Peak to Peak – On October 30, 2024, a day fittingly alternating between snow and sunshine, Eldora Resort held a grand opening ceremony for their new Caribou Lodge in the presence of a cheering crowd.

The new building, located at the beginner area, will house the Ignite Adaptive Sports program (Ignite), the children’s ski school, a cafeteria, a family warming room, a retail store and modern restrooms with glove boxes behind every toilet.

Eldora General Manager Brent Tregaskis said in his opening remarks that the new home for Ignite had been a long-cherished dream that started before he was hired nine years ago. Tregaskis didn’t have time to thank everyone who was involved in the development and completion of the new lodge. However, he published a letter expressing his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the completion of the new facility.

The grand opening celebration included a series of speakers who expressed the need for equity in access to the outdoors and sustainability of the environment. The list included Director of Colorado Outdoor Recreation Department Conor Hall, Senator Hickenlooper’s Regional Director Chris Rork, and Senator Bennet’s Regional Director James Thompson.

Tom Kissinger, the president of the Ignite Adaptive Sports board, and Ignite Ambassadors Cheryl and Kevin Sheehan, also gave personal accounts of being involved with Ignite and what the new facility meant to them.

Kissinger, who has been involved with Ignite for 16 years, spoke about the vision of the previous board president, David Levin, in starting the conversation with Eldora about a new home for the program. Levin’s family was present for the occasion and Kissinger recognized their continued support and contributions. Kissinger also recognized Tregaskis for his unwavering commitment to the project, and to POWDR for providing the majority of the financing for the construction of the lodge.

Ignite started in the 1970s, when some CU students decided to help 10 people with disabilities enjoy the outdoors. The program will celebrate fifty years of helping adaptive athletes during the 2024/2025 season. There are over 150 active volunteers involved in the program.

Ignite supporters raised over a million dollars to help finance their new home in Caribou Lodge.

The lodge was designed to be sustainable, with energy efficiencies in the building and equipment.

The building has a 52.65-kilowatt solar array, smart control lighting, high efficiency heating and air conditioning, and energy-efficient food and beverage equipment. Boulder County Partners for a Clean Environment awarded Eldora a $10,000 grant for building efficiency. The building meets the 2018 International Green Code.

Hunter Wright, Eldora Director of Sustainability and Project Development, spoke about how Eldora partnered with the Town of Nederland to restore wetlands on property known as the Fisherman’s Lot. Wright recognized Rea Orthner of Peak Ecological Services LLC (peakecological.com) and TEENS, Inc. (teensinc.org) for their involvement in restoring the wetlands to offset the loss of the wetlands where the new building is situated.

The finale of the ceremony was the ribbon cutting by Tregaskis and Kissinger. After that, the building was open for tours, tastings, and conversations.

In her closing remarks, Wright said “Caribou Lodge is not just a building. It represents a warm and welcoming environmentally conscious environment in which children, families, and adaptive athletes can learn and thrive.

“On behalf of Eldora and Ignite, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to POWDR and all of our community partners for making it possible to create a space that respects our natural surroundings and celebrates the spirit of inclusion.

“This lodge will serve as a community space on the lower mountain for generations to come.”

For more information about Ignite programs or volunteering, visit igniteadaptivesports.org. The Ignite Facebook name is Ignite Adaptive Sports. Videos of the speeches have been posted to the Mountain-Ear website (themtnear.com).