Durango resident Robert Winslow rose to the occasion of his 80th birthday this week when he completed the SkySteps – a 529-step staircase leading from town to Fort Lewis College – eight times, once for each decade of his life, to raise money for a good cause.
A little red in the face, the newly minted octogenarian said he was feeling fine as he snacked on a mix of peanut butter pretzels and chocolate energy bars. He was perched on a folding chair in the shade of a tree, recouping after his sixth round before finishing his climb.
He said he trained and completed eight rounds on the SkySteps several times before the big day on Wednesday, even once completing nine rounds.
“I feel great today and am not sore or in any discomfort,” he told The Durango Herald on Thursday. “Today, I’m wearing compression socks, which can help improve recovery by reducing muscle soreness and swelling, improving blood circulation, and potentially aiding in faster recovery times.”
After completing the climb on Wednesday, Winslow went to 11th Street Station where he enjoyed pizza and the company of friends, he said.
Winslow has lived in Durango 44 years and uses the SkySteps to exercise when trails are muddy and snowy. Instead of holding a regular birthday party, he said he wanted to “push back against the tide” and do something different. But climbing the SkySteps wasn’t just about self-determination. He wanted to give back to a community he loves.
His climb was a fundraiser for two organizations dear to him – San Juan Mountains Association and La Plata County Humane Society – in which donors could pledge whatever amount for each round completed or each step he ascended.
To donate
It’s not too late to donate to Robert Winslow’s charities. To give in honor of Winslow, visit:
Humane Society: la-plata-county-humane-society.snwbll.com/robert-winslow-s-80th
San Juan Mountains Association: www.coloradogives.org/story/Dlys3f
As of Thursday, Winslow had raised $3,127 for SJMA and $1,438 for the Humane Society, according to the fundraisers available online. He said more donations were expected and he’d break at least $5,000.
He said although there are many nonprofits deserving of support, he chose SJMA because he was a longtime sponsor of Durango Nature Studies, which was integrated into SJMA, and he wanted to contribute to something local that benefited children’s education and the environment. He has also adopted a number of dogs from the Humane Society over the years, so he wanted to support it, too.
Friends and supporters met Winslow at the SkySteps to cheer him on, accompany him up the steps and watch out for him.
Houston residents Laura Sponaugle and Molly Slattery, who met Winslow along the Colorado Trail three years ago and have remained friends, said they traveled to celebrate Winslow’s birthday with him.
“It’s really freaking cool and it’s really impressive,” Sponaugle said of the support people have shown Winslow.
She said Winslow caring enough about Durango to throw a fundraiser on his birthday, and the support he’s received in return, shows he is a pillar of the community.
Sponaugle said Winslow is a “trail angel” in helping people along the Colorado Trail, and she’s kept in touch with him. She said she didn’t realize she could share so much in common with people from older generations until she met Winslow.
“Whatever we can do to help you keep being a badass and keep being an activist in the community in so many ways, we’re here to help you,” she said.
Winslow compared his strategy for taking on the SkySteps to a long-distance runner establishing his or her pace.
“Once you get into that rhythm, it makes it easier. That’s what I like to do,” he said. “… When I first did the Sky steps, I would have to stop and catch my breath and breathe. Now I don’t have to stop. I just keep going.”
He said each climb takes about eight minutes to reach the top, and it takes him about 15 minutes to descend the steps.
Winslow is no stranger to the outdoors or physical exercise. He taught wilderness studies and outdoor education at Idaho State University for six years. In 1971, he was the 36th person to through-hike the entire Appalachian Trail from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Shenandoah Mountains.
“I have so much gratitude for the amazing life that I’ve had,” he said. “I’ve met so many wonderful people and traveled all over the world, been in all seven continents, and I’ve been very fortunate to go to the places I’ve been to and seen what I’ve seen, and to meet the people that I’ve met.”
cburney@durangoherald.com
