This is a guest post by our Staff Manager, Eli Shostak. Learn more about Eli, and our other field and administrative staff, on our Staff Page.

It may seem strange to be writing a post about trail running at the tail end of a Colorado winter. I grew up in southern California, where winter meant that there might be a day or two in December when it could possibly get too cold to wear shorts and if it rained the power went out, causing us to dip into our emergency/earthquake rations. When I say that this winter has been pretty ideal, with warm temperatures and not much snow, I want you to know where I am coming from. While a “La Nina” winter makes life hard for skiers, nearby red rock country has provided beautiful conditions all winter for trail running, an activity on which I am completely hooked.

This winter, encouraged by my wife Erin, I took my running to the next level and entered into the “ultra” trail racing scene. An ultra is a race of any length longer than a traditional 26.2 mile marathon. For most people, this starts at the 50 Kilometer level (that’d be 31.06 miles), though some elitists don’t consider anything under 50 miles to be of ultra status. Over the past few months I have run in two 50K races, a 50 miler and I am currently getting ready for a 45 mile race. For this blog, I thought I would provide some ideas about why you too might want to take up ultra racing. Submitted for your consideration:

• It is a quick way to take in some gorgeous scenery without needing much time off work or school. You might even get home in time to paint the new laundry room (for example).
• The people you run with won’t wrinkle their brows and ask “Why?” when you express your enthusiasm for running long distances. Likewise, these people won’t ask you “What are you running from?” with a smug “Aren’t-I-witty?” expression.  And perhaps most importantly, you won’t have to come up with a compassionate, original sounding retort to these unoriginal questions.
• You battered feet look absolutely normal when surrounded by people who have the same black-and-blue-about-to-fall-off toenails that you do.
• And also, these people have the self confidence to rock seriously short 1970 style roller disco looking shorts, even when the temperature is a balmy 37 degrees (Fahrenheit).
• Wondering about all those strange power foods you see on the shelf of your local sporting good store with names like Hammer Gel, Roctane and Sharkies? Not sure if Luna Bars really are just for women? There is enough time during a 50 mile run to sample a multitude of strange tasting “gu” foods, power chews, powdered drinks and other things that you might not otherwise ever consider eating. Maybe you’ll find out that Lemon Vanilla Cherry Coke Aide Slime really is your favorite flavor ever.
• After spending most of your day running, you will find that taking care of the things that you actually HAVE to get done can be done in half the time you originally thought it would take you to do them. Like grocery shop, walk the dog and paint the home office for example.
• If you live in a place that include snow, ice and sleet as part of winter’s many blessings, you could end up traveling to some gorgeous, sunny, warm and dry place where winter involves patios, beaches, flowers and bird song, to pursue racing during the colder months.
• After a long run you will be able to eat as many potato chips and drink as much soda as an eight year old at a birthday party.
• Participating in a race means you get a fancy eco type reusable grocery bag of race day “swag”. T-shirts, water bottles, pint glasses, strange medals, head phones, hats, coffee cups and belt buckles are just some examples of the gifts available to the race community.
• Speaking of the race community, you will spend time talking with total strangers about fairly personal things like your nutritional needs, areas of and solutions for chafing, pulse rate, body odor and etiquette around farting (sounds a little like a wilderness trip doesn’t it?).
• People who staff the aid stations are friendly, excited and want to help you. They fill your water bottles, give you food and say nice things about you. When else in your life do total strangers who you will maybe spend a total of 97 seconds with provide you so much support?
• Training for the event will motivate you to get outside no matter what the conditions, explore new places and push your boundaries. Perhaps all that stands between you and your ability to run 50 miles is your own mind.
• There is a good chance to have what I would call a religious experience. Running can be a very meditative undertaking characterized by deep feelings of connectedness to your mind, body and environment. There are numerous accounts of people under significant physical stress feeling that they are being surrounded by the divine. You just never know.
• It’s fun. At least, mostly.

N.B. Deer Hill Expeditions suggests that it might be a good idea to check with your doctor before you run 50 miles in the desert heat!

For over 30 years, I have guided people in the canyons, rivers, and mountains of the Colorado Plateau. This is a story of a young woman whose application to our program was almost turned down because I wasn’t sure if she would get anything out of it.

At the end of each day, we gather in Circle to “listen with respect and speak from the heart.” Although I usually conduct Circle around a campfire or bathed in fading sunlight or alpenglow, with this one particular group of teenagers, we always met before dinner. One day, we reached camp early, set up our shelters, and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon. A tent group of boys baked fresh bread with their stove and a “twiggy fire.” Others rested, talking by a small stream. Some even laid on the warm grass and slept.

So, it was that we gathered that dreamy afternoon, deep in a forest of aspen and spruce. Bill spoke of friendship, how he felt closer to people in this group in just three weeks than he did with his friends back home whom he had known for years. Ruth was excited about all the scratches on her legs from the off-trail hiking. Karen admitted that she had little to say because she was so content. Raoul from Chicago told us that he loved the quiet of the forest, that it was so “natural,” so different than the silence of his room in the city. And, then, there was silence in our Circle, for long minutes.

At last, Megan reached for the talking stick. Holding it with both hands, she looked around the Circle with a beatific smile. She spoke slowly, “When I am with Mother Earth, I hear beautiful music. I hear the little birds in the morning talking to each other. Every stream has a friendly song. Twigs snap loudly under my boots.”

Still with her all-inclusive smile, but now with tears running freely down her cheeks, Megan looked around the Circle, at our lips, to see if any of us were talking. She chose her words carefully, and enunciated every word with effort and passion. You could have heard a pin drop in the Circle.

“I love the sound of aspen leaves and dry grass in the wind. When a storm comes, the thunder frightens me. I know where the deer sleep because I can hear them breathing. I can hear the stars moving at night. When I sleep outside, I hear the voices in my dreams. I am so happy to be here with all of you.”

Megan is completely deaf. We gathered for Circle in the daylight, so that she could read our lips. We listened intently because her speech was difficult to understand. She knew how to “listen with respect and speak from the heart” and we understood.

Doug Capelin

Delicious, freshly prepared lasagna on the river. One with regular pasta, one gluten-free.

Parents sometimes inquire whether our programs are suitable for those on a gluten-free diet. The answer is a qualified yes. Although we can’t guarantee a completely gluten-free environment for the most severely afflicted celiac patients, we do provide gluten-free pastas and bread options for celiacs and those with pronounced reactions to wheat flour and other gluten products. The chief reason why Deer Hill has been among the first teen outdoor and wilderness programs to cater to gluten-free teens and other food sensitivities, is that owners Doug and Beverly have been following a wheat and gluten-free diet for many years, ever since their doctor advised them to use the approach it to address some health issues in the family. Now the whole family eats gluten-free. Here’s the story from Deer Hill Owner and Founder Beverly Capelin:

“Our family embraces a gluten-free diet, because through trial and error, we found it was undoubtedly the healthiest lifestyle for our family. As each of us took gluten out of their diet, we developed a stronger immune system, a healthier metabolism and we had a greater sense of well-being. This did not come overnight. It took a few weeks to get a sense that changes were occurring, and after months of improved health we became true believers. Back in 2006 I was actually losing sleep wondering how I was going to feed Ben, our now 6’5″  junior Olympian nordic skier, and optimize his health. He was devouring calories. The stress of his training regimen exaggerated his reaction to gluten and provoked severe health issues, catapulting us into gluten-free cooking.

We’d eaten organic foods for years and have always been a family that eats well and relishes creative cooking. But, no wheat, no barley, no gluten at all?? That felt crazy, and costly! Gluten free was just creeping onto the shelves of natural food stores. Now the choices are so varied, gluten free is in national chain stores and it is possible to find breads that do not crumble with every bite. Gluten-free may be dismissed as a fad by some. For us it has been a Blessing and we are committed to providing that option to those who come and break bread with us at Deer Hill… gluten-free or not.

Yum!

 

A Deer Hill custom program participant cleans up after a service project in the Bri Bri village of Yorkin. For the first time, participants on our Costa Rica Exploradores summer program will work with the Bri Bri during their 3-week expedition.

Deer Hill Program Director Jason Kroll reflects on the 10th anniversary of our Costa Rica Exploradores program:

After 9 years of continuous refinement and reflection, we are especially excited about our program in Costa Rica this summer. Thanks to continued discussion and feedback between me, Miguel Cabrera (owner-founder of our partner organization “on the ground”), and our field instructors, the program elements and itinerary for Costa Rica Exploradores 2012 are our best yet.

In addition to a very authentic homestay experience in a charming Tico village – where last year our group worked with local people on a reforestation project – the redesigned program includes service and cultural exchange with the Bri Bri, an indigenous people of Costa Rica and Panama who live in the mountains above the Caribbean coast, subsisting on farming and agriculture. The Bri Bri live very simply in balance with nature, in communities based around small-scale agriculture. Key crops are cacao and bananas. The Bri Bri speak their indigenous language, as well as some Spanish. We visit a community called Yorkin, which is situated above the Yorkin river along the border with Panama.

In addition to this new element, the program flows as well as ever between adventure and service elements as it moves from the capital of San Jose through the Cloud Forest, along the Pejibaye and the Pacuare River (one of NatGeo’s top 10 whitewater rivers in the world), and finally to the Caribbean Coast. In Costa Rica, Deer Hill works very closely with another organization, Exploradores Outdoors. This company is owned and operated by Miguel and Yency Cabrera. Through nearly 10 years of collaboration, we have been deeply impressed by the Cabreras’ sense of quality and concern for risk management. Miguel and Yency both have an impressive record of river descents and backpacking expeditions around the world. Their intimate knowledge of their homeland allows Deer Hill to offer you one of the most refined programs, off the beaten path, in Costa Rica.

All this, and the participants will also get to work on their Spanish every day of the trip through conversation with local people and guides, and the occasional relaxed class with our fluent leaders.

Whether you have taken a Deer Hill trip before, or you are considering your first trip with us, our Costa Rica program offers all of the quality, depth, adventure and reflection of our Southwest programs, with a little added “pura vida”!

Learn more about the program, see a photo gallery, and read the detailed itinerary here.

Deer Hill program leaders Miles and Britt pose with their Bri Bri hosts

The story begins in 1915, when Laughing Boy, an idealistic and very traditional young Navajo man, travels to Chinle, AZ for a tribal dance and horse racing. While at the dances, he meets Slim Girl, a beautiful woman who is Navajo, but who attended American boarding school and now has one foot in each culture.

Although Laughing Boy’s family doesn’t approve, he marries Slim Girl and they move to her home in Los Palos, setting up a quiet sanctuary for themselves; she, working in town, he, silversmithing and raising horses.  Life is wonderful until her past begins to creep into their world, causing a strained dichotomy between traditional Navajo life and the life led by Americans and also by Slim Girl.

They struggle to make their lives work and to find balance between their worlds. Their immense love for each other keeps their compass pointing north through the storms and they carve a path that is uniquely their own.

Laughing Boy is a beautiful read: poetic, lyrical and accessible to all ages.  It is a love story, a history book and a cultural statement, all in one fascinating story.  It gives such insight into the history of the Navajo culture and the beginnings of the changes that took place with the influence of the European Americans. This, and the fact that it takes place locally, in the Four Corners area, makes it a favorite read for those of us at Deer Hill.

Suzanne Strazza, Admissions Manager

The Sacred Headwaters

In March, Deer Hill field staff member Trevor Cobb will undertake an expedition to the far northern reaches of British Columbia, in an expedition to raise awareness about the plight of the Sacred Headwaters, a million-acre wilderness under threat of development for energy and mineral extraction. Trevor joined Deer Hill last year as a field leader on several trips in the spring and summer. His passion for exploring the backcountry in all seasons goes along with  a desire to protect the continent’s wildest places. Read the information about the project below, and find out more about the campaign to save the Sacred Headwaters at: www.sacredheadwaters.com The expedition is presented by National Geographic, and supported by Patagonia, Black Diamond and MSR.

“The Sacred Headwaters, located in the remote northwestern corner of British Columbia, gives birth to three of Canada’s most important salmon rivers: the Skeena, Nass, and Stikine, and has shaped the livelihood of many of Canada’s First Nations, especially Tahltan communities. Currently the Headwaters face the possibility of a fragmented future–claims for anthracite coal, coalbed methane, copper, and gold threaten this beautiful landscape and put the people and animals that rely on this valuable resource at risk.

The Skiing the Sacred Headwaters expedition will take five young skiers to the front door of local leaders and social entrepreneurs fighting to save their home. In our inquiry into the complex dynamic between economic feasibility, spiritual and natural capital, and sustainability, we hope to make insights into the way local people relate to wilderness in a perpetually modernizing world. Supported by local dogsled operators and traveling exclusively on skis, we will immerse ourselves in this rugged environment, documenting the splendor of the winter landscape, while highlighting potential alternatives to resource extraction for the region.”

Trevor Cobb, on the San Juan River with Colorado Plateau Challenge in summer 2011.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shot this summer in remote locations across the Southwest, this video documents teen community service projects on the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni Nations. Resident videographer/editor George Knowles (of Goodie Pocket Films) and Outreach Director Richard Malcolm spent a month traveling to remote locations in New Mexico and Arizona, joining groups of 10-15 teen participants and their Deer Hill leaders. The Deer Hill programs featured in this video include Wilderness Leadership, Canyon Country, and Southwest Journey. Highlights include: building a fence on Milton’s old family homestead; creating a huge shade shelter near beautiful Canyon de Chelly, and getting a guided tour of the deepest reaches of the canyon with our hosts; silversmithing with our Hopi host Iva; hanging out with awesome leaders; interviewing some hilarious participants; and just the incredibly welcoming people, stunning landscapes, star shows and sunrises we encountered. We hope you have as much fun watching this as we had making it.

Watch more videos of our programs

Solar panels installed on our straw bale Meeting Place, at Deer Hill Basecamp in the Mancos, SW Colorado

Although grey skies have descended upon Southwest Colorado this week, we are still creating plenty of  energy with our solar system, which has been in place throughout the summer. It feels magical to us that we are meeting 100% of our electric power needs from the sun. Every month we generate around 2000 kwh of electricity from 2 large solar arrays, saving 2 tons of CO2 emissions.

Of course, we are still in an energy-intensive business. Vans and trucks need to be fueled; food needs to be shipped in to Basecamp; participants travel to Deer Hill from far and wide. We are looking into local sources for our produce, and already grow a huge quantity of salad greens for Basecamp meals in our organic garden. But, the economic environment, and the nature of our business, makes it impossible to implement every initiative we can think of. What other practical suggestions do you have for reducing our footprint? Should we partner with our adventure summer camp participants, and the schools who work with us, to purchase carbon credits to offset the environmental cost of their trips?

(A portion of the costs of this solar installation were offset by grants from the USDA Rural Development fund, and the State of Colorado Governor’s Energy Office).

Authors Stephen Trimble and Gary Nabhan collaborated on this revolutionary book that examines today’s children and their relationship with nature and wild places. They begin with the premise that children’s experience with wild places has become a luxury, and that our children are no longer playing outside like previous generations.

They argue that a connection with nature is a “basic human need” and we are short-changing our children if we are not providing them with the opportunities to be in the outdoors, exploring, learning and coming to love places that are a part of their personal geography.

Trimble recalls his childhood in the American Southwest, reminiscing about family trips, camping and specific places that he continues to hold dear in his heart. He believes that by “forging connections with plants, animals and land, by finding ways to experience some relationship to the Earth, individuals can gain a sense of worth.”

Nabhan, the father of two young children, claims that it is imperative that we find ways for children to go beyond the concrete and “gain access to vegetation and earth that allows them to tunnel, climb or even fall.” After travelling through native communities of the Southwest and Sonora, Mexico, he mourns the loss of the peoples’ connection to land and nature, which carries with it a direct correlation to the loss of their cultural language and traditions.

Both men believe strongly in the necessity of a connection to the natural world; that this connection brings with it many other necessary abilities such as observational skills, curiosity, critical thinking and compassion.

Here at Deer Hill Expeditions, we too believe that an affinity with the natural world is imperative – in fact, this is at the heart of our mission.  Our permits and experience allow us to take our students to the real “wild places”, away from busy National Parks and tourist trails. Here our leaders share with their students the natural history of the area, how to be stewards of the land, and further, how to be quiet and comfortable in nature, open to unfamiliar landscapes. Through immersion in the landscape as a group, and alone, our participants observe quietly, and interact respectfully with all that goes on around them.

We also nurture relationships with Native cultures, celebrating their cultural inheritance and their knowledge of their lands, working with families who maintain traditional lifestyles and a connection to Mother Earth.

This mission is urgent, and what is at stake is not just health, but identity – the deeper understanding of “self” and “world” that we believe most teenagers are avidly seeking. To encounter nature is an opportunity to see your life, and your sense of self, against the relief of its demands. In the wilderness, our participants learn about their strengths and weaknesses, their true passions, and how they communicate and share with others in the context of scarcity and challenge. As Robert Coles states in the Introduction to The Geography of Childhood, young people…

“ …want to take stock of things, try to make sense of them, and so doing, hunger to find a place where such moral introspection can occur with grace and dignity.  The “geography” boys and girls ultimately want to explore and comprehend is that of life itself…”