Author Archive

Why I would choose Southwest Journey

A post from Eli Shostak, Staff and Program Manager. One of the joyful challenges of living in Southwest Colorado is deciding what to do when the thirst for adventure arises. Looking east of our base camp here in Mancos, 13,000 foot peaks, knife edged ridges, alpine meadows and empty basins offer the clarity and inspiration …

We're Reading: Waterlines

Ann Weiler Walka is a river runner and a poet. In her book, Waterlines, she merges her two passions into a compilation of poetry and prose about the San Juan River, a river that many Deer Hill adventure summer camp programs journey down during the spring and summer. In Waterlines, Walka shares not only her …

Thank you from Pasadena

Student’s letter is full of Deer Hill spirit. In June 2009, Pasadena Waldorf School spent 6 days with Deer Hill, rafting 56 miles of the lower San Juan river, from Mexican Hat to Clay Hills crossing with Deer Hill leaders John Palmer, Cecil Goodman, Ryan Bonomini, Jason Currie and David Gillman. Shortly after we received …

Meet our Leaders – Michael Barton

Changing young people’s lives for the better. Michael at home and happy in the Colorado mountains 1. Michael, how long have you been guiding? I began taking my friends out adventuring biking in fourth grade. I have been guiding professionally for Deer Hill since 2001. I have also been ski guiding in the winters since …

Deer Hill Foundation 2009

Martin and Phuong taking in the view on the Colorado River, Southwest Soulquest 2009 Foundation Recipients 2009 The Deer Hill Foundation provides scholarships to Deer Hill participants who, without financial assistance, might otherwise never be able to participate in one of our programs. In 2009, DHF offered full and partial scholarships that enabled over 30 …

Letter from a Participant – Margaret

Heart of the Rockies 2009, deep in the Weminuche Wilderness. Margaret is in the front row on the left. A Letter of Appreciation from a participant Dear Doug, I am writing to show my appreciation to you for this great experience you have given me. It was one of the best experiences in my life. …

Featured Alum – Kayla Ringelheim

Award-winning singer-songwriter Kayla Ringelheim sings at an outdoor festival in Massachusetts. Singer derives inspiration from her Deer Hill program Kayla came to Deer Hill in 2005, and recently sent us a copy of, “Middle of Nowhere”, a song she wrote about her expedition. She wrote: “It took me almost 2 years to finish something that …

Meet our Leaders – Cecil Goodman

Cecil Goodman, originally from Indianapolis, has been working for Deer Hill for 8 years, starting out as a camper and returning as Basecamp staff before graduating to leading. As well as her outdoor skills (Cecil is licensed River Guide and a Wilderness First Responder), Cecil is a talented writer, who has a degree in English …

What we are reading – Leading Out

Women take the lead in outdoor adventure “Leading Out”, a collection of women’s writing on climbing and mountaineering, rarely sits on the shelf in the Deer Hill “library”. The book is a comprehensive collection of experiences from 20th century women climbers. It’s topics range from tecnical art of climbing, to the environmental impacts, to the …

NatGeo features our backyard

Check out the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Adventure, which highlights domestic adventures in Deer Hill’s “backyard”, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Their “Best of the Southwest” cover story highlights 20 of the top adventures in our area. From paddling the Colorado River, to exploring Moab’s redrock landscapes, to seeking out petroglyphs carved …