2026 Rocky Mountain Wilderness Gathering

Name: 2026 Rocky Mountain Wilderness Gathering
Start: 2026-10-09T18:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-10-11T13:00:00-06:00
Location: Keystone Science School

Fri, Oct 09

Keystone Science School

Join us Oct 9-11 for the third annual gathering of more than a dozen Wilderness stewardship organizations in the Rocky Mountain Region. This year’s theme is Shared Stewardship, Shared Learning, Collective Action - Building Community for the Future of our Wilderness.

2026 Rocky Mountain Wilderness Gathering

Time & Location

Oct 09, 2026, 6:00 PM – Oct 11, 2026, 1:00 PM

Keystone Science School, 1053 Soda Ridge Rd, Keystone, CO 80435, USA

About the event

Keystone Science School

1053 Soda Ridge Rd, Keystone, CO 80435 MAP

WHY ATTEND?

This will be a unique opportunity to:

Continue to expand and strengthen our networks, information sharing, and skillsets
Reflect on the past year and share stories of successes and effective best practices
Receive updated guidance and direction from the agencies we support
Look to the future and begin engaging the future leaders of our organizations
Allow time for organizations to debrief & discuss an actionable plan for 2027

FEATURED SPEAKER

MARK UDALL: Colorado resident and native westerner Mark Udall represented the people of Colorado in the US Senate from 2009 to 2015 and the 2^nd Congressional District from 1999 to 2009. He also served one term in the Colorado State Legislature from 1997 to 1999. Senator Udall was known during his 18 years of serving in elective office for reaching across party lines to solve problems. He successfully championed bipartisan legislation to balance the nations budget, fight climate change, protect our public lands, and establish tough but smart national security policies.

Sen. Udall played a key role at real political risk in exposing the CIA’s unconstitutional and immoral torture program that was secretly begun after 9/11. His courageous efforts are highlighted in the full length Hollywood film, THE REPORT, which will be released in Nov 2019.

Prior to serving in the Congress, Mark served as a field instructor and later as Executive Director for the Colorado Outward Bound School. Mark is an avid mountaineer and has climbed or attempted some of the world’s most challenging peaks including Mt Everest, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Denali, and Aconcagua.

Udall is no stranger to long, committing expeditions: He has skied for 40 days across Alaska’s Brooks Range; completed two-man alpine-style ascents of Denali’s Cassin Ridge and the Messner Route on Aconcagua’s South Face; undertook with his wife Maggie a self supported 1200 mile circular trek on the Colorado Plateau beginning and ending at Lee’s Ferry; and has 2 dozen sea kayaking journeys in Baja including in 2018 a 200 mile, 18 day solo paddle.

Udall sits on the boards of The Grand Canyon Trust, Protect Our Winters(POW), The dZi Foundation, The Council for a Livable World(CLW Mission: To rid the world of nuclear weapons), and Gifford’s:Courage to Fight Gun Violence.

Mark and his wife, Maggie Fox, live in Eldorado Springs, Colorado.

SPECIAL GUESTS

JIM RAMEY: Jim Ramey, is the Colorado State Director for The Wilderness Society, where he manages campaigns and programs across the state. Prior to this role, Jim was an Outreach Manager for the Energy & Climate Campaign, where he worked to advance policies to reduce air pollution from the oil and gas industry and protect spectacular public lands. Jim has developed a deep love for Colorado’s public lands and wilderness areas after growing up in Ohio and first visiting Colorado in 2005.

HELENA ROBINOWITZ: Helena is the Sustainability Coordinator for Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, and recently a new Board member for Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance and a Volunteer Wilderness Ranger.

MIKE NATHAN: Mike is the Sustainability Manager at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, with success in reaching A Basin’s Carbon Neutral goals, and many more successes. He also serves as a Board member for the local nonprofit, High Country Conservation Center.

SAM STRELETSKY: CMBC & Keystone Trails & Open Space Advisory Board. Sam Streletsky is an outdoor recreation leader and trail advocate with a decade of experience living and working in Summit County, Colorado. She is the current team director of the Summit Tigers High School Mountain Bike Team and the former Executive Director of the Summit County Mountain Bike Alliance (SCoMBA). Sam serves as a Board member with the Colorado Mountain Bike Coalition, and as a new member of the Keystone Trails and Open Space Advisory Board.

JOHN EGAN: John currently serves as President of the Cutthroat Chapter of Trout Unlimited in the South Denver metro area. A life member of Trout Unlimited, he has served in several chapter roles, including Conservation Chair and Vice President. The focus of the Cutthroat Chapter is conservation of the South Platte River and its tributaries upstream of Chatfield Reservoir. Projects have included river clean-ups, Bear Creek restoration support for the City of Lakewood, repairs to the Gill Trail leading into the famed Cheesman Canyon, and remediation of mine drainage throughout the South Platte River basin. John also represents Colorado on Trout Unlimited’s National Leadership Council, which helps guide the organization’s national direction.

TENTATIVE AGENDA

Friday

• Optional Afternoon hike

• Dinner

• Evening speaker - Mark Udall

• Social time

Saturday

• Early check in

• Morning working session

• Lunch

• Afternoon working session

• Social Hour / Yoga (optional)

• Dinner

• Networking

Sunday

• Breakfast

• Morning working session

• Where do we go from here

• Wrap up

• Lunch

ACCOMMODATIONS

DORM: Each bunk room has 2 top-bottom bunk beds. Dorm rooms and bathrooms divided by gender. Electrical outlets available. Guests provide sleeping bags, pillows, towels.

RVs / TRAILERS: Parking available. No hookups.

CAMPING: In flat meadow outside dining hall.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GOLDEN EAGLE SPONSOR

National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance