Greetings from The View From The A Frame Blog. This blog will be an important part of the new Ute Trail Ranch Alumni Association website.
2011 has been an excellent year for Sky Ranch at Ute Trail. This year we had more people come to the camp and ranch than ever before. For the summer we had a total of 1004 attend our three Christian camping programs. In addition, we added some significant improvements. These included two new staff residence cabins, a new giant alpine swing by the ropes course, a smaller swing by the soccer field, a fourth hangout cabin for staff located to the east of the three staff cabins, a new roof and south wall for the Lodge and some additional swings and fort equipment by the pond.
For the year 2012 we have the following improvements going in:
1. A new entry archway
2. Some new, larger windows on the east side of the lodge
3. A new maintenance/storage shed back at the parking lot
4. A new pump for our sprinkler system
5. A new railing and fascia for Powderhorn
6. New kitchen equipment
7. Some additional landscaping
These additions will be completed by June 1st of 2012
Our operations manager for the camp, Matt Ravanesi and his wife, Jennie, have welcomed a new baby girl into the Ravanesi and Sky Ranch families. Her name is Lizzie and she weighed in at 6 lbs., 6 ounces. Mother and daughter are doing fine.
Thomas Ufer, our camp director, has moved to Dallas and is working in the Sky Ranch downtown office located on Pearl Street. Thomas is living in North Dallas. Thomas and his dad restored the old covered wagon the Hopkins used to use and it looks great!
Angie Fleshman, Executive Director of Ute Trail Ranch Foundation, is completing work on the new Ute Trail Ranch Alumni Association website. This website will allow us to provide information about the current camp programs as well as upload pictures of interest, stories about the current and past camps and publicize interesting information about what is happening at Sky Ranch at Ute Trail.
Russell Young, former camper and counselor in the Hopkins and Bowers days, is working on a complete history of Ute Trail Ranch which should be interesting to all former and current campers and guests. Russell and his wife, Kathy, were the hosts for the 2009 Ute Trail Boys Camp Reunion held at the camp.
Rachel Robinson Boling has continued to be a valuable help to the camp in the areas of marketing and public relations. Rachel and her husband, Kent, just moved back to Little Rock from Princeton, New Jersey where Kent was working at his company's headquarters.
I plan to write a new blog at least monthly and hope that our readers will follow "The View From The A Frame"
Sincerely
George Seay Sr.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
View from the A Frame
Today is October 20, 2010.
2010 was a good summer at Sky Ranch Ute Trail. We added to our enrollment and put to use our 5 new cabins, meeting room and some other improvements.
This fall we are putting a new roof on the lodge, repairing our water line to our well, building a pumphouse for our new pump by the pond and repairing the south wall of the lodge.
We now have a fulltime caretaker at the camp. Matt Ravanesi was the caretaker for this summer and has been hired by Sky Ranch to be the full time caretaker and the director of the wilderness ministry. Matt is from Chicago, graduated from TCU and has been working for Young Life. He is marrying Jennie Piehl(Sky Ranch development Office) on December 4th 2010 and they will move to the camp. We are blessed to have these two oustanding individuals working at Sky Ranch Ute Trail.
We also have just completed reclamation work around the construction area which means new native grasses there next summer.
Also, we have Rachel Robinson Boling helping with marketing and fundraisng on a parttime basis. Rachel who is married to Kent Boling was a guide at The Rock in 1997 and 1998 and worked in the Ute Trail Fdn office in 1998 and 1999. We are blessed to have Rachel helping us as well.
George Seay
2010 was a good summer at Sky Ranch Ute Trail. We added to our enrollment and put to use our 5 new cabins, meeting room and some other improvements.
This fall we are putting a new roof on the lodge, repairing our water line to our well, building a pumphouse for our new pump by the pond and repairing the south wall of the lodge.
We now have a fulltime caretaker at the camp. Matt Ravanesi was the caretaker for this summer and has been hired by Sky Ranch to be the full time caretaker and the director of the wilderness ministry. Matt is from Chicago, graduated from TCU and has been working for Young Life. He is marrying Jennie Piehl(Sky Ranch development Office) on December 4th 2010 and they will move to the camp. We are blessed to have these two oustanding individuals working at Sky Ranch Ute Trail.
We also have just completed reclamation work around the construction area which means new native grasses there next summer.
Also, we have Rachel Robinson Boling helping with marketing and fundraisng on a parttime basis. Rachel who is married to Kent Boling was a guide at The Rock in 1997 and 1998 and worked in the Ute Trail Fdn office in 1998 and 1999. We are blessed to have Rachel helping us as well.
George Seay
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Pictures from late March
Here are the pictures that correspond to my previous post. These pictures were taken in late March.
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www.aframeview.blogspot.com
Today is April 6, 2010.
Attached are some pictures taken by me in late March of our 5 new cabins and meeting room with the names we have chosen for these buildings. The buildings are about 90% complete and looking good and within our goals for the appearance of the camp.
The person I would like to thank and mention this month is my brother, John Seay. John has been involved with me at Ute Trail Ranch since the two of us went up there in December of 1970 and met Hop Hopkins and explored the ranch in his jeep in the snow. John has been one of our leading financial supporters as well as a person who has always encouraged me to keep working on the camp and the programs for youth. Also, Johnny's family has been supportive. His wife, Judy, has done numerous art works we have there, his son, Mac, was the Ranchhand in 2003 and his son, David, is currently building all of the furniture for our 5 new cabins. John's daughters, Aileen and Stephanie, have also been involved for some time.
John will be driving all of the new cabin furniture to Sky Ranch Ute Trail in early May after David completes it. David and his fiance, Jessica, will be getting married this coming June at the the Seay Farm at Gunter, Texas.
We would not have been able to accomplish much without this valuable help over the years. Thanks, Johnny and family!
My book review for this month is "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortensen. It is the story of a mountaineer who attempted to climb K2 in the Himalayas but did not reach the top. On the way down he stopped in a Paskitan village and saw the need for a school and promised he would build one. He built it at Korphe and since then has built many more in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (over 60 I think). He is fighting terrorism one school at a time. The book is excellent and I highly recommend it to you.
We are close to opening our new website for Ute Trail Ranch. It will have links to Sky Ranch Ute Trail, a history of Ute Trail Ranch, good pictures, a way to support the camp and some other useful tools for visitors. We are excited about it and Angie has been working hard on it with Thomas and Kevin and Laura Sipp.
If you like Southern Gospel music there is a good station on Sirius XM satellite radio. It is channel 67 and called Enlighten. there are two other good gospel music stations also on Sirius XM.
Working with the Sky Ranch Board of Directors for Sky Ranch Ute Trail has been a pleasure for me. Michael Jackson, Stacy Davis and Whit Roberts have been very supportive and enthusiastic and are one of the main reasons things are going well. Thank you, Michael, Stacy and Whit.
I would also like to thank my family for their support. Nancy Seay, George Seay III and Sarah Seay and Pauline and Austin Neuhoff have been great! And my sister, Edith, has been a big help with typing, crafts, signs and other areas.
Pictures will be added in a day or two.
Enjoy spring and thanks for reading this blog.
George Seay
Attached are some pictures taken by me in late March of our 5 new cabins and meeting room with the names we have chosen for these buildings. The buildings are about 90% complete and looking good and within our goals for the appearance of the camp.
The person I would like to thank and mention this month is my brother, John Seay. John has been involved with me at Ute Trail Ranch since the two of us went up there in December of 1970 and met Hop Hopkins and explored the ranch in his jeep in the snow. John has been one of our leading financial supporters as well as a person who has always encouraged me to keep working on the camp and the programs for youth. Also, Johnny's family has been supportive. His wife, Judy, has done numerous art works we have there, his son, Mac, was the Ranchhand in 2003 and his son, David, is currently building all of the furniture for our 5 new cabins. John's daughters, Aileen and Stephanie, have also been involved for some time.
John will be driving all of the new cabin furniture to Sky Ranch Ute Trail in early May after David completes it. David and his fiance, Jessica, will be getting married this coming June at the the Seay Farm at Gunter, Texas.
We would not have been able to accomplish much without this valuable help over the years. Thanks, Johnny and family!
My book review for this month is "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortensen. It is the story of a mountaineer who attempted to climb K2 in the Himalayas but did not reach the top. On the way down he stopped in a Paskitan village and saw the need for a school and promised he would build one. He built it at Korphe and since then has built many more in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (over 60 I think). He is fighting terrorism one school at a time. The book is excellent and I highly recommend it to you.
We are close to opening our new website for Ute Trail Ranch. It will have links to Sky Ranch Ute Trail, a history of Ute Trail Ranch, good pictures, a way to support the camp and some other useful tools for visitors. We are excited about it and Angie has been working hard on it with Thomas and Kevin and Laura Sipp.
If you like Southern Gospel music there is a good station on Sirius XM satellite radio. It is channel 67 and called Enlighten. there are two other good gospel music stations also on Sirius XM.
Working with the Sky Ranch Board of Directors for Sky Ranch Ute Trail has been a pleasure for me. Michael Jackson, Stacy Davis and Whit Roberts have been very supportive and enthusiastic and are one of the main reasons things are going well. Thank you, Michael, Stacy and Whit.
I would also like to thank my family for their support. Nancy Seay, George Seay III and Sarah Seay and Pauline and Austin Neuhoff have been great! And my sister, Edith, has been a big help with typing, crafts, signs and other areas.
Pictures will be added in a day or two.
Enjoy spring and thanks for reading this blog.
George Seay
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Photos from March 3rd
These are photos of the camp from March 3rd.
The meeting room next to the camp store:
The inside of the meeting room:
The back of new cabins #4&5:
Inside new cabin #5:
New cabins #1, 2, and 3:
Inside new cabin #1:
The meeting room next to the camp store:
The inside of the meeting room:
The back of new cabins #4&5:
Inside new cabin #5:
New cabins #1, 2, and 3:
Inside new cabin #1:
The new circle drive:
Sunday, March 14, 2010
View From the A Frame
Today is march 14, 2010. In a few days I will attach some photos Angie took of the new cabins and meeting room at the camp. I estimate we are about 75% complete on these buildings. They are looking good!
My book to recommend for this month is "The Radical Christian" by John Stott. This is the last book to be written by John Stott, one of the leading Christian authors, and it is excellent. See what you think.
My song of the month is "The Purple Robe" by Jeff and Sherry Easter. I heard it on Enlighten, the Sirius/AM satellite station and have been trying to locate it on the internet.
Enlighten plays Southern Gospel Music.
Our enrollment for summer, 2010, is going well. We have 3 churches/schools coming including Prestonwood Baptist Academy, Park Cities Presbyterian Church and Highland Park Presbyterian Church. The first is in Plano, Texas and the next two are in Dallas, Texas.
We are also planning to have our Armed Forces camp again this summer, probably the 3rd month of august.
We have had some nice gifts for new backpacks for our wilderness program. We are hoping to raise $6,000 to buy 50 new backpacks.
The temperatures at Sky Ranch at Ute Trail are beginning to warm up and some of the snow is melting. In April we will have the meadows greening up and the ranch will take on a different look.
Thank you for your interest.
George Seay
Thursday, February 4, 2010
View from the A Frame midwinter report
Today is Thursday, February 4, 2010.
Picture: Russell & Kathy Young at Ute Trail for the Ute Trail Boys Camp reunion in August 2009
Spotlight on Russell Young - We have had significant help the past few years from Russell Young of Grapevine, Texas. Russell is a Baptist minister who has pastored numerous churches in Texas and Colorado. His most recent position was at First Baptist Church of Grapevine where he was the business manager. Russell is married to Kathy Young and has 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren. One daughter lives in Salida, Colorado with her 2 daughters and the other 2 daughters live with their children near Russell and Kathy in the DFW Metroplex area. Russell and Kathy spend a lot of time with their granchildren as sitters, teachers and companions.
Russell was a camper at Ute Trail Boys Camp in the 1950s and was a counselor there in the 1960s. He had a positive experience at camp and has been helpful and productive with today's camping program as a volunteer and part time worker. He was in charge of the 2009 Ute Trail Boys Camp Reunion which was enjoyed by all 39 people who attended. Russell spent over a year assembling a list of names and addresses of former campers and contacted them and invited them to the reunion. He and Kathy took a leadership role at the reunion and acted as hosts along with Sky Ranch staff members. Russell currently serves on the board of directors of Ute Trail Ranch Alumni Association and he is working on some new benches for our cabin front porches.
In the past Russell has built for us a fence around our well, new shelves in The Red Shed and transported many items to Ute Trail such as our new museum furniture. To say the least he is an invaluable member of our team working on providing a camping environment which promotes a passion for Jesus Christ and His gospel.
Thank you, Russell, for all your dedicated work for the ministry. Also, thank you, Kathy, for your support as well.
Names for new cabins - we have chosen some names for our new family camp cabins. The 3 cabins on the northwest side will be Sunshine, Red Cloud and Hoppy moving from west to east. On the other side the cabins will be named Kit Carson and Bowers. Hoppy and Bowers are named for the founders of Ute trail Boys Camp, Hop Hopkins and Dr. Malcolm Bowers.
In addition, we are naming the old barn after the Benson Family, the ranch owners from 1903 until 1946. We are naming the old homestead cabin "Youmans" after Harry Youmans, the man who homesteaded Ute Trail Ranch in 1883. The new meeting room will be named "Handies".
Summer of 2010 - We are planning to have another Military Family Week this summer as we did last summer. 7-10 military families will be awarded scholarships to attend family camp in gratitude for their service to our country. If anyone would like to contribute toward this please contact me or Angie Fleshman or Thomas Ufer. We already have one scholarship pledged.
We also plan to have Carin Marie and Pony Express return and do at least 2 concerts this summer. They were a big hit last summer during the military week and at the Ute Trail Boys Camp Reunion. She is the USA yodeling champion and the winner of numerous music awards.
This summer Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Prestonwood Baptist Church and Academy and Highland Park Presbyterian Church have reserved specific weeks to have their members come and participate in family camp. HPPC has also reserved places in our wilderness ministry program. We are thrilled and honored to have these outstanding Christian organizations coming this summer. We would like to thank David Newman, Larry Taylor and Nelson Bell for taking the time to come to Ute Trail and help with these family camp programs.
Prayer requests and Bible verse - Thomas Ufer is talking with The US Forest Service about granting us permits to go into The Big Blue Wilderness Area with our wilderness groups. We would appreciate your prayers for success in this request. It would be a great boost to our programs.
Our Bible verse for this month is Psalms 24:1 which states "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." We are stewards of the earth and responsible to God for the way we care for His creation.
Recommended book - I just finished "The Treasure Principle" by Larry Alcorn and I recommend it. It is about giving to God's work and storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
Building program - our building program is on schedule to be finished by June 1st when we will have completed the following things:
1. 5 new family cabins
2. New meeting room
3. New waste water treatment plant
4. Fire protection system
5. New road from Hwy 149 into the camp.
6. New pavilion behind the Lodge for addtional dining facities.
7. Partial landscaping for the camp to be completed in the fall.
We are thankful to God for enabling us to build these new additions and increasing the capacity of the camp.
Pictures of the month - Below we have included some pictures from our Ute Trail Boys Camp Reunion which might be of interest. These were taken by Sara Kerens.
Nancy Hopkins Ferguson, the daughter of Hop and Susan Hopkins, is finishing up her history of Ute Trail Ranch and Boys Camp for the 1946 to 1973 period. We hope to have this in written form for the coming summer for those who would like to read it. Thank you, Nancy.
Thank you for your interest in Sky Ranch at Ute Trail. Have a good February, 2010 and I will be corresponding next month.
Sincerely,
George Seay Jr., Co Trustee,
Ute Trail Ranch Foundation
Picture: Russell & Kathy Young at Ute Trail for the Ute Trail Boys Camp reunion in August 2009
Spotlight on Russell Young - We have had significant help the past few years from Russell Young of Grapevine, Texas. Russell is a Baptist minister who has pastored numerous churches in Texas and Colorado. His most recent position was at First Baptist Church of Grapevine where he was the business manager. Russell is married to Kathy Young and has 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren. One daughter lives in Salida, Colorado with her 2 daughters and the other 2 daughters live with their children near Russell and Kathy in the DFW Metroplex area. Russell and Kathy spend a lot of time with their granchildren as sitters, teachers and companions.
Russell was a camper at Ute Trail Boys Camp in the 1950s and was a counselor there in the 1960s. He had a positive experience at camp and has been helpful and productive with today's camping program as a volunteer and part time worker. He was in charge of the 2009 Ute Trail Boys Camp Reunion which was enjoyed by all 39 people who attended. Russell spent over a year assembling a list of names and addresses of former campers and contacted them and invited them to the reunion. He and Kathy took a leadership role at the reunion and acted as hosts along with Sky Ranch staff members. Russell currently serves on the board of directors of Ute Trail Ranch Alumni Association and he is working on some new benches for our cabin front porches.
In the past Russell has built for us a fence around our well, new shelves in The Red Shed and transported many items to Ute Trail such as our new museum furniture. To say the least he is an invaluable member of our team working on providing a camping environment which promotes a passion for Jesus Christ and His gospel.
Thank you, Russell, for all your dedicated work for the ministry. Also, thank you, Kathy, for your support as well.
Names for new cabins - we have chosen some names for our new family camp cabins. The 3 cabins on the northwest side will be Sunshine, Red Cloud and Hoppy moving from west to east. On the other side the cabins will be named Kit Carson and Bowers. Hoppy and Bowers are named for the founders of Ute trail Boys Camp, Hop Hopkins and Dr. Malcolm Bowers.
In addition, we are naming the old barn after the Benson Family, the ranch owners from 1903 until 1946. We are naming the old homestead cabin "Youmans" after Harry Youmans, the man who homesteaded Ute Trail Ranch in 1883. The new meeting room will be named "Handies".
Summer of 2010 - We are planning to have another Military Family Week this summer as we did last summer. 7-10 military families will be awarded scholarships to attend family camp in gratitude for their service to our country. If anyone would like to contribute toward this please contact me or Angie Fleshman or Thomas Ufer. We already have one scholarship pledged.
We also plan to have Carin Marie and Pony Express return and do at least 2 concerts this summer. They were a big hit last summer during the military week and at the Ute Trail Boys Camp Reunion. She is the USA yodeling champion and the winner of numerous music awards.
This summer Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Prestonwood Baptist Church and Academy and Highland Park Presbyterian Church have reserved specific weeks to have their members come and participate in family camp. HPPC has also reserved places in our wilderness ministry program. We are thrilled and honored to have these outstanding Christian organizations coming this summer. We would like to thank David Newman, Larry Taylor and Nelson Bell for taking the time to come to Ute Trail and help with these family camp programs.
Prayer requests and Bible verse - Thomas Ufer is talking with The US Forest Service about granting us permits to go into The Big Blue Wilderness Area with our wilderness groups. We would appreciate your prayers for success in this request. It would be a great boost to our programs.
Our Bible verse for this month is Psalms 24:1 which states "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." We are stewards of the earth and responsible to God for the way we care for His creation.
Recommended book - I just finished "The Treasure Principle" by Larry Alcorn and I recommend it. It is about giving to God's work and storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
Building program - our building program is on schedule to be finished by June 1st when we will have completed the following things:
1. 5 new family cabins
2. New meeting room
3. New waste water treatment plant
4. Fire protection system
5. New road from Hwy 149 into the camp.
6. New pavilion behind the Lodge for addtional dining facities.
7. Partial landscaping for the camp to be completed in the fall.
We are thankful to God for enabling us to build these new additions and increasing the capacity of the camp.
Pictures of the month - Below we have included some pictures from our Ute Trail Boys Camp Reunion which might be of interest. These were taken by Sara Kerens.
Nancy Hopkins Ferguson, the daughter of Hop and Susan Hopkins, is finishing up her history of Ute Trail Ranch and Boys Camp for the 1946 to 1973 period. We hope to have this in written form for the coming summer for those who would like to read it. Thank you, Nancy.
Thank you for your interest in Sky Ranch at Ute Trail. Have a good February, 2010 and I will be corresponding next month.
Sincerely,
George Seay Jr., Co Trustee,
Ute Trail Ranch Foundation
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