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Letter: Preserve a special opportunity

To the city of Aspen:

There is less than a month left to save Marble Basecamp, and there is still a lot of money to be raised. Dec. 15 is the deadline to make your donation in order to keep and maintain Marble Basecamp for future generations to learn, grow and create lifelong memories.

We completed eighth-grade outdoor education over 10 years ago, but the personal growth we experienced and the lessons we learned are very much a part of who we are today. We reminisce on how hard it was to summit that peak with a heavy pack on, as if every footstep was a small victory. We remember being terrified to spend a night in the woods, alone, with nothing but a plastic tarp, rope and our journals. We recall how scary it was to fall back, eyes closed, and trust your classmates to catch you in midair. The point is that we faced many challenges at Marble Basecamp, but how we learned to work through them is what stuck with us forever. The 24-hour solo taught us to be self-sufficient. The long hours hiking with a heavy pack proved to us that we can accomplish our goals if we persevere. Trusting our classmates and facing our fears promoted teamwork and problem solving. And all while being in a secluded, beautiful wilderness taught us to appreciate our surroundings and gain respect for the environment that we are all so fortunate to call home. These characteristics have helped us through school, at jobs and in relationships long after eighth-grade outdoor ed. It is one of the defining moments of our incredible Aspen education and helps create what is so special about this community. It would be a shame for future generations to never experience what we were so fortunate to experience ourselves.



We urge you to visit http://www.avlt.org to make your donation today.

Gracie Nichols and Walker Moriarty




Class of 2010, Aspen High School