MADiDEA 2005 was a great success.
 
About thirty people from five different countries gathered September 23, 2005 in the geographic center of Colorado to inspire, motivate, and learn from one another. The key ingredients to success were outstanding attendees, speakers, and weather all mixed together in a spectacular mountain setting where we ran, biked, hiked, fished, scrambled, climbed, and shared our thoughts and ideas about life with diabetes.
 
Many thanks to Jeff Mazer who worked so hard and did a wonderful job as primary organizer (speaker, too!). Without him, the event simply wouldn’t have happened. Elise (Ram, too) and Doug get special mention for facilitating and hosting in good style. Also, thank you to Animas Corporation (Susan and Mark) for joining us and talking with us about insulin pumps and pump therapy. Thanks to Lisa for presenting and connecting us with the ideal symposium venue at the Bison Peak Lodge. The lodge was a welcoming place (thanks David A.) where friendly and helpful staff (Katherine and Ryan) served us great meals and gave us tips which led us straight to the best crags, streams, trails, and mountain tops in the area.
 
Thanks to Marilee who helped connect photographer Dan Bailey’s fundraiser to support MADiDEA 2005. Also, thank you to other presenters including Mike (who donated his own travel expenses and shared with us wonderful Kirsten), Joe (travel expenses gratefully provided by MiniMed Medtronic and Joe was able to provide us a number of FreeStyle Flash meters thanks to Abbott), Chris (UK travel expenses gratefully provided by his sponsor), and Boyan all of whom traveled far a field to share their stories and images.
 
Of course the biggest thank you of all goes to the people who attended: Steven and Merida from Pennsylvania; Jimmy from North Carolina; Jared from Arizona; Philippa from Calgary, Canada; Liz and Andy (UK) from Virginia; Dave from New Jersey; Susan from Grenoble, France; Stacy from Wisconsin; Chris, Meriah, and baby Temple from Mississippi; Ron (who gratiously provided complimentary copies of The Climbing Art, a publication he edits) Marilee, Matt, and Jeff from Colorado.
 
The Tarryall Mountains were in peak fall color with the aspen providing a spectacular display of bright yellow interspersed in the green of the ponderosa pines, the browns of the fall grasses, and the reddish of the Pikes Peak granite. The adjacent Lost Creek Wilderness Area and Pike National Forest were a perfect playground and home for too brief a time period.
 
Friday night’s program was modified from the original version as Nikki Wallis was unable to attend due to a serious workplace injury and Dr. Janis Tupesis was volunteering his expertise in hurricane-devastated Louisiana. Nikki was the primary organizer and face for MADiDEA 2003 and 2004. In Colorado we missed her dearly and her absence was noted by many. We were happy to know that Janis was putting his emergency medicine and diabetes management talents to good use in an area with such enormous need.
 
Elise Rayner opened the symposium with a warm welcome and an invitation to the buffet dinner. Next, Mike Hardin, Yellowstone National Park Ranger, gave an inspiring and insightful talk about his transition to life with diabetes while maintaining a demanding and rewarding career. Mike shared with us an array of images highlighting the natural beauty of his workplace including wildlife, geysers, mud pots and mountains. In addition to these images he narrated through some of the accidents ("incidents" he’d call them) for which he has provided essential search and rescue, fire fighting, and emergency medical support.
 
Next, Lisa Seaman showed a collection of her images from the IDEA 2000 Aconcagua expedition which I helped narrate. After a short intermission, Lisa shared a stunning collection of images accompanied by Kyrgyz music of the ISLET 2005 expedition to Central Asia and Lisa’s travels post-expedition in rural Kyrgyzstan.
 
On Saturday morning, after a hearty buffet-style breakfast where many of us (Jeff and I, for sure) WAY under-bolused, we set out to hike, mountain bike and rock climb. The afternoon was filled with more of the wonderful same.
 
Saturday evening’s program began immediately following dinner with Joe Largay, PAC, CDE from Chapel Hill, North Carolina who shared some excellent information. Joe presented continuous glucose monitoring results from an all-diabetic team taking part in a 24-hour mountain bike race. Joe also talked about mountain bike training, racing, and the difference in managing diabetes for those activities. He wrapped up his session with a discussion of the hormone amylin now produced and marketed as Symlin which slows gastric emptying and controls blood sugars in all kinds of diabetics.
 
After Joe, Jeff Mazer wowed us with wonderful images and stories of recent climbs on Denali and in the Kumbu Valley of Nepal to over 20,000 feet (6000 meters). Jeff was able to convey his love for the mountains in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal in addition to a respect for the Buddhism practiced in such harmony with the surrounding landscapes. Susan Ashford wrapped up the evening session with a very informative presentation on pumps and using them in the outdoors. She also talked about some future product development from Animas Corporation. From the back of the lecture room, Doug was instrumental in leading discussions on insulin delivery systems, human (diabetic?) physiology, etc. well into the wee hours of the night.
 
Sunday morning was yet another beautiful blue sky day and Chris Southwell (originally from south England now based in Verbier, Switzerland), professional snowboarder for the last five years, gave an exciting multi-media presentation after breakfast. Poor Chris was just well enough to stand in front of the group after being relegated to his bunk for two whole days prior, due to a nasty stomach bug which finally appeared to be easing its grip. Chris gave a brilliant talk which highlighted his very recent diagnosis and how diabetes has been a motivator to better performance in the hills. Spectacular freeride video of Chris in the big mountains kept us on the edge of our seats. Following the morning impromptu session, we packed our lunches and many headed for the hills to mountain bike fabulous single-track, take a botanical walking tour led by Chris Meloche, hike to the top of the Tarryall’s Bison Peak, fly fish, and rock climb at nearby Eleven Mile Canyon.
 
Doug opened Sunday evening’s program with a DVD he self-produced (very professionally accomplished, too) from images taken during the ISLET 2005 expedition. In addition to the inspiring Pik Lenin images, he included a selection of spectacular images from treks and travels around Bishkek and Lake Issykul in Kyrgyzstan. Next, Boyan Petrov from Bulgaria took the stage and gave us a fascinating look at the Karakoram and a very recent attempt on K2 where Boyan and his Bulgarian partner reached 8200 meters without oxygen. Boyan was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 and has since done some very impressive climbs. He also has continued his work as zoologist and has discovered a number of species of spiders and other invertebrates during his numerous days spent in the high altitude of the Karakoram. A number of us stayed up late into the night chatting and regretfully kept others awake who were staying on the same level of the lodge.
 
Monday we said our goodbyes to those who needed to return to their normal weekday routine. A hardy group of nine of us (Mike, Kirsten, Doug, Boyan, Philippa, Jeff Mazer, Andy, Liz, and I) sorted out group gear, food and loaded up our packs for a few days in the backcountry.
 
We started a few miles south down the road at the Twin Eagles trailhead and began to backpack our way into the Lost Creek Wilderness Area and a perfect camp spot below a small saddle not far from McCurdy Mountain and McCurdy Park Tower. What a fabulous place to brain storm about diabetes management products which will certainly make us very rich once we receive our patents(!). We had plenty of laughs and once again felt good about being in the company of great people, old friends and some new.
 
Tuesday morning after breakfast we headed up for the saddle and on towards either McCurdy Mountain (Andy & Liz and Doug, Jeff, Philippa, Mike and Kirsten) or Bison Peak (Boyan and me). Boyan and I also had in mind a backcountry rock climb at McCurdy Park Tower so we stashed our climbing kit and dashed off for the Bison.
 
Andy and Liz proceeded to top out on McCurdy Mountain and reached a personal altitude record (which has since been broken!) and Doug, Jeff, Philippa, Mike and Kirsten reached the top of McCurdy Mountain though a Class 4 chimney and a many ton boulder which moved with slight hand pressure. The Great Bulgarian and I almost ran all the way to the Bison Peak summit and back. Then we bush-whacked straight for a beautiful 3-pitch line on the Park Tower, The Tower and the Aspens only to be thunder-stormed off when Boyan was half way up the first lead. We all regrouped at the camp for a late lunch, tea, some water, and Boyan, Doug and I said goodbye as we had flights and work to attend to…..
 
MADiDEA 2007 Montana. Be there or be sorry you missed it!! dsp, Oct. 5, 2005