Telluride Magazine summer/fall 2017

SUMMER/FALL 2017

4.95 | priceless in Telluride

$

SONGS FOR THE DYING CONNOISSEUR’S GUIDE TO POT FEAR AND LOATHING ON THE TELLURIDE 100 TRAIL FICTION BY JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER

Lot 26 Cristina’s Way Aldasoro Ranch Wilson Views • Aspens • 2 Acres $575,000

Valentine Farm Horse Ranch, Norwood 7 Bed • 10 Stall Stable • 120 Acres $4,375,000

Lot 152 East Serapio Drive Aldasoro Ranch 360º Views • Privacy • 3.49 Acres $985,000

128 Singletree Ridge Mountain Village 5 Bed • 6.5 Bath • 270º Views $3,995,000

301 North Oak Street Town of Telluride 4 Bed • 5 Bath • 4,216 s.f. • Prime Location $5,795,000

Lot 38 Joaquin Road Aldasoro Ranch 3.62 Acres • Wilson Views • Creek $565,000

Stephen Cieciuch (Chet-chu) Director stevec@tellurideproperties.com | 970.369.5322, Direct | 970.708.2338, Cell 237 South Oak Street @ the Telluride Gondola | Telluride, Colorado 81435 I telluridearearealestate.com

Prioritizing your needs.

17101 Highway 550 Riverfront/Equestrian 3 Bed • 3,631 s.f. • 3.38 Acres $1,399,000

8121 Preserve Drive Irreplaceable Compound 13 Bed • 13 Bath • 18,892 s.f. • 28 Acres Price Upon Request

Ballard Penthouse 301 Town of Telluride 3 Bed • 4 Bath • Huge Decks $5,495,000

133 Victoria Drive Mountain Village 7 Bed • 11,359 s.f. • Privacy $7,595,000

438 Benchmark Drive Mountain Village 7 Bed • Guest House • Slopeside $7,950,000

307 Basque Boulevard Aldasoro Ranch 4 Bed • 5 Bath • Commanding Views $2,995,000

Find more details about these properties and search all Telluride area real estate at TellurideAreaRealEstate.com

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-1SEE FOREVER VILLAGE 152 - Mountain Village Rustic, yet sophisticated 3-bedroom, stand-alone cabin comprised of custom finishes & furnishings, just steps to skiing & the MV Core. $2,497,000 furnished

-25 ELKSTONE PLACE - Mountain Village This mountain modern, 4-bedroom townhome, is steps from the ski slopes, Elk Pond, Mountain Village Core, & gondola. $2,750,000 furnished

-3102 GRANITE RIDGE - Mountain Village Premier end-of-the-road, top-of-the-hill, .98-acre property with tremendous views, good ski access and abundant sunshine. $2,064,000

-4245 SUNSET RIDGE - Sunset Ridge at Telluride This 4-bedroom home with high-end finishes boasts views of the box canyon, valley floor, and westerly sunsets. $1,194,000

O'Neill Stetina Group - Together, we do more for you.

Brian O’Neill, Director I 970.708.5367 I brian@oneillstetina.com Marty Stetina, Broker I 970.708.4504 I marty@oneillstetina.com 237 South Oak Street @ the Telluride Gondola I ONeillStetina.com

O’N eill Stetina Group

Helping people navigate their lifestyle investment in Telluride for over 20 years.

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-5120 SNOWFIELD DRIVE - Mountain Village A log home re-imagined to modern day standards, this 5-bedroom residence has private ski access with stunning mountain views. $7,000,000 furnished

-6153 VISCHER DRIVE - Mountain Village Timelessly designed 7,677 s.f. home with seamless ski access, fabulous views, & privacy, within walking distance to the MV Core. $8,500,000 furnished

-772 DEER PARK LANE - Ski Ranches Secluded amongst aspen, this 4,522 s.f. stone & timber-frame residence set on over 1 level acre, overlooks a tranquil pond & creek. $2,495,000 furnished

-8344 BASQUE BOULEVARD - Aldasoro Ranch A gated, 6-bedroom residence & guest house sit on 12 acres featuring dramatic, panoramic views. Minutes to town & skiing. $7,900,000

www.ONeillStetina.com Learn more about these properties and search all Telluride area real estate. Get information on the current state of the real estate market. Schedule showings and ask questions.

10th Annual

July 20 - 23, 2017

How much are they asking for that house? How many bedrooms does it have? What does the interior look like?

PURCHASE TICKETS AT TellurideYogaFestival.com

Find your answers at

SearchTellurideRealEstate.com

tellurideyogacenter Be sure to visit the

BINDU • BOUTIQUE

located in the studio

201 W. Colorado Ave. Ste. 200 Upstairs in the Nugget Bldg., Corner of Main St. & Fir View schedule online at: tellurideyoga.com, (970) 729-1673 DROP-INS WELCOME • WE OFFER MANY STYLES AND LEVELS

WOW WEEKENDOFWELLNESS

JUNE 8 - 11, 2017

TELLURIDEWOW.COM

970.728.0808 237 South Oak Street @ the Telluride Gondola

imagine... you are here.

STAR

S I G N AT U R E P R O P E RT I E S

T E L L U R I D E ’ S F I N E S T VAC AT I O N R E N TA L S A N D P RO P E RT Y M A N AG E M E N T reservations@silverstartelluride.com

800.537.4781

silverstartelluride.com

U N C O M P R O M I S I N G S L O P E S I D E

L I V I N G

Yo u D e s e r v e To H a v e a C l o s e r L o o k . P r i c e d f r om $5 0 0 , 0 0 0 .

9 70 . 2 39. 352 8 • MadelineRe sidence s.com

Void Where Prohibited by Law. This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell real property. The information provided in this advertisement is strictly for informational purposes and shall not be construed as an offer in any jurisdictions where prior registration or other advance qualification of real property is required. Some jurisdictions require prior registration or other advance qualification of real property in order to solicit in that jurisdiction. Responses to inquiries in such jurisdictions may be prohibited or limited. Telluride Sotheby’s International Realty, Colorado Department of Real Estate.

Ouray County, Colorado

Preserving our Rich Heritage…

as long as the grass grows and the river flows.

• Traditional arts and crafts style timber-frame home • Authentic log line cabin • Timber-frame barn • 1/2 mile of private river • 20 minutes from the Montrose Airport • One hour from Telluride • 392 acres/97 irrigated acres

Featured in Architectural Digest

• Manageable working cattle ranch

Donna Whiskeman Remax Cimarron Realty Phone: 970-729-0273

E-mail: donna@centennialranchco.com

$9,500,000

Visit our website for additional images and information

www.centennialranchco.com

Which Bottle Works for You? Telluride’s finest selection of wine, beer and spirits.

The Local Store

Best selection and prices in the entire area Featuring highly allocated wines that you won’t find elsewhere. We have everything you will need for your event.

FREE DELIVERY ANY DAY OF THE WEEK! (970) 728-5553 • 129 West San Juan Ave • Telluride • Hours: Mon – Sat 10am to 10pm & Sun 10am to 8pm

telluridebottleworks.com

Choosing

The Right Realtor Makes All The Difference

Not all realtors are created equal, Eric Saunders provides the service and expertise you deserve.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS “I’ve bought 4 Telluride/Mountain Village properties and sold 2...all with Eric as my Realtor. There is no more energetic, effective and knowledgable real estate professional that I have ever worked with. He knows Telluride. He’s lived there for two decades.

He’s the guy you want to represent your interests in this dynamic market. I can’t give a higher recommendation.”

Joseph and Maureen Guastella “I have used Eric on a number of transactions in Telluride. He is extremely knowledgable about the local Telluride market, including market trends, factors affecting value, etc. He places long-term client success before his own short-term gain. I value his insight very much and I trust him. He is a good person, well integrated into, and well-liked by the local community. I will continue to use him without hesitation for all my real estate needs.”

Ethan Miller

TRAILS EDGE 7 Mountain Village Quiet, high-end, 3-bedroom just steps to skiing & gondola. Enjoy 2 decks with great views & hot tub. $1,695,000

GRANITA 301 Mountain Village Direct ski access from this convenient MV Core 2-bedroom. Ski area views, deck, & good rental income. $925,000 furnished

GRANITA PENTHOUSE 401 Mountain Village Incredible views from every room of this 3-bedroom, upgraded penthouse.

Direct ski access & excellent rental. $2,195,000 furnished

Eric Saunders Broker saunders@tellurideproperties.com | 970.369.5326, Direct | 970.708.2447, Cell 237 South Oak Street @ the Telluride Gondola | saunders.searchtelluriderealestate.com

Michael J. Ward, GRI Lynn K. Ward 970.708.0932 • 970.708.0968 Michael@Telluride-Colorado.com

124 Lawson PoinT, mounTain ViLL age

937 Primrose Lane, TeLLuride

This spectacular 5,457 sf 5 bed, 7 bath home on 1.36 acres has commanding views of the surrounding peaks from every room! The spacious open floor plan is perfect for entertaining, and the stone fireplaces provide cozy ambiance. Numerous outdoor living spaces allow you to enjoy nature at its finest. Five ensuite guest rooms include two master suites and a bunk room. The home features a lower level game/entertainment room, a large ski storage room, laundry room, and oversized two car garage.

VIEWS, VIEWS, VIEWS! Located on the desirable east end of town on the “sunny side” in a private location, this 5 bed, 3.5 bath home enjoys all day, and panoramic views of Bear Creek, Ingram Falls, and the ski area. The home’s oversized two car garage and rooftop deck with hot tub will please the most discriminating buyer. Its oversized 3,807 sf lot provides expansion opportunities and tremendous design flexibility, and its hillside location allows additional below-grade sf that is not counted in the town’s allowable max livable sf.

$3,800,000

$2,275,000

H isToric d airy r ancH , r idgway

L orian P enTHouse 9, m nTn V Lg

c orTina s ubdiVision , m nTn V Lg

This once-in-a-lifetime offering near Ouray comes to market for the first time in more than 60 years. The property includes more than 400 acres of pristine pasture and forest nearly completely surrounded by federal land with stunning views of the Ouray valley.

Structures include a rustic cabin and a large majestic milk barn. A perfect retreat for the outdoor enthusiast, hunter, or individual seeking the utmost in privacy, the property includes two mining claims and water rights.

5 bed, 5.5 bath, 4,720 sf fully furnished penthouse with one underground parking space. With interior designs

by Jodie Wright of One Architects, the home’s sleek interior is reminiscent of Danish modern inspiration married perfectly with more traditional elements.

Furnishings were custom designed and thoughtfully chosen. Views of the San Sophia Ridge from the home are simply spectacular. Numerous amenities include a game room, fitness center, pool, and hot tub.

Unparalleled trailside lots offering unrivaled amenities in a private setting with majestic views and ski access.

Owners may opt-in to subdivision amenities including year-round pool and outdoor spa, owner’s lounge and patio with outdoor fireplace, spa treatment rooms, workout facilities, steam room, concierge, ski valet, and private car service. All lots are either directly trailside or have easy ski access. A developer’s dream, bulk purchase pricing is available.

$3,000,000

$2,900,000

sTarTing

aT

$450,000

buLk PurcHase $3m

Photo by Steve Mundinger

CHARLES CUNNIFFE ARCHITECTS

A COLLABORATION OF DESIGN LEADERS

CCAASPEN.COM

::

970.925.5590

Photo by Mark Boisclair

Photo by David O. Marlow

Photo by David O. Marlow

Photo by David O. Marlow

16 • SUMMER/FALL 2017

CONTENTS FEATURES

32 A Personal Note from an Enemy of the People Fighting for the Fourth Estate

By Judy Muller

34 Songs for the Dying

Threshold Choir gives the gift of music to terminally ill patients

By Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

36 Fear and Loathing on the Telluride 100 Trail Confessions of a reluctant racer

By Jesse James McTigue

38 A Connoisseur’s Guide to Pot

Navigating Colorado’s commercial marijuana scene

By Suzanne Cheavens

48 Presumed Guilty

Historical account of the Marlow brothers and their fight for justice Paul O’Rourke

DEPARTMENTS 19 20 26 28 30 44 46 52 56 58 66 68 76 80

WITHIN Objects in motion CALENDAR OF EVENTS The who, what, where, and when in Telluride this season LOCAL FLAVOR In search of the perfect taco MOUNTAIN HEALTH The ketogenic diet ASK JOCK Athletic advice from our mountain guru NATURE NOTES The enemy of the mule deer ESSAY Bowling for Dad TELLURIDE FACES Meet Erika Zavaleta, Simon Kotlyar, and Moiz Kohari INSIDE ART Turn the page: Telluride’s bookbinding academy FICTION HERE I AM by Jonathan Safran Foer, DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch, and poetry by Elissa Dickson ENVIRONMENT Greening the Goose with carbon offsets TELLURIDE TURNS Valley Floor a decade later, special delivery to Ireland, a day without immigrants, the little airport that could COLOR BY NUMBERS An index of facts and figures A LAST LOOK “Leave Me Alone,” photos by Ben Knight and Melissa Plantz

www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

ONLY 3 OF THESE EXQUISITE NEW RESIDENCES REMAIN OFFERED FROM $2,995,000–$5,495,000

REDEFINED

M O U N TA I N

LIVING

DANIEL E. DOCKRAY

970- 708- 0666

D A N . D O C K R A Y @ S O T H E B Y S R E A LT Y. C O M

ELKSTONE21.COM

18 • SUMMER/FALL 2017

Contributors

Magazine

Telluride Magazine is produced by Telluride Publishing LLC, a locally owned and operated company.

PUBLISHER TELLURIDE PUBLISHING LLC ~~~

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE JENNY PAGE ~~~

JUDY MULLER Judy Muller (“A Personal Note from an Enemy of the People,” p. 32) is professor emeritus of journalism at USC’s Annenberg School. She has been a correspondent for ABC News, CBS News and PBS, as well as a commentator for NPR. She has been awarded several Emmys for her reporting, as well as the Peabody and Columbia DuPont awards. Her latest book is Emus Loose in Egnar: Big Stories from Small Towns. This summer she is retiring to her home in Norwood, Colorado, where she hopes to spend a lot of time fly-fishing in local rivers, creating “fake news” about the trout she catches.

EDITOR DEB DION KEES ~~~

CREATIVE DIRECTOR KRISTAL RHODES ~~~

DISTRIBUTION TELLURIDE DELIVERS ~~~

WEB ADMINISTRATOR SUSAN HAYSE ~~~

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

BLAKE CROUCH Blake Crouch (“DARK MATTER,” p. 64) is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. His international blockbuster Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX, and he is the co-creator of the TNT show “Good Behavior,” based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He has written over a dozen novels that have been translated into more than thirty languages, and his books have sold over two million copies. Crouch lives in Durango, Colorado with his family. DARK MATTER is his latest novel.

Suzanne Cheavens, Blake Crouch, Martinique Davis, Elissa Dickson, Deanna Drew, Jonathan Safran Foer, Elizabeth Guest, Jesse James McTigue, Judy Muller, Paul O’Rourke, Heather Sackett, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Regan Tuttle, Samantha Tisdel Wright, Lance Waring ~~~

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ryan Bonneau, Jack Brauer, Gus Gusciora, Ben Knight, Matt Kroll, Melissa Plantz, Brett Schreckengost ~~~

WWW.TELLURIDEMAGAZINE.COM Telluride Publishing produces the San Juan Skyway Visitor Guide and Telluride Magazine.

Current and past issues are available on our website..

ALLY CRILLY Ally Crilly (images for “Songs for the Dying,” p. 34) is a painter, yoga instructor, and graphic designer living in Ridgway. The paintings that appear in this issue are part of her “Little Red Riding Hood” series that will show at the Ah Haa School for the Arts this summer. Crilly says she identifies more with the wolf and its metaphor for transformation than she does with the young girl in the hood, and that although painting is a messy, unpredictable process for her, she finds it to be the best way to express truth.

© 2017 Telluride Publishing L.L.C. For editorial inquiries call 970.708.0060 or email deb@telluridemagazine.com For advertising information call 970.729.0913 or email jenny@telluridemagazine.com The annual subscription rate is $14.95.

Cover and contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. ~~~

ON THE COVER

The cover image was captured by Jack Brauer, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains, and the aspenglyph on the trees is an illustration by Fred Birchman—no trees were harmed in the making of the cover art.

DIGITAL PARTNER www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

Within h

OBJECTS in

MOTION

“Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.”

—Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion

PHOTO BY MELISSA PLANTZ

P

eople in Telluride like to “rest” by hiking, biking, skiing, running, practicing yoga, dancing, or traveling. Stillness is not really our thing. For the most part, we like to be in motion.

Maybe that’s a good thing. I always wondered if Einstein’s theory, the so-called clock problem in physics that shows that time passes more slowly for something traveling at light speed, might have implications for objects that move at any speed.

If maybe there was some imperceptible gain from being in motion…if flying in a plane, or zipping along on a bike, somehow added a a few fractions of a second to your life, slowed down time just a little bit.

If that were true, then people in Telluride would stand to benefit from their obsession with constant activity. Consider Jesse James McTigue (“Fear and Loathing on the Telluride 100 Trail,” p. 36), who spends more time on her bike than she does on any other type of seat. Or any of the locals profiled in this issue’s Telluride Faces—Erika Zavaleta, Simon Kotlyar, and Moiz Kohari—who regularly fly all over the the world for work, but when they come home to Telluride, spend their down time skiing, climbing, skating, biking, and hiking. Even the Threshold Choir (“Songs for the Dying,” p. 34) honors the movement of people from this world to

the next, singing to terminally ill patients to ease their passing.

Local postman Jim Looney will be on the move to Ireland this year (“Special Delivery,” p. 70), and the Telluride Regional Airport will reopen this summer for people to get to and fro (“The Little Airport That Could,” p. 74). Plus, the Galloping Goose that shuttles people around the town and region will be the focus of a new carbon offset initiative (“Greening the Goose,” p.66) so you can feel a little better about your carbon footprint while you’re in motion.

Anyone who’s having trouble sitting still might want to flip through this issue for some entertaining

reading. In our fiction department, we have excerpts by renowned author Jonathan Safran Foer and bestselling science fiction writer Blake Crouch, and history writer Paul O’Rourke has contributed an interesting piece about the Marlow brothers, who were aggressively hounded by Texas Rangers for a dubious cattle-rustling charge.

Wherever your travels take you, we hope you tuck this issue of Telluride Magazine in your bag and hold onto it. Keep moving, and keep a little bit of Telluride with you on your journey.

Thanks for reading, Deb Dion Kees

SUMMER/FALL 2017

www.TellurideMagazine.com

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20 • EVENT CALENDAR

Summer/Fall 2017

CALENDAR of EVENTS MAY 25 GONDOLA OPENS FOR SUMMER/FALL SEASON 26–29 MOUNTAINFILM IN TELLURIDE – The festival cel-

JUNE

1 TELLURIDE HISTORICAL MUSEUM EXHIBIT OPENS – The

museum premieres its new exhibit, “The Valley Floor: Changing Identities of a Telluride Treasure,” from its geological formation to modern preservation efforts. The opening is free, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. telluridemuseum.org

2

ONGOING: AH HAA SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS The Ah Haa School offers some open classes in addition to its year-round curriculum for adults and youth, workshops, art trips and retreats, lectures, exhibitions, camps, and special events. Join Robert Weatherford for Painting from Within on Monday mornings, Tara Berkebile for Evening Outings Photo Shoots one Wednesday each month, or Meredith Nemirov for Figure Flow figure drawing studios on Monday evenings. For specific information or to register, see the full schedule of offerings online. ahhaa.org.

BOOK CLUBS Book discussions are held over libations at 5:15 p.m. the second Thursday of every month at Rico’s Bar in the Ice House Lodge, and the Cook Book Book Club meets every other month at 6 p.m. on a Monday, where everyone shares a dish based on the theme and the recipes are put into a book to take home. telluridelibrary.org FITNESS CLASSES AT THE LIBRARY Wilkinson Public Library hosts a variety of free fitness classes, including Zumba, yoga, and Pound. Check out the schedule at telluridelibrary.org

MELISSA PLANTZ

RYAN BONNEAU

ebrates the outdoors, featuring films about adventure and ecology, symposiums, and lectures. mountainfilm.org

PALM KIDZ: BIG BANG BOOM – PALM KIDZ Summer Series kicks off with the kid-friendly rock band Big Bang Boom. Tickets are $5 and the shows start at 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

2–4 TELLURIDE BALLOON FESTIVAL – Watch hot air bal-

loons soar above the San Miguel Valley or stroll past them, tethered and aglow on main street during the early evening. Balloons launch at sunrise, weather permitting.

3

VALLEY FLOOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY – A community celebration will be held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the acquisition of the Valley Floor.

5–10

25TH ANNUAL WILD WEST FEST – Celebrate the culture of the West at this weeklong, family-oriented festival hosted by the Sheridan Arts Foundation. Nahko and Medicine for the People perform on June 7. sheridanoperahouse.com

15–18

TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL – This year marks the 44th 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 Jason Mraz, Norah Jones, Dierks Bentley with the Travelin’ McCourys, Brandi Carlile, and more. bluegrass.com/telluride

22–26

TELLURIDE WINE FESTIVAL – The festival features four days of fine wines, seminars, tastings, winemakers’ luncheons, and cooking demonstrations. telluridewinefestival.com

23

PALM KIDZ: PETER DAVISON – PALM KIDZ Summer Series continues with the dancing, juggling, and comedy of Peter Davison. Tickets are $5 and the shows start at 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

21 & 28, July 12, 19 & 26, Aug 2, 9, 16

9 LANGHORNE SLIM AND THE LAW – American singer-song-

SUNSET CONCERT SERIES – Free outdoor music on Wednesday evenings from 6–8 p.m. at the Sunset Stage in Mountain Village. townofmountainvillage.com

12 TELLURIDE ACADEMY OPENS – Telluride Academy kicks

12TH ANNUAL 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. The “Quick Draw” competition is July 3 and the exhibit and sale are July 4. sheridanoperahouse.com

writer Langhorne Slim performs alternative rock with his band, The Law, at Club Red in Mountain Village. clubredtelluride.com

off its summer season with its first session of camps. Check out their full schedule online. tellurideacademy.org

8–11

TELLURIDE WOW FESTIVAL – A weekend festival celebrating fitness, wellness, and health with presentations and events. telluridewow.com

14 FIRSTGRASS – Mountain Village kicks off bluegrass weekend with a free outdoor concert on the Sunset Stage at 5 p.m.

28–July 4

30 PALM KIDZ: BIG BUBBLE CIRCUS – PALM KIDZ Summer

Series continues with some clowning around by the Big Bubble Circus. Tickets are $5 and the shows start at 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

RYAN BONNEAU

MARKET ON THE PLAZA Mountain Village hosts a farm and craft market with food, art, and jewelry produced in Colorado. The market is held at the Heritage Plaza June 14 through August 16, each Wednesday from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. townofmountainvillage.com

www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

22 • EVENT CALENDAR

JULY 3 RED, WHITE & BLUES CELEBRATION – Mountain Village

kicks off the Fourth of July celebrations with events in the Heritage and Sunset plazas. townofmountainvillage.com

4 RUNDOLA – The Rundola is an annual foot race from the base

of the gondola in Telluride to the top of the ridge adjacent to the gondola mid-station. The race starts at 8 a.m. and is organized by the Telluride Foundation.

4 TELLURIDE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION – Telluride’s Inde-

pendence Day features a parade, a community barbecue, games and activities for families in Town Park, and a grand fireworks display after dark.

www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

MUSIC FESTIVAL – Celebrate the traditional genre of Americana and folk music with memorable performances at the Sheridan Opera House. Barbed Wire Productions is a co-organizer of the festival. sheridanoperahouse.com

22

7 ROCK AND ROLL: THE RIDE – The Ride Festival kicks off with

23 BOW WOW FESTIVAL – The Second Chance Humane

15–22 TAMING OF THE SHREW – The tradition of Shake-

STORY TIME AND KIDS ACTIVITIES The Wilkinson Public Library hosts Story Time for children at 11:30 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays and at 11 a.m. at Elk’s Park on Wednesdays. Kids Cook program is at 1 p.m. on Thursdays, kids learn to make healthy snacks with ingredients provided. I Heart Art is at 1 p.m. on Mondays, with special art projects. Kids and teens are invited to “Build a Better World” with science projects on Tuesdays. There’s a book sale and free face painting at the Mountain Village Market from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and there will be kids’ performances every Friday at 11 a.m. at the Gondola Plaza during the Telluride Farmers Market. telluridelibrary.org

19–21 AMERICANA

continues with a magic show by Mysto the Magi. Tickets are $5 and the shows start at 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

8–9

RELIVING HISTORY Telluride Historical Museum hosts several programs periodically throughout the summer and fall, including Historic Walking Tours every Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. (June 1 through August 31), Hike Into History Tours on Saturdays (June 24, July 15, and August 19), Historical Pub Crawls, Lone Tree Cemetery Tours and and a series of Fireside Chats in Norwood and Mountain Village on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in August. telluridemuseum.org

FESTIVAL – Yoga instructors from all over the world convene in Telluride to offer workshops in all types of yoga, meditation, and other special events. tellurideyogafestival.com

TELLURIDE 100 – This epic 100-mile mountain bike race starts and finishes in Telluride and participants gain approximately 18,000 feet in elevation on the grueling course. Riders must purchase a Colorado Search & Rescue card to race. telluride100.com

THE RIDE FESTIVAL – KOTO Community Radio hosts a two-day music concert in Town Park, featuring Beck, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Kaleo, John Butler Trio, Big Something, and more. ridefestival.com

PUNK SCIENCE The Pinhead Institute stages fun, interactive science experiments (atomic reactions, chemistry, physics, and more) for kids with PhD scientists on Tuesday evenings from 5:15–6 p.m. at Wilkinson Public Library for free from June 27 through August 1. Pinhead also hosts Mad Labs, Lego Robotics, Minecraft, Nature Rangers and other fun summer camps for kids—check out their full schedule online. pinheadinstitute.org

20–23 TELLURIDE YOGA

7 PALM KIDZ: MYSTO THE MAGI – PALM KIDZ Summer Series a free concert in Mountain Village at the Sunset Plaza. townofmountainvillage.org

ONGOING:

11–16

ART + ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL – Take a tour of the art installations, architectural demonstrations, and samples of design work and culinary arts at the Art + Architecture Festival. Participants vote for their favorites at the closing party. telluridearts.org

speare in the Park continues as Telluride Theatre performs Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, with a unique twist: The show is a play within a play, performed for someone who has just been bounced from a bar. Performances are held on the Town Park Stage nightly at 8 p.m. (except July 19) with a 2 p.m. matinee show on July 16. telluridetheatre.org

14–16 HARDROCK HUNDRED – The Hardrock Hundred is a grueling 100.5-mile ultramarathon through the San Juan Mountains, starting and finishing in Silverton, Colorado.

14 PALM KIDZ: NATURE’S EDUCATORS – PALM KIDZ Summer

Series continues with a special live performance by the animals of Pokémon. Tickets are $5 and the shows start at 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

14 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. This year’s theme is “I heART Rock and Roll.” ahhaa.org

14 TREVOR HALL – Trevor Hall plays music with a global flavor,

an eclectic mix of acoustic folk, reggae, and Sanskrit chanting, and performs at Sheridan Opera House. sheridanoperahouse.com

Society hosts this film festival dedicated to our furry friends. sheridanoperahouse.com

28

PALM KIDZ: STEVE WEEKS – PALM KIDZ Summer Series continues with a special live performance by the award-winning singer/songwriter Steve Weeks. Weeks has three songs that have reached #1 on Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live. Tickets are $5 and the shows start at 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

29 MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND – Enjoy the vibrant, brassy sound of the acclaimed MarchFourth Marching Band, which performs parade-style with stilt walkers, hula hoopers, and dancers at Club Red in Mountain Village. clubredtelluride.com

AUGUST 4 KOTO DUCK RACE – Sponsor a yellow rubber duck, and if it

floats down the San Miguel River fast enough, you can win a variety of prizes including a 2017-18 ski pass. The event is a benefit for KOTO community radio. koto.org

4–6

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 Mavis Staples, Macy Gray, Bootsy Collins, Hazel Miller, and more. telluridejazz.org

6–13

TELLURIDE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL – Classical music concerts are held outdoors and in various venues around town. There is a free concert in Town Park to kick off the week’s events, and the closing concert is held at the Palm Theatre. telluridechambermusic.org

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13–20

BALLET COLLECTIVE – The Palm Arts Dance program hosts a ballet company in residency, the Ballet Collective, a critically acclaimed troupe led by artistic director Troy Schumacher and comprised of many talented New York City ballet dancers.

The Ballet Collective’s residency will offer a public performance on Aug. 19 at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

11 TOP CHEF & TASTE OF TELLURIDE – Telluride’s best culinary

artists compete for the coveted title in this annual fundraiser for One to One Mentoring, held at the Peaks Resort. onetoonetelluride.org

17–20 TELLURIDE MUSHROOM FESTIVAL – Symposiums,

21–24

24 FEASTING ON HISTORY – This is the annual fundraiser for

the Telluride Historical Museum, hosted at the Sheridan Opera House. telluridemuseum.org

TELLURIDE THEATRE SINGS – One night only, the Telluride Theatre Orchestra Band, along with singers and dancers, cover an entire album at this fun event. Which album is chosen is only revealed at showtime, and the performance is theatricalized and staged at the Palm Theatre. telluridetheatre.org

RYAN BONNEAU

25

27 AN EVENING WITH KEN BURNS – Watch a screening of

an episode from the Ken Burns documentary JAZZ followed by a Q&A with the director, hosted by the Telluride Historical Museum. telluridemuseum.org

TECH TIME Don’t throw your tech devices out the window; come in for help and a free consult and with Andy at Tech Time at the Wilkinson Public Library at 2 p.m. every Tuesday.

TELLURIDE ARTS On the first Thursday of each month, the Telluride Art Walk celebrates art at the local galleries from 5–8 p.m., with a self-guided tour of the exhibits in downtown Telluride. A dozen venues open their doors to showcase new exhibits and artists, and restaurants feature art walk specials. Maps are available from local businesses and Telluride Arts. telluridearts.org TELLURIDE FARMERS MARKET Telluride hosts one of the few all-organic, pesticide-free farmers markets in the state each Friday on South Oak Street from 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. from June 2 through October 13.

TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS On the third Thursday of each month at the Nugget Theatre, catch one of the recently released films selected by the festival directors of the Telluride Film Festival.

TSRC TOWN TALKS Telluride Science Research Center brings speakers on various science topics to hold discussions on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. from June 20 through August 8 at the Telluride Conference Center. Admission is free, and there is a cash bar. telluridescience.org

www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

23

MOUNTAINS TO DESERT RIDE – Cyclists race from Telluride to Gateway Canyons Resort (or past the resort into the Unaweep Canyon for longer distance) in this annual fundraiser for the Just for Kids Foundation, which supports youth in the San Miguel watershed region. m2dbikeride.com

classes, forays, and a parade all celebrate fungi in this fun weekend event. telluridemushroomfest.org

ONGOING:

23

STEEP CANYON RANGERS – Enjoy the irrepressible sound of traditional, rollicking bluegrass with one of the genre’s best, the Steep Canyon Rangers, at the Sheridan Opera House. sheridanoperahouse.com

SEPTMBER 1–4 TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL – Telluride hosts an interna-

tionally acclaimed film festival with world premieres, movie stars, filmmakers, directors, and a free outdoor cinema. The lineup is always kept secret until the day before the festival, but a host of TFF premieres have gone on to win “Best Picture” Academy Awards. telluridefilmfestival.org

9 IMOGENE PASS RUN – Runners start in Ouray and cross over

13,114-foot Imogene Pass, a 17.1-mile course with more than 5,000 feet of elevation gain, finishing in Telluride. imogenerun.com

14

SUNSET BLUES CONCERT – The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival kicks off with a free concert in Mountain Village on the Sunset Plaza. townofmountainvillage.org

15–17 TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL – This pop-

TELLURIDE FESTIVAL OF CARS & COLORS – An annual celebration for automobile enthusiasts with the mountain foliage as a backdrop.

OCTOBER 12 BRAVO – A fun fundraiser for San Miguel Resource Center, in conjunction with Ah Haa School for the Arts, where artists decorate brassieres in outlandish style and male models hit the runway and auction them off. ahhaa.org

13–15 TELLURIDE HORROR SHOW – The newest film festi-

val in Telluride, Telluride Horror Show screens independent horror, fantasy, and sci-fi movies and hosts special programs, a pig roast, and industry guests. telluridehorrorshow.com

15 GONDOLA CLOSES FOR OFF-SEASON 28 KOTO HALLOWEEN BASH – KOTO hosts a costume party for Halloween at the Sheridan Opera House. koto.org

31

HAUNTED HOSPITAL – The Telluride Historical Museum hosts a spooky tour on Halloween through Telluride’s former hospital. telluridemuseum.org

NOVEMBER 11–13 KOTO SKI SWAP – Sell your old gear or pick up some

new gear at this annual fundraiser for KOTO community radio, held at the Wilkinson Public Library. koto.org

17 GONDOLA OPENS FOR WINTER SEASON 23 TELLURIDE SKI RESORT OPENS FOR 2017-18 WINTER SEASON

ular 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 Bonnie Raitt, Steve Winwood, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’, Anders Osborne, and more. tellurideblues.com RYAN BONNEAU

24 • EVENT CALENDAR

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26 • LOCAL FLAVOR

In Search of the Perfect Taco Telluride’s tastiest tacos

T

acos are a traditional Mexican street food, but they also translate to other culinary cultures and flavor pairings. They show up at fine dining restaurants, meticulously plated with tweezer-placed micro greens, or fresh from the griddles of food trucks on urban neighborhood corners. There are no rules when it comes to tacos. Various fillings get wrapped into savory, sometimes saucy, and often sloppy bites. Shells can range from traditional corn tortillas to thinly sliced jicama wrappers.

People in Telluride love tacos. In this town, there are three local spots that specialize in this fare. Don’t be surprised, however, if you discover some other treasures once you start trotting on the taco trail ... like a Colorado Avenue restaurant with a duck/wonton version (Floradora Saloon) a barbecue joint with off-the-menu fish tacos (Oak) or a gondola ride to Mountain Village where Tacos al Pastor appear on tables amid fiery centerpieces (Black Iron Kitchen at Hotel Madeline).

If you’re looking for the whole enchilada, though, you’re in luck. La Cocina de Luz celebrates its twenty-year anniversary in Telluride this September. A longtime local favorite, La Cocina is a staple to the town’s food scene, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For the tacos, first choose your protein: organic chicken, slowwww.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

cooked beef with guajillo chile, grilled carne asada, deep-fried, wild-caught hake, slow-cooked achiote pork, or go vegetarian with garlic-roasted zucchini, cauliflower, and peppers. “We make a fairly traditional corn tortilla taco that is gluten-free and comes with a variety of fillings,” says owner Lucas Price. “We put guacamole on each tortilla for taste, as well as structural reasons, and finish each taco with lettuce and shredded cheese that is produced without rBGH.” La Cocina showcases traditional and farm-to-table, health-conscious fare. The yummy, feel-good food tastes even better on the sunny patio with a margarita. Hit the complimentary chips and salsa bar to customize your tacos or just nosh on the homemade red and green salsas, pickled jalapeños, and sour cream. “We also serve tostadas that are like a crisp, flat taco, and burritos, rellenos, enchiladas, tamales, salads, and more,” says Price.

Esperanzas is not marked by a large facade, so don’t miss the stairwell to Esperanza Reyes’ downstairs den on Telluride’s main drag. Owner and chef Esperanza Reyes is a Mexican native, but has worked in restaurants in the states for 25 years. She’s held the reins to her Telluride restaurant for four years, serving authentic Mexican food and tacos of all types. “I love my Tacos Rancheros,” says Reyes,

on a break from mixing up guacamole in the kitchen. “Definitely the meat is what makes them so good.”

The toppings that complete Esperanza’s tacos include spicy salsa, guacamole, and crunchy cabbage slaw.

The restaurant offers a truly traditional menu of Mexican favorites from fajitas to enchiladas, as well as beans and rice and margaritas, but Reyes always recommends the tacos. “I love to eat,” she says. “I have spent most of my life in restaurants, but if there ever were another one it would just be tacos and margaritas.”

Esperanza’s basement space is surprisingly vibrant and cozy—a perfect break from summer’s oppressive sun or shelter from a sudden thunderstorm. Another cool feature of the restaurant is its partnership with the Wilkinson Public Library to put on Spanish happy hour events and promote bilingual interaction for Spanish speakers of all levels in the community.

Taco del Gnar is Telluride’s newest spot in town; the offspring of the original Ridgway restaurant opened here in September 2016. Joe Ouellette and Curtis Blanton are co-owners and chefs, and Blanton’s wife Chas is their partner and business manager.

Together, they put out some of the most loved and devoured tacos in town. “Our tacos are definitely unique,” says Ouellette. “Our flavor

profile is more on a global scale than traditional Mexican tacos.”

The eclectic range of tacos include a Japanese-inspired tuna taco with sushi grade ahi, umami flavor, and crunchy slaw. There is also the lambrizo taco made with lamb sausage, feta, and fresh Mediterranean tanginess. For vegetarians, try the avo or the porto —a fried avocado or a juicy portobello mushroom.

The Korean short rib and kimchi taco is full of tender, sweet-and-salty meat. It’s hands down the most popular taco according to Ouellette, but also a good partner to a lighter menu choice like the Asian flavored mahi or the classic, Baja-style shrimp taco.

Mix and match the tacos of your choice; they come out quickly and are affordable. The restaurant has a small patio for outdoor dining, but is also adjacent to Elks Park for take-out taco picnics. “Our price point and variety is really what keeps us crushing it here,” says Ouellette. “We are just super appreciative of this community.”

Decisions, decisions. The quest for the perfect taco in Telluride is a long and fruitful culinary journey, but in the end, it all comes down to tastes and preferences. If the search inspired you to create your own, you can pick up fresh, handmade tortillas at La Tortilla Ria at the base of Lift 7 at 300 S. Mahoney Drive. \

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27

28 • MOUNTAIN HEALTH

The

Ketogenic Diet New metabolic approach to fighting cancer focuses on nutrition for remission

By Regan Tuttle

C

ancer affects everyone—the more than a third of the world’s population who will be diagnosed with some form of the disease, as well as the people that love them.

Scientists have not found a cure, but they are learning more about cancer, and these days, medical experts are saying cancer is less of a genetic disease and more of a metabolic condition. That’s what Jess Kelley, a master nutrition therapist and the director of the Nutritional Therapy Institute in Denver, is teaching her clients.

Kelley says though Western medicine has been telling us for the last four or five decades that cancer is caused by genes, the information available now indicates that 90-95 percent of the time the disease is triggered by diet and lifestyle, and just 5-10 percent is the result of faulty genes.

Cancer, she says, is actually caused by damaged mitochondria, the energy centers inside of cells. That damage then causes runaway growth of cancer cells throughout a human body. But, Kelley says, when experts target metabolism in a patient, they can see incredible results. In other words, there are things we can do, in spite of our genetics, to be healthy.

For the last decade, she’s been showing cancer patients how to develop a new lifestyle—one that can improve the quality of their lives, as well as buy them time and hopefully establish www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

longtime or permanent remission.

Part of what she helps her clients to institute is a ketogenic diet. That means cutting way back on grains and sugars and eating more proteins, vegetables, and fruits. “Cancer cells consume glucose fifty to a hundred times faster,” she says. “When we eliminate sugar, we get rid of that pathway, we make them bonk. They run out of steam, and that makes room for other approaches.”

Grains and legumes are relatively new foods for humans, having been introduced approximately 12,000 years ago. Kelley says when we, as a species, changed our diets to a more agrarian system and moved from hunting and gathering, we developed nutritional deficiencies. A ketogenic diet, she says, can help people. In short, food itself is powerful medicine.

Kelley, along with Naturopathic Doctor of Oncology Nasha Winters, has

helped many people over the years.

The two Colorado practitioners were urged to publish a book of the information they’ve amassed. So they did: The Metabolic Approach to Cancer came out this spring. Kelley says she and Winters haven’t necessarily developed anything new; they’re simply the first to synthesize the information that already exists. The material in their book is based on facts, and more than 220 references to scientific studies can be found throughout the text.

Available on Amazon.com now, the book debuted May 19, and The Metabolic Approach to Cancer gives ten factors that people can work with in preventing or managing cancer. That includes looking at one’s immune system, stress, blood sugar, and more. The authors also include nutrient-dense ketogenic recipes in the back of the book as examples to teach people a new way of eating. Kelley says it’s likely

she and Winters will follow up at some point with a cookbook.

Kelley says the nutritional counseling that she does is not a onesize-fits-all remedy. She believes in personalized support for individuals.

She says the work she and Winters do can support conventional treatments like chemotherapy; a synergy between Western and natural medicine is something she believes in.

Kelley has seen over the years what working with diet and lifestyle can do for a patient. She says it can also give people a feeling of empowerment.

As cancer patients wait for doctors to plan treatment and give orders, having control over food can feel good, both mentally and physically. In fact, she says she’s had clients going through cancer treatment that claim they’ve never felt better — ever. “It’s changing the conversation,” she says.

No doubt, the work Kelley does is deeply fulfilling, albeit at times deeply sad. She and Winters have lost patients to the disease, and Kelley’s father died of cancer in November while she and Winters finished the book. Though she lost him, she says these nutritional tools provided him with a better quality of life and gave him time that greatly surpassed the life expectancy that doctors had estimated. “If I can keep one other family from going through this, what a gift I could give,” she says. \

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SUMMER/FALL 2017

www.TellurideMagazine.com

29

30 • ADVICE

Ask Jock

Athletic Advice from Our Local Mountain Guru

Bug Off

Dear Jock, I hope you can settle a bug-based dispute. My wife will only use insect repellents made from essential plant oils. I think she’s wasting her time with that hippie stuff. The only product that works in the deep woods when the flies and the mosquitoes are biting is some bug-slaying DEET sauce. Who do you think is correct?

—Better Living Through Chemistry

Q

Dear BLTC, The most recent science-based information I found is a study

by Consumer Reports that was updated in March of 2017. Their research shows that Deet, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, and Picaridin (a synthetic derivative of the black pepper plant) were all effective deterrents for biting insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, and ticks. You can read the data and conclusions online.

My personal experience leads me to believe that full-body immersion in wood smoke is the best way to avoid biting insects.

So next time you’re besieged by bugs, don’t argue with your girlfriend over what potion to apply. Instead, build a cozy campfire and cuddle with her while the pests seek less savvy prey.

— Jock

A

Kit and Caboodle

High and Dry

Q

Q

Dear Jock, I’m planning to spend the summer climbing peaks around Telluride. I have sturdy boots, a good pack, and everything else I need for the trail—except a first aid kit. What should I carry in the way of medical supplies?

—Not a Doc Dear Not a Doc, You can either purchase pre-made a medical kit or you can put together you own custom version. Either way, the contents of your backcountry med kit will depend on many variables: How difficult is the terrain? Walking the trail to the top of Ajax is less hazardous than scrambling to the chossy summit of El Diente. How far from civilization will you roam? How long will you be on the trail? And will you have cell coverage? The more remote your route, the more medical gear you might want on hand.

Another consideration: Are you hiking alone or with a friend? If you have a partner, you could share the weight between you. And finally, do you have any medical training? The lightest kit you can carry is the one inside your head. With that in mind, I strongly recommend taking a Wilderness First Responder course.

My late friend, Pete Inglis, was a professional guide and a longtime member of the Telluride Ski Patrol. He believed that the most important emergency items in his pack were a full roll of duct tape and 30 feet of webbing. With those two items, he could splint a broken femur and construct a rudimentary sled to evacuate a victim. And with the remaining duct tape, he figured he could improvise his way through most other emergency medical situations.

Whatever you decide to put in your med kit, may it always stay in the bottom of your pack.

— Jock

A

www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

Dear Jock, I’ve noticed it rains a lot around here in the summer—especially in the afternoons. It seems I’m often caught outside in stormy weather. I once went on a fishing trip in Alaska, so I own a full rain suit but I overheat when I wear it hiking. What should I do to keep from getting swampy inside my rain gear?

—Soggy Inside and Out Dear Soggy, I suspect your Alaskan fishing rain suit is made of thick, vulcanized rubber. While perfect for protecting you from the frigid salt spray of the Bering Sea, it’s overkill for summer squalls in the lower 48. For hiking in the Colorado high country, you want a lightweight, breathable Gore-Tex rain suit—preferably one with pit-zips for extra airflow.

Speaking of airflow, if you tend to run hot, like I do, even the most breathable rain pants become clammy when hiking uphill in wet weather.

On warm days or when traveling in temperate climes, I prefer the classic rain poncho. It covers my head and torso yet still allows my undercarriage to breathe.

And my all-time favorite hiking accessory is a small umbrella. Carrying a bumbershoot in the backcountry may seem a bit odd, but it deploys and stows quickly when the weather is fickle, provides protection from both rain and sun and offers the ultimate in ventilation.

You’ll have to experiment to see what foul-weather gear combination works best for you.

See you on the trail, — Jock

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31

32 • ESSAY

A Personal Note from an Enemy of the People Fighting for the Fourth Estate

I

By Judy Muller

learned that I was an “enemy of the people” around the same time that I heard about George Orwell making a posthumous comeback on Amazon with his dystopian novel 1984.

Apparently there is renewed interest in the corruption and manipulation of language and critical thinking or, as Orwell wrote: “Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”

Even though Orwell died long before the advent of Twitter, he probably would not be surprised by a leader who uses the power of instant communication to send out disparaging messages about a free press, especially when that free press reports something the leader does not like—from pointing out there is no evidence for his charge that Obama had been tapping his phones to reporting that an armada of ships he claimed was steaming toward North Korea was, in fact, headed in the opposite direction.

Just to name a couple.

This is a man who does not like to be contradicted, who sees anyone who disagrees with him as

“the enemy.” So when he repeatedly labels the press “the enemy of the people” who promulgate “fake news,” perhaps I shouldn’t overreact.

He is, after all, acting in character.

But as someone who has devoted her entire adult life to the profession of journalism and, more recently, to teaching young journalists not only the skills required, but also the eth-

A large number of Americans believe the press is lying to them, believe that traditional news media indulge in so-called “fake news.” And that is where journalists need to begin. We need to rebuild the confidence of the public.

ics and standards of the profession, I concede I take it a bit personally.

To me, the very definition of journalism is to seek and report the truth as fully as possible, to be fair and independent, verifiable and accountable, and to speak truth to power. These tenets are embedded in the codes of ethics for any number of news organizations, and we are adding more in the digital age, including transparency (showing how the reporting was done) and community engagement (enlisting the readers and viewers in the act of gathering information and adding to it). I would suggest we add yet another feature—accompanying articles with a sidebar entitled “What we DON’T know.” Not only is

this transparent, but it might elicit some helpful information from the readers and viewers.

Those ethical standards are my traditions, and I have tried to honor them through countless reporting assignments. But the phrase “enemy of the people” also has a long tradition, dating back to Roman times, used by dictators and autocrats to delegitimize their critics. From Nero to Stalin and beyond, the phrase has been a favorite way to brand and punish those who would dare question authority.

This is not some schoolyard taunt. It comes from the President of the United States, a country where the First Amendment is deeply woven into the fabric of our freedom. No President has ever been enamored of the press, but all of them understood that the Fourth Estate plays a critical role in keeping elected officials honest. Thomas Jefferson—who had his quarrels with the press—once said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

The embattled White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, has to face these enemies of the people every day, so he has become an expert in “DoubleThink” (yes, Orwell again), the ability to hold two completely contradictory thoughts simultaneously while believing both of them to be true. After Trump repeatedly called out the press as the enemy of the people, Spicer said, “POTUS has deep respect for the first amendment and has deep respect for the press.”

But railing against the President’s denunciations of the press will

When you shut down news bureaus around the world to save money, then fill the air with celebrity “news,” don’t be surprised when Americans know all about the Kardashians but not Korea. do nothing to improve the situation in which we now find ourselves. A large number of Americans believe the press is lying to them, believe that traditional news media indulge in so-called “fake news.” Trump is a demagogue, an expert in fanning those flames of discontent. But he did not create the discontent. And that is where journalists need to begin. We need to rebuild the confidence of the public.

For too long now, some news outlets have tried to increase ratings and readership by providing “clickbait” to keep the interest of the public and attract ad revenue.

When you shut down news bureaus around the world to save money, then fill the air with celebrity “news,” don’t be surprised when Americans know all about the Kardashians but not Korea. And in an age when more and more people are getting their information from Facebook and Twitter and other social media, don’t be surprised when folks retreat to their silos of bias, with “likes” and “thumbs up” sending waves of dopamine coursing through our brains, as we share and re-tweet information that could be false. And finally, we journalists

have to get out of our own silos— which are primarily urban—and start listening to those parts of the country that felt ignored until Donald Trump came along and lit a fire under their smoldering resentment.

I am a big fan of News Literacy in schools, or, as I would prefer to call it, Detecting Crap and Producing Credible Content. With so much information bombarding us—from the blatantly false news sites created to sow misinformation to the wellsourced and well-written investigative reports, we need to develop critical thinking skills in our young people that tell them how to judge what to trust. In our news/media literacy class at USC’s Annenberg School, one tool we provide is something called the SMELL test (courtesy of author John McManus), which teaches them to look for the Source, the source’s Motivation, the Evidence provided, the Logic of the story, and, finally, what’s Left out of the story. And we teach them how to fact-check stories before they share an item on social media, using any number of excellent fact-checking sites (Snopes.com, Politifact.com, FactCheck.org).

We also need to restore the study of civics in our classrooms.

The First Amendment to the Constitution, which states, in part, “ that Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech or of a free press,” is a beautiful thing.

But it can be nibbled away, bit by bit, by an administration that is bent on cowing the press by prosecuting leakers and reporters who protect their sources. Lawyer Floyd Abrams, author of a new book, The Soul of the First Amendment, offers some hope on this score. Trump’s tweets, he argues, would be exhibit A for any First Amendment lawyer arguing that Trump’s true intent is to silence his critics. Even so, there is no guarantee that a conservative judiciary might not still find ways to dilute this powerful guarantee.

As a final antidote to the poisonous moniker of “enemy of the people,” I think we also need to tell the stories of all those journalists who have been jailed or killed for simply trying to report the truth.

We should tell students about the 115 journalists who died in 2016, from Syria to Iraq to Mexico. And if they should find themselves thinking, “Well, that’s terribly sad, but reporters aren’t killed in the U.S. for doing their jobs,” then I would refer them back to that toxic tweet from the President, labeling the press “the enemy of the people.” Words have consequences. And no amount of doublethink from Sean Spicer or “alternative facts” from Kelly Ann Conway can change that. \ Judy Muller is an Emmy-award winning reporter and former correspondent for ABC, CBS, and PBS, a commentator for NPR. She is a professor emeritus of journalism at USC’s Annenberg School.

SUMMER/FALL 2017

www.TellurideMagazine.com

33

34 • FEATURE

SONGS FOR THE

DYING

Threshold Choir gives the gift of music to terminally ill patients

By Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

“S

ing as if you are singing a lullaby.”

So directs Ulli Sir Jesse as she guides the members of the Threshold Choir rehearsing in her Ridgway home.

The group meets twice a month, but their goal is not performance or entertainment. Instead, it’s an act of compassion—they are one of many Threshold Choirs worldwide that sing at the bedside of those who are nearing the end of their lives.

Though singing to the dying is an ancient tradition in many cultures— from Hindis to Native Americans to Benedictine Monks—it is only in the last several decades that singing and playing music to those facing death has begun to find resonance in America.

One of the forerunners of this movement is Kate Munger, who in 2000 started the first Threshold Choir in a friend’s home in El Cerrito, California.

Six months later there were five chapters. By 2012 there were 100 chapters.

And as of now, there are over 150 choirs, seven of which are in Colorado.

Munger’s vision grew out of a single experience when she went to visit a dying friend. Not knowing what else to do at his bedside, she sang. At the time, she was surprised by the profound comfort and courage it gave www.TellurideMagazine.com

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ALLY CRILLY

them both, but it got her thinking. In a letter on the group’s website, Munger writes, “A song can be a bridge from the purely physical, temporal body experience that we have for many years to what lies beyond.”

HOW THRESHOLD CAME TO THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS he Ridgway chapter of the Threshold Choir began in spring of 2015 when piano teacher and choir leader Ulli Sir Jesse moved back to the region. She

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had been traveling the country and living in California for the last three years, and it was there she first heard of the group. “I was looking for a choir to sing with, and when I first saw their mission statement, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do,” Sir Jesse says. “And after the first rehearsal, it felt like coming home. The lyrics were meaningful, the harmonies are simple yet profound, and the effect is awesome.”

When she returned to the San Juans, she immediately created a flier inviting women to join her in a new endeavor. It had the tag, “Kindness made audible,” and included a paragraph that read, “‘Singing at the bedside’ is a calling that invites us to be sacred vessels and feel spirit moving in us, empowering our voices to be tender, courageous and loving. We sing for those outside and inside our circle, for all who are struggling ... some with living, some with dying.”

The brochure also mentions that “a love of music and compassion is more important than musical training.”

Four women responded. “We started small at the library,” Sir Jesse says. “Sometimes only two came, but I did not give up. Now I have a wonderful group of six to 12 women who come pretty regularly, and 25 on my mailing list.”

Other phrases used in the Threshold lyrics include, “You are not alone, I am here beside you,” and “If not love, what are we here for?” and “Simply trust—don’t the leaves flutter down just like that.”

Though the group is large, they only sing in small teams of one to three when invited to do bedside visits in order not to overwhelm the person they sing to.

Like the majority of the Threshold Choirs, the Ridgway chapter is made up of women, as was established by Munger. “Women are the original nurturers,” Sir Jesse says, “the ones who bring life into the world, and the group gels differently with all women than if there were a man in the group.”

CHOOSING TO JOIN THE THRESHOLD ne of the local women who embraced the invitation to join is retired school teacher Robyn Cascade—but her decision was not an immediate one. “At first I thought, ‘I can not imagine singing to someone who is dying—that would be too overwhelming,’” Cascade says, “but eventually I decided to go to a rehearsal and see what it is like.”

The rehearsal was “everything I didn’t expect,” Cascade says. “It was calming and comforting and nurturing—and it still is, every time we sing, whether we are rehearsing or at bedside or at a public event.”

Cascade is one of five members that has completed the necessary hospice training required before you can make a bedside visit, but has yet to do a bedside visit with the Ridgway chapter. She did, however, sing the Threshold songs to a friend who was dying last winter. “Oh,” Cascade says, “to see the calm on her face when I sang and the tears running down her cheek—how well she received the gift of music, which is sometimes so much more powerful than words or other actions. It was so lovely to share that and now when we sing those half a dozen songs I sang to her that day it reminds me and I am there again with Linda.”

But the music is not only a gift to the listeners, Cascade says. It’s a great gift to the singers, too. “I usually show up to rehearsals rushed or huffing and puffing my way up the hill to Ulli’s house, and I am in energizer bunny mode. But when I leave, I have a meditative, tranquil, peaceful disposition, more aware of the world around me.”

At each rehearsal, in addition to learning and practicing songs— either by ear or by reading music— the group members always take time to sing “We are sending you light, to heal you, to hold you. We are sending you light to hold you in love.” It’s a song in which they send energy to anyone they know in need, including members of their group.

“Someone sits in a reclining chair in the middle and we send that

GIVING THE GIFT OF SONG he bedside visits themselves are free and are done at the request of the dying person or a family member. Sessions usually last about twenty minutes, and the songs are selected to suit the preferences of the recipient or the family members.

Often the person in bed is unable to speak, perhaps unable to open their eyes, but the singers usually notice a smile, a nod, a tapping of the fingers, or a mouthed “thank you,” and an increased sense of calm.

Another study in the American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, published in 2006, found a significant reduction in wakefulness and agitation among the 65 patients who received bedside music, and their respiration indicated a calmer state at the end of the music visit.

The music not only calms the patient, it can also be deeply comforting for the caregivers and family members. This was the case for Ridgway resident Lynn Kircher who was caring for her mother before she died in 2015.

When Sir Jesse came to visit, alone, Kircher’s mother was having a difficult time speaking clearly and had her eyes closed most of the time. “Ulli and I went to mom’s room and Ulli sat near mom’s bed and I left them alone and came upstairs,” Kircher says. “It makes me cry to remember it. Ulli filled this house with her voice. It was so peaceful. Raw beauty. It was so lovely, and I knew mom would like it.

“It was so good to have someone offer to help you in a non-demanding way. You run out of things to do, and it is so lovely when someone else comes to help you. It didn’t demand anything of me, and that is so appreciated, because when you are a caregiver, you are already giving everything you’ve got. And you’re not caring for the dying, you are caring for the living—it is still life, moving forward, and singing is life-affirming, really. I will always feel connected to Ulli after that. I feel as if whatever energy Ulli brought here that day is still here—she filled every little space with her voice.”

Says Sir Jesse, “When I am on my deathbed, I would love to have other people sing to me these songs with their beautiful words. If I can help someone else to let go a bit more—to breathe easy, to be here now—then I am breathing easier and here now and at peace.”

To contact Ulli to request a music visit, please call 970-729-2590. \

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“A song can be a bridge from the purely physical, temporal body experience that we have for many years to what lies beyond.”

person love and healing,” says Sir Jesse. “Then we go around the room and each person has a chance to mention a person or cause they are sending love and light to as well.”

Says Cascade, “I really believe the love we spread in the world makes a difference.”

GENTLE LYRICS, SOOTHING HARMONIES he music sung by all the Threshold Choirs is often written by choir members and tends toward very simple, repetitive phrases. Consider this simple meditation with words by Ram Dass and a melody in C Major composed by Munger:

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We are all just walking each other home.

We are all just walking each other home.

We are all just walking each other home.

“I really like the music,” Cascade says. “I like that some of the words come from different traditions— some Buddhist words, some Native American words—and that none of the songs are religious, just about love, peace and resting, and mostly simple harmonies, which I think is intentional. When a person is passing, you don’t want a lot of activity in the voice, so the harmonies are smooth and soothing and calm.”

There is some scientific basis in choosing to use the simple, unfamiliar lyrics. In 2012 the Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing published a study which concluded not only that music at bedside helps patients transition from life to death, but that a nostalgic playlist will anchor people on earth, keeping them attached to their life memories, whereas music that is calming but unfamiliar helps people let go of the earthly plane.

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36 • FEATURE Start & Finish Lot B

Telluride

Mahoney Dr

Bike Path Black Bear Rd

W Colorado Ave

Aid Station E

Rd 58P Last Dollar Pass Aid Station D Hwy 145

Bike Path Mountain Village

Country Club Dr

Aid Station B Bag Drop & Loop 2 Cut-off

Start & Finish at Lot B & Aid Station C Telluride Short hike from top of free gondola

1st Loop Black Bear Pass

Rd 63L

Mountain Village Blvd

2nd Loop

Mountain Village Hwy 550

Hwy 145 San Joaquin Rd

Ophir Pass

Aid Station A

Shared for Both Loops

Fear and Loathing on the

Telluride 100 Trail Confessions of a reluctant racer

By Jesse James McTigue

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or those who are not professional athletes, your decision to enter an event such as the Telluride 100 mountain bike race may happen like it does for me.

You’re sitting at your kitchen table, six months before the event, a glass of red wine in hand, reading the inspiring course description online. You envision disciplined, early-morning training and are at once ambitious and committed, if not also a little buzzed.

You get out the credit card, fill in the pertinent information on the registration form, and add the date to your iCal. You are signed up. It’s as if the mere act of signing up somehow automatically affirms that you have the skills to race in the event.

You go to bed that night a better athlete—perhaps even a better person.

Or maybe that is not at all like you.

But this is me, and it’s pretty much the scenario under which I signed up for the Telluride 100 the first time. Suffice to say, I was a little naïve.

And yes, it became a whole different reality come April, when it www.TellurideMagazine.com

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The reasons not to do this race came raining in as fast as the inspiring reasons to do it had just a few months prior.

The list was long and compelling, and it started with the course. came time to get on my bike and put in the miles. Spring, which is ideal for cycling in say, Arizona, California, or New Mexico, is downright schizophrenic in Telluride and carelessly skips without warning from warm and sunny to snowy with freezing rain. As April turned to May, the reality of that fateful decision I made based upon my well-intended optimism back in January set in.

The reasons not to do this race came raining in as fast as the inspir-

ing reasons to do it had just a few months prior. The list was long and compelling, and it started with the course. The Telluride 100 event organizers tag it as “the most beautiful race on earth.” But, as all of us who have ever dated a hot guy or girl can attest, beauty comes with a price, which is usually pain. The Telluride 100 course is no different.

It starts in the Town of Telluride (8750 feet above sea level), climbs to Bridal Veil Falls, then over Black Bear Pass (summit 12,840 feet), and

descends down highway 50 toward Silverton to Ophir Pass, where the climbing begins again (summit 11,789 feet). Riders descend into Ophir and back to Telluride. This is just the first of two loops.

Black Bear Pass? I have been mountain biking in Telluride for over 20 years, and I ride a lot, yet I have never ridden my bike over Black Bear Pass. It is rocky, steep, long, and gnarly. There is a series of rock steps that even the race’s winners cannot ride. Plus, it’s not singletrack. To be honest, it has never even occurred to me to ride it.

The second loop climbs out of Telluride to the Mountain Village on a steep, rocky two-track called Boomerang. It then ascends up the Telluride Ski Area via the Village Trail, connects to Prospect Trail and on to Alta Lakes. Riders follow the route through Ilium Valley to Sawpit (the course’s lowest point at 7,592 feet), then climb 17 miles to the summit of Last Dollar Road (10, 689 feet) before ascending back to the Valley Floor and the finish line.

If the names of the trails don’t mean much to you, believe me when I say there is a lot of climbing. Or put simply, it’s incredibly f@#*’n hard.

So my excuses began with the course: A hundred miles is really long. I don’t have the time to train.

And the excuses continued effortlessly beyond the route. It could snow on race day. It sounds really hard; it is really hard. The arthritis in my knee is getting worse. My back hurts after three hours on a bike, and this race will take ten. I really, truly don’t have time to train.

By June, it was easy to find a valid reason to bail. The only reason not to bail was that the registration fee was non-refundable. The arthritis in my knee was real and hurt enough to justify swallowing the fee. It was out my control, I convinced myself, and eventually got back online, cancelled my registration, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. The Telluride 100 just wasn’t going to be my race.

Then I received a reply from the director of the race, Tobin Behling, expressing his empathy for my (insert excuse). He added a promotional code to register for the race free of charge the following year. Shit. I knew wasn’t getting out of this race. Maybe this year, but definitely not next, especially with this grand gesture from the race organizer. What an asshole.

So the next summer, I began training. Or so I thought. But I quickly realized there was a huge difference between riding and training. All my life, I had been doing the former and not necessarily the latter when it came to biking. Sure, I had prepared for other mountain bike races and century road bike rides, but those were five hours maximum. The Telluride 100 would be ten hours on a mountain bike, climbing three formidable passes. I had no idea how to begin.

I started by asking a lot of questions to friends who had customized training programs and vowing to add intervals to my training regimen, without actually doing any of it. I ended up riding like I always had, only longer, yet it never seemed long enough. No matter how far I rode, it always seemed to end up at right about 35 miles. And, to be honest, after 35 miles on a mountain bike, I was pretty much done.

I should also mention that I hate riding with a heavy backpack. I’m the type of girl who puts water bottles in my jersey and has my tools attached to my seat. So on the first few rides, I ran out of water and bonked. The next ride, I brought a pack carrying so

much water that I couldn’t make it up even the easiest hills because I was weighted down. I ended up having to dump bits out along the ride, making small gambles each time that I’d have enough to finish.

By the middle of July, I had ridden all of the different parts of the course except Black Bear. So a friend and I got babysitters and planned to complete the course’s first loop, starting with Black Bear Pass. As we climbed, the rocky road was unforgiving and the dirt was soft. Below the summit, huge snowfields covered the road. We had to put our bikes over our shoulders and hike across the snow, post-holing to our knees, and following what we thought were the pass’s switchbacks.

The entire loop took us seven hours. I couldn’t believe it; I was planning on completing the whole race in ten, but that one loop alone took seven. My husband explained to me that by the time of the race, the pass would be plowed and graded. I was doubtful that would take three hours off my time.

As race day approached, afternoon snow and rain was forecasted.

There had been consistent afternoon rains the entire month. Every time I thought about riding in the snow, I felt nauseous. The Telluride 100 became something to fear.

But July 23 did come, and at 6:45 a.m. I was at the start with 99

BRETT SCHRECKENGOST

other people. Probably only ten of us were female. There was the standard chatter at the start, each person claiming they had trained less than the next, all knowing they had done everything they could to prepare. There were the repeated trips to the outhouse, the nervous putting on and taking off of layers, and then finally the start.

I began riding toward Black Bear still having no idea what to expect. I stayed in range of a few of the guys until Bridal Veil Falls, which gave me confidence. A cold river flowing from Ingram Falls surged over the road. I jumped off my bike to try and hop across the rocks. From there, the road turned to the rock steps and the unrideable terrain began. I pushed my bike as fast I could, hoping to keep pace— with who, I wasn’t really sure. By the time I got back on my bike to ride across what had been snowfields two weeks earlier, I was distracted by the rising sun.

It came up over the Wasatch Range, making the spray of water from the upper rivers glisten and illuminating the bright jerseys of those ahead of me who were cresting the top of the pass. The mountains were covered in green from the summer monsoons and jeepers were not yet up. It was quiet.

I’d lived in Telluride since I was eleven, but had never been on this particular pass at this particular hour. I began to relax and understand why I was here. It was going to be a long day. It was going to be hard. And I realized that I probably wasn’t going to do this in under ten hours. But I knew I would finish. And I knew it would be beautiful.

Jesse James McTigue did finish with a respectable time of 10:40 and thinks about doing the race again some day… maybe. \

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38 • FEATURE

A CONNOISSEUR’S GUIDE TO POT Navigating Colorado’s commercial marijuana scene

By Suzanne Cheavens

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elcome to Colorado.

The citizens of this beautiful state legalized the recreational use and sale of marijuana in 2012 when we said, “Hell yes” to Amendment 64. On January 1, 2014, bud merchants opened their doors to hordes of eager consumers who, thanks to this commonsense legislation and a cadre of courageous activists, would no longer have to purchase cannabis on the sly.

And no, we’re not all high. In fact, just 10 percent of our population uses cannabis (compare that with 75 percent of the national population that uses alcohol) but the state is rolling in aromatic pot dollars. Rolling in it, I tell you.

There is not a January 1 that goes by when I do not recall the day I stood in line, cash in hand, to purchase weed legally. I asked for and received a receipt for my purchase of a fine locally-grown Sativa, which I gleefully photographed and sent to my brothers in the Lone Star State. Not that they use, but the envy was tangible. My buddy kept repeating, “This is history. This is huge.”

So, here you are in Colorado. You’ve come for a festival, or a mountain bike excursion, or perhaps you’re on a craft beer tour of the state. (Is this a great state, or what?) Visiting the Centennial State just because cannabis is legal is not terribly common, though many people with medicinal needs are here trying to be cured of any number of ailments cannabis treats effectively. According to a 2015 Colorado Tourism Office survey, just 4 percent of visitors over the age of 25 reported they came because they could purchase and use cannabis. So that’s probably not you.

If you’re still reading, I’m betting you’re curious. I can help guide you. I know about pot. Here’s my weed CV. I’ll give you the short version: In college in the mid-late 1970s, I dated a pot dealer when I was a freshman. He sold only the best Colombian Gold, Panama Red, and the occasional Thai stick. He was a nice Jewish boy from a good family and a fine scholar. I first heard Dylan’s Blood On the Tracks under the influence. The combined effects of being deeply stoned and hearing the Best Album Of All time for the first time made me a believer. Weed use after college was here and there. It was and still is a federally scheduled Class I Controlled substance, right up there with heroin, acid, and Quaaludes, which made it just as illegal as those drugs. Since one of my sturdiest life goals is to never see the inside of a jail, my modus operandi was—and still is—one of discretion. I never bought it (I learned early on that being female has advantages), I didn’t sell it, and I certainly didn’t get behind the wheel if I could imagine I was in a

cloud. Even in Texas, where I spent a brief amount of time, weed found me and I avoided any mishaps.

Discretion has served me well.

When I found my forever home in Colorado in 1985, I also found my tribe. I had not been around this much weed since college, and I was pretty sure nearly everybody smoked pot. I fell in love with Colorado, and Telluride specifically, because self-determination seemed to be an unwritten code. Fast-forward to Amendment 64. After my unsuccessful stint of trying to make a living solely from my writing found me scrambling for a job, it wasn’t long before I was at the Marijuana Enforcement Division offices in downtown Denver, sitting in a florescent-lit holding room surrounded by a diverse range of folks all waiting to be processed by bored-looking women in pantyhose in our shared quest for The Badge. The Badge is required to work in a dispensary. My job search had ended when I was hired at one of Telluride’s four shops, pending acquisition of said Badge.

At the dispensary, I became conversant with the ever-shifting legal minutiae of this burgeoning business, and cultivated a clientele of the 45 and up crowd—mostly from out of state—who were perhaps grateful to find a woman of a certain age (read: gray haired) who understood their dated knowledge of long-ago explorations in getting high. This ain’t Nixon-Ford-Carter-Reagan-Clinton era weed, honey. I sure dealt with a lot of wellheeled customers whose perfectly manicured nails clicked on the glass case as they indicated which strain they wanted to sniff. I also saw plenty of hardworking Joes and Janes who liked to unwind from the workday with a joint.

So, I know from whence I speak.

Let’s talk about you now. You probably need some advice. There are two main species of cannabis, Sativa and Indica. It is very, very rare that you will see pure Indicas or pure Sativas, as growers have been cross-breeding for decades, producing strains with unique characteristics. Most everything you find in a dispensary is a hybrid of some sort, but you can select Indica or Sativa dominant strains, depending on what you want to do while letting THC (the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) do its thing on your brain and body.

BEYOND INDICA, SATIVA, AND HYBRIDS A short glossary of other marijuana terms Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds secreted by cannabis flowers that provide relief to an array of symptoms including pain, nausea, anxiety, and inflammation. When cannabis is consumed, cannabinoids bind to receptor sites throughout our brain and body. There are 111 known cannabinoids, but the most prevalent are THC and CBD, and CBN and CBG are also known to have medicinal effects.

Terpenes are a large group of volatile, unsaturated hydrocarbons found in the essential oils of plants. Cannabis terpenes are fragrant oils that give the plant its aromatic diversity. They are secreted from the sticky resin glands of the flower, and they produce the cannabinoids.

Landrace strain refers to a cannabis strain that has developed over centuries in a particular natural environment, which have cultivated unique characteristics to be able to survive in a distinct climate. Adaptations include leaf size, color, and phytochemical production. Many breeders believe that the plant originated in Central Asia, and the landrace strains are typically named for their adopted region (Afghani, Thai, or Hawaiian).

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39

40 • FEATURE Want to hike? Bike? Kick some sack? Clean the house? See live music? Dinner with friends? I recommend Sativa. I call it the “Let’s get high and do stuff” pot. Sativa stimulates the mind, sets the thoughts free, makes you want to move. As a writer, I like creating while under the influence of a Sativa. That cerebral headspace gives license to my imagination. Some of my best ideas have come to life in the throes of a Sativa buzz. Just write it down or lose it forever. (I am not high now. The real pedal to the metal, research-driven, deadline-impending work gets done stone cold sober. Just so you know.)

Indica’s properties are easy to remember with this cool mnemonic: Indica = In da couch. Ah, couch lock. Indica is what you need if you ache. It affords a pleasant, all-over body buzz, and sets the user off on an incredible journey to the navel.

It’s all about relaxation. It’s all about calm. It’s all about incredibly stoned.

Many visitors, however, do not come to Colorado equipped to do bong hits or even pack a bowl in their down time. Or, they don’t want the smell of smoke emanating from beneath their condo or hotel door (so far there are no 420-friendly lodging establishments in Telluride). For the ultimate in discreet marijuana consumption, all hail the edible.

Since the heyday of the 1960sera pot brownie, complete with crunchy bits, a greenish tinge and not-quite-chocolate-y taste, the edible has come a long, delicious way.

Everything edible you can think of can be found infused with weed.

You can even choose what kind of weed. Candy, cookies, taffy, brownies, pasta, mints, lollipops, soda, granola bars, chocolates, coffee, potato chips, baklava … you get the idea.

The Internet (holy mother of information!) is brimming with recipes to make anything at home, too.

Now here’s the thing with edibles. Unlike smoking cannabis, which is mainlined into the brain, and therefore delivers its effects nearly immediately upon consumption, eating your preferred treat takes longer. Sometimes much longer. It is processed through the stomach and liver and is extremely effective in crossing the blood-brain barrier by that route. It comes on slower, lasts longer, and is more potent. Impatient people may wonder why they’re not getting high when they think they should be high, eat some more, and then end up either completely freaked out or utterly immobilized.

Locally, since legalization, the Telwww.TellurideMagazine.com

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luride Medical Center deals with a handful of patients every year who didn’t give it that extra 30 minutes and end up in the clinic pretty sure they are going to die. You won’t. It wears off and you’ll be fine, but it’s scary, or so I’ve heard.

Don’t be impatient. Wait. And wait a little more. I spent far more time educating younger clients about edibles than anything else. Forgive the generalization, but the busloads of college kids from Ohio or Alabama who descend on the resort in the winter buying bag loads of whatever (state law allows for the purchase of a fair amount of edible cannabis) are the ones who most need the Edible Marijuana 101 lecture.

And it’s different for everyone.

You and your friend might each down a 10mg gummy candy. In an hour, you might be feeling sober and clear

while your friend is tripping out on electronic sitar music. Ten minutes later and you’re into your fourth Drippy Mitch at Taco del Gnar.

We’ve heard all the horror stories about weed. The demonization of cannabis stems from the beginning of the last century and was fueled by wealthy industrialists who feared that cannabis’s THC-free cousin, industrial hemp, would threaten their interests in paper mills and forests, industrial lubricants, fibers and the other numerous uses for this easy-to-grow wonder plant. Marijuana was caught up in the prohibition of hemp and painted as a societal ill, used by the dregs of humanity— poor people, jazz musicians, and hopeless addicts. That is even in the face of statistics that show that alcohol use, not weed, remains a common

It wasn’t long before I was at the Marijuana Enforcement Division offices in downtown Denver, sitting in a florescent-lit holding room surrounded by a diverse range of folks all waiting to be processed by bored-looking women in pantyhose in our shared quest for The Badge.

denominator in violent crime, and that there have been zero—repeat, zero—deaths attributed to smoking or eating cannabis.

Thanks to legalization in one form or another in 23 states, a better understanding of cannabis is swaying more and more skeptics. I saw clients who were desperate for a good night’s sleep report weeks of precious slumber, thanks to a before-bedtime puff or an edible. Mainstream news now reports the powerful effectiveness of treating certain conditions like PTSD and seizures with CBD extracts (the non-psychoactive element of the plant), and stories of families moving to legal states to treat suffering children abound. States that have given the voter-mandated green light to decriminalization are seeing literally billions of dollars flood into state and municipal coffers, making cannabis sales a $14 billion industry nationally.

In Colorado it is a $1 billion per year money-making machine, and the tax money is put toward projects that address a range of issues and needs, from homelessness, to street projects, building schools, college scholarships, and more.

Here’s the great thing about cannabis, and life in a free country, for that matter. It’s your choice. Smoke, don’t smoke. Fly in a wingsuit, don’t fly in a wingsuit. Wear a red tie, wear a blue tie. It’s up to you.

Me? It helps me rally through my Seasonal Affective Disorder, keeping my rudder in the water when life looks bleak, kindly dispenses with my bouts of insomnia, and ladies of a certain age, know you this—I crushed menopause. Crushed it, thanks to weed. Not a day goes by when I do not send up a blessing to legalized cannabis. As we old hippies like to say, “This happened in my lifetime.” \

Lot 4R

Lot 5R

-13675 COUNTY ROAD 63L - Ptarmigan in Ilium Situated in the beautiful Ilium Valley, these parcels enjoy over a half mile on the South Fork of the San Miguel River. Site 4, on 9.48 acres, features an attractive post and beam home with 5 beds and 4.5 baths. Excellent outdoor living spaces, big sun and great mountain views create one of the nicest settings around. Site 5’s 10.3 acres featuring a caretaker unit and 3-stall barn, overlook a beautiful stretch of river.

OPTION 1: Sites 4 & 5 (as currently configured) $3,600,000 OPTION 2: Parcel 4R (to be reconfigured as vacant land - 8.8 acres) $1,200,000 OPTION 3: Parcel 5R (to be reconfigured to include all improvements - 11 acres) $2,650,000

RARE MOUNTAIN VIEWS, ALL DAY SUN, & SUPERB PROXIMITY TO TOWN!

Damon Demas Seasoned Broker ddemas@tellurideproperties.com | 970.369.5324, Direct I 970.708.2148, Cell 237 South Oak Street @ the Telluride Gondola | Telluride, Colorado 81435 I Damon.SearchTellurideRealEstate.com

When You Are Here, You Are Happy.

Find Your Place in Telluride.

2

3

4

5

-2373 QUAKEY LANE - Ski Ranches Sited upon a 2-acre lot with tremendous views, surrounded by aspen trees & bathed in sunlight, this 4-bed home has a 2-car garage with a caretaker unit above. $1,200,000

-3389 RIDGE ROAD, LOT 7 - Ski Ranches Private, end-of-road 2.04-acre site with huge potential views to the Wilson Range & direct access to national forest. One of the finest lots available in the Ski Ranches. $500,000

-4858 WAPITI ROAD - Ski Ranches Classic 5-bed log home, recently remodeled on a private 1.5-acre setting. A floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace & large view windows are a perfect compliment to the wrap around deck. $1,049,000

-531 DIAMOND POINT LANE - Ski Ranches An extraordinary setting among the aspen with tremendous views to the Wilsons & San Sophia Ridgeline. Recently renovated 5-bed, 5,350 s.f. home. This may be the region’s best buy. $1,650,000

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Find more details about these properties and search all Telluride area real estate at Damon.SearchTellurideRealEstate.com

44 • NATURE NOTES

The Enemy of the Mule Deer Experts disagree whether predators or oil and gas development are causing populations to decline

By Deanna Drew

I

t’s hard to imagine that the sweet, big-eared mule deer could have an enemy. They are considered an important and valuable wildlife species in Western Colorado, attractive to tourists and revered by hunters whose take is limited to sustain their numbers. Some of the state’s largest mule deer herds exist here on the state’s west slope, where the “muleys” are an iconic part of our Western heritage and lifestyle.

But mule deer populations have declined significantly in the state during the past decade, from about 600,000 in 2006 to roughly 390,000 in 2013, a decrease considered atypical and well below population goals established by state wildlife agency Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

Something is affecting the mule deer, but who or what is the enemy?

Although deer populations fluctuate naturally, throughout history most of the factors driving the downward trend have been human-caused. The first European settlers came to Colorado in 1850, followed by prospectors, settlers, and ranchers; by the beginning of the

Although deer populations fluctuate naturally, throughout history most of the factors driving the downward trend have been human-caused.

20th century the region became heavily populated, and the state’s vast herds were hunted to near extinction.

As a result, in 1903 the government began efforts to save the species

including the issue of hunting licenses, increased control of predators such as wolves, and winter feeding campaigns.

The first federal funding for scientific deer research was granted in 1932, and

by the 1960s mule deer populations were thriving again.

Then later in the century, the growing interest in Colorado’s natural resources and recreation opportunities caused thousands more acres of mule deer’s sagebrush habitat to be developed. These factors, along with climate change, wildfire suppression, disease, and accidental death warrant CPW biologists taking a closer, but controversial, look at how to sustain wildlife populations in our changing landscape.

As a part of the agency’s longterm strategy to stabilize, sustain, and increase dwindling mule deer populations on Colorado’s west slope (Colorado West Slope Mule Deer Strategy, November 2014) CPW recently approved two multi-year predator research projects. These predator control plans call for removal of black bear and mountain lions from two separate study areas, to evaluate predator control as a way to increase mule deer populations in areas where the agency says habitat and hunting don’t appear to be limiting herd size.

The Piceance Basin on the Roan Plateau north of Grand Junction is historically inhabited by one of the largest migratory mule deer populations in the nation. Scientists have been studying deer populations on the Roan since the 1940s, and despite intense research, current numbers continue to be in the lower range of historic levels. According to the CPW Piceance Basin Predator Management Plan, scientific research has ruled out habitat and hunting as the cause of the mule deer population decline in the Piceance Basin. So, the plan calls for elimination of approximately 5 to 10 cougars and 10 to 20 black bears annually in this region for three years (1% and 2% of unit populations respectively), to determine the extent to which predation by bears and lions on fawns is limiting mule deer population size.

However, conservationists argue that loss of habitat from oil and gas development, not native predators, is the driving factor in western Colorado mule deer decline. The 7,100-square-mile Piceance Basin on the Roan Plateau contains one of the largest natural gas fields in the nation. Multiple energy corporations own extraction rights throughout the mule deer’s 600-squaremile winter range in the basin, and gas resources there are being developed extensively.

Although CPW research concluded energy development impacts to deer habitat (fragmentation and destruction, increased deer-vehicle collisions, and higher noise levels) are not limiting deer populations in the Piceance Basin study area, opponents say spilled fluids and tainted water, as well as the extraction of water for natural gas extraction operations, are degrading deer habitat and affecting deer populations in the basin. Further, they question the energy corporations’ cooperation in the scientific research CPW used, and argue the roads built to drilling sites allow vehicle access through deer habitat and lead to more poaching on the vast plateau.

The second study will monitor mule deer response to cougar culling in the Upper Arkansas River Valley, where the leading cause of mule deer mortality since 1999 has been mountain lions, with elevated levels from 2008–2012. Similar to the Piceance Basin, habitat in the 3,000-acre Arkansas Basin study area is not considered a significant factor in fawn survivor rates, and the Upper Arkansas River Predator Management Plan calls for hunting of an additional 20 to 30 cougars per year in two adjacent study areas (6% of one study unit population, 16% of another) to examine how mule deer populations may respond to cougar harvests. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate effects of cougar population density on mule deer populations, but CPW says this project will have the added benefit of allowing the scientists to evaluate the effectiveness of sport hunting to manage cougar populations and how they respond to high levels of cougar harvest.

Both CPW predator management plans have drawn lawsuits from environmentalists, which claim the proposal to kill native carnivores is a misguided experiment that violates state laws and fails to fully analyze and disclose the impact of predator killing on Colorado’s wild environment and biodiversity. “I’m outraged that Colorado plans to kill bears and mountain lions to boost deer populations for hunters,” said Collette Adkins, a biologist and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.

But in a published response to criticism from scientists and scholars of the studies, CPW describes the studies as routine and defends the plans as part of the agency’s responsibility to manage wildlife for the use and enjoyment of all the people of the state and its visitors. “There is no preconceived notion of what the result of the research will be or what future management actions might be taken in response to it, if any,” CPW scientists responded. “Rather, CPW simply seeks additional information regarding the interaction of predator and prey species in Colorado.”

Regardless, environmental groups WildEarth Guardians and Center for Biodiversity believe additional scientific analysis of the studies will prove the predator studies are ecologically harmful, ineffective, and cruel, and have asked the courts to require a complete environmental impact statement before allowing the bear and lion kills to move forward. The studies were scheduled to begin this spring. \

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46 • ESSAY

Bowling for DAD

By Deb Dion Kees

I

don’t know who the recreation specialist is, but she’s got some skills. She lines the chairs along the hallway, sets up the plastic pins, and tells everyone to take a seat. I must look as lost as I feel, because she smiles at me with serious wattage and says in a soothing voice, “Why don’t you keep score?”

I’m grateful to have something to do with my hands, writing the number of pins knocked down on the white board with a marker, rushing to pick them up and arrange them in a neat triangle. It’s like being at a cocktail party and trying to act cool standing on the perimeter, only without the edifying effect of a drink.

I immerse myself in my new duty. I spell everyone’s name out neatly on the board, I am diligent in my accounting of each frame, and I am far too quick at setting up the pins each time. Nobody notices what I am doing. I am invisible. Nobody here at the Alzheimer’s center knows me or recognizes my face. Not even my dad.

The recreation specialist is something like the cruise director, or the game show host. She is effusive, bubbling over like a shaken can of coke every time someone rolls

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the ball down the hall. If you had Alzheimer’s, you would take this at face value. It is exciting to bowl in the hallway! What a great bunch of bowlers you are! She is familiar with every person, and she repeats their name often. She re-introduces me to my father in a way that seems disturbingly natural. “Bob, isn’t it so great that your daughter came to visit? Everyone, this is Bob’s daughter from Colorado.”

I’m used to the repetition part.

For the last several years, it’s been rudimentary. Explaining where we are going and why fifty times during every car ride. Exchanging commentary on the weather, waiting a few minutes, then having the same exchange. Giving a dossier of my kids, my husband, and where we live over and over again. I point to the T-shirt I gave him on his birthday.

“It’s Telluride, Dad. It’s a ski town in the mountains.” And every time, my voice cracks with shame for being so far away. I was not here to make sure he shut off the stove after he boiled water for tea. He would stare blankly at the television screen, watching CNN for hours. It must have seemed like science fiction to

him, something from a future world he was not part of, and I was not here to explain it. I was not here to make sure he changed his clothes, or ate, or brushed his teeth.

Earlier, the recreational therapist invited me to lunch with my dad, walking me through the kitchen and introducing me to all the staff: “Isn’t it great? This is Bob’s daughter, visiting from Colorado.” We ate, and I struggled to make conversation.

It was church-quiet except for the subdued chatter of the women washing dishes, and then I remembered he loved green tea and asked if he could have some. It’s his favorite, I explained. He nodded approvingly, before trying to set me up with my brother, who was not there, and whose name he could not bring to mind. “You’d like him. He’s very smart.” The caregivers brought out his green tea; they had a special box for him. They already knew he preferred it.

Bob is not an extraordinary bowler. In his former life, before Alzheimer’s, he was an engineer and a physics professor. The angles and trajectory of the bowling ball would have meant something before the

disease took hold. He might have even been good at it. At this point, it is all about keeping him moving, sitting and standing, and tingling the neurons in his brain trying to send some electricity down the synapses.

It’s just a group activity for people with dementia, and here I am, as desperate to see my dad get a strike as any parent is for their kids to nail their lines in the school play, or score a goal on the soccer field.

He looks at me and smiles shyly, unsure of who I am or why I’m here.

Today I am not his daughter, but a cheerleader, a girl keeping score and picking up pins. He catches my eye briefly, and sends the ball toward me, in what by all measure would have been the perfect compass point—just west of the front pin. It hits but not everything falls, and he’s left with a split. The hardest shot in bowling, with two lonely pins impossibly far apart and no easy way to hit both. He sits back down at the side of the hallway obediently, and the recreation specialist grabs his arm enthusiastically, standing him up for a second turn. He lobs the ball and knocks just one pin down, and that is enough.

It has to be. \

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48 • HISTORY

PRESUMED GUILTY The Marlow Brothers and their Fight for Justice eorge Marlow looked around the room and smiled. The Montrose Elks Lodge on a fine day in June 1933 was a sea of friendly faces. His six children, 23 grandkids, and a slew of great-grandchildren he could never keep track of, along with friends and neighbors and invited guests from all over western Colorado, were there to celebrate his and Lillian’s 50th wedding anniversary. His brother, Charley, was in attendance, too. As it sometimes happened when Charley was around, George fell victim to an unconscious habit of rubbing the back of his right hand. And as was always the case when he discovered himself kneading the bones of that once wounded appendage, his mind raced back to a time over forty years earlier when a bizarre series of events in Texas forever altered his and his family’s life.

G

Charley (left) and George Marlow at the mob trials in Graham, Texas, August 6, 1890. (photo courtesy of the Ouray County Historical Society Collection). www.ouraycountyhistoricalsociety.org.

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It was late summer 1888. Las Animas County Sheriff Bill Burns had received a complaint that forty horses had been rustled from a ranch just outside of Trinidad, Colorado. For some reason, Burns surmised the five Marlow brothers, George, Charley, Boone, Alfred (Alf), and Llewellyn (Epp), were responsible. Burns contacted Deputy U.S. Marshall Edward Johnson in Graham, Texas—500 miles from Trinidad—requesting he be on the look out for the Marlow brothers, who, with the exception of George, who was in Gunnison, Colorado visiting his in laws at the time, were known to be living and working in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

Marshal Johnson was also in the employ of the Stock Raisers Association of North-West Texas. As a “range detective” it was Johnson’s job to “strongly” discourage rustling in the region.

And the best deterrent to his way of thinking was to arrest and incarcerate as many suspects has he could locate, guilt not necessarily a prerequisite. Five brothers? Well, that might look good on his résumé, if not in his pocketbook.

That Sheriff Burns wrote to inform him the missing horses had been returned to their owner did nothing to deter Johnson in his mission to bring in the Marlow boys. In late August Johnson and his posse rounded up Boone, Charley, Alf and Epp. On their way back to Graham, the brothers insisted they’d never been in any trouble with law, only that “Boone,” one of them let slip, “had once killed a man, but that was in self defense.”

Upon his return from Gunnison, George— along with his mother, his brothers’ wives and children and their stock of horses and cattle—took up temporary residence on a ranch outside of Graham, just over 100 miles north and west of Dallas. When George made his first appearance in Graham in October to obtain the release of his brothers, he found himself on the inside of Marshal Johnson’s jailhouse.

Johnson had somehow procured a grand jury indictment against the Marlow brothers for theft, not of forty horses from Trinidad but for 140 horses from the Indian Territory. The alleged victims of the crime later testified they were unaware they’d been robbed. The boys were bound over for trial, scheduled for March 1889. Mother Marlow secured bond for her sons’ release.

Not content with—or perhaps not confident of—conviction in March, Johnson and his minions took great pains to paint the brothers as horse thieves, cutthroats, fugitives from justice, and all around unsavory characters.

If Johnson couldn’t secure a guilty verdict in chambers, he’d do so in the court of public opinion. The tactics had the desired effect. After Johnson obtained a warrant for Boone’s arrest on murder charges it seemed almost everyone in Graham was after a piece of Marlow flesh.

On the day the warrant for Boone’s arrest arrived in Graham, Johnson was away from town. The obligation to bring Boone in fell to Sheriff Marion Wallace, perhaps one of the few in town who held a dim view of Johnson and who was not indisposed to treat the Marlow family with some neighborly respect. Wallace and his deputy, Tom Collier, rode out to the Marlow ranch to do their duty.

The Charles and George Marlow families at their home up Billy Creek, near Ridgway, 1897: Lillian Marlow (5th from left), then George Marlow, Martha Jane (Mother) Marlow (seated), Charles Marlow holding daughter Georgia, and Emma Marlow. (photo courtesy of the Ouray County Historical Society Collection). www.ouraycountyhistoricalsociety.org.

Collier, like Johnson, had it in for the Marlows. Entering the ranch house, the deputy announced, “I’ve come for you, Boone.” He pulled his revolver and fired. Collier missed his mark and fled. Boone chased after the deputy.

Seeing an armed man come round the corner and thinking it Collier, he fired, mortally wounding Sheriff Wallace. Knowing he’d never allow himself to spend another day in jail, Boone Marlow took off on horseback. It was the last time anyone of his family saw him alive.

No sooner had Epp arrived in town to fetch the doctor to tend to Wallace than he was placed into custody. Collier gathered a posse, returned to the ranch and arrested Charley.

George and Alf, even though they were not at the ranch at the time of the shooting, were later arrested. All four were charged with complicity in the shooting of Wallace. The sentiment against the Marlow brothers turned from malevolent to murderous; the townspeople were intent upon “an eye for an eye.”

Whether it was the best way to save the four Marlow brothers from lynching—as U.S. Marshal William Cabell intended—or used as a convenient excuse by Johnson and his cohorts to get the boys away from Graham in order to do them in, the four brothers were scheduled to be transported to Weatherford, Texas some 60 miles away on the night of January 19, 1889.

Shackled in pairs at the waist and ankles— Charley to Alf and George to Epp—the brothers sensed something was wrong. “We’ll be mobbed in fifteen minutes,” Charley predicted after their wagon stopped at the edge of Dry Creek, just two miles outside of Graham. And when Johnson, who was seated in another wagon, shouted, “Boys, have a drink,” George instinctively ducked. All at once, the night exploded in gunfire.

The two sets of brothers leapt from the wagon, seized weapons from their supposed guards, and prepared to defend themselves.

Another volley of rifle fire from the mob—estimated at around twenty-five men—killed Alf and Epp instantly. Charley was hit in the face and chest by a shotgun blast and George’s right hand was wounded. But George and Charley fought on, standing back to back, their dead brothers lying at their feet. That a half dozen of the mob had fallen, either wounded or dead, had a sobering effect on those yet unharmed.

They fled in panic. Charley and George undertook the gruesome task of separating their brothers’ feet from their bodies in order to escape from the chains. The end of what became known as the “Battle of Dry Creek” was no more than a temporary ceasefire in the war against the Marlow brothers.

Charley and George were expecting Tom Collier (now Sheriff) and his posse when they arrived at the ranch the next day. Collier watched, with a mixture of relief and displeasure, when the two brothers agreed to leave with Marshal Cabell’s deputy, W.H. Morton. The two would be incarcerated—safe and sound and healing from their wounds—in Dallas, until their March trial. Boone was not so fortunate.

Boone Marlow’s body was brought into Graham on January 23. A trio of men claimed they’d shot him when he resisted arrest. They were there to collect their $1,500 reward. The coroner, however, reported that Boone had been poisoned before he’d been shot. The three men were indicted, found guilty, and spent long terms in the penitentiary. Boone joined Alf and Epp at the cemetery in Finis, Texas (not far from Graham). An inscription on their shared headstone reads: Violence Was No Stranger.

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49

50 • HISTORY Charley and George were acquitted on the horse theft charges. Despite efforts by Johnson to procure witnesses against the brothers, there was simply no evidence to prove their guilt.

Furthermore, public opinion was beginning to turn against Johnson and the Dry Creek mob.

The brothers were sworn in as federal witnesses and they supplied authorities with detailed accounts of what happened at Dry Creek on the night of January 19. Their testimony would, they were told, be essential for bringing indictments against those who’d tried to kill them.

In August 1889 word reached Charley that Tom Collier had been able to secure an indictment against him in connection with the shooting of Sheriff Wallace. Understanding a fair trial in Graham was unlikely he, with George and the rest of the family, took off for Colorado and Gunnison County. The Marlows had a friend there in County Sheriff and Deputy U.S. Marshal Cyrus W. (Doc) Shores. Shores suggested the family relocate to the newly established town of Ridgway, in Ouray County. The boys and their families settled in to what they ardently hoped was a new life.

Their peace would not hold for long.

The absence of George and Charley resulted in one postponement, then another, after the grand jury convened in Graham in July 1890.

Judge McCormick instructed U.S. Marshal George Knight to do what was necessary to present George and Charley as witnesses for the prosecution. The Denver Times ran an ad offering $500 for the brothers’ apprehension, $250 for news of their whereabouts. Doc Shores saw the Times notice and went immediately to Ridgway to convince the brothers to turn themselves in. “It’ll go better for you if you do,” Shores explained.

The Marlows were not inclined to give themselves up or lay down their guns, not for anyone, not even a trusted friend like Doc Shores. “What if I make you deputy sheriffs?”

Doc asked them. “You’ll be able to carry your guns. I’ll pay all of your expenses until Knight gets here. And he’ll guarantee your safe conduct to Texas and back after the trials are over.” Charley and George reluctantly agreed.

The trial of the mob conspirators in Graham, Texas possessed all the trappings of a three-ring circus. People came from every part of northern Texas and beyond. Deputies charged with protecting the witnesses— and the defendants—confiscated enough six-shooters, bowie knives and rifles to fill the foyer next to courtroom. On the strength of George and Charley’s testimony a federal grand jury on October 30, 1890 indicted twelve men—including Collier and Johnson— charging them with “conspiracy to deprive citizens of their rights under the Constitution and laws of the United States and murder in the first degree in pursuance of the conspiracy.”

Perhaps to ensure their appearance during the upcoming March session of the district court—George and Charley did have a habit of disappearing at inopportune times—Marshal

Charley (left) and George Marlow at the mob trials in Graham, Texas, August 6, 1890. (photo courtesy of the Ouray County Historical Society Collection). www.ouraycountyhistoricalsociety.org.

This is the first time in the annals of history where unarmed prisoners, shackled together, ever repelled a mob.

Such cool courage that preferred to fight against such great odds and die, if at all, in glorious battle rather than die ignominiously by a frenzied mob deserves to be commemorated in song and story.

– U.S. District Judge Andrew McCormick, April 18, 1891

Knight issued two of the more bizarre documents in Texas legal history. One appointed George a special deputy U.S. marshal and charged him with the responsibility of holding Charley in custody as a witness; the other, of course, gave Charley the same title and responsibility for holding his brother, George, in custody. On April 17, 1891, the jury found most of

the defendants guilty of conspiracy, but not of murder. Lawyers for some of the conspirators appealed the court’s decision. The U.S. Supreme Court set aside the verdicts and ordered a new trial. The cases were never heard.

George and Charley returned to southwestern Colorado following the trial. But it wasn’t more than a month after their homecoming when two notorious—and very well armed— Texas Rangers stepped off the train in Ridgway.

The two were in possession of a warrant, issued by the Governor of Texas, for Charley’s arrest in connection with the killing of Sheriff Wallace back in December 1888. A crowd, perhaps understanding why the two Texas lawmen had come to town, gradually grew larger and increasingly more agitated. “If those Rangers want to take the Marlows from Colorado, they had better send 2,000 instead of two men to do it,” ran the prevailing sentiment in Ridgway on that day, according to one witness.

Ouray County Sheriff J.H. Bradley, a friend of the Marlows, was responsible for enforcing out-of-state warrants. He convinced George and Charley to meet with the Rangers. “Now, Mr. Bradley,” Charley said, “we do not propose to be arrested and taken back to Texas by these men, under any circumstances, and if matters cannot be arranged as to prevent this, and an arrest becomes necessary, we want you to stand aside and let the Texas Rangers make the arrest themselves.” Bradley understood fully the implication of Charley’s statement.

“You boys,” said Ranger Bill McDonald, “know why we’re here.” George and Charley, with Sheriff Bradley, stood on the depot platform with their back to the depot wall, their right hands resting on their guns. The Rangers extended their left hands in greeting, keeping their right hands, as the brothers did, out of sight. “Well,” returned Charley, “that will be up to the Governor in Denver to decide.” Every eye in town was focused on the Marlows, then on the Texas Rangers, and back again, in anticipation of or perhaps wishing for a showdown that never took place.

The Texas Rangers boarded a Texas-bound train two days later empty-handed. Colorado Governor Routt had determined that since the Marlows were under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Courts, were federal witnesses and deputized officials, they could not be arrested by local authorities from Texas, or any other state for that matter. George and Charley Marlow were, for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, rid of the law—and the men—who had taken their brothers’ lives and who’d attempted and failed to deny them their freedom. \\\

Charley stood near his brother, who, he could see, was rubbing his right hand. He could tell by the look on George’s face where his brother’s thoughts had been. “You been back there, I see.” George looked at his brother and nodded. “I know,” said Charley, “I was there and I can’t believe still that it happened.” \

The author relied heavily on the following works for this story: the Fighting Marlows by Glenn Shirley, and Life of the Marlows, revised by William Rathmell and edited with annotations by Robert K. DeArment. Thanks to Jim Pettengill, a man well acquainted with southwestern Colorado history and the Marlow brothers, for his review of the text.

The Sons of Katie Elder was released in July1965 and starred John Wayne. The movie was based (loosely) on the Marlow brothers’ story.

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A

The Three Smartest People in the Room

S

yrup or jam?

This is the question that Erika Zavaleta poses to her children on pancake mornings, and she loves the answer that 10-year-old Russell always gives: “Both.”

Zavaleta has adopted the same sort of attitude toward her life; why not try to have everything you want? Maybe nobody ever discouraged her from pursuing a career in STEM as a woman, or told her that it was difficult to be a professional and have a family. If they did, she ignored it. She became a conservation scientist with a PhD in biological sciences and a college professor at UC Santa Cruz who and spends winters in Telluride and summers in California— and a mother of four. “Why should we have to choose? It helps that I have an incredibly supportive husband and parents. It’s important to have balance.

I could very easily have been someone who just worked and never had a family, but my father instilled in me that you have just one shot. You can have a family if that’s what you want and enjoy what you’re doing. I really believe in that.”

Zavaleta was born in New York; her mother had immigrated from India and her father from Bolivia, both to study in the United States. Some of her earliest memories are from spending time in upstate New York, collecting frogs, being outside. She says she felt a strong connection to the natural world and was interested in science at a very young age. “I’m a hands-on learner.

What I remember from school is all the things we did that were hands-on— planting seeds, building circuits.”

She got her undergrad degree in anthropology rather than biology at Stanford University, because, she says, she was intimidated by the chemistry.

But she gravitated back in that direction, earning her master’s degree in human ecology and PhD in biological sciences. Zavaleta bounced between all kinds of field work and jobs throughout her education—forest service ranger, raft guide, scooping frozen yogurt, bike racer, a position at an environmental NGO, a correspondent for High Country News, carpentry in Europe, a researcher in Alaska. “I had a totally non-linear path to being a scientist.

I think it’s really OK to go about your education in that way, and in some ways it’s better. It helps me bring in weird, different perspectives. Scientists have a reputation as being reclusive but underwww.TellurideMagazine.com

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You Can Have It All h

ERIKA ZAVALETA

A scientist, a professor, and a mother of four

To me, science is ultimately telling stories about the way the world works that give people insight about the way we live in it. standing different kinds of people and faraway parts of the world is important as a scientist. You need a representative sense of the world.”

Zavaleta speaks furiously, not in the angry sense, but rapidly, like the words tumbling out of her mouth can barely keep up with her thoughts. Dark,

curly hair frames her face, and she has a constant, natural smile and sparkling eyes that express how effusive she is about her work. She seems to shine as she talks about her various field projects. She has studied the implications of forest loss in Ethiopia, how climate change is affecting oak trees in Cali-

fornia, how wildfire patterns influence animals, plants, and humans in Alaska, and as an advisor to the Wildlife Conservation Society she looks for ways to preserve biodiversity and encourage conservation in urban areas across North America—keeping species from going extinct and preserving migration routes. Now, she’s investigating rosy finches, the highest elevation breeding birds in America that live right here in Telluride. It’s labor intensive, finding and banding the birds, testing their feathers. “They are like the climate change canaries,” she says. “How many are there, are they declining, where do they go in winter, what do they eat? It’s like detective work, trying to create a genoscape. To me, science is ultimately telling stories about the way the world works that give people insight about the way we live in it.”

Zavaleta and her family first moved from California to Telluride in 2014, for what was supposed to be a short sabbatical. Her husband is a big wave surfer and they were reluctant to leave the ocean behind, but she says that after about six weeks they were ensnared by Telluride’s magical trap.

They wanted to stay; the three youngest are in school here, she started volunteering with Pinhead Institute and Telluride Historical Museum, and they ended up buying a house and making this their winter home. She found other dry-land outlets for her boundless energy: skiing, hiking, trail running, biking. “I’m one of those people who thinks better when I’m moving.”

All of Zavaleta’s myriad work as a conservation scientist boils down to a single question: How to think mechanistically about a complex ecological problem and use it to figure out the intervention points.

It’s about understanding systems, she says. She applies this same logical analysis when she executes the balance between her work and her life. She has figured out how to live in two places she loves, how to juggle a career and a family and still find time to teach, volunteer, travel, and recreate. “It’s another creative problem-solving exercise. I spend a ton of time with my kids; it’s not a given that you have to choose. They come with me on my field courses— it’s good for them, for the students, and for me. I like to move away from thinking about the trade-offs.” \

PHOTO BY MATT KROLL

PhD scientist, an international doctor, and a computer genius walk into a bar. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it’s actually just your average day in Telluride. Locals Erika Zavaleta, Simon Kotlyar, and Moiz Kohari are three of the most intelligent, successful—and modest—people you will ever meet. If you are only casually acquainted with them, you might not realize that they are probably the three smartest people in the room, in pretty much any room, anywhere. All three of them have had to travel extensively for their work, but they all have chosen Telluride as their home, outdoor playground, and place to raise a family. Here are their stories.

PHOTO BY MATT KROLL

S

ome people graduate from college and have to take jobs waiting tables, or washing dishes, or maybe, if they’re lucky, as a clerk at a law firm or an entry level position at a big corporation.

Moiz Kohari? His first job was at NASA. He was a subcontractor working on the shuttle launch and control systems.

Kohari grew up in Karachi, Pakistan and moved to the United States before attending Rochester Institute of Technology. RIT is a private, doctoral university where Kohari studied computer science with a concentration in digital engineering and operating systems. He also took executive management courses at Stanford and Boston University. He is brilliant, although that’s not a word he would ever use to describe himself, and he has been on the forefront of emerging computer technology since the beginning of his career.

“Right off the bat, I was able to work on something pertinent,” he says.

From NASA he went on to work for one of the founding computer science companies designing personal memory subsystems and NUMA (non uniform memory access). This was decades ago, and the processing speed of computers at the time was faster than the ability to access memory; NUMA created a new architecture to resolve the issue.

After that, he started a Linux software company, Mission Critical Linux.

The code base from MCLX powers the high availability and enterprise capabilities for Red Hat Linux. Linux is an open source operating system, and this software supports a variety of industries, including financial services, telecommunications, health care, government, and even the CERN laboratory—you know, where Nobel laureate physicists confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson particle.

There was also a brief stint as the chief technology officer working on real-time computing and cloud infrastructure before Kohari started with the latest and most revolutionary innovations in computer science: blockchain technology and cognitive computing. Blockchain was the foundation for Bitcoin currency, a digital ledger system that is decentralized and distributed across a network of computers. A much faster and more secure way to conduct transactions, the technology is rapidly being adopted by the financial industry.

Kohari was the chief innovation officer for the London Stock Exchange, running their advanced platforms team. And cognitive computing is popularly known as AI or artificial intelligence—systems that can learn and grow smarter in response

Digital Master h

MOIZ KOHARI

Computer genius and mountaineer

“My friend Andy Sawyer always used to say that climbing is the lazy man’s way to Zen.” to their environment and data. “My job is super interesting, there’s no question about it,” says Kohari.

“These technologies are going to change the way the world operates.

In my space it’s financial movement, all asset classes. It’s going to go

through such a revolutionary change in the near future, where all of these asset movements—title transfers, settling of stocks—are going to be nearly instantaneous. And it’s going to happen in every industry, all over the planet.”

It was much earlier in his career, more than two decades ago, when Kohari decided to move to Telluride. The company he was working for said no, that he couldn’t move, so he quit. At first they assumed he was going to work for a competitor, but when Kohari assured them that wasn’t the case, they asked him what he was going to do. “I don’t know. Wash dishes,” he said. They relented, and let him work remotely.

He was willing to do what any ski bum or dirtbag climber would do to feed their appetite for the mountain lifestyle, but he was lucky enough— and valued enough—to remain working in his field. “If you’re passionate about what you do, you’ll find a way,” he says. “Many of my friends could easily choose to have this type of lifestyle, and they don’t.

It’s really a matter of the choices that we all make.”

He used to put in a hundred days a season, skiing bumps, coaching, and venturing into the backcountry, and he became skilled enough at climbing to lead 5.10 routes, but now he also has to balance his athletic endeavors with raising a family. He has three children, the youngest of whom is just three years old, and he has spent a lot of time volunteering with Pinhead Institute and helping to establish computer classes in the school district.

“We have an AP computer science course, which is great, but we need to bring in additional programs, not just programming languages— exposing students to computer architecture, storage, core concepts of how you design systems.”

Kohari is soft spoken and handsome, with a slight English accent, a gentle demeanor, and kind brown eyes. You might imagine from his work, which is all about instantaneous response to critical situations and the fast-paced vanguard of the computer industry, that he would approach skiing and climbing the same way. His friends say he’s just the opposite—always a little late to meet up for an adventure, and perpetually composed, casual, and calm. That’s because although for some people, mountaineering is tough and tedious, for Kohari, it’s the antithesis—play and rejuvenation. “My friend Andy Sawyer always used to say that climbing is the lazy man’s way to Zen. You need to be able to escape, meditate, put everything behind. Some of us meditate by climbing and skiing. We don’t think about anything except what we’re doing. It helps us escape from the world we live in and takes us away from the pressures of everyday life.” \

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53

54 • TELLURIDE FACES

Rising to the Challenge h

SIMON KOTLYAR

W

hen panic set in during the 2013 Ebola crisis in Liberia, there was a quarantine, and borders were closed. Hospitals shut down in fear—no one was getting treated, even for emergency care that was not related to the outbreak.

Two of the doctors who died were his friends; but still, he went. He was called upon by the CDC to help, and his skill set as a tropical disease specialist with long term experience in Liberia were needed.

Simon Kotlyar brushes off any praise, saying that he was just setting up triage and the protocols to care for patients without Ebola. He was not in the center of the outbreak, he says. Yet not everyone has the right training to handle an emergency situation like this and save lives, and almost no one is that brave. But Kotlyar is no ordinary doctor; he was uniquely qualified to help.

Kotlyar did his residency at Yale. He got his master’s in London in tropical infectious disease.

He stayed on at Yale as Director of Global Health, and did stints throughout his impressive career working in Zambia, Kenya, Liberia, and Israel. His interest in international medicine was initially sparked by an experience in Israel during the first intifada, as part of a small program at Columbia University. He lived in a rugged part of the country, caring for Bedouins and Ethiopian and Russian immigrants. “It really opened my eyes politically and about international health. It was a confluence of cultures, and the program was geared toward developing skills to use in international settings. How to work with a translator, identifying tropical diseases…it was awesome.”

Kotlyar has dark curly hair that sets off his limpid, ice-blue eyes.

Born in Russia, he came to the United States in 1980—both of his parents were Russian Jews, and political refugees who had filed for religious asylum and settled in California. He grew up, he says, in a crowded house with people from three families. His grandmother arrived from Russia when he was just seven years old. She was a doctor, which for a woman was unique during that era, and inspired Simon’s interest in medicine. “She would tell me stories after school.

I remember the anatomy lessons in www.TellurideMagazine.com

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“People have a story, whether it’s how they got hurt or why they’re in the ER at three in the morning. It’s a cross-section of society and you get to see the human side of people.” the kitchen, when she would chop up a chicken, showing me the chambers of the heart.”

Kotlyar claims he was just an average student, more of an athlete, playing football and hockey. He says he only got into college because he was recruited for hockey, which he still plays here in Telluride. “That was my ticket. But as soon as I got

into college, I sort of blossomed intellectually and academically. I was finally challenged.”

He met his wife Amanda at Yale, and continued to spend several months of each year in West Africa, even after the birth of their daughter. When Amanda was pregnant with their second child, they decided to make a change and try

life in a mountain town. He had become a little disillusioned by the politics of global health work; temporary funding that in some cases did not leave the right economic models and incentives in place for long-term solutions.

Kotlyar had always had a background passion for mountaineering and ice climbing, and had even trained with the U.S. army in military mountain medicine. Peter Hackett, the famed high-altitude doctor in Telluride, was retiring, so there was an opening here, and they made the move. “I wanted to spend more time with the kids. We started looking for another life. Here, I’m just a doctor. And the sense of community is delightfully better than I thought it would be. I didn’t expect it and I was pleasantly surprised.”

Kotlyar misses the educational piece from Yale, working with med students and residents, but he loves the personal side of medicine. As a doctor at Telluride Medical Center, he mostly treats patients for skiing and biking accidents and altitude sickness, but he relishes the combination of interacting with people and diagnostic science. “People have a story, whether it’s how they got hurt or why they’re in the ER at three in the morning. It’s a cross-section of society and you get to see the human side of people. Being able to connect the human side and the science is interesting to me…and I like to wear pajamas [scrubs] to work every day.”

Although Telluride doesn’t have the social and economic diversity of a city or a village in a developing country, Kotlyar still hopes to raise his family here and give them the sense of the vastness of the world and how they can make it a better place.

Does he miss the grittiness of triage work in faraway places? “I used to have an itch to go somewhere exotic and challenging, but I’m happy now.

Here you can go somewhere gnarly on your lunch break, get an adrenaline fix in the mountains, and that’s my replacement. Despite all the challenges of living in Telluride, in the end, it’s an incredibly unique place to live and to raise your kids.

The ability to have access to such a pristine and incredible mountain playground in your background is a real privilege.” \

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Local doctor and global health expert

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56 • INSIDE ART

Turn the Page

Local school keeps fine art bookbinding alive

A

By Elizabeth Guest

t 117 North Willow Street is Telluride’s best kept secret, tucked away inside a historic stone building from 1909. A peek inside the immaculately restored structure reveals a hefty press and rows of tools. The space is bright, the light spilling through the lofty windows. A small sign outside reads “The American Academy of Bookbinding.” But what is this old building made from locally quarried stone, and what is bookbinding?

The early-20th century structure was originally a livery stable. It was completely gutted a century later and re-made with an open floor plan and a 1,400-square-foot bookbinding studio, plus upstairs library, lounge, and office. The craft of bookbinding is

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much more ancient, originating circa 100 BCE in India, when religious sutras were copied on palm leaves and bound with twine. Bookbinding has evolved into a fine art, and even in today’s world of mass market commercial production, the art form is

still alive and thriving. The acclaimed American Academy of Bookbinding (AAB) was formed in 1993, and while the academy supports students of all levels, it is geared toward rigorous study for degree-oriented, professional bookbinders. “People come

here to learn something specific,” says Peter Geraty, Integrated Studies teacher. “The classes are more intense than most people expect— we’re a serious school.”

In the spring, summer, and fall, the school offers a series of intensive

classes, taught one course at a time, tackling topics such as leather binding, repair, preservation, fine binding, restoration, and more.

Classes, often taught in two-week increments, are run by a revolving faculty of expert teachers who define AAB as a small but highly specialized school. “The depth here is greater than other places because of the different teachers coming in,” says Geraty. “You can really customize your schooling to your life at this school. It’s a big commitment, but one of the only places you can do that.”

The school caters to individual students’ talents to develop an overall curriculum and appropriate path toward graduation. Some students take one class a year, others pack in a couple classes and then return two years later. “Students can come here, fulfill their assigned curriculum and finish. It works out that they can also come, take a course, take a break, and do what people do,” says Don Glaister, Director of Fine Binding. “We meet them where they are in their lives and their skill set.”

The students like the structure, the personal attention, the focused atmosphere, and the perks of having a campus in the quaint mountain town of Telluride. Students have access to the building 24 hours a day; the development of individual work ethic is important so that they can continue to develop skills when they leave. “It’s harder when they’re not here, so we’ll assign work for when they leave,” says Glaister. “It’s good because they have to establish their own working space.”

Fine art bookbinding has never been mainstream, but it stands out even more in today’s world of digital readers. “I actually think it’s good for us,” says Glaister. “People want something real; they want to hold stuff.”

New technology also has perks as far as tools and materials. Laser cutting, for example, eliminates the once painstaking process of repetitively cutting exact shapes.

“There are all these techniques now which just allow for more opportunities,” says Geraty.

AAB is becoming more renowned in the book arts community, and students come from all over the world to attend classes.

While the treasures are exhibited and found in the libraries of private collectors, it’s still a quiet niche in the publishing industry.

The school offers a way to educate enthusiasts, graduate professional bookbinders, and promote the craft to future generations.

In an effort to build awareness in bookbinding as both a trade and an art form, staff suggest interested passerby poke their head inside.

AAB is also an occasional stop on the Telluride Art Walk, which takes place the first Thursday of each month all around town. The academy hosted its triennial fine binding competition and exhibition this spring, “Open Set,” on display at the Ah Haa School’s Daniel Tucker Gallery. AAB is an affiliate program of Ah Haa School for the Arts, and Daniel Tucker was the founder of the academy and the Ah Haa. For more information, visit www.bookbindingacademy.org. \ SUMMER/FALL 2017

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57

58 • FICTION

NOT to HAVE a CHOICE IS ALSO a CHOICE

BY JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER

“W

hat can we say about Isaac Bloch?”

He left enough pause to generate some rhetorical uncertainty. Was he actually asking a question? Admitting that he didn’t know Isaac well enough to know what to say?

What can we say about Isaac Bloch?

Quickly, the wet cement of annoyance that Jacob felt at the hearse dried into something to break fists against. He hated this man. Hated his lazy righteousness, his bullshit affectations, his obsessive beard-stroking and Central Casting hand gestures, his too-tight collar and untied shoelaces and off-center yarmulke. This feeling sometimes subsumed Jacob, this unnuanced, swift, and eternal loathing. It happened with waiters, with David Letterman, with the rabbi who accused Sam. More than once he had come home from lunch with an

old friend, someone with whom he had been through dozens of seasons of life, and casually said to Julia, “I think we reached the end.” In the beginning, she didn’t know what he meant—the end of what? why the end?—but after years of living beside such a binary, unforgiving person, someone so agnostic about his own worth he was compelled to a religious certainty about others’, she came to know him, if not understand him.

“What can we say about someone about whom there is too much to say?”

The rabbi put his hands in his jacket pockets, closed his eyes, and nodded.

“Words don’t fail us, time does.

There isn’t time—not from now until time’s end—to recount the tragedy, and heroism, and tragedy of Isaac Bloch’s life. We could stand here speaking about him until our own funerals, and it wouldn’t be enough. I visited Isaac the morning of his death.”

Wait, what? Was this possible?

Wasn’t he just the schmuck rabbi, here because half of the actually good rabbi’s mouth had stopped functioning? If they’d stopped at Isaac’s on the way back from the airport, would they have crossed this man’s path?

“He called, and he asked me to come over. I heard no urgency in his voice. I heard no desperation. But I heard need. So I went. It was my first time in his home. We’d only met once or twice at shul, and always in passing. He had me sit at his kitchen table. He poured me a glass of ginger ale, served me a plate of sliced pumpernickel, some cantaloupe. Many of you have had that meal at that table.”

A gentle chuckle of recognition.

“He spoke slowly, and with effort.

He told me about Sam’s bar mitzvah, and Jacob’s show, and Max’s early long division, and Benjy’s bike-riding, and Julia’s projects, and Irv’s mishegas—that was his word.”

A chuckle. He was winning.

“And then he said, ‘Rabbi, I feel no despair anymore. For seventy years I had only nightmares, but I have no nightmares anymore. I feel only gratitude for my life, for every moment I lived. Not only the good moments. I feel gratitude for every moment of my life. I have seen so many miracles.’”

This was either the most audacious heaping and steaming mountain of Jewshit ever shoveled by a rabbi or anyone, or a revelatory glimpse into Isaac Bloch’s consciousness.

Only the rabbi knew for sure—what was accurately recounted, what was embellished, what was fabricated out of whole tallis. Had anyone ever heard Isaac use the word despair? Or gratitude? He’d have said, “It was horrible, but it could have been worse.” But would he have said that? Thankful for what? And what were all these miracles he’d witnessed?

“Then he asked me if I spoke Yiddish. I told him no. He said, ‘What kind of rabbi doesn’t speak Yiddish?’”

A proper laugh.

“I told him my grandparents spoke Yiddish to my parents, but my parents would never let me hear it. They wanted me to learn English. To forget Yiddish. He told me he’d done the same, that he was the last Yiddish-speaker in his family, that the language would be in the casket, too. And then he put his hand on my hand and said, ‘Let me teach you a Yiddish expression.’ He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Kein briere iz oich a breire.’ I asked him what it meant.

He took back his hand and said, ‘Look it up.’”

Another laugh.

“I did look it up. On my phone, in his bathroom.”

Another laugh.

“Kein briere iz oich a breire.

It means ‘Not to have a choice is also a choice.’”

No, those words couldn’t have been his. They were too faux-enlightened, too content with circumstance. Isaac Bloch was many things, and resigned was not one of them.

If having no choice were a choice, Isaac would have run out of choices once a day after 1938.

But the family needed him, especially before the family existed.

They needed him to turn his back on his grandparents, his parents, and five of his brothers. They needed him to hide in that hole with Shlomo, to walk with rigid legs toward Russia, eat other people’s garbage at night, hide, steal, forage. They needed him to forge documents to board the boat, and tell the right lies to the U.S. immigration officer, and work eighteen-hour days to keep the grocery profitable.

“Then,” the young rabbi said, “he asked me to pick up toilet paper for him at the Safeway, because they were having a sale.”

Everyone chuckled.

“I told him he didn’t need to buy toilet paper anymore. It would be taken care of by the Jewish Home. He gave me a knowing smile and said, ‘But that price . . .’”

A louder, freer laugh. “‘That’s it?’ I asked. ‘That’s it,’ he said. ‘Was there something you wanted to hear? Something you wanted to say?’ He said, ‘There are two things that everybody needs.

The first is to feel that he is adding

to the world. Do you agree?’ I told him I did. ‘The second,’ he said, ‘is toilet paper.’”

The loudest laugh yet.

“I’m thinking about a Hasidic teaching that I learned as a rabbinical student. There are three ascending levels of mourning: with tears, with silence, and with song. How do we mourn Isaac Bloch? With tears, with silence, or with song? How do we mourn the end of his life? The end of the Jewish epoch that he participated in and exemplified? The end of Jews who speak in that music of broken instruments; who arrange their grammar counterclockwise and miss the point of every cliché; who say mine instead of my, the German people instead of Nazis, and who implore their perfectly healthy relatives to be healthy instead of feeling silent gratitude for health? The end of hundred-and-fifty-decibel kisses, of that drunken European script.

Do we shed tears for their disappearance? Silently grieve? Or sing their praises?

“Isaac Bloch was not the last of his kind, but once gone,

his kind will be gone forever.

We know them—we have lived among them, they have shaped us as Jews and Americans, as sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters—but our time of knowing them is nearly complete.

And then they will be gone forever.

And we will only remember them.

Until we don’t.

“We know them. We know them with tears for their suffering, with silence for all that cannot be said, and with song for their unprecedented resilience.

There will be no more old Jews who interpret a spot of good news as the guarantee of imminent apocalypse, who treat buffets like grocery stores before blizzards, who touch a finger to the bottom lip before turning a page of their people’s Maxwell House epic.”

Jacob’s hatred was softening—not evaporating, not even melting, but losing its shape.

The rabbi paused, brought his hands together, and sighed. “As we stand at Isaac Bloch’s grave, there is a war going on. There are two wars.

One is on the brink of breaking out.

The other has been happening for

seventy years. The imminent war will determine the survival of Israel.

The old war will determine the survival of the Jewish soul.

“Survival has been the central theme and imperative of Jewish existence since the beginning, and not because we chose it to be that way. We have always had enemies, always been hunted. It’s not true that everyone hates Jews, but in every country we’ve ever lived, in every decade of every century, we have encountered hatred.

“So we’ve slept with one eye open, kept packed suitcases in the closet and one-way train tickets in the breast pockets of our shirts, against our hearts. We’ve made efforts not to offend or be too noisy. To achieve, yes, but not to draw undue attention to ourselves in the process. We’ve organized our lives around the will to perpetuate our lives—with our stories, habits, values, dreams, and anxieties. Who could blame us?

We are a traumatized people. And nothing else has trauma’s power to deform the mind and heart.

“If you were to ask one hundred Jews what was the Jewish book of the century, you would get one answer: The Diary of Anne Frank. If you were to ask what was the Jewish work of art of the century, you would get the same answer. This despite it having been created neither as a book nor as a work of art, and not in the century in which the question was asked. But its appeal—symbolically, and on its own terms—is overpowering.”

Jacob looked around to see if anyone else was as surprised by the direction this was taking. No one seemed fazed. Even Irv, whose head only ever rotated on the axis of disagreement, was nodding.

“But is it good for us? Has it been good to align ourselves with poignancy over rigor, with hiding over seeking, victimization over will? No one could blame Anne Frank for dying, but we could blame ourselves for telling her story as our own. Our stories are so fundamental to us that it’s easy to forget that we choose them. We choose to rip certain pages from our history books, and coil others into our mezuzot. We choose to make life the ultimate Jewish value, rather than differentiate the values of kinds of life, or, more radically, admit that there are things even more important than being alive.

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60 • FICTION

“So much of Judaism today— regarding Larry David as anything beyond very funny, the existence and persistence of the Jewish American Princess, the embrace of klutziness, the fear of wrath, the shifting emphasis from argument to confession—is the direct consequence of our choice to have Anne Frank’s diary replace the Bible as our bible. Because the Jewish Bible, whose purpose is to delineate and transmit Jewish values, makes it abundantly clear that life itself is not the loftiest ambition. Righteousness is.

“Abraham argues with God to spare Sodom because of the righteousness of its citizens. Not because life is inherently deserving of saving, but because righteousness should be spared.

“God destroys the earth with a flood, sparing only Noah, who was ‘righteous in his own time.’

“Then there is the concept of the Lamed Vovniks—the thirty-six righteous men of every generation, because of whose merit the entire world is spared destruction.

Humankind is saved not because it is worth saving, but because the righteousness of a few justifies the existence of the rest.

“A trope from my Jewish upbringing, and perhaps from yours, was this line from the Tal-

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Lunar Eclipse

Blood moon Gargoyle at the gate Sentry of the pent up We exhale collectively.

Wind gusts.

Moon winks out.

Then opens her eyes Once more And locks me in her steely gaze, Seeming to ask Are you ready?

For what comes next?

—By Elissa Dickson, San Miguel County Poet Laureate

mud: ‘And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.’ This is a beautiful idea, and one worth living by. But we shouldn’t ascribe more meaning to it than it contains.

“How much greater the Jewish people might be today if instead of not dying, our ambition was living righteously. If instead of ‘It was done to me,’ our mantra was ‘I did it.’”

He paused. He held a long blink and bit at his lower lip.

“There are things that are hard to say today.”

He almost smiled, as Irv had almost smiled when touching Jacob’s face.

“Judaism has a special relationship with words. Giving a word to a thing is to give it life.

‘Let there be light,’ God said, and there was light. No magic. No raised hands and thunder. The articulation made it possible. It is perhaps the most powerful of all Jewish ideas: expression is generative.

“It’s the same with marriage.

You say, ‘I do,’ and you do. What is it, really, to be married?”

Jacob felt a burning across his scalp. Julia needed to move her fingers.

“To be married is to say you are married. To say it not only in front of your spouse, but in front of your community, and, if you are a believer, in front of God. “And so it is with prayer, with true prayer, which is never a request, and never praise, but the expression of something of extreme significance that would otherwise have no way to be expressed. As Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, ‘Prayer may not save us. But prayer may make us worthy of being saved.’ We are made worthy, made righteous, by expression.”

He bit again at his lower lip and shook his head.

“There are things that are hard to say today.

“It is often the case that everyone says what no one knows. Today, no one says what everyone knows.

“As I think about the wars in front of us—the war to save our lives, and the war to save our souls—I think about our greatest leader, Moses. You might remember that his mother, Jochebed, hides him in a reed basket, which she releases into the current of the Nile, as a last hope of sparing his life. The basket is discovered

by Pharaoh’s daughter. ‘Look!’ she

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62 • FICTION says. ‘A crying Hebrew baby!’ But how did she know that he was a Hebrew?”

The rabbi paused, and held the agitated silence in place, as if forcefully saving the life of a bird that only wanted to fly away.

Max spoke up: “Probably because Hebrews were trying to keep their kids from getting killed, and only someone in that situation would ever put her baby in a basket and send it down the river.”

“Perhaps,” the rabbi said, showing no condescending pleasure in Max’s confidence, only admiration for his thought. “Perhaps.”

And again he forced silence.

Sam spoke up: “So, I say this fully seriously: maybe she saw that he was circumcised? Right? She says, ‘Look.’”

“That could be,” the rabbi said, nodding.

And he dug a silence.

“I don’t know anything,” Benjy said, “but maybe he was crying in Jewish?”

“How would one cry in Jewish?” the rabbi asked.

“I don’t know anything,” Benjy said again.

“Nobody knows anything,” the rabbi said. “So let’s try to learn together. How would one cry in Jewish?”

“I guess babies don’t really speak.”

“Do tears?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s strange,” Julia said.

“What is?”

“Wouldn’t she have heard him crying? That’s how it works.

You hear them crying, and you go to them.”

“Yes, yes.”

“She said, ‘Look! A crying Hebrew baby.’ Look. She saw that he was crying, but didn’t hear.”

“So tell me what that implies,” he said—no patronizing, no selfrighteousness.

“She knew he was a Hebrew because only Jews cry silently.”

For an instant, for a stitch, Jacob was overwhelmed by the terror that he had managed to lose the most intelligent person on earth.

“Was she right?” the rabbi asked.

“Yes,” Julia said. “He was a Hebrew.”

“But was she right that Jews cry silently?”

“Not in my experience,” Julia said, with a chuckle that drew a depressurizing chuckle from the others.

Without moving, the rabbi stepped into the grave of silence.

He looked at Julia, almost unbearably directly, as if they were the only two living people left, as if the only thing that distinguished those buried from those standing was ninety degrees.

He looked into her and said, “But in your experience, do Jews

terror that he had managed to ruin the three most beautiful human beings on earth.

He remembered when Sam was young, how every time he got a scrape, cut, or burn, after every blood test, every fall from every tree branch that was forever after deemed “too high,” Jacob would urgently pick him up, as if the ground were suddenly on fire, and say, “You’re fine. It’s OK. It’s nothing. You’re fine.” And Sam would always believe him. And Jacob would be thrilled by how well it worked, and ashamed by

cry silently?”

She nodded.

“And now I’d like to ask you a question, Benjy.”

“OK.” “Let’s say we have two choices, as Jews: to cry silently, as your mother has said, or to cry in Jewish, as you said. What would it sound like to cry in Jewish?”

“I don’t know.”

“Nobody knows, so you can’t be wrong.”

“I don’t even have a guess.”

“Maybe like laughing?” Max suggested.

“Like laughing?”

“I don’t know. That’s what we do.”

For an instant, for a stitch, Jacob was overwhelmed by the

how well it worked. Sometimes, if a greater lie was needed, if there was visible blood, Jacob would even say, “It’s funny.” And his son would believe him, because sons have no choice. But sons do feel pain. And the absence of the expression of pain is not the absence of pain. It is a different pain. When Sam’s hand was crushed, he said, “It’s funny.

It’s funny, right?” That was his inheritance.

The columns of Jacob’s legs couldn’t bear the weight of his heavy heart. He felt himself buckling, in weakness or genuflection.

He put his arm on Julia’s shoulder. She didn’t turn to him, she showed no acknowledgment of his touch, but she kept him standing.

“So,” the rabbi said, reassuming his authority, “what can we say about Isaac Bloch, and how should we mourn him? There are only two kinds of Jews of his generation: those who perished and those who survived. We swore our allegiance to the victims, were good on our promise never to forget them. But we turned our backs on those who endured, and forgot them. All our love was for the dead.

“But now the two kinds of Jews have equal mortal standing. Isaac might not be with his brothers in an afterlife, but he is with his brothers in death. So what can we now say about him, and how should we mourn him? It was not because they lacked strength that his brothers died, but it was because of his strength that Isaac lived and died. Kein briere iz oich a breire. Not to have a choice is also a choice. How will we tell the story of he who never had no choice?

At stake is our notion of righteousness, of a life worth saving.

“What was Moses crying about? Was he crying for himself?

Out of hunger or fear? Was he crying for his people? Their bondage, their suffering? Or were they tears of gratitude? Perhaps Pharaoh’s daughter didn’t hear him crying because he wasn’t crying until she opened the wicker basket.

“How should we mourn Isaac Bloch? With tears—what kind of tears? With silence—what silence? Or with what kind of song? Our answer will not save him, but it might save us.”

With all three, of course. Jacob could see the rabbi’s moves from five thousand years away. With all three, because of the tragedy, because of our reverence, because of our gratitude. Because of everything that was necessary to bring us to this moment, because of the lies that lie ahead, because of the moments of joy so extreme they have no relation to happiness.

With tears, with silence, with song, because he survived so we could sin, because our religion is as gorgeous, and opaque, and brittle, as the stained glass of Kol Nidre, because Ecclesiastes was wrong: there isn’t time for every purpose.

What do you want? Anything.

Tell me. I want you to have the thing that you want.

Jacob cried. He wailed. \

Excerpt from “Not to Have a Choice Is Also a Choice” from HERE I AM: A NOVEL by Jonathan Safran Foer. Copyright ©2016 Jonathan Safran Foer. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

About the author: Jonathan Safran Foer is an American novelist and the author of two bestselling, award-winning novels, Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. HERE I AM: A NOVEL is his most recent work, published in Sept. 2016.

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63

64 • FICTION

DARK MATTER

BY BLAKE CROUCH

Ed. Note: The following is an excerpt from bestselling novelist and screenwriter Blake Crouch’s most recent work, Dark Matter.

I

’m aware of someone gripping my ankles.

As hands slide under my shoulders, a woman says, “How’d he get out of the box?”

A man responds: “No idea. Look, he’s coming to.”

I open my eyes, but all I see is blurred movement and light. The man barks, “Let’s get him the hell out of here.”

I try to speak, but the words fall out of my mouth, garbled and formless.

The woman says, “Dr. Dessen?

Can you hear me? We’re going to lift you onto a gurney now.”

I look toward my feet, and the man’s face racks into focus. He’s staring at me through the face shield of an aluminized hazmat suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus.

Glancing at the woman behind my head, he says, “One, two, three.” They hoist me onto a gurney and lock padded restraints around my ankles and wrists.

“Only for your protection, Dr. Dessen.”

I watch the ceiling scroll past, forty or fifty feet above. Where the hell am I? A hangar?

I catch a glint of memory—a needle puncturing my neck. I was injected with something. This is some crazy hallucination.

A radio squawks, “Extraction team, report. Over.”

The woman says with excitement bleeding through her voice, “We have Dessen. We’re en route. Over.”

I hear the squeak of wheels rolling.

“Copy that. Initial condition assessment? Over.”

She reaches down with a gloved hand and wakes some kind of monitoring device that’s been Velcroed to my left arm.

“Pulse rate: one-fifteen. BP: one-forty over ninety-two. Temp: ninety-eight-point-nine. Oh-two sat: ninety-five percent. Gamma: pointeight seven. ETA thirty seconds. Out.” A buzzing sound startles me.

We move through a pair of vaultlike doors that are slowly opening.

Jesus Christ. www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

Stay calm. This isn’t real.

The wheels squeak faster, more urgently.

We’re in a corridor lined with plastic, my eyes squinting against the onslaught of light from fluorescent bulbs shining overhead.

The doors behind us slam shut with an ominous clang, like the gates to a keep.

They wheel me into an operating room toward an imposing figure in a positive pressure suit, standing under an array of surgical lights.

He smiles down at me through his face shield and says, as if he knows me, “Welcome back, Jason.

Congratulations. You did it.”

Back?

I can only see his eyes, but they don’t remind me of anyone I’ve ever met. ‘’Are you experiencing any pain?” he asks.

I shake my head.

“Do you know how you got the cuts and bruises on your face?’’

Shake.

“Do you know who you are?”

I nod.

“Do you know where you are?”

Shake.

“Do you recognize me?”

Shake.

“I’m Leighton Vance, chief executive and medical officer. We’re colleagues and friends.” He holds up a pair of surgical shears. “I need to get you out of these clothes.”

He removes the monitoring device and goes to work on my jeans and boxer shorts, tossing them into a metal tray. As he cuts off my shirt, I gaze up at the lights burning down on me, trying not to panic.

But I’m naked and strapped to a gurney.

No, I remind myself, I’m hallucinating that I’m naked and strapped to a gurney. Because none of this is real.

Leighton lifts the tray holding my shoes and clothes and hands it to someone behind my head, outside my line of sight. “Test everything.”

Footsteps rush out of the room.

I note the sharp bite of isopropyl alcohol a second before Leighton cleans a swatch of skin on the underside of my arm.

He ties a tourniquet above my elbow.

“Just drawing some blood,” he says, taking a large-gauge hypodermic needle from the instrument tray.

He’s good. I don’t even feel the sting.

When he’s finished, Leighton rolls the gurney toward the far side of the OR to a glass door with a touchscreen mounted on the wall beside it.

“Wish I could tell you this is the fun part,” he says. “If you’re too disoriented to remember what’s about to happen, that’s probably for the best.”

I try to ask what’s happening, but words still elude me. Leighton’s fingers dance across the touchscreen.

The glass door opens, and he pushes me into a chamber that’s just large enough to hold the gurney.

“Ninety seconds,” he says. “You’ll be fine. It never killed any of the test subjects.” \

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65

66 • ENVIRONMENT

GREENING the GOOSE Pinhead Climate Institute Launches New Carbon Offset Market

By Samantha Wright

N

amed for a scrappy gaggle of hybrid motorized railcars built in the 1930s by the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, Telluride’s modern Galloping Goose bus fleet shuttles thousands of Telluride locals, commuters, and visitors uptown, down valley, out to Mountain Village, and beyond.

In addition to moving people from point A to point B every day of the year, the public transportation system also keeps untold numbers of cars off local roads and highways, playing an important role in the Town of Telluride’s ongoing quest to reduce its overall carbon footprint.

But the bus fleet itself annually guzzles 35,000 gallons of diesel fuel, releasing an estimated 267 metric

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SUMMER/FALL 2017

tons of CO2 emissions into our delicate mountain atmosphere.

Last winter, Telluride-based climate scientist Adam Chambers and public policy expert Chris Arndt teamed with Pinhead Institute executive director Sarah Holbrooke to do something about that problem.

Pooling their complementary interdisciplinary skills (and bolstered by a $50,000 Innovation Prize Grant

from the Telluride Foundation) the dynamic trio launched the Pinhead Climate Institute (PCI), a self-described “solutions-oriented do-tank” to lead local climate actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting the local economy.

PCI’s maiden mission, dubbed “Telluride Values,” seeks to neutralize the Galloping Goose bus fleet’s emissions through a unique Colorado-based

carbon offset market. And the project is now off and trotting at full speed.

This spring, PCI partnered with the historic May Ranch on the eastern plains of Colorado to help support the preservation of 16,480 acres of shortgrass prairie ranchland in the form of a 100-year conservation easement to prevent the land from being tilled, which releases carbon into atmosphere.

Chambers was introduced to the May family through a contact at Ducks Unlimited and knew at once that their conservation easement project was a good fit for Telluride Values. (Other key investors include the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, the Conservation Fund, the Colorado Conservation Partnership and The Nature Conservancy.) “The May family ranch is one of the most beautiful carbon offset projects that I have ever seen, and I’ve seen several,” Chambers said. “And the May family, well, they are Telluride-type people—genuine and good folks. We are fortunate to be working with them.”

Telluride Values project so unique is that it seeks to offset locally generated CO2 emissions with a local (or for now, regional) project that will ultimately benefit this area’s environment and economy.

Partnering with farmers and ranchers on carbon offset projects makes perfect sense, given the critical role that untilled soil plays in a healthy environment, and the essential yet often unsung role that farmers and ranchers play in our society. When left undisturbed, soil is actually capable of removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it. “Imagine harnessing the land area of the United States and compensating farmers and ranchers for implementing climate solutions while simultaneously producing our nation’s food,” Chambers said.

“We are the last generation with the opportunity to address global climate change with solutions. This is our moment.”

THE BIG PICTURE

A FRESH SPIN ON CARBON OFFSETS

C

arbon offsets are the kind of 21st-century scheme that would have made the engineers of the original Galloping Geese (or your average practically minded farmer or rancher of a century ago, for that matter) scratch their head in bewilderment.

Essentially, they are a quid pro quo, allowing individuals and companies to invest in environmental projects around the world in order to balance out their own carbon footprints, or at least neutralize the impact of a specific activity such as taking a flight.

The purchaser gets the environmental benefits associated with the offset in exchange for a sum of money.

The money paid for the carbon offset in turn provides a “carbon price signal” indicating that the consumer values the ecosystem and understands that too much carbon pollution threatens the future of our planet.

Offset projects are typically based thousands of miles from the area where the carbon emitting activity is taking place. What makes the PCI’s

G

iven current market conditions for carbon offsets, the cost of neutralizing the Galloping Goose fleet’s GHG emissions through investing in the May Ranch conservation easement is approximately $4,000 per year. Crunching the numbers, “The minimum we think we could do with this grant is to offset the emissions of the fleet for eight and a half years, which would be $30,000,” said Arndt.

Concurrently, PCI is looking for similar carbon offset projects closer to Telluride on Colorado’s Western Slope, while also engaging in a quest to find suitable electric vehicle replacements for the Town of Telluride’s existing diesel-burning bus fleet, with a long-term goal of sourcing electricity for the bus fleet from nonpolluting sources.

But the ‘Goose’ is just the beginning. “We think Telluride, Mountain Village, and San Miguel County can achieve a net carbon neutral status within three years,” Chambers said.

“Global average temperatures are rising, Antarctic ice sheets are calving at unprecedented rates, and we live in an alpine environment. I can’t think of any good reasons to delay.”

Ultimately, PCI’s co-founders believe that their project could—and should—be replicated everywhere. “The theme is simple—value carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in your local economy and let’s be the change that we want to see in the world,” Chambers said.

“We are the last generation with the opportunity to address global climate change with solutions. This is our moment. Let’s choose to take actions rather than saddle future generations with the burden of deep de-carbonization.” \

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67

68 • TELLURIDE TURNS Headlines & Highlights

MELISSA PLANTZ

from the Local News

A Decade Later

Telluride commemorates 10 years of Valley Floor ownership

By Heather Sackett

In April 1993, the San Miguel County Planning Department received a mysterious fax.

In it, a planner for the San Miguel Valley Corporation, owner of the Valley Floor at the time, detailed plans for the development of Telluride’s Valley Floor, including draining wetlands and buying the local newspaper, presumably in an effort to influence public opinion. The fax could have been either sent by a disgruntled SMVC employee, outing the plans, or as a hoax, as SMVC claimed. But either way, the “April Fool’s Fax” kick-started a long-simmering Telluride controversy that up until that point had remained relatively dormant.

T

he gateway to Telluride’s box canyon is the 570-acre, threemile-long expanse of glacially carved river dale known as the Valley Floor. Historically, the land was summer hunting ground for the Utes, a dairy farm, mining encampments, and the valley’s first real settlement known as San Miguel City.

Now, the Valley Floor is home to meandering trails, prairie dogs, elk, and meadows full of brilliant yelwww.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

low dandelions. It’s also one of the region’s most popular settings for outdoor recreation. Mountain bikers roll over its singletrack and cross-country skiers race around its snowy winter trails. It is forever wild, protected by a conservation easement.

But in the years between the infamous April Fool’s fax and 2007 a war for the floor raged, which was not just about if or how the land would be developed, but represented an iden-

tity crisis for the community. Would Telluride go to any lengths (no matter how expensive or divisive) to preserve the open space at its entrance?

The Valley Floor had the specter of development hanging over it since the early 1980s, but SMVC did not pursue concrete plans until the late 1990s. It was only when a large hotel complex, golf course, 8,000-squarefoot luxury homes, and annexation into the Town of Mountain Village

were proposed in 2000 that Telluride voters decided to condemn the property, which is the right of a government to acquire land through eminent domain for public purposes and pay fair market value for it.

A drawn-out legal battle followed, including a valuation trial, at which a Delta County jury set the price of the Valley Floor at $50 million. It was a staggering sum and much more than anticipated. Fortunately, Telluride

2007

2017

THE VALLEY FLOOR TELLURIDE, COLORADO

“The Valley Floor represents our identity and captures the soul of our community.”

—John Pryor

forever

Wild

MELISSA PLANTZ

T E N Y E A R A N N I V E R S A RY

had some foresight. In a prescient move, voters approved the “20 percent solution” in 1993, which cached revenues for open space. But the fund, with roughly $25 million by 2007, still didn’t cover the price tag and the pressure was on as the judge in the case ruled the town had to cough up the full $50 million in just 90 days or lose the land.

During the spring of 2007, the extended Telluride community, led by the Valley Floor Preservation Partners, successfully raised the $25 million difference. “It was the most intense and inspiring three months of my life,” says Hilary Cooper, Program Manager of the VFPP. Supporters—there were more than 1,600 donations—took out second mortgages, cancelled off-season trips, and called wealthy friends and family to contribute. Celebrities and dignitaries, including Daryl Hannah, Meg Whitman, and Richard Holbrooke, threw their support behind the effort. At the eleventh hour, Hollywood producer Tom Shadyac donated more than $2 million to push the effort over the top.

Then-mayor John Pryor declared May 9, 2007 Valley Floor Day and waived the open container law to throw a celebration in Elks Park. Telluride had accomplished the impossible. “The Valley Floor represents our identity and captures the soul of our community,” Pryor says. “Not to lose it was a triumph of incalculable value.”

Of course, residents were not unanimously supportive and some remained strongly opposed.

They worried about unintended consequences.

Some continue to wonder if Telluride’s current

housing crisis could have been partially mitigated through SMVC’s proposed development scenarios and attempted negotiations.

But to the victor of the war for the floor belong the spoils. And Telluride’s Valley Floor now belongs to everyone. This spring, the Town of Telluride and the VFPP are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the acquisition with events meant to celebrate, educate, and experience the Valley Floor June 1–3. The Telluride Historical Museum will host “The Valley Floor: Changing Identities of a Telluride Treasure,” an exhibit chronicling the geological, human and ecological past and future of the land. “2017 is a milestone 10th anniversary of this chapter in the Valley Floor conservation story,” says Jane Hickox of the VFPP. “Celebration and gratitude are in order; the story begs to be told to folks who are new to the community.”

The Valley Floor’s history is far from written. It continues to evolve as does the way its ecosystem is managed. Recent modifications include habitat enhancement and a river restoration project that reintroduces the original meanderings of the channel. “The Valley Floor presents a rare opportunity to witness the restoration of biologic functions and values on impacted portions of the undeveloped property,” says Chris Hazen, an ecologist and director of the San Miguel Conservation Foundation, holder of the conservation easement. “Wildlife habitat, native vegetation, meadows, forested landscapes and riparian areas will be restored and protected, while continuing to allow for low-impact recreational and educational opportunities.” \

THE VALLEY FLOOR CHANGING IDENTITIES OF A

TELLURIDE TREASURE

A Summer-Long Exhibit at the Telluride Museum PHOTO: RYAN BONNEAU

VALLEYFLOOR.ORG SUMMER/FALL 2017

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69

70 • TELLURIDE TURNS Headlines & Highlights from the Local News

Special Delivery

Telluride sends local postman to Ireland via KOTO fundraiser

By Martinique Davis

www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

MATT KROLL

I

f you live in Telluride, you know Jim Looney. And he knows you— as well as your P.O. Box number.

Postman Jim, as he’s known, is one of Telluride’s quintessential personalities; the jovial man who greets you by name at the Telluride Post Office, handing out fruit snacks to the kids and inquiring about your most recent vacation. His perennial ebullience—whether he’s hustling for your packages or jogging by on the Jud Wiebe trail—has earned him a reputation as something of a small town celebrity.

But no one knew how well-loved Postman Jim really was, until he took to the airwaves last spring for a full-day fundraising drive for another Telluride institution, KOTO radio.

Being the guy he is, Looney agreed to take a full-day fundraising shift when KOTO’s Development Director Geoff Hanson asked him; as a thank you, Hanson dug up an anonymous donor who offered to send Looney to Ireland if he was able to raise $15,000.

Ten hours and nearly $40,000 later, “Jim Looney Day” went down in the history books as one of the non-profit, non-underwritten community radio station’s best-ever days of fundraising in its 42-year history.

And no one was more surprised by the outpouring of love (and cash donations) than Looney himself.

As he recalls, he showed up to the station that morning, and promptly told Station Manager Ben Kerr, Assistant Station Manager Corey Beaton, and Hanson that he hoped it wasn’t going to be a disappointing day.

Then the phones started ringing.

“Honestly? It was one of the most humbling things I’ve ever done. I was totally blown away – I mean, I couldn’t believe there were still calls coming in at 9 p.m.!” Looney said.

In total, 381 different individuals and businesses donated that day, in a whirlwind day of fundraising in which, it seemed, everyone in town wanted to get Looney on his dream trip to the Emerald Isle.

When he strolled into the Roma Bar and Grill at the end of the day, he

“Everything that KOTO set out to be was manifested in Jim Looney Day.” got a rousing standing ovation.

Hanson thinks the fundraiser’s success was a reflection of what small town community radio means to Telluride and its citizens. “Everything that KOTO set out to be was manifested in Jim Looney Day,” he said, explaining that the radio station’s objective is to be a reflection of the community, and a place people come to feel connected to Telluride.

“It wasn’t just about KOTO, but also

about Jim … a reminder of what a special community we have here.” A place where the postman knows not just your name, but also has your P.O. Box number memorized.

Another $1,500 donation was offered up as spending money for Looney’s vacation. Not surprisingly, Looney opted to spend that money to help get his two daughters and his son plane tickets to Ireland as well. The tickets are booked, and the

Looney family is planning a trip of a lifetime this October.

Looney admits that the outpouring of support he experienced that day surpassed anything he could have imagined. “I’ve had a magical little career here in Telluride. When this thing blew up, I realized I’ve been truly blessed. And you know what? I think it’s actually helped me to be even nicer.”

If that’s even possible. \

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71

72 • TELLURIDE TURNS Headlines & Highlights from the Local News

A Day Without Immigrants Telluride shows solidarity with local workers

By Heather Sackett

T

hey cook your food, brew your coffee, clean your VRBO, build your addition, and do your landscaping. Resort towns like Telluride run on immigrant labor.

On Colorado’s Western Slope, immigrants make up 14 percent of the workers in the construction industry and 13 percent of workers in arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services, according to the New American Economy, a coalition that supports immigration reform. Those numbers are likely higher in resort towns.

There are more than 44,276 immigrant residents, 1,691 of whom are entrepreneurs. A 2016 study by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy found that undocumented immigrants contributed $134 million in taxes to Colorado, some of which supports programs such as social security, from which these workers will never receive benefits.

Last February, several restaurants in Telluride decided to show their solidarity with the nationwide protest and the community’s immigrant workers and close for a day. A Day Without Immigrants was meant to show what it would be like if immigrants did not work in the service jobs that are the backbone of Telluride’s tourism-based economy. “I depend on immigrant labor, like anybody,” says Jerry Greene, owner of Baked in Telluride, one of the restaurants that shut down for A Day Without Immigrants. “I thought it was a good idea to participate in an action that was well-organized and made an impact in the discussion. The decision was really up to my employees whether we were going to close.”

About eight restaurants closed for the day, and a handful of others stayed open, but said they would not punish employees if they participated in the protest and didn’t come to work. This kind of moral support for the immigrant community has been pretty typical in Telluride in recent months. But there was still a lot of confusion and fear in the immigrant community, especially concerning the new administration’s www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

ILLUSTRATION BY SHEPARD FAIREY/OBEYGIANT.COM FOR AMPLIFIER.ORG PHOTOGRAPH BY ARLENE MEJORADO.

“When someone gets picked up by ICE, there are going to be children left parentless.” policies on immigration, as well as the Town of Mountain Village’s decision to require proof of U.S. residency before renters could renew their lease at the 222-unit Village Court Apartments. The residency requirements were not new, and pertain to the federal subsidies for the housing units, but their decision to enforce them would cause the displacement of many families and workers.

In an effort to bridge the gap between the Spanish-speaking immigrant population and community services, Tri-County Health Network in February hired Kody Gerkin as its lead intercultural navigator. Gerkin heads up community engagement programs that fill those needs. One program is Linea Segura, or “Secure Line,” which is a text message system

that allows people to get updates about everything from Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids to upcoming meetings and trainings.

Gerkin helps non-English speakers sign up for health insurance, offers cooking classes, connects people with lawyers and advocates, and manages a good neighbor fund that gives financial assistance to families affected by deportation. “When someone gets picked up by ICE, there are going to be children left parentless,” Gerkin says. “There are food, transportation, housing costs, increased childcare needs…it’s to help in case of emergencies.”

One of Gerkin’s biggest goals is to help develop Latino community leaders. To that end, Tri-County has applied for a grant specifically to carry out a leadership program.

Gerkin has also helped form a multicultural advisory committee, (the Latino Advisory Committee or LAC) comprised of people who are members of and work closely with the Latino community. “The biggest gaps here in Telluride were formal channels to promote and develop Latino leaders,” Gerkin says.

Community organizer and registered nurse Ximena Rebolledo knows the struggles of immigrants well: She moved to the U.S. from Chile with her family when she was 9 years old and didn’t gain citizenship until nearly a decade later. “I am very aware of the Latino predicament, and I’m sympathetic to it and passionate about it,” Rebolledo says.

Despite the outpouring of community support, she says Telluride’s immigrants are scared. And until there is a legal path to residency, their predicament won’t change, she says. Even with their integration into and essential place in Telluride’s workforce, Rebolledo says there still exists a kind of caste system, with working class Latinos at the bottom. But there is something people can do to help. “When you walk down the street, make eye contact and let them know they are seen and that they are part of this community,” she says. \

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“Your home should be a reflection of you, your family, and your lifestyle. It’s my job to help you make it beautiful!” Christy

New Main St. Studio and Retail Location 220 E. Colorado Ave, Telluride, Colorado christy@sagehousedesigns.com | 817.909.3959 | sagehousedesigns.com

223 E. Colorado Ave (located inside Jagged Edge Equipment) SUMMER/FALL 2017

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74 • TELLURIDE TURNS Headlines & Highlights from the Local News

The Little Airport That Could Telluride Regional Airport to Reopen in June

By Deb Dion Kees

T

wenty-five years ago, Rich Nuttall crested the windy knoll to catch his first glimpse of the Telluride Regional Airport where he had been hired as the manager. Confused, he scanned the horizon, then turned to his wife and said, “There must be another another airport around here somewhere.”

Telluride’s airport has come a long way from its humble beginnings.

The airport was built in 1985, and perched on Deep Creek Mesa at 9,038 in elevation, it is the highest commercial airport in North America. The thin air at that altitude and the surrounding peaks make it a challenging place for arrivals and departures, and the climate makes it a tough facility to maintain and upgrade. Yet, decades later, TEX has grown from a basic airstrip with few amenities to an up-to-date airport with an upgraded runway, hangars, and passenger areas. Nuttall has overseen major improvement projects throughout his career, the most recent of which took place this spring. The airport was closed in April and set to reopen in late June in order to change the www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

ramp grades to expand runway capacity to 89,000 pounds and to remodel the terminal’s general aviation and TSA (transportation security administration) holding areas. So when the airport reopens, there will be more room to congregate, more space for

limited opportunities. We didn’t have the instrument approaches that were required in certain conditions, and we had a lot of diversions,” says Nuttall. “The upgrades and new technology have significantly improved our abilities. We’ve made great strides.”

He says he has enjoyed having the best office anywhere—from his aerie he has incredible views of the Wilsons and loves watching the passengers disembark the planes and immediately start taking photos. people in uniforms to rifle through luggage and empty out contraband, and most importantly the ability to accommodate the larger commercial aircrafts that the community hopes to draw here. The project costs were estimated at $6.7 million. “There have been a lot of changes. When I first got here, we had commercial service but

These large projects that help meet the evolving Federal Aviation Administration standards are in addition to the constant maintenance required at the airport. The sun and altitude make certain types of regular repairs necessary: recoating and resealing asphalt, repainting, and upkeep of the EMAS (engineered

material arresting system) at the end of the runways. Managing the most beautiful little airport in the world is an intense job, but Nuttall has managed to keep the place running profitably all these years.

Nuttall’s contract is up for renewal, and whether or not he’ll continue as airport manager is up in the air. The typical tenure of an airport manager is seven or eight years, but Nuttall has been serving for three times that long. Throughout that stretch he has created an amazing legacy. He says he has enjoyed having the best office anywhere—from his aerie he has incredible views of the Wilsons and loves watching the passengers disembark the planes and immediately start taking photos. “I took this job knowing it was going to be a challenge, and it has not proven me wrong. Every aspect of operating the highest commercial airport in the U.S. in a resort town requires patience and perseverance. I have really enjoyed the projects and seeing the improvements that have been made. I feel like I have raised a child, and now it’s time to let go.” \

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970-728-4475 SUMMER/FALL 2017

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75

76 • INDEX

COLOR BY NUMBERS POT POWER

AGE-RELATED EPIDEMIC

TONS OF TAX MONEY

Approximately 1/3 of U.S. cannabis crops are grown indoors.

Indoor growing nationwide takes the same amount of power as 1.7 million homes, or the output of 7 power plants.

Marijuana today is 57–67% more potent than the weed grown in the 70s.

More than 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and 5.3 million of those people are age 65 and older.

1 in 10 people age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s.

MOUNTAIN BIKING FOR MILES

FREE PRESS

THE BEAR FACTS

Colorado has the highest mountain bike trail mileage of any state in the country, 5,138+ miles. The state of Colorado itself is just 380 miles long and 280 miles wide.

About 2 in 3 adults in the U.S. say fake news causes confusion about real current issues and events. 84% of them feel confident that they can detect fabricated news stories, and 23% say they have shared fake stories, with or without knowing they were false.

The ursine population in Colorado is estimated at 18,000.

In 2013, hunters harvested 1,100 bears, and another 500 were killed because of accidents or control measures in the state.

The number of times in recent history a bear has killed a human in Colorado: 1.

There are an estimated

11.1 million immigrants living in the United States illegally, or approximately 3% of the population.

Illegal immigrants pay almost $12 billion in taxes annually.

Sources: National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Pew Foundation, Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, Alzheimer’s Association, Singletracks.com, Netstate.com, Colorado Parks and Wildlife

www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

You know that sweet piece of property you’ve had your eye on in Telluride? Don’t Blink.

1

2

-1229 N. SPRUCE ST. - Telluride Two homes on a double lot combine for a total of 7 bedrooms & 6 baths.

Keep as a duplex or convert to a large single family home. Incredible views. $2,900,000

-2LOT 5R - Hidden Lake Estates This high-alpine getaway borders USFS and enjoys 360° views, a stocked trout lake, mature trees, and endless recreational pursuits. $150,000

3

-3ICE HOUSE CONDOS - Telluride These turn-key, contemporary residences are steps to the gondola, skiing, river, & downtown. Amenities include pool, steam room, & fitness.

2-Bed: $816,000 / 1-Bed: $590,000

Allison Templin Broker allison@tellurideproperties.com | 970.708.0996, Cell 237 South Oak Street @ the Telluride Gondola | allison.searchtelluriderealestate.com

(970) 728-6500 • 157 South Fir (Pacific and Fir) Open 7am - 9pm daily

Spirits Open 11am - 9pm daily Mountain Village Town Hall Plaza

(970) 728-6500

Open 7am - 9pm daily 490 Sherman Street, Ridgway

(970) 626-5811

Open 7am - 9pm daily Mountain Village Town Hall Plaza

(970) 728-6500

MELISSA PLANTZ

80 • LAST LOOK

BEN KNIGHT

Leave Me Alone

A decade ago, a group of locals had an ambitious mission: To preserve the Valley Floor from development.

Today, the entrance to Telluride is a special place to recreate or roam, and home only to the wild creatures and wildflowers that take up residence there. www.TellurideMagazine.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

EATING, DRINKING AND CARRYING ON…

“To find one of the best meals in Colorado, drive to Telluride— and it’s totally worth it. Just across the street from the gondola sits Cosmopolitan Telluride 5280 (The Denver Magazine)

Reserve your table at www.cosmotelluride.com In Hotel Columbia 301 Gus’s Way | Telluride, Colorado 970.728.1292 | cosmotelluride@gmail.com

cosmo tell mag ad april27-17.indd 1 SUMMER/FALL 2017

www.TellurideMagazine.com

4/27/17 12:39 PM

Enhancing the Simple Pleasures of Life Since 1895

S

tay in Telluride’s most historic accommodations and enjoy the finest

selection of food, wine & spirits. We invite you to experience a new level of old world service.

The Historic New Sheridan Hotel

New Sheridan Chop House Restaurant & Wine Bar

Reservations: 970.728.4351 ~ 800.200.1891 info@newsheridan.com

231 West Colorado Ave Telluride, Colorado 81435 970.728.9100

newsheridan.com

What can

590,000

$

buy you in Telluride?

This majestic $4.275m Mountain Village lodge home.

5 BEDROOM | 4.5 BATH | 6,163 SQUARE FEET | 1 ACRE PRIVATE WOODED LOT | SKI-IN SKI-OUT

Lifestyle Asset Group invites you to join with just 7 other families who will each own a 1/8th interest in this exceptional $4.275 million real estate investment.

Through our proven collective asset ownership model, your cost of ownership is far less than the down payment required to buy a much less expensive home. Yet you, your family and friends will be able to enjoy the sublime luxury of this majestic Telluride ski-in ski-out property nestled in a private wooded acre with spectacular mountain views.

Shares in the Telluride LLC are being offered at $591,000 each

To schedule a tour of the property call Karla Jones at 970 449 4292.

For more information, visit lifestyleassetgroup.com/TellurideLLC

Your family and friends will enjoy 35 to 40 nights a year Your capital return is secured by the home, paid for free and clear In 8 years 100% of gains in property value are split by the investors If you seek an investment that has the potential to be as memorable as your vacations, seriously consider this opportunity to invest in a Telluride treasure.

Additional Investment opportunities with Lifestyle Asset Group

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