San Juan Skyway Visitor Guide summer/fall 2018

SanJuan

Skyway VISITOR GUIDE Summer/Fall 2018

Skyway

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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Contents

Towns Along the Skyway

8 Ridgway

14 Ouray

18 Silverton 24 Durango 30 Mancos 34 Dolores

22-23 San Juan Skyway map and routes

40 Cortez 44 Telluride

Features 10 Create, Collaborate, Cooperate

Mountain Girl Gallery brings artists together

16 Keeping the Valley Beautiful

Conservation easement protects ranchland from development

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20 Freak Power

Hunter S. Thompson biopic filming in Silverton

26 Tracking Down History

Explore the San Juan Skyway’s railroad heritage

32 In the Saddle

Montezuma County mounted patrol rides rescued mustangs

36 Watchable Wildlife

36

Spotting the usual suspects along the Skyway

42 The Perfect Setting

Renowned novelist Chuck Greaves writes from his home in McElmo Canyon

46 From Soda to Spirits

Southwest Colorado’s crafted beverages

48 Music in the Mountains

42 4

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

Deconstructing Telluride’s summer festival scene

50 Upshot

Cute and Curious—photo by Melissa Plantz

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SanJuan

Skyway VISITOR GUIDE

TELLURIDE PUBLISHING, LLC

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Skyway ~

VISITOR GUIDE ADVERTISING

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EDITORIAL Deb Dion Kees ~ CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kristal Rhodes ~ DISTRIBUTION Telluride Delivers ~ WEB GURU Susan Hayse ~ PHOTOGRAPHERS Ryan Bonneau, Mark Montgomery, Melissa Plantz, Gary Ratcliff, Brett Schreckengost ~ WRITERS Jeanne and Joe Becker, Deanna Drew, Samantha Wright ~ The San Juan Skyway Visitor Guide is produced by Telluride Publishing.

Telluride Publishing also produces Telluride Magazine For more information, visit telluridemagazine.com For advertising inquiries: advertising@telluridemagazine.com 970-729-0913 For editorial inquiries: editor@telluridemagazine.com 970-708-0060

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©2018 Telluride Publishing, LLC. Cover and contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

~ COVER PHOTO BY Melissa Plantz

Life in the Slow Lane CRUISING THE SAN JUAN SKYWAY AT A COMFORTABLE SPEED

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hat’s your hurry? There’s a lot to enjoy along the San Juan Skyway, and it’s better to take it all in at a slow pace than to watch it pass by your windshield in a blur.

Some of the first passengers who traveled this haute route did it by train, slowly chugging along the corridors, carrying supplies and marveling at the towering mountain peaks, lush valleys, and alpine wilderness.

You can read more about the historic train routes that formed the basis for the San Juan Skyway (“Tracking Down History,” p. 26). Many of the historic train cars, trestles, and old rail lines can still be seen today, and it’s still possible to ride a section of the old narrow gauge railroad on a vintage car between Durango and Silverton.

The train isn’t the only thing to wax nostalgic about. There are hundreds of acres of ranchland that are more than a century old along the stretch of valley floor between Ridgway and Ouray that will make

you feel like time is standing still; and now, thanks to conservation efforts (“Keeping the Valley Beautiful,” p.

16), it will remain undeveloped for future generations to enjoy. Time also seems to stand still in Silverton, which has retained so much of its historical charm that it has been selected as the filming location for a new film about Hunter S. Thompson that was set in Colorado in the 70s (“Freak Power,” p. 20).

Visitors can also get a taste of the Old West in Dolores and Mancos, where the county sheriffs have added a mounted patrol division riding rescued wild mustangs. Officers ride horseback (“In the Saddle,” p.

32) to perform search and rescue missions, to police the crowds at large events in the fairgrounds, and even to patrol the traffic on the town’s main drag.

Even if you’re not getting a speeding ticket from a sheriff on horseback, you’ll want to slow down and take a detour to enjoy the art at places like the Mountain Girl Gallery (“Create, Collaborate, Cooperate,” p. 10), the

music festivals in Telluride (“Music in the Mountains,” p. 46), the scenery in McElmo Canyon (“The Perfect Setting,” p. 42), or some of the handcrafted beverages made in the region (“From Soda to Spirits,” p. 48).

The best reason of all to downshift is so that you don’t miss an opportunity to see some of the creatures that call the San Juan Skyway home. Whether it’s a red-tailed hawk circling in the sky above or a bighorn sheep hoofing it across the highway, catching a glimpse of the wildlife (“Watchable Wildlife,” p. 36) in these alpine environs is a magical memory you can take home with you.

Blink, and you might miss it. We recommend setting your cruise control just a bit slower, stopping just a little more often, and taking your time as you take in the sights along the San Juan Skyway.

Happy trails,

Deb Dion Kees

Editor, San Juan Skyway Visitor Guide

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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Ridgway Even Hollywood took note of Ridgway’s spectacular Western scenery and character, setting the original film True Grit here decades ago. Ridgway is the northernmost entry to the San Juan Skyway and is known as the Gateway to the San Juans. Its beautifully manicured town park hosts music concerts, arts festivals, and a farmers market and its county fairgrounds is home to a great professional rodeo that caps off the summer. Ridgway has a sprawling reservoir with camping and its tributary is the Uncompahgre River, with all sorts of watersports opportunities, boating, SUP, tubing, fishing, and waterskiing. The community is a hub for artists and artisans, with lots of galleries and outdoor sculpture, and the Ridgway Railroad Museum pays tribute to the town’s advent as a transportation hub, headquarters of the Rio Grande Southern narrow gauge railroad serving miners, ranchers and farmers in the 1800s.

RYAN BONNEAU

MAY–OCTOBER RIDGWAY FARMERS MARKET Fresh produce, baked goods, arts and crafts and more are available every Friday 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Hartwell Park.

May 12 LOVE YOUR VALLEY FESTIVAL The festival is from 1–6 p.m. and features micro brews, live music, and dog contests.

May 19 ROCC PARKING LOT SALE Starting at 8 a.m., rummage through the treasures and score some deals at this signature annual event behind the Ridgway Library.

JUNE 12, 19, 26 & JULY 3, 10, 17, 24 TOWNIE TUESDAYS Catch a free outdoor film at dusk in Hartwell Park every Tuesday evening this summer.

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JUNE 9 RAT FEST AND RAT RACE Enjoy live music, rides and a race on the Ridgway Area Trails, and craft beers.

JUNE 10 SCULPTURE CONTEST Michael McCullough hosts this annual amateur sculpting event in Ridgway.

JUNE 30 RIDGWAY RIVER FESTIVAL This annual river festival is held at Rollans park, with exhibitions, live music, food and drinks, and the Trail Town 10-miler.

JULY 5, 12, 19, 26 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Catch free, outdoor live music every Thursday at 6 p.m. in July at Hartwell Park.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

JULY 21 OURAY COUNTY RANCH TOUR The Ouray County Ranch History Museum in the Historic Ridgway Depot presents the Ouray County Ranch Tour, featuring properties on County Roads 7 and 9 and a farm-to-table luncheon.

AUGUST 11–12 ANNUAL RIDGWAY RENDEZVOUS ARTS & CRAFT FESTIVAL This art festival features arts, crafts, food, and music.

AUGUST 11 MT. SNEFFELS MARATHON/ HALF-MARATHON Runners traverse the county roads back and forth from Ouray in this popular annual race.

SEPTEMBER 1 OURAY COUNTY FAIR & RODEO Ranch events include a livestock fair on Sept. 1 and Fireman’s Ball on Sept. 2. The CPRA Roughstock Rodeo events start at 1 p.m. at the Ouray County Fairgrounds in Ridgway on Sept. 2–3, and the Labor Day rodeo parade starts at 10 a.m. and is followed by a barbecue in Hartwell Park.

SEPTEMBER 27–30 OURAY COUNTY RAILROAD DAYS Celebrate the historic railroads that created the region from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Ridgway Railroad Museum.

SEPTEMBER 29–30 MT. SNEFFELS FIBER ARTS FESTIVAL Workshops, classes, and exhibitions of fiberwork. Arts and crafts and more are for sale at this fun annual event sponsored by the Weehawken Creative Arts.

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Create, Collaborate, Cooperate MOUNTAIN GIRL GALLERY BRINGS ARTISTS TOGETHER

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one of the four female artists at the Mountain Girl Gallery are painters, but that didn’t stop them from spending a few days this spring with brushes in hand. They pitched in to put a fresh coat of paint on the gallery on Clinton Street in Ridgway, brightening up the space.

Typically, the gallery owner is in charge of the infrastructure, and the artists show their work rather than do the work—but Mountain Girl is not your typical gallery. It is a collective, a co-op of sorts where they share the expenses and work of running the shop. “We each put in an initial investment, split the rent, and share the responsibility of staffing,” says Deidra Krois, a potter and one of the original founders of Mountain Girl Gallery in 2017. “It just seems to work out.”

Krois’ partners in the gallery include blacksmith Jill Rikkers, fiber artist Phoebe Sophocles, and jeweler Elizabeth Khoury Fike. All of the artists have home studios where they produce their work, says Krois, but having a place to show and sell their work “is a huge bonus.” For an individual artist, renting and running a gallery space would be daunting because of the costs and time commitment. But doing it together, as a collaborative effort, makes it possible.

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Krois creates functional ceramic pieces—mugs, magnets, flowerpots and more—with inspirational quotes or words and hand-drawn lines and textures.

All of the pieces are in earthy, natural tones, with simple sketches and phrases that connect with people.

She studied architecture at Penn State and got her bachelor’s of fine arts in Colorado, and has managed ceramics studios and instructed pottery classes. Krois does some hand-throwing using a potter’s wheel and builds some pieces by hand using slabs of clay, but all of her work is one of a kind—handcrafted, not manufactured en masse.

Jill Rikkers is also one of the original artists that formed the collective in 2017. Rikkers graduated with a metalsmithing degree from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland in 1989. She moved to Telluride shortly after that and has been honing her craft ever since. She made jewelry, furniture, and plant stands, and in 1995, she started her line of unique, hand-forged tableware. Rikkers says she started making them for wedding gifts when her friends were getting married, and then when they were having kids, she started making baby spoons, and eventually she moved on to making serving pieces she needed for cooking and entertaining. The serving pieces are hammered copper and steel, and she also incorporates brass and bronze for the handles. She shapes them with a power hammer when the metals are hot, and fashions the handles in her blacksmith forge, each piece unique and handmade.

They make beautiful, heirloom gifts, but Rikkers insists that they are meant to be used. “I do consider them everyday pieces, to be used for everything you cook in the kitchen—not just to be pulled out at fancy occasions.”

Mountain Girl’s fabric artist is Phoebe Sophocles.

Sophocles is a homespun talent; she started sewing as a child, on her mother’s black and gold Singer ma-

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

chine. Her mother and grandmother sewed and did a lot of handwork, and she learned the craft from them.

She got her first nice machine when she was pregnant, and sewing and quilting became her creative passion while she worked as a teacher. Now that she has retired from teaching, Sophocles has more time to focus on her fabric art. Her work has a Himalayan-Asian-Buddhist feel, from the prayer flags to the “freak flags,” her more colorful interpretation of the traditional prayer flags, and the wall hangings she makes from Chinese and Italian silks and other materials. She says she likes the process, every part of it: the creative phase, the design phase, graphing it out, the cutting (which she says is the scary part) and then sewing by machine and finishing with hand stitching. She loves to do the giant, commissioned wall hangings, but also enjoys coming up with small, practical items to sell at Mountain Girl like faux fur scarves, shawls, purses, and door hangings. Sophocles appreciates the camaraderie of the gallery. “I’m really grateful to be a part of the community at Mountain Girl. Artists, we’re very solo in our work, so that’s a huge part of it for me.”

The last lady to join the artist collective was Elizabeth Khoury Fike, a jeweler who signed on to the gallery this spring. Fike got her bachelor’s degree in fine arts, focusing on jewelry metal, at Kent State University. She says she was inspired there to innovate rather than to make something common or ubiquitous. “No rainbows or hearts,” laughs Fike. “I do my homework when I come up with an idea to make sure there’s not something out there like it.” She has come up with several creative series of jewelry. She has a line of popular mountain-themed necklaces and rings, and lacy, dainty filigreed rings in a Middle Eastern style, and her latest line is hinged jewelry. “The hinge jewelry is based on women’s rights, the ‘Me Too’ move-

ment,” says Fike. “The pieces have sort of a masculine and feminine feel, and the hinges are like the doors opening.” Fike makes every piece by hand, instead of casting, and solders or braises the piece together without glue. Her jewelry is small and dainty, but she says it is made to be worn, not left in a jewelry box.

Her old business cards said “Don’t Wear It, Flaunt It.” Krois says that all the artists in the collective are selected for the quality of their work, what makes it distinctive and unusual, and the way that their differences complement each other. But they also have something in common—they are all female entrepreneurs owning and running their first gallery space. “We want to give women a place to show their work and empower them as business women and artists,” says Krois.

“It has become the gallery’s identity. I think that our artists are really excited to be a part of an all-woman collective. It’s a unique opportunity.”

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Ouray When you drive into Ouray you may wonder where you took a wrong turn and how you ended up in the European Alps. From Ouray’s incredible Uncompahgre Gorge (which is famous for its manmade ice climbing park in winter) to the pristine and beautiful mountains in which it is encircled, as well as its quaint Victorian architecture, old-fashioned shops, and historic main drag and museum, the town has a distinctly alpine feel. Ouray has all kinds of recreational opportunities, such as hiking, running, camping, jeeping, river sports, and mountaineering; whatever you do, don’t miss the Perimeter Trail, which offers a stunning view of the Cascade Falls and the gorge. After you recreate, relax by visiting one of Ouray’s geothermal treats: hot springs, a pool, or vapor caves.

GARY RATCLIFF

GARY RATCLIFF

CALENDAR of EVENTS JUNE 6 ONE PIANO, FOUR HANDS Two players, Susan Ellinger and Adam Cohen, perform piano transcriptions of full Beethoven symphony orchestras at the Wright Opera House.

JUNE 7, 14, 21, & 28 MOUNTAIN AIR MUSIC SERIES Every Thursday from 6–9 p.m. enjoy free, live outdoor music by the Hot Springs Pool at Fellin Park, followed by after-shows with the opening acts at O’Brien’s Pub & Grill.

JUNE 19–AUGUST 31 EVENINGS IN HISTORY The Wright Opera House presents “Evenings in History,” from 7:30-9 p.m. on Tuesday evenings, with various topics ranging from the infamous Alferd Packer to the region’s rich mining history.

JUNE 25–JULY 23 SUMMER MELODRAMA The Wright Opera House presents a summer melodrama performance at 7:30 p.m. on Monday evenings.

JULY 4 OLD-FASHIONED FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION Enjoy the Fourth of July in Ouray, starting with the Ourayce 10k, a Main Street parade, kids’ games in Fellin Park, water fights, a Jeep glow parade at dusk, and fireworks after dark.

JULY 7 GUIDED TOUR OF OURAY’S HISTORIC MAIN STREET Join Ouray County Historical Society staff member Irene Mattivi for a look at the history of the buildings on Ouray’s historic Main Street.

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JULY 14 GUIDED HIKE OF THE CORKSCREW TURNTABLE Hike the historic Corkscrew Railroad Bed and Turntable route, guided by Ouray County Historical Society Museum Curator Don Paulson.

JULY 21 GUIDED TOUR OF CEDAR HILL CEMETERY Join Ouray County Historical Society Paper Archivist Glenda Moore for a guided tour of Ouray’s Historic Cedar Hill Cemetery.

JULY 27–29 OURAY 100 ENDURANCE RUN This event is about as tough as they come for ultra-runners, with 100-mile and 50mile run options through the mountains surrounding Ouray.

AUGUST 4 GUIDED TOUR OF OURAY’S MAIN STREET Join Ouray County Historical Society staff member Irene Mattivi to get some of the backstory about the buildings on Ouray’s historic Main Street.

AUGUST 5 THE WINTER’S TALE UpstArt No Holds Bard theater company presents “The Winter’s Tale” at the Wright Opera House.

AUGUST 8–12 OURAY CANYON FESTIVAL The 9th annual Ouray Canyon Festival welcomes adventurers at the Ouray Community Center to set out on canyoneering trips and check out gear vendor displays, movies, workshops, presentations, demos, socials, raffles, and more.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

AUGUST 11 MT. SNEFFELS HALF MARATHON & MARATHON RUN/WALK Runners traverse the country roads between Ouray and Ridgway in this popular annual race.

AUGUST 11 GUIDED TOUR OF CEDAR HILL CEMETERY Join Ouray County Historical Society Paper Archivist Glenda Moore for a guided tour of Ouray’s Historic Cedar Hill Cemetery.

AUGUST 16–21 SAN JUAN CHAMBER MUSIC FEST Join world-class musicians in a celebration of classical chamber music at various locations throughout Ouray County.

AUGUST 18 GUIDED HIKE OF THE CORKSCREW TURNTABLE Hike the historic Corkscrew Railroad Bed and Turntable Hike guided by Ouray County Historical Society Museum Curator Don Paulson.

AUGUST 31 TRACTOR PULL Check out this fun event, a tractor pull, at the Ouray County Fairgrounds.

SEPTEMBER 1 OURAY COUNTY FAIR & RODEO Ranch events include a livestock fair on Sept. 1 and Fireman’s Ball on Sept. 2. The CPRA Roughstock Rodeo events start at 1 p.m. at the Ouray County Fairgrounds in Ridgway on Sept. 2–3, and the Labor Day rodeo parade starts at 10 a.m. and is followed by a barbecue in Hartwell Park.

SEPTEMBER 8 KARA HUBER PIANO CONCERT The Ouray County Performing Arts Guild wraps up the third annual Dave and Mary Wood Classical Concert Series with an encore solo piano performance by Kara Huber at the Wright Opera House.

SEPTEMBER 8 IMOGENE PASS RUN Runners test their skills and lungs against the 17.1-mile course from Ouray to Telluride over Imogene Pass.

OCTOBER 6 OKTOBERFEST & 54TH ANNUAL JEEP RAFFLE DRAWING What better way to say goodbye to summer than by winning a Jeep in the annual raffle and enjoying authentic polka, German food, and beer.

OCTOBER 10–14 OUR TOWN The UpstArt No Holds Bard theater company presents “Our Town” at the Wright Opera House.

OCTOBER 27 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Experience this cult classic with an interactive performance starring local actors at the Wright Opera House.

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Keeping the Valley

Beautiful

Conservation easement protects scenic ranchland from development

T

By Samantha Wright

he 10-mile drive from Ridgway to Ouray unfurls like a verdant dream, following the Uncompahgre River through lush irrigated hay fields as steep, forested slopes rise up on either side of the valley floor toward the glistening Sneffels and Cimarron mountain ranges. Along the way are beautiful stretches of ranchlands that have been mostly untouched for a hundred or more years.

A large swath of this impossibly scenic ranchland was protected in perpetuity from development by a conservation easement secured by the Colorado West Land Trust. The G BAR B Ranch, located about midway between Ridgway and Ouray, consists of 101 acres of irrigated hay fields and pastures dotted with ponderosa pine, along with 136 acres of wooded hillside on the west edge of the valley—an area locals call the “magic carpet” for its thick scrub oak that turns rich burnished shades of copper and magenta every fall. The Uncompahgre River traces the eastern perimeter of the property. To the south are stunning views of Mt. Abrams and Ouray.

Like many historic ranches in Ouray County, the G BAR B property was originally established in the late 1800s. The land provides more than lush cow pastures; the property also offers excellent habitat for black bears and foraging raptors such as the golden eagle, red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, great horned owl, and American kestrel, and vital winter range for resident deer and elk herds that can often be seen grazing right alongside the cattle.

In spite of its picturesque charm, the G BAR B ranch is not iconic or especially famous. It has just a few simple structures on it—a small house and a couple of old barns—and was in absentee ownership for half a century before current owners Gary Roberts and Barbara Parish acquired it. “It’s primarily bucolic ag land,” said Ilana Moir, the land trust’s director of conservation who worked with the owners to put the conservation easement in place. “If it were ever to be developed, it would have a big visual impact on the scenic value of the valley floor.”

Ouray County’s zoning code protects the Uncompahgre River Valley from dense suburban-type development, but it could still be subdivided into larger 35-acre parcels known as “ranchettes.” Roberts and Parish were concerned such development would change the area, and purchased their property in phases over the past several years with the goal of preserving it as ranchland, wildlife habitat, and open space.

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

Along the way, they lovingly rehabilitated the long-neglected property through time-honored land management practices such as irrigating and haying while leasing it as grazing land to neighboring ranchers. Finally, in January 2018, after a painstaking twoyear vetting process, Roberts and Parish entered into a conservation easement agreement with Colorado West Land Trust to formally protect the land, signing their right to develop it over to the nonprofit land trust. The conservation deed will stay with the property forever, so subsequent owners will have the same terms.

Conservation easements were pioneered in Colorado in the 1970s. They are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and a nonprofit land trust or government agency that permanently limit certain uses of private land in order to protect its conservation values. Landowners retain many of their rights, including the right to own and use the land, sell it and pass it on to their heirs, but typically curtail or give up the right to subdivide or otherwise develop it.

In some cases, the entities that broker the easements can bring funding to the table to reimburse ranching families for giving up their rights to sell off or subdivide and develop their property, although this was not the case with the Roberts-Parish easement. There is also a tax credit program available as an incentive for property owners to put conservation easements on their land.

The Colorado West Land Trust was formed through the recent merger of the Mesa Land Trust and Black Canyon Land Trust, and holds conservation easements across a wide range of southwestern Colorado in Delta, Mesa, Montrose, Gunnison, Ouray and San Miguel counties, including seven properties along the corridor between Ridgway and Ouray. Moir said that this is the first deal made in Ouray County since the merger.

Thanks to the efforts of the trust and the generosity of Parish and Roberts, the land will remain unchanged, a pristine and beautiful piece of ranching history. “We are thankful for any part we can play in conserving this beautiful valley,” said Moir.

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Silverton Silverton is the best-kept secret in the San Juans.

The tiny, historic town only has about 400

residents, and they like it that way—they have miles and miles of ruggedly beautiful mountains as their private playground, with great jeeping, hiking, biking, trail running, mountaineering, and river running in their own backyard. There are beautiful Victorian buildings to explore, including the notorious Blair Street establishments, mining tours and gold panning, music, and theatre. Silverton is also home to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, where visitors arriving on the first train each summer are treated to locals dressed in Victorian-era costumes and the old-time sounds of a brass band.

CALENDAR of EVENTS MAY 5 TRAIN’S FIRST DAY The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad makes its first trip of the summer.

MAY 20 BAR D DINNER The Silverton Chamber of Commerce hosts this annual fundraiser dinner, and announces the Citizen of the Year.

MAY 26 IRON HORSE BICYCLE CLASSIC Cyclists race the train from Durango to Silverton in this annual bike race.

JUNE 1–3 SECOND ANNUAL SILVERTON MOUNTAIN MEDICINE CONFERENCE Learn the latest in mountain medicine, alpine rescue, and avalanche awareness and education in one weekend seminar. .

JUNE 9–11 DEATH RIDE BICYCLE TOUR This event is a three-day tour consisting of a 235-mile ride over five mountain passes with 16,500-plus feet of climbing. The tour is a benefit for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

JUNE 16 CEMETERY WORK DAY Locals pitch in to spiff up the beautiful local cemetery.

JUNE 23 ANTIQUE TRUCK SHOW Check out these beautiful vehicles at the parade and on display on Blair Street.

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JULY 4 FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION AND FIREWORKS Local festivities kick off with a Blue Ribbon fun run/walk, then roll into a parade, the Fire Department’s water fight, the International Rhubarb Festival, a Silverton Brass Band Concert, a Ducky Derby, a theatre matinee, and a fireworks display after dark.

JULY 6–12 1-2-3-6 DAY & 1,000-MILE CHALLENGE Mountain endurance runners race for 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, six days or 1,000 miles, starting at the Kendall Mountain Recreation Area.

JULY 12–17 100S IN THE HILLS This is a grassroots event for 100 Series Land Cruiser enthusiasts to ride the trails around Silverton.

JULY 14 SILVERTON MOUNTAIN RUN AND K2 DOUBLE Race up Kendall Mountain once—or twice—at this popular mountain endurance run, starting at 12th and Greene Streets and finishing in Memorial Park.

JULY 20–22 HARDROCK HUNDRED ENDURANCE RUN Perhaps the most grueling of any mountain trail race, the Hardrock Hundred starts and finishes in Silverton and traverses the San Juan Mountains.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

JULY 28 SILVERTON ALPINE MARATHON & 50K A unique, high alpine course marks these running races, which start and finish at Memorial Park.

JULY 28–AUGUST 4 MILE-HI JEEP CLUB RALLY The Mile-Hi Jeep Club of Colorado convenes in Silverton to ride the renowned backcountry passes and dirt roads in the Silverton region.

AUGUST 4 SILVERTON BARBERSHOP MUSIC FESTIVAL Enjoy the quaint sound of barbershop music at the Silverton gym.

AUGUST 4–5 MOUNTAIN MAN SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT Ball players convene at the ball field at the Visitors Center for this annual tourney.

AUGUST 10–12 HARDROCKERS HOLIDAYS This event celebrates the town’s mining history with drilling contests and a tug-of-war.

AUGUST 10–12 GREAT WESTERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN BRASS BAND FESTIVAL Delight in these special, old-fashioned concerts at the Silverton School gym.

AUGUST 11–12 DIRTY 30 ULTRA RUNNING RACE This event features 55k and 100k backcountry single-loop courses.

AUGUST 18 TASTE OF SILVERTON BLOCK PARTY AND STREET DANCE Revelry takes to the streets in Silverton at this annual party, celebrating with music, food and drink.

AUGUST 31–SEPTEMBER 1 THE SILVERTON WESTERN MOVIE FESTIVAL Western cinema showings at the Silverton School Performing Arts Center.

SEPTEMBER 8–9 SILVERTON QUILT SHOW AND SALE Check out the local fabric artistry at the Silverton School gym.

SEPTEMBER 14–16 CALDERA BELLY DANCE TRIBAL SUMMIT Catch these unique performances of American Tribal Style® and Tribal Fusion Belly Dance featuring the local Caldera group and special guests.

SEPTEMBER 22–23 FALL PHOTOGRAPHERS WEEKEND Photographers shoot the beautiful fall landscapes at this event, hosted by the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

OCTOBER 27 LAST TRAIN The last summer train ride from Durango to Silverton heralds the coming of winter.

Freak Power Hunter S. Thompson biopic to be filmed in Silverton

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he Colorado city of Aspen doesn’t look a whole lot like it used to in the 70s. But Silverton? Silverton has managed to hold on to some of the coming-of-age charm of a Western town that has not yet been overwhelmed by development. So it will be Silverton, rather than Aspen, where the upcoming Freak Power film about Hunter S. Thompson’s short stint in politics is filmed this summer.

The screenplay was written by Bobby Kennedy, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, and the narrative follows a lesser known part of Hunter S. Thompson’s life. Kennedy met Hunter S. Thompson as a child living in Aspen, but it wasn’t until he became an adult— and a screenwriter and filmmaker—that he recognized the relevance of the story about the writer’s bid to become Pitkin County Sheriff. And as a part-time Colorado resident, Kennedy also recognized the value of filming the biopic in Silverton. “Silverton is just kind of a turnkey set, the way the mountain comes right out of the town. This story takes place when Aspen was on the brink of becoming what it is today. It used to be you could walk on any block and see the mountain here. Now it’s obscured with new, taller buildings.”

Kennedy isn’t the only filmmaker attracted to Silverton—the dogsled movie The Great Race and four other movies were shot in the town just in the last year alone. And Kennedy’s movie features a cult hero, Hunter S. Thompson, who has been portrayed by such luminaries as Bill Murray and Johnny Depp, so although the lead role has not been cast yet, the prospects are hopeful. Kennedy plans to film in August, as long as the actors’ schedules will accommodate, and he says he’s excited to spend some time in Silverton.

“The skiing there is great. I’m looking forward to being there in the summer,” he said.

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Kennedy has a background in cinema. He has made several documentaries and even wrote and starred in the film AmeriQua (with co-star Alec Baldwin), but he is humble about his past work and earnest about this project. He was awarded a $300,000 rebate by the Colorado Economic Development Commission to film in the state, and then his screenplay got picked up by Sony.

Kennedy will be directing alongside Stephen Nemeth, who also produced Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This will be Kennedy’s first mainstream project, and he is passionate about the story he wants to tell with the film.

The storyline follows Hunter S. Thompson during 1969-70, after he wrote Hell’s Angels but before he became the infamous gonzo journalist with his Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and subsequent novels.

Thompson created a radical third-party “Freak Power” platform in Pitkin County that empowered the “freaks,” people disenfranchised by the Republicans and Democrats, to take control of politics at the local level. Kennedy said he thinks that the story is significant today in our political climate. “It’s a very positive message. It feels like there is a lot out of our control on the national level, but we can seek refuge in controlling our local environment.”

If all goes according to plan, Freak Power will be filmed late this summer and into the fall, and the movie will be released in 2019.

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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The SanJuan Skyway

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U.S. HIGHWAY 160 Starting in Durango, Colorado, the largest city on San Juan Skyway, the byway follows U.S. Highway 160 (US 160) west through the town of Mancos to Cortez passing the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park.

STATE HIGHWAY 145 At Cortez, the byway turns north following State Highway 145 (SH 145) through the town of Dolores and follows the Dolores River into the San Juan National Forest. The byway passes through the small town of Rico, county seat of Dolores County prior to 1941; the old courthouse still remains. From Rico, the byway crosses 10,222 ft (3116 m) Lizard Head Pass and enters the Uncompahgre National Forest. Lizard Head Pass provides views of the 14,159-foot (4,316 m) El Diente Peak, the 14,246-foot (4,342 m) Mount Wilson, the 14,017-foot (4,272 m) Wilson Peak and the pass’s namesake, the 13,113-foot (3,997 m) Lizard Head Peak. The byway descends near the little town of Ophir past the location of the famous Ophir Loop of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad. A spur road heads off to the old mining town turned ski resort of Telluride. The

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byway follows the San Miguel River down to the little town of Placerville.

STATE HIGHWAY 62 The byway turns east at Placerville onto SH 62 and follows it over Dallas Divide. There are many excellent views of the San Juan Mountains, especially of the mountains around the 14,150-foot (4,310 m) Mount Sneffels. From top of the divide the byway descends into the town of Ridgway. The entire route of the byway from Durango to Ridgway roughly follows the route of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad.

U.S. HIGHWAY 550 From Ridgway, the byway turns south onto US 550 following the Uncompahgre River into the Victorian mining town of Ouray. From Ouray south back to Durango, the highway is referred to as the Million Dollar Highway, not for its priceless beauty but for the extreme costs of its initial construction. The first 7.0 miles (11.3 km) south of Ouray, the byway follows through the Uncompahgre Gorge. Just past the only tunnel on the route, just south of Ouray, the road

crosses over Bear Creek Falls on a bridge at the location of an impassable toll booth on the original road.

The Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway, a fourwheel-drive jeep road takes off in the gorge south of Bear Creek Falls. Before leaving the gorge, the byway passes through a snow shed under the Riverside Slide avalanche zone. A monument stands near here honoring those who have lost their lives in the avalanche, including several snowplow operators. At this point the byway enters Ironton Park, a nice flat valley in contrast to the gorge. The road ascends several switchbacks, or S-curves, past the Idarado mining operation to the 11,018-foot (3,358 m) summit of Red Mountain Pass, providing views of Red Mountain (Colorado) and several ghost towns. Back into the San Juan National Forest, the highway descends through the Chattanooga Valley to Silverton.

From Silverton, the byway passes over the 10,910-foot (3,330 m) Molas Pass and the 10,640foot (3,240 m) Coal Bank Pass descending past the ski resort of Durango Mountain. From Hermosa, the road parallels the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad before returning to Durango.

SMALL PHOTOS: MILOSK50©-ADOBESTOCK.COM, SNEHIT©-ADOBESTOCK.COM

he San Juan Skyway is the ultimate road trip. Along its breathtaking 236-mile loop are vibrant alpine communities, historic landmarks, Mesa Verde National Park, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, wild rivers, pristine waterfalls and lakes, high-elevation passes and the gorgeous, jagged San Juan Mountain Range for which it is named.

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Durango The authentic Western town of Durango is the San Juan Skyway’s version of a metropolis—there are even a few traffic lights on its main corridor—and it is the main population center of Southwestern Colorado, so there are plenty of businesses and nightlife in the downtown area. But the town is also a hub for outdoor recreation, with the Animas River, local lakes, and lots of great hiking, biking and mountaineering. There are all kinds of unique experiences you can have in Durango, from the interactive Durango Discovery Museum, to a trip on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a day of zip lining or a paintball fight, to an old-fashioned shootout at the quick draw competition each year. Durango is the perfect mix of Old West and New West culture.

CALENDAR of EVENTS MAY 5 TRAIN’S FIRST DAY The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad makes its first trip of the summer.

MAY 3–5 DURANGO WINE EXPERIENCE Three days of wine tasting, educational seminars, wine dinners, and unique tastings.

The events include hundreds of wineries, artisan spirits, and craft beers.

MAY 12–OCTOBER 27 DURANGO FARMER’S MARKET Stroll through the farmer’s market on 9th street and check out the fresh food and locally grown and homemade products.

The market is open on Saturday mornings through October 27.

JUNE 2 ANIMAS RIVER DAYS Celebrate the Animas River with fun events, including a parade, dog contest, river races, and more.

JULY 12–15 ROCKY MOUNTAIN UKE FESTIVAL This ukulele festival features a concert and workshops for musicians at Fort Lewis College.

JUNE 6, 13, 20, 27 & July 4, 11, 18 TRUE WEST PRO RODEO Watch a professional rodeo at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.

JULY 23–29 FIESTA DAYS Celebrate the region’s Spanish history and cowboy heritage with rodeos, a parade and other activities.

JULY 4 INDEPENDENCE DAY IN DURANGO Come join in the fun for all of Durango’s 4th of July events, starting with a breakfast and 5k run at Rotary Park and ending with a parade and a river parade followed by a street dance on Main Avenue and fireworks at dusk.

MAY 20 TASTE OF DURANGO Sample the best from Durango’s many restaurants and listen to live music on Main Avenue in downtown Durango.

JULY 6–8 GEM AND MINERAL SHOW Located at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, the gem and mineral show features kids’ activities, a silent auction, raffle, mineral displays, and 60 vendors.

MAY 25–27 IRON HORSE BICYCLE CLASSIC Bicycles race the narrow gauge train from Durango to Silverton in this annual event, which also includes a criterion in Durango.

JULY 7–29 MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS Summer music festival featuring classical music, a complement to the year-round youth educational programs.

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

AUGUST 8–12 LA PLATA COUNTY FAIR Enjoy this classic county fair at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.

AUGUST 18 TOUR DE FARMS This is a special bike tour of the region’s farms and ranches.

AUGUST 25 SAN JUAN BREWFEST Durango is known as the “City of Brewery Love” and the “Napa Valley of Beer,” and visitors can find out why with a food and beer tasting on Main Avenue.

SEPTEMBER 15–16 AUTUMN ARTS FESTIVAL This event is a fine art and craft festival that draws creators from around the country.

The event is held on Second Avenue in downtown Durango.

OCTOBER 4–7 DURANGO COWBOY POETRY GATHERING A celebration of the culture and heritage of the American cowboy with performances by poets and musicians.

OCTOBER 27 LAST TRAIN The last summer train ride from Durango to Silverton heralds the coming of winter.

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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By Jeanne and Joe Becker

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he San Juan Skyway would likely not exist today if it were not for the railroads that once chugged along this beautiful alpine loop. The narrow gauge railroad lines are an integral part of the origin and history of the San Juan Skyway, and it all started with the deposits of gold, silver, lead, and copper that were discovered in southwestern Colorado in the 1870s. In the 1880s, Otto Mears first built toll roads to transport essential supplies to the area during the mining boom. Later, railroads replaced the toll roads to provide cheaper transport into and out of the mountains. Remnants of these railroads still exist today, illustrating part of the lively history of southwestern Colorado, and passengers can still board a train and ride along part of the scenic route.

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

The Skyway closely follows the original rail beds of three narrow gauge lines. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad traveled north from Durango to Silverton. From there, the Silverton Railroad traveled over Red Mountain Pass to Ironton. Following an eight-mile gap (that was insurmountable due to steep grades), another branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad picked up in Ouray and traveled to Ridgway. The Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) traveled southwest from Ridgway to Telluride, Rico, Dolores, and Mancos, back to Durango.

Most rail and history buffs begin their adventure on the Skyway at the Durango and Silverton train depot in Durango. It is recommended that you arrive early for a visit to the train museum (open 7 a.m.—7 p.m. during peak season). Visitors can purchase tickets and hop aboard, or watch the steam passenger trains leave Durango and begin their 2,800-foot climb in elevation to Silverton. As you follow the train out of town, stop at Rotary Park (Main and 15th) and watch the train cross a bridge over the Animas River. Its design has three distinct bridge types: steel girder, metal truss, and wooden truss.

Great photographs can be taken by pacing the train along US550 to Hermosa, on the 550 overpass about four miles north of Hermosa, and in Rockwood. This is the last place to view the train before the railroad disappears up the Animas River Valley to Silverton. If you drive directly, you should arrive a couple of hours ahead of the train.

While waiting, visit various museum sites of the San Juan County Historical Society. They include the 1902 jail, the Mining Heritage Center and the Silverton Northern Railroad Engine House.

The San Juan County Historical Society has been instrumental in preserving the rich rail and mining history of Silverton.

During midday, Silverton is a great place to watch up to three or four steam trains arrive in town, be serviced, turn on a wye, and depart for Durango. This is the only place in America where up to four steam trains can be watched and photographed on a daily basis.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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This is the end of the line for the train, but your railroad adventure is just beginning. Follow the Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass, through Ouray, into Ridgway. Here you can visit the Ridgway Railroad Museum (9 a.m.—5 p.m.) and see a replica of Motor No. 1, the first of seven railcars built by the RGS. The motors, often referred to as “galloping geese,” transported passengers, U.S. mail, and supplies to the mountain towns along the RGS from the 1930s until 1951. You will see Numbers 1, 4, and 5 during your travels along the Skyway. Soon to be on display in Ridgway is a replica of RGS steam locomotive 36. It will operate on a short demonstration track at the museum.

Drive west on CO 62 out of Ridgway, over the Dallas Divide, to Placerville. Remnants of the old RGS railroad bed can be seen on either side of the highway. Turn left on CO 145, drive about nine miles and turn right on the road to Ilium. At the old Ilium Church Camp, walk downriver along the railroad grade for less than a mile to a restored railroad coal chute or “tipple.” The tipple stored premeasured pockets of coal that could be dumped directly into a steam engine’s tender, the coal car.

Drive into Telluride to see Galloping Goose No. 4 on display next to the County Courthouse. The historic Denver and Rio Grande Southern Railroad train depot in Telluride (300 S. Townsend Street) now houses the Ah Haa School for the Arts. Three miles west of Telluride is the northern trailhead for the 17.6-mile multi-

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

use Galloping Goose Trail #499. It follows portions of the RGS railroad grade past Ilium, to Lizard Head Pass.

Heading south from Telluride on 145 is a road pull-off with fantastic views of the San Juan Mountains with interpretive signs and maps of the area. To see the

site of the first commercially generated AC electricity in the world, continue south on 145 and turn right on the county road back toward to Ilium. Follow this gravel road and turn again to the Ames Station power plant.

Back on 145 at the turnoff is the location of the Ophir Loop. Here the RGS crossed the valley on long trestles and doubled back on itself in to order to climb a steep grade to Lizard Head Pass.

Trout Lake is your next stopping point. The turnoff is on your left, as you head up towards Lizard Head

Pass. Drive slowly through this residential development to see an original water tank on your left and restored wooden trestle at the end of the road. This is the only remaining intact RGS trestle. Back on 145, drive up to 10,222 feet to Lizard Head Pass. At the pass is another road pull-off with more fantastic views and interpretive signs. The stock pen on your left is still in use by local sheepherders. It was adjacent to the railroad wye used to turn snow-fighting equipment. This wye was located inside a massive wooden shed built to protect the rails from heavy snows. Further down the road is another pull-off with views of Lizard Head. In Rico, there is an old water tower near the river. Adjacent to the road is the Atlantic Cable Mine headframe, to the left is the Van Winkle Shaft and Hoist (located above Garfield Street). Both mined lead-zinc ore in support of the World War II war effort.

The final historic stop along the San Juan Skyway is the town of Dolores. Here you can see Galloping Goose No. 5, the only RGS goose that regularly runs full-day excursions on narrow gauge railroads in Colorado and New Mexico. A replica of the Dolores train depot houses a small railroad museum (open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Other structures of interest include the historic RGS Hotel, to the northeast of the depot, and warehouses across highway 145 from the depot. If you look closely, the RGS railbed is visible along highways 184 and US 160 on the last leg of your trip, from Dolores to Durango.

Jeanne and Joe Becker are volunteers with the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores, Inc.

Mancos It is easy to see why the prolific Western author Louis L’Amour chose the Mancos area as his home and as the setting for his books. The Mancos Valley continues a 140-year tradition as the center of ranching at the edge of the San Juan Mountains and Mesa Verde National Park. Mancos is the bridge between the culture of the Old West and the New West, with cattle drives down Main Street and modern art galleries along Grand Avenue, an old-fashioned distillery and a coffee house, as well as easy access to all the hiking, biking, fishing, and hunting that makes people fall in love with the West.

CALENDAR of EVENTS MAY 9–13 UTE MOUNTAIN-MESA VERDE BIRDING FESTIVAL Spring migrants and early nesters attract birdwatchers from across the nation to the Birding Festival. Located in the Archaeological Center of America, many of the field trips visit spectacular areas such as Mesa Verde National Park and Ute Tribal Park. Workshops, an art show, and a special dinner speaker round out the events at the festival.

MAY 20 MANCOS BLOOM MAY DAY Celebrate Spring in Mancos.

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JUNE–SEPTEMBER MANCOS FARMERS MARKET Mancos hosts a farmers market every Thursday evening, 4-7 p.m. at Boyle Park.

Live music, crafts, and lots of local producers and growers vending fresh food items.

JUNE 23 MANCOS COWBOY HALF MARATHON/ 5K/FUN RUN Runners meet at the library for this event, which is sponsored by the Mancos Project, a running club and training center.

JULY 27–29 MANCOS DAYS Mancos Days features family fun, parades, softball, music, and great food.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

JULY 27–AUGUST 5 MONTEZUMA COUNTY FAIR Enjoy this classic 4H county fair with livestock auctions, food, arts and crafts at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.

AUGUST 18 MANCOS VALLEY BREWFEST Sample the local beers and food and listen to live music at this summer festival at Cottonwood Park.

SEPTEMBER 9 Community Harvest Dinner A community gathering to celebrate the close of the growing season.

SEPTEMBER 15 PIG ROAST AT THE GRANGE Go whole hog at this fun, local barbecue event.

SEPTEMBER 22 FEE-FREE DAY AT MESA VERDE Celebrate National Public Lands Day with free entry into Mesa Verde National Park.

September 22–24 MANCOS VALLEY BALLOON FESTIVAL Watch hot air balloons float in the sky. The balloons ascend as a group, are tethered for balloon rides, and set aglow at night for viewing. This is the 13th annual event, and is held at Boyle Park.

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In the Saddle

Montezuma County mounted patrol rides rescued mustangs

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ontezuma County Sheriff Steven Nowlin trotted out an idea a few years ago: What if the county started a mounted patrol, and had some officers train on horseback? “I’d seen them in different parts of the United States, patrolling concerts and events on horseback, and it hit me that it was the perfect thing, something that our sheriff’s office needed,” says Nowlin. “They’re a great police tool.”

Nowlin said that it took about two and a half years to get the grant funding together. He needed to pay for stables, stalls, fencing, an arena, feeding and care facilities, and certified training. The horses themselves came from an unusual place—they were provided by the Bureau of Land Management’s wild horse and burro campaign.

The county’s three horses are wild mustangs that were gathered off public land ranges in Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming. They were in captivity for a few years before they received their first-ever training at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Cañon City, where select inmates are chosen to handle the animals for 120 days. “The mustangs are better than thoroughbreds or domestic breeds. They have been out in the wild and have senses that do really well for police work. It’s been so successful that other agencies are asking about it. It’s a good thing, because there are a lot of wild horses to adopt.”

None of the other eight mounted patrols in the state use wild mustangs, but they do get put into service for the border patrols and national park patrols, said Nowlin. Their hooves are stronger, the weather doesn’t bother them, they don’t get tired, and they are much more alert

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to their surroundings than other breeds. He could tell the difference when they were doing the scent training for a week and a half with an expert from Montana, to get the horses ready to head out on search and rescue missions when people are lost or injured in the wilderness. There are a lot of places in the county that are inaccessible by vehicle, so the horses will be crucial for backcountry searches. “It was amazing to see how they can pick up a human or object scent from far off, and crisscross and follow the scent cone to find the person or article. I couldn’t believe it.”

The mustangs have made a huge difference in other types of police work, too. They have been helpful in crime scene searches, doing crowd control, and even traffic stops—they had their first DUI arrest last Halloween. Yet the most important thing they’ve done, says Nowlin, is to help improve the communication between the officers and the citizens. People, especially kids, really gravitate to the horses and the sheriff’s office even held a contest in the schools to let the local kids name them. They had more than 2,000 entries, and when they dubbed the mustangs Cody,

Explore the history of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad in Dolores, Colorado

Galloping Goose Historical Society Museum Open Monday to Saturday 10 am – 5 pm Mid-May to Mid-October

Enjoy spEcial full- day Excursions with rGs Galloping Goose no.5 railcar on the durango and silverton narrow Gauge this august or the cumbres & Toltec scenic railroad this september. contact the railroads for excursion information.

421 Railroad Ave. Dolores CO • (970) 882-7082

www.GallopingGoose5.org Charley, and Rebel, they took pictures of the kids with the horses. Detective Yvonne McClellan is one of the officers in the mounted patrol, and she says that it has changed the relationship between the police and the people in the community. “Because of today’s media, everyone’s a little skeptical of police.

These horses bridge that gap. The kids walk up to them and they love the horses.

Everywhere we go there are smiles and people waving at us,” says McClellan.

McClellan is the only one of the three officers who had extensive experience with horses. She rides both English and Western styles and has spent her whole life around horses. Deputy Donnie Brown, who rides Rebel, worked on some ranches in Texas and had done some riding. Sergeant Ed Oxley, who rides Charley, had no experience at all before he started training with the horse. “They did amazing,” says McClellan. “They were a lot braver than me.”

Mustangs, says McClellan, bond with a single person. McClellan has been close to horses before—she even imprinted with a filly when it was born and spent years raising and riding it, but her mustang is special. “I’m so in love with my horse. I’ve never had such a bond as I do with my mustang. I’ve never felt what I feel with Cody.”

Deputy Brown agrees. “At first it was a little nerve-wracking, but Rebel and I have grown an inseparable bond. There’s a trust there that I’ve never found with any other horse.”

The mustangs have charmed everyone in the community; their police partners adore them, the kids flock to them, even the residents of the nursing home are thrilled to see them. The prison inmates who put them under saddle for the first time were able to get the chance to rehabilitate with these beautiful wild creatures, learn new skills, and perform a great service. There is a strange symmetry to the fact that their first mentors were inmates; these horses who once ran free are now also in custody, and they, too, are learning how to fulfill an important function.

What do the mustangs think of this new situation? McClellan says that Rebel, Charley, and Cody enjoy their new jobs. “I have a new respect for the mustang breed after this. They always do more than what I expect from them. We ride downtown main, with semi trucks going by, up and down concrete steps, across steams, under overhangs. I think all horses like a job. I can tell you that they genuinely enjoy people and love kids. They whinny when they see us, and they are happier when they’re working. They are amazing horses.”

CONNECT

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27758 Hwy 145 • Dolores CO 81323 • www.ckranch.com (970) 562-3826 or (800) 477-6381 • Outfitter License #332 SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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Dolores Dolores has a little bit of everything that makes a Western town great:

history, culture and

outdoor recreation. There is incredible fishing, boating, and waterskiing on McPhee Reservoir (the second largest body of water in the state), and other water sports on the local lakes and rivers. Hiking, camping and mountain biking abound in the surrounding San Juan National Forest. The Anasazi Heritage Center is a fun, interactive museum devoted to the history of the ancient cultures of Pueblo, Ute, and Navajo Native Americans, and has two 12th century pueblo ruins on site. Dolores has an exact replica of an original train depot and a Rio Grande Southern Railroad Museum and a restored Galloping Goose car. Escalante Days is the region’s celebration of its historic Dolores River Valleys, where the Dominguez-Escalante expedition camped in 1776 and mapped and logged the first record of the lands and people in what would become Colorado and Utah.

BRETT SCHRECKENGOST

CALENDAR of EVENTS JUNE 2–OCTOBER 27 DOLORES FARMERS MARKET Pick up fresh vegetables, produce, and more from local farmers and ranchers on Thursday evenings from 4–7 p.m. at Flanders Park.

JUNE 2 DOLORES RIVER FESTIVAL Listen to great music outdoors, participate in river events, free raft rides, and the river dog contest, and sample the food and craft from vendor booths at the Joe Rowell River Park in Dolores.

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JULY 4 DOLORES TOWN FOOD AND FIREWORKS Celebrate Independence Day at the Groundhog Lake and RV Park. .

JULY 27–AUGUST 5 MONTEZUMA COUNTY FAIR Enjoy this classic 4H county fair with livestock auctions, food, arts and crafts at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2017

AUGUST 10–12 ESCALANTE DAYS Escalante Days features parades, booths for vendors, a Kiwanis Club duck race, the Rotary Club mountain bike race, chainsaw and arm wrestling competitions, live music, food, arts and crafts, Galloping Goose Days activities and more for the whole family at Flanders Park.

AUGUST 24–25 DOLORES QUILT SHOW The Dolores Mountain Quilters host a biennial event for quilters to enter their artwork and for people to view and enjoy. The show is held at the Dolores Community Center.

SEPTEMBER 22 FEE-FREE DAY AT MESA VERDE Celebrate National Public Lands Day with free entry into Mesa Verde National Park.

OCTOBER 13 HARVEST FESTIVAL Harvest Fest is a fun outdoor fall event, featuring food, vendors beer, apple tasting, apple cider press, hard cider tasting, live music and more at Flanders Park.

Watchable Wildlife of the San Juans Spotting the usual suspects along the Skyway

By Deanna Drew

T

here is more to the San Juan Skyway than immediately meets the eye. Besides its breathtaking vistas, cool mountain towns, and cultural attractions, southwest Colorado is also home to hundreds of intriguing bird and animal species that can make the trip a more exciting and memorable experience.

For many of us, driving the Skyway is part of a daily routine. We commute to the nearest town for work and school, and being on the lookout for animals helps to pass the time. I’ll never forget the time a rare wolverine loped across our path, headed in the direction of remote and razor-sharp Grizzly Peak in the distance. Or when my kids and I watched with amusement a marten ineffectively chasing a snowshoe hare around in deep snow like an old Keystone Kops comedy. And the time we rescued an adult great horned owl from the middle of the road where it sat stunned but unharmed after apparently being swiped by a passing vehicle in the early morning hours.

Ranging in elevation from 6,000 to 11,000 feet, the Skyway goes through thick, high-elevation forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, spruce and aspen that

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these and other wild animals use for food and shelter. The whole San Juan Skyway is great black bear country, and lynx, mountain lion, bobcat, river otter, beaver, fox, coyote, porcupine, skunk, mink, weasels, and many other creatures also inhabit the area.

But although wildlife is plentiful, actually seeing something while traveling the road is no guarantee.

“This is not like a national park in Africa,” cautions Joe Lewandowski, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, “you could drive that thing 100 times and not see anything.”

Regardless of the odds, it helps your chances by knowing what to look for. Here are some of the more common animals those Skyway travelers with a watchful eye and a little patience could be lucky enough to view along the way.

GARY RATCLIFF

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

MULE DEER Once depleted from hunting by turn-ofthe-century settlers, Colorado’s mule deer population is now one of the largest in the United States, and at 600,000 the widespread species can be seen anywhere along the route. Their long ears, blacktipped tail and antlers of equal branches differentiate them from the whitetail deer found in lower elevations of the state’s eastern plains. Mule deer travel in small groups, and if you see one deer there is usually another close by. Like much wildlife, deer are most active during sunrise and sunset, when they are especially vulnerable to vehicles. Extra care should be taken to drive slowly and remain alert during these times of day.

ELK The American elk, or wapiti, is a prized Colorado big game animal much larger than mule deer with a tan body, a dark neck, and yellow rump. Usually in herds of 25 or more, elk migrate up to higher elevations in the summer and down in winter, and may be seen in forests and open meadows above 6,000 feet in elevation. Male bulls can weigh up to 1,000 lbs., with huge spreading antlers that grow in late summer and fall and are shed each spring. During the fall breeding rut, bulls’ necks swell and the animals thrash and bugle loudly to attract other bulls for sparring and competing for cows to create harems. Elk depend on southwest Colorado’s treasured aspen stands for feeding on twigs, seedlings, and bark. Like mule deer, elk were almost wiped out in the early 1900s, but a successful restoration effort has led to the state’s current population of about 250,000. A small herd frequents the Telluride valley floor, where you may stop, park and observe or take photos from a close distance.

MOOSE GARY RATCLIFF

BIGHORN SHEEP The high mountains and steep canyons in the northern portion of the loop from Placerville to Ouray are a year-round home to herds of native Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, also known as mountain sheep or bighorns. These heavy-set creatures prefer steep terrain, and their special padded hooves allow for excellent traction on rocky cliff faces which serve as protection from predators like mountain lions and coyotes. Bighorn coats range from gray to brown with white rumps, and although large, these animals are amazingly camouflaged in rocks. However, bands of them may be seen eating lichen and grass by scanning cliffs from the road. The thick, massive, curling horns of adult males and the species’ importance as big game led to Colorado declaring the bighorn its state animal in 1961; its image is still represented on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife logo today.

The abundant snowfall and summer monsoonal rains of the northern San Juan Mountains produce wet conditions and ideal habitat for moose, the largest member of the deer family. Moose prefer forests with lakes, ponds, and wetlands, where they can feed on willows, herbs, and aquatic vegetation. After being introduced to northern Colorado in the late 1970s, moose pioneered south and now an estimated 3,000 live here. Their large head has a bulbous overhanging snout, with a flap of skin called a dewlap dangling from the throat. An adult male bull may measure over six feet high at the shoulder and weigh up to 1,200 lbs., with broad, flat antlers that can spread up to 80 inches across. These huge animals are typically solitary but can be very aggressive—especially toward dogs—so must be observed from a distance and pets should remain in the car. Moose have been seen on Lizard Head Pass and along the west fork and main stem of the Dolores River, and around the Animas River between Silverton and Durango.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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PRAIRIE DOGS A much smaller but very interesting mammal, the Gunnison’s prairie dog recently formed a colony on the valley floor at the outskirts of Telluride. Disliked by ranchers, the town has been applauded for creating a refuge for them with parking along the road where you can stop and listen to them “talking” to each other from atop their burrows. These particular rodents have a very sophisticated communication system, including using different alarm calls to alert the colony to individual predators. An important part of the local food chain, the Telluride prairie dogs are hunted by badgers, coyotes, hawks, and eagles, and their feeding and burrowing stimulate growth of grass, increasing the number of insects which in turn are fed upon by a variety of birds in the ecosystem.

MARMOTS Another ground-dwelling creature which is commonly seen above 8,000 feet in elevation in rock outcrops or boulders is the yellow-bellied marmot. Also known as “whistle-pigs,” these large, stout-bodied ground squirrels are yellow-brown in color, with lighter colors on the nose and neck. Marmots are also social creatures that live in colonies and use a variety of whistles to serve as alert, alarm, or threat signal. A chatter signals aggression, while an undulating scream is a response to fear or excitement. Marmots’ activity peaks in the early morning and late afternoon when they may be seen foraging for flowering plants and wildflowers of the high country.

RED-TAILED HAWKS The big, wide-open skies above the Skyway host a wide variety of soaring birds of prey, the most common being the red-tailed hawk. In flight, the red-tail is identified by a dark edge on the underside of wings and a red, fan-shaped tail. It is frequently seen perched in trees or on power poles, searching for food in open fields. The red-tail’s distinctive call—reminiscent of old western movies—is most often used in the spring during courtship, but can be heard at any time of year.

TURKEY VULTURES If you see large, all-black birds circling high above in a group, they are likely turkey vultures. These scavengers migrate here during summer, and their soaring skill is supreme: When other birds are grounded these giants rock from side to side teasing lift out of the smallest breeze. The head of a turkey vulture is bald, so that parasites from carcasses can be cleaned off easily. Because vultures’ bills and feet are not designed to crush or kill, carrion is their main diet. This silent bird is most closely related to the stork, and nests on a cliff ledge, crevice, or boulders in mountain slopes.

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

GARY RATCLIFF

EAGLES With huge wingspans of up to eight feet, both golden and bald eagles migrate through the northern San Juan Mountains. The golden eagle is a large brown raptor with a golden tint, that rides thermals over mountains, swooping on ground prey and sometimes feasting on roadkill. However, the slightly larger, white-headed bald eagle feeds mainly on fish, and migrates to southwestern Colorado in the fall to feed on landlocked Kokanee salmon that swim upstream from reservoirs to spawn and die. These majestic birds may be seen fishing from high atop cottonwood trees along the river north of Dolores and the Uncompahgre River north of Ridgway. Both species of eagle play an important role to native peoples who use their feathers and images for ceremonies, totems, and headdresses.

Wildlife that live high in the Rocky Mountains adapt to the cold temperatures and short growing season through migration, hibernation, seasonal color changes, and variations in diet, all factors that make them difficult to find and their locations hard to predict.

But despite wild animals’ elusive behavior, says Lewandowski, many animals along the Skyway are accustomed to traffic and can be seen from your car. He recommends using binoculars, a spotting scope, or telephoto lens to get a close-up view without spooking the animals. “Find a safe place to pull over, park and watch from a distance,” says Lewandowski. “Sometimes, a vehicle is the best blind.”

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Quality is our Competitive Edge Open 8 to 8 Everyday For Custom Service - 970-882-7353 www.doloresfoodmarket.com Ask About Our Favorite Spots SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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Cortez Cortez is the most ancient stop you’ll make on the San Juan Skyway tour—Montezuma County has been settled since approximately A.D. 600 when about 100,000 Pueblo Indians made this area their home. Today you can explore the archaeology of the first settlers as well as the arts and culture that still bears their imprint. Cortez also has great networks of mountain biking trails, hiking trails and terrific fishing. The cowboy culture from more recent eras is still alive and well, and you can experience it firsthand at the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo, the 88th annual event and a professionally sanctioned rodeo. The region also offers agritourism opportunities, where you can see dryland beans such as the unique old cultivar Anasazi bean or visit some of the lovely modern wineries in the McElmo Canyon and Montezuma Valley.

CALENDAR of EVENTS

MAY 12 12 HOURS OF MESA VERDE MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE Mountain bikers compete in this popular annual team relay endurance race at Phil’s World in Cortez.

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MAY 28–SEPTEMBER 3 NATIVE AMERICAN DANCES Native American dancers perform for free at this family friendly event at the Cortez Cultural Center, held at 7 p.m. every Monday through Saturday.

JULY 4 CORTEZ BURST TRIATHLON AND ROTARY FIREWORKS Catch the action at this Independence Day triathlon and the fireworks display at Centennial Park.

JUNE 1-3 UTE MOUNTAIN NATIVE AMERICAN BEAR DANCE Celebrate this special traditional dance each summer in Towaoc.

JULY 27–AUGUST 5 MONTEZUMA COUNTY FAIR Enjoy this classic 4H county fair with livestock auctions, food, arts and crafts at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.

JUNE 7–9 88TH ANNUAL UTE MOUNTAIN ROUNDUP The Ute Mountain Roundup is a rodeo that started after World War I, and today is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The rodeo features all the classic roping, barrel racing, bronc busting, and bull riding events.

AUGUST 3–5 CORTEZ RENDEZVOUS HOT AIR BALLOON RALLY Watch the hot air balloons launch from the Parque de Vida and fly over the landscape.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

AUGUST 18–19 PINTO BEAN CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT Hit the greens at this annual golf tournament at the Conquistador Golf Course in Cortez.

AUGUST 24–26 UTE MOUNTAIN CASINO POW-WOW Experience the tradition of a Native American Pow-Wow at the Ute Mountain Casino in Towaoc.

SEPTEMBER 22 FEE-FREE DAY AT MESA VERDE Celebrate National Public Lands Day with free entry into Mesa Verde National Park.

SEPTEMBER 8 20TH ANNUAL HARVEST BEER FESTIVAL Enjoy the great fall food and taste craft beers at the Parque de Vida.

SMALL PHOTO: KRAVKA©ADOBESTOCK.COM

MAY 9–13 UTE MOUNTAIN-MESA VERDE BIRDING FESTIVAL Spring migrants and early nesters attract birdwatchers from across the nation to the Birding Festival. Located in the Archaeological Center of America, many of the field trips visit spectacular areas such as Mesa Verde National Park and Ute Tribal Park. Workshops, an art show, and a special dinner speaker round out the events at the festival.

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Dolores River Brewery

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(970) 882-HOPS (4677)

100 S. 4th St. - Dolores, CO Open 4pm - Closed Monday www.doloresriverbrewery.com

Kelly Place is an archaeological preserve from the Ancient Puebloan era located in the heart of the Four Corners. Lodge rooms, cabins, RV hookups and tent sites on 38 acres are nestled between the redrock canyons and majestic Sleeping Ute Mountain. Check out our archaeologistguided tours into Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

A great location for families, retreats, schools, and reunions!

All are welcome here!

(970) 565-3125 • 14537 Road G • Cortez, Colorado

www.kellyplace.com SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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THE PERFECT

SETTING RENOWNED NOVELIST CHUCK GREAVES WRITES FROM HIS HOME IN MCELMO CANYON

I

t was the mid-nineties, and Chuck Greaves was hiking in John’s Canyon in Utah with his wife and some friends.

The area is extremely remote, and the group was maybe a hundred miles from any service stations or people. They were enjoying the solitude as they trekked deep inside the blush-colored sandstone walls, and it began to snow. “It was my first time in red rock country,” said Greaves. “I was enamored.”

MARK MONTGOMERY

Everything was muffled and quiet as they walked along the snowscape, said Greaves, and then they noticed something odd. There were two human skulls on the ground. As if on cue, a thunder clap rolled down the canyon, like a dramatic crescendo. “It was one of those amazing moments that I’ll always remember.”

Any good writer will tell you how important the setting is, and even though Greaves was not a writer— yet—he was captivated by the scene he had witnessed. In fact, this episode became the basis for his second novel.

Greaves learned from a local woman in Mexican Hat that the skulls had been discovered previously by other intrepid hikers, and were believed to be related to a notorious double homicide that happened in 1934. Greaves, who was a trial attorney in Los Angeles at the time, was intrigued and began researching the story. The historic tale started with a homeless man and his 13-year-old daughter in Oklahoma, and involves a vagabond who ultimately kidnaps the daughter and takes her along on a criminal odyssey that ends in Monument Valley. Greaves pieced together an account of the story that is told from the point of view of the young girl, titled Hard Twisted.

His sojourns in red rock country did not just inspire Greaves’ novel, they also inspired a personal reckoning. He and his wife, also an attorney, decided to take a sharp left turn in their lives. They moved to the Southwest, eventually to a small ranch and vineyard in McElmo Canyon, and Greaves gave up practicing law and decided to become a writer. “I always wanted to write,” said Greaves. “I turned 50 and had an epic midlife crisis. I convinced my wife to move and let me pursue my dream of being a novelist, and to my surprise, she agreed.”

Greaves spent the next several years writing Hush Money, a mystery featuring protagonist lawyer Jack McTaggart, and then as he was shopping around his manuscript, he wrote Hard Twisted. He entered both in the Southwest Writers International Contest. Hard Twisted came in second, and Hush Money won first place. And if he still had any doubts that he was destined to become a famous author, there were more signs that he had chosen

the right path: not one, but two major publishers picked him up. Macmillan signed him up to produce a series of Jack McTaggart mystery novels, and Bloomsbury enlisted him for Hard Twisted and his literary fiction writing.

When he is asked about his overnight success story, Greaves laughs. “Not exactly. That was actually after five years of scratching around and great anxiety.”

He was one writer with two different genres and two different publishers, so Greaves had to compromise to appease them and use two different names.

Now he is Chuck Greaves, the writer of the Jack McTaggart mystery series, and C. Joseph Greaves, author of two (soon to be three) works of literary fiction.

He is also working on a screenplay for Hard Twisted.

His work has won numerous awards, and although he enjoys both forms, he says that the mystery writing is the style that comes most naturally to him.

Next up for Greaves is a literary novel called Church of the Graveyard Saints, which is set in the Cortez area he now calls home. He said it’s a contemporary Western, sort of an eco-thriller involving oil and gas, and romance. He has been in McElmo Canyon for seven years now. His wife is an accomplished equestrian and they keep horses, and he tends his five-acre vineyard and produces Pinot Noir Viognier grapes that he sends to his neighbor John Sutcliffe (Sutcliffe Vineyards) to make wine. A vineyard is not much work in the winter, but the tedium of pruning the 1,500 vines by hand in the spring offers him a meditative space to think about his work and develop his stories.

Greaves was born and raised in New York, and spent much of his life on the West Coast, but in this chapter of his life he has become a Westerner. He misses some things about Los Angeles—the weather, the income—but he is happier in his rural setting. He and his wife moved here to be closer to her best friend from Durango who had bought a nearby ranch. They were welcomed instantly into a circle of companions, a group of friends, a close community. “It’s a very special place to live with fascinating people,” says Greaves. “Dinner at each other’s houses, barn dances, parties. I’ve never lived anywhere in my life with a greater sense of community than here.”

Read more about Chuck Greaves at chuckgreaves.com.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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Telluride Telluride is one of the most strikingly beautiful places you will ever see;

it is also known as

the “Festival Capital of the Rockies” because of its vast array of cultural events each summer. Like many of these Western towns, Telluride started out as a mining community but earned renown for its skiing and mountaineering.

Today visitors can climb the acclaimed Via Ferrata route high above town or to the top of Bridal Veil Falls (the state’s tallest waterfall), see a Grammy-award winning musician in Town Park, catch a free ride up on the gondola and hike around or zip back to town on one of the downhill mountain biking courses, eat at one of the top-rated restaurants in the country, or even watch a world premiere of a new movie at one of the film festivals. There are galleries to stroll, classes to take, and rivers and trails to explore, and don’t miss the Telluride Historical Museum, which hosts unique exhibits, indoors and outdoors.

RYAN BONNEAU

RYAN BONNEAU

CALENDAR of EVENTS MAY 25–28 MOUNTAINFILM IN TELLURIDE The festival celebrates the outdoors, featuring films about adventure and ecology, symposiums, and lectures.

This year is the 40th anniversary of Mountainfilm.

JUNE 28–JULY 1 TELLURIDE WINE FESTIVAL The festival features four days of fine wines, seminars, tastings, winemakers’ luncheons, and cooking demonstrations.

JUNE 5–10 WILD WEST FEST Celebrate the culture of the West at this weeklong, family-oriented festival hosted by the Sheridan Arts Foundation.

JUNE 29–JULY 5 TELLURIDE PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL Landscape artists from across the country come to paint the region’s vistas; plein air painting is done outdoors, and the art is exhibited and sold to benefit the event’s host, the Sheridan Arts Foundation.

JUNE 1–3 TELLURIDE BALLOON FESTIVAL Watch hot air balloons soar above the San Miguel Valley or stroll past them, tethered and aglow on main street during the early evening.

JULY 4 TELLURIDE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION Telluride’s Independence Day features a parade, a community barbecue, games and activities for families in Town Park, and a grand fireworks display after dark.

JUNE 21–24 TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL This year marks the 45th annual festival, one of the country’s most renowned bluegrass music events, held during the weekend of the summer solstice.

This year’s lineup includes Sturgill Simpson, Leftover Salmon, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Punch Brothers, and more.

JULY 19–22 TELLURIDE YOGA FESTIVAL Yoga instructors from all over the world convene in Telluride to offer workshops in all types of yoga, meditation, and other events.

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JULY 14–15 THE RIDE FESTIVAL The Ride is a two-day music concert in Town Park, featuring String Cheese Incident, Sheryl Crow, Grace Potter, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, and more.

SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

JULY 21 AH HAA ART AUCTION This madcap annual fundraiser for the local arts school features a live auction with entertainment and a silent auction for all types of artwork and prizes.

AUGUST 5–11 TELLURIDE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL Classical music concerts are held outdoors and in various small venues around town.

AUGUST 3–5 TELLURIDE JAZZ CELEBRATION From international jazz legends to up-and-coming brass ensembles, the annual festival hosts the best of the genre at Town Park during the day and at the local venues in the evening. This year’s lineup features Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, Irma Thomas (Soul Queen of New Orleans), Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Turkuaz, and more.

AUGUST 16–19 TELLURIDE MUSHROOM FESTIVAL Symposiums, classes, forays, and a parade all celebrate fungi in this fun weekend event.

AUGUST 31–SEPTEMBER 3 TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL Telluride hosts an internationally acclaimed film festival with world premieres, movie stars, filmmakers, directors, and a free outdoor cinema.

SEPTEMBER 8 IMOGENE PASS RUN Runners start in Ouray and cross over 13, 114-foot Imogene Pass, finishing in Telluride.

SEPTEMBER 14–16 TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL This popular fall music festival features craft beers from all over the country and a beer tasting, as well as big name music acts in Town Park and at late night “Juke Joints” performances in local venues. This year’s lineup features Robert Plant and the Shapeshifters, Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite, Gov’t Mule, and more.

SEPTEMBER 27–30 TELLURIDE FESTIVAL OF CARS & COLORS This event is a celebration for automobile enthusiasts with the mountain foliage as a backdrop.

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From Soda to Spirits SOUTHWEST COLORADO’S CRAFTED BEVERAGES

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owering vines of hops. Luscious, tender grapes. Perfectly crisp apples. Cold, fresh Rocky Mountain water. Southwest Colorado has all the right ingredients for craft beverage makers, and visitors can drink it all in and get a taste of what makes this region unique. The Durango Area Tourism Office is celebrating these artisans with a mapped tour that showcases all the hot spots where you can grab a cold drink. Here are some of the highlights:

Hop to It There has been something of a boom over the past decade or so in the hops industry in the southwest part of the state. Select varieties of the plants thrive in the sunny, temperate climate and high altitude environment. Hops grow wild here—you will find them climbing up warm canyon walls and creeping up the side of historic houses in some of the towns. Hops have also become a favorite of the local agricultural scene. Not only is it a natural match for the growing conditions, it’s also a perfect fit in a place where there are a multitude of craft breweries hoping to source their ingredients locally. Brewers use a technique called “hop bursting,” adding hops in the final stages of boiling to add intense hops flavor and aroma to an IPA beer. If you’re looking for a delicious IPA, try Ska Brewing’s Modus Hoperandi.

Fresh off the Vine Napa Valley has nothing on McElmo Canyon. This gorgeous, red rock canyon is a mini oasis nestled between the mountains and the desert, just warm and wet enough to grow the most prized grape varietals.

Some enterprising vintners have recognized the potential and are cultivating grapes and handcrafting fine wines. No beverage tour would be complete without a stop at one of the tasting rooms for the local wineries. Tip for tourists: Sutcliffe Vineyards is one of the most renowned winemakers in the country—they have multiple 90+ point reviews and have been named one of the top 500 wine producers in the United States. Try the 2014 Bodysgallen, a smooth Bordeaux.

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Treetop Sweetness Just outside of Dolores, there is a heritage orchard called the T Lazy T. Martha and Dusty Teal bought the abandoned farm and land and apple trees in 2010, nursing the orchard back to health until the trees were thriving and producing fruit again. They grow the heirloom apples, pick them by hand, press them, and ferment them slowly—for months—on site. The T Lazy T Orchard is the home of Teal Cider, and it’s the region’s only licensed craft cidery. There is a rustic barn that holds a tasting room for the boutique cider beverages.

Perfectly Distilled Regional distilleries have a host of special local ingredients that give their spirits unique accents.

The glacial Rocky Mountain water from the high mountains in the area provides the base, but distillers are also lucky to have locally grown barley and blue corn, and wild Juniper berries that flourish in the subalpine climate. The Honey House Distillery in Durango also sources their small-batch, handcrafted honey spirits from their own in-house Honeyville Widlflower Honey—straight from the bees to your bourbon glass.

We recommend you sample the Colorado Honey Whiskey, a subtly sweet, slightly smoky blend of two premium aged bourbons.

M E E T M E AT

THE BLOCK SI LV E R TO N , CO

Special Sodas Southwestern Colorado is also home to some handcrafted non-alcoholic beverages. Durango is the headquarters for Zuberfizz, a soda company that uses pure cane sugar to create small batches of creative carbonated drinks, with flavors like Vanilla Cream, Strawberry Rhubarb, and even Key Lime. The local brew pub, Carver Brewing Co., also makes a special root beer.

Check out the Durango Area Tourism Organization website at Durango.org, where you can download a map, find more than 30 independent producers of crafted beverages along the San Juan Skyway, and create a tasting itinerary.

There are also hosted tours available to book. Bottoms up!

Craft beer brewed on premise wood fired pizza, panini and salad 970.387.5962

1227 Greene Street • Silverton, Colorado Open 7 days a week 11am to 11pm • Kitchen closes at 9pm www.goldenblockbrewery.com SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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Music in the Mountains

Deconstructing Telluride’s Summer Festival Scene

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Photos by Ryan Bonneau

here is something magical about the way the sound reverberates off the mountain peaks surrounding Telluride.

The acoustics in the natural amphitheater at the end of the box canyon are incredible. Just ask the thousands of people who flock here every summer to hear their favorite bands play outdoors in Telluride Town Park—music festivals are the soul of this town.

It all started with Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 1973, and soon there were a host of other festivals: Telluride Jazz Festival, Blues and Brews, The Ride, Chamber Music Festival, and the occasional concert. Some people buy their passes and plan their trip months in advance, but if you find yourself in town on a festival weekend without a ticket, don’t fret. There are lots of ways to get your music fix in the mountains.

Here are some tips: SCALPING A SEAT: The box office is the best bet for finding an extra day ticket or even a weekend pass. The box office is located at the east end of Pacific Street, at the east entrance to Town Park. If a show is sold out, there are always people milling around trying to get rid of an extra ticket, sometimes at a discount, and often holding a sign to attract interested people. Get there in the morning as most festivals run all day and into the evening. You can also tune in to (or pop by) the local radio station KOTO. The station regularly announces the tickets for sale and the phone numbers for people trying to sell them.

FREE AND EASY: Almost all of the festivals host smaller free concerts in Elks Park, across the main drag from the County Courthouse and clock tower. These shows often feature special guests and up-and-coming acts in a casual, outdoor setting. And most of the festi-

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vals kick off with a free concert on the Sunset stage in Mountain Village, which is accessible by the gondola.

You can also enjoy faint strains of the music from the main stage if you time your hike up Bear Creek, Tomboy Road, or the road up to Bridal Veil Falls just right.

INTO THE NIGHT: The music doesn’t stop once the festival shuts down for the evening. There are always late-night shows at the music venues and bars around town. Some are ticketed, some charge a cover, and some are free. All of the indoor venues are intimate settings and great places to catch a performance, but if you get a chance to see a show at the Sheridan Opera House, you’re in for something special. The Sheridan Opera House is an actual opera house from the Victorian era that was lovingly restored. It has balcony seating, a beautifully lit stage, and a roomy dance floor.

One last tip for enjoying music in the mountains: Take a chance on a band you’ve never heard of before.

The greatest shows are always the ones you don’t expect; there are superstars and big name acts headlining all of the festivals, and that attracts talented new performers making their way up the ranks. Some of the greatest musicians of our time played in front of their first big crowd on the Telluride Town Park stage, back when they were virtually unknown. If you’re lucky, you just might catch the next Bonnie Raitt or Tom Petty.

OPUS Alpine Hut Backcountry Lodging opushut.com

Sawpit Mercantile Your Source for Gas, Liquor, Supplies...and

GREAT BARBEQUE!

VISIT

Tasting Room Hours: 12-6 pm Open Every Day RSVP Appreciated, not Required

“Do not miss this incredibly charming place.”

Stop in and have lunch on our scenic deck overlooking red rock cliffs and the San Miguel River

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970.728.9898

20643 Highway 145, Sawpit • Located on Highway 145 12 Miles West of Telluride at Mile Marker 80

– Christoph Henkel, Industrialist, Hotelier

970.565.0825

sutcliffewines.com info@sutcliffewines.com SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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UPSHOT

Cute and Curious This skulk of baby foxes looks just as surprised as photographer Melissa Plantz must have been to come across them in their den.

Photo by Melissa Plantz

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SanJuan Skyway Visitor Guide - Summer/Fall 2018

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