Lower Ski Hi was rarely short on motion this summer. There were boots headed toward the trail, horses waiting for riders, arrows finding their way toward targets, projects taking shape in crafts, and boys discovering that sometimes the best camp stories begin with trying something they have never done before. Across both terms, campers stretched themselves in big and small ways while building friendships, learning new skills, laughing often, and making Lower Ski Hi their own. With Kat Johnston as Director and Shane Pitman and Grace Telander as Assistant Directors, the unit became a place where adventure and community went hand in hand.
The horseback riding program was led by Joaquin Shields-Sanchez, Lulu Klebe, and Dylan Wirth. Time with the horses gave campers opportunities to become more capable and comfortable riders while practicing the responsibility and awareness that come with horsemanship. Joaquin also served as the HG-Whoa, bringing his camp experience into another part of the boys’ days. We celebrate the following campers for earning their Riding Patch: Carter Levine, Colton Humphrey, Dallas Parker, Dash Dill, Everett Bunzel, Herman Lee, Henry Rosenthal, Jack Loiterstein, James Stanley, Jaxson Clark, Nicholas Stanley, Shep Hickey, and Zachary Lerner.
Lower Ski Hi campers put plenty of miles beneath their boots with hiking counselors Wyatt Lindgren, Josh Waybright, and Sam Dowell. Hiking gave the boys a chance to experience Colorado one step at a time—learning how to keep going when a trail became challenging, take care of themselves and their group outdoors, and appreciate where their own two feet could take them. The Chipmunk Patch is Lower Ski Hi’s hiking recognition, and this summer it was earned by Bear Hampton, Elliot Holsted, Knox Nichols, Michael Stalnecker, Preston Wallace, and Tomas Junco Zardain.
Outcamping counselors Evan Fogelberg and Will Dobson helped campers trade the regular rhythms of the unit for time farther outdoors. Outcamps offer a different kind of adventure: campers share the work of making themselves comfortable away from camp, spend unhurried time with their group, and gain confidence living outside. Congratulations to Elliot Holsted, William Huston, Tomas Junco Zardain, Nicholas Laborde, Maxwell Leonard, Micah Mercer, Henry Rosenthal, James Stanley, and Michael Reidy for earning their Outcamping Patch.
Sports counselors Luke Nelligan and Khyl Antonio kept Lower Ski Hi moving, playing, and taking on challenges together. Sports at camp give boys room to compete, cooperate, practice skills, encourage teammates, and discover that enthusiasm can matter just as much as the final score. Climbing also gave campers opportunities to practice safety, knots, belaying, and the combination of concentration and courage required to work their way upward. Congratulations to the following Spider Patch recipients: Casper Cashen, Leo Cianci, Griffin Colella, John Francis, Shep Hickey, James Huard, Tomas Junco Zardain, Fisher Klosterman, Zachary Lerner, Greyson McGilvery, Knox Nichols, Jonah Okken, Michael Reidy, Max Smith, and Colin Tatum.
On the archery range, campers worked through a progression that rewarded patience, consistency, and an increasingly steady shot. Every arrow offered another opportunity to make an adjustment and try again, and plenty of boys kept returning to see just how far they could progress.
White Arrow
Mason Ackerman, Theo Altschuler, Benjamin Ashbaugh, Jonathan Ashbaugh, Oliver Bates, Graham Beezley, Teddy Bloodworth, Ford Brauer, August Campbell, Kieran Carduff, Casper Cashen, Paxton Cheung, Leo Cianci, Griffin Colella, James East, William Edinger, Henry Earthman, Hugh Ehly, Graham Fallet, Parker Ferguson, Remy Filmalter, John Francis, James Gaffney, Vaughan Gaffney, William Gordon, Bear Hampton, Karson-James Hancock, Liam Hay, Shep Hickey, Alex Hembree, Elliot Holsted, Colton Humphrey, James Huard, William Huston, Evan Ingalls, Tomas Junco Zardain, William Laborde, Maxwell Leonard, Zachary Lerner, Tenzin Luong, George Maas, Thomas Mastin, Miles Messkoub Ardalan, Winston Mesch, Levi Monroy, John Montford, Julian Morales, Andres Munoz Ramirez, Knox Nichols, Jonah Okken, Toby Palmer, Beckett Purcell, Robert Ravnaas, Christopher Rios, Miller Rockwood, Remo Romanelli, George Rosenthal, Nicolas Salinas Camelo, Alexander Sanchez Callas, Davis Sanders, Scott Schwartzstein, Elias Smith, Max Smith, Nicholas Stanley, Samson Sturman, Oliver Suescun Alvarez, John Symington, Colin Tatum, West Taylor, Luke Uffman, Jack Urech, Grayson Votipka, Wyatt Wilson, William Wright, Calvin Young, Peter Young, Thomas Young, and Oliver Ziemba.
Black Arrow
Mason Ackerman, Theo Altschuler, Benjamin Ashbaugh, Jonathan Ashbaugh, Oliver Bates, Otto Beeby, Graham Beezley, August Campbell, Kieran Carduff, Casper Cashen, Paxton Cheung, Leo Cianci, Griffin Colella, William Edinger, Henry Earthman, Hugh Ehly, Graham Fallet, Remy Filmalter, John Francis, James Gaffney, Vaughan Gaffney, William Gordon, Liam Hay, Shep Hickey, Colton Humphrey, William Laborde, Maxwell Leonard, Miles Messkoub Ardalan, Tenzin Luong, George Maas, Thomas Mastin, Winston Mesch, Levi Monroy, John Montford, Julian Morales, Andres Munoz Ramirez, Garrett Murphy, Knox Nichols, Jonah Okken, Beckett Purcell, Robert Ravnaas, Miller Rockwood, George Rosenthal, Nicolas Salinas Camelo, Davis Sanders, Scott Schwartzstein, Elias Smith, Max Smith, Nicholas Stanley, Samson Sturman, Oliver Suescun Alvarez, John Symington, Colin Tatum, West Taylor, Luke Uffman, Jack Urech, Grayson Votipka, Wyatt Wilson, William Wright, Calvin Young, Peter Young, and Oliver Ziemba.
Blue Arrow
Otto Beeby, Graham Beezley, Kieran Carduff, Casper Cashen, Paxton Cheung, Henry Earthman, Hugh Ehly, Graham Fallet, James Gaffney, William Gordon, Hunter Golff, Hale Haberkorn, Weston Harvison, Liam Hay, Shep Hickey, Colton Humphrey, Fisher Klosterman, William Laborde, Carter Levine, Maxwell Leonard, Miles Messkoub Ardalan, Winston Mesch, Greyson McGilvery, Levi Monroy, John Montford, Garrett Murphy, Knox Nichols, Nicolas Salinas Camelo, Davis Sanders, Elias Smith, Nicholas Stanley, Samson Sturman, Colin Tatum, West Taylor, Luke Uffman, Grayson Votipka, Wyatt Wilson, William Wright, and Calvin Young.
Red Arrow
Hugh Ehly, William Gordon, Fisher Klosterman, William Laborde, Thomas Mastin, Greyson McGilvery, Levi Monroy, Elias Smith, Colin Tatum, Grayson Votipka, Wyatt Wilson, and William Wright.
At the riflery range, William Cutshaw and Grayson Stauffer coached campers through the concentration, patience, safety, and steady mechanics that marksmanship demands. Progress sometimes came one careful shot at a time, making each new recognition a record of persistence as well as accuracy.
Young Specialist
Mason Ackerman, Theo Altschuler, Benjamin Ashbaugh, Jonathan Ashbaugh, Oliver Bates, Otto Beeby, Graham Beezley, Ford Brauer, August Campbell, Kieran Carduff, Casper Cashen, Paxton Cheung, Griffin Colella, Aleksander Downey, James East, William Edinger, Henry Earthman, Hugh Ehly, Graham Fallet, Parker Ferguson, John Francis, James Gaffney, Hunter Golff, William Gordon, Hale Haberkorn, Liam Hay, Shep Hickey, Elliot Holsted, Colton Humphrey, Charles Hurd, Evan Ingalls, Tomas Junco Zardain, William Laborde, George Maas, Charlie Masters, Miles Messkoub Ardalan, River Messkoub Ardalan, Levi Monroy, John Montford, Julian Morales, Andres Munoz Ramirez, Garrett Murphy, Knox Nichols, Jonah Okken, Toby Palmer, Beckett Purcell, Robert Ravnaas, Christopher Rios, Miller Rockwood, Remo Romanelli, George Rosenthal, Henry Rosenthal, Nicolas Salinas Camelo, Alexander Sanchez Callas, Davis Sanders, Scott Schwartzstein, Elias Smith, Max Smith, Keaton Stinchcomb, Samson Sturman, Oliver Suescun Alvarez, John Symington, Colin Tatum, West Taylor, Luke Uffman, Jack Urech, Wyatt Wilson, William Wright, Calvin Young, and Oliver Ziemba.
Prone Specialist
Theo Altschuler, Oliver Bates, Otto Beeby, Kieran Carduff, Casper Cashen, Paxton Cheung, Dash Dill, Hugh Ehly, Graham Fallet, William Gordon, Liam Hay, Colton Humphrey, Fisher Klosterman, Maxwell Leonard, Charlie Masters, Miles Messkoub Ardalan, John Montford, Christopher Rios, Nicolas Salinas Camelo, Elias Smith, Colin Tatum, Luke Uffman, Wyatt Wilson, William Wright, Calvin Young, and Oliver Ziemba.
Level I, II, and III
The following campers earned their Level 1 pin: Paxton Cheung, Dash Dill, Hugh Ehly, Nicolas Salinas Camelo, Elias Smith, Grayson Votipka, Wyatt Wilson, William Wright, and Calvin Young.
The following campers earned their Level 2 pin: Paxton Cheung, Dash Dill, Hugh Ehly, and William Wright.
Crafts offered a different pace and a different kind of challenge. Santi Resendez and Kalell Medina gave campers room to work with their hands, experiment with ideas, solve problems when projects did not go exactly as planned, and enjoy the satisfaction of making something themselves. Kalell also served as a General Counselor, bringing flexibility and support across Lower Ski Hi wherever another set of hands, another encouraging voice, or another dose of energy was needed.
The Circle of Stars celebrated campers who explored broadly across the Lower Ski Hi experience. Rather than staying only with what was familiar, these boys spent time across program areas and built a wider collection of camp skills and experiences. Congratulations to August Campbell, Teddy Bloodworth, Kieran Carduff, John Francis, Vaughan Gaffney, Bear Hampton, Karson-James Hancock, Weston Harvison, Shep Hickey, Colton Humphrey, Tomas Junco Zardain, Nicholas Laborde, Zachary Lerner, George Maas, John Montford, Julian Morales, Garrett Murphy, Miller Rockwood, George Rosenthal, Nicolas Salinas Camelo, Davis Sanders, Luke Uffman, and Wyatt Wilson for earning their Circle of Stars.
When the day’s adventures were finished, Sam Dowell helped bring Lower Ski Hi together through campfire. Campfire could hold plenty of fun and silliness while also giving the unit time to gather as one community. All-Camp Campfire provided an especially memorable creative challenge this year: both terms rewrote popular songs and gave them a Lower Ski Hi identity. First Term took on Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus, while Second Term transformed Beauty & the Beat by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. Writing new lyrics, practicing together, and finally performing for the larger camp community asked the boys to collaborate, commit to the bit, and have the confidence to share something they had created together.
The boys themselves helped define what kind of Lower Ski Hi they wanted each term to be through the Code of Living. First Term chose Adventure, Bravery, Determination, Creativity, and Trust. Second Term chose Teamwork, Bravery, Kindness, Loyalty, and Fun. A Code matters because its words can move beyond the page: they become choices campers can return to while living with cabinmates, joining a new activity, dealing with frustration, helping someone else, or simply figuring out how to be part of a community.
At the end of each term, the Silver Coup gave that shared Code a particularly meaningful moment of reflection. Lower Ski Hi campers and counselors participate in the citizenship-recognition process, looking to the Code they created and recognizing members of their community whose actions consistently reflected it. This summer’s Silver Coup recipients were Otto Beeby, Bear Hampton, Weston Harvison, Shep Hickey, Fisher Klosterman, Herman Lee, Levi Monroy, Knox Nichols, and Henry Rosenthal. Congratulations to each of these boys, and to the whole Lower Ski Hi community that spent the summer deciding together what its values should look like in practice.
There is a lot to carry home from a Lower Ski Hi summer that will never fit inside a trunk. It is the confidence that comes from doing something difficult for the first time, the independence built by making choices away from home, the friendship created through ordinary days together, and the realization that adventure is even better when there are people beside you to share it. This summer, the boys rode, hiked, camped out, climbed, shot, created, played, performed, laughed, and learned more about themselves along the way.
Lower Ski Hi will be ready for another group of adventures soon enough, but the friendships, skills, stories, and values from this one belong to these boys forever.
Kat Johnston, Director
Shane Pitman and Grace Telander, Assistant Directors
