Stephanie Andelman, Peak to Peak. As we’ve been watching moderate to extreme avalanche danger reports in our local backcountry this season, we are reminded of the tragic death of 29-year old Joe Despres who was taken by an avalanche above Yankee Doodle Lake in November 2001. To celebrate his life and raise money for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), fun family-friendly ski races have been taking place since 2002.

Once held at Eldora Mountain Resort, the DOJOe is now on the Down-low and hosted by Arapaho Ranch. This past Sunday’s DOJOe raised $4,000 to promote safety and awareness of backcountry activities in the Colorado Front Range. Registration fees, raffle tickets, and donations build up the fundraising bank for CAIC. Organizers estimate that the proceeds raised from this event are enough to pay an avalanche forecaster’s salary for a month, thus directly helping to educate skiers, riders and recreationists in the Colorado backcountry.

The Memorial DOJOe Race invites participants of all ages to trek through the snow or dirt on all types of gear, in costume. This year’s racers completed the three mile course on split boards, telemark, skimo, AT, and cross country set ups. The fastest adult racers were Jamie Carpenter (Men) and Alison Powers (Women), while Loic Masters won for the kids. When the racers finished by 3pm and enjoyed a community-style barbecue, they awaited the ski patrol crew which raced at dark (Ian Fowler came in first and Matt Phillips brought up the rear). The evening award ceremony featured Arapaho Ranch’s own Maryanne Flynn who recently saved Mark Beshore’s life by acting fast and performing CPR.

Volunteers and sponsors always make the DOJOe fundraiser possible.

Special thanks to this year’s organizing group that includes Krista Crabtree, Ed LeBlanc, Josh Harrod, Catherine Camp, and Kayla Evans, plus sponsors Tin Shed Sports, Salto Coffee Works, Backcountry Access, Inc., Skratch Labs, UnTapped, Colorado Mountain School, Giterdun Publishing, Boulder Sausage, and Ska Brewing.

Photos by Maryanne Flynn and Josh Harrod.

(Originally published in the March 21, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)