Top Gun Volleyball
By Alison Ostman, Alumni Association Coordinator, 2007-Present
Posted June 25, 2010

Throughout the year, the Resident Coordinators at the Estes Park Center and Snow Mountain Ranch are busy booking trips and planning events for their staff.  Many events happen repeatedly throughout the year; however, there are also quite a few “unique” events as well.  One such event recently took place at the Estes Park Center on Monday, June 21. 

Now, if you were a guest or a visitor on grounds, you probably wouldn’t have known why hoards of people, many wearing ridiculous outfits, were congregating on the volleyball courts or why there were speakers playing some pretty amazing 80’s music.  However, if you are current staff at EPC, you were either getting psyched to play in or to watch an epic evening of volleyball.   

The reason Monday night was so epic is because it wasn’t just staff coming together to play volleyball, it was a 17 team, double elimination tournament complete with Top Gun themed costumes and prizes.  A side note for those of you who are unaware of what Top Gun means, it was a movie made in 1986 which was about a class of macho students attending an elite US flying school where they competed to be the best in the class.  Stars of the cast included Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, and Val Kilmer.  This movie was the perfect theme because it provided the use of amazing costumes, quotable lines, and last but not least, stellar 80’s music. 

Teams showed up just before 5pm so they could find each other, check in, and begin warming up.  The tournament kicked off shortly after since many teams were surprisingly on time!  The Estes Park Center has three sand volleyball courts so 6 teams were able to play at once.  Games were played until the first team reached 20 points; the winner would move up on the winner’s bracket while the losing team moved to the loser’s bracket.  Each team had a fair chance at the prizes since everyone played at least 2 games before they fell from the board. 

Monday evening couldn’t have been better!  We made it through the tournament with clear blue skies, warm temperatures, happy staff, and best of all, nobody was injured!  The prizes that evening consisted of various YMCA of the Rockies t-shirts for the team with the Best Costume – the Peanut Heads, an $80 gift certificate for The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern for the second place team, the Dream Team, and a $100 gift certificate for the first place team, the Sasquatchers, to Poppy’s Pizza & Grill.  The Peanut Heads were comprised of mainly Family Programmers and Day Damp staff who are fairly used to wearing costumes when the occasion calls for it.  The Dream Team was the Lifeguards who seem to be outstanding at anything athletic and the winning team was slightly surprising in that they are the fly-fishing guides.  Who would think fisherman (and woman) would be such talented volleyball players?! 

All jokes aside, the teams, the players, and the spectators were fabulous!  They truly made the Top Gun Volleyball Tournament a great success!  Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this an epic event!

Growing Up at the Y
By Shane Wooden, Estes Park Center, current B&G staff
Shane has worked with us off and on since 1985
Posted April 9, 2010

In the winter, our dad, Wayne Wooden, would make the Ice Hill.  The hill was created in front of the Sweet Memorial building and was made of pure Ice!  Dad would take a water line and keep adding more pipes to it until it was about 10 or 12 feet tall – it was a mountain of ice!  A set of stairs were built specifically for the ice hill and would sit in storage until they were needed the next year.  You had to carry your runner sled up the stairs with you and carefully climb to the top.  Once you started to slide, you would fly all the way to the mini-golf course! The ice hill was a favorite for many years; however, due to liability reasons it was ultimately discontinued.

Another childhood favorite came from Hazel.  Hazel was one of the LOL’s (little old ladies) who ran the rustic room and in the summer, she would give all of the staff kids ice cream cones.

The Y has changed a lot; some of the changes have been a long time coming.  The increased capacity has some concern with the economic times, but that is where faith comes in.

Alumni Comments:

• 4/9/2010 by Tom Cartwright
  In the winter season 1977 and 1978, it was so dry the only ice or snow seen, or that I remember in the open sun was the Ice Hill!
• 5/16/2010 by Ginny Law Peterson
  Where did your dad, Wayne, work at the "y"? My husband, Gary Peterson, and I met while working there in summer of 1976. Gary was in Maintenance and I was in Housekeeping.
• 8/24/2010 by Brad Baughman
  I worked maintenance the summer of '76, and I think your dad Wayne was one of my superiors. He was very friendly and patient. I also remember Dale and Lee. Three years after having worked at the "Y", I returned with a couple of buddies in March to do some cross country skiing. I was unable to get the pilot light lit in our cabin, and Lee showed up. When he saw me, he smiled and said something like, "This is no surprise. You never could figure this out when you worked here."

Four of the Best Summers
By Randy Lloyd, Estes Park Center, 1965-1968
Posted March 22, 2010

Four of the best summers of my life were spent as a plumber/electrician/carpenter/handy man at the Estes Park Center, YMCA of the Rockies from 1965-1968. That doesn’t include all the other summers my family spent camping at Glacier Basin. I don’t recall a summer that we didn’t pitch our tent just over the ridge from the Y-Camp.

My four summers were the last two of my college career and the first two as a teacher in Normal, IL. Yes, “Normal” – and believe me, I’ve heard ALL of the jokes and seen all the looks and smirks!  In the late ‘60s, teachers were only paid during the nine months of the school year and received no checks during the summer. Every teacher had to have a summer job and the Y-Camp was mine. The Y-Camp was my summer income.  

Carroll Mahagan was the maintenance chief and he kept me busy. We worked six days a week and had one day off, and every maintenance guy and housekeeper worked Friday through Monday. I drove a gray service truck and one July 4th, working 3 to 11 shift, drove around the athletic field road for 20 minutes to get the odometer to turn over 1,000,000 miles! That truck was great!

The other truck I drove for two years was Carroll’s. He let me have it to run repair tickets, so he didn’t have to worry about starting it! The only way it would start was to roll start it, which meant parking it on a hill. That was no problem in the camp, but the day he sent me to Longmont to pick up a newly repaired circular saw was another matter. Longmont is relatively flat.

We also took that truck up Fall River Road one morning. Carroll stopped me between repair calls and said he had to go to town and asked me to drive. No problem, but when he directed me into the Park, and we started up Fall River Road, I was delighted. That is one of my favorite drives. The road had been closed for many years for repairs and had only reopened that morning! It used to be two way! Can you imagine? I can! I rode on it as a kid when it was two way. Talk about your white knuckle rides!

This, however, was a most memorable trip. Carroll told me the story of his earliest days in Colorado, when he was on the crew that built the original Fall River Road. Needless to say, this teacher took every opportunity to gather as much history as I could. We stopped at Chasm Falls, slowed to watch wildlife and stopped for coffee at the gift shop at Milner Pass.  

We did get to Estes and picked up some cabinet hardware. It had to be the most round-about trip in Y- Camp history but worth every minute. You see, my father died in January 1964. He loved Colorado, and Carroll was like him is many ways. I respected Carroll as I had respected my dad and enjoyed his company.

One summer I helped drive the camp bus, since I had a chauffeur’s license. I recall taking hikers to the Longs Peak trailhead at the ungodly hour of 2 a.m., and being so tired on the drive back that I was afraid I’d fall asleep and drive off of Highway 7. Then I got to sleep for an hour or two, went to work, and finally going back to pick up the hikers. If they’d had a good hike they were in high spirits. If it had not been a good hike well let’s just say it was a long, quiet ride home!

Thanks for letting me share my memories. Colorado is my second home, and when I retire from my current job around April 2011, I want to spend as much time there as my wife will allow!

Alumni Comments:

• 4/7/2010 by Jim Armstrong
  During the Summer of 1966, I too was a member of the YMCA of the Rockies staff as a Summer Camp Counselor for 4th, 5th and 6th graders at Jellison. My primary girlfriend from that Summer was also a fellow counselor for the same age group. I also got to serve as an MC of the Evening Talent Show several times, teach Sunday School on Weekends, help lead overnight pack trips on horseback, serve as a co-leader for overnights and even deliver the next week's program on horseback several times that Summer for families that were staying over for the next week. I can still remember some little kids yelling to their parents, as I rode up to the door: "Look Mommy, it's a cowboy." My last great memory of Summer, 1966 (the year after my Freshman Year of College), I was also nominated for the 4th of July "King" title and got to ride in a convertible in a Parade that traveled in front of the Administration building. Actually, my room mate from that Summer, Van Johnson, won the competition. But, it was still fun to ride in the convertible. Van's hometown friend, Gene Garris, worked in the General Store that Summer and alerted Van ahead of time that he was going to propose to his girlfriend on Trail Ridge Rd. She was a hikemaster that Summer and she accepted - - becoming the wife of the long-time leader of the YMCA of the Rockies.

A different kind of hiking: hitchhiking!
By Sarah Holdt
Posted March 15, 2010

Sarah currently works for YMCA of the Rockies Communications Department as well as leading hikes for the Program Department in the summer. See her weekly column, The Thunker, in the Estes Park News.

As a hikemaster, one of my favorite hikes to lead is the seven-mile, Eugenia-Mine-to-YMCA-of-the-Rockies route. We begin at the Longs Peak trailhead, visit the remains of the historic Eugenia Mine, enjoy a picnic lunch near a serenading stream on a wildflower-covered slope along Storm Pass, and end up back at the Y. The trail climbs steeply at the beginning, but the majority of the hike takes us on a gentle downhill amble, providing opportunities to admire the many spectacular views along the way.

One time a hiker asked if we ever see wildlife on this route and I admitted that no, we don’t. Not five minutes later we were startled to see a mama moose and two babes grazing in a nearby aspen grove. We saw their black silhouettes again after making a switchback, and spotted them once more as they stood in the pond above East Portal. We spent at least half-an-hour quietly stepping around trees and rocks to get a better look without interrupting their bath. The chance viewing of these elusive animals was a hiking highlight for many of us that year. 

If you’ve hiked much with the Y, you’ve probably been on a trek with Uncle Brent (still hiking at almost 85 years old!), and also with John Adkins, and Maribeth Warren, also frequent Y hikers. The first time I lead the Eugenia-Mine-to-the-Y hike, Uncle Brent, John and Maribeth were all on the hike. Uncle Brent slipped on loose rock about halfway through the day, so by the time we were nearing the end of the trail, he was limping noticeably. I was new to leading hikes and was trained never to split up a group, but we were so close—just feet away from entering Y property—that I decided it would be ok to leave Maribeth with Uncle Brent at the East Portal parkinglot while John ran ahead to get a car and drive him back to the Y. I continued with the rest of the group, crossing the Y grounds at the usual pace, while John hustled at lightning speed to get to SweetMemorial, intending to notify the folks at the desk about what was transpiring, then hop in his car to drive back and pick up UncleBrent. 

Breathless after his breakneck sprint through the brush, John burst into Sweet, rushed to the desk, and hurriedly began explaining that Brent was hurt, when behind him he heard a voice, “I’m fine. I’m fine!” John turned to see Uncle Brent, grinning widely, sitting at a table, waiting for him. John was agog. How did Brent, with a swollen knee, get back to Sweet before he did?

Turns out that while John was making a mad dash to Sweet, Uncle Brent had taken off his hat to expose his full head of white hair, he turned on his charm and stuck out his thumb, and the first people who came along gave him and Maribeth a lift back to the Y. When the rest of the group made it to Sweet, we found Uncle Brent and John laughing together at the mysterious wings Brent must have sprouted to beat John back to the building. And we’ve laughed about it ever since.

Finding My Way Home
By Hilary Tompkins-Adamson, Estes Park Center Day Camp 1995, 1997, 1999
Posted March 8, 2010

My first time back at the YMCA was during the 2007 alumni reunion. I was one of a few alumni from the 1990s and early 2000s. Much to my surprise, I found that there was little difference between a 1940 alumni and myselfonce we started talking about our experiences.

It was an eerie feeling walking across the once-familiar grounds and seeing somany major changes, but that feeling didn’t last long. Soon enough I found that spring in my step that only the YMCA could give me. I don’t know if it’s the air, or something in the tap water, but there is no place I feel so centered and capable of being the person God intended. Since that first reunion, I have made it a point to get back to the YMCA every summer to find my roots and reinvigorate my spirit. The ponderosa pines still fill the air with that sweet scent in the mornings, and theafternoon rains are a sight for soar eyes.

For me, working at the YMCA of the Rockies was truly a life changing opportunity. Throughout my first few years of college and “real life,” I was thrown several curveballs, and my summers at the Y were always there to catch me. I spent hours hiking in the National Park searching out physical challenges while sorting through the path to choose in my life.

The first real songs I wrote were on the old piano in Jellison, and I played for hours on the then-new baby grand piano in the Hempel Auditorium. Now those songs are sung to not only pay my bills but to live out my passion as well. The YMCA of the Rockies is where I first found my voice.

Alumni Comments:

• 3/11/2010 by Alphonse C BASSENE
  I attended the 2007 Alumni Reunion, but unfortunately the hype I thought I was going to witness after I left in 1999 was not there. I traveled miles to be there in the hope of finding my peers.
  • Lulie Melton on the above comment: The 2007 Snow Mountain Ranch reunion was not as well attended as we would like for it to have been. Alphonse, we appreciate you taking the time to attend. We hope that the SMR alumni will network with their friends and make plans to attend the 2012  reunion, so it will be a huge success!

What’s New at YMCA of the Rockies?
Posted March 1, 2010 (click images to enlarge and see captions)

It is always humorous to visit with alumni who haven’t come home to YMCA of the Rockies for awhile. For many years, it was as if time stood still between their visits. There was always a new program building here or a new cabin there, but returning staff could always find their way around.

Today, at Snow Mountain Ranch and Camp Chief Ouray, the most obvious change is the lack of trees. In recent years, most of the lodgepole pines have died from the pine beetle infestation which is devastating Colorado forests. The trees have been cleared, opening up sweeping mountain vistas. You can even see US Highway 40 from the Administration Building.

The most recent facility additions to Snow Mount Ranch are a new tubing hill and outdoor pavilion. The Leggett Youth and Family Pavilion serves Snow Mountain Ranch as a skating rink in the winter and programming space for Camp Chief Ouray in the summer. 

At the Estes Park Center, things have really changed with the Core Development Project. Gone are Pioneer, Fern-Odessa and the Mummy Quad. Also gone are the old Maintenance and Housekeeping/Laundry buildings. In their place are three new lodges; Longs Peak, Rams Horn and Emerald Mountain. 

The lobbies have massive stone fireplaces two stories tall. Lodge rooms have granite countertop sinks, in-floor heat and old hickory furniture. The one amenity that former staff would consider unusual is all three lodges have elevators!

Longs Peak Lodge, completed last July, recently received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating. This certification indicates that Long Peak Lodge passed an accreditation exam by the Green Building Certification Institute. The certification process is still under way for Emerald Mountain and Rams Horn Lodges. While design and building costs are higher for LEED certified buildings, the savings in energy, water and maintenance far exceed the initial outlay.

There is also a new conference building attached to the back of the Ruesch Auditorium. The new Assembly Hall provides state-of-the-art meeting facilities. All tables and chairs are stored in large closets surrounding the meeting rooms. No longer do staffers haul tables and chairs from storage, load them in trucks and unload them only to be reversed at the conclusion of the conference.

The Mootz Family Craft and Design Center and the Legett Christian Center both opened last summer. The new facilities were welcomed by staff and guests.

Last but not least, the Ruesch Auditorium is getting an exterior facelift. Since its completion in 1980, many staff and guests considered this the least attractive building on campus. Its lack of architectural style stuck out like a sore thumb against the beautiful Western Stick style of the Ad Building and Walnut Room.

By May, the Ruesch will look like it should have in the first place, with wrap around decks and an inviting porch on two levels. You can see the progress by going to: http://oxblue.com/pro/open/neenan/ymcarockies . After you are there, click on the thumbnail image that says “YMCA of the Rockies – Camera 2.” Use the calendar on the left side to see archived images.

Another change is that the Dude Rooms by the Ranch House are gone. Some of you probably had to clean those as your job at the Y! A new six bedroom family reunion cabin, donated by the Everhart Family, is replacing the old Dude Rooms. It will match the Ranch House in architecture, can sleep 22, making it a nice option for smaller reunion groups It is already booked for the entire summer of 2010.

Interview with Jim Boyd
Estes Park Center, 1977-present
Posted February 22, 2010 (click images to enlarge and see captions)

Many alumni reading this worked with, were hired by or worked for Jim Boyd. Jim has worked at the Y off and on for 33 years. It’s doubtful anyone else has held more job positions at the Y than him. Jim exemplifies the true Y spirit in giving his best at whatever he is called upon to do.

Jim recently was promoted from Data Base Administrator to the Estes Park Center Controller/IT. The twists and turns of how he got to his latest position is an interesting story. Your Alumni Association Coordinator recently sat down with Jim to find out what makes him love the Y so much.

Lulie: How did you find out about the Y?

Jim: My first knowledge of the YMCA of the Rockies was around 1968, when my best friend’s father, who was also our family physician, attended C.U. Medical School’s Family Practice Review at the Estes Park Center. Dr. Schultze returned home and recommended that our family make the Estes Park Center our next vacation destination. We did.

In 1972, I returned with the youth choir from my hometown church. We were on a week-long tour which included stops to sing at the Air Force Academy Chapel as well as to inmates in the Colorado State Penitentiary at Canyon City. Our final destination was the Estes Park Center where we stayed in Hallett Lodge. We sang at the Sunday morning service in Hyde Memorial.

It was a year or two later that Reverend Bill Huth became the Youth Pastor at our church. Of course, Bill later became the Chaplin at the Estes Park Center.

Lulie: What was your first year to work at the YMCA and what did you do?

Jim: My first summer to work for the YMCA of the Rockies was in 1977. I worked for Randy Bartley as one of the two Housekeeping drivers. My partner was John Dallas. We worked some long days and always worked 6 days a week, but we had a great time.

Lulie: That first year, where did you live and who was your roommate?

Jim: I lived in Coleman 1 at Pioneer Lodge, but I cannot remember who my roommate was. Maybe he is reading this and will help jog my memory. I was only in the room to sleep six or seven hours and to change clothes. My roommate worked p.m. Food Service and we never saw each other.

Lulie: Would you share any funny experiences from that first year?

Jim: I can think of several, but I won’t discuss them in this forum!

Lulie: Let’s see if you can list all dates and jobs you have had at the Y.

Jim:

• 1977, May through August, EPC Housekeeping Driver
• 1977-1978, December through May, I dropped out of college and spent the winter working in Housekeeping, Food Service, Program, Conference, Administration and Maintenance. Some of the jobs I did included working in the Wood Shop, driving a bus, operating heavy equipment, lifeguard, Rustic Room, Gift Shop, Front Desk and Conference Office. Back then, there were only a few seasonal staff during the off-season, and we worked wherever we were needed at any given moment.
• 1978, May through June, Day Camp Counselor and Teen Barn
• 1978, June through August, Resident Assistant
• 1978, September through May of 1981, Assistant Conference Director under Larry Grampp This was my first year-round, benefited position.
• 1981, May through December, Conference Director
• September 1984, Assistant Business Office Manager
• December 1984 through 1995 Personnel Director
• 1995 through 1996, Accounts Payable/Payroll
• 1999 through August 2005, Assistant Business Office Manager
• 2005, December through November 2009, Database Administrator
• 2009, November to ? Center Controller/IT

Lulie: That is a lot of jobs! It has got to be a record.

Lulie: Why did you leave the Y at various times?

Jim: I left in January of 1982 through August 1984 to finish my college degree at Louisiana Tech in Liberal Arts. I left again in 1997 through 1999 to be a stay-at-home-dad for my two sons. I left a third time in August of 2005 to November of 2005 to serve as a Larimer County Sheriff’s Deputy.

Lulie: What brought you back each time? Everybody knows it wasn’t the money!

Jim: The staff, the guests, the Y’s Mission and the diversity of the work, all surrounded by one of the most beautiful places in the world. I’ve learned my lessons, and I now have a pact with several co-workers. If I ever talk about leaving the YMCA again, they have my permission to break a 2 x 4 over my head!

Lulie: Talk about your work as a “Bear Buster.”

Jim: For the last ten years, I have worked as a volunteer for the Colorado Division of Wildlife as a member of the Bear Aware Team. I have the distinction of having spent more contact hours with bears than any of the District Wildlife Managers. Bears are my passion and I love interacting with them. I give educational talks almost weekly during the summer to civic groups, landowner’s associations, school groups and camp ground visitors and other audiences.

My sons and I respond to calls for bear’s in the area, bear’s on the deck, bear’s inside residences, garages and businesses as well as to reports of injured bears. Based upon the continually increasing number of conflicts between Colorado residents, visitors and bears, I’m concerned that the CDOW will soon be forced, politically, to adopt a zero tolerance policy for bears that enter residential areas, even in mountain towns like Estes Park. I believe we will be killing a lot more bears in the years to come.

Lulie: Tell me about your sheriff, fire and EMS training.

Jim: While I was back at college in 1982, I went to work for and ambulance service and became an EMT. Upon returning to the YMCA in 1984, I organized the first ERT (emergency response team) at the Estes Park Center and chartered it with Larimer County. In 1986, I built my house in Glen Haven and became the first EMT on the Glen Haven Volunteer Fire Department.

During the winter of 2004, I went to law enforcement academy. I was hired as a Deputy with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office in August of 2005. For personal reasons, I downgraded my involvement with LCSO in December of 2005 to Reserve Deputy and returned to work at the YMCA of the Rockies.

Lulie: You have two wonderful sons. Tell me about them.

Jim: Chris, 15 and Matt, 14 are the greatest gifts in my life. They challenge and inspire me daily and help me keep things in perspective. I’m very proud of them and love them more than anyone else in my life.

Lulie: How have your relationships with Y staff and guests affected your life?

Jim: The staff of the YMCA of the Rockies and our guests are like my family. Some have been like parents and grandparents. Others have been like brothers and sisters and some have even been like my children.

We have worshiped and prayed together. We have hiked and played and worked and sweated shoulder-to-shoulder and accomplished major feats. We have disagreed and compromised on many of issues. We have cried together, laughed together, and cursed together. We have shared mountain top highs over great accomplishments: marriages, births, first home purchases, promotions, overcoming cancer and countless others. We have supported each other through many adversities: the deaths of loved ones, divorce, depression, financial problems, problems with kids, spouses, parents and siblings. We have shared our many talents and entertained each other. We have challenged each other spiritually, physically and mentally, and we are who we are because of each other.

Lulie: What are the challenges in your newest job at the Y?

Jim: My position as Center Controller/IT focuses on several areas critical to the YMCA of the Rockies. I’m involved in the selection of a new vendor and computer software provider and its rollout in 2010. That software will significantly improve the way we serve our guests. I’m responsible for identifying and implementing new policies and procedures to improve operational efficiency, customer service and fiscal management. These updates in technology and operations must come without diminishing the unique qualities that make the YMCA of the Rockies a special place for guests and staff.

Lulie: Thank you Jim for making the YMCA of the Rockies your passion!

Alumni Comments:

• 2/22/2010 by Margaret Vogelsang Sanders
  I worked in Housekeeping during the summers of '76, '77 and '78. Through the summer of '77 we were chauffeured about the Y in grand style by Jim. It seems to me that I recall him coming whenever we picked up the phone and called. Good times. Oh, and by the way, I know some funny stories too!
• 2/22/2010 by Tammi (Wright) Gritters
  I worked at the Y for Three summers, 78-80. I remember Jim well. A good guy!
• 2/22/2010 by Trina Knox
  I was sure it was Jim who hired me for my first summer in 1984. I also certain it was he who picked me up at the Estes Park bus station in June of 1984. Am I wrong? If it wasn't Jim, who was it?
• 2/23/2010 by Libby Hagen
  Ok, my history with Jim doesn't go back to the 70's or 80's, but I worked at the Y in 2002-2003 and left to go to HRPSTI, the law enforcement academy that Jim attended shortly after me, glad to hear you're back doing well at the Y. I'm a reserve now with Boulder County S.O. (and have a paid civilian job with BCSO), maybe I'll see you around!
• 2/28/2010 by Margo (Orris/Howland) Leisinger
  It is wonderful to read about how Jim got his start at the Y and what he's up to now. He was one of the first people in Estes Park that I met when I moved there in the Fall of 1988 and he told me about a job opening in the EPC kitchen. He was in my corner and helped me in so many areas. He's always had a special place in my heart because he believed in me at a time when I didn't believe in myself. For that I will always be grateful!
• 3/25/2010 by Libby Leverett Crew
  I had the pleasure of working at the Y in 1980 and 1981 while Jim was there. We shared a couple of hikes together (I MUST find those photos!) and I am so glad to know that he is still at the Y.

Looking at the Past Through Photographs
By Lulie Melton, Estes Park Center 1979-2004, Executive Office 2005-present
Posted February 15, 2010 (click images to enlarge and see captions)

One of my favorite pastimes is looking at photographs in the hundred or so albums that I have. Each image captures a moment in my life. Each page brings a flood of emotions and memories. Like most people, I now have a digital camera. I have thousands of pictures tucked away in the computer. They are fun to look at, but it’s not like picking up one of my old dusty albums.

It seems the Alumni Association has caused many of you to dig out your old albums too. Pictures appear in my email or on the alumni Facebook page almost every day. Just like my photographs, each one of yours represents those special moments in your life. The clothing, hiking gear and hair styles have changed, but the experiences are always the same.

On December 5th, my email dinged for the umpteenth time interrupting me from some task. When I clicked on the email, I found a series of black and white snapshots from Clayton Morgan. This was a lot more fun and interesting than whatever I was working on.

The images represent a glorious day in June of 1974 when the staff of Snow Mountain Ranch went to old Camp Chief Ouray to play baseball against the camp staff. As I looked through the photographs, the years fell away. I recognized one player as SMR Director Dick Engle. He was wearing a great “flower power” hat. Even in black and white, my mind’s eye could see the bright colors. In another image, Arlys Krim flashed a peace sign, or was it two strikes?

I forwarded the pictures to Dick and then called him. After I gave him the business about the hat, he told me it had somehow made the trip through time. With his help and that of Bob Ruesch, we were able to identify many of the staff. Dick told me that the baseball game between SMR and CCO staff was somewhat of a tradition that continued into the early 1980s.

Thanks, Clayton, for sharing your memories with us. If you have a special glimpse into your Y past that you would like to share, send me your photographs and story.

LMelton@ymcarockies.org

Alumni Comments:

• 2/15/2010 by Dr. Chris Gelenter
  I was a member of the Camp Chief Ouray staff as a Counselor from 1969-1975. I played in many of the softball games against Snow Mountain Ranch which began in the summer of 1972. It was a big fun deal that both staffs looked forward to. There was a good competitive spirit that sometimes went beyond the game. One morning we awoke to find a skunk with greetings from SMR attached on some boxer shorts up our cafeteria flagpole for the entire camp to see at the morning flag raising and devotional service. In contrast SMR awoke one morning to find their beloved YMCA of the Rockies sign at the SMR entrance AWOL. During the 1970's pranks, skinny dipping and streaking were the order of the day. My campers established a tradition during the summer of 1972 of running in their tidy whities down to the camp bell in cabin square and ringing it after lights out during the final night of each camping 2 week session to the laughter, cameras and sometimes water balloon ambushes of everyone at CCO. Many of us were very much like actor Bill Murray in the movie: "Meatballs!"
  
  After one softball game SMR invited the CCO staff to a coke and pizza 50's dance at SMR. Some of us that were able to get coverage for our campers went to the dance at SMR and it was a lot of fun. One of the many highlights of the 1974 summer for the CCO staff was a STAFF ONLY SKINNY DIP at the CCO waterfront at midnight one evening. It was a lot of fun that we were only allowed to do once after the powers that be found out about it. The staff of SMR was also known to throw a few "Woodsies" that we were also invited to a few times. Anyone who worked in the mountains in the 1970's will remember what "Woodsies" were. I was always a designated driver and a tea totler. At the end of the 1974 summer the CCO staff traveled to Vagabond Ranch for a staff softball game vs VR. Vagabond Ranch was a private camp toward Walden with many campers from the upper east coast. The games and the fellowship between CCO and SMR have been talked about by many over the years. It was a great morale idea and a lot of good fun.
• 2/16/2010 by Kerri Hart Tillquist
  Chris- Just found a picture of your team in the old Y Red jackets before one of your games... i will try to get you a copy. kerri
• 3/6/2010 by Arlys Krim
  OMG, I can't believe that picture of me. We were playing a game of soft ball with Camp Chief Ouray at their old site near Grand Lake. I was the ump and that would be two strikes against CCO.
• 5/28/2010 by Roger Cox
  Good to see a picture of Barb. While I was working at SMR in 1974, my parents were killed and I needed to make a quick trip back home. My car had died, and Barb let me borrow her VW bug to drive back home. However, I found out later that she thought I was just going to Denver and had no idea I needed to go all the way to the middle of Kansas! I really appreciated her.
  

Constancy and Change: The Y in the 70s and Now
By Rick Taylor, Alumni Council Chair
Posted February 8, 2010 (click images to enlarge and see captions)

I first came to Estes Park and the Y in 1974. I was a proud member of the mop crew for two summers and a winter. Now I’m back on the staff as a volunteer. A lot happened in those 35 years. No more mopping for me. Sure, I’ve changed. Haven’t we all! But what about the YMCA of the Rockies? How has it changed?

In terms of guest programs, the hiking program is much the same now as it was then. There are lots of great hikes with well trained hike masters.Last summer I even had the opportunity to lead a walking historical tour of the grounds.

Day Camp has always had great staff and facilities, but it’s a better program today because it’s under the guidelines and standards set by the American Camping Association. In the ‘70s, camp would accept everyone who showed up at its doorstep, but there are now strict ratios of campers to staff that limit the number of kids that can be in each group.

Campfires and hymn sings were hits in the ‘70s, just like they are today. There were programs for families but nothing like the 25 or so programs a day, including plein air painting, Christian crafts for kids, archery, animal detectives, bird banding, beaver walks, bubbles, ultimate Frisbee and Summerfest.

A couple of things we certainly didn't have in the 1970s were a climbing wall and a zip line spanning Wind River. The bowling alley is history, but indoor roller skating and mini-golf are still mainstays. The library and Ad Building are the same welcoming places now as they were then.

The Y’s religious heritage has always been an important part of its mission. In the ‘70s, Chaplain Bill Austill and Joe Nichols inspired staff with their prayers and devotions before meals and at softball games. Ironically, those don’t happen anymore, but there is now a year-round chaplain and six assistant chaplains in the summer.
Y folks talk these days about the Core Values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility and Faith thanks to the National YMCA’s efforts in the ‘90s to present a more uniform image of what the Y stands for. But I suspect loyalty to those values hasn’t really changed all that much at the Y of the Rockies over the years. They’ve always been important.

Today’s Y is much more of a year-round place. Back in 1974, on about October 1st, the corporate office would shut down its operation in Estes Park and return to its winter home on the second floor of the Downtown Y in Denver. Sure, the Y was open for business 12 months a year, but winter guest attendance was much less than it is now.

Snow Mountain Ranch had just opened in 1969 and Camp Chief Ouray was at a different location, still owned and operated by the Denver Y.   Today, both Snow Mountain and Camp Chief Ouray are large and thriving operations that are integral to the expanded mission of the Y.
In the ‘70s, like much of Estes Park, the Y depended on the ski area at Hidden Valley to bring in winter guests, mostly youth groups. Winters used to bring more snow to Estes Park than it does now.When Hidden Valley closed in 1991, the Y was challenged to develop other winter activities to attract guests, which it has done successfully.

To many of us, buildings are perhaps the most obvious evidence of change at the Estes Park Center. The new Mootz Family Craft and Design Center and Leggett Christian Center provide expanded program space. The new Assembly Hall and lodges expand conference capacity, increasing the quality of the experience for conference guests.

Pioneer, Fern-Odessa, and the Mummy Quad are gone. The old familiar housekeeping building and maintenance shop are gone, replaced by newer incarnations at the periphery of theproperty.  The Rustic Room and the Grocery Store basically traded spaces with new names when the Ad building was remodeled in 1993. Ruesch Auditorium replaced the original Wind River Lodge and is currently undergoing a major exterior facelift.

Less obvious to guests, however, are the changes in staff life over the past 30 years or so. The seasonal staff is more diverse now. One hundred forty or so international staff come from some 30 countries. Likewise, volunteers both old and young are more common. They have a greater choice of job assignments and work fewer hours.

The way in which staff is hired has changed dramatically. The one page contract of yesteryear has been replaced by a “work agreement” and ten or more pages of forms. A personal photo used to be required with the application as was a reference from a minister. Many of us didn’t even discover our job assignment until after we had arrived. Staff orientation in the ‘70s consisted of a five-minute meeting with Gene Garris as opposed to the full day program today. It was common for most staff to work six days a week and overtime pay didn’t exist. The Staff Appreciation Fund still benefits those who fulfill their work agreement.

Despite the long work weeks, staff found ample time to have fun. My own experience as a staff member in the‘70s included a lot of time spent playing softball. We practiced almost every night after supper and played two games a week in the Estes Park town league. The old Y bus was used to transport fans from the Y to watch us play. Softball at the Y isn’t taken quite as seriously today. For many of us in the ‘70s, it was one of the highlights of our Y experience and a catalyst for some lifelong friendships.

Talent shows were held once a week with staff and guests equally represented. Staff organized musical productions of “Little Mary Sunshine,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Once Upon A Mattress.” They were performed to a packed house that included both staff and guests at the Longhouse. Those of us who played softball and had roles in the musicals found precious little time to do anything else other than work.

I remember a few other snippets from the ‘70s. If you knew the right person, you could work on your own car at the Y gas station. For those without cars, it was a lot easier and more common to hitchhike into town. The Rock Inn was a popular place for staff to dance and drink beer, serving 3.2% alcohol to those 18 and older. It certainly wasn’t exactly an activity encouraged by the Y, but the times they were a-changin’. Gone are the days when Y management saw themselves as parent substitutes who felt responsible for supervising staff after work hours.

Room and board for staff have changed for the better over the years. Housing for college-age staff is about the same now as it was then. Perhaps it’s even a bit tighter in some cases with three to a room instead of two. The quality of the food is certainly better however, compared to the days when most paychecks went to fill our bellies with an “Estorito” at La Casa in Estes Park.

One personal story that speaks to a cultural shift in staff norms at the Y took place in 1975. Walter Ruesch was the CEO at the time and had a strict “no facial hair” policy for staff. I had just completed a long winter mopping floors and had found a summer job elsewhere with about two weeks to go as a Y employee. I decided to test the policy by growing a mustache. Although I didn’t exactly flaunt it, I took no pains to hide the new growth. After about a week, Gene Garris called me into his office with an ultimatum that either the mustache or I must go. Well, this was my feeble attempt at social protest, so I turned in my early resignation. I was bit surprised that I was “eligible for rehire”; although today, even our CEO, Kent Meyer, sports a nicely groomed beard and mustache.

Y romances are one thing that hasn’t changed since 1974. It is amazing how many staff meet their future spouses at the Y. A number of Y staff in recent years are children of ‘70s staff, including my own daughter, Susan. It’s a legacy of which many of us are proud.

We’ve always been a YMCA family, but our relationship with the YMCA movement as a whole seems to be more intentional these days. Too many of our first-time guests who think of a Y primarily as a fitness center and a swimming pool are surprised by our size and scope. But our values are very mainstream YMCA. As I look around my office at this moment, I see many symbols of our YMCA heritage. And when I talk with guests at my seasonal volunteer job in the Financial Development office, I find their stories to be essentially variations on a theme. Simply put, they love us and find great meaning in their experiences here. It’s true that the YMCA of the Rockies is very different than it was in the ‘70s. But the YMCA’s impact on the lives of staff and guests speaks more of constancy than change. Alumni Comments:

• 2/8/2010 by Marnus
  Man, can't tell you how much we miss the Y looking at these phodies, me and my wife Henriette, worked at the Y 2001- 2003, by far the best time of our lifes. Tanx for wakening good memoirs with your blog. Greetings The Otto's
• 2/15/2010 by Michael Hancock
  That softball team pic is from 1986 - a game ending homerun by Todd Murdock (South Dakota) gave us the Summer league title!!!
• 2/15/2010 by Roger H. Williams
  Highly recommend a young lady, Ruth Wisher, that has applied to work this summer at the "Y" camp. Roger H. Williams: YMCA of the Rockies employee summer of l959 & 1961
• 2/16/2010 by Curt Stagner
  Hey Lulie. GREAT pics! The one of Mika & I playing guitar had to have been 1985. Mika went back to Japan at the end of that summer. My memory is not the best but I'm pretty sure on this. I had totally forgotten that she and I did this. WOW. Thanks for the memory! Curt    

The Day after Christmas,
Group Check In at Snow Mountain Ranch

The snow falls silently, like white feathers from Heaven. The sky is a cold grey as the sun starts to disappear. “I have not seen the sun most of the day, so how could it disappear,” I think. This is going to be a good storm lasting all through the night and perhaps through tomorrow.

“This is what it is all about,” I think as I watch the snow pile up outside of my office window in Pinewood Lodge. It is December 26th and the college and high school groups will be arriving throughout the night. We are going to be at full occupancy, which means looking for a few extra beds. That is the game we play, book until we are full and wait for the ski groups leaders to say, “We brought a few more, hope you don’t mind.”

The staff is ready, like an army awaiting the invasion of its territory; we are all ready to serve. There are college students from all walks of life and educational disciplines and full-time staff, some who just came for a summer and now are here for a career. They are joined by volunteers and some former staff members who come to Snow Mountain Ranch for Christmas just so they can ski.

Let’s see, Ellen Hay has completed her work in Housekeeping and rooms are ready. Ron Snyder is busy in the kitchen knowing some groups will arrive late and will want to eat. It is not his favorite scenario, but it is part of the Snow Mountain Ranch ski package. Dick Engle, camp manager, is ready to help plow with Glen Tilghman. The lodge roof is warm from the building’s heat and the melted snow starts manufacturing icicles that will grow through the night into 4- or- 5-foot stalactites. Their downward growth halts only when people snap them off. I sometimes wonder what would happen if they were allowed to grow and join the frozen ground. Would they last until spring?

Dark are the skies, quiet, the snow and loud, the pounding of the road grader as Glen continues the vigil of moving masses of “white champagne” as the ski industry calls it. I can see the headlights of the grader in the swirl of snow.

Maury calls from the ski rental center; he doesn’t really have to call, he can yell the 200-plus yards from the ski shop and be heard and understood. I know because I made a bet once that Maury could, in fact, do that. I won. That’s why KOA radio announcer Pete Smythe calls him Foghorn Flanagan.

The snow continues to fall even harder, which it often does in the evening. Pine tree branches are bending under the weight, and the few street lights are losing the battle to illuminate the parking lot, which Glen has plowed for the umpteenth time.

Headlights appear through the swirling snow, one bus, and then another arrives. The buses park on the plowed lot, not where they are supposed to but they are parked, and from inside their warm cocoon of travel, the passengers erupt with youthful energy.  There are high school and college groups from Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. They’ve come to ski the white powder of Winter Park.

My earlier hunch was correct. “We have a few more than planned, I hope that is OK,” says the group leader as we meet. Now the process begins: checking in, room assignments, meal tickets, meal times, rules and regulations and answering questions about after-skiing activities. The Snow Mountain memories begin as students pelt each other with snowballs in the parking lot.

My contemplative afternoon of watching the downy snowfall has turned into chaos. Maury calls, “I heard buses arrive. Can you send the kids over for their ski fitting?”

“Sure Maury, just as soon as I can.” Ron comes into the office, “Do they want to eat now?” Ellen follows. It seems the sound of diesel engines is everywhere. She says, “Call if you need something.” She disappears as quietly as she came in, never figured how she does that. Dick Engle pokes his head in my office, “I will be here, let me know what you need.”

It is late. I’m exhausted. I have the satisfaction of knowing that the Snow Mountain Ranch staff has done it again. We found a bed for the unexpected arrivals, fitted everyone for skis and somehow filled all those empty stomachs. Over the next few days, Snow Mountain Ranch will foster an atmosphere to create lifetime memories for youth to take back to their schools and churches. A snowball hits my window, a teenage girl squeals in delight. The group leader, sitting safely in the lobby, senses he needs to get out there and calm things down. With a 45 to 1 snowball ratio, he will pay the price first.

The snow still falls quietly. The winter ski season for Christmas vacation has officially started, again…

Alumni Comments:

• January 31, 2010 by Lulie Melton
  Hey Brian, what a cool looking page! Bob, thank's for being the first blog story. If any of you alumni have a story you want us to post, be sure and let me know! Lulie Melton Alumni Association Coordinator
  Email Lulie with your Blog submissions.
  • January 31, 2010 by Brian Biggs (Webmaster)
    Thanks Lulie! I invite all alumni members to participate in this new blog.

• February 17, 2010 by Walter Grant
  Bob, Thank You for your gift to write. Your family has been an encouragment to me for many years. Thank You for all the blessings!!! Your brother in Christ, Walter

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