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The
Lake Powell Experience
NEW - Four Weeks in 2008
July 19-26 / August 23-30 /
September 27- October 4 / October 4-11
Imagine
waking up on the shores of Lake Powell with several ski boats,
a quiver  of
water skis, fishing gear, a canoe and a stack of kayaks at
your disposal. Imagine shoreline feasts and music-filled nights
by a campfire under desert stars. And imagine 10-15 like-minded
individuals with which to share the good times. That pretty
much sums up the Adaptive Adventures Lake Powell experience
- a bi-annual journey integrating able and disabled individuals
in all of nature's glory.
Our
last journey included participants from Colorado and the Midwest
joining together in southern Utah's spectacular Lake Powell
for a week of skiing, boating, swimming, jet skiing, fishing,
hiking, sight seeing and experiencing life. No phones, no
TV, no computers, only a break from the daily routine. Adaptive
Adventures utilizes of one of the premier adaptive boats in
the region -- the now legendary MT Pockets. The 68' houseboat
originally provided by volunteer George Coburn, sports two
levels and room for up to 20 people to sleep comfortably.
From its conception, MT Pockets was designed to be wheelchair
friendly. With an extra-wide entry/exit ramp, a spacious main
area, wide hallways, and a large, wheel-in bathroom, the boat
is near ideal. The group of 13 included four paraplegics,
two amputees, a disabled veteran, a CTRS, four adaptive program
directors, and two boat drivers.
 "We
had four wheelchairs and no problems," said AA co-founder
and program director Matt Feeney. The smaller boats are used
for ski outings, sight seeing, and joyrides but offered a
few challenges to the wheelchair participants. "Whenever
there were issues, that's when able-bodied boaters would do
lifts, help balance, or just do what is necessary," Feeney
said. One of the volunteers was an accredited therapist from
Chicago named Shelly Williams. Adaptive Adventures originally
met Williams at a water-ski clinic in Twin Lakes, WI. "It
was nice having someone with additional expertise there,"
Feeney said. All of the trips include certified and experienced
personnel in first aid, CPR, and disabled recreation.
On
this trip the disabled participants were all experienced athletes,
although not necessarily on the water. Sarah Will lives near
Vail and is an eight-time Olympic gold medallist in disabled
alpine skiing. Before the Powell trip, she hadn't water-skied
in years. Steen Seestedt also has experience on snow skis
as a member of the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte.
Tim Reetz is a disabled war veteran who years ago founded
the Rocky Mountain Handicap Sportsman's Association - a precursor
to Adaptive Adventures. Reetz still runs raft trips with Disabled
Sports Rocky Mountain and has combined forces with Adaptive
Adventures to recruit more people for whitewater trips in
the future. After a day on the water and a homemade dinner
(chef's responsibility rotated among the group), Will and
Seestedt provided the soundtrack with a guitar and fiddle
while others carried the rhythm section with makeshift percussion
instruments. "The time of your life," Seestedt would
proclaim when asked what time it was. Feeney said that the
midweek timing prevented a lot of people who wanted to come
from making the trip. "The goal was to just cover costs,
and allow disabled individuals to share the experience,"
Feeney said. "A lot of people that wanted to go just
couldn't make it." There will be a next year, though
with plans for two trips annually.
The entire experience proved exceptional. Near perfect weather
during the week offered numerous opportunities in water skiing,
kayaking, fishing, camping, swimming, and an overall great
time. From social to solitude, sports to sunning, Lake Powell
held something for everyone. The highlight of every day may
have been the evening campfire, which offered hours of musical
pleasure under the stars.
This
year through the thoughtfulness of our supporters, Adaptive
Adventures has been able to purchase a share of "MT Pockets."
We look forward to providing the Lake Powell Experience to
individuals of all abilities, groups, and other programs for
years to come. For information contact Adaptive Adventures
at: 303.679.27770 or info@adaptiveadventures.org.
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The
Lake Powell Experience is Supported By:
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