Quote for November 12, 2003

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness out of it and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience.” Henry David Thoreau

The Overland Fire, by Chloe Forsman and Dana Nelson

Early morning on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 a power line blew over near the old Burlington Mine west of Jamestown, literally sparking a fire that would torch 3,500 acres in less than twenty-four hours. The fire spread quickly, fed by dry climate and winds exceeding thirty miles per hour at times; by 10:00 am the fire had devoured 400 acres. The town of Jamestown was evacuated around noon and a crew of 100 firefighters fought to save the small community. By evening the fire had grown to 3,000 acres and in addition to Jamestown residential homes throughout Lefthand Canyon, Fairview Mountain, Heil Ranch and homes along Lee Hill and Old Stage roads were evacuated.

Smoke from the fire drifted out across Longmont and the plains and could be seen as far East as Denver. Points offering shelter to evacuees were set up at Centennial Middle School and the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. The fire was classified as a Type one on a scale from 1-3 with one being the most serious. Two helicopters were stationed in Boulder to help fight the fires although because of the high winds they were never able to leave the ground. By Wednesday evening a cold front had reached the foothills and the temperature decreased dramatically and the winds died. Crews were able to partially contain the fire that night although the fire was not 100% contained until the evening of Saturday, Nov 1, 2003. Crews are still monitoring the fire for “flare-ups.”

Three Part Journal Entry, by Chloe Forsman

Tuesday, October 28, 2003:
*Edward Abbey!
*Ford introduced himself and the class.
*We read and discussed the syllabus

Weekly Outdoor Clinic Calendar

CAP students are expected to broaden their outdoor knowledge and skill base by tapping into the rich educational resources in their community. In order to accomplish this goal, students will take advantage of the free outdoor skills clinics, workshops, and slide shows offered by outdoor retail stores in the Colorado Front Range. Below are some of the hot events going in the community this week:

Tuesday, November 11, 2003 – Technical Nordic Skiing 101, Mountain Sports, Boulder, 7pm.

Tuesday, November 11, 2003, Is This Slope Safe or Not?, REI Flagship, Denver, 7pm.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003 – 13th Annual Boulder Nordic Expo and Ski Swap, Mountain Sports, Boulder, 7pm.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003 – Introduction to Avalanche Awareness, EMS, Boulder, 8pm. Get a 10% off coupon for attending! For more info, call 303.442.7566.

Thursday, November 13, 2003 – Helicopter Skiing in Revelstoke, BC, Mountain Sports, Boulder, 7pm.

Thursday, November 13, 2003 – The Rock Warrior’s Way with Arno Ilgner, Neptune Mountaineering, Boulder, 7pm.

Thursday, November 13, 2003, The Majestic Fourteeners, REI Flagship, Denver, 7pm.

Thursday, November 13, 2003, High Life: A Ski and Snowboard Film, Gothic Theater, Denver, 7pm. Tickets are $8 in advance and $9 at the door and all proceeds benefit the Katheryne L. ‘Katy’ Ellington Memorial Fund.

Monday, November 17, 2003, Introduction to Telemarking for Women, REI Flagship, Denver, 7pm.

Quote for November 11, 2003

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance

Quote for November 7, 2003

“Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. By land is meant all of the things on, over, or in the earth. Harmony with the land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left

Nature Awareness Activities in Tantra Park

CAP students braved the 35-degree weather today to learn nature awareness and stalking techniques in Trantra Park. We were privileged to have Michael Jospe, educator and survival instructor, share his knowledge and wisdom of how to increase our awareness of the natural world by awakening our senses, using wide-angle visioning, and moving silently through the wilderness. Below is a photo of a predator/prey stalking game that we played today. Colin is trying to stealthily sneak up on Cailin without being heard while T. is refereeing and calling people out when Cailin points at them. The CAP would like to thank Michael for generously donating his time and giving us new tools to explore the outdoors

Quote for November 5, 2003

“Always in the big woods when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the unknown, and it is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into. What you are doing is exploring. You are undertaking the first experience, not of place, but of yourself in that place. It is an experience of our essential loneliness; for nobody can discover the world for anybody else. It is only after we have discovered it for ourselves that it becomes a common ground and a common bond, and we cease to be alone.”

CAP Learns How to Make a Difference from Service Learning Colorado

CAP students are expected to complete a Community Action Project at the end of the quarter based on outdoor and environmental issues affecting the Boulder community. In order to help us with this process, the CAP invited Garth Schaefer from Service Learning Colorado to talk to us about service learning projects. Middle and High School students across the country have taken on extraordinary projects to make a positive impact in their communities. We learned how Cole Middle School used the Earth Force Community Action & Problem Solving (CAPS) model to educate residents about how to remove lead from the water in their homes. We also learned about students from the Volunteer Task Force in New Mexico who implemented a wildfire restoration project called the Community-Based Recovery After Wildfire:The Cerro Grande Experience to positively impact their community. The CAP wants to formally thank Garth for giving us the information necessary to get started on our Community Action Project!

Garth also wanted to invite New Vista High School students to participate in and present at the Youth Leadership Conference on Thursday, December 4th, 2003. The purpose for this academy is to provide a forum for students to network with their peers and improve leadership skills. Any students interested in presenting at or attending this free conference should email Garth or contact him directly at 303.866.6867.

Quote for November 4, 2003

“This is the true joy in life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; The being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” -George Bernard Shaw