CRAFTSBURY COMMONS VT
January 5-8, 2007
With
scant snow and none predicted, it was suspected that there would be
little or no skiing at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. This
turned out to be true. Despite this,
twenty-four people came and a
good time was had by all! We are
learning that the fellowship and personal interaction that these
weekends
provide are just as important as the activities themselves.
There
was a multitude of things to do despite
the lack of XC skiing and snowshoeing.
The Craftsbury staff went out of their way to provide
alternative
activities and group members generated plenty of options as well. The activities included a yoga class, a
fascinating talk complete with animal pelts by a naturalist followed by
a
tracking walk, plenty of walking and treks in the woods and even a
challenging
hike at a nearby mountain. As a nice contrast to all the outdoor
exercise there
were also opportunities for shopping, massages, and just plain hanging
out.
Some attendees even took advantage of the exercise room and sauna.
In the middle of Saturday afternoon a violent storm came up with
thunder and
lightning. This caused torrential rain and a complete power outage. The
fun
came in adapting to this event. We thank Nancy for use of her three
flashlights
and for the many glow sticks that Craftsbury staff provided, not to
mention the
superb mobility skills of the visually impaired participants who guided
the
sighted guides around. Eventually an
electrical cord was strung through the window of the common room from
another
building that had a generator. That evening the center was able to
serve a
delicious hot dinner despite the power outage.
By late evening, the power was back on.
That evening a very successful silent auction and fundraiser were held. Later in the evening many of us went to a
performance
by a local folk singer who performed in the dining room.
On Sunday night Russ Spring, the founder and
owner of the facility gave a talk about the history of the Center,
where he
also raised his family. He has now
turned over much of the management to one of his sons who was also
present for
the talk.
All in all it was a fun and relaxing weekend. The group decided to
return once
again. Next year’s trip will be held the
weekend of January 4th-7th 2008.
NERSFL
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