The boys departed the Foxhole at 5:45 AM on Thursday morning. Despite an early start, the guys were in a great mood and visibly excited for the day to come. The group met the ice climbing guides at the rendezvous point and were outfitted with harnesses, crampons, and helmets. Everyone was eager to climb as the group set out for trailhead.

The approach to the climbs was only twenty minutes long, but it provided the perfect opportunity to practice walking effectively in the crampons. The 50 foot frozen waterfalls were both stunning and humbling. The guides took the group through an informative safety briefing and skills tutorial about climbing and belaying.

After six hours of climbing each of the four routes, belaying and hanging out by the frozen crag, the group packed up the gear and descended back down the trail to the parking lot. At this point, everyone seemed physically and mentally exhausted in a really satisfying way. There was a sense of group accomplishment and comradery.

The lodge had a very homey feel and after the boys showed up and settled in with warm drinks, dinner was served. Post dinner, the group collaborated to clean the space and we soon settled down to have an AA meeting.

A few themes emerged from the discussion. Many shared their experience of loneliness in using and how they are now grateful for the sense of community found in AA and the Foxhole. Others shared in their appreciation of newfound hobbies in sobriety. Collectively, the space seemed vulnerable and supportive. After the meeting, everyone retired early to bed in preparation for another day of climbing on ice.

By day two, the guys were much more comfortable walking in the crampons and the guides set up a few more challenging routes. A completely vertical pillar of ice provided the more adept climbers the challenge they were looking for.

Overall, the trip reiterated the belief that it is possible to have fun while being sober and it provided a strong sense of comradery and bonding between a diverse group of guys from the community.

A fierce cold spell kept the Foxhole out of the ocean on January 1^st.  Not easily discouraged, the team returned to the drawing board, and rescheduled the gang’s yearly pilgrimage to Higgins Beach for Saturday, January 13^th.  There was some question as to how the break in tradition would affect numbers, but when all was said and done, every resident mustered the grit to make the plunge, and the boys were joined by several die hard alumni, and continually daring staff members.  Big props to several new residents who participated, including one who literally jumped right in on his first day!

After drying off and warming up, the team headed back to the café for a comfort food brunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato chicken soup.  After chowing down, the guys headed to the flag football dome for an indoor, full field, 11v11 match-up.  Finally, those with energy remaining retired to the rock wall to watch playoff football.  Just another day in the Foxhole.

On Tuesday, January 9^th, the Foundation House community went curling. Twenty-four residents and eight staff took part in the annual trip down to the Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, MA. We were greeted by instructors at the club who were patient and thorough while giving a crash course in technique, scoring and overall curling etiquette. Once we had a (relative) grasp on the game, our tournament started. Since we were working off of a single-elimination bracket, stakes were high from the get-go. Both staff teams were ousted after round one, but the consolation game proved both spirited and competitive.

In the end, the 3-man “Game of Stones” team (Kurtis K., Evan B. & Bobby J.) swept their way to a smooth victory. Over all, attitudes were positive and morale was high—what a fun tradition for the Foxhole!

The second paintball excursion of 2017 certainly satisfied the communal hunger for camaraderie—served with a healthy dose of adrenaline.

Those who had never been before realized why our continued adoration for this trip was warranted. We were in full force with close to 50 guys (and gal) all together. It is days like these that incentivize alumni and residents to stick around beyond their initial treatment cycle. This was evidenced as nearly half of our group were successful graduates of the program.

We divided our group into an alumni team, a staff team and split the residents into their respective houses.  Then began a round robin style tournament, which gave each of the teams an opportunity to play against one another.

As is tradition, the event culminated with a North versus South best of three match on the dunes course. The north claimed the hill on the opposing side in commanding fashion, signifying their triumph for the second time this year. The day was long, but everyone involved left wanting more. Luckily for the team from the South, there will be a chance for redemption when the spring comes.

On October 5, a team of fourteen residents and staff journeyed to Baxter State Park for a three-day camping and hiking excursion.  On the first day, the crew drove to the Roaring Brook Trailhead to test their grit on South Turner, a 3,100-foot mountain planted in the shadow of Mt. Katahdin.  The guys quickly ascended the mountain, and stood in awe at the top.  With miles of wilderness, mountaintops, and foliage all around, the group held a meeting at the summit and shared on what they were working on, and what they hoped to take with them from the trip.

When the guys arrived at their campsite, they unpacked, and a group began building a fire, while others assisted with the cooking.  After satiating themselves in preparation for the following day, the group held another meeting, this time around the fire.

The team awoke at 5:30am the following morning.  With headlamps providing the only light, the guys assembled their gear and set off again to the Roaring Brook Trailhead.  What proceeded this time was a 12-hour hike to the summit of Mt. Katahdin.  Mt. Katahdin is the tallest mountain in the state of Maine at 5,269 feet, and the most prominent mountain in the Eastern United States.  Our ambitious crew chose the most difficult route to the top and back; the cathedral trail, a seemingly vertical 2-mile ascension to the summit.  Then, in the face of snow and rain, the group traveled across the Knife’s Edge, a beautiful, unique, and dangerous one mile ridgeline which requires patience, mindfulness, and courage to conquer.  The crew made it back to the Roaring Brook Campsite at 7pm, cooked dinner, and held another meeting in which they reflected on the trip and spoke about what they would take back from the experience.

During our harrowing climb up Mt. Katahdin, some of our group members thought that they couldn’t make it up.  As we traveled along the Knife’s Edge, others experienced a nearly paralyzing fear of heights.  Some admitted to feeling bad for holding up the group on the way down.  Through each of these uncomfortable experiences, our group stuck together, helped those that were struggling, and those that were struggling learned to ask for help from their peers.  It is through challenging experiences such as this one that our newer guys learn to rely on others to guide them, while our more senior residents discover their ability to help their fellows as leaders.  In our final meeting of the trip, each of our crew members expressed gratitude for the experience, especially, for the opportunity to get to know some of the guys they do not typically spend time with.

The 2017 Foundation House Softball Championship took place on Saturday, September 23.  From 9am to 9pm, our brotherhood enjoyed a professional stadium, competition, and love for America’s past time and each other under the sun and the lights at Hadlock Field.

By 9am, our players had descended onto the stadium, and after warming up on a freshly manicured field, the Foxhole joined together to sing the National Anthem in the stands behind home plate.  From that point on it was non-stop softball.

In the first game of the championship, the number one seed Conscious Contact faced off against the number four seed, Slow Pitch it Down.  Conscious Contact came away with the win, and after a ballpark themed lunch of burgers and hot dogs, the number two seed Vicious Cycle took on the number three seed Runs Riot.  Runs Riot came away with the victory, and a consolation game was played.

The grills were running through our Championship in preparation for a pork chop and quinoa dinner.  Before the championship game began, the real team, comprised of Foundation House residents, alumni, and staff ate together and wished each other good luck.

In the final game, Conscious Contact was relentless at the plate.  Big hit after big hit cracked through the stadium, as players rounded the bases.  The Conscious Contact coaching staff stated that it was their best game of the year, and well deserved after a long-fought season of consistent effort all around.

Win or lose, it is rare opportunity that is shared by our group at Hadlock Field each year.  Without the commitment of our players, the continued support of our alumni, and the leadership of our staff, it would amount to nothing more than an empty ballpark.  Instead, each of us was treated to twelve straight hours of pure, unadulterated joy; and for that, we are truly grateful.

Roughly 30 residents participated in the Foundation House 6^th Annual Iron Chef Competition. This year’s theme was Maine Local Harvest and ingredients used in the competition were all locally grown and raised.  Each team of four residents chose a protein and a produce and then had 90 minutes to prepare a dish for judging.

Kevin T., Jake M., Garrett H., and JR won with their dish of yellowfin tuna tartare served over sliced watermelon with roasted delicata squash and eggplant with sautéed zucchini, peppers, and onions.

Second place went to Tim C., Josh R. and Cory N. who made chicken wings roasted with a spicy dry rub, served with raw broccoli, Turnip chips, a tomatillo citrus salsa, and cinnamon dusted apple slices.

Last week residents, alumni and staff took to the water at Higgins Beach for a sunset surfing session in some fun little waves. This new addition to Foundation House programming has given residents who enjoy spending time on the water a weekly outlet to pursue their passion for surfing or learn for the first time.

Attachment – a Parenting & Buddhist Perspective

The Foundation House Family Workshop is an intensive, three-day family support program designed to educate family members about the Foundation House approach to early recovery in an extended-care setting while refocusing the attention of the family on their own healing process. The 2017 Foundation House Family Weekend was a really special event the group that experienced it will not soon forget. We were lucky enough to be joined by multiple special guests to share their experience and their expertise on the topic of family, attachment, and recovery.

Brad Reedy (Co-founder and Clinical Director for Evoke Therapy Programs), Michael “Griff” Griffin (lead therapist at Evoke Cascades), Hamish White (Owner/Founder of Recovery Counseling Services) and the Venerable Tulku Jigme Rinpoche (Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoche and Teacher from the Palmo Center for Peace in Eugene Oregon) all joined us for the weekend to lend their knowledge, explore the family’s role in the recovery process, and how parents and loved ones can improve the communication, support and boundaries that will help the entire family system heal.

75 family members and residents spent Friday through Sunday engaging in group discussions, presentations, process groups and experiential activities. We swung the bat together on the softball field, tossed dodgeballs around a room with blindfolds on, sat in meditation with Tulku Jigme Rinpoche, and enjoyed food prepared by our residents in our cafe. The weekend was a summation of our core mission here at Foundation House. We do the hard work, we enjoy the fun and the results, and we do it together.

In preparation for our upcoming four-day voyage across Casco Bay, fifteen of our residents undertook a sea kayaking crash course this Friday. From 9am until 4pm the guys were on the water learning everything from technique and balance to rescue procedure for oneself and others in the event of a capsize.  It turns out that there are few things more galvanizing than depending on your fellows to pull you back into the relative safety of your boat after it becomes clear that you will not be able to do so on your own.