A Passion for Outdoor Access and Community

A Passion for Outdoor Access and Community

The 16th annual GORE-TEX Kahtoola Uphill race and fundraiser for Friends of Camp Colton is a unique winter adventure that supports transformative outdoor experiences for kids at Camp Colton. 

The GORE-TEX Kahtoola Uphill is a fun, family-friendly annual mountain race designed to encourage human-powered movement. The race starts outside of Arizona Snowbowl’s Fremont Restaurant & Bar on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 5 pm. All proceeds from the race and raffles benefit Friends of Camp Colton. As the biggest fundraiser of the year for Friends of Camp Colton, this race has increased access and enriched the Camp experience for thousands of kids. After the race, spectators, volunteers, and racers enjoy food, festivities, and a spirited costume contest.

History of the Uphill

Danny Giovale, founder and owner of Kahtoola, is a person of intense energy and enthusiasm. His passion for adventure, outdoor access, community, and fun is what led to the creation of the first Uphill race around 16 years ago. Kahtoola creates traction devices, hiking crampons, gaiters, and other outdoor products that make outdoor adventures more accessible. Danny, along with Hilary Childs, former longtime Kahtoola Marketing Associate, envisioned a community event in the winter with racers using traction devices to climb and descend snowy slopes. What began as a morning race with around 20 participants has steadily grown over the years to an evening event with more than 300 racers. Along the way, this race has always embraced the fun factor, including a “Most Fun” award, costumes, and community. Although it attracts top athletes, it also has just as many, if not more racers, who want to get up on the mountain together, enjoying good company and a beautiful sunset. Hilary was instrumental in ensuring that this race, focused on uphill access, remained accessible to all. 

Danny created the Uphill race to champion human-powered winter mountain access. He shares, “I have always loved the idea of human powered access to ski areas and began going to Uphill events in Aspen nearly 20 years ago. In Aspen, Fritz Stamberger trained for Himalayan climbs on the ski runs in the 1960s and became quite a legend. The America’s Cup Uphill started there in 1987 in his honor and is still going today. Uphill access at ski areas requires cooperation and mutual respect between the ski area and Uphill community to work and I think it’s well worth the effort for both groups to come together. The Kahtoola Uphill couldn’t exist without this cooperation so that makes it a real community celebration each time we put on a successful event…and that puts a big smile on my face every year!”

Thanks to Danny’s passion for uphill, Arizona Snowbowl is now full of people doing skimo (ski mountaineering) and using traction devices to climb up and down the ski lifts before they open in the morning and after they close in the evening. Danny remains a staunch and powerful advocate for human powered recreation, especially in the winter and at our local ski area, as a way to help more people reap the benefits of time outside in nature.

Learn more about uphill access at Arizona Snowbowl.

As Danny says, give people a purpose and amazing things happen. In the early years, proceeds from the Kahtoola Uphill events went to a variety of local causes, including Friends of Camp Colton. Both Danny and Hilary are Camp Colton alumni and this program is near and dear to their hearts. As the race grew and Camp grew to serve more students, it made sense that this outdoor adventure race would support outdoor experiences for kids. Danny and Hilary wanted to support a cause that was meaningful to them personally and fit with their ethos as a company. The relationship between Kahtoola and Friends of Camp Colton has brought even more meaning and enthusiasm to the Uphill race. With all proceeds raised from the race supporting outdoor environmental education at Camp, this truly has made amazing things happen for the race and for local kids.

A Warm Welcome to the New Race Director

It takes a crew to put together the GORE-TEX Kahtoola Uphill and we are thrilled to welcome Austin Corbett as the new Race Director. Austin is the Events and Community Engagement Associate at Kahtoola and can be found most weekends either supporting or running in local races. 

Austin shares, “My love for sport and nature stems from my passion for community, which the Uphill perfectly exemplifies. While I’m new to the race, I’m excited to bring the Flagstaff outdoor community together and share our vision to expand the benefits of the outdoors to everyone. The Kahtoola Uphill is a way to get people of all skill levels out for a race while sharing that experience with others who are also passionate about community and adventure. With the money we raise for Camp Colton, we’re getting more kids outside and connecting them with nature, which is a win-win for everyone.”

The 16th Annual GORE-TEX Kahtoola Uphill

Grab your Kahtoola MICROspikes®, touring skis, or traction device of your choice and get ready to climb (and descend) the snowy ski runs on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks. The race begins at Arizona Snowbowl’s Fremont Restaurant & Bar on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 5 pm. Race individually, or form a team with a group of four. With events ranging from easy to challenging, sign up for the Fun Climb, Midway Climb or the Lumberyard Brewing Company Agassiz Climb, or hang out at the bottom and cheer on the racers. The Fun Climb is a fantastic introduction to this event and possible for racers of all abilities, including kids. And don’t forget to dress up and enter our costume/dance contest!

Kahtoola generously loans out MICROspikes® footwear traction at race check-in on a first-come, first-serve basis. All proceeds from the race, Aspen Sports Race Raffle and Golden Ticket Raffle benefit Friends of Camp Colton and support outdoor environmental education for kids. Challenge yourself to race for a good cause and ask your friends and family to support your efforts with a generous donation. There are awesome prizes for all the races and fantastic fundraising incentives. Our community is what makes this race so special so we hope you will join us in making our 16th Uphill the best yet!

 

How the Uphill Makes a Difference

Over the years, the GORE-TEX Kahtoola Uphill has raised more than $400,000 in support of Camp Colton experiences for kids. Most years, these funds make it possible for more kids to attend Camp – regardless of income or circumstance – through the Friends of Camp Colton Fellowship Program. With the support of our community, Camp programs are possible for all students. Our commitment to accessibility and Danny’s visionary commitment to the lasting Camp tradition also led to the construction of two accessible cabins with the Uphill proceeds. 

Much like Camp Colton, this race is a community tradition and relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses. Since 2014, GORE-TEX and W. L. Gore & Associates have served as the title sponsors of the race. Their investment in outdoor STEM education at Camp has positively impacted all of our programs and created countless moments of discovery and exploration in nature. Danny’s uncle, Bob Gore, made scientific discoveries that led to the creation of GORE-TEX Outerwear and Danny’s grandparents, Bill and Vieve Gore, founded W. L. Gore & Associates. Many Uphill racers wear GORE-TEX outerwear and Kahtoola MICROspikes®, and are also Gore Associates, another connection that makes this race so special.

Finally, Camp Colton exists due to the generosity and philanthropic vision of Dick and Jean Wilson. Dick and Jean donated the current 33-acre site on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks to Flagstaff Unified School District in 1976 for the purpose of outdoor education. Their children and grandchildren remain staunch supporters of Camp Colton. Soonie Wilson McDavid, one of Dick and Jean’s daughters, serves on the Friends of Camp Colton Board of Directors. Another one of Dick and Jean’s daughters, Winnie Hanseth, and granddaughter, Kelly Hanseth, own and operate Lumberyard Brewing Company and are generous supporters of Camp and the Uphill. The perkiest of racers, climb all the way to the top of the ski area with the Lumberyard Brewing Company Agassiz Climb race course. It’s a fitting tribute to the legacy of the Wilson family. 

We have many other incredibly generous and supportive sponsors, including the Champ for Camp Sponsors, Golden Ticket Raffle Sponsors and Aspen Sports Race Raffle Sponsors. There’s still time to be part of the fun. Sign up for the race, raise funds for Camp Colton and benefit from our fantastic fundraising incentives, or contact Ari Wilder ([email protected]) if you are interested in volunteering. Together, we can make the 2023 GORE-TEX Kahtoola Uphill the best yet!