backcountry skiing Dynafit Trip Reports resort Misc Gear Reviews Louie weather Black Diamond safety Binding Reviews backpack skins climbing skins avalanches video snowmobile snowboard food clothing Boot Reviews Fourteeners camera huts Fritschi alpinism Utah avalanche safety photography alpinist guidebook Cloudveil Europe Silvretta Rando Racing Technique Guest Blogs Gear Mods kids Elk Mountains training Aspen automotive Wyoming computer Chris Davenport music backcountry skier Christmas 10th Mountain Enviro Rants bicycle North America Avalung TGR GPS Austria Mountain Culture north face Everest Movie Reviews Canada Book Reviews gloves batteries Aspen Mountain lightweight gear History News Backcountry Alps Andrew McLean Salewa Alaska Carbondale Maps Dave Downing first aid helmets Bob Perlmutter pastry Denver Google Aspen Highlands Montana Forest Service Sean Crossen Televangelism snowboarding Eulogies rock climbing Mount Sopris hunting Diamir Greg Hill Craig Dostie Mike Marolt Aspen Skiing Company New Zealand Ortovox Boot Fitting thermo liner

To Strive, To Seek, and Not to Yield — Colorado Outward Bound Instructors Reunion

By Lou

My stint as an Outward Bound instructor lasted a few years in the late 1970s. Back then, Colorado Outward Bound (COBS) hired staff by simply calling mountaineers around the state and asking if we wanted to work for the school. I guess they figured most of us were dirtbags desperate for food money and weak for flattery — they were correct. I got my “uncle OBie” call from a nice guy named Steve Andrews, went to an “instructor orientation” that spring, and was soon tromping through the Colorado wilderness working on my tan and getting as fit as I’ve ever been in my life. The pay was dismal, but as we used to say back then: “we are the people, and this is the life.”

It was indeed good. Working summer courses was basically three weeks of backpacking and peak bagging, with a mix of students that varied from total klutzes to world-class athletes. I was usually nice to the klutzes, and did what I could to get them through a course (which, I’ll admit, at times involved not being nice). But I’d latch on to the athletic students and we’d make the mountains into our playground. Examples of just how good it was? For my first two courses as an instructor in the San Juans, I did first descents of remote canyons that involved tyrolean traverses, fixed lines and rappels. To spice things up, we bagged a few 14ers, went rock climbing, and even did a bunch of 4-wheeling to manage course resupplies and such things. Between courses, we’d hang out in Lake City at our base camp and drink beer, go rock climbing at Taylor Canyon, or trail running around Crested Butte.

At the COBS reunion this past weekend. Louie Dawson with 1960s COBS instructor Stan Badget, who was also his literature teacher in high school.

I’d previously worked as an instructor for NOLS, and as far as I know was the first guy to have instructed for both outfits. Outward Bound was a LOT different than NOLS, with way more emphasis on personal growth through adventure, and virtually no emphasis on skills training other than essentials to get students through the course. Adjusting was hard. I showed up at my first course in the San Juans and was appalled when I found out my students would be doing three weeks of mountaineering in cotton jeans. The NOLS way was wool, baby. So I lost it, pulled course director Ted Kerasote aside, and told him I’d quit right then and there if I couldn’t get these kids into some survivable clothing. Ted calmed me down and it worked out, but I always had trouble going whole hog on the OB way, and tended to hybridize my style between the two. No one but the students noticed.

Spring of 1980 was the best. I was hired to teach a 23 day ski mountaineering course. Director Denny Hogan couldn’t face the thought of me whining about being chained to the non-skiers on the course, so he let me form a patrol of the 12 best skier/students (normal OB style would have been to mix up ability levels, for a better “social challenge”). During that course the students got to climb and ski at least 15 big Colorado mountains. The weather held the whole time, a big May high pressure with nearly 30 bluebird days in a row — perfect corn snow. Myself, I skied 23 major Sawatch range peaks during that course, including a couple of 14ers and a bunch of high 13ers. Some days, I’d even do a peak in the morning with the “kids,” then head out in the afternoon and ski another one. Like I said, this is the life.

So, it was good to bring back memories and join up last weekend with 1960s through 1980s COBS staff for a fun reunion up near Marble, Colorado. The thing about Marble is that’s where Colorado Outward Bound was founded in 1961, by non other than Paul Petzoldt, along with another 10th Mountain Division veteran and ultimate outdoorsman named Tap Tapley. So it’s the perfect place for an event like this.

Entrance sign at Marble Base Camp.

The legends of COBS’s early Marble days are crazy. Some of the instructors carried guns and shot marmots for food. No one knew the terrain, so they had to stumble through the Elk Mountains and figure it out on the fly. Story is that the famous Outward Bound mountain solo began here, when Tap Tapley messed up the food planning and was short three days rations. Rather than admit to the students they were out of food, he just handed out what was left and said it was time for their “solo.” The students found that fasting in the mountains by themselves was a valuable experience, and the process became part of the curriculum (though watered down in later years.)

Map wall at Marble Base kept us occupied for an hour.

More than 100 staff showed up for the campfire Saturday evening. The stories were hilarious. Children conceived in snow caves, girls trapped naked on overturned sailboats, lost staff wandering through the mountains as clueless as their students. Yep. The life.

Map wall detail. Part of Marble OB's contribution to mountain culture is their naming numerous terrain features in the Elk Mountains. Most of those names are only used by OB, but some have snuck into the common vernacular. If the Marble Base goes away, so do the maps and most of the names, though some maps will no doubt remain in archives.

For me, the most powerful experience of the reunion was when we circled in a mountain meadow for a reading of that famous passage from Tennyson’s Ulysses:

“We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,–
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

Ropes course at Marble Base was probably one of the first in the country (this is the modern version, now deactivated but still in good shape).

The second most powerful part of the deal was hanging out at the Marble basecamp. Idealists at Outward Bound will tell you that the school is not their buildings or their basecamps, but rather their people and the mountains. They’ve got a point. But. Reality strikes. When a group of buildings has existed since 1962, and been the basis for such a powerful force in North American mountain culture, those buildings have significance–even spirit. This place does, for sure. Sadly, the OB Marble basecamp is up for sale. If it goes away, that’s a tragedy that will make me cry. Folks at the reunion spoke of getting a non-profit started and buying the camp ourselves. If it comes to that, great. Otherwise…

COBS staff from the 1960s, many of whom worked for decades. I don't know who all these guys are (apologies), but that's Leslie Emerson smiling in the back (for years she drove all the boys crazy), Steve Andrews at the back in the blue jacket, Denny Hogan on left in blue shirt, Gary Neptune in sweater, next to Denny, Stan Badget at left front with beard, John Evans, polo shirt, in middle (the school director for years), reunion organizer Marlene Manown front/right in green tshirt, well known avalanche expert Art Mears on right front, and far right is photographer Chris Brown. You look at this group, and realize they're the foundation for hundreds of Colorado mountain people who've been associated with COBS over the years. Yes, the school has had a HUGE influence on our mountain culture -- good to acknowledge that.

And yes, Outward Bound is the mountains and their people. Nice to hang out with some of those.

I guess I should add a photo of yours truly working my fourth 3-week course of summer, 1979. This was the last one of that year, late summer in the Collegiate range of the Sawatch Mountains, Colorado. What a way to spend summer, tromping around for 12 weeks in the alpine! I still hear from a few students — by all accounts they loved it as well.

Colorado Outward Bound 1979, I'm teaching rescue techniques to my patrol in the Collegiate Peaks out of Leadville. John Waterman took the photo, he was working with me. We had a great time, to say the least!

Posted by Lou on September 15, 2009 | Filed Under History, Mountain Culture

Comments

17 Responses to “To Strive, To Seek, and Not to Yield — Colorado Outward Bound Instructors Reunion”

Halsted September 15th, 2009 5:13 pm

Lou,
I heard that Tap Tapley was still alive a couple of years ago, and living down in New Mexico. I’m not sure if he’s still alive. He was my gym/wood shop teacher when I was in the 4th grade. Gym class with him was a blast. He’d take us out and let us climb all over these rocks and sled down these wild slopes in the winter.

I worked with Denny Hogan at the CAIC. And he was my COBS instructor in the 70’s.:blink:
Lou September 15th, 2009 5:50 pm

Indeed, I’ve heard Tap is still around. I interviewed him back when I was researching the Trooper Traverse, as he was one of the soldiers on that trip. That’s how he got hooked up with Petzoldt. Pretty interesting he was your gym teacher!
Jon Jay September 15th, 2009 7:06 pm

Hey Lou,

Wasn’t Mark Udall involved with Outward Bound back in the day?
Lou September 15th, 2009 7:18 pm

Absolutely. He didn’t show up at the reunion so he didn’t get a mention
Mark September 16th, 2009 8:50 am

Amazing culture and people. It was great you got to work and make all sorts of first ascents/descents all while staying in fantastic shape.
Todd Goertzen September 16th, 2009 10:08 am

Sorry to have missed the reunion. Glad to see the Modern Version of the ropes course is faring well… Lyle Schultz and I built that version in ‘88. Thanks for the nostalgia and the pictures. If someone could figure out a way to bottle Leslie E’s smile and sell it as feel good medicine – they’d be incredibly wealthy.

Given your close proximity – please keep us informed on any scuttle-butt regarding the sale of the Marble Base Camp – thanks again
Mark September 16th, 2009 11:06 am

With the growth of Outward Bound and NOLS-type courses, I would hope places like the Marble headquarters would only bring more business and interest.
Mark September 16th, 2009 11:10 am

When I moved to Philadelphia I considered working for Outward Bound. They provide some pretty cool programs for city kids in massive urban parks and other areas.
Jerry Shustrin September 16th, 2009 3:26 pm

That’s Rick Medrick, fourth from the left, middle row (his head is right in front of the guy in blue in the back). Rick’s a very old friend of mine, former Exum Mountaineering Guide, Dartmouth College grad, owner of Outdoor leadership Training Seminar and former owner/operator of Arkansas River Tours.
roy smith 1967 -69 September 18th, 2009 6:21 pm

So sorry I couldn’t make it – I was in Crested Butte, where I bought a house for 12 grand in 69 – until September 9th but had to leave to go East.

Where are all the English guys in the photo. Everyone seems to be older, thought not everyone … and really grown up. Oh dear. And why has everyone dyed their hair white?

Where is Joe Nold and how is he; anyone? Joe met me at the Denver railway station in April, 1967. I had just arrived from Chicago and I will always remember looking out of the carriage window that morning, still 50 miles from Denver -just as dawn was breaking – and seeing the snow capped Rockies. This is a memory I will never forget nor all the great years with COBS and the many years that followed, Joe Nold was a terrific role model and I was fortunate to know him.

I was with Rusty a few weeks ago, my old Rhodesian/English/American/Canadian buddy who I met on Mt Kenya in 1960. Rusty is doing great and persists in doing only new routes.

anon
Mike Soucy September 21st, 2009 8:17 pm

Thanks for this Lou. I just came from working out of the Leadville basecamp, where I caught word of this. Fortunately, I am not yet old enough to have been invited, but can safely attest that Colorado Outward Bound is still producing as many mountain dirtbags as ever.
I’m ten years in and can’t seem to stop because of the great folks and the office. And yes, the master maps that give away so many potential ski descents for the next season are a perk as well.
It makes me sad to think about the Marble base ceasing to exist. It is literally where it all began for experiential wilderness education in the US. It’s true that it’s still just about the people and the great times that we have in the hills, but as you know, that place is an institution.
Anyways, we’ll see. It would make a sweet ski lodge though, eh?
Lou September 21st, 2009 8:27 pm

Roy, great you dropped by here! And Mike Soucy, don’t wear those knees out!
Molly Hutsinpiller September 23rd, 2009 7:03 am

A great time for you all. I was so glad when Leslie Emerson hired me in the early 80’s after SOBS closed down from Santa Fe!

I thought I was the only OB instructor wandering around lost with my patrol. Then I learned how to read a map! Digging a platform for the 12 of us to sleep, running out of food and water, and picking the twigs out of my hair before getting to resupply….. those were the days.
Larry Gering October 6th, 2009 10:41 am

I was a student in 1989 COBS C-483B Alpine Mountaineering in the Colorado San Juans. One of the people quoted above was the course director. For more than 20 years I’ve resented that COBS put an unqualified person with limited organizational skills, zero leadership skills and a general attitude of “who cares” in charge pf my course. The instructors were great; the director was not able to do the job. The quote above (and you can figure out who you are using the course info) just proves my claim.
Lou October 6th, 2009 1:54 pm

Larry, COBS definitely had a varied mix of skill levels in their staff, but in my experience most were exceptional. Sorry to hear that wasn’t the case for you.
Jim Arnold October 21st, 2009 12:54 am

Recently came across my course certificate for COBS, Course No. 14, Aug. 9 to Sept. 5, 1965, signed by Joseph J. Nold. An amazing time in the mountains, while the Watts riots began Aug. 11, and the Marines landed at Da Nang on Aug. 8.
Lou October 21st, 2009 7:12 am

Jim, wow!