Celebrating 100 Years of Life Changing Expeditions
Our 100th Anniversary Celebration, in Four Projects
— Jordan Stone, Executive Director
1. 100th Anniversary Events: Regional Rendezvous Events, and Basecamp Celebration in 2026
Our centennial will be a coast-to-coast celebration! We are thrilled to announce a series of Regional Rendezvous events that will bring our community together in places across the country. Click on the event to register.
Philadelphia: October 18, 2025
Washington, DC: October 24, 2025
Indianapolis: October 26, 2025
(tentative) California, Spring 2026
Cottonwood Gulch Basecamp: August 14-16, 2026 (registration not yet available for the Basecamp event)
Each Rendezvous will feature local flavor, inspiring trek stories, opportunities to connect with fellow Gulch enthusiasts, and a discussion about where the Gulch is headed in our second century. Full details for all events can be found [here], with gatherings scheduled from March 2025 through summer 2026.
2. Trekking Into the Future, a Planned Giving Campaign
Secure a second century of life-changing treks for thousands of young people
As we approach our centennial, we're launching "Trekking Into The Future," a campaign to inspire more people to join our Red Rocks Society of individuals who have included Cottonwood Gulch in their estate plans. Currently, 23 individuals or couples have made this commitment, ensuring financial stability for our next century of transformative outdoor experiences.
As part of this campaign we are launching a newsletter, Cottonwood Connections, which will provide information about how planned gifts can support the Gulch and provide tax benefits for our donors. Keep an eye out for this in the coming months – It will come out three times per year.
Where will your planned gift go?
Most planned gifts support our endowment, which was established in 2001 and currently stands at $1.5 million. We distribute 3-5% annually to support our programs, while the rest is invested in diversified funds that have grown at an average rate of 8% since inception.
Looking to our second century, we have four funding priorities:
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Summer Treks: Keep a great thing going, making it accessible to all.
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Innovate like Howie: Expand school programs and invest in competitive wages for our staff, honoring our founder's spirit of innovation.
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Steward The Land We Love: Maintain and improve our Basecamp, the heart of our operations.
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Electrify the Future: Ensure our infrastructure and programs are environmentally sustainable, teaching by example.
3. A 100th Anniversary Book
A team of editors and writers is hard at work putting together a 100th Anniversary book to celebrate all aspects of the Gulch experience. This will be a trove of fascinating stories and photographs to capture the spirit of connection and learning that defines us.
Publication is slated for late 2025, just in time to celebrate our centennial year. If you are interested in contributing to the book project, please let us know! Our editorial team is eager to include a diverse array of stories, photos, log entries, and more.
If you would like to contribute to the book, please fill out this form before March 1, 2025
4. History Collection
For a century, Cottonwood Gulch trekkers have been documenting their adventures, lists of animal species, delicious (and sometimes odd) meals, and stories about personal growth and newfound connections. These logs are time capsules of laughter, challenge, and discovery, and we are in the process of collecting all of them.
If you have a Trek Log, let us know! We are still missing several, and you might be able to fill in the holes. We are seeking both physical and digital copies.
To contact the History Committee with your logs or your questions email: history@cottonwoodgulch.org
Do you have more questions about our 100th anniversary?
If so, reach out to our Executive Director, Jordan Stone: director@cottonwoodgulch.org