Diana Finkel: CIT coordinator to ultra-marathoner

Marc Hanna (1987-95) writes:

I was recently reminded of Diana Finkel when I came across her name in Sports Illustrated. Diana was my co-leader for the CIT's in 1994. She had endless energy and was one of those rare people who enjoyed absolutely everything she did. She couldn't sit still and couldn't stop smiling. During the camping portion she declared her role was to be the pack mule. It certainly wasn't navigator as she ateempted to start more than a few of hikes off in the opposite direction. She was also always up for a challenge, and I took advantage of that many times by saying, "I bet you can't........."

It seems her determination and deep gas tank are serving her well now since I recently saw her mentioned in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" section here.

She has become quite the ultra marathoner and recently broke the female course record in the Hardrock 100 by a whopping 2.5 hours. Two quotes of hers from an article on the race jumped out at me. On whether or not running 100 miles is fun - "Like I always say, it doesn't have to be fun to be fun." On how she was able to improve on her previous winning time by 4 hours and best the course record by 2.5 hours - "I didn't get lost as much. Last year, I got lost a lot. This year, I only got lost a little."

Below are two photos of Diana during her Frost Valley days.



The photo just above shows Diana with then-CIT Yoland Philpotts. Yoland was a FV'er from 1988 through 2003. Yoland writes: "After that CIT year with Diana and Marc, I went on to climb the counselor ranks and was VC of Pac in '99, CIT coordinator in '00 and again in '02. These days I'm in medical school at Einstein in the Bronx."

CQ redux

Today's blog entry on the CQ fire stirred up a good many memories, to judge from the emails I've been receiving. Below is D'Arcy Oaks' response:

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"Your post about CQ etc. got to me. I remember those things, and I want to be there, and I am sentimental now having read that. Your explanation of that "cycle" of the camper taking risks by being uncool and ridiculous which generates some loyalty from peers which promotes the ridiculous to cool seemed emblematic of similar cycles I would see at FV. Your description of that night time scramble for some social interaction with adults even though its raining, yet the adults still talk about "work", which is about how the campers are doing, seems representative of a daily occurrence during my tenure at FV. Your discussion of how to deal with the logistics when things like the weather intervene reminds me of how Carrie and I had to scramble to make a plan B (as CIT coordinators) in 1997 after Ranger Patty kicked us out of the state park for sleeping too close to the stream the night previous. Your description of the moodiness of the Sacky village converting to unity and team spirit reminds me of something people would say at FV in the 90's: a day Frost Valley is like a week in real life. Something that happened mid-afternoon becomes a distant memory for a staff member by the time CQ begins.

"I loved CQ. In 1990 as a Hemlock JC I remember the staff frequently being around CQ when not assigned. We got the campers to sleep, we could have gone to staff lounge, we had spent the day around each other, yet we hung out at CQ. We were located in that middle cabin grouping, between "The Hill" and the Dining Hall/Outtrip road, cabins 36 - 40, and that fire ring is a good one, for you can face the ravine thus reducing the risk of keeping campers up when you are talking. That summer, for us, it was backgammon and Billy Idol, and, well, some visits from raccoons, that characterized the Hemlock CQ. Bill Baker, Mark Hanna, Josh Tucker, Wentworth Miller, and David O'Brian (VC) were amongst the Hemlock staff that summer. Sometimes we'd complain, sometimes we'd talk about our lives, sometimes we'd bond, but a lot of times we'd strategize about how to make tomorrow's experience better for Hemlock campers. So your post reminds me of that kind of thing: enjoying working, enjoying your co-workers, helping kids have good experiences. Nice memories."

met in '99, engaged in '09 - same spot

Last Saturday, on the Biscuit Creek Bridge at Frost Valley, Chris Lane proposed to Lindsay Chandler-Alexander. She said yes! This photo was taken not long after the moment. Lindsay thinks she was at FV summers from 1992 to 2001. Chris was there from '98 to '02. Lindsay says: "We met in the summer of 1999 which was my JC summer and his second summer at camp. We decided to start dating on July 15th under the Biscuit Creek Bridge and 9 and a half years later that is where Chris proposed to me! Frost valley means the world to us. It is where we met, fell in love, and now where we got engaged. We couldn't be happier!"

Another Frost Valley romance turns into marriage. How many have there been? I can think of a dozen without even trying.

Of course Lindsay is in a long-line of a Wawayanda/Frost Valley family - the Chandlers of Long Island. (I remember Dave Chandler and Cathy Chandler very well - from 40 years ago.)

1995

Marc Hanna has made a wonderful video montage consisting of many many black-and-white photos he himself shot throughout the summer of 1995. It's on Facebook and I'm not certain those without a Facebook account can view it, but give it a try and see.

Here are some of the people who appear in the video: Adrian Gamarello, Al Filreis, Alexander Papouchis, Alexander Shalom, Alexander Warnow, Angelica Velazquez, Anne Valerio Goff, Bob Eddings, Brian Butler, Carly Einstein, Chloe Annetts, Coll Wenke, Damion Frye, Diane Sacker, Elisabeth Gordon, Elizabeth McNeil Runte, Eric Blum, Heather Constant-Eddings, Heather S Graf Noon, Janine DelGiorno, Jeff Daly, Jennifer Ostrow, Joe Elliott, Josh Gordon, Joshua Tucker, Julie Cusumano, Kate Landis, Laura Viggiano, Leah Rickman, Malik Jenkins, Mikia Eatman, Noah O'Connor, Ryan Annetts, Sara Sara Bo Bara, Theresa M. Lane.

1986-1994

Out of the blue today I received a nice note from Kelly Harford, whose Frost Valley years ran from 1986 through 1994. She sent the photos above and here, below, is her note:

Hi Al, my name is Kelly & I found your blog while looking on the web for Lourdes Montoro's email. She & I have kept in touch since I was a little girl in her cabin in Pokey. I'm now 32! How wonderful to read your blog after so many years away. I first came to FV in the TiPi village called "Lacota" in what was its last year, I believe ('86?). Then Pokey the next year when I met Lourdes...then in 1988 I was in Sequoia with Colin Hill---I found an old photo from the top of Mt. Wittenburg on that trip & I believe a young Jeff Daly is to the right! Colin was a huge influence on me & the next year I did an Adirondack hike & canoe out-trip with him. I came back and did CIT training, then a summer as JC with Sequoia and Tacoma, In 94 I did a session at Sequoia again which was my last at Frost Valley.

I spent a whole afternoon reading your blog while snowed in with my little daughter in WA state where I live now. Thank you for the opportunity to think about all the amazing people and experiences from Frost Valley again!