeatedly. I skied so much better on the second lap in places I'd fallen or struggled to snow plow the first time. We finished, there was a lot of good communication and teamwork (with guide Sonja Elmquist) to get it done, even when things were frustrating." Despite the rigors of the course, we all skied hard, and cheered even harder as each skier and guide crossed the finish line to raucous shouts, applause, and cow bells.
In keeping with the offbeat nature of the week, one of my own, favorite experiences took place off the trail. Our hotel graciously provides free shuttle service to any of its guests wishing to travel into town, not just to/from the airport. On Thursday, I opted not to ski, and was able to visit an impressive, multi-story cowboy store called Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters (whose owner generously offered a discount to people with SFL), and Donells, a chocolate/candy shop that has made its own, delicious goodies for about 70 years! I remember not only the amazing chocolate-covered strawberries I enjoyed, but the kindness of our shuttle driver, who entered both shops with me, described the merchandise, and waited there while I completed my purchases. Though I'd assured him he could go about his normal work and that I'd call when I was ready to return to the hotel, he simply said he had nowhere else he needed to be for a bit, and went right on assisting me in browsing both shops!
Though the week was filled with more than its usual adversity, we kept moving forward, on skis and otherwise. Bob Hartt, our intrepid transportation coordinator, did such an outstanding job of not giving up when the going got tough that event chair, Judy Dixon, bestowed on him the first ever Event Chair's Award! Audrey Farnum sums it all up beautifully: "Everybody was so cool and welcoming. A great bunch of people. It was a perfect storm of insanity that turned out to be a total blast!"