Mar. 24, 2009
4th Annual HS Family camp
Dear Home School Friends,
You’re invited to the fourth annual Home School Family Camp at the YMCA, August 16 - 21, 2009 near Winter Park, Colorado.
Summer’s on the way, and it’s time to firm up vacation plans. Some of you are thinking a vacation might not be possible this year. But I want to challenge you to consider how affordable Snow Mountain Ranch will be. You can camp for as low at $25 a night or stay in a lodge for as low at $74 a night. The biggest savings of the camp is a whole week of outdoor activities for a total of $40 for the family--not per person.
Why should you come to Homeschool Family Camp? As one mom put it, “It’s like you get a whole year of science in one week, not to mention all the history, art, and P.E they‘ll pick along the way.” Plus, your kids will make new friends while you relax a bit. And what better time to soak in the cooler temperatures of the Continental Divide than in the middle of August!
Please read through the FAQ attachment and email me if you have more questions.
Hope to see you in the Rockies,
Kristi Coleman
Dallas Home School Mom
And the flier:
Homeschool Family Camp
Frequently Asked Questions
Very important: If you decide to join us, please email me (Kristi) at
scottnkris@sbcglobal.net in addition to making your reservation. It is important that we can contact you with helpful information as the time nears. Also, if this FAQ does not answer your questions, please email me.
August 16 - 21, 2009 at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colorado (near Winter Park)
Our activities begin on Sunday evening and end on Friday morning. You may extend your stay at Snow Mountain before and/or after if you wish.
What is Snow Mountain Ranch like?
It is a 5,000 acre family resort owned by the YMCA. It is near the Continental Divide in a gorgeous valley surrounded by rocky peaks. Its goal is to bring families closer together and closer to God. See photos at www.ymcarockies.org. You can also see a few of our family photos at www.homeschoolfamilycamp.blogspot.com
What will the schedule be like?
There will be outdoor education classes (forest ecology, beaver ecology, forest edibles, orienteering…) offered in the mornings and afternoons. They take place outdoors and are very hands-on. Activities like square dancing, music concerts, a birds of prey show, and a "Mountain Man" presentation are planned for the evenings.
The classes will be just for our home schooling group, and the night activities will be offered to everyone staying at the resort. You do not have to attend all the classes/programs offered. Just choose the ones that sound right for your family.
There are also many activities on the ranch to do on your own like fishing, hiking, canoeing, and swimming. Remember to save time to relax as a family and to explore the surrounding Fraser Valley area or hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The first year our family tried to do too much. There were so many fun classes offered. It is a good idea to just pick two activities a day.
Go to www.homeschoolfamilycamp.blogspot.com to see some of our family photos from past years.
Do we have to be there by Sunday?
We will meet on Sunday night, and sign up for activities Monday morning. It will be important for you to try to make it to SMR by Sunday night before 6:00 PM to hear all the important information. If you aren’t there on Sunday night, your choices for classes will be limited because the classes fill up. It’s a big place, and if you miss that meeting it might be possible for us to not connect with you all week.
How many people come?
The last three years we’ve had around twenty families. Some families come together with friends, but several come on their own.
What are the costs?
Each family will be charged $40 for the whole family for the week of activities.
Food and lodging are extra.
Aspenbrook and Silversage Lodges: $74/night (sleeps 6)
Indian Peaks Lodge: $99/night (sleeps 6 and has a mini fridge)
Type A campsite(water, electric, sewer) $35/night
Type B campsite(water & electric) $33/night
Type C campsite(electric) $31/night
Type D campsite(no-hookups) $25/night
Cafeteria meals can be added: Breakfast for adults: $6 and children: $4. Lunch for adults: $9 and children: $6, Dinner for adults: $12 and children: $8.
You will need to pay extra for horseback riding, mountain bike rental, high ropes, craft shop, and river rafting if you choose to do those activities.
Are meals at the cafeteria optional?
What are the lodges like?
Are cabins available?
If we stay in the lodge, can we bring our own food?Yes, but remember there are no fridges or microwaves in the lodge rooms. There are microwaves in the commons areas of the lodges. There is an inexpensive restaurant at the facility, or you can eat at the cafeteria for individual meals. There are also gas grills available throughout the ranch. In addition, there are many restaurants nearby. Better yet, make friends with some in the group who are camping and cook meals together at the campsite.
Can we cook over an open flame?
Is there a grocery store close to SMR?
Is there childcare?
What do parents do during the classes?
Do we have to pay the $10/day membership fee mentioned on the website if we are not YMCA members?
What does the $40 a week/family activities fee include?
Do we have to pay extra for fishing and canoeing?
What extra costs will there be?
Some related tips:
The horse-back riding is pretty slow, which is perfect for families with little ones. If you want more adventure, you might ask about some of the options near Snow Mountain Ranch.
The whitewater rafting moves slowly by August– just right for kids ages 5- 8 or so. If you want more of a rush, make sure you ask around for other options.
Does Snow Mountain Ranch have internet access?
What is the weather like?
How much is entry to the Rocky Mountain National Park?
How long of a drive is Snow Mountain Ranch from Dallas?
Where are places to stop along the way?
Colorado Springs has some great sites: the Olympic Training Center, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Seven Falls. There is a very fun (and free!) playground at the Focus on the Family Welcome Center in Colorado Springs. Check the hours. http://www.family.org/welcome/#
You can also go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and come up through Buena Vista, an old mining town.
If you plan to camp in other places in Colorado on your way up, make your reservations early. Apparently Colorado families are big campers, and we had a very hard time finding a place to stay since we waited until the last couple of weeks to make reservations.
Just across the Colorado state line is a welcome center in Trinidad where you can get lots of brochures about places to see in Colorado. http://www.state.co.us/oed/cto/wctrinid.htm There’s also a nice playground across the street from the welcome center where the kids can stretch their legs.
Some families have stopped in Canyon, Texas to take in the musical Texas.
Can we invite other homeschoolers who are not from the Dallas Fort Worth area?
Please do! In fact, we always bring some friends from Denver who don’t homeschool.
How do others feel about Snow Mountain Ranch?
What kind of a deposit is required?
Is there a refund?
How do I reserve a spot?
Or you can book on-line by following the steps below:
1. Go to www.ymcarockies.org and find the online reservations.
2. Click on Group, conference and retreat reservation under "make reservations" at the top of the home page.
3. Click on Group reservations for Snow Mountain Ranch near the bottom of the next page.
4. Choose "Group or Family Reunion" and click continue.
The Group # is DFWHOMES and the password is 64528.
5. Your Group information will appear. Click "continue"
6. Continue to make a room reservation by filling out your arrival & departure dates and putting in the number of people staying in your room. Then click for available room types. Select the room type you would like. The price will appear at the bottom of the next page.
To finish the reservation click on continue to reserve this room. You will then fill out information needed for a confirmation and asked for a deposit of 35% of your total stay.
Feel free to contact us @ 800-777-9622 if you have questions.
If you are making reservations online, but you want to go ahead and buy a meal plan, you will need to call them
Call (970) 887-2152 ext. 4110
Very important: Make sure you tell them that you are a part of the "special DFW Homeschooling Week." Make sure you tell them that you do not want the meal plan if you plan to take care of your own meals. Make sure they only charge you a total of $40 for the activities fee.
If you cancel 30 days prior to the camp you will receive a 75% refund of your deposit.35%Nickelodeon Junior Family Travel Award: Best Family Destination
Family Fun Magazine: Best Deal for Families
Outside Magazine: Best Winter Family Destination
New York Times Travel: featured in a story about family travel
Newsweek: noted for their expertise in family reunions
Better Homes and Garden: great place for family reunions
US Today: again, a great place for family reunions
As you can see, Snow Mountain Ranch is all about uniting families!There are two great rest stops in the Panhandle with wireless kiosks and playgrounds.
http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/mnt/sra/srahome.htm?sranbr=107&dir=N (after Wichita Falls)
http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/mnt/sra/srahome.htm?sranbr=112&dir=N
http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/trv/trvtics.htm?pg=aotic
(at Amarillo, no playground, but great stop) With small children it is about 17 - 18 hours. It’s 16 hours for people who don’t have to stop as much.Their website says "$20 - seven days per vehicle." http://www.nps.gov/romo/ They offer some wonderful guided hikes for free, but you need to plan to leave Snow Mountain Ranch bright and early for these since many of them begin first thing in the morning.Come prepared for 40 degree temperatures (or a little lower) in the night and early morning. (Campers, bring more blankets than you think you need.) Expect highs in the 80s in the afternoons. There are often afternoon showers in the mountains. Also, because of a problem with the pine beetle, they have had to chop down most of the trees in the campground. Bring an awning to provide shade during the day if you are camping. Yes, there are wireless hot spots in many places throughout the property, including the lodges.
Bring your own mountain bikes and helmets if you wish to save money.
There are some extra things you can choose. There is an extra cost for horseback riding (www.Sombrero.com), whitewater rafting, mountain bike rental, craft shop supplies, fishing license, and fishing equipment if you choose to do those things. Also, there is an extra cost for high ropes ($15 per person ages 12 and up) and zip line. ($9 per person ages 10 and up)
One canoeing session is included in the $40/family per week activity fee. You will need to buy a fishing license and pay to rent fishing equipment if you want to fish. Of course, you can bring your own equipment.All outdoor ed classes, guided hikes, canoeing, swimming, roller skating,
square dancing, special speakers and concerts, one climbing wall session/family, campfires, outdoor worship, miniature golf, tennis, archeryNo, that is included in the lodging/campsite price– another great price break they are giving us.A parent should attend the classes with his/her child who is twelve or under. If you come with friends, one parent can attend with a group of children.No. Bring along another family and split the duties! There is a great day camp for the little ones if you choose to pay for it, but it will not be especially geared for our group.Yes, there is a very nice big City Market in Granby, about seven minutes from SMR with prices like what you would find in Denver. They are owned by Kroger, so bring your Kroger card. There is also another large store in Frazier, about five to seven minutes the other direction. http://citymarket.adinsertsonline.com/customerBecause of drought conditions the last three years, no campfires were allowed, but we were able to cook on a gas stove. If you are camping, call the week before to check on any fire bans. If there is a ban, make sure you pack a gas stove. Also, there is a large gas grill available at each campground.At the time of this email there are cabins available. Cabins range from about $165 to $400/night, depending on size. They come with a fully equipped kitchen. However, they fill up very quickly, so call now if you want a cabin.They are like simple hotel rooms with a private bathroom and a phone. Aspenbrook and Silversage do NOT have kitchen facilities or mini refrigerators. Indian Peaks rooms have mini fridges. The common rooms in all the lodges have a microwave. They do NOT have televisions. Linens are provided and towels are changed out. They do NOT have air conditioning. (This has never been a problem for our family, but if you have little ones who will be napping in the middle of the afternoon, you could bring a fan.) Look on the website, Yes. In fact, it is possible to not use the meal plan if you are staying in a lodge. Bring an ice chest (unless you get a room in Indian Peaks where they have mini fridges) and use the nearby grocery stores. See more below.www.ymcarockies.org to see the differing sleeping configurations for each lodge. |
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