Interim at Colorado Academy provides opportunities to get out of the classroom to learn by doing, and each trip is dedicated to building new connections through a wide range of experiences. 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, and creates community outside of students’ typical social circles.
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 22, 2023. Most Interims run Monday through Friday, but there are several away trips that begin on Wednesday and end on Sunday. Please note the date of each trip when selecting your preferences. Parent/guardian 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, which will be available beginning February 28. Each student should put their choices in order from 1 to 30, and a parent/guardian should sign the attached waiver. The registration form is due Friday, March 3. Trip assignments will be announced at the end of March and are determined by factors including student ranking of each trip, a balance of genders, sports conflicts, and age.
Seniors sign up for Interim in person on Wednesday, February 22, during long advisory.
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:
Senior parents will need to complete this waiver BEFORE students can sign up for Interim; the waiver is due Monday, February 20.
Parents of Grades 9-11: parents will need to complete the Interim Waiver that is included in the registration form.
IMPORTANT SPORTS NOTE:
Due to a scheduling conflict with CHSAA’s postseason calendar, we have added five trips that will run on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule to allow for students to participate in an away Interim or high-intensity outdoor Interim if they desire. Those Interims are:
- Duckie the Upper Colorado
- Exploring the Canyonlands
- Turf and Surf
- When in Doubt, Pedal it Out: Fruita Bike Trip
- Yoga Retreat: The Ultimate Self-Care
Girls Soccer and Boys Lacrosse potentially have championships on May 22-23 and will be free for a Wednesday-Sunday away Interim or any local Interim.
Baseball should sign up for any Interim trip, as they will either be playing in championship games all week or be free for the whole week.
Girls Golf may have championship games from Monday-Wednesday and can sign up for “Yoga Retreat: The Ultimate Self-Care” or “Turf and Surf” or any local Interim.
Additional information:
- Interim attendance is mandatory; 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; some gear rentals are not included.
- Students cannot repeat a past Interim.
- Siblings are not permitted on the same Interim.
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 on an overnight experience. In both cases, the school will decide whether or not a student may participate in overnight programs.
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: abby.page@coloradoacademy.org.
Available Trips:
To view trips, simply scroll down, or click each trip for more information.
A Chip Off the Block
- Trip Leaders: Cathy Nabbefeld & David Jones
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Marble, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendors: Beaver Lake Lodge and Cabins, 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 Challenge
- Trip Leaders: Ali Kittle & Haley Helvey
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Boulder Canyon, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- 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 environments. 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.
Art in the WILD
- Trip Leaders: Stashia Taylor & Karen Donald
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Utah
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendor: Kelly Magleby
Immerse yourself in an outdoor art adventure. We will camp out in the Utah desert for the week, using the landscape as our art studio, exploring both ceramics and photography. We will collect clay from the earth and build using ancient Puebloan techniques and natural materials. Out in the desert, we will fire our pieces and come home with creations that are beautiful, useful, and lasting. In the golden hours and evening, we will capture fantastical landscapes working with our DSLR cameras and LED light wands. This experience will challenge our bodies and our minds, working together to have a creative experience in the backcountry.
Backpacking: Bandelier National Monument
- Trip Leaders: Abby Page, Katherine Snow & James Gordon
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: High Intensity (Active 5+ hours per day in the outdoors with periods of intense exertion)
- Vendor: Kent Mountain Adventure Center
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles” – Marie Davis
With over 33,000 acres of designated wilderness, Bandelier National Monument is a stunning landscape of mesas, canyons, and Ancestral Puebloan dwellings. Come spend five days out in the backcountry and experience the life-changing power of carrying everything you need on your back and sleeping under the stars. You must be willing to carry heavy loads and travel many miles on foot every day. Join us for an adventure of a lifetime!
Burn the Stage
- Trip Leaders: Raquel Camacho & Sonia Arora
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- 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!
Denver’s Landscape: From Redlining to Gentrification
- Trip Leaders: Lisa Dean, Allison Gordon & Kenneth Usongo
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendor: None
How well do you really know the big city near you? What stories have you heard? What stories get left out? Join us on this incredible, eye-opening Interim that travels around the Denver area to examine Colorado history, artists, and food while also being able to see areas affected by redlining and gentrification and what that means to the people that live there. You’ll travel through the heart of Denver around Union Station, to Five Points, Northeast Park Hill, and to Lincoln Hills Cares, a non-profit dedicated to bringing outdoor education to urban youth.
Duckie the Upper Colorado
- Trip Leaders: Wes Kirk & Katy Wood Hills
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Kremmling to Glenwood Canyon, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Wednesday, May 24-Sunday, May 28
- 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 24 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 & Daniel Lopez
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Low Intensity (Sitting, standing, 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 & Liz Sarles
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Bear Ears National Monument, Utah
- Trip Dates: Wednesday, May 24-Sunday, May 28
- 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 to the San Rafael Swell, home of slot canyons and rock art.
Just west of Green, Utah, the San Rafael is a dramatic rock formation. 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 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.”
Fly Fishing the Front Range
- Trip Leaders: Stuart Mills & David Colodny
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Elevenmile Canyon, Colorado; The Dream Stream
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- 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 & Julie Wei
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Low Intensity (Sitting, standing, light walking)
- Vendor: Create Kitchen
Indulge in a delicious culinary experience and develop lifelong skills, and experience the joy of cooking and eating a wide variety of impressive wholesome meals. 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 three 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.
Go Climb A Tree
- Trip Leader: Autumn Amici-Lester
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendor: Tree Climbing Colorado
Join us on an arboriculture adventure! Learn to tree climb on this exhilarating and technical interim. We will spend the week learning the basics of tree climbing using the latest and safest techniques from seasoned veterans in the tree climbing and arboriculture industry. The leaders of this group include Dr. Amici-Lester who learned to tree climb for her PhD research examining epiphytes (air plants) in tree crowns and canopies. She is partnering with a founding member of the Global Organization of Tree Climbers, who is a local here in Colorado. We will explore a different perspective of campus by climbing some of the trees you probably walk by every day. We also plan to have a day of climbing and exploring the plants and animals of a local Denver metro park. Finally, we will spend some time learning about tree ecology and the threats that these amazing living creatures face with a changing climate.
Learning to Fly (Circus Interim)
- Trip Leaders: Octavia Betz & Sara Purviance
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: High Intensity (Active 5+ hours per day in the outdoors with periods of intense exertion)
- Vendor: Denver Circus Collective
Come fly in the air under the big top in this amazing circus Interim! Learn silks, Lyra, sling, trapeze, and aerial choreography, and spend time tumbling, doing yoga, and having a blast. Do you have what it takes to be a circus performer? You don’t know until you try!
Make A Difference
- Trip Leaders: Venetia Sampson & Camille James
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendors: Casa De Paz, The GrowHaus, Denver Rescue Mission
Do you love helping others? Do you want to give back to your community? If so, this is the Interim for you! 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 build bikes for second graders in need. This is an excellent Interim for gathering ideas for your future CIP project! Come join us and spend your week making a difference.
Peeps Can Climb: Climbing At Shelf Road
- Trip Leaders: Erin Gray, Brian List & Corey Lans
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Cañon City, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- 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? Established as one of the very first sport climbing spots in the USA in the 1980s, Shelf Road is famous for its vertical limestone walls; come climb and be part of its vivid history. No climbing experience necessary, and experienced climbers can push their limits with various single-pitch routes. Hope you see you there!
Raft the Colorado
- Trip Leaders: Gabe Bernstein & Leo Procise
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Fruita, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: High Intensity (Active 5+ hours per day in the outdoors with periods of intense exertion)
- Vendor: Rimrock Adventures
If you’re looking for a week of adventure on the border of Colorado and Utah, then this river trip is for you! This rafting trip will be three 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.
Ski Crafter’s Workshop
- Trip Leaders: Kyle Gillette, Cyd Tully, & Pat Moore
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Low Intensity (Sitting, standing, 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 Crafter’s 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 finishing process. At the end, it all comes together—your understanding of ski design and manufacturing, 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.
Scientist’s Paradise: Denver Audubon Birds & Conservation
- Trip Leaders: David Smith & Amy Williams
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendor: Denver Audubon Society
Come join us at the Audubon Nature Center at Chatfield State Park where you will become an expert bird bander, track bird migrations in Colorado, learn about watersheds, and explore the Greenwood Wildlife Rehab Center to learn just how critical birds are to our world. The mission of Denver Audubon is to inspire actions that protect birds, other wildlife, and their habitats through education, conservation, and research, and you will spend the week at an incredible facility getting hands-on experience in this exciting field of science.
Sugar Rush (Baking Interim)
- Trip Leaders: Allie Bronston & Lindsay Beatty
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Low Intensity (Sitting, standing, light walking)
- Vendor: Uncorked Kitchen & Local Bakeries
Have you ever wanted to bake your own bread or make delicious confectionary creations? We will spend each morning with a pastry chef at Uncorked Kitchen who will teach the skills that you will need to bake incredible treats including cookies, pies, cream puffs, custard, and bread. After lunch each day, we’ll enjoy tours of local bakeries including Rebel Bread, Rosenberg’s Bagels, and Dry Storage of Boulder. Join us for a wonderful week of learning and tasting!
Theatrepalooza
- Trip Leaders: Maclain Looper & Jon Vogels
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- 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 theater—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 theater but for whatever reason have not been able to pursue that interest to its full extent. We also welcome theater 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 (Curling Interim)
- Trip Leaders: Randall Martinez & Michael McLaughlin
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Rock Creek, Boulder, Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- 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.
Trails and Tales
- Trip Leaders: Michael Huntington & Hilary Burke
- Trip Type: Hybrid (Denver-based most of the week; one overnight)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: High Intensity (Active 5+ hours per day in the outdoors with periods of intense exertion)
- Vendor: Colorado Mountain Club
Do you love being outdoors? Come explore the local trails of Denver. We will enjoy some nearby gems and take some time to give back and improve the trail system. Being comfortable outdoors also necessitates strong survival skills. We will spend one night camping to learn and test our survival skills. Plan each day to be outdoors and active from early morning to late afternoon.
Turf and Surf
- Trip Leader: Mike Stanitski
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Wednesday, May 24-Sunday, May 28
- Level: High Intensity (Active 5+ hours per day in the outdoors with periods of intense exertion)
- Vendor: none
Want some high-intensity demanding physical activity outdoors, but want to head back home at the end of each day without camping or traveling out of town overnight? This Interim offers five days of different physical activities and challenges on land and on water, in and around the Denver area, with a different type of activity each day. Activities may include (among others) orienteering, trail running, zip-lining, adventure tower climbing, ascending the Manitou Incline, whitewater rafting, open-water swimming, and stand-up paddle boarding. No experience with any particular activity is necessary, but participants should be prepared for rigorous physical activity.
Ukulele Building
- Trip Leader: Emily Perez
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Low Intensity (Sitting, standing, 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.
Week of Wellness
- Trip Leaders: Lisa Boes & Suzie Jekel
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: High Intensity (Active 5+ hours per day in the outdoors with periods of intense exertion)
- Vendor: None
Partake in a week of wellness! During this Interim, you will invigorate and challenge your mind and body with intense activity, including hiking and ninja courses, and also calm your mind and body with yoga and meditation. The week will end with the monumental achievement of ascending the Manitou Incline!
What Is Art?
- Trip Leaders: Ross Holland & Elliott Chase
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendor: None
What is the purpose of art? Does it serve a public good? What is “good” art? Is it all subjective? And what does beauty have to do with it? On this Interim we will engage with these questions through a variety of local art experiences. Daily trips may include guided visits to the Denver Art Museum, Museo de las Americas, Meow Wolf, Skyspace, the Santa Fe Arts District, and street art of the RiNo neighborhood. No artistic skills or background required.
When in Doubt, Pedal it Out (Mountain Biking Interim)
- Trip Leaders: Jonathan Scholl & Katie Schneider
- Trip Type: Away (away from Denver for 5 days)
- Location: Fruita, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Wednesday, May 24-Sunday, May 28
- Level: High Intensity (Active 5+ hours per day in the outdoors with periods of intense exertion)
- Vendor: Boneshakers Adventures
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. You are responsible for bringing your own mountain bike on this trip (own or rental); financial assistance is available upon request.
Wonderful World of Glassblowing
- Trip Leaders: Andrea Eckler & Christina Garza
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Lakewood, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Low Intensity (Sitting, standing, 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 Modern Design
- Trip Leader: Jonathan Ender
- Trip Type: Local (Denver-based all week)
- Location: Lakewood, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Monday, May 22-Friday, May 26
- Level: Low Intensity (Sitting, standing, light walking)
- Vendor: Woodwork Studio
During this hands-on and creative Interim, participants will design and build their own cutting board along with another project that you will be able to take home at the end of the week. Through the design process, participants will learn how to use a variety of tools and techniques used in woodworking that they can apply to their own projects. You will also take a trip to the lumber yard to select wood for your projects and learn about various aspects of lumber and what the selection process entails.
Yoga Retreat: The Ultimate Self-Care
- Trip Leaders: Stephanie Turner & Jane Kelly
- Trip Type: Hybrid (Denver-based for two nights; away for three nights)
- Location: Denver and Rollinsville, Colorado
- Trip Dates: Wednesday, May 24-Sunday, May 28
- Level: Medium Intensity (Moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
- Vendor: Shambhavananda Yoga Shoshoni
Spend a week exploring the ultimate in self-care: yoga and meditation. The Interim begins with two days on campus, learning basic poses and meditation techniques. The next stop will be a rustic mountain retreat for three days and nights, where you will take two yoga classes per day from dedicated yoga practitioners. You will be able to foster your creative side through art and improve your culinary skills by learning to make delicious vegetarian food in the community kitchen. Students will have the opportunity to connect with nature by doing service in the garden and hiking in the mountains.