April 12, 2021
Men –

Hero worship in our western culture extends into every part of our lives. You may have sports heroes whom you love to follow and be inspired by. You may have heroes within your profession or line of work that have helped shape and mold your career. As a student, you may have had coaches and teachers that were heroes, providing guidance and wisdom to you as journeyed from childhood to manhood. One of the most visible examples of calling out heroes in America is to pay homage to our first responders (police, fire, military, medical) for what they do and the impact they have. In light of COVID-19 in 2020 and now in 2021, we saw a lot of frontline heroes treating patients. Care providers going above and beyond to serve those in nursing homes and hospitals. The impact of COVID-19 provided many other examples of heroes.

We need heroes in our lives.  But there is one Hero we need more than any other—Jesus.

Jesus is the ultimate Hero.  A Hero that gave it all.  His Life.  His Death.  His Resurrection.  The Hero that gives us the ultimate rescue.  Life with Him. 

Men need Jesus.  Men need a Hero.  Men even become heroic when they hang out with such a Hero.HERO is our theme in 2021. 
Here are some quick updates and information:

Transportation: We will soon be putting out a list of men from each locale (Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, Colorado, etc.) for purposes of ride sharing out the Camp Hale and back. Traveling out with other men is a priceless “windshield time” that cannot be duplicated. We will do this within COVID restrictions, expectations and preferences. Stay tuned for that list and begin thinking about your travel logistics.
  Training Plans:  If you have not started a cardio plan or any other regular workout routine, our strong suggestion is to begin with one now. If you need any assistance with what that could look like for you, please let us know and we will be more than willing to help. Understand this: a 14er hike humbles EVERYONE. Even those in excellent shape will find it a challenge. If you want to enjoy the journey, put in the training!


Excursions: We are working to get all the data that you will need to make informed decisions about the various excursions that you may do throughout the experience. Things like whitewater rafting, ATV riding, Jeep trails, gun range, mountain biking, fly fishing and more. All of these are at your own cost and we have negotiated discounts for some activities. The whitewater information is up on our website and that trip will be on Wednesday the 28th. More information about the various excursions will be up on the website very soon. Keep in mind that many of these may still have some COVID restrictions in place so keep that in mind when you check them out.

COVID planning: With the roll out of vaccines, it is likely that any man or young man that is coming will have been vaccinated or given the chance to be vaccinated. Having high numbers of vaccinated men will be very helpful in dealing with local public health officials. The patchwork of county public health regulations in Colorado, for us that being Eagle County and Lake County, is constantly in flux. We are watching and monitoring daily. We will have a COVID plan in place for the campground as needed and will work with local officials to ensure compliance. We will provide regular updates.

 Prayer: We need you all to pray for a few specific things right now. First, pray that the COVID restrictions in Eagle and Lake Counties lessen quickly and provide us full access to Camp Hale. Pray for more and more young men to come to Peak Challenge. If you are a dad, a grandfather or a mentor to a young man 13 years or above, or you know men that fit this description, encourage them to come and bring that young man. Pray for the 22 men from Open Door Mission that will be selected by their leadership to come to Peak Challenge. It has been our honor for the past 6 years to bring them out for free so that they can be a part of a transformational experience. Finally, pray for a boldness from Jesus to get/keep you in the Word, to find ways to serve others and be willing to share the hope you have with others.

God.Men.Mountains.Legacies.
The Peak Challenge Team