Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides 2018 Review and Accomplishments
- admin171125
- Dec 20, 2018
- 6 min read
Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides (CWRAG) 2018 Review and Accomplishments 2018 was a banner year for Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides. From the successes of our AIARE Level I and II avalanche education courses, to free community presentations, and rescuing the summer plans of dozens of Boy Scouts to partnering in the promotion of Colorado Tourism, we’re proud of our exceptional team members and what we accomplished this year. Here are some of the biggest highlights of 2018 for Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides. Some of our highlights include:
AIARE Level I Courses (Level 2 and Avalanche Rescue) - Educating the next generation of backcountry explorers
New Community Outreach and Free Education Courses - Improving Local Colorado Community Educational Opportunities and Partnerships in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Loveland, Lafayette, and Broomfield Colorado
Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides Comes to the Rescue for the Filmont Boy Scouts Camp Backpacking Trips!
Colorado Wilderness Corporate and Teams Teaches Experiential Leadership to the Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy
Colorado Wilderness Corporate And Teams and Rides and Guides Leads First Tribal Summit for Natives Outdoors
CWRAG Expanding Fly Fishing and Angling Stewardship on the Upper Colorado River - Exploring Colorado's National History
Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides 2018 Backpacking Excursions - Transforming Lives Through Adventure
2018 Denver IPW - Showcasing Colorado Tourism to the International Tourism Leaders - A Partnership of Visit Denver, Colorado Tourism Office and Travel USA.
CWRAG Further strengthening outdoor stewardship education and skills in our local community (Boulder, Jefferson County, Larimer County, and more) and on our amazing Colorado state (CPW) and federal lands (NPS, BLM, USFS) in Colorado.
Utilizing our land manager partners and outdoor areas to teach personal and organizational Leadership Development for 21st century.
Despite a historically low snow year last winter in 2017-2018, Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides completed nine AIARE Level I Courses, starting as early as late November, 2017, consistently finding snow and identifying layers far before anybody else had seen the early snowpack. Through the combined experience of our guides, we had over 150 students pass the course. That’s 150 more backcountry travelers educated about avalanche safety and the risks of traveling in the mountains during winter. We also taught two level 2 and two avalanche rescue courses helping further advance the skills sets while mentoring the decision making of more advanced backcountry travelers.
In 2018, Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides partnered with several businesses in the Boulder, Denver, Loveland, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Fort Collins area, to provide the very best of outdoor education to the greater Front Range community. Through the experience and knowledge of our guides and educators, we held clinics on topics such as navigation, orienteering, fly casting, and avalanche awareness. Through our partners including Jax Outdoors, Rab Denver, Topo Designs Boulder, and Moosejaw Boulder, we held introduction courses on backpacking and alpine rock climbing, got to share our love for Rocky Mountain National Park and its 125 peaks, and got people excited to get outside and learn new skills. We loved interacting with the community, and we’re looking forward to more great nights in 2019!
The summer of 2018 saw devastating wildfires across the many western States, affecting homes, businesses, and outdoor recreation in Colorado and beyond. One of the most devastating recreational aspects of the summer fires was the closure of the annual Scout Camp at Philmont, New Mexico, which was threatened by the Ute Park Fire, forcing the closure of the camp and leaving dozens of scouts scrambling for alternate summer plans. In a last minute call for plans, Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides developed an extraordinary last minute itinerary for a number of scout groups, taking them to the Flattop Wilderness, the Upper Colorado, and including time rock climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park. We were able to include all the equipment that Philmont was providing, and our guides served as mentors and supervisors to what were mostly self-supported excursions, as we upheld the values of the scouts and practiced exceptional wilderness education that sent the scouts home with good memories and new skills.
January 2018 saw Denver Colorado host the first Colorado based Outdoor Retailer trade show. Following the show, we were honored to host members from the Outdoor Industry Association’s Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy, highlighting young leadership in the outdoor industry. Named for Jansport Founder Skip Yowell, the academy aims to teach skills that new developers will bring to the industry, and OIA tapped Colorado Wilderness Corporate And Teams to hold an experiential leadership and team-building event in Estes Park. Over the course of a day, the group learned to work together and rely on each other as they discussed how to best move forward in a consistently progressive environment.
The summer of 2018 saw Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides taking backpacking farther then ever before, introducing dozens to our extraordinary backyard. We had the pleasure of taking guests to Rocky Mountain National Park, Roosevelt National Forest, White River National Forest (including the Flattop Wilderness Area), to discover the iconic gems of Colorado. Along the way we got to fly fish in some of the state’s most secluded waters, saw a multitude of wildlife, and got to teach essential wilderness and life skills, uniting groups, friends, and families in exploring the mountains, lakes, and wildlife of our wildernesses. In addition, we also partnered with Cabelas Outdoors to offer an exclusive Rocky Mountain National Park excursion, and also led exciting multiday raft and fly-fishing journeys on the Upper Colorado River.
As the summer Outdoor Retailer show came upon Denver, Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides was honored to lead a summit in Rocky Mountain National Park for the ambassadors of Natives Outdoors, an organization dedicated to promoting indigenous athlete representation in the outdoor industry. In a four-day event, we led activities such as fly fishing, climbing, and hiking, as well as a day of community impact with fire mitigation within the park. But it was with the afternoon roundtables that we sat back and let the conversation flow on how to move forward in an increasingly complicated time. In the end we were the listeners to stories and experiences, and our guides still talk about what they learned from those extraordinary four days in the park. We are looking forward to a continuous partnership and grateful for the opportunity to host the summit.
One of our favorite places in the state is the spectacular Upper Colorado River basin. In 2016, the upper Colorado River received the Blue River Trout Fishery Status by Colorado Parks And Wildlife (CPW). This past year we led multiple trips on the Upper Colorado River, exploring the waterways, the fly fishing, and the hiking the spectacular red rock canyons of Northern Colorado. With camp at Pumphouse and Radium, we got to explore and fish for some of the best trout in the state, explore hidden alcoves with treasures of Colorado’s prehistoric past, and enjoy lazy days on the river and some thrilling whitewater. In 2019 we’re looking forward to expanding our presence on the river and making it easier to get on the water quickest. We hope you’ll join us for what we’re looking forward to being a thrilling year on the Upper Colorado River.
Colorado Wilderness Corporate and Teams was proud to host members of the IPW Conference in Denver, bringing guests and travel writers from throughout the world to experience the wonder of Colorado’s wild spaces. Through mountain biking and rock climbing, our guides assisted in helping guests understand why Denver is quickly becoming one of the world’s fastest growing world-class adventure destinations. We brought guests biking through Denver to explore open spaces, breweries, local trails, and hiking to see some of Denver’s most iconic sites.
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