Interim provides opportunities to get out of the classroom to learn by doing, through exposure to new ideas, experiences, and environments. Interim trips span the gamut from artistic pursuits to community engagement and wilderness expeditions. Immersion in a unifying trip concept broadens students’ skills, knowledge, and awareness.
Interim Goals:
- To practice physical and emotional resilience
- To cultivate student agency through trip planning and leadership
- To practice community values and service to others
- To learn via exploration and personal initiative
- To collaborate and problem solve
Here are the practical details parents should know:
All Upper School Interims will take place the week of May 23, 2022. Some Interims start on Sunday, most start on Monday, and one (Yoga and You) starts on Tuesday. Please note the date of each trip when selecting your preferences. Parent involvement in the Interim selection process is essential and requires their approval.
REGISTRATION AND TRIP ASSIGNMENT
After reviewing trip descriptions, students in Grades 9, 10, and 11 should click on the registration link. Each student should put their choices in order from 1 to 31, and a parent/guardian should sign at the bottom. The registration form is due Friday, March 18. Trip assignments will be announced in April and are determined by factors including student ranking of each trip, a balance of genders, and age.
Seniors sign up for Interim in person on Thursday, March 17, from 1-2 p.m. in the Leach Center for the Performing Arts.
At this time, we do not need any of the trip-specific waivers signed. We will collect those after Interim placements have been completed.
INTERIM WAIVER
(To be completed by parents via Magnus Health portal’s e-signature)
- Log into the CA website
- Click ‘Resources’ at the top of the page
- The Magnus Health icon is at the top of the Resource Page
- Click on ‘Additional Disclosure and Consent-Interim’
IMPORTANT SPORTS NOTE:
Due to a scheduling conflict with CHSAA’s postseason calendar, all spring Varsity Baseball, Soccer, Golf, and Boys Lacrosse athletes must choose a low-intensity and local Interim. Eleven eligible Interims include:
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Additional Information:
- Interim attendance is mandatory, and please do not schedule appointments during Interim week.
- Interim registration is final, and changes are only made for medical emergencies.
- Parents should review all Interim materials and discuss options with their students.
- Students should consider their general health and the physical requirements of the Interim (e.g., the ability to swim) when making a selection.
- The cost of Interim is included with tuition.
- Students cannot repeat a past Interim.
- Siblings are not permitted on the same Interim.
Thank you for reviewing all these materials and discussing possible options with your child. If you have any questions that I can be helpful with, please do not hesitate to email me at forbes.cone@coloradoacademy.org.
Student Health and COVID-19 Protocols
In order to participate in overnight trips, where the daily structure, student resources, and supervision are more limited than the on-campus school day, any student who meets the following criteria will need to have their travel plans supported by their care team and the school.
- receiving short-term accommodations for mental health support
- has been recently hospitalized
- is engaged in school-required therapeutic support
- is otherwise engaged in a modified program
Similarly, there are times that a student’s previous behavioral choices or the school’s concerns about how they might comport themselves on an overnight trip might preclude them from participating in an overnight experience. In addition, the school will decide whether a student may participate in overnight programs in both cases.
Additionally, some vendors may require a COVID-19 vaccine and/or negative test result.
Available Trips:
To view trips, simply scroll down or click each trip for more information.
Ready to Register? Click here for the form.
A Challenge a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Trip Leaders: Suzie Jekel and Lisa Boes
Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week; no overnight)
Location: Various locations around the Front Range from Colorado Springs to Conifer
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Genesee Ropes Course, Ninja Nation, Two Yoga studios
We will complete a challenge a day! We’ll start the week with some team building during a ropes course challenge. Later challenges will include a 5K, a 10-mile hike, a ninja course, and tackling the Manitou Incline.
A Chip Off the Block
Trip Leaders: Bob Clagett and Kim Jans
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Marble, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendors: Beaver Lake Lodge and Cabins and Greg Tonozzi, Marble Sculptor
The tiny town of Marble, Colorado, located at the southern end of the Crystal River Valley that runs north to Carbondale, was once a bustling marble-mining community whose quarries produced much of the marble that was used in government buildings in Washington, D.C., the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and statues all over the world. More recently, Marble has become an active artists’ colony, with several marble sculptors designing works of art from the marble quarry. Under the instruction of a local sculptor (who has been described to us as “an eccentric mountain gnome”), we will learn the art of marble sculpture, along with the history of the valley and geology. During our four days in Marble, all participants will create their own marble sculpture that they will bring home with them. There will also be some hiking opportunities in this gorgeous valley.
Adventure Race Challenge
Trip Leader: Ali Kittle and Leo Procise
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Boulder Canyon, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Colorado Mountain School
Students will partake in a five-day program filled with the necessary skills needed to complete a multi-faceted orienteering adventure on the final day. Students who participate in this program should have some basic climbing experience and will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves and practice with knots, hitches, and anchor systems needed to stay safe in the vertical world. They will practice rappelling, belaying, and climbing in both the single-pitch and multi-pitch environment. One of the program days will be geared towards mountain navigation skills – a crucial skill for anyone who wants to explore the backcountry. Finally, on day five, the students will work as a team to navigate a specialized course designed to require them to use the skills they have been taught and practiced on the previous program days.
Be An Archaeologist
Trip Leaders: Barry Simmons and Lisa Dean
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Cortez, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Crow Canyon Archaeology Center
Want to be an archaeologist? Imagine discovering a pottery sherd while excavating, documenting its exact location, and carefully packaging it to be analyzed upon return to the lab. You will actively learn the basic techniques, concepts, and theories of archaeology in relation to Ancestral Puebloan cultures from professional archaeologists. We will learn and practice certain skills the ancient ones used to flourish in a challenging, yet beautiful environment. We will sleep in hogans in our sleeping bags, shower daily, eat our homemade meals in Crow Canyon’s dining hall, and spend our days in the field visiting and excavating sites inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans. We will not simply learn about archaeology. We will do it.
Book It!
Trip Leaders: Erin Cantos and Lindsay Beatty
Trip Type: Hybrid (Away from Denver for at least 1 night)
Locations: Red Cliff, Colorado (3 days, 2 nights); Denver/local (2 days)
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Helen Hiebert
Do you love books and/or journaling? Have you ever wondered how paper is made? Join us for a week of papermaking and bookbinding with local paper artist and author Helen Hiebert. By the end of the week you will have created your own handmade journal to take on future adventures.
Burn the Stage
Trip Leaders: Raquel Camacho and Sonia Arora
Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Colorado New Style
So, you think you can dance? Come and try something different! Bachata, Latin jazz, and salsa will be your heartbeat! Even if you’re not sure, after this Interim, there will be no doubt!
C3 (Camping, Climbing, and Canyoneering)
Trip Leaders: Erin Gray and Pete Horsch
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Moab, Utah
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendors: Red River Adventures, Paddle Moab, Wild West Voyages
We’ll be camping, climbing, and canyoneering in beautiful Moab, Utah. We’ll spend a day canyoneering through a rock maze with lots of scrambling, beautiful views, and several rappels. Then we’ll rock climb, learning knot tying, belay skills, footwork, and climbing techniques, while climbing some of the most famous crack climbing in North America. We’ll use canoes/kayaks on the Colorado River. We’ll hike through parts of picturesque Arches National Park, and learn about Leave No Trace camping. While no previous experience with climbing, camping, canyoneering, or canoeing/kayaking is required, participants should be excited to spend an entire week being highly active and outdoors. This trip is phone-free and requires COVID vaccination.
Ceramics in the Wild
Trip Leader: Stashia Taylor
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Hanksville, Utah
Trip Dates: Sunday, May 22-Thursday, May 26
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Kayenta Fire
Enjoy the week camping and using nature as our art studio. We will gather and process everything we need to make ceramic pottery in the Utah backcountry. Inspired by Ancestral Puebloan traditions, we will fire our pieces in a Puebloan-style trench kiln and come home with creations that are beautiful, useful, and lasting. Students should be able to carry a pack for two miles.
Desolation Canyon Whitewater
Trip Leaders: Steven Hammer and Veronica Scott
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Desolation Canyon, Utah
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Sheri Griffith Expeditions
Spend a week camping in Desolation Canyon outside Moab. With our guides from Sheri Griffith Expeditions, we will travel in two-person inflatable kayaks down 84 miles of the Green River, experiencing fifty Class I-III rapids. We will work as a team navigating the rapids, setting up and taking down camp every day, and exploring the canyon through various day hikes.
Exposed layers in towering canyon walls will give us a Grand Canyon experience. Additionally, we will see various wildlife: from day lizards sunning themselves, to eagles and hawks soaring in air streams amidst the canyon walls, to deer and coyote moving along the river’s edge.
All students are welcome to register for this program; no kayak or whitewater experience is necessary; students should be able to swim. Be mindful that we will be outside in the elements twenty-four hours a day, and there will be regular rigorous physical activity. Therefore, the success of this Interim will be 90% dependent upon the positive attitude of the entire group. No single participant is successful unless the entire group is successful. Students who are gung-ho adrenaline junkies will make this trip spectacular!
Duckie the Upper Colorado
Trip Leaders: Wes Kirk and Mike Stanitski
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Kremmling to Glenwood Canyon, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Colorado River School
Spend a week camping on the Colorado River between Kremmling and Gypsum. With our guides from Colorado River School, we will travel in two-person inflatable duckies down 76 miles of the Upper Colorado River. We will work as a team navigating the rapids, setting up and taking down camp every day, and exploring through various day hikes.
Once the river flows past Kremmling, it drops into Gore Canyon, cutting through the Precambrian gneiss and schist of the Gore Range. This section of river, which drops at 68 feet per mile for three miles, is considered the most challenging commercially rafted stretch of river in Colorado—and possibly the United States! Once the pounding river gushes out of Gore Canyon, the river calmly continues its journey through Lower Gore/Hartman Canyon and Red Gorge Canyon, past Bull Gulch Wilderness Study Area, and into Glenwood Canyon.
All students are welcome to register for this program; no kayak or whitewater experience is necessary; students should be able to swim. Be mindful that we will be outside in the elements twenty-four hours a day, and there will be regular rigorous physical activity. Therefore, the success of this Interim will be 90% dependent upon the positive attitude of the entire group. No single participant is successful unless the entire group is successful. Students who are gung-ho adrenaline junkies will make this trip spectacular!
Earth and Fire
Trip Leaders: Alecia Maher and Sonia Sitja
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Robert Schroeder
Earth and Fire is a weeklong workshop with Robert Schroeder, an accomplished potter and kiln builder from Denver. After you make a bunch of pots, Robert will fire up his Raku kiln, and you will spend a day outside playing with fire. Prepare to be stunned by the beauty of Raku.
Exploring the Canyonlands
Trip Leaders: Mike Davis and David Colodny
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Bears Ears National Monument, Utah
Trip Dates: Wednesday, May 25- Sunday, May 29
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Mike Davis Adventures!
This is a physically demanding Interim experience that will take you into the heart of wilderness in southeastern Utah. This involves scrambling and climbing over difficult terrain, as well as rappelling off of cliff faces. While Canyonlands and Moab are popular spots for exploring the Utah desert, far fewer hikers venture down to the contested Bears Ears National Monument, the location of our journey.
Just west of Blanding, Utah, Bears Ears is home to the greatest concentration of ruins of the Ancestral Puebloan peoples. Well-preserved rock art and structures abound. Students will learn important technical skills when traveling in canyon country, including navigation and survival skills. We will camp in the remote backcountry. This is a unique trip that is as inspiring as it is challenging.
Important Disclosure: Students who sign up for this trip cannot have a fear of heights, as we will navigate and climb numerous exposed cliff ledges and faces. Further, students should be prepared to hike up to 10 miles a day (with elevation gain) on land that does not have established trails.
The reward for your hard work is a one-of-a-kind experience to see archaeological sites that few have laid eyes upon. As Thoreau once said, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Find Your Way: Introduction to Orienteering
Trip Leader: Liz Sarles and Max Delgado
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Colorado Navigation Games
Orienteering is the sport of navigation, often across unfamiliar terrain. Over five days, we will learn how to orienteer at various parks and mountains in the Denver area. Let’s get outside and explore! Students should be able to hike and be comfortable being in nature for several hours at a time.
Fly Fishing the Front Range
Trip Leader: Stuart Mills and Austin Harvey
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Elevenmile Canyon; The Dream Stream
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: None
“I am haunted by waters…” -Norman Maclean
Do you like to commune with nature? Do you like the sound of a river flowing past you? Do you like to find yourself alone with just your thoughts in the solitude of the Rockies? Or maybe you just want to look like Brad Pitt landing the huge trout in A River Runs Through It. If any of these things appeal to you, then this is the ideal Interim for you.
We’ll practice casting and tying on flies. We’ll talk about river etiquette and the nuances of river current. We’ll fish the South Platte River in majestic Elevenmile Canyon, angling for beautiful brown and rainbow trout. We’ll also fish the “Dream Stream,” one of the most famous stretches of gold medal water in the American West.
We’ll set up camp on the South Platte River in Elevenmile Canyon. There are deer and elk aplenty in this area of Colorado, so we should be able to see much more than the fish we catch (and release!). Come and you too will be “haunted by waters…”
Foodie Heaven
Trip Leaders: Brigitte Debord and Julie Wei
Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (a lot of standing, and light walking)
Vendor: The Seasoned Chef Cooking School
Indulge in a delicious culinary experience at the award-winning Seasoned Chef Cooking School. For five days you will develop lifelong skills and experience the joy of cooking and eating a wide variety of impressive wholesome meals. Working in a modern home kitchen, you will be directed by an experienced and dynamic professional chef, Dan Witherspoon. You will enjoy this experience more fully if you don’t have too many dietary limitations.
You will learn to prepare gourmet meals and basic techniques for cooking that will give you the edge in the kitchen. Our program will include knife skills and all the basic techniques to make delicious soups, salads, dressings, sauces, pastries, grilled meat and fish, and homemade dishes from 3 continents. You will receive a complete recipe packet to take home so you can impress your friends and family, in your own kitchen, recreating all the yummy dishes you learned to prepare during the week.
House of ROCK
Trip Leader: Melissa Zaremba
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Swallow Hill Music
The ‘House of ROCK’ Interim is all about hands-on experience playing in a band with other musicians. You’ll learn how to play through a sound system, understand and read music charts, find and create a part in the band, write songs, and play with other musicians. You’ll be able to choose from a variety of instruments and practice in duos, trios, and in a full band setting. All ensemble and band work is taught and directed by Swallow Hill music teachers. At the end of the week, you’ll perform a concert for the Middle or Lower School—complete with a full sound system, sound engineer, and lights.
Hut-to-Hut Skiing
Trip Leaders: Forbes Cone and Katy Hills
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Ashcroft, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion), must be a black diamond skier.
Vendor: None
On the Hut-to-Hut Skiing Interim, students will travel between Tagert/Green-Wilson and Friends Huts in the Maroon Bells Wilderness. The route ascends over 5,500 feet and covers 25 miles on alpine touring skis, all while carrying heavy packs, with five days of supplies. The ability to ski black diamond terrain, be an excellent team member, and push through adversity during the long trek between huts is required. Students will need to provide their own alpine touring set-up (rented or purchased). If you want ADVENTURE and to test your ENDURANCE, this is the Interim for YOU!
Make A Difference
Trip Leaders: Venetia Sampson and Camille James
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Casa De Paz, The GrowHaus, Denver Rescue Mission, Food Bank of the Rockies
Do you love helping others? Do you want to give back to your community? If so, this is the Interim for you! The focus of this Interim is about service to others. For five days students will partner with a variety of organizations in Denver that include Casa De Paz, which reunites immigrant families that have been separated; the GrowHaus, which cultivates community-driven food justice through food access, youth education, and community outreach; the Denver Rescue Mission, which helps restore the lives of people experiencing homelessness through community outreach, emergency services, and rehabilitation; and Food Bank of the Rockies, which provides food to people in need.
Peeps Can Climb: Climbing at Shelf Road
Trip Leaders: Dani Meyers and Cathy Nabbefeld
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Cañon City, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Kent Mountain Adventure Center
Get ready to persevere up some peaks via rocky crags. Prepare your plate for some gourmet campfire cooking–pasta and peach cobbler anyone? At night, play Pictionary and page your way through a romance novel around the firepit. Most of all, pack your sense of humor for this wild ride. (No experience necessary—in climbing or romance novels.)
Raft the Colorado
Trip Leader: Gabe Bernstein
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Fruita, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Rimrock Adventures
If you’re looking for a mix of relaxation and adventure on the border of Colorado and Utah, then this river trip is for you! This rafting trip will be three relaxing days on the river in the Ruby and Horsethief Canyon sections, with stunning sandstone canyon walls, sandy beaches, and opportunities for short day hikes. We will be camping each night along the river, with food provided by our Rimrock Adventures guides. Students must be able to swim to go on this Interim.
Sew Much Fun
Trip Leaders: Lisa Todd and Jane Kelly
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Sew-It-All
Learn important sewing techniques including project design, making casings, how to hem, and how to add a zipper. Students can make a variety of sewing projects, including PJ shorts, accessories, and gifts (like tote bags, zipper pouches, pillowcases, or laptop sleeves). No matter what you choose to create, you’ll end the week with tangible evidence of your sewing prowess! Materials will be provided, but students are encouraged to bring their own machines.
Ski Building
Trip Leaders: Chris Roads and Aaron Thomas
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Gunnison, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Community Skis
Imagine this … You’re skiing in the backcountry or at the resort, and a stranger notices the custom design of your skis and asks, “Where did you get those?” and you respond, “I made these myself and designed the top sheet.” If you join the Ski Building Interim led by the amazing instructors, Michael and Kristin, from Community Skis, you’ll have those conversations with strangers and carve turns on skis you’ve manufactured with your own hands.
There are three main parts to the ski-making process: material prep, building the skis, and the finish process. At the end, it all comes together—your understanding of ski design and manufacturing, and having built something beautiful with your hands. You’ll check the flex, eye the camber/rocker profile, take a step back, and admire your creation.
Space is the Place: Journey Into Our Universe
Trip Leaders: Elliot Chase and Ross Holland
Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver and Boulder, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23-Friday, May 27>
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: None
As Einstein humorously quipped, “Once you accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something—wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.” In our Interim, students will have the opportunity to explore the nature of spacetime, and of the universe itself. Students will investigate some of the fundamental questions about the nature of the universe as a way of connecting to our place in the cosmos. We will take day trips to dig further into many of these concepts and ideas. These expeditions will include a visit to the Museum of Science, visiting the planetarium and a number of facilities at CU-Boulder, demoing hands-on activities which model these ideas less abstractly, and finally, we will spend one day hiking at Red Rocks to explore geological time and how earth history fits into the cosmological picture. We hope students will deeply engage a core question: what is your place in the universe? No scientific or mathematical background is necessary. Students just need a comfort level with moderate hiking, an open mind, and a willingness to consider wearing plaid and stripes.
Splendor in the Landscape: Immersive Photography Expedition
Trip Leaders: Karen Donald and Jared Katzman
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Colorado National Monument
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: None
Immerse yourself in the most breathtaking national park, located in the heart of Western Colorado near Grand Junction. Colorado National Monument offers some of the most stunning views in the state, and it is here where you will learn to shoot these magnificent landscapes using a variety of tools and cameras. You may bring your own equipment or borrow from the school. We will be camping for three nights and hiking at Colorado National Monument, which will allow us to undertake shoots in the most beautiful lighting conditions. Our last day will be back at school, post-producing our shots in the photography lab and finally printing, so that you can have beautiful new art to feature on the walls of your home.
Theatrepalooza
Trip Leaders: Maclain Looper and Jon Vogels
Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Have you ever wanted to get behind the scenes and explore every facet of theatre—from the writing side all the way to set construction and lighting design? In one week we will give you a taste of as many components of the total experience as we can fit into the days, including writing your own play, designing a set, choreographing a dance or fight scene, and collaborating with other creative people. Visits to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and other local theaters are part of the plan. This Interim is ideal for those students who have an interest in theatre but for whatever reason have not been able to pursue that interest to the full extent. We also welcome theatre veterans; your previous experience will help the group, and we guarantee there will be new and unique opportunities for you as well. All the world’s a stage!
Throwing Rocks at Houses: The Curling Interim
Trip Leaders: Randall Martinez and Michael McLaughlin
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Location: Rock Creek, Boulder, Downtown Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Rock Creek Curling
Miss the magic of the Winter Olympics? Learn the Manitoba tuck, throw some rocks at houses, and compete in the growing sport of Curling. With roots dating back to 16th century Scotland, this winter Olympic Sport is sweeping the world by storm. Go from complete novice to tournament ready in a week-long program of skill development and teamwork on ice. Join the ranks of legends John Schuster & Colleen Jones and compete in teams of four, being careful to avoid burning stones along the way to podium glory.
Ukulele Building
Trip Leader: Emily Perez
Trip Type: Local (Denver based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Orthwest Studios
The mighty ukulele is one of the most versatile, portable, and fun instruments around. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play this fun, take-anywhere instrument, or if you do know how to play it and want to learn more about how instruments work, this is your chance to build a wooden stringed instrument to call your own. We will work with an expert luthier (stringed instrument builder) on campus to complete a playable, concert-sized ukulele from both raw materials and some parts prepared in advance.
When in Doubt Pedal it Out: Fruita Bike Trip
Trip Leaders: Sydney Finkbohner and Michael Huntington
Trip Type: Away (Away from Denver for 5 days)
Location: Fruita, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: None
Fruita is one of Colorado’s most beloved mountain biking towns, featuring some of the most classic trails in the West. On this Interim we will spend three to four days on bikes, riding between red rock canyons, soaring desert mountains, and fun free-flowing mountain trails. You will build skills on and off the bike, visiting trails in the Kokopelli trail system, off Road 18 on BLM land, and trying some pump tracks on “Lunch Loop.” The goal at the end of the trip is that you have come back a more skilled biker than when you left. We will be camping at Highline State Park, where we will get some downtime from biking and get to explore the beautiful scenery and enjoy each other’s company.
This interim does require experience on a mountain bike. If you have ridden Green Mountain or North Table or equivalent, you are in good shape for this trip.
Wonderful World of Glassblowing
Trip Leader: Andrea Eckler
Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week; no overnight)
Location: Lakewood, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: The Furnace: a Glassworks
The art of glassblowing is a fun and challenging adventure in which students can shape objects to their desire, exploring various shapes and vibrant colors to make their visions come to life. Students will work one-on-one with professional glass blowers to learn to heat and shape molten glass and to understand the intricacies that are involved in safely creating beautiful works of art. Glass blowing has been practiced for centuries by many cultures, from ancient Romans to modern times. Glass can take many forms, from functional objects like drinking glasses to complex sculptural pieces. Join us and add your artistic twist to history.
Woodworking and Elements of Modern Design
Trip Leader: Jonathan Ender
Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week; no overnight)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Trip Dates: Monday, May 23- Friday, May 27
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Woodwork Studio
During this very hands-on and creative Interim, participants will design and build their own chair and/or stool and one-of-a-kind cutting board. Through the design process, participants will begin to see uncommon beauty and unlimited possibilities in these utilitarian objects and appreciate the skilled work that goes into making hand-crafted furniture.
As with any great creative project, a bulk of the time will be spent in the studio. Participants will learn to safely use a variety of hand tools, power tools, and machinery. One day will be spent off-campus, exploring the design techniques of famed mid-20th century chair designers, Charles and Ray Eames.
Yoga and You
Trip Leader: Stephanie Turner
Trip Type: Hybrid (Away from Denver for at least 1 night)
Location: Rollinsville, Colorado
Trip Dates: Tuesday, May 24-Saturday, May 28
Level: Medium Intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: ShambhavaNanda Yoga Shoshoni, Rocky Mountain Goat Yoga
For the first couple of days, we’ll be doing yoga on campus, eating yummy vegetarian and vegan lunches every day. One day, we’ll have fun doing yoga with goats. The trip will culminate with a two-night stay at the lovely Shoshoni mountain retreat. COVID -19 vaccination is required for this Interim.