Neil Corman Photography

Denver Photographer

Team in Training

Team in Training – Hike | Season Recap

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It has been a busy few weeks after the finale hike for the Team in Training Fall 2009 season.  First off thank you to everyone who helped me reach and exceed my goal of $3000.  There were many of you and I am slowly getting out formal thank you notes as well as a thank you gift to many of you.

For my hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, I hiked Flattop Mountain and Hallets Peak in some changing conditions.  Leaving the trail head at 4:45am we started off in the dark with a group of hikers from the Georgia chapter and were near treeline when the sun emerged.  Initially there was some morning light, but the clouds started rolling into the valleys.  The one thing which was absent this year was the wind, and by the time we got to the peak of Flattop it started to cool down and we were in and out of the clouds.  The group continued onto Hallets and once at the top you could see in the distance a storm starting to brew.  As we started heading down the rocky trail a system moved in and brought some snow to us on the hike down, or maybe it was gropple.  Either way it was with us almost all the way back towards Bear Lake and the conclusion of the Fall 2009 Team in Training – Hike season.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed as 59 hikers participated at RMNP raising around $230,000!  It is not too late to donate, and if you would like to do so let me know.

Why I do Team in Training…

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Earlier this week I heard the news that the son of someone I know lost his ten year battle with leukemia.

Each week prior to hiking we take moment at the trailhead to remind us why we are a part of Team in Training and of course this Saturday prior to hiking Jasper Lake, Kyle will be on our mind and the mission moment.  As others who are hiking know the background I am sure it will set the tone for the day, especially with others in the group who are battling a blood cancer themselves or know someone who is impacted.

While we are all sad hearing the news of Kyle, there is also the positive news we hear and see on the trails of people who have won the battle with a blood cancer.  Some of this is a result of the research and development of new drugs made possible directly from the money raised by Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society over the past twenty years.  It is knowing we can make a difference by being a part of this cause which keeps me going and raising money for LLS, and I hope you can help me make a difference.

Unfortunately Kyle is no longer with us but he will be our inspriration for what he battled the past ten years as we work towards our goal for the finale hike, fundraising numbers but more so reaching the ultimate goal where others moving forward will not have to go through what Kyle did the past ten years.

Find out more about my fundraising…

Longs Peak from Trail Ridge Road

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As the rain falls here in Denver, I was looking through some images I took in the past month.  It was just over two weeks ago I headed up to Rocky Mountain National Park and Trail Ridge Road prior to it opening for the season.  As I parked at the Forest Canyon Overlook and started walking up the road I photographed along the way.  The plan was to make it as far as I could for sunset, which ended up being just about to Iceberg Pass.  I was treated to an interesting sunset and started back along the road.  Getting close to the car and about an hour after sunset I noticed the city lights of Denver in the distance and grabbed the following photograph.  The brighter colors in the image are due to the light pollution from the city.

After looking at this image, I decided to make it something which would be available to folks who donate towards my Team in Training fundraising efforts.  At the top level if there is a different image you would like let me know and that can be arranged as well.

Now as it is raining here in Denver, I know at 11,000+ feet at this spot the road is covered once again in snow and closed.

Doudy Draw

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The group hike this past week for the fall season of Team in Training was at Doudy Draw just south of Boulder.  As this was the first hike for the season it is a pretty easy hike, however towards the end we did add in a good short elevation gain for the group bringing a total of over seven miles hiked during the morning.  While hiking I threw my camera over my shoulder and grabbed the following image.

At the lower elevations, the wildflowers are now in their prime.

If you would like to contribute towards my fundraising efforts with Team in Training where I am raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society please visit my information page to find out how you may help out.

The First Weekend of TNT – Hike Fall 2009

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So what did the first weekend of the Fall 2009 season of Team in Training – Hike consist of today?  Painting a ceiling in my house.  As the Summer 2009 season is heading out to the Grand Canyon today, this is an off week from hiking due to the overlap of some of the participants on the support staff.  There may be an opportunity to go hiking tomorrow (Sunday) so hopefully the weekend is not lost from the trails.  But on the positive I did get the ceiling primed and possibly painted later today which is something needed to be done for a while now.

Since I will not be on the trails today, I will also take this time to work on fund raising.  So far the response has been good, but I would like to push forward and surprise the Hike Campaign Manager upon her return from the Grand Canyon in the middle of next week.  So what would be a good surprise?  How about being at 50% or more towards the final goal.  That is just $525 from where we are right now.  So visit the Team in Training page I have set-up and see how you can help me reach this goal and what you could receive by helping out with a donation.