Adventure Blog October 2026
RECONNECTING WARRIORS • RESTORING PURPOSE
THE MISSION CONTINUES TO GROW
Fall is here, and the Special Operations Adventure Foundation continues to build momentum.
Over the past several months, we've put serious miles on motorcycles, traveled across the country, built new partnerships, raised funds for future retreats, and most importantly, continued creating opportunities for Special Operations veterans to reconnect through challenging outdoor experiences.
Now, we're taking another important step forward.
And tomorrow, we'll welcome another group of Special Operations veterans to Colorado for our Women's Rocky Mountain Retreat.
There's a lot happening at SOAF.
And we're just getting started.
A NEW HOME FOR
THE SOAF MISSION
Our new website is officially live, giving the Special Operations Adventure Foundation a new home and a better way to tell our story.
The new site was designed to make it easier for veterans, families, supporters, sponsors, and volunteers to understand who we are, what we do, and how they can become part of the mission.
Visitors can now learn more about our story, explore upcoming retreats and events, find out how veterans can participate, support the mission, become a sponsor, volunteer, and stay connected with what we're building.
But the new website represents more than a new look.
It represents how much SOAF has grown.
What began as an idea centered around reconnecting Special Operations veterans with purpose, camaraderie, and adventure is becoming a growing community.
Adventure is the vehicle.
Connection is the mission.
If you haven't visited the new site yet, take a few minutes to explore it and learn more about what we're building.
TOMORROW, IT BEGINS
WOMEN'S ROCKY MOUNTAIN RETREAT
Tomorrow, the next chapter of the SOAF mission begins.
In just one day, we'll welcome a group of women who have served in or alongside the Special Operations community to our Women's Rocky Mountain Retreat in Colorado Springs.
Hosted at Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, this retreat is designed around challenge, connection, and adventure in the Colorado Rockies.
Over the coming days, participants will experience:
Mountain biking • Hiking • Fishing • Outdoor exploration • Shared meals • Campfire conversations
But the activities are only part of the experience.
The real purpose is bringing together women who share a unique understanding of military service and the challenges that can come with transitioning beyond it.
There is something powerful about being around people who don't need an explanation.
People who understand.
People who have been there.
Tomorrow, the bikes come out, the trails open up, and a new group of connections begins.
We're incredibly excited to welcome these women into the SOAF family and to see what this experience creates.
Follow along on our Instagram and Facebook as we share the adventure, the people, and the moments that make this mission possible.
ONE DAY TO GO. LET'S RIDE.
THE MISSION IN MOTION
1,000+ MILES. 72 HOURS.
$6,800 RAISED.
One of the biggest highlights of our year was SOAF's participation in the Backroads of Appalachia Appalachian 1000.
We rode more than 1,000 miles through West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio during the 72-hour event, experiencing some incredible country along the way while helping raise awareness and support for Special Operations veterans.
And yes… there were a few memorable moments.
During one river crossing, I managed to put myself — and the motorcycle — completely underwater.
Not exactly the plan.
But that's adventure.
You don't remember the easy miles.
You remember the moments when things go sideways, the people who help you get moving again, and the places you never would have seen if you hadn't been willing to take the road less traveled.
Beyond the riding, the Appalachian 1000 allowed SOAF to raise $6,800 for our foundation.
That support helps us continue developing the outdoor experiences and retreats that are at the heart of our mission.
Our relationship with Backroads of Appalachia is also continuing to grow, and we're exploring the possibility of establishing an East Coast base of operations that could allow SOAF participants to experience the incredible backcountry of Appalachia through adventure motorcycles, side-by-sides, overlanding and other outdoor activities.
This could become a major part of SOAF's future.
WHY THE OUTDOORS?
At SOAF, outdoor adventure isn't the mission.
It's the vehicle.
The real mission is connection.
For many Special Operations veterans, leaving the military means leaving behind something that is difficult to recreate in civilian life — a team, a purpose, a shared standard and people who understand what you've been through without needing an explanation.
That's why we believe getting veterans outside, challenging them physically, and putting them alongside other veterans can be so powerful.
There is something about standing around a campfire after a long day on the trail, sitting around a table sharing a meal, or helping another rider through a difficult section of trail that cuts through all the noise.
No resumes.
No titles.
No expectations.
Just people who understand each other.
That's what we're trying to build.
LOOKING AHEAD:
COLORADO'S BACKCOUNTRY
We're also continuing development of a new adventure concept for Colorado.
Our upcoming 24-hour Colorado Adventure is intentionally different from a traditional endurance race.
This isn't about winning.
It's about exploration.
Participants will travel through some of Colorado's most spectacular backcountry on a route consisting primarily of dirt roads, connecting mountain passes, historic mining areas and scenic routes that most travelers never experience.
The concept is designed for both street-legal adventure motorcycles and four-wheel-drive vehicles, creating an opportunity for friends and families to experience the adventure together.
Expect roads and terrain around places like Victor, Shelf Road, Phantom Canyon and the high mountain passes of Colorado.
Approximately 70% of the route will be dirt.
The goal is simple:
Cover some miles. See some incredible country. Challenge yourself. And come home with a story.
Most importantly, participation will help support the mission of SOAF.
BUILDING FOR 2027
The success of our inaugural Dual Sport Adventure Weekend in Park City, Utah, gave us a tremendous amount to build on.
We're already planning the 2027 SOAF Dual Sport Adventure Weekend, scheduled for June 10–13, 2027, at Grit Moto Ranch in Park City.
The inaugural event proved that there is a tremendous appetite for this type of experience, and we're taking everything we learned from that first event and making the next one even better.
We're also bringing back some of the veterans who participated in the inaugural event to help serve as guides.
That is exactly what we want to see.
Participants becoming leaders.
Veterans helping veterans.
The people who experienced the program helping create the next generation of the program.
That's how a community is built.
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
None of this happens without the people and organizations willing to invest in our mission.
From the riders who show up and put miles on the odometer, to the companies that donate equipment and services, to the individuals who make financial contributions — every bit of support helps us put another veteran in the outdoors.
We are especially grateful to the partners who have helped us build these programs, including Grit Moto Ranch, Colorado Motorcycle Adventures, REV'IT! Denver, Bivouac Coffee, Fay Myers Motorcycle World, Backroads of Appalachia, and the many individuals who have supported SOAF along the way.
Your support isn't simply funding an adventure.
It's helping us create an opportunity for a warrior to reconnect with his or her tribe.
GET INVOLVED
There are several ways you can become part of what we're building.
Ride with us.
Join one of our upcoming adventure events.
Support a veteran.
Your donation helps us provide transportation, lodging, equipment and programming for veterans participating in SOAF retreats and adventures.
Become a sponsor.
If your business wants to support Special Operations veterans while becoming part of the adventure community, we'd love to talk with you.
Spread the word.
Follow us on social media, share our stories and introduce someone to SOAF who might benefit from what we're doing.
And now, visit our new website and share it with someone who should know about the mission.
The more people who understand the mission, the more veterans we can reach.
RECONNECTING WARRIORS.
RESTORING PURPOSE.
We're building something different.
Not another organization that simply tells veterans that help is available.
We're creating opportunities for them to do something.
To get outside.
To challenge themselves.
To meet other veterans.
To build new friendships.
To rediscover the feeling of being part of a team.
And maybe, somewhere along the way, to remember that the best chapters of their lives don't necessarily end when the uniform comes off.
Sometimes they're just beginning.
Thank you for being part
of the SOAF community.
— Jason Borges
Founder
Special Operations Adventure Foundation
