Today we had another beautiful day in Telluride the wild flowers are blooming and it is prim climbing season.  The guides are working really hard taking clients up into the Wilson’s and out to the many crags around Telluride.  A growing favorite day for most of the staff is the Friday climbing clinic with the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program.  Giving the local adaptive clients an opportunity to rock climb and bolder has become a high light to most of our weeks.  The participants come from as far away as Montrose and the Durango Adaptive program is even coming over to climb with us.  The climbing days have even sparked an interest in a participant named Art with cerebral Palsy to start hiking many of the peaks around Telluride.

This summer is shaping up to be a great one. We have already had a lot of great trips to date. We are looking forward to many more wonderful clients that we can share the endless possibilities that our San Juan’s mountains have to offer.

I also have to say I am very excited to be running our Sunday Clinics this season. I am sure that they will be filling fast, so please make sure to sign up soon to secure your spot.

I hope you enjoy the photos of some of our clients that we have taken out over the last few weeks. Until our next blog be safe and have fun.

Greetings! Please review the following information regarding these clinics.

The San Juan Outdoor School will be offering Sunday educational clinics through out the summer.  These clinics are open to the public from 10:00 am to 4:00pm on Sundays.  These clinics are offered as educational opportunities to the public, they are for adults looking to learn more about map and compass or rock climbing.  The participants will learn off trail navigation with map and compass, gps and navigation with out mechanical tools.  This is a great way to learn to not get lost.

The first rock climbing class will offer how to set up your own top ropes with and with out bolts.  The second class will focus on the fundamentals of traditional climbing and a day of learning about sport leading.  This is a great series of classes for any one who wants learns to rock climb on their own. Participants will need to register with the San Juan Outdoor school 12 hours prior to the clinic.  Payment in full will also be required.

• June 27th 10 am to 4 pm      Deep Creek Trail Head      Orienteering            4 min 12 max
• July 11 10 am to 4                Society turn climbing area   Beginner top rope set ups   4 min 10
• July 25 10 to 4 pm              Ophir turn off                        Beginner traditional climbing    4 min 10
• Aug 8 10 am to 4pm           Pandora Mine parking      Intro to leading sport climbs            4 min 10

For more information please visit our website at: www.tellurideadventures.com or call 728-4101. If you would like to engage our speakers for an interview, please contact Joshua Butson at 728-4101. Thank you for your assistance in publicizing these events!

So we have been having a different spring in regards to weather.  The flowers are trying to come up even through it has snowed almost every other week.  The last few days we have had a mix of dust storm and snow storm. When the snow melted on the ground and most notably on the cars all that was left was red dust and lots of it.  We are hopping for warm weather to clear up the remaining snow and make the rock climbable.  But for now there is always the Desert climbing.

So the resort is now closed and the town is quiet.  I got back from Moab after a crazy week of Mountain biking and the intentions of rock climbing.  After locking my bikes to the top of my Jeep and then forgetting the key in Telluride, my friend Kirsten got a flat tire, another one of my girl friends got her car stuck in the sand and we killed a battery.  I ended up with hives all over my feet, legs and arms, from the blooming sage.  Wow what a way to start my spring.

I am training for the ride the rockies and that is keeping my focus it is hard to choose rock climbing or riding but it is a hard life.

I am sorry to have not written in a while.  The climbing school has been very busy. This has been an interesting month for me my parents came, we finished up our avalanche classes, and a close friend died unexpectedly.  It is strange how something so a part of life can set your life into a bit of a spin.  I was sitting at my computer coming up with my training schedule for the Ride the Rockies and I got the phone call that my friend that I had been supporting in her struggles and path of attempted redemption.  I was just a shoulder or the hopes of one.  She struggled to ask for help, with out letting others in we can never really be happy or healthy (in my opinion).

So yes I am sad but it will not slow me down! life is to be lived and not morned.  So I am getting ready for our off season,  I have big plans of  great epic bike rides and sand stone climbing.  Then it dawns on me Josh will be in town, it has been years since he has spent a spring with me, he will even be around for my birthday.  The snow is still falling how ever and the skiing is still great but the nagging of the summer fun in in the back of my mind.  Especially with the ride the rockies coming I am so very excited to do something like this. I registered on my own so it will be quite the adventure.

The snow has been coming and coming down making for a busy February.  The last Avalanche Level 1 class went off well with only one lost beacon that a good friend is searching for with her avi dog Max.  Max just loves to look for stuff in the snow and finding something that will put a smile on the faces of every one around.  He is usually looking for avalanche victims so this will be a fun activity for him.

We have been taking out so many great clients on amazing adventures I am just so excited about this winter season.  We are looking a busy week coming up with more backcountry ski trips and the Level 2 class up a Alta Lake.  This is one of our highlights of the year this class is fun, we ski and dig in the snow for 4 days straight.  In my world it does not get any better than that.  Play hard! live hard!

This past weekend we hosted our first Avalanche Course of the season.  It went off with out a hitch the sun was shinning and  the snow had all kinds of layers to play with.  We found the snow pack this weekend to be quite variable with lots of opportunity for avalanche activity.  Needless to say we stayed on the Telluride ski resort for the class and was not able to venture into the backcountry.  Mike Freedman was able do some instruction for the course sharing his knowledge and experience with our class witch is always a treat.

It is always a reality check this time of year thinking about going backcountry skiing for me, even though I truly love these mountain they can scare the crap out of me.  What makes living in the San Juan Mountains so much fun can make it very dangerous.  I am always learning here and it keeps me on my toes,  I am hopping to get out on a ski tour this week. We shall see what the snow is doing, and if there is any untracked snow left.

So about two years ago one of our good friend Sylvie was in a horrible car accident leaving her a paraplegic.  She has been an inspiration to us in finding ways to help the local adaptive program expand their offerings.  This last weekend on Sunday Josh, Jon, M’Lin, and I took Sylvie along with another friend James, that has had a traumatic brian injury, Ice Climbing.  With the help of some other great people that just wanted to be apart of the day Bob, Laura and Megan.

It was incredible to see such strength that both Sylvie and James showed.  They jumped in head first down a waterfall and then climbed up.  For Sylvie it was here first time ice climbing ever, and she was able to climb the falls on her own valition.

James a more experienced ice climber from before his accident and had climb a little last season was more familure with the equipment and being on the waterfall ice. The smile on his face was priceless, and the joy was just radiating off of him as he climbed and finished the climb.

This was not an easy task for ether of these people and the challenge of the task was not even on their mind it was the opportunity given them that just put the smiles and joy into the day.  I have offered able-bodied people to take them out ice climbing and have been met with fear and anxiety.  Here I saw two people that lives had been transformed by trauma had no fear or at least not enough to keep them from trying.  I think what I will take from that day is that I refuse to live my life where fear will keep me from trying new things or pushing my limits.  Life is to short to let fear control it.

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