{"id":2,"date":"2018-11-15T15:23:59","date_gmt":"2018-11-15T15:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.hampshire.edu\/aldersons\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2018-12-07T16:45:12","modified_gmt":"2018-12-07T16:45:12","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.hampshire.edu\/aldersons\/","title":{"rendered":"A Force of Nature: Glenna and Earl Alderson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Excerpt from \u201cThey Were A Force of Nature\u201d<\/a> by Abigail Meisel, from <\/em>Non Satis Scire magazine, Fall 2018\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2026immediately likable, [Glenna and Earl Alderson] exude the kind of cheerful levelheadedness that\u2019s a prerequisite to, say, taking eight college kids, mostly city slickers, on a 15-day rafting trip on the Colorado River in the dead of winter, paddling up to 20 miles each day in the Grand Canyon through 40-degree whitewater.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was our second winter-term trip, and we were still in our twenties, but we were on duty with the students twenty-four\/seven,\u201d Glenna says. \u201cIf there\u2019d been an emergency, the only way out was by helicopter. When we got back, everyone asked \u2018How was your vacation?\u2019 \u2014 that\u2019s a question we get a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are always risks,\u201d Earl adds, \u201cbut that\u2019s how the students bond. They look out for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the Colorado excursion, they were just warming up (figuratively speaking). That trip marked the onset of more than 560 weekend and extended trips \u2014 paddling, hiking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking \u2014 led by the Aldersons during their 31-year careers as instructors in Outdoor Programs Recreation and Athletics (OPRA).<\/p>\n

The duo were unstoppable. The Aldersons hauled students across the globe to plant Hampshire\u2019s flag in Cuba, Greece, Spain, Mexico, Belize\u2019s Silk Islands, Quebec, and even Kentucky, among dozens of other exotic locales. Pausing for breath, they\u2019d head over to Deerfield or zip up Route 63 for some kayaking on the rivers in Deerfield and Millers Falls.<\/p>\n

One of many former students with whom they became friends, Nate Connolly 93F, headed to Bend, Oregon \u2014 a former logging town on the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains \u2014 and, after a few years banging nails, founded Ridgeline Custom Homes, for which he\u2019s the designer and lead carpenter.<\/p>\n

Nate is now building the Aldersons a Craftsman-style house there, not far from his home. They\u2019re aiming to move there in December.<\/p>\n

Glenna explains their plans to leave their jobs of three decades, pull up stakes, and move across the country in Alderson-ese: \u201cIt\u2019s the next adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Join Us at a Farewell Party<\/h2>\n

After 31 years of instructing\u2014paddling, hiking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking\u2014through Hampshire\u2019s Outdoor Programs, Recreation, and Athletics department, Glenna and Earl are retiring. We hope you can join us in celebrating them on campus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday, December 13, 2018
\n3\u20135 p.m.
\nThe Red Barn
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

All are welcome, though an RSVP is requested<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Make a Gift<\/h2>\n

In honor of the Aldersons’ retirement, consider a donation to the OPRA Scholarship Endowment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Share Stories<\/h2>\n

Share stories about your adventures with Glenna and Earl here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Send Us Your Pics<\/h2>\n

To submit your photos of adventures with Glenna and Earl, please email communications@hampshire.edu<\/a><\/p>\n