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Atop Rotary Peak | Youth Outdoors

Sunday, October 07, 2018

On September 9th, laughs and foreign languages were heard from the top of Loveland Pass, 11,991′ above sea level. The group was full of high school students from across the world, from Peru to Germany, and Rotarians from the Denver-Metro area.

The Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Exchange allows international students to partner with Rotarians in Denver and other cities across the U.S. to live with three seperate host families over a nine month period.

“Our daughter was involved with the program during her gap year between highschool and college,” explained one of the host couples. “She loved her experience in Chile, so we couldn’t wait to host a student from another country and give them the opportunity of seeing what high school is like for an American student.”

The hike on September 9th took place on the trail atop Loveland Pass and finished up on Rotary Peak. After the hike concluded, the group gathered on the Divide for lunch and conversation. The students might not have spoken the same language, but the smiles seen in the outdoors are universal. Learn more about the hike here:

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Our Future Forests: Four Ways the Outdoor Recreation Community Can Help

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Our Future Forests: Four Ways the Outdoor Recreation Community Can Help

By Bruce Ward and Brian Kelleghan

When wildfires devour our forests the entire outdoor recreation community suffers: hikers, hunters, anglers, kayakers, mountain bikers, four-wheelers, campers, snowmobilers, skiers, birdwatchers, mountain climbers, and even people who just like taking scenic drives. Severe droughts and the increasingly hotter and longer summers have led to more frequent and catastrophic wildfires. While efforts to safeguard our forests depend greatly on national and state policies, individuals can help protect our shared cathedrals of conifers and the surrounding natural environment most of us enjoy.

Here are four things you can do to help save the forests and watersheds that all of us in the outdoor recreation community love and cherish:

1. Advocate for increased funding for U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and their sister agencies so they can reduce the number of catastrophic wildfires before they start. All these agencies have been grossly underfunded for years and likely will remain so in this era of record federal deficits.

2.Educate yourself. Learn why our land management agencies must thin the forest – that is, remove dead wood and even live trees. Understand, too, when the agencies set controlled burns they are mimicking nature and the natural process to clear away overgrowth that ignite and feed huge wildfires.

3.Volunteer. The agencies need help restoring landscapes and watersheds after devastating wildfires occur. You can help plant trees, clear trails, and educate homeowners, campers, and other forest users about fire prevention and mitigation. Support organizations like the Boy and Girl Scouts who dedicate thousands of volunteer hours every year.

4. Support funding sources that help our forests. The National Forest Foundation’s Skier Conservation Fund provides millions of private sector dollars with matching federal funds to assist land managers working with volunteers. Lottery dollars can be directed to fund recreation and conservation efforts. Your philanthropic donations can be directed to the volunteer organizations that are helping get work done on the ground.

We in the outdoor recreation community – regardless of how we choose to enjoy the forests – are not helpless. We have a voice, we have votes. We need to take action.

Mr. Ward is the founder and President of Choose Outdoors, based in Denver and serves on Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Council and is chair of the Mile High Rotary Club Youth Services Committee

Mr. Kelleghan is the owner of Bison Designs, a Mountain View District and Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America and Vice Chair of Choose Outdoors.

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A Camping Trip with Denver Interact Club

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

This past June, the Choose Outdoors team partnered with the Denver Mile High Rotary to take 8 students on a trip to Estes Park, CO for a weekend full of camping, hiking, kayaking, and exploring.The weekend started on Saturday morning when the students piled up their things and made their way up to the Estes Park KOA.

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The first day included a trip up to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park’s Trail Ridge Road, which reaches a grand total of 12,183 feet high. The road, still covered in snow, brought gusts of wind that differed dramatically from the 80-degree weather down in town.

Next up, the group made their way down to the Cascade Falls Trail Head. The hike was roughly 2 miles, and included a spectacular view of the Rockies from the waterfall. The peaceful rocks perched on top of the waterfall made a perfect place to sit and enjoy a snack and soak up the view!

Afterward, the group made their way back to town to hang out at the KOA, and ended the night with a bonfire. The next morning, the group set out to the Estes Park Marina to end the trip canoeing on Lake Estes.

Even though some of these students have grown up Denver, few of the Interact students have ever had a chance to enjoy the mountains that surrounded them. Choose Outdoors and the Denver Mile High Rotary was honored to help support new experiences in the outdoors. Learn more about our summer camping trip in the video below:

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Remembering Jeff Lowe

Friday, August 31, 2018

This past weekend, the beloved and talented climber Jeff Lowe passed away in Fort Collins, CO at the age of 67. Jeff was known for always challenging the status quo, and pushing boundaries when it came to climbing. He was most known for his solo climb on the forbidden north face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps. We want to thank Jeff Lowe for his contributions to the evolution of the outdoor industry, and his legacy that will live on.

Two years ago, we had the chance to speak with Jeff Lowe and his longtime partner, Connie Self, on the journey of becoming a climber and an influencer in the outdoor industry. Their motto? “Do the best you can, with what you’ve got, from where you are, right now.” Read more of their story in our original article here.

Check out Jeff and Connie’s film, “Metanoia.”

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