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Greg's Journal
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Greg Lais is the Founder and Executive Director of Wilderness Inquiry. |
| 06/09/2008 |
| Staff training just concluded, and we are all thrilled at the caliber and commitment of the trail staff who will be joining our ranks. This is the best group of new leaders I have seen in my entire 30 years at WI! Our staff training is a bit like boot camp. We drilled them pretty good, in the classroom, in the field, and in the warehouse. I was very impressed with the skills they already have and what they learned. I was also quite impressed with their attitude--both individually and collectively. I can\'t wait for them to meet you! |
| 05/26/2008 |
| Last week we held our first ever board of directors retreat at our new property near the Apostle Islands. It\'s hard to believe but this is the first time in 30 years that our board has sat around a campfire together. We hiked and paddled and did all of the usual things. It was really fun. We also hosted a little bar-be-que for friends in the area. Many folks came, including Bob Krumenaker, Superintendant of the Apostle Islands National Seashore, Cindy Dillenschneider from Northland College, and John Nousaine, the Director of the Center for Independent Living in Superior, WI. We also had a little celebration for Myron Lohman from the Town of Russell. Myron has been a friend of WI for many years, and we decided to have a little birthday cake for him. Special thanks to Sally Hedges for making that delicious cake! |
| 04/16/2008 |
| Tomorrow I am giving a slide show on our Belize trip at Wilderness Inquiry headquarters in Dinkytown. It’s been fun to see all the photos again. Hope we have a good crowd. You may notice a new feature on our home page—Trips by Leader. As we get staff members scheduled for trips we plan to put them out there so people can see who is doing what. As you might guess, many people want to go with the same staff member again and again. While this is understandable, and fine, we still want to encourage you to go with new staff members—they are all good! Spring appears to finally be here…need to put the boat in the water soon. |
| 03/04/2008 |
| Irene’s Place Last night we ate at a place in Hopkins, Belize, named Irene’s Place. Like many of the restaurants in this little village by the Caribbean, Irene’s Place consists of a blue room in the front of her house, illuminated by a couple of fluorescent strip bulbs. There are three tables, and we were the only patrons in the place, at least at first. The menu had fish, chicken, and Gibnut, a local small animal that is said to be good to eat, sort of like an overgrown guinea pig. It also had a hamburger and fries, complete with a picture from McDonald’s, as if that would entice us to buy one. We went for the Gibnut. Irene came in, a middle-aged woman of African descent, poised and calm. This place, Hopkins, is a center for Garifuna culture, an interesting mix of diverse cultures brought together by circumstances of previous centuries. Like Irene, the village is serene. It is not a wealthy place, it is a coastal village in a third world country, but people seem very happy here. Irene took our order. Unfortunately, there was no Gibnut available, not in season. We had fish and chicken, which were delicious. While waiting for our meal, out came Amanda, Irene’s 6 year-old daughter. Amanda was not shy, in fact she launched herself among us, singing songs, telling us about her school and, since we were from Minnesota, she drew us pictures of snowmen. Amanda charmed us all and brought us ever closer to this wonderful little village. We had just come in from a day of fantastic snorkeling, hiking to see Macaws and, the day before, Jaguars, but Amanda stole the show. She reminded us all of someone we loved, and in the brief time we were with her we came to love her as well. This is why we travel, to connect to with people and places. I need to do it more often. |
| 02/22/2008 |
| I've been neglecting my journal lately--lots of things going on! Tomorrow I am going up to the Apostle Islands to meet with folks from Northland College. Wilderness Inquiry purchased a 20-acre site near Little Sand Bay, and we are meeting new partners and kindred spirits. Tom Nelson and John Scanlan from our board are coming with Sarah Milligan-Toffler and me. It will be a fun trip. On Saturday I am going to Belize with my daughter, Rosie, to check out a new itinerary for WI. Tough work but someone has to do it! The last few weeks went by really fast. Dogsled trips, Florida's 10,000 Islands, and a bunch of work on databases and websites seemed to occupy our time. Today we had a luncheon for folks who helped with our annual fund appeal. It was really nice--and very cold outside. |
| 02/01/2008 |
| January has come and gone—it went by FAST! We’ve had a couple of dogsled trips go out the door, including one at a bone-chilling -30! No matter, people still took saunas and jumped in the ice hole! We also have a couple of trips touring Costa Rica, where it is a little warmer on the Osa Peninsula. If you are on our mailing list you should have received our 2008 trip schedule by now. It's been really fun to see so many people signing up for trips using our new website. Last but certainly not least, we are very happy that we met our goal of raising $315,000 for our annual scholarship campaign. Special thanks to everyone who helped out with that. It is really a very significant undertaking, and one that truly helps us meet our mission of “Sharing the Adventure” with everyone. |
| 12/21/2007 |
| It has been a great year at Wilderness Inquiry! - We served nearly 10,000 people, exceeding our service goals for the year. We are very proud of the fact that we have touched so many people this year. - Our inclusive youth leadership program continues to grow. We doubled the size, and results from a study conducted by the U of M show that our youth programs are effectively integrating youth with and without disabilities, teaching leadership skills, and instilling social competence. - We increased partnerships with a number of organizations to better reach under served populations. Partners include Dakota Woodlands, Neighborhood House, Groves Academy, Center for Victims of Torture, the City of St. Paul, and many others. If you haven't already, I hope you will consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support our annual fund. We are 70% toward our goal of raising $315,000 by year end. Go to the support WI tab on our website and help us reach this important goal! Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year, Greg Lais |
| 12/15/2007 |
| New Trips! Our 2008 trip catalog will be sent out soon to people on our mailing list. We are really excited about some new trips we’ve lined up for 2008. Check out: Bahamas Sea Kayaking http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/bahamas Alaska’s Prince William Sound Sea Kayaking http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/princewilliamsound Boundary Waters Canoe 7-day http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/bwcacanoe7 If you are not yet on our mailing list you can join for free by going to: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/contact_us/mailinglist.php We still have a couple of openings on our 2nd Costa Rica trip, our 4th Hawaii trip, and our BWCA Women’s winter trip. You can get to those trips by clicking on our maps. Hope you join us! Greg |
| 12/10/2007 |
| It’s cold and snowy—finally! This morning I took an early walk around Lake Nokomis with my friend Rolf Thompson. It was a treat to see the winter landscape. We stopped to look at three huge willow trees—all of their branches, wasp nests, and squirrel roosts exposed. Without any leaves, it seemed like their secrets were laid bare for all to see. Transparency is an interesting thing. At Wilderness Inquiry, we strive for it. Whether it’s the mechanics of a trip or the details of how we use a donation, we prefer to have you to know exactly what’s going on. In that vein, we have been working for some time to improve the “back-end” of our website—the database driven portion. We’ve upgraded the software to a more robust and up-to-date version that will result in fewer crashes and more flexibility in maintaining content. Of course, our financial transactions have always been secure but we’ve enhanced that portion as well, doing things like auto-deleting sensitive information when we no longer need it. All good stuff that, if we are successful, you should hardly notice! That said, there may be some quirks and blips that you may notice—especially if you are used to our site and how it functioned before October. If you spot any, or if you have any suggestions for our website, please e-mail us and let us know—your feedback on our site is VERY helpful. Send your e-mail directly to: andywalz@wildernessinquiry.org One of the issues of our updating is that I’ve not been able to easily update my journal, which is why my last entry was in October. So, I hope you don’t mind if this one is a little long because there are many, many other things going on at WI these days. Briefly, they include: • Our 2008-09 Trip Catalog is at the printer. If you are on our mailing list, you should receive it just before January 1st. You can join our mailing list by going to: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/contact_us/mailinglist.php • We’ll be adding more trips to our website soon—great trips, including Prince William Sound, a Bahamas kayaking trip, and a longer BWCA canoe trip. • Our annual fundraising campaign for scholarships and support is in full swing. Many people have been very generous, but we still have to raise $140,000 more before year-end. If you wish to make a donation you can on-line by going to: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/support_wi/donate.php • This week we surpassed our goal of serving 9,600 people in 2007—so far we’ve serve 9,628 folks with a few more to come before year-end. We are very proud of that!! That’s a short re-cap of things. I’ll fill you in on more over the next few weeks. Overall, 2007 has been a very good year, and we are looking forward to 2008. Please stay in touch and have a happy holiday season. Hope to see you on he trail! Greg |
| 10/07/2007 |
| Several new staff started this week--Greta Arnquist, Molly Gottsacker and Clif McIntosh. Actually, they are not new--they have been trail staff for some time and have a wealth of experience with our trips. What is new is that they are joining our full-time team--we are very excited to have them all. One of the benefits of being involved with WI is that you get to know wonderful people like Greta, Molly and Clif. For me, it's a little odd now as I am the same age as their parents. Still, it's a joy to work with such talented, committed, positive people who care so much about what they do. I hope you'll stop in and meet them! |
| 09/15/2007 |
| Today is the 17th Anniversary of Sarah Milligan-Toffler’s start date at Wilderness Inquiry, and I want to publicly thank her for all that she has done. Sarah is our Associate Executive Director, and yesterday she sent me a note thanking me for taking a chance on her when she was just 25 years old. I have to say, “Sarah, THANK YOU for taking a chance on WI, and for all you have done to build this organization into what it is today.” I will never be able to do justice to all that Sarah has done—from raising millions of dollars to developing our wonderful database system; Sarah has been vital to our success. I am continually amazed at how much she gets done in a day. As Craig Peterson, our board chair said to me this past Tuesday, Sarah makes me look really good—thank you Sarah! In addition to her many talents and incredible work ethic, Sarah has contributed something that goes above and beyond the collected list of her many accomplishments. Over the last 17 years Sarah has always been there to boost our spirits in times of difficulty, and to keep us focused on the things that matter most. Simply put, her belief in us has made a huge difference over time. That’s worth more than gold. Thank you Sarah, for making Wilderness Inquiry and the world a better place! Best wishes to you, Jeff, Jacob and Honey! We can’t wait to start the next 17 years on Monday. |
| 08/31/2007 |
| It's the last day of August, and as I write this our staff is packing in the biggest trip we've ever done--over a hundred people on a 5-day trip. Of course, we split the groups into smaller sub-groups. Still, it is a significant logistical undertaking. Kudos to our crew--they did an outstanding job. I've received many GREAT notes and letters of late--full of wonderful stories and important life lessons. I especially liked the one from a father named Steve. He wrote: “A few days into our Wilderness Inquiry Yellowstone trip my ten year old daughter turned to me and said, ‘Daddy, our group members with disabilities are having so much fun. They must feel like they are the same as us on these trips.’ I was a very proud father to hear her articulate that!” As a father myself I can relate. One of the things I am very proud of is that my own children--both teenagers now--are completely accepting of others regardless of disability, race, religious beliefs or all the other things that sometimes hold us apart. I do credit Wilderness Inquiry experience for much of that attitude. My kids have been fortunate to meet people from all walks of life. They've learned that superficial things like disability or skin color are really rather meaningless in determining one's character. It's good to hear that Steve's daughter is getting that same lesson. |
| 08/17/2007 |
| I am writing this from Anchorage, Alaska. We just completed our first "pilot" trip to Prince William Sound. What a place! The scenery is fantastic and the wild life abundant. Salmon were literally jumping everywhere. We paddled to the Chenega Glacier and navigated through icebergs that had calved from the face of the glacier. The glacier is huge--the face of it is at least 100 feet high. This trip was a joint effort between WI and the USDA Forest Service, which manages the Chugach National Forest. We're excited to work with them to work with them to do more trips to Prince William Sound. |
| 08/02/2007 |
| We've received many calls and e-mails from people who know how close we are to the I-35 W bridge that collapsed--the bridge is only a few feet from the freeway exit to Wilderness Inquiry. So far, all WI staff, volunteers and interns have checked in OK. We've heard several stories of people who had just passed over the bridge or who were about too, but amazingly no one here was involved nor do we know of anyone who was. Of course, the names of the victims have not been released yet, and we fear that more cars were thrown into the river or crushed by concrete. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you all very much for your concern! |
| 08/01/2007 |
| The bridge over Interstate 35W collapsed into the Mississippi River a few hours ago--a bridge I usually cross twice a day. Today, just by chance, I decided to ride my bike to Wilderness Inquiry with fellow staffer Amy Sandeen. I rode my bike over to the area, about a mile from WI headquarters. It was unbelievable--massive destruction. The smell of burn and pulverized concrete was pretty thick. Thousands of people were flooding into the area so I took off and rode home. Watching it on the news was strange--it looked a lot smaller, almost unrecognizable. We are worried for all the people who fell--commuters, construction workers, and the people down below (a train was crushed, as well as cars and commuters on West River Road. I know this entry has little to do with the joys of wilderness tripping, but that disaster struck very close to home. If you are traveling to Wilderness Inquiry from the south, you will need to take an alternate route. Check the contact us section and we will give you directions. In the meantime, ride your bike more often, and think of the unfortunate people who were caught in that sudden tragedy. |
| 07/27/2007 |
| It's been hot in Minneapolis--great time to head out into the Wilderness! Yesterday our Wabikimi trips left. We have about a dozen trips out today--it's quiet in the warehouse. Malena and Aaron are here packing out for the Big Salmon River trip. Should be a great trip. |
| 07/13/2007 |
| Hard to believe a month has gone by since my last entry--time does fly when you are having fun. Many trips have come and gone in the last few weeks and we are very happy with our season thus far. Tomorrow is a big day--probably one of the biggest service days ever in the history of Wilderness Inquiry. In addition to trips taking place from Montana to Kenya, we have two big paddling events at the Minneapolis Aquatennial and the St. Paul Dragon Boat festival. In addition to organizing trips I've been planning a sea kayak trip to Prince William Sound in Alaska--leaving in August. It is a spectacular place, and we hope to do more trips there. I've been looking at pictures of the glaciers and, while still impressive, it is distressing to see how much they have retreated in the last 50 years. There are still a few trip openings left. We hope you will join us! Greg |
| 06/12/2007 |
| Staff training is over, and we are really excited about some of the new folks who have joined our team--best group in years. Our trail staff are the people who deliver memorable wilderness experiences. We are excited to have you meet them. On Sunday night we had a great benefit concert by Martha Scanlan, Trevor and Travis Stuart, and Amy Helm (daughter of Levon Helm from The Band). They were excellent. Really great people and extremely talented musicians. Thank you so much Martha, Amy, Travis and Trevor! As for me, I've been working pretty hard myself but now that our summer is pretty well set I am going fishing! Each year for the past 7 years Paul Schurke, WI's co-founder, and I have taken our sons fishing in Ontario. It's a great tradition and I can't wait. Even our 15 year old sons are excited, and that's saying something. See you in a week! |
| 05/28/2007 |
| Our office is a buzz with preparations for the summer season. Staff training starts in a week. It's really fun to see our new staff meet our returning staff and watch new friendships grow and develop. We have a really great group of people. I know you will be impressed with them on your trip! I just received an e-mail from a friend, Bonnie, about her Mother, Bernice. Bernice went on many of our trips and her spirit of adventure was contagious. Since it is Memorial Day I wanted to share Bonnie's comments with you. _________________ Hi Greg, Mom passed away last week and she was vital to the end. Want to thank you for all the wonderful trips with Wilderness Inquiry. There is not one thing that could have enriched her life as much as those adventures. There were 18 of them, and she kept the rosters to prove it. As I will say at her celebration, Wilderness Inquiry offered Mom experiences to match her lifelong love of adventure, nature and meeting and getting to know other people. Our deep gratitude. Here is what I am going to say at her service: "Mother enjoyed her 17 years at Northern Lights where she received assistance from many, many wonderful caregivers. She began a new passion. Camping, canoeing, kayaking and dogsledding through Wilderness Inquiry. Wilderness Inquiry is an organization that takes able bodied and persons with other abilities to wilderness areas. All in all she took 18 trips, from 1988 to 2002. It was hard to believe she did that many, beginning when she was already 68 years old, and her last one at 82 where she was joined by Jason and Sherri on the St. Croix River. Wilderness Inquiry offered Mom experiences to match her lifelong love of adventure, nature and meeting and getting to know other people." Warm regards, Bonne |
| 05/17/2007 |
| Some folks have called about the Ham Lake fire off the Gunflint Trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. We are watching the fire closely and we are concerned for our many friends who are in the area. However, we do not anticipate having to cancel any Boundary Waters trips conducted by Wilderness Inquiry. Despite its size, the Ham Lake fire did not burn any of the areas where Wilderness Inquiry travels. We do have some trips in June leaving from Sagagnaga Lake at the end of the Gunflint, but the fire was south of that area. You can safely go ahead and register for a trip in the Boundary Waters. If you are already registered, do not worry. Our trips leave from areas that are far removed from the Ham Lake fire. If we have any concerns about our ability to operate we will be the first to let you know! Many of you know about Camp Menogyn on West Bearskin Lake. Fortunately, the fire did not touch Menogyn. We'll keep you posted! Greg |
| 05/01/2007 |
| May first is already here! Time does fly when you are having fun. I'm about to head out for a walk around the lake with one of our board members, Jim Langdon. Jim is a partner with the law firm of Dorsey and Whitney. We really appreciate his help and support. Our trip schedule was mailed out last week--if you are on our mailing list you should receive it any day now. If you are not on our mailing list, click on contact us and join it--there is no cost to you. It's just too beautiful outside...time to go. Greg |
| 04/09/2007 |
| It's fun to launch our new website--we put a lot of work into it. Hopefully you will find it easy to use. We've done a lot of "behind the scenes" work to make things easier. For example, now, if you are registering your family or spouse, the website will automatically pump in contact info and allow you to pay for everyone at once. In coming weeks we will add more functionality, like confirmation packets and equipment lists on-line. Of course, there are always typos and glitches when you launch a new system. If you find any, please let us know--we'll send you a WI cap for the trouble. Hope to see you on the trail! Greg |
| 04/02/2007 |
| I have many things to be thankful for, and I want to share one of them with you. I love the crew of people I work with at Wilderness Inquiry! I've said it many times, but I need to say it again--WI staff are among the best, brightest, most compassionate people on Earth. It is an honor and a pleasure to work with every one of them. A few weeks ago a wonderful man named Lee Friedman joined our team as the Director of Operations and Business. Prior to joining Wilderness Inquiry he was a partner in the law firm of Briggs and Morgan, where he practiced employment law. Lee and his wife, Amy, and their two boys live in Golden Valley. Lee is quick, precise, and after working with him for a few weeks I can tell you he has a great work ethic--whatever it takes. He's also a great writer and editor--if you find fewer typos on our website it's largely because of him. Lee is one of the reasons why I am excited to go to Wilderness Inquiry every day! |
| 03/24/2007 |
| Finally, after a lot of work we've re-launched our website. It just went live a few moments ago. Our hope is that you will find this site much easier to navigate. Over the next couple of weeks we will continue to develop the site, adding features and making things even more convenient for you. One new feature I hope you'll like is Tales from the Trail in the news section. You'll be able to read stories from our trip participants--and upload your own. Our goal is to build in much more of this sort of thing. Many people worked hard to re-launch this site but three people in particular stand out. Dave Schelter is a gifted web tech. He does wonders with code--we love him! Jocelyn Goldaide is our graphic artist. The look and feel of the home page is all her. Last but certainly not least, our Andy Walz proved to be the lynchpin of this effort. His vision, hard work, innovation and attention to detail are without equal. I hope you enjoy the fruits of their labor! |
| 03/09/2007 |
| We're busy preparing to launch our new and revised website--in a few days you'll find a fresh look and an easier interface to get to the many levels and layers of our site. Stay tuned... |
| 02/21/2007 |
| Hola! Our Costa Rica trips for 2007 just finished up. It's been GREAT to hear all the rave reviews from the folks who went. Below is a letter from Richard R. from Union City, California. ________________________________________________________________________ To Greg Lais and staff of Wilderness Inquiry, I want to thank Wilderness Inquiry for offering such an exciting hiking and exploration adventure to Costa Rica. The people, food, culture and active outdoor activities provided me the opportunity to learn and engage in a meaningful vacation in a place that I have never ventured to. This trip offered me the opportunity to snorkel for the first time, hike rugged terrain and at the same time be told of the plants, animals and insects roaming the part of the country. Costa Rica also provided me with a taste of a new culture that I had not previously known much about. Tom and Amy Gode, our trip guides were by far some of the best group leaders I’ve ever known to facilitate a trip. They were patient, kind and offered assistance to me and others when we needed it. As a person who has limited vision, they offered detailed descriptions of the scenery while in transit for location to location, while in the boat traveling to Poor Man’s Paradise and while on those long and exciting hikes. Both Amy and Tom worked to make this trip a meaningful experience. They worked tirelessly each day providing options for the days events and guidance on many aspects of the culture. I can not see a better husband and wife team taking Wilderness Inquiry travelers around their new home country and introducing people to the country’s simple and yet generous culture. Although it isn’t the most exciting thing to write and brag about, two of the things that stick out the most on my trip with Wilderness Inquiry included resting at the end of the day in a hammock watching the sunset Oceanside. The other was being among our group and challenging ourselves to speak in the native tongue to order food and engage in basic conversation with the locals. I consider myself an avid traveler who will try just about anything once. As a matter of safety, I prefer to travel with groups of people with like minder enthusiasm and organizational philosophy of the environment, yet wishing to put myself to the challenge in experiencing the outdoors in many different ways. This has been my sixth trip with Wilderness Inquiry and there is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be back some day. Perhaps New Zealand is next? Thank you Greg and thank you for bringing on Tom and Amy to lead this trip. Because I would like others to have the positive and meaningful experiences that I had on such trips, I am enclosing a donation in the amount of $75.00. I would like to ear mark this donation to go to support scholarship and or events for youth and or youth with disabilities as supported by Wilderness Inquiry and its own mission. I trust that it will go to good use. Respectfully. Richard R. |
| 01/25/2007 |
| In addition to our trips, we do many other community based programs, for youth, students, new immigrants, seniors--you name it. Our goal is open hearts and minds through outdoor adventures. Just today we received the message below from a charter school we work with. We love getting these sorts of messages! _____________________ Brian - another great success! Andrea and I and the staff here are so appreciative of the opportunities you have prepared for our community. Each event allows different settings for the teachers/students to work together and has had such a positive impact on school success afterwards. We have been trying since Septemeber to fill the 15 person slot and for each event have reached only 9 or 10 kids and today we were still anticipating 15 at the absolute best, but they all came in with such excitment and motivation - it was great to see. I appreciete your flexibility in allowing the group to get so big and operating on last minute information. Our campers were happy to see Lollie and it was nice having a familiar face there and the two new women I met today were really helpful and positive and really good with our students. Everyone is exhausted and totally fatigued from climbing. I can always tell a true success when the students don't swear, don't ask to use their headphones/cell phones or complain about how much longer until we leave. None of that happened today! They were all engaged and great behavior! So - thanks again for everything and have a great weekend........ -Jennifer |
| 01/18/2007 |
| Here is an e-mail I just received from a couple that went on our most recent Kenya trip. It speaks for itself! _____________ Jambo Mr. Lais: I want to thank you and your staff for offering one of the best travel adventures that I’ve ever had the good fortune to experience. My husband and I consider ourselves seasoned travelers who enjoy learning about new cultures and countries. WI’s trip to Kenya was well planned, well rounded with both challenging and relaxing encounters, and consistently full of new, exciting experiences. We learned so much about the Kenyan people, their ways of living, their beliefs, their exceptional fauna and flora, and their incredible drive to improve the economy while maintaining the “soul” of Kenya. Rarely have we felt such an honest connection with a country and its people. You can be assured that we will tout our WI experience to many friends and colleagues. We will also continue to monitor the WI web site for new adventures (particularly those organized by Andy Walz) and future trips to Kenya, a country that we’d like to return to again and again. Thank you again for offering real-life adventures that I believe, in their own poignant way, help to bring our world together. Sincerely, Sam & Greg |
| 01/13/2007 |
| Our trip schedule is out and we’re thrilled to see so many people signing up for trips! It looks like 2007 is off to a great start. In early February we are planning to re-launch our website. We are all very excited about this as it should make it much easier for you to navigate. One thing we’ve discovered is that many folks are not able to find all of the goodies on our site, in part because they have to click several layers deep. Our new site should be easier to navigate. I am also very happy to announce that we raised $319,387 for our Annual Campaign, surpassing our goal of $315,000! Our Annual Campaign raises funds for scholarships and supports so that people who need financial assistance to go can get it. A special thanks to everyone who made a contribution. It really helps. |
| 01/01/2007 |
| Happy New Year! Morning came today with a blanket of fresh white snow and bright sunshine—a welcome relief after weeks of grey and rain. I’ll take it as a good omen for the upcoming year. One of the brighter spots of 2006 is that Megan Bartell joined our full-time office staff a couple of weeks ago. Megan started with us as a trip leader last summer. After an internship with our friends at Youth Frontiers, Megan is back answering phones, correcting addresses on our database, and generally keeping our office going. In addition to being a delightful, upbeat person, Megan is very responsible—follow-through is her forte. Say hello to her next time you call! We’ve made a number of important changes to our website over the last few weeks. Most recently, we added transportation options for getting to the starting point for our trips. You can also see how many openings we have left on each trip. These changes should help you as you decide which trips to go on—please let us know. Everyone at Wilderness Inquiry is excited about the upcoming year. Please contact us if we can answer any of your questions. Hope to see you on the trail Greg |
| 12/21/2006 |
| Winter Solstice It’s the shortest day of the year, and the holidays are right around the corner. Our new 2007 – 2008 trip schedule is now ready for distribution. If you are on our mailing list you will receive a copy around the first of the year. If you are not on our mailing list I encourage you to sign up by going to the “Contact Us” section of our website. This has been a good year for Wilderness Inquiry. Most importantly, we served over 9,222 people on 316 events. All of us at WI are proud of that. We also launched a youth leadership initiative, called the Adventure Leadership Program (ALP), which surpassed our expectations in every way. This fall we began a strategic planning process to chart the course for the next 5-years. These are a few of the things we’ve been doing this year. This time of year we are fortunate to get many contributions and letters from people who have been touched in some way by Wilderness Inquiry. The quote below came in the other day from a person who went on a trip this year: "I have a greater understanding of others with differences--not disabilities. We are all fabulous, talented souls and we each have an 'exterior' that needs to be looked through to see the great, interesting person that we actually are." I couldn’t agree more. As you celebrate the holidays I hope that you will better appreciate all of the fabulous, talented souls sitting around your table. Talk to them about Sharing the Adventure together in 2007! Greg |
| 11/29/2006 |
| On our recent Channel Island trip I had the pleasure of traveling with a wonderful woman named Kris. She traveled to California with her mother, Lana. It was truly a treat to be with both of them. After her trip Kris sent a letter to one of her colleagues—she happens to work at REI. The letter was so good and so right on that I wanted to share it with you. Thanks Kris! Letter from Kris G: Prior to sustaining a spinal cord injury in 1998, I was a police officer and a competitive triathlete in Alexandria, Virginia. I became a member of REI in the early 1990’s, and bought much of my gear for triathlons, work, and other outdoor pursuits at REI. After my injury I retired from the police department, and started working at the Fairfax REI when it opened in the summer of 2003. Last year I went on a three - day sea kayaking and camping trip in the Apostle Islands with Wilderness Inquiry. I was apprehensive about being in the wilderness for three days. I wasn’t sure how I would get my wheelchair into and out of a tent, I wasn’t sure how, or where, I would go to the bathroom, and I wasn’t sure how much I would be able to participate in a trip that was cooperative in nature. I knew I wouldn’t be able to help load and unload kayaks, I knew that limited function in my left hand would make it difficult for me to help with food preparation, and I knew that limited torso strength and balance would make me a weak paddler. In short, I felt like I would be more of a liability than an asset to the group, yet I wanted to go. What an experience it was! The Wilderness Inquiry trip leaders were so skilled. They were respectful of my needs without doting on me. They found jobs for me to do and used my abilities in a way that made me feel a part of the group. Their level of preparation, and the coordination and logistics that went into the trip were impressive. Everything turned out right – the scenery, the food, the weather, the cohesion of the group. I could not have asked for a better experience. With fond memories of the Apostle Islands trip, I searched the Wilderness Inquiry web site a month ago and learned about an upcoming sailing and sea kayaking trip to the Channel Islands. When I called to ask if there was room for a paraplegic on the trip, and if it would be possible for me to live aboard the sailboat for thee days, there was no hesitation in the answer. I was welcome to come along. From my perspective, Wilderness Inquiry’s maiden voyage to the Channel Islands was an overwhelming success. We sailed out of Santa Barbara on Friday, October 27, and returned on Sunday, the 29th. We kayaked with sea lions and pelicans, saw starfish resting on rocks, and explored sea caves. We hiked a portion of Santa Cruz island, and again, the teamwork that identified my first Wilderness Inquiry trip was evident. The terrain would not have been possible for me to cross in my wheelchair, so the group created a rickshaw by attaching a single rope to the frame of my chair. People took turns pulling me up the twisting, rocky, singletrack, so that I, too, could enjoy the view of Santa Cruz’s coastline, and neighboring Anacapa island. I know that I am part of a group whose circumstances are often overlooked when it comes to participating in recreational activities, particularly those that take place outdoors. That is why I am so thrilled to be a part of this, and also that REI supports Wilderness Inquiry, an organization that means so much to me. Sincerely, Kris G. |
| 11/18/2006 |
| We had a great trip in the Channel Islands—once again full of the magic that is WI—great people, beautiful unique place, and a group spirit that touched us all. In the span of three short days our group came together in such a fun and caring manner. We saw great natural beauty, paddled through sea caves and ate great food (thank you Lisa!), but in the end it’s the people who make the biggest difference. I’d bend over backwards to help any of them. It’s been a very busy time in October and November. We’re planning our 2007 trip catalog, carrying out our Annual Campaign to raise funds so that we can keep these experiences accessible to everyone, and we’re also doing a strategic plan with board and staff. It’s exciting and fun, but we’ve been hopping. Last Thursday evening we met to review elements of our strategic plan—where do we want to go and how are we going to get there. One thing that came up was that we don’t think we’ve captured WI’s mission and essence in a short, crisp, statement. We do use slogans like “Share the Adventure with persons of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities,” but even that does not begin to describe the effect that a trip has on a person—such as our experience in the Channel Islands. After a WI trip one gets the sense that, together, we can do just about anything. We have not “word-smithed” that into a slogan yet, and, of course, strategic planning is about much more then that. Even so, it was interesting that several people mentioned that even after 20 years they still have not been able to describe WI in a sentence or two—it takes at least 2-3 minutes. I have the same feeling and I’m the founder! Maybe some things can’t be rushed or simplified. We’ll ponder that a bit more but in the meantime we’ll continue to put out high quality trips that enrich our lives. Greg Lais Minneapolis |
| 10/26/2006 |
| Hard to believe it’s been a Month since my last entry—time flies when you’re having fun. Today I am in Santa Barbara, CA, getting ready for our first “scout” trip to the Channel Islands. It’s beautiful here—sunny and the ocean is calm. Tomorrow we sail to the Islands on two nice sailboats captained by volunteers Tony Papa and Steve Hicks. Once we get to the islands we’ll kayak and hike—can’t wait. October has been a whirlwind month—many, many events and meetings. We had our annual Autumn Blaze reunion on the 14th and about 250 people came. It was really fun. We gave out some awards, including the: Volunteer of the Year Award: Peter and Michael Quinlan William Magie Award: Paul Gerten Staff Member of the Year Award: Lisa Butler Special thanks to Pig’s Eye Landing for the music and to Kevin Kling for his story. It is always gratifying to see or community come together in this way. |
| 09/23/2006 |
| Happy Fall! I was talking to the Chairperson of our Board of Director's yesterday and I quipped that I wish he could see all of the things that happen around WI in the course of a day--it's really a very interesting place to be. Yesterday we had two youth groups paddle the Mississippi River, worked on turning our warehouse into a multi-purpose "community event" room, fielded phone calls on upcoming trips, received a grant for our upcoming strategic plan AND got a little update from our Kenya trip that's out right now. There's never a dull moment around here. In between all of that and more I took a call from a parent of young man who participated in our new inclusive youth leadership program (known as ALP for Adventure Leadership Program). This parent told me that ALP was the best thing that ever happened to his son, transforming him from a bored and irreverent teenager to a positive, engaged kid who wants to get out there and make a difference in the community. I wish could have taped the conversation and put it on the Web! I know the young man in question and I've personally seen the transformation. This has been very rewarding to witness and we are excited to build and grow this effort--this was our pilot year. Many people helped make this possible, but Sukoshi Hovanec and Paul Gerten deserve special recognition here. In the words of the ALPers, "they rocked", building a special environment of acceptance and challenge and cool stuff that got ALL of the kids involved. If you have a teenager--with or without special needs--who is interested in the outdoors and who could become a community leader call Sukoshi at 612-676-9420. We hope to see many people at our upcoming Oct. 14th Autumn Blaze re-union/party at WI headquarters in Minneapolis. There is more info on this on our home page. Greg |
| 09/17/2006 |
| Bruce Moulton sent me his account of our Big Salmon River trip he took this August while I was in Costa Rica. Bruce is a fun guy and I wanted to share the story with you. - Bruce's story can be found at http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/bigsalmonriver/yukon_story.shtml. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. |
| 08/25/2006 |
| We returned from Costa Rica last night--spectacular trip. On our last night we watched the Arenal Volcano shoot streams of lava out its cone and down the side of its steep slopes. I'll write more on Costa Rica soon but I wanted to share with you one of the messages that was waiting for me when I returned. It's from Brian Crosby, one of our interns this summer. Brian is a top notch leader and we welcome him back next year. Thanks, Brian, for your kind words and for all your hard work this summer! ********************************************************************************************** Intern Report by Brian Crosby: My summer as a Wilderness Inquiry intern was amazing. So incredible that it is nearly impossible to put my thoughts and feelings into words. It has changed me in so many ways, I don’t think I could talk about them all. I will do my best. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world and way of viewing it. It has hit me on a personal level in a few ways. First and foremost helped me be a more compassionate and patient person. When leading trips like ours these things are necessary, and to be honest before I came here I did not have much of either. But now I have more than I thought I ever would. I have also learned how to be a better leader and how to adapt my leadership qualities to different types of groups. Confidence is key when in a leadership position, especially in an outdoor setting. When the summer started I was very timid when on trail, but as the summer wore on I became more and more confident in the decisions I made and in my own abilities as a leader. This is in part because of the great staff that is always willing to help their other leaders in their own quest to become a better leader. This internship has also prepared me for the professional world and changed the way I look at the idea of professionalism. Of course it has given me a great jump on my technical and hard skills, but that is the easy part. More importantly, I have learned how to deal with people of all abilities and from all over the country and world. The soft skills are really what separate a good leader from a great leader. These are all things I can apply to any leadership situation I come across in my future. I would like to take a minute to talk about the people involved with WI. First are the people I worked for and with. The staff here is top notch. The office staff is so knowledgeable in what they are doing, but at the same time they are very easy to talk to and are willing to work with us. It seems like they have our best interests in mind. As for the rest of the trail staff, I am speechless. They are incredible and have so many crazy stories and knowledge about the outdoors to pass on to us newbies. They were always willing to work with me to figure something out whether it was how to tie a knot, or how to deal with a certain situation on trail. The reason we do this is to give people of all abilities an opportunity to do something adventurous and outside their normal realm of activities. These people influence us in so many ways. People never cease to amaze me. I see the outdoors as the great equalizer. Different people of different abilities and locations coming together and becoming great friends is a great thing to see. This happened on every trip I went on. There is always something to learn on a WI trip! This experience was worth more than gold to me. It was priceless. It was the most rewarding experience of my life and I would not trade it for anything in the world. I learned so much about life and people that I am forever indebted to Wilderness Inquiry. This was the opportunity of a lifetime and I am glad that WI gave me the chance to see what I was capable of. I came just to fill an educational requirement, but left a changed man. Thanks to everyone at Wilderness Inquiry. Until next summer, Brian Crosby briancrosby2@yahoo.com |
| 08/19/2006 |
| Climbed Mt. Chirripo yesterday, the highest mountain in Costa Rica. It's 12,000 feet and VERY steep. I am amazed at how steep the terrain is around here. We are at our Costa Rica hosts place--Tom and Amy Gode. They live on the flanks of Chirripo in a fun little community north of San Gerardo (which is up the mountain from San Isidro). The organization they work with is called Cloudbridge. It's a group of folks dedicated to preserving and restoring the cloud forest in Chirripo National Park. The cloud forest here is spectacular. Yesterday I saw a Slate Tailed Trogan in the forest--really beautiful green and red bird almost the size of a Quetzal. Unfortunately we have not seen any Quetzal's yet. They are around here but hard to see. We start moving down the mountain today--Paul Schurke and I are about to walk down the road in the rain. Then, who knows...we have a bit of free time. If you are reading this I strongly encourage you to sign up for one of our Costa Rica trips. I've been here 3-4 times but never to the southern part of the country--Baru, the Osa Peninsula, and now Chirripo. This is much less touristy and far more authentic down here. I am excited to that we are doing our trips here. You will love Tom and Amy Gode! |
| 08/05/2006 |
| I went snorkeling today, staying at a great lodge in Costa Rica called Sugar Beach. Came here do some scouting for our new and improved Costa Rica trips we are doing next January and February. This is about as close to paradise as it gets. Actually, I am on vacation but this is what I do for fun. I am in the jungle on a funky dial up connection...better not push my luck too much. |
| 07/31/2006 |
| A couple of weeks ago we met some fine folks in Red Lodge, Montana, and talked about working with them to set up an "outpost" in Red Lodge for staff, gear and general support for our Yellowstone trips. Fortunately, the locals were VERY receptive to the idea--really many of these folks love the outdoors and they love to share it with others (our kind of people). |
| 07/16/2006 |
| This weekend we escaped the heat and went up to Ely Minnesota to swim, read and hangout. Nothing beats being on the water during a heat wave. It's a beautiful day but the smell of smoke is in the air--there are some minor forest fires burning in various places. These should not affect our trips to the Boundary Waters. Stay Cool! Greg |
| 07/06/2006 |
| Today I received a great note in the mail, along with a $500 personal contribution. It was from Peter, a man who we hired when he was 17 years old (our youngest trail staff ever). Peter led many trips for Wilderness Inquiry, eventually becoming one of our top trail staff. In time he went to medical school, and now, 15 years later, he practices internal medicine at a local hospital. Peter wrote: "Dear Greg and WI crew-- Karen and I continue to be amazed by the variety and strength of programming that you're offering. It is my honor to go from employee to donor. Thanks for helping to keep the world green and accessible. Your friends--Peter and Karen" I don't think I'd ever get tired of receiving mail like that. Thank you Peter and Karen! |
| 07/03/2006 |
| Here's a question about the Apostle Islands-- we're thinking about the 3 or 5 day apostle trip would be driving up from s.e. wisconsin we have a 16 and 17 ft perception eclipses we could bring but easier to use your boats...they look like very nice ones and understand how you would use tandems to keep the group pacing together? that's why you do it? how long do you paddle each day? hours and/or distance? thanks seeya G-- On average we paddle 4-5 hours each day. It's more about going to specific destinations like the Sqaw Bay Caves, Sand Island Lighthouse, or the shipwrecks rather than the miles. I suppose we paddle between 6 and 15 miles per day depending upon wind and waves. Tandems do help keep the groups together, but we also do it because they are more stable and they increase the margin for error on crossings and such. The Eddyline boats we use are nice boats--they are glass so they are pretty fast. The Grand San Juan's are 21 feet long. Still, you are welcome to bring your perceptions if you wish. I do suggest that you register soon. Greg |
| 06/29/2006 |
| Here's a question about Yellowstone Family trips. Question: What does a typical day look like for the family camps? We have four children (ages 3,5,8,9). How many other families usually attend per trip? Thank you for offering something so special. We'd be interested in the Yellowstone trips. TN Answer: I've taken my kids on a couple of Yellowstone trips and they loved it--some of our most memorable family vacations. If you go to: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/yellowstonefamily/ You will see a picture of my son waving his hat in front of the Lone Star Geyser--a really neat area that is a big hit with everyone. You can also see a sample itinerary there. On our family trips we do maintain a certain structure and consistency for children. Breakfast is at 8 AM, lunch about 12:30, dinner at 6 PM. In between, we do a series of half-day and day-long activities such as hiking, canoeing, and visiting the many unusual sites of Yellowstone. We stay at one central camp site near Grant Village and go from there. We also provide flexibility for parents with young children--just in case. Hope this is helpful. Please call if you want to talk to a live person. You can register by phone or by the web. Greg Lais |
| 06/29/2006 |
| I've been having a lot of fun lately answering questions people have about their trips. I've decided to publish some of these for you--sort of a "commonly asked questions section". These are all real. Hope you find them informative! Question: I am looking at the Apostle Island kayak tour. I would be coming in from Chicago area and traveling alone. It is too far to drive myself. Would you recommend flying into Minneapolis and taking your van to Bayfield? Are there any other suggestions you could offer? S. Answer: I do recommend that you fly in to Minneapolis and take our van--it's cheaper and more fun. For the 8/25 trip, our van leaves Minneapolis at 2PM on the 24th. Then, we stay up in the Apostles that evening so we are ready to go. So, S., I suggest you fly to Minneapolis by noon on the 24th. Take a cab from the airport to our office (about $25 and 35 minutes), hop in the van and ride to the Apostles. On the return, I would either make a reservation at a local hotel (we can recommend several) and fly out on Monday AM, or, if you are in a hurry, schedule a late flight for Sunday evening--sometime after 9 PM to Chicago. There is an additional van fee of $45 RT from Minneapolis to Apostles, but no other costs for staying with our staff the night before the trip. Hope this is helpful. I think this is the best and easiest transport suggestion for this trip. If you want to talk about other trips let me know or give me a call. Greg Lais |
| 06/12/2006 |
| The following piece appeared in the Los Angeles Times on June 11th. The Big Salmon is a great trip! To register go tro trip info and click on Big Salmon. MAGGIE BARNETT: TOURS & CRUISES Canoe and fish as the salmon run June 11, 2006 CANOE down the Big Salmon River in Canada's Yukon Territory on a trip that's designed to make the adventure accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. The 15-day journey, which begins Aug. 10, will be guided by naturalist Jim Fitzpatrick. Participants will learn canoeing skills during the first three days of the trip as they wind their way from Quiet Lake, the largest of three lakes that form the headwaters of the Big Salmon River, through the mountains and into the Yukon Valley. "We've timed this trip to coincide with the salmon migration," said Greg Lais of Wilderness Inquiry. "They swim 1,500 miles from the Bering Sea to Quiet Lake to spawn. It's amazing to see. They look like hundreds of orange torpedoes." Participants may see other wildlife, including moose and bears, and will fish for lake trout, Arctic grayling and Chinook salmon. Wilderness Inquiry is a nonprofit group that integrates its trips to include older and younger people, people with disabilities, and novice and experienced backcountry travelers. Cost: $1,875 per person, including canoes, meals, camping equipment, support staff and guides and adaptive equipment for those with disabilities. Transportation to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, is not included. Contact: Wilderness Inquiry, Minneapolis; (612) 676-9400, (612) 676-9475 (TDD), http://www.wildernessinquiry.com . |
| 05/24/2006 |
| Things were hopping at WI today--staff and interns are streaming in and we're putting the final touches on the warehouse, the gear, the kitchen and other things. I love this time of year! |
| 05/17/2006 |
| Stepping in for Janet. It's great that so many of you have been sending your trip questions via e-mail to "Ask Janet". Some of you may have even noticed that I've been responding in her place. Janet is still here, but we decided to put her Masters Degree in Journalism to work and have her edit the text of our rather large website. You may not notice a big change all at once but the overall quality of the writing on our site is going up--thanks to Janet. So, next time you ask Janet a question don't be surprised if you get a response from me. Please join us on a trip! Greg |
| 05/07/2006 |
| Your help is appreciated! If you find a typo, a link that does not work, or some other error in our website please send me an e-mail--we'll send you a Wilderness Inquiry T shirt as a measure of our appreciation! Your help in spreading the word about Wilderness Inquiry is also appreciated. Throughout our website we provide ways for you to e-mail your friends with trip information and such. This really helps us get the word out. Our website, trip catalogs, and, of course, word of mouth by our 200,000 alumni is how we get the word out. Please e-mail me if you would like trip schedules to send to your family and friends--we are happy to send you as many as you need. Finally, as a non-profit organization, we do rely quite a bit on volunteers for all sorts of things. This not only helps keep costs down, but it is also a big part of the Wilderness Inquiry community. Many fantastic people volunteer here. If you are interested, go to the "get involved" menu on our home page and click on the volunteer pull down. You can find out what opportunities are available as well as sign up as a volunteer. Thanks again for your help! |
| 04/09/2006 |
| Travel Gives Perspective Back Home I just returned from an urban family vacation in New York City. My wife and I have several life-long friends who live there and we wanted to introduce our kids to the sights and sounds of the Big Apple. It was fun-very different from what we normally do for vacation. We did many of the tourist things, including the Empire State Building, the Darwin exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, Times Square and Broadway and, of course, a somber visit to Ground Zero. It was great to be in New York again. With two teenage kids in tow, we decided not to impose on our friends hospitality and rented a three bedroom apartment in the semi-upper west side of Manhattan. We found the place from a website. The pictures looked great and the price was very reasonable for a 3 bedroom flat in Manhattan, so we booked on line. We were somewhat surprised when we arrived at the place. For starters, our cab driver informed us we were in the "projects", a term that I did not find on the website while renting the joint. Unlike the photos from the website, there was no artwork on the walls, few shades on the bare bulb lamps, and the "fully outfitted" kitchen had a box of plastic forks in the drawer. The management promised us a bunch of things but never delivered. On the plus side, it was relatively clean. My son was happy because it had a TV and a DVD player. We decided to give it a try. As the days went by, we actually grew to like the place. Manhattan, as anyone who has been there knows, is a very different part of the planet. Concepts of space, place, noise, amenities, diversity, and time are all different there-which is why we went. By Manhattan standards, our place was a relative palace. Over time we came to realize that. Back in Minneapolis, we are enjoying some beautiful weather in what now seems like a very quiet, almost rural, neighborhood. Our vacation was great, but the best, most long-lasting part is the perspective it provides on or daily lives back home. After the tight confines of Manhattan I am looking forward to doing some yard work and I am planning on riding my bike to the office on Monday-why not? As I think back on it, if you are a "first timer" with us, a trip with Wilderness Inquiry could be as big a leap for you as a trip to New York was for us. You might wonder what you are really getting in to when you register for a trip on-line with us--will the people be nice, the food decent, and the sleeping arrangements comfortable? All of these are normal questions and I want to encourage you to call or e-mail us to get the answers. We want your first trip to be a great experience, but we're even more excited about having you come back for a second, third or fourth trip. Please join us! Happy Trails-Greg |
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