Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center
- nmbrown6
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 27
BOEC
Damien started skiing when he was in the third grade. We went with a church group to Durango, CO to ski at Purgatory Resort. We stayed at Cascade Village. It was a fun trip (except for the bus ride and overwhelmed restaurants). Damien took to the green slopes very quickly. We returned to Ski Purgatory on our own for several years. When Damien was in junior high, he decided to try snowboarding. He LOVED it. He bought a Burton board set and used it every year. I don’t know about snowboarding. When you fall while skiing, the skis detach and you slide independently. When you fall while snowboarding, the board stays strapped to your feet and you tumble as one unit. It really bothered me to see him fall – but he got to the point where he seldom fell. Damien was able to snowboard on some of the black runs.
After that, we started skiing at Breckenridge, CO. We stayed at Beaver Run; which was very nice because you could walk out a door and get in line for the ski lift. We never visited but were aware of BOEC located at the base of the “bunny slope”. Damien did not go to the bunny slope lift. He used the 2 lifts at the hotel and those on the slopes.
Since 2000, we have taken Damien to Breckenridge to ski in their adaptive ski program. It is very unique and very good. They enable people with mobility issues, cognitive issues, and vision issues to enjoy a morning or afternoon of skiing. Usually, two instructors go with each skier.
With Damien, they place him in a chair mounted on skis. Move him through the lift line, place him on the lift and proceed to the top of the mountain. They ski down to the first break and return to the mountain top. This way he does not have to spend time waiting to board the lift at the bunny slope. He gets more time on the mountain.
The sled Damien is riding can be controlled by one of the instructors or controlled from a distance by the reins. The direction of the sled can be controlled by Damien. To go to the right, he leans to the right. Once, Wendy, a ski instructor asked Damien if he wanted to go faster; he nodded. Wendy was pleased that he had answered her and that he wanted to go faster.
One trip had very cold temperatures. One afternoon, at 1:00 PM, it was It was -4 degrees at the bottom of the mountain. The photo shows them getting him ready. Damien wore his usual snowboarding outfit with heat packs in his boots and mittens. The instructors placed a sleeping bag inside the chair, sat Damien on it and zipped it up. Only Damien’s head and arms were outside the bag. They still made 4 runs down the mountain. Damien was cool to touch when we got him undressed, but he was very pleased and happy.
Being outside is very good for Damien. He can feel the cold breeze, get a sense of motion, and smell the pine trees. All very good sensory input for Damien. The staff at BOEC are very good. They speak to Damien and include him in their discussions. They encourage him and reply to his responses.
The altitude has caused problems. During one trip, he acted uncomfortable: he slept a great deal, frowned and grimaced often, was lethargic. So, we took him to the medical office on the slope. They determined that he had very low dissolved oxygen and prescribed oxygen treatments. We took the cannister of oxygen to the room and gave him oxygen while he watched TV and while he slept. The next morning his DO was 98 so we let him ski. After skiing, his DO was 91 but we gave him the oxygen treatment again. On returning trips, we rent an oxygen concentrator so that he can be given oxygen in the hotel room.
This video has an introduction that explains the benefits of Breckenridge, CO. If you wish to skip the introduction, just move the red button on the left to the 5 min. point. Damien's activity starts at this point.
As a footnote, we also purchased a portable oxygen concentrator that can be connected to wall outlets, work off a battery, or be plug in to the car’s cigarette lighter. His DO is usually stable and high, but we check it daily (several times a day) and give him oxygen if the DO gets below 90. The low measurements are usually because the phlegm has built up in his cannula or he is tired and not taking deep breaths. We have a portable suction devise to clear the cannula; which is part of the medical equipment we always take with us. It hangs from the back of the wheelchair. We clean the line with a bleach solution after each suction.
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