Thank YOU, Community!

 The 2^nd Annual Nevada Outdoor School Fire and Ice Golf Scramble Fundraiser was a great success due to the support of our communities and our sponsors!  We offer a big thank you to Stuart Title for sponsoring the sweet Titleist Pro V1X golf balls given out to all the players and MedX Aire One for jumping on board to be our main event sponsor.   We are thankful to Karl Young and Elko Realty for covering some of the green fees for players.  We also extend huge gratitude to Elko Broadcasting, Everything Elko and the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority whose generosity saved us on advertising expenses for our event. 

Saturday, May 21, 2022 was a beautiful and prosperous day at the Spring Creek Golf Course to benefit Nevada Outdoor School, raising over $18,000 in sponsorships, raffle ticket sales, silent auction items and golf tournament fees and advantages.  We have so many winners to announce!!

Classic Aviation, representing our corporate sponsor Med X, Michael Kay, Patrick Edinborough, Clint Jensen and Ryan Owen had the winning score for the day of 56 at the Nevada Outdoor 2nd Annual Fire and Ice Golf Tournament at Spring Creek Golf Course.  Pictured with Melanie Erquiaga, Executive Director at Nevada Outdoor School.

 

Classic Aviation players Michael Kay, Patrick Edinborough, Clint Jensen and Ryan Owen had the winning score for the day of 56.  They were awarded $75 each in gift cards to The Star, half of those were donated by Scott Ygoa.  The 2nd place score of 58 was a tie, but the team of Echo and Marc White and Bill and Kim Kurz was very gracious and accepted the 3rd place winnings of $30 each in Spring Creek Golf Course gift cards, giving Ruben Garcia, Dan Stewart, Boden Goicoechea and Jim Bailey the 2nd place winnings of $50 each in Spring Creek Golf Course gift cards. 

Dana Morfin returned to play again in the Nevada Outdoor School annual Fire and Ice Golf Tournament, with her son Dereck.

Ladies’ Closest to the Pin winner was Kim Kurz at 7 feet, 6 inches and she was awarded a hotel stay donated by Wendover Fun and a round of golf for 2 donated by Toana Vista Golf Course in Wendover. Mens’ Closest to the Pin Winner was Michael Kay at 7 feet, 2 inches and he was awarded a hotel stay donated by Cactus Pete’s in Jackpot and a round of golf for 2 donated by Jackpot Golf Club.  Echo White was awarded a $75 gift card to spend at Big 5 Sporting Goods for the Straightest Drive.

Jessica Untiet was generous and cleaned up on the silent auction items!  Up for grabs was a handmade quilt donated by NOS staffer - Jacklyn Orr, a painting donated by Erin Brumage, a framed print donated by Chrissy Ingle and two Caribbean Resort stays donated by Elite Island Resorts. 

Finally, our firearm and ice cooler winners went home with big smiles thanks to the firearm sponsors of Elevation Transport, High Mountain Metal, RamCon Construction, Next Home Realty – Kristina Garcia-Drake and Carter Engineering.  RTIC Cooler sponsors were Shaboyna Dutton – State Farm Insurance, Canyon Construction, Savage Services and Ignite Life Chiropractic.  Firearms were purchased from Gun World and Archery in Elko and Arms R Us in Spring Creek and included a Savage Stephens 20 Gauge Shotgun, a Mossberg 12 Gauge Shotgun, a Tikka 300 Win Mag and a colorful Savage 17HMR Accutrigger with a twisted barrel.  Our firearm winners were Ryan Owen, returning player Ruben Garcia, young Boden Goicoechea and last minute ticket buyer Dusten Lish.  The RTIC cooler winners were Dan Stewart, Russ Osborne, Macy Rohr and the lucky Boden Goicoechea. 

Put May 20, 2023 on your calendar now for the 3^rd Annual Fire and Ice Golf Tournament Fundraiser and you too can join in the fun and winnings and increase your time spend outdoors! 

 

May NOS Programming Highlight: Elko Lunar Eclipse Viewing Party!

The month of May held an exciting lunar event! On the evening of Sunday, May 15th and early into Monday morning many sky watchers got to experience the first lunar eclipse of 2022. The full moon, nicknamed the May Flower moon, also happened to be a super moon! The event became called The Super Flower Blood Moon. If that doesn’t sound exciting enough, there was more! 

Nevada Outdoor School,The California Trail Interpretive Center and Friends of the Rubies all partnered together to throw a Lunar Eclipse Viewing Party! The event was held out at the California Trail Center and was open to the public of all ages. The party started at 7:30pm which allowed time for participants to arrive, sign in and join in on a quick Nature Hike around the trail center. 

 

At the end of the short hike, participants were greeted by the sight of the blood red moon rising up above the Rubies! Despite the cloudy weather, the moon could still be viewed and it was quite spectacular! The inside of the Trail Center was also open with a live feed of the moon seen across the world. 

 

 

While the eclipse was in progress hot chocolate and s’mores were being served and a campfire kept everyone warm and enjoying a sweet treat. Two telescopes were also set up to view the moon and the eclipse. The event lasted until about 9:30 pm and while driving home the moon could still be seen up in the night sky. 

 

 

If you didn’t have a chance to make it to this event, don’t worry! There will be plenty of night sky events in the future for those of you who enjoy looking up into the vast sky full of stars and mystery. We hope to see you soon! 

Par-Tee With Nevada Outdoor School at the 2nd Annual Fire and Ice Charity Golf Scramble!

Come have a ball with NOS on Saturday, May 21st at our 2nd Annual Fire and Ice Charity Golf Scramble! This un-fore-gettable experience will start at 8am at the Spring Creek Golf Course. Don’t miss this tee-rific opportunity to support outdoor education in Elko County and across rural northern Nevada!

Nevada Outdoor School (NOS) inspires exploration of the natural world, responsible stewardship of our habitat and dedication to community. NOS is all about getting people outside, deepening their connection to, understanding of and respect for the natural world. Through a variety of youth, training and healthy community focused programs, NOS provides opportunities for people of all ages to increase their “Time Spent Outdoors”. You might see NOS leading outdoor learning experiences for students, facilitating exploration-based summer camps, hosting community hikes and nature programs, or teaching outdoor skill workshops (just to name a few)! NOS officially opened their Elko office in 2016 but has been working in and serving the Elko community for over 10 years! Although mostly grant funded, as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, NOS works hard to raise the funds needed to support all their great programs through a variety of sources. Annual fundraisers like the upcoming Fire and Ice Charity Golf Scramble provide opportunities for the public to show their support for NOS and help raise needed funds. Are you interested in supporting outdoor experiences in northern Nevada and programs that help keep our recreation areas clean and safe for everyone to enjoy? There are several ways you can help!

To tee or not to tee?  Whether you are a golf pro, total novice, or somewhere in the middle, participating in the Charity Golf Scramble is sure to be a fun time, no ifs, ands or putts about it! Teams of four can register to play for $340 ($24 discount per player for SCGC members). Lunch will be provided for all participants. Games for advantages will be available on the course, so make sure to bring cash! There will also be prizes awarded for closest to the hole, straightest drive and a putting contest.

Is golf not your cup of tee? As part of this “Fire and Ice” fundraiser, NOS will be selling $20 firearm (fire) and cooler (ice) raffle tickets. At the event, four winners will be picked for each category. You do not need to be present to win but those present will have the first choice of selection. For “fire” there is a Mossberg 12ga Shotgun, a Tikka .300 Win Mag, a Savage 20ga Shotgun and a Savage 17HMR up for grabs and for “ice” there are 2 RTIC 65 Qt. and 2 RTIC 45 Qt. coolers. Raffle tickets can be purchased online or in person before or at the event. To register to play and/or buy raffle tickets, text NOSgolfs to 41444 or visit www.NevadaOutdoorSchool.org and click the picture at the top of the page.

This event is sponsored by Medx.  Stewart title is sponsoring golf balls and Gun World and Arms-R-Us sponsored the firearm raffle prizes. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Melanie Erquiaga at 775-623-5656 (Melanie.Erquiaga@NevadaOutdoorSchool.org)

Destination Recreation - The Black Hills

 The Black Hills of western South Dakota is a unique blend of convenient and isolated.  How you want to explore the “Hills” depends on your mood, which is probably why I enjoyed living there and visiting when I can.  If one is feeling like a staying close to the roads and civilization there are places spotted all over the Hills ranging from the iconic Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial to the more “touristy” places such as the Reptile Gardens and Bear World.  The local history of the Hills offers another opportunity to explore without having to venture too far into the unknown as many places throughout the Hills give homage to its mining history.  

When you feel like being a tad more adventurous, there are hiking trails ranging from easy strolls to fairly intense.  Any of these trails can guide you through all sorts of terrain and spectacular geology.  The tallest peak in the Hills, Harney Peak, tops out around 7,244 feet has a trail which takes you from the valley floor to an old fire look out perched on top of the peak.  As you walk with a canopy of ponderosa pines above, your feet below become glittered by eons worth of mica weathered out of the metamorphic rocks. And if you do not want to go up, you can always go down. Down underground that is.  The Black Hills is home to a handful of caves and caverns that give tours of these subterranean worlds. 

If hiking and walking is not your thing, there are many opportunities for mountain biking and horseback riding as well.  The Mickelson Trail, for instance, is one such trail that is popular for biking and riding.  This 108-mile-long trail takes you from one end of the Hills to the other as you follow an old rail road grade.  Too hot outside?  The Hills have an answer for that too.  There are several large reservoirs which offer ample room for boating, fishing, and swimming on warm summer days.  Or my favorite activity to wrap up a beautifully busy day: skipping rocks across the water as it mirrors the failing light cast by the setting sun.