Volunteering at Ignite Adaptive Sports at Eldora Mountain Resort used to mean more than putting in long hours in sometimes numbing cold, snow and winter winds to help people with disabilities learn to ski and snowboard. It also required a tremendous effort.

The physical strain will be eased this winter thanks to Eldora's new Caribou Lodge, half of which will serve as the new home of Ignite Adaptive Sports. Volunteers no longer have to push adaptive athletes 300 feet up the mountain on sit-skis to reach the lifts that Ignite athletes use most often. An elevator to the third floor takes students and volunteers to a 100-foot-long bridge that leads directly to these elevators.

“By providing a dedicated space with direct access to lifts and trails, we are removing barriers and creating opportunities for people of all abilities to experience the joy of winter sports,” said Hunter Wright, director of sustainability and special projects at Eldora Mountain Resort. “It also ensures more diversity on the mountain.”

Located in the Eldora Learning Area, approximately 1,000 feet southeast of the main base area, the new lodge will house Ignite Adaptive on the first floor and a children's ski school on the second floor. On the second floor there is a kitchen that provides some food and drinks. There are enough toilets on both levels, which will be a great relief for everyone. Ignite's old setup was extremely spartan.

“They were two double-wide RV trailers that had been there for over 20 years, and they were pretty run down,” said Sam Bass, Eldora’s marketing manager. “There were two toilet trailers. These were also very old and tired and not very pleasant. Everything here is a big improvement.”

The building's attractive, two-tone exterior features dark brown wood paneling and gray stone. The sidewalk in front of the building is made of heated concrete to prevent ice formation, as is an outdoor patio on the second floor. The roof is covered with solar panels that provide all of the building's electricity needs.

The children's learning center includes a small sports shop, equipment rental and a café. There's a large, carpeted seating area that's so inviting that Brent Tregaskis, Eldora's general manager, calls it the “family room.”

Ignite is the only adaptive snow sports program on the Front Range. It started with 10 University of Colorado students looking to improve the lives of classmates with disabilities, and it's about to enter its 50th season. The new headquarters features a modern clubhouse atmosphere with large television screens, a spacious meeting area with tables and space for adaptive equipment.

“We’ve been working on this for a little over nine years and look at this place,” Tregaskis said. “You have 5,000 square feet. A huge improvement compared to the small sheds that have stood there in recent years. What a beautiful facility down here in the beginners area.”

The message it conveys is that adaptable athletes are not only welcomed and accepted at Eldora, but their presence is honored and celebrated. Conor Hall, director of Colorado's Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, saw that while representing the governor's office at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

“We need to provide more equitable access to the outdoors and different ways to enjoy the outdoors, including skiing,” Hall said. “This must be a right and not a privilege. Programs like Ignite are incredibly important to that mission, and a building like this is a huge step forward.”