MountainEar 2007 2007
Base Camp
Brayden &ISAS By Tom Smith, Ph.D.
You may recall that last year's MountainEar found Carey and I awaiting a new baby. Brayden Luke was born on December 29, 2006 at 3:30am. It has occurred to me many times since that the process of parenting a newborn is not unlike the process of bringing a new program to Summit. We call it ISAS for Immersion Service and Adventure Semester. For more details, see the article on page 11 or check out this link http://www.summitadventure.com/xtr as/SummitProspectus.pdf. I offer the following comparisons with newborn babies and brand new programs to help you better understand what we at Summit Adventure are experiencing these days:
Adventure staff realizes that God has been working miracles here for over 30 years. We have turned ISAS over to God in prayer so that He may do more miracles in this ministry. We welcome your prayers in this endeavor. 2. Brayden began his life almost completely dependent upon us for his daily needs. This is both humbling and exhausting. It requires a servant heart and willingness to sacrifice some of our time and interests for his good. It is not too much of a stretch to say we have been humbled and exhausted at the efforts to bring an accredited semester program to fruition. We seek to serve in God's Kingdom through the efforts of this semester program.
1. Newborns provide a daily reminder that God is the provider of miracles. Carey and I marvel at how Brayden is created in His image. We have already prayed and thought about him countless times. Likewise, Summit
3. Brayden's arrival has made life immeasurably more fun and satisfying. Watching him grow from a helpless little baby to a walking, laughing, little person is an overwhelmingly powerful experience.
In a similar way, ISAS has moved from a conceptual baby to a fullfledged program under serious consideration by no less than 14 colleges and universities across the country. As it grows and develops into a year round program, it will add greatly to the depth at Summit.
Can a kid get any cuter?
Our expectations of ISAS are huge. As I have mentioned many times, Summit needs to become a year round program, and ISAS is the most effective way to do this. It is also why we felt called to move from Colorado three years ago- God wanted us to have a hand in starting ISAS. Like our ~Continued on next page~
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time with Brayden so far, this has been a very challenging and rewarding process.
we are.
Second, is our international program, currently running primarily in Ecuador, but poised to expand soon to the Indian Himalaya. It mixes high adventure with significant service opportunities in a world foreign to most Summit folks. Like Ryan, our 10 year old, it is a program full of intense emotion. It is hard to come away from a course in Ecuador unchanged- it touches your heart in deeply moving ways.
In fact, since last year: Summit has been contracted by Pepperdine University to take a group of students to Ecuador during their Spring Break. 254 people participated on courses lasting from 2-21 days Many dads wept openly as they considered the impact of their roles upon their children Six persons with disabilities experienced the benefits of wilderness living 14 groups contracted with Summit for customized courses- the largest number of contract groups in five years. We have been blessed to add two new full-time staff who are making a huge difference at Summit already- Corinna Discovering common ground with a local Ecuadorian Clymer our new Program Development Specialist, and Jairemy We hope you will take a few moments Drooger, our new Director of to peruse this annual newsletter. After Marketing and Development. all, you only get one shot at it this year. Summit received the largest By next year, Brayden will be nearly single donation in its history- a great two, ISAS will be in full swing, and sign of the support that exists for our you will have missed some important work. Summit action. God blessed the 25th Anniversary of the Whitney Classic, Enjoy! our largest fundraiser of the year, with unprecedented good weather, a huge cadre of riders, and an excellent financial response.
Reaching out to people with Kingdom-centered adventure has characterized Summit since the beginning. But recent years have witnessed an expansion in our ministry, not unlike the growth in our family. Who would have thought that a call to international and semester programs would shake 33 years of relative stability at Summit? Likewise, who would have thought that after 10 years since our last child, God would present us with another? Apparently, God is not nearly as afraid of change as
This MountainEar gives glimpses into ways Summit Adventure changes and remains the same. There are reports of last summer's happenings from staff, student, and parent perspectives. There are picture galleries that speak volumes about the power of adventure, wilderness, risk, challenge and overcoming because of Summit. A 2007 Course Calendar waits inside to get posted on your fridge. New course options abound, as do prayers to our Lord and thanks to many willing volunteers for His work.
Thankfully, we also have two other children; one is 15 years old and the other 10. The comparisons with Summit and my family continue since Summit also has two other programs that are significantly more well established than ISAS. First, is the Sierra program, the oldest and longest lived at Summit. Like Justin, our 15 year old in his first year of high school, this program is remarkably effective and stable. It provides much of the backbone of our ministry, and will always play a significant role in how we help build God's Kingdom. Justin is a very special young man and despite some teenaged angst, amazingly reliable. So, too, is Summit's Sierra program with over 30 years delivering consistently transformational experiences.
Thank You
We wish to thank all the diligence and hard work of Summit Adventure's Board of Directors: Rick Wallace Casey Cobell Steve Atkins Dave Neunuebel James Papen Dave Bedell Maril Parker Tim Fickling
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Do you remember scrambling up a steep rock face, grasping for courage at the top of the Prow rappel, belly-aching laughs around a pot of “gado gado” pasta, hands reaching out to help each other cross Granite Creek, evening sharing lit by the pink of alpenglow on the Minarets, the swell of joy in overcoming difficulty, the humility of asking for help, warmth in the authenticity of team members' faces, the inspiration in sharing across generations, the power of thankfulness to God? This is a collage from the Sierra Program 2006. From small intimate groups that ventured through the high country for 21-days, to large groups of fathers and their children that celebrated and challenged their relationships, God moved powerfully once again in the lives of Summit Adventure participants. Gracie Bowden came on a 21-day Expedition in June and returned refreshed and changed. Below is an account from her perspective, as well as her parents'. Note: Jennifer and Jeff Bowden's children, John and Gracie, have completed four Summit courses: three, 14-day courses, and one, 21-day course. [Gracie Bowden] We got back to Base Camp about 11:00 a.m., after a two-mile run. It felt like it was a million degrees, but the staff had fresh blackberries waiting for us when we finally made it to the parking lot. The blackberries were amazing, the best I've ever had. From that moment on, I started thinking of things to do to avoid taking a shower. I knew I was dirty, but I wanted my parents to see what I had accomplished—the 21-day course. Three weeks in the mountains. The dirt was proof. [Jeff Bowden] It was all Jennifer and I could do to wait until 2:00 p.m., the official pickup time, to arrive at Base Camp. We'd flown in the night before, slept badly, then got up early, and started waiting. We ate breakfast, read the paper, ate lunch, and re-read the paper. We watched Italy win the World Cup, but
Sierra cheered most when it was time to drive up to Base Camp. When we pulled into the driveway it was 2:00 p.m. on the dot. [Gracie] The first thing I did was I listened to “I'm So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters. It was our theme song for the course. We sang it everyday. Then, I sorted through the group gear, washed and vacuumed the Summit truck, ate lunch, and washed all the food bottles. I even filled out the instructor evaluation form. At some point, someone asked me, “Why haven't you taken a shower?”
Gracie Bowden
[Jeff] When we got out of the car, Gracie was on the porch. She seemed taller than when she'd left for California. We hugged and cried, and met her instructors, Libby and Leslie. Eventually, we joined another student, Amanda, and her parents, and watched a slide show that the group had hastily assembled. After we'd been there for an hour or so, it began to dawn on me that Gracie was avoiding getting ready to go home. “You don't want to wash it off, do you?” I asked. Her pigtails were almost dreadlocks; her laugh lines were filled with dirt. Her clothes were filthy. She was beautiful. [Gracie] I didn't want to hurt their feelings but I said, “I kinda wish I was still out there,” I said. “I mean, I'm glad to see you guys, but, I'd head right back out if I could.” I knew that taking a shower was the first step in going back to the world. I
wasn't ready for email, cell phones, news, television, and in a few weeks, school. I'd just had three weeks of stillness where I was free to talk to God without any outside influence. Also, I didn't want to leave Libby, Leslie, and Amanda. I knew I was going to miss them and miss our conversations. They were loving and non-judgmental. In high school, I worry a lot about what other people think. At Summit, I'm free from that. All that. Note: Gracie slept in her sleeping bag on the floor of her bedroom for two weeks after she got home. She says she can't wait to go back. The following are Jamie B re c k e n r i d g e ' s t h o u g h t s o n instructing a group of girls from World Impact. This course and a group from Dakota House, also located in Fresno, were possible only through a generous $10,000 donation. The donation was specifically earmarked as a scholarship for courses for underprivileged populations. [Jamie Breckenridge] After a Solo experience, they all shared things in their lives back home that they wanted to change and had goals on how to grow in their relationship with Christ. Some wanted to limit their time on the computer and spend that extra time reading their Bibles. Others wanted to get involved with leadership programs that were offered in their neighborhoods. As the five days drew to a close, the girls went home different than when they had arrived. They took with them experiences of a lifetime, friendships, and lives that were more devoted to and focused on Christ.
summit adventure - po box 498 - bass lake, ca 93604 - 559.642.3899 - www.summitadventure.com
Girls from World Impact
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Stories from the
By Corinna Clymer
4 Menlo Park women learning trust in Yosemite National Park.
2006 PHOTO GALLERY
21-day re-suppliers
A Tyrolean Traverse
A Sierra Expedition Course prepares to navigate
Learning rope travel on Cotopaxi
5 Ecuador Invitational
Local Women’s Ministry Course
“Go For It” Course
Fatherhood Course
“Go For It” Course
Johns Hopkins on Rucu Pichincha, Ecuador
Fatherhood Course
Focus on the Family Worship
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Summit Adventure Welcomes the Drooger Family After a summer and fall busy with getting acquainted with Summit Adventure and learning my new role as the Director of Marketing and Development, I am excited for 2007 to arrive. My wife Pam and I are currently in the middle of a 2 year service term with the Mennonite Mission Network as Unit Leaders for a Service Adventure Program in Philippi, West Virginia, along with our 2 children Elijah (3) and Sarah (1). We are extremely excited to be joining Summit Adventure and its amazing history of ministry. As a family, we spent several weeks during June in Bass Lake becoming more familiar with the workings of Summit, the staff and the area. I logged a few more cross-country trips to spend time at Summit in July during summer courses, in September for the Whitney Classic and most recently in November for our staff retreat. I will continue working remotely until summer 2007, when we plan on relocating to the Bass Lake area. We look forward to meeting and working with you in the months and years to come. ~ Jair, Pam, Elijah and Sarah Drooger
CONGRATULATIONS to Dustin & Kate Smucker Oates
on their marriage December 16, 2006
SUMMIT
ADVENTURE
Full-time Staff Back Row - left to right Tom Smith Dustin Smucker Kelli Ramsay Corinna Clymer Front Row - left to right Carey Smith Jairemy Drooger
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BASECAMP
our time together and the people before us.” For over 30 years, Summit Adventure has ministered to its staff within a community that feels like a home should feel. For By Tom Smith Nicola and hundreds who have given Every MountainEar devotes some of its much to make Summit programs attention to community living at powerful catalysts for growth and change, Basecamp. Although the vast majority of “being a part of the Summit community readers have never experienced this becomes like family. And like any family it lifestyle, there are two important has its ups and downs. This family laughs connections between Basecamp Life and together but also cries together. It course participants: celebrates with one another but also 1. Both staff and grieves with one another. participants relate to It worships our Creator God and one another t o g e t h e r. I t s h a r e s through Summit's remarkably small amounts traditions and its of space together…and yet familial environment. it is good. It is familiar… it Nicola Baker had this to is home, and you wouldn't say about her three want it any different.” seasons with Summit: 2. Staff members learn in “ We e m b r a c e o l d community what traditions and start participants learn in the Gwyneth Hyndman some new ones. We field. cross our arms to pray [before meals]. We Getting out of our comfort zones is crucial play far too much guitar. We steal M&M's to allowing God to work in our lives. For from the logistics freezer. We tell the same many staff who are comfortable in the jokes. We have an annual Adventure Race. mountains, Summit's Basecamp We teach participants to 'support' rather community provides the discomfort than 'belay' one another. And with each needed to grow and change. Course tradition there is a story, a rich history of participants will resonate with Gwyneth
Community Connections
Hyndman's learning through struggles: “Was it all smooth sailing for the summer? Is it ever? We leave the comfort of our individual lives to live in alarmingly close community for a few months, so it's pretty tough at times. There is no way to sugarcoat that, but on the flip-side, the friendships I've made in my three years at Summit have been some of the most grounded and blessed relationships I've known as an adult.” Whether you have experienced Summit Adventure as staff member, participant, or some other role, God has attempted to draw you closer to Him through relationships. Clearly, we are on this journey together and these connections bring people to Summit Adventure, year after year. Gwyneth concludes: “I know that for many of us - both Basecamp staff and instructors - it's those relationships that get us excited for another summer of knowing and being known.”
2006 Summer Staff summit adventure - po box 498 - bass lake, ca 93604 - 559.642.3899 - www.summitadventure.com
Nicola Baker
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2006
The 25th Annual Whitney Classic was a great success. All together there were 43 riders that participated in our annual 135 mile bike ride fundraiser from Badwater, Death Valley, the lowest point in the continental U.S.A. to Mt. Whitney Portal, the base of the highest point in the continental U.S.A. In celebration of the event's 25th anniversary, many staff from years past showed up to help out with the event, as well as, to ride and raise funds for Summit. Tim Hansel, the founder of the Whitney Classic and Summit Adventure's precursor, Summit Expedition, shared some words of history and encouragement through a videotaped interview to riders, support drivers, Good Sams and Radio Hams, and volunteers at a worship service the night before the ride. It is always a privilege to observe riders who invest so much time, money and effort to support Summit's ministry through this event. It is difficult to describe the amazing journey riders, volunteers, and support drivers go through as they leave Badwater on Saturday afternoon with their sights Steve Atkins Team Storm at the Finish set on the Whitney Portal. For some it is a “once in a lifetime” experience. Others come back year after year, testing and honing their abilities to pedal the two and a half long passes, the extreme temperature changes, and the long lonely road through the middle of the night. Also, year after year the comments floating back to us reflect the unique team effort that is felt by all involved as they push through the sleepless night, keeping tabs on each rider, looking for that next SAG stop light in the dark, or cheering fellow riders along. We love that God blesses this event as a fundraiser but also as a time of fellowship among people from many walks of life. This year all the effort paid off with 11 individuals and 7 teams completing the ride by Sunday morning and raising over $70,000! We thank God for allowing all of you to help support his work through contributions to Summit Adventure.
RECAP
THANK YOU to all of the riders, volunteers, and sponsors of the 2006 Whitney Classic. Your investment of time, energy, Good Sam Club and financial resources helped to make this year's ride a successful one. Thanks to the Summit staff, volunteers and friends who put in time before, after and during the ride. A special thanks to Dick and Lucy Huddy for once again organizing the Good Sam and Radio Ham volunteers, you are a continued blessing to us. Thanks to the Good Sam and Radio Ham volunteers. Without your time, energy and effort this event would not be possible. Most of all, we thank God for a safe event and the grace and peace given through His son Jesus Christ.
This Year’s Top Finishers INDIVIDUAL 1st Place -Greg Wondra (10:51) 2nd Place - Dylan Harris (13:08) 3rd Place - Matt Hardy (13:20) 4th Place - Chris Inouye (13:45) TEAM 1st Place - Team Storm (8:47) 2nd Place - Team Neon (11:00) 3rd Place - Team Floyd Landis Memorial (11:15) 4th Place - Team Ottley (11:23) Other individual Finishers: Barry Baldwin, Mark Wagner, John McIntyre, David Hoffman, Steve Atkins, Gil McCormick and Dave Mulkey.
The Top Fundraisers Individual - $13,393 Steve Atkins Team - $12,130 Team STORM (Rick
Wallace, Pete Wallace, Judy Wallace, Bill Fish, Patrick Furtaw and Mark Lavan) The 2007 Whitney Classic will take place next year on September 29th – 30th, 2007. Make plans to join us in Lone Pine, California, for this amazing event. 2007 Whitney Classic Brochures and information are available online or you may contact us and we will send you some to distribute.
The God, Guts, and Gears Award is awarded to the person(s) who exhibits the most faith, fortitude, fellowship, and perseverance throughout the ride. As always the decision for this year's award was difficult. Ultimately, the award was shared between two of our riders John Macias and Glen Villanueva. Thanks for inspiring us all with your efforts. Congratulations!
Riders at Start John Macias
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ISAS
challenging environment. The unique classrooms, whether by a mountain lake in the Sierra or on the streets of Quito, Ecuador, will serve Immersion Service and Adventure Semester as the springboard for the By Tom Smith specific subjects and teaching methodology. There are some exciting new things We have included a short section of the happening at Summit. You may have Executive Summary of the ISAS heard talk of an academic semester prospectus to give you a better program beginning. We are working hard understanding of this crucial program. to bring this dream to reality. This You can see the ISAS prospectus on-line involves taking a step of faith with this by going to the following link: bold addition to our traditional Sierra http://www.summitadventure.com/xtras/ program. Below is a simple Q&A about SummitProspectus.pdf . ISAS followed by a summary of the Excerpt from ISAS Executive program. Summary: What is ISAS? ISAS stands for the Immersion programs, service learning, Immersion Service and Adventure and outdoor adventure are state of the art Semester. It is Summit's new semester pedagogical tools that attract and develop program for college and university today's college student. In the hands of students, who can earn a semester's worth skilled experiential educators, these of credit. approaches to interpersonal and academic Who will attend? We are currently growth are unparalleled. Beginning in the recruiting students from Christian fall of 2007, Summit Adventure will be colleges and universities across the weaving service learning and outdoor country. Class size will range from 6-12. adventure into an off-campus program The program will attract students who are designed to develop relationship-building Christian ministers. We call this innovative Christ-centered program ISAS - Immersion Service and Adventure Semester. ISAS will be based in California's High Sierra and the cities and mountains of Ecuador. Summit Adventure's mission to enhance and expand the Kingdom of God occurs primarily through building relationships within the context of adventure-based education. God-honoring relationships are vital to spreading the Gospel and require compassion, leadership, communication, and mutual understanding. Since the Great Commission calls us to “make disciples of seeking an education that blends theory all nations”, we need to build with immediate application and relationships across many cultures. ISAS experience. prepares students to do this by focusing on When does ISAS begin? We hope to interpersonal skill building in a wide array launch the first program in the Fall of of cross-cultural settings using a 2007 and every semester after that. distinctly experiential pedagogy. It Where will ISAS occur? Students will promises an intentional community that split their time and studies between students will learn within and gain California's High Sierra, Summit support from. Students return from ISAS Adventure's Base Camp, and Ecuador's as ministers ready to build God's high mountains and cities. The semester Kingdom using their newfound will be divided into four modules. Each knowledge and interpersonal growth. module will take place in a new and
WHAT’S NEW There are FIVE new program opportunities at Summit in 2007: Immersion Service and Adventure Semester International Youth and Fatherhood courses in CANADA Explore YOSEMITE Retreat for couples, women only and adults Adventure in Fatherhood in WEST VIRGINIA Corporate team-building Immersion Service and Adventure Semester – The ISAS incorporates service-learning across cultures, outdoor adventure, community living, leadership, and spiritual formation into an authentic experience of learning in the Sierra Nevada of Central California and the Andes of Quito, Ecuador. Students receive credit through Universities that have approved the ISAS for 15 credits. International Youth and Fatherhood courses in CANADA - explore new wilderness challenges with Summit courses through a partnership with Canadian Adventure Camp, Ontario. WEST VIRGINIA Adventure in Fatherhood – The peace of the eastern wilderness is deep and perfect for a Summit course for you and your dad or child to launch your relationship into a new adventure. Explore YOSEMITE Retreat - couples, women only, adult - adventure with a twist, These weekends offer a compact time of retreat and adventure in Yosemite National Park, in the heart of the park's spectacular towering rock-walled valley. Corporate Team-building programs with Summit may take place on location at a church, organization, or at Summit Adventure's base camp. Concentrated into a few hours or a couple days, these programs challenge groups of participants to look at themselves and each other in new ways. Visit our website or give us a call to enroll in courses. (559)642-3899. www.summitadventure.com
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INSIDE Brayden & ISAS Stories from the Sierra Photo Gallery Prayer & 2007 Course Calendar Staff Updates Basecamp Community Connections Whitney Classic Recap Introduction to ISAS What’s New at Summit
Non-Profit Rate U.S. Postage
PAID Bass Lake, CA Permit # 11
ADVENTURE BASED EDUCATION
Bass Lake, CA 93604
TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND THE KINGDOM
OF GOD THROUGH LIFE CHANGING
P.O. Box 498