Dear friends,

It’s hard to believe winter is over and summer is already approaching. Each season is a busy time for us, running different kinds of programs to meet the needs of our community.

With over 450 participants, this was another winter for the record books. We were proud to watch our 200+ beginners progress quickly in Snow King lessons and our Ositos Nordic ski program. Our more advanced participants impressed us with their skill and confidence at JHMR and in our second season of Backcountry Ski Club.

I need to take a moment to thank our partners, sponsors, volunteers, and amazing staff who make all this possible! Our staff works hard to open the doors to the magic of winter for more and more kids every year.

Next, we ran our second year of spring break programs for over 50 kids. This year’s offerings included elementary school day camps, middle school Moab adventures, and a high school Bozeman trip featuring a college visit at Montana State University. (We’ll tell you more about spring break in our May newsletter!)

With summer applications rolling in, we’re hard at work tying up all the loose ends of our summer plans for one of our biggest summers yet. We can’t wait for another busy season exploring, biking, climbing, backpacking, paddling, and making memories with our participants.

Your support makes it possible for us to offer this range of programs season after season. Thank you for being part of our Coombs community and helping local kids have meaningful experiences outdoors.

Happy spring!

Jenny Wolfrom Holladay

P.S. In case you missed it, we bought a building! This step toward permanence was made possible by our generous Board of Directors and several leadership donors through the Coombs Clubhouse Campaign. If you are interested in a tour of the building or pledging your support, please reach out to me at jenny@coombsoutdoors.org.

Winter Highlights

Winter ACTIVATE: Snow King lessons to Ositos Nordic

Our Activate winter programs were so amazing that it’s hard to see them end! From January to March we had kids out enjoying winter every day of the week. From Rockchuck Racers and Ositos Nordic ski practice with Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club to ski and snowbaord lessons for kids and parents at Snow King, we have so much to be proud of and grateful for. We had our biggest winter in Activate yet, with over 220 participants. We couldn’t have done it without support from the Share Winter Foundation, Skinny Skis, Fischer Nordic, Stio, the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club, and Snow King Mountain. (Photos by Zach Montes.)

Learn-to-ski and snowboard is a crucial piece of our winter programming. This year more than 200 participants attended weekly lessons at Snow King, including young kids, adult beginners in our Padres program, and our first snowboard lessons for beginners 6th grade and up. Shoutout to Tom and the instructor team at Snow King for our best season of ski school yet!
In our Ositos Nordic ski program, 33 participants practiced cross country skiing weekly with coaches from Coombs and the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club. Six Ositos skiers even participated in their first race - the Moose Chase! For the first time this year, we were able to use our very own fleet of classic skis and introduce skate skiing to our participants thanks to a sponsorship from Fischer Nordic Skis and a Micro Grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
Rockchuck Racers, a more advanced alpine ski program with the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club, had 15 Coombs participants this year, training for 5 hours every Saturday at Snow King. Participants progressed and built confidence in many different ways from moguls to jumps and from steep, icy terrain to powder.

Winter ENGAGE: Coombs Club, Afterschool, & Backcountry

Our Engage participants continue to impress us with their skills, bravery, and confidence on the slopes. We have known many of them since they were little kids, and it’s amazing to watch them grow into strong, responsible leaders who try new things and cheer on their peers. This year we had over 160 middle and high schoolers participating in our winter programs, including Coombs Club, Backcountry Club, and afterschool programs. (Engage photos by Coombs staff and Joey Sackett.)

In Coombs Club, groups of kids joined volunteer mentors to ski and snowboard on weekends, with 110+ participants at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and 50+ at Snow King. Highlights included a big JHMR scavenger hunt, inaugural tram laps, enjoying Snow King’s Sunnyside, wearing glitter, and having fun with their friends and volunteer mentors.
We also had 20+ middle schoolers in our winter afterschool programs. This included After the Bell Nordic ski practices, in partnership with Teton County School District, and Coombs afterschool Workshops where participants did everything from sledding and snowboarding to ice skating and cooking.
Our Backcountry Club reached new heights in its second year with 14 middle and high school participants. The group impressed us with their responsibility and adventurous spirits at Snow King uphill practices, avalanche safety training with the American Avalanche Institute, and guided tours in the backcountry on Teton Pass and in Grand Teton National Park with Exum Mountain Guides and NOLS. This year we added intros to wilderness medicine this year with TSCAR and Wounded Bear Medicine and did major investments into our backcountry ski gear fleet thanks to much in-kind support.

Winter EMPOWER: Internships & Workshops

Our 8 Empower interns had great experiences in their winter roles. These high schoolers gained experience in leadership, education, communication, skiing, and more. The interns in instructor roles were perfect mentors and teachers to inspire our younger Coombs participants. (Empower photos by Zach Montes.)

8 interns were part of the Empower program this winter including 4 Snow King Mountain Sports School Apprentice Instructors, 2 Coombs Outdoors Ositos Nordic Ski Instructors, and 2 REI Sales Specialists. 6 interns received Jr. PSIA Instructor training this winter, allowing them to grow their ski and education experience.
We held 3 professional and personal development workshops this winter based on feedback from our high school participants about their interests. These included career mapping with Central Wyoming College, writing resumes and cover letters, and taxes and personal finances with Deliberate Dollars.

THANK YOU!

Our winter sponsors and partners make our ski, snowboard, and winter afterschool programs possible.

And thanks again to our amazing winter volunteer team!

Biggest Skiing with the Stars ever!

Not only did we have a blast at Skiing with the Stars last month, but we raised record funds - over $200k! - for our programs. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed!

Save the Date: Coombs Cup 2024

Mark your calendars now to join us on August 14 for Coombs Cup Golf Tournament! Support our programs and participate in a fun day of golf, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, live music, and celebration.

April 2024 Newsletter: What a Winter!