Telluride Magazine Summer-Fall 2013 by Telluride Magazine

s u m m e r / fa l l 2 013 V O LUME 31, N O . 1

Magazine

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Priceless in Telluride

Birth of Bluegrass | To the Rescue | 100 Miles of Pain and Beauty Getting Lost | Movies In Telluride

A 1

Perfect Balance of Quality Hard Assets...

1 • 518 East Columbia Ave, Telluride

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3 • 766 Golden Eagle, Horsefly Mesa

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5• Tract I Muddy Creek Meadows, Wilson Mesa

6 • Knightsbridge, Mountain Village

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This rustic home features 180˚ Sneffels Range views on 40 pristine acres with aspens, meadows and pond. $495,000

Situated across from iconic Wilson Peak, 111 acres offer a flat building site, aspens & domestic well. $2,275,000

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1 • Little Cone Ranch, Species Mesa

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3 • Lots 7 & 11A Gregory Avenue, Telluride

4 • 101 Christina’s Way, Aldasoro Ranch

5 • Laughing Dog Ranch, Specie Mesa

6 • 8121 Preserve Drive, The Preserve

These 74 acres afford superb Wilson Range views, adjacent to national forest with a tranquil pond. $1,095,000 Unique combination of lots with over 17,000 SF, commanding views from an exceptional vantage point. $1,950,000

Impeccable 7,593 SF compound on 104 verdant acres with elegant main residence, barn & 4 outbuildings. $2,750,000

Located in Sunny Adams Ranch subdivision, this attractive 4-bedroom home affords unobstructed views. $1,675,000 Exquisite stone work and finish detail highlight this 4 bed residence with spacious decks, aspens & views. $3,395,000

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1 • Lot P5 Idarado Legacy, East Telluride Dramatic riverfront estate parcel in premiere enclave less than one mile to the Town of Telluride. Big box canyon views. $1,500,000

3 • Townhomes on the Creek, Mountain Village Slopeside & close to the gondola, offering a superior level of finish. Priced at well below replacement cost. Starting at $1,178,595

2 • 143 Adams Ranch Road, Mountain Village Spacious, new 5-bedroom home located on the golf course with tremendous views, sunshine & finishes. $2,500,000

4 • 609 East Columbia Avenue, Town of Telluride Sophisticated 7-bedroom home captures the finest views in town while embracing the highest level of finish & technology. $6,995,000 www.609EastColumbia.com

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1• 44 Spruce Way, Telluride Ski Ranches

This antique timber-frame home has a fabulous level of finish. Great views and a peaceful setting. $1,695,000

2 • Tract IV Big Valley Ranch Rd, Iron Springs Mesa

223 acres of rolling meadows & massive views. Subdividable. Productive 60 gpm well. Bank Owned $895,000

3 • The River Club 301 - Deeded Fractional, Telluride 4 • Sunny River Ranch - Ptarmigan 4 & 5, Ilium Valley Diamond/Platinum Membership. The one & only unit offering Christmas & New Years week each year. $139,590

5 • 567 A West Pacific Campus, Telluride

Two adjacent 10+/- acre parcels on the San Miguel River’s North Fork. Beautiful home, caretaker unit & barn. Minutes to Telluride. Rare, unique & very compelling. $4,750,000

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1 • 31 Diamond Point Lane, Telluride Ski Ranches

2 • 14 Cortina Lane, Mountain Village

3 • 225 South Pine Street, Telluride

4 • 139 Adams Ranch Road, Mountain Village

5-Bedroom home on 1.17 acres, with significant sun, mature trees and wonderful mountain views. $1,795,000

Three separate commercial spaces and two deed restricted residential condos. Tenants in place. $2,600,000

5 • 123 South Oak Street, Telluride

Direct ski access to and from Sundance Ski Run with all day sun and nice southern views to Palmyra Peak. $650,000

Unparalleled views, huge sun & an extraordinary level of finish characterize this 7-bedroom home with 6,785 sq ft of livable space. $4,800,000

Steps to town & skiing. Zoning allows for many uses, including single family residential, for which sketch plans exist. $3,995,000

Summer/fall 2013

contents 34

departments

Within From the Editor

Calendar A look at this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events

38 42

TELLURIDE TURNS Headlines and highlights from the local news

FEATURES

Birth of Bluegrass

Looking back as Telluride Bluegrass Festival Turns 40 By Kathrine Warren

To the Rescue

How thrift shopping saves animals By D. Dion

A Hundred Miles of Pain and Beauty

Torment and triumph on the Rico 100 Endurance Ride By Katie Klingsporn

History: The SHOW

A short history of movies and movie houses in Telluride By Paul Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke

Getting into the Swing

Telluride gets a new golf pro By Heather Sackett

On the cover Ben Knight chronicles the beauty of a spring, summer and fall in the San Juan Mountains that surround Telluride with his collection of Instagram photos. Knight is a longtime local photographer and now a filmmaker whose award-winning work Red Gold was featured on PBS Frontline and whose new film, DamNation, an environmental treatise on the effect of dams, is due out this year.

Nature Notes Climate change, wolverines, and weather observations

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summer/fall 2013

Environment Saving the bees

Mountain Health Mindfulness meditation

ASK JOCK Athletic advice from our mountain guru

Essay Rob Story on getting lost

Telluride Faces Meet Brandt Garber, Janet Grant, and Nicole Siegel

Inside Art Backstage, new underground music at Stronghouse Studios

Local Flavor Angler Inn reels in diners

A last look Mumford & Sons in Telluride, by Brett Schreckengost

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s u m m e r / fa l l 2 013 V O LUME 3 1 , N O . 1

Contributors

Magazine

Publisher david w. oskin Editor-in-Chief Deb Dion Advertising Director Jenny Page Creative Director Kristal Rhodes

Ben Knight Acclaimed photographer/filmmaker Ben Knight (cover photos) spends a lot of time indoors staring at a computer screen these days. Ben’s blood-sugar lows are comparable to a grizzly that’s been disturbed during hibernation, but his fleeting sugar-induced extroverted highs are a pleasure. Ben carefully avoids most communication (besides Instagram), which includes shortcuts through Telluride’s alleys so he won’t have to awkwardly explain that he’s doing nothing for off-season. He’s a hugger if you can find him, and he likes cats. Because of his shy nature, he claims he couldn’t tell a story verbally if his life depended on it, which is why he resorts to using films and pictures.

Kathrine Warren Durango native Kathrine Warren (“Birth of Bluegrass”) has been coming to Telluride since she was a child for music festivals. According to family lore, at the age of 10 she asked, “Why do they let all these hippies into town when they don’t have tickets to the show?” (She now knows why.) In a high school newspaper column, Kathrine declared that she wanted to be either Penny Lane or William Miller from the movie Almost Famous when she grew up. These days, she’s a little bit of both journalist and music fan: After moving to Telluride three years ago to work for the Daily Planet as a reporter, she has now found her happy place as the PR/ Marketing Director for the Sheridan Opera House.

Copy Editor / Proofreader mira perrizo Web Director Susan Hayse Contributing Writers Stephen Barrett Thom Carnevale Martinique Davis Mary Duffy Marie Fouche Katie Klingsporn Beth Kelly Paul O’Rourke Heather Sackett Emily Shoff Rob Story Lance Waring Kathrine Warren Contributing Photographers Ryan Bonneau Brenda Colwell Matthias Kabel Don Kallaus Ben Knight John Lehman Amy Levek Brett Schreckengost Kristen Wilutis ~~~

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Thom Carnevale Which way the wind blows is a byword for amateur weather observers as well as politicians. Thom Carnevale is both—he has written the weather highlights “For the Record” for Telluride Magazine for a dozen years, has served as Telluride Town Moderator and is presently serving his second term on the Telluride Town Council. A political scientist with a dash of cognitive dissonance, Carnevale has also written a Friday op-ed column for the Telluride Daily Planet, “Gandering,” since 2004 and is working on a book, Unbought, Unbossed. In a past life he produced and hosted a talk show, “Rocky Mountain Bedrock,” on KOTO. Carnevale can be seen walking in the woods with his black Lab Samson, and when he is not connecting to nature in the San Juan Mountains, he connects in the San Juan Islands. 10

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Telluride Publishing also produces San Juan Skyway Visitor Guide and the Telluride Calendar. Our products are for sale at retail shops in Telluride and on our website. For correspondence, subscriptions, and advertising email editor@telluridemagazine.com or call 970.728.4245. The annual subscription rate is $11.95. © 2013 Telluride Publishing is a division of Big Earth Publishing, Inc. Cover and contents are fully protected and must n ot be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. ~~~

Cover Photo Instagram collection by Ben Knight

Within

Returning to Telluride “Not all those who wander are lost.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

he best thing about leaving Telluride is coming home. Even the network of hiking and biking trails that encircle the valley all form a giant loop, and those final weary steps you take, where your feet feel like they’re weighted down with anvils, come as a relief when you finally see the familiar landscape of the town. I know that every time I return to this valley after a trip or an extended time away that it’s a welcoming, warm feeling to see Telluride’s main drag, surrounded by the gorgeous San Juan Mountains, same as it ever was. It seems all Telluriders eventually find their way home. Like a great human magnet, this valley attracts all kinds of adventurers. There are people who congregate every summer for the annual bluegrass festival (“Birth of Bluegrass,” pp. 34–36), including the performers who make the trek every year and the ardent fans

who eagerly scratch off the days on the calendar until the solstice gathering, which has become a happy reunion of sorts for musicians and music-lovers alike. The homecoming is perhaps even more joyous for abandoned pets that are finally swept up by Katja Wichland and Josh Rapaport (“To the Rescue,” pp. 38–39) and delivered to their new adoptive families. Maybe the happiest of all such sojourners are the mountain bikers who complete the 100-mile endurance rides and return in the dark, drained and hungry, to the comfort of food and beer (“A Hundred Miles of Pain and Beauty,” pp. 40–41) or even the riders who don’t finish and relinquish their efforts for the shelter of the sag wagon. Of course, in the name of such adventure, people do actually get lost. Rob Story writes in this issue about getting lost in the wilderness and how different people

react to the plight of not knowing where they are. “What a bunch of weenies we are,” laments Story in his essay, noting that with modern technology such as smart phones and GPS, it is harder than ever to actually get lost and have to rely on our innate survival instincts. Some people return to Telluride not just instinctively, but with a purpose. Thousands of people who love movies, make movies, or even star in movies, come to Telluride Film Festival each year to celebrate the industry’s most elite work. This year is the festival’s 40th anniversary and you can about read the history of film in Telluride (“The Show,” p. 42) or about local Brandt Garber, the festival’s production manager and a 40-year veteran of the festival (Telluride Faces, p. 50). Local Nicole Siegel (Telluride Faces, p. 54) was born and raised in Telluride, and never dreamed she’d make her home summer/fall 2013

here, but she’s back with several physical therapy degrees, trying to keep our knees and the rest of our joints working properly. She’s not the only person who came back to Telluride with our health in mind: mid-wife Janet Grant (Telluride Faces, p. 52), the baby guru of Telluride and the Western Slope, is constantly traveling on the road between Telluride and the hospital in Grand Junction, keeping our population healthy by delivering a new generation of babies to the babies she delivered decades ago. Whatever purpose or instinct draws you back to Telluride, welcome home. We’re glad you made your way here, to live, to recreate, or to enjoy the music, movies, and mountains—and when you leave, we know you’ll find your way back. Enjoy,

Deb Dion

Editor, Telluride Magazine www.TellurideMagazine.com

Events Calendar

Summer/fall 2013

calendar May 2013

ONGOING: Books and Cooks On the first Tuesday of the month at noon, host Chef Bud Tomas invites a local chef to prepare a dish from their favorite cookbook. Patrons cook, learn and eat at this free Wilkinson Public Library event. 970.728.4519 telluridelibrary.org

EcoAction Roundtable Participate in ecological discussions hosted by EcoAction Partners (formerly The New Community Coalition) on the second Friday morning of every month at the Wilkinson Public Library through September. ecoactionpartners.org Historic Tours & Fireside Chats Explore Telluride’s dramatic past with special guided tours through Lone Tree Cemetery. The tours are $15 and are hosted by the Telluride Historical Museum on select dates. 970.728.3344 telluridemuseum.org

May

23 Gondola Opens for Summer/Fall Season

24–27 Mountainfilm in Telluride Mountainfilm celebrates the spirit of the mountains, culture and the environment with films, presentations, special guests, seminars and the gathering of proactive people. This year marks the festival’s 35th anniversary. mountainfilm.org

31–6/2

Telluride Balloon Rally Hot air balloons launch at sunrise to fly above Telluride, and at sunset, the balloons are lit up and decorate the town’s main thoroughfare. This event is held annually, weather permitting.

june

Palm Arts Dance Recital 1 Local troupe of dancers perform “Enchantment” at 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. telluridepalm.com

3–8 Wild West Fest Celebrate the culture of the West at this four-day, family-oriented festival. Sheridan Arts Foundation mentors and hosts disadvantaged youth from urban areas to help them experience Western culture and traditions. sheridanoperahouse.com

7–9 Heritage Fest Listen to old cowboy stories, see performances by Ute Indian drummers and dancers, watch a reenactment of Butch Cassidy robbing San Miguel Bank, pan for gold, ride a stagecoach and learn about mining at this celebration of Telluride’s history. 970.728.3344 telluridemuseum.org 11 National Theatre at the Palm Watch National Theatre performance transmission live in high definition at the Palm, This House. telluridepalm.com 14 Summer Kickoff Party & Open House Ah Haa School for the Arts welcomes the summer season with hands-on art demonstrations, a summer faculty art show, information on summer courses, and a barbecue on the deck, from 5-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. 970.728.3886 ahhaa.org 15 Jerry Joseph & the Jack Mormons Catch this live performance at the Sheridan Opera House stage. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com Firstgrass 19 Kick off the Bluegrass Festival weekend with a free evening concert in Mountain Village on the outdoor Sunset stage. mountain-village.co.us

20–23 Telluride Bluegrass Festival One of the country’s most renowned bluegrass music events, Telluride Bluegrass Festival is held each year during the weekend of the summer solstice. Thousands of people will be here for the event’s 40th anniversary this year, and the lineup includes Mumford & Sons, Jackson Browne, Yonder Mountain String Band, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, and Béla Fleck. bluegrass.com/telluride June 2013 1 2

Luciano Live in Concert 28 Catch Luciano live on the Sheridan Opera House stage. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com Sons of Fathers and Honey Island Swamp Band 29

Live music on the Sheridan Opera House stage. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com

27–30 Telluride Wine Festival Soak up all the information you can about fine wine at this four-day event, with seminars, tastings, winemakers’ luncheons and cooking demonstrations. telluridewinefestival.com

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Events Calendar

26–7/7 Telluride Musicfest Elite musicians come to Telluride to perform in four classical music concerts hosted at the Mai Ranch, an intimate venue for chamber music. This year’s theme is “Bohemians,” and will feature the music of Dvorak, Suk, Smetana and other non-Bohemian composers. telluridemusicfest.com july 2013 1

29–7/5 Telluride Plein-Air Landscape artists from across the nation come to paint the region’s vistas. Plein-air painting is done outdoors, and artists brave the oftenfickle weather to create their work, which is exhibited and auctioned July 3 and 4 as a benefit for the Sheridan Arts Foundation. Quick draw contest is on July 2. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com july

Red, White & Blues 3 Mountain Village hosts a free concert on the Sunset Stage to celebrate the nation’s independence. mountain-village.co.us Firemen’s Fourth of July 4 Telluride’s Independence Day features a grand parade down main street, an old-fashioned community barbecue and games and activities for kids in Town Park, root beer floats at the historical museum and an amazing firework display at night. Mountainfilm Fundraiser 5 Check out the films and special guests at the Palm Theatre in support of Mountainfilm in Telluride, at 7 p.m. 970.369.5670 mountainfilm.org Library Fundraiser 6 The Wilkinson Public Library holds its fundraising event at the Palm. telluridelibrary.org Speakeasy Gala 6 Celebrate the Sheridan Opera House’s 100th anniversary at this 1920s black-tie affair, featuring the music of the Cab Calloway Orchestra. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com Meet the Author Series Between the Covers Bookstore and Wilkinson Public Library collaborate to host wellknown authors and a reading/discussion of their work. 970.728.4519 telluridelibrary.org Met Encore Watch live transmissions of Metropolitan Opera in high definition at the Palm Theatre on Mondays at 6 p.m., July 1 through August 5. telluridepalm.com

ONGOING:

Brett Schreckengost

Films at the Library Wilkinson Public Library hosts four film series programs: Telluride Film Festival Cinematheque, Mountainfilm at the Library, Community Cinema, and Choices Cinema. Cinematheque features TFF films, Mountainfilm shows select features from its festival, Community Cinema showcases Independent Lens movies, and Choice Cinema screens documentaries. All of the programs feature discussions and refreshments and are open to the public. 970.728.4519 telluridelibrary.org Fireside Chats Attend these free historic talks with authors and fictional character presentations, hosted by the Telluride Historical Museum. Dates and locations TBA. 970.728.3344 telluridemuseum.org

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Mountain Village Farmers and Artisans Market Shop for fresh produce and food and handmade crafts and goods from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. in Heritage Plaza in Mountain Village on Wednesdays throughout the summer. 970.369.8248 mountain-village.co.us Open Classes at the Ah Haa School Ah Haa’s ongoing summer drop-in classes include Clay Thursdays, 5-7:30 p.m.; Canvas & Cocktails, Thursdays, 5-8 p.m.; Robert Weatherford’s Painting From Within, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Kindermusik on Tuesday mornings. For a list of adult classes and kids’ summer camps, go to ahhaa.org. 970.728.3886 Lawnchair Classics On Tuesdays in Mountain Village in the Conference Center courtyard at dusk, Wilkinson Public Library presents classic or vintage films. 970.728.4519 telluridelibrary.org

summer/fall 2013

Dirty Dozen Brass Band 10 Catch the classic funk ensemble from New Orleans live at the Sheridan Opera House. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com

11–14 Telluride Yoga Festival Yoga instructors from around the globe convene in Telluride to offer workshops in all types of yoga, meditation, kirtan and other practices. tellurideyogafestival.com 12–14 Hardrock 100 This endurance trail running race spans 100 miles of high country terrain in the San Juan Mountains. Hardrock100.com 13–14 The Ride A two-day rock and roll music festival produced in conjunction with KOTO, the local community radio station. This year’s lineup includes David Byrne, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Cake, Drive-By Truckers and Steve Earle. 970.369.0000 ridefestival.com MOMIX Dance Company 16 The Palm presents MOMIX, an internationally acclaimed company of dancers/illusionists performing the work “Botanica.” palmtelluride.com 17–21 Telluride Art & Architecture Weekend Telluride Arts hosts studio, culinary and home tours throughout the Telluride Creative District. 970.728.3930 telluridearts.org 17 Museum Spelling Bee How do you spell F-U-N? Check out the spelling bee at the Sheridan Opera House. 970.728.6363 sheridaoperahouse.com

18–20 Telluride Americana Music Series

Enjoy three evenings featuring classic folk and Americana songwriters performing on the Sheridan Opera House stage. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com

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calendar

19 Ah Haa Art Auction One of the signature events every summer, this annual art auction features live entertainment and bidding as well as a silent auction to support the local arts school. This year, there will also be a guest artist sale and pre-auction gathering on July 18. 970.728.3886. ahhaa.org 19–27 San Miguel County Fair Rodeo Events kick off with a greased pig contest and a weeklong county fair with livestock auctions, crafts, a pie and dessert contest, and more. The professional rodeo, with everything from mutton-busting to roping and bull-riding is the finale. sanmiguelcounty.org

ONGOING:

22–26 Pippi Longstocking Sheridan Arts Foundation Young People’s Theatre presents its Summer Spectacular performance of the classic Pippi Longstocking. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com

Mindfulness Meditation Take a deep breath and relax at this guided meditation program held the last Wednesday of every month, with guide John Bruna and host Elisabeth Gick. 970.728.4519 telluridelibrary.org Palm Weekly Art House Movie Enjoy independent, art house films at the Palm Theatre on select Thursday evenings throughout the summer. 970.369.5670 telluridepalm.com

22–27 Telluride Playwrights Festival The Telluride Playwrights Festival provides a laboratory setting for actors, playwrights and directors to network and nurture new, thought-provoking work that inspires and engages its audience. playwrightsfestival.org August 2013 1

29 Magic With Eli A free magic show held at the Sheridan Opera House and open to the public—reserve your seat online. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com August 1 Complexions Contemporary Ballet The Palm presents the modern ballet troupe from New York. Complexions features a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles, and cultures and has won numerous awards, including the New York Times “Critics Choice.” 8 p.m. telluridepalm.com 2 KOTO Duck Race Sponsor a yellow rubber duck, and if it floats down San Miguel River fast enough, you can win a variety of prizes, including a ski pass. The race is a benefit for the local nonprofit, commercial-free radio station KOTO FM. koto.org

Pinhead Institute Punk Science Punk Science presents fun science experiments that entertain and educate young people on Tuesday evenings at 5:15 p.m. July 9–August 13, at the Telluride High School cafeteria, $2 per punk. 970.708.7441 pinheadinstitute.org Storytime at the Library Kids will enjoy these fun story readings every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m., and the bilingual storytime on Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. at the library. 970.728.4519 telluridelibrary.org

September 2013

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2–4 Telluride Jazz Celebration The 35th annual jazz festival hosts musical acts on the Town Park stage during the day and at various local venues at night. This year the lineup features John Scofield, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Galactic, Stanley Clarke, Meshell Ndegeocello and New Orleans Suspects. telluridejazz.org 4 An Evening of Comedy with Paula Poundstone Comedienne Paul Poundstone performs at the Sheridan Opera House. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com 8 Guest DJ Day Local “celebrities” take over the airwaves at KOTO in this event, which kicks off fall fundraising for the community radio station. 970.728.4333 koto.org 8–11 Many Hands Fiber Festival Telluride Arts hosts this weekend celebration of fiber arts, including knitting, quilting, textiles, weaving, needlepoint, embroidery, felting, crochet, and a festival shopping mall. 970.728.3930 telluridearts.org 8–11 No Barriers Summit Three days of adventure and arts clinics, outdoor excursions, speakers, films, and discussions focused on adaptive athletes. 970.728.5010 tellurideadaptivesports.org 9–10 Mudd Butts Mystery Theater Telluride Academy’s young thespians perform their original work each summer at the Palm. telluridepalm.com

10 Asleep at the Wheel Live music at the Sheridan Opera House, featuring Asleep at the Wheel. 970.728.6363 sheridanoperahouse.com summer/fall 2013

Ben Knight

Events Calendar

Summer/fall 2013

8–18 Telluride Chamber Music Festival Roy Malan, the festival’s artistic director and concertmaster with the San Francisco Ballet, brings high-caliber classical musicians to town to perform. Pack a picnic and listen to the free concert in Town Park that kicks off the festival. This year is the event’s 40th anniversary. telluridechambermusic.org

Events Calendar

October 2013 1

November 2013 1

15–18 Telluride Mushroom Festival The festival features everything from foraging to lectures and cuisine. shroomfest.com 20–27 Shakespeare In the Park Telluride Theatre presents a Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night, in Telluride Town Park. 970.369.5675 telluridetheatre.org

20 National Theatre at the Palm Watch National Theatre performance transmission live in high definition at the Palm, The Audience. telluridepalm.com 22–25 Dinner With Dionysus Telluride Theatre’s professional company of actors and writers stages an annual, original performance. This year’s ensemble production centers on Dionysus, god of wine, ritual, madness, ecstasy and theatre. 970.369.5675

23–25 KOTO Doo Dah Catch live music in Town Park at this annual KOTO event. 970.728.4333 koto.org 26–9/2 Telluride Film Festival This world-renowned festival keeps its program secret until opening day, but always features movie premieres, classic films, and discussions with the industry’s top filmmakers and stars. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the event. telluridefilmfestival.org

September Photos by Brett Schreckengost

regional artists on this monthly, selfguided tour and reception, and Stronghouse Studios hosts an art opening. Maps are available at participating galleries and the event runs until 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. 970.728.3930 telluridearts.org Telluride Farmers Market Fresh, organic produce and meats, baked good, flowers and crafts from regional farmers and artisans are on sale Fridays from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. from June 7 to October 11 on south Oak Street. thetelluridefarmersmarket.com

ONGOING: Sunset Concert Series Free concerts are held in Mountain Village on the outdoor Sunset stage on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer, June 19 through August 14. mountain-village.co.us Sunday at the Palm Telluride Film Festival presents family-friendly movies each month, for free, at the Palm Theatre on Sunday afternoons. telluridepalm.com Talking Gourds Poetry Club Join hosts Art Goodtimes and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the Arroyo wine bar as they host visiting writers and lead readings and discussions on various themes. 970.728.0399 Telluride Art Walk Local galleries and businesses showcase 18

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Telluride Film Festival Presents On the third Thursday of each month, catch one of the recently released films selected by the directors of the Telluride Film Festival at the Nugget Theatre. 970.728.3030 nuggettheatre.com Telluride Science and Research Center Town Talks Every Tuesday from June 11 through August 6, at 6 p.m. at the Sheridan Opera House, join scientists for public lectures. sheridanoperahouse.com Yoga, Zumba Classes at Library Have fun and get in shape with free yoga and zumba classes at Wilkinson Public Library. Pre-natal yoga classes are also offered. Schedule varies. 970.728.4519 telluridelibrary.org

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7 Imogene Pass Run Runners test their mettle on this 17-mile course that gains more than 5,000 vertical feet, beginning in Ouray, topping out at 13,000-plus feet in elevation and ending in Telluride. imogenerun.com 13–15 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival Blues and Brews hosts elite blues and rock musicians in Telluride Town Park during the day and at the local clubs at night. Sample handcrafted beer from microbreweries all over the world at Saturday’s grand tasting. This year’s lineup features The Black Crowes, Melissa Etheridge, Jim James, Gary Clark Jr., John Hiatt, The Mickey Hart Band and others. tellurideblues.com 21 Mountains To Desert Ride Cyclists race from Telluride to Gateway Canyons Resort in this annual fundraiser for the Just For Kids foundation. m2dbikeride.com October 11–13 Telluride Horror Show The newest film festival in Telluride, this three-day event screens independent horror flicks and hosts special programs and guests. telluridehorrorshow.com 26 KOTO Halloween Bash Have fun at this annual Halloween party, which supports community radio. koto.org

20 Gondola Closes for Off-Season November

9–11 Ski Swap Sell your used gear or pick up some new equipment at this annual KOTO fundraiser at the Wilkinson Public Library. koto.org

22 Gondola Opens for Winter Season

28 Telluride Ski Resort Opens for 2013-14 Season

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Headlines & Highlights from the Local News

Nurturing New Ideas Telluride Venture Accelerator Invests in Local Business

t’s been 122 years since Telluride became the first community powered by a long-distance transmission line carrying alternating current electricity, an innovation that local history buffs still boast about today. Necessity was the mother of that invention; a nearby gold mine required a new source of power. But these days innovative breakthroughs claim mixed lineage, relying upon the right combination of entrepreneurship, capital, and business connections. With all that in mind, the Telluride Foundation launched an effort last year to reclaim the pluckier aspects of local history. In its first round, the Telluride Venture Accelerator offered promising start-ups a 20

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$30,000 investment and $100,000 in business services to establish themselves here for at least six months. The initiative’s backers focused on four areas for investment: health and wellness, outdoor tourism and recreation, natural and organic products, and mobile software and services. More than 100 companies applied for the funding, including some that originated in the nation’s most successful graduate business programs. The four that were selected all match Telluride’s own sensibility. Local resident Lara Young hopes to design and produce fashionable recreation accessories through her company, Hoggle Goggle. Dolores farmer Bill Manning is developing an organic line of

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dried fruits and other snacks under the High Desert brand. Global.li is a travel company that specializes in off-the-beaten-path vacations, and Hyperlite Mountain Gear is using a new type of non-woven material to manufacture tents, packs, and other outdoors products. The four companies are getting office space at The Peaks, along with business perks like cloud software, public relations support, and administrative services, but the biggest benefit of them all might have a more personal touch. Telluride and Mountain Village are full of visitors and residents who’ve made it in the business world. Some still work remotely from the area, others don’t need to work much at all

anymore. A number of them have offered their advice and expertise to the four start-ups. The Telluride Foundation announced the venture accelerator as a way to help the regional economy diversify from tourism and real estate development. Backers hope that modern technology will allow some of these small businesses to become permanent fixtures, creating jobs and new possibilities for area residents. That’s in keeping with the foundation’s philanthropic mission, but the venture accelerator is no charity. It gets a four percent stake in the companies it sponsors, and perhaps a new success story to boast about in the future. —Stephen Barrett

passings

General Norman Schwarzkopf

Water Agreement Reached Telluride and Idarado Divvy Up Water Use town negotiators said Idarado harbored concerns that Telluride might willfully operate its new water system to the mining company’s detriment. It was Telluride that blew the whistle on Idarado decades ago, when its tailings pile contaminated municipal wells along the upper San Miguel. As a result, Idarado had to relinquish some of its water rights to Blue Lake for municipal use. Since that time, Idarado has been recognized as an environmental leader within the mining industry. The vegetation that now covers its tailings pile was considered innovative when it was first planted. The company earned a federal award after returning all its high country property to the US Forest Service, but only after Telluride voters rejected an annexation proposal that would have had the same result—yet more evidence to Idarado that townsfolk viewed the company as a pariah. Mutual suspicion has defined the relationship between Idarado and Telluride since that 2001 annexation vote. It has affected issues as vital as water use and as picayune as ice climbing access to Bridal Veil Falls. Still, the two have always recognized that they have no choice but to coexist. Their agreement doesn’t exactly make them allies, but it finally allows them to turn the page.

eneral Norman Schwarzkopf made his name during Operation Desert Storm, a six-week campaign that repelled Iraqi forces from the neighboring state of Kuwait and established the United States as the preeminent military and diplomatic power of the post-Cold War era. The war’s round-the-clock coverage turned “Stormin’ Norman” into a national hero and media sensation, an ideal platform to run for public office. Perhaps, some thought, even the White House. After the war, the four-star general did indeed quit a 35-year military career and entered civilian life. But he soon revealed more modest aspirations by buying a house on Turkey Creek Mesa and becoming a member of the Telluride community. In the coming years, Schwarzkopf would wield his influence selectively. It was no coincidence that the Fourth of July military flyover took place promptly at noon, as the retired general assembled with local veterans in front of the San Miguel County courthouse. Nor was it a surprise that Schwarzkopf muscled his way backstage at the 2001 KOTO Doo Dah to greet Bob Dylan, whose music comforted the general inside his command bunker during the Persian Gulf War. Schwarzkopf also found ample opportunity here to exercise his interest in philanthropy. An avid outdoorsman, he fit right in as a fly fishing mentor during the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s Wild West Fest for inner-city youths. Less expectedly, he donated personal effects such as his military cap to the Ah Haa School for the Arts’ annual auction. One year, he even created a collage that he described as a self-portrait, showing his career’s transition from war to peace. He jokingly compared it to the work of psychedelic illustrator Peter Max, though its $17,000 sale price wasn’t far off. In his final years, Schwarzkopf spent more time at his Florida home than in Telluride’s high altitude. He died there at the age of 78 and was buried at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY. A fitting tribute for a famed soldier, yet one that doesn’t quite capture the full picture of the man.

—Stephen Barrett

Ben Knight

or a town that embraces its mining heritage, modern Telluride has never reconciled itself to the industry’s environmental legacy. That’s created an uneasy relationship with the Idarado Mining Company, the town’s corporate neighbor to the east. A subsidiary of Newmont Mining, the world’s largest gold producer, Idarado’s role has been reduced to little more than caretaking a massive tailings pile just beyond town park. The tailings are the toxic byproduct of hardrock mining, and their presence has been an ongoing source of conflict with Telluride over the years. It’s a sign of rapprochement that the two recently signed a 20-year cooperative agreement, long enough until the tailings are deemed inert and Idarado has fulfilled its responsibilities in the box canyon. The agreement establishes what times of year the town and Idarado can use water in Bridal Veil basin for mutually exclusive purposes. Under its framework, Telluride will finally be able to complete a new water treatment system with Blue Lake as its reservoir, and Idarado can rest assured the town won’t drink the upper San Miguel River dry during low-flow months. The mining company still needs a certain amount of water in the river to dilute heavy metals that leach from its tailings, and

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Headlines & Highlights from the Local News

Daily Planet photos

Brown Dog Gets Gold Medal Smokevitch Makes World’s Best Pizza

f you’ve ever eaten a slice at Telluride’s Brown Dog Pizza and thought, that’s the best pizza in the world, it turns out, you were right. Brown Dog’s special recipe of Detroit-style pizza, the Via Italia 313, earned a gold medal at this spring’s World Pizza Games in Las Vegas. Chef Jeff Smokevitch earned a World Champion trophy that will have to edge out the rest of the cups, trophies, jerseys and sports memorabilia that adorn the popular local eatery. The culinary whiz-kid is earnest about promoting his beloved Detroit-style pies. This type of pizza is little known among connoisseurs, and Brown Dog is the only place in the state where you

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can savor its special deep-dish, cheese-smothered, sauce-tothe-crust, square-shaped good-

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ness. This is not the only award Smokevitch has earned for his precious pizza—he took home

a second place prize last fall at the American Pizza Championships in Florida. Apparently he was even better prepared this spring to adapt his high-altitude Telluride recipe for the crowds of 6,000 people dining at the World Games in Vegas, at just above 2,000 feet in elevation. Smokevitch is already back in the kitchen and gunning for another win. “I was honored to come in first place—all of my hard work in developing the perfect pizza had finally paid off. But, honestly, the first thing I thought of was what pizza I would do next year to defend my first place title.” —D.D.

On With the Show

Rob Huber

Nugget Theatre to Reopen This Summer

unning a movie theatre is an expensive prospect in a small town, especially in modern times when old-school projection reels are fast being replaced by digital technology. Movie-goers in Telluride were deeply saddened by the news that the Nugget Theatre, operated by Jim Bedford and Luci Reeves for the past 28 years, would go dark this off-season. The pair ended up putting their personal money into the business last fall to keep it solvent, but for the love of movies, kept the reels rolling. The pressing need to upgrade from film to digital pro-

jection would cost about $50,000, so they finally decided to resign. The beloved Nugget movie passes were only good through March of this spring. The Nugget Theatre building on the main street in Telluride has been owned by Katrine and Bill Formby since 1999, and its upkeep is likewise an expensive prospect, but they say that the movies and building’s theatre are important to them. The owners lease the theatre to Telluride Film Festival, which in turn sublets the space to its operators. The show must go on, insists Telluride Film Festival, and after its spring hiatus the theatre will again light up the screens, with new operators. Telluride Film Festival co-director Julie Huntisinger has assured Telluride audiences that the festival was committed to the idea of a year-round theatre in town. She also promised an equipment upgrade and that the theatre would reopen this summer, at a date yet to be announced. Until then, movie lovers and cinephiles in Telluride will no doubt remain on the edge of their seats. —D.D.

Telluride School District On Top

his spring, the U.S. News and World Report ranked Telluride first among public schools in Colorado. Just three charter schools scored higher than Telluride among all schools in

the state, and Telluride ranked 158th nationally. The scores were derived from four different criteria: the ratio of teachers to students, college readiness, and average proficiency in both math and reading.

Uranium Mill Gets Green Light Piñon Ridge Receives Radioactive Materials License

fter years of legal wrangling and a tough battle with environmental groups throughout the region, the proposed Piñon Ridge uranium mill in Paradox Valley received its radioactive materials license from the state this spring. Energy Fuels, which first submitted the license application in 2009, is already in the uranium milling business. Although Piñon Ridge has yet to be constructed, Energy Fuels acquired the White Mesa Uranium Mill six miles south of Blanding, Utah, just over the Colorado border and close to the proposed site. White Mesa is one of only two conventional uranium mills operating in the United States, with the other in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. There are five other uranium recovery operations in the country that use in-situ leaching rather than processing ore. The Sweetwater mill and the other sites are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a federal agency. Colorado, Utah, and Texas are called “agreement states,” meaning that their operations are regulated by state agencies. In the case of the Piñon Ridge mill, the license was granted by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The department held eight public meetings and a six-day hearing before issuing the license, and has promised continued regulation of the facility once it is built. Energy Fuels was required to provide a surety bond of $15 million. Part of that bond was negotiated by local officials in Telluride and San Miguel County, who created a separate agreement with Energy Fuels, hoping to protect the local economies and businesses against the potential threat from the transportation of radioactive materials, blowing radioactive dust and any harm that could come to water quality. The mill, once constructed, could process 500 tons per day of uranium and vanadium. Uranium ore would be used to produce uranium oxide, which would need to be further refined outside of Colorado in order to be used as fuel for nuclear reactors. Vanadium is an element which occurs naturally with uranium and that is recovered for use as a steel-hardening additive and in batteries. —D.D.

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Matthias Kabel

Nature Notes

A Charismatic Marauder Wanders Home Wolverines Back in Colorado? By Mary Duffy

n the heels of the successful reintroduction of Canada lynx, the state of Colorado is looking to bring back the wolverine. The state’s mountainous spine was once prime habitat for wolverine, lynx, wolf, and grizzly bear, all extirpated from the state by the early 1900s. Colorado has 2.4 million acres of alpine environment, more than any other of the lower 48 states. Because of elevation, even in the face of climate change, Colorado will always have cold and snow, the factors necessary for wolverine survival. There are only 300 wolverines estimated to live in the lower 48 states, in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The transplants would come from Canada and Alaska, where wolverines thrive, in hopes of establishing a population of 100 or more.

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These charismatic weasels are known for their strength, ferocity, and tenacity. Their stocky frames average 3 feet long and weigh in at 30 to 40 pounds. Their rich, brown coats sport a blond stripe

help them move easily over snow. They favor avalanche country (think San Juan Mountains), making their dens in deep snowbanks. Their home ranges can be 40 miles, and wolverines are

“The last wolverine documented in Colorado was in 1919. Then in 2009, a lone wolverine wandered into the state.” down the sides and across the forehead, and sometimes a splash of white in their ruff. Carnivores, wolverines eat rodents and carrion, and are known to take down larger animals if they are injured or trapped in deep snow. Commonly referred to as marauders, they cache their food in snow, using their keen noses to re-locate their frozen stores. Like lynx, wolverines have large paws and furry pads that

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known to summit the highest peaks … apparently just to see what they can see. The last wolverine documented in Colorado was in 1919. Then in 2009, a lone wolverine wandered into the state. M-56 had been tagged and released in the Grand Tetons and traveled 500 miles before settling in the rugged alpine environs of Rocky Mountain National Park. There is hope that if reintroduction

does occur, it happens in time for lonely M-56 to become part of the new population. A tentative state plan to reintroduce the wolverine is on hold until the federal government decides whether to list the species as threatened or endangered. There is some opposition from the ski industry and ranchers, who want assurances that the reintroduction won’t affect their activities. In order to allow uses to continue without restrictions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed designating the Southern Rockies as a “nonessential, experimental” population area. This means wolverines reintroduced into the state will have fewer protections under the Endangered Species Act. In the end, there will be no reintroduction until all stakeholders are comfortable with the plan.

Home, Home on the Climate Range Colorado gets warmer and drier By Mary Duffy

“Colorado’s 2012 fire season was the most destructive on record.”

for the Record W E AT H E R H I G H L I G H T S By Thom Carnevale May 2012 High: 85° (Record 90° in 2002, 2003) Low : 25° (Record 3° in 1939) Precipitation: . 39 (Avg. 1.8”) Snow: 0 (avg. 7.2”; Max. 35” in 1930) June 2012 High: 94° (Record 94° in 2013) Low: 29° (Record 15° in 1937) Precipitation: .11 (Avg 1.22”) Snow: 0 (Avg. 0; Max. 8.5” in 1970) July 2012 High: 90° (Record 96° in 1922, 2003) Low: 42° (Record 26° in 1941) Precipitation: 3.26” (Avg. 2.5”) Snow: 0 August 2012 High: 91° (Record 91° in 1939, 2011, 2012) Low: 38° (Record 20° in 1939) Precipitation: 3.41” (Avg. 2.92”) Snow: 0 September 2012 High: 82° Low: 28° Precipitation: 1.45” Snow: 0”

(Record 88° in 1990) (Record 9° in 1931) (Avg. 2.07”) (Avg. 0.9”; Max. 23” in 1959)

October 2012 High: 73° Low: 11° Precipitation: . 43 Snow: 1”

(Record 85° in 1948) (Record 0° in 1956) (Avg. 1.96”) (Avg. 9.7”; Max. 42” in 1984)

ome find it difficult to directly attribute changes in the San Juan Mountains to climate change. That said, after decades of research and compiling historic records, the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) has found that the climate in Colorado is getting warmer and drier. What does that mean for our intermountain community? According to USGS Physical Scientist Darius Semmans, it “…means winter sports seasons will be shorter and less frequently epic,” which could dry up the state’s $2.2 billion winter sports industry. A lighter, less stable snowpack also means a smaller amount of water for irrigation, river recreation, drinking, and other uses—and less water for other western states. None of this is new to longtime locals; the droughts of the late 1990s and early 2000s created an incredible 100-foot bathtub ring around Colorado River-fed Lake Powell. Although climate change is expected to make droughts more severe in the future, they are historically a regular aspect of climate variability in the southwestern United States. According to NASA scientists, even forecast models based on the assumption that future carbon dioxide emissions will increase relatively slowly predict precipitation may decline by 20–25 percent over most of California, southern Nevada, and Arizona by the end of this century. Warmer and drier climates also add to fire danger. “Colorado’s 2012 fire season was the most destructive on record,” states USGS Research Hydrologist Deborah Martin. Because there are more homes in fire-prone areas, and more dead trees as a result of bark beetle influxes, the combination of warmer temperatures and more fuels leads to more fire activity. There are over three million acres of dead trees in the state of Colorado, most the result of beetle larvae infestations. Mountain pine beetles have hit the lodgepole pine forests of the northern part of the state hardest,

and the San Juans have plenty of other bark beetles attacking trees. According to USGS Research Ecologist Jenny Briggs, in the same way that older people are more susceptible to disease, so, too, are the trees within our aging forests. Increased dryness decreases a tree’s ability to produce sap, which helps expel larvae that beetles bore into their bark. Also, recent winters have not been cold enough or long enough to kill larvae that infest trees. Even in good winters, snowpack doesn’t produce runoff as it did decades ago. For instance, according to the USGS, precipitation received during the winter of 2005 was at the 100-year average. However, low soil moisture and high temperatures January through July resulted in flows that were only 75 percent of average. Shorter and warmer winters, dust storms that exacerbate premature melting, and the change in ocean temperatures all add to an already fickle San Juan climate.

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Beekeeping is a Connection to the Natural World

Photos by Amy Levek

By Marie Fouche

squeeze the bellow of the smoker into the hive twice to let the bees know that I am coming in. I crack open the lid and smile; it is covered with white comb and honey. White comb means the nectar is plentiful and the hive is happy. The bees let me work without much notice. I slowly pull each frame out, inspecting how the queen is laying eggs. Each frame is heavy with honey and a rainbow of colorful pollens. Finally, I find the queen moving along a frame surrounded by her attendants. She is as golden as the honey the workers make, and she is laying her eggs in a perfect pattern. I carefully put the

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frames back and close the hive. This hive is healthy. A year earlier, before I was a beekeeper, I had stood underneath my blossoming apricot tree and its delicate scent, noticing that

coming out on warm days for a cleansing flight before returning to the hive. When it is below 50°, they form a tight cluster that keeps the hive temperature around 94°, and slowly eat all of the honey in

“Scientists discovered that these dances tell the other bees exactly where to find a pollen or nectar source by describing the distance and direction to go.” it was missing the buzz of honeybees. It should have been filled with hungry bees emerging from their cluster in need of food after a long winter. Bees hibernate, only

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the hive. By spring, their honey stores are low, so not seeing bees relishing the fresh nectar of our apricot blossoms concerned me. For the next year I read every book

and article about bees I could get my hands on. Despite the threat of Colony Collapse, which is plaguing apiaries worldwide, I decide to become a beekeeper. Before long, I found someone willing to sell me two hives. I committed myself to keeping these beautiful, fuzzy insects alive. After bringing them home, I spent the day sitting next to the hives, watching. The bees had no interest in me really, except one or two that crawled along my shirt, searching for pollen or nectar. When they couldn’t find anything, they went scouting with the other worker bees. Bees returned with little sacs on their hind legs filled with pollen. Most of it was yellow at that time,

Honeybees in Decline

—In the 1940s, there were five million managed honey bee colonies—today there are just half that number. Colonies are still in demand, so they are being transported over long distances. Existing bees are under stress from new pathogens, pests and Varroa and tracheal mites.

Colony Collapse Disorder

Marie Fouche

—Losses from Colony Collapse Disorder account for one-third of colony losses, and annual losses during the 2006–2011 winters averaged 30 percent. Scientists still have no definitive answer as to what causes Colony Collapse Disorder, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

but every now and then some returned with orange and crimson red. Other bees arrived without any pollen, so I figured they were carrying nectar. I saw bees share their finds with other bees leaving the hive, doing a sort of dance. Scientists discovered that these dances tell the other bees exactly where to find a pollen or nectar source by describing the distance and direction to go. Every two weeks I open the hive and the buzz of the bees slows my mind. My breath synchronizes with their rhythm, and we move in harmony. I never worry about being stung, because they have no desire to sting anyone. Their main drive is to gather food and take care of

the hive. By now they know my scent, and I hardly use smoke when I enter their world. The only time I am stung is when I lose focus, and I do something silly. I love the relationship we have. I’m not sure why they call us beekeepers, because the last thing I do is keep them. They are as free as can be. I am simply a helper; another worker bee supporting the hive. When fall arrives, I dread the coming of winter because I will miss our visits. Yes, I gather honey, but most I leave for the bees. I don’t want to be greedy. As I cut the wax caps off each frame and watch the honey hover in the comb, I am in awe of everything they did to make this. A worker

bee lives for six weeks, and they go through all sorts of jobs until they become a gatherer. I witness the golden beauty they create… the wax, the pollen, the honey. They fan their wings diligently to evaporate water from the nectar, and keep the hive at the perfect temperature so it doesn’t crystallize or get too warm. They share this land with me in a whole new way, because I can actually taste it. I taste the flowers within their gold and it’s an intimate connection to the beauty of this place. When the bees come out of hibernation the following spring, I stand underneath my apricot tree. I smell the scent of its blossoms, now accompanied by the melodic hum of my bees.

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Why Should We Care About Honeybees?

—Many types of food depend on honeybees for pollination: almonds and other tree nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables. Bee pollination is responsible for more than $15 billion in increased crop value every year.

Good News?

—The 2011–12 winter was warm, and some beekeepers fed supplemental nutrients to bees during that period, which could have contributed to higher survival rates in bee colonies— losses that year totaled 20 percent. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, some diseases are cyclical and colonies might be able to become resistant to the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder. But if losses continue or exceed the 30 percent level, it could threaten the economic viability of the bee pollination industry.

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Mountain Health

Amy Levek

Free your Mind Learning How To Meditate By Heather Sackett

leven people were scattered around the room, some sprawled on yoga mats on the floor, others in chairs. It wasn’t a bad turnout for an off-season Wednesday where the speaker was not even present, but streamed in live from Austin, Texas. The small crowd had gathered in the Wilkinson Public Library’s program room, which was adorned with colorful Tibetan prayer flags, for the monthly, guided mindfulness meditation session with John Bruna. I was skeptical. Meditation was something I had never been interested in trying. But a long winter punctuated by breakups and heartache had left me, normally a champion sleeper, frustrated by weeklong bouts of insomnia. I blamed Telluride’s notorious altitude, too much caffeine and alcohol, and not exercising enough. But deep down I knew the real reason: I couldn’t shut my mind off. Bruna’s mindfulness meditation focuses on training the mind

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“to attend to that which we want to attend to.” It’s not about emptying the brain or controlling it, he says. It’s about observing and reflecting. “If your mind’s running your life, do you really have free will?” he asks. Bruna, 50, has endured his fair share of suffering. He was once

son Public Library, speaking at prisons, schools, churches, and yoga retreats, helping people bring mindfulness to their lives. He does not charge for his services. Since my nightly alternative-medicine regimen of Benedryl and whiskey was proving ineffective at calming my thoughts

“It’s not about emptying the brain or controlling it ... It’s about observing and reflecting. If your mind’s running your life, do you really have free will?” surrounded by drugs and alcohol, homeless in Palisade, Colo. He began his spiritual journey 28 years ago with the realization that he was the cause of his own problems. After nearly three decades, a conversion to Buddhism, a trip to India to become an ordained monk and six years of monastic life, Bruna recently transitioned back into life as a layperson, settling in Durango. Bruna now travels the country, including monthly stops at Telluride’s Wilkin-

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enough to sleep, I figured I might as well give meditation a try. Bruna began the library session the same way he begins most of his guided meditations—with an awareness exercise, scanning the body from head to toe, taking note of its solidity and releasing any tension, in an effort to relax. Bruna then has participants focus on three thoughts: an accurate assessment of their current situation, the fact that death is certain

but time of death is uncertain— and that this moment will never come again, and, whether at the time of their death, they will have lived a life that is meaningful to them. “At that point, I usually have people’s attention,” he says. Taking stock of your life and meditating on those three thoughts usually lends a little perspective. It leads people to the realization that if they have running water, electricity, and the ability to read and write, they are more fortunate than most people in the world. It also reminds them to make the most of each day, living life according to their own values. “It reminds us of things we already know but don’t have time to reflect upon,” Bruna says. The rest of the roughly 20-minute meditation session was dedicated to sitting quietly, keeping the mind alert and the body relaxed. Bruna instructed us to observe distracting thoughts and emotions without judgment, recognizing that they are impermanent. The room was completely silent and I promptly nodded off, despite sitting upright in a chair. This meditation thing was looking promising for curing my sleeplessness. As I sat there fighting to remain awake, my mind wandered. I found myself fidgeting and feeling bored and impatient while waiting for the next command from Bruna. But meditation isn’t about instruction. It’s about bringing awareness to the present moment. And the things I was experiencing are normal. “The mind wanders, we bring it back,” Bruna says. “No big deal. The key is consistency. The length of time is not important.” Bruna ends his sessions with a Dharma Talk, which is usually a reading from “How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life” by the Dalai Lama, followed by audience questions. Although Buddhist in nature, Bruna keeps the lessons secular and accessible to everyone. “The mind is very powerful. I think many people are discovering the benefits and wisdom of mindfulness. It’s found in every culture, civilization and religion. Contemplative tools are universal.” Much has been written about the correlation between meditation and health. Regular practice

can improve high blood pressure, anxiety, pain, depression, stress—and insomnia. The key is to do a little bit every day. Bruna, who started years ago with just 10 minutes a day, advocates revisiting the three thoughts six times throughout the day. Ultimately, mindfulness meditation attempts to get at the root cause of sleepless nights, as well as the other health issues mentioned above, by doing some old-fashioned, honest soul-searching. “Mindfulness meditation lets me see this moment clearly and respond in a way that’s beneficial to myself and others rather than react,” Bruna says. “What activities are serving me and what are not? What are the patterns that keep me trapped? We can allow meditation to nourish ourselves and bring awareness into the moment.”

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Advice

Ask Jock

Athletic Advice from Our Local Mountain Guru

Pain in the Butt

Dear Jock, This fall, I want to ride the 100-mile section of the Mountains to the Desert bicycle ride from Telluride to Gateway. I bought a new road bike and went out for my maiden voyage yesterday and rode for about an hour. I’ll be brutally honest: My bum hurts so much that I don’t want to pedal ever again. Did I do something wrong? — Saddle Sore

Dear Sore, There is a certain amount of callous that you develop only from suffering on a bike saddle, but you can minimize the pain while logging those initial miles. First, let’s talk clothing: Jock assumes you’re riding in a pair of specialty bike shorts with a built-in chamois pad. If so, take off your underwear because the seams may chafe in all the wrong places. The next step is to assess (or re-assess) your saddle position. Go to the shop where you purchased your bike and spend time with a qualified fitter to optimize your saddle height, angle, and distance from the handlebars. If you didn’t purchase your bike locally, be prepared to pay for this service. If your sit-bone situation doesn’t improve, the ultimate solution may involve purchasing a new saddle. Again, you might discuss saddle options with your local expert bike fitter. I hope your tender tush recovers soon so you can enjoy the ride this September and help raise money for the Just for Kids Foundation. I’ll see you there, — Jock P.S. If any other road riders want to join us on September 21, go to m2dbikeride.com.

Over-Extended with Exercise Classes Dear Jock, Even when I get up at 5 a.m. for my meditation/yoga practice to refine my balance and flexibility, I’ve barely got time to make it to Crossfit at 7 a.m. to work on my explosive power and aerobic capacity. After a day at work, I love to go to Zumba and dance away the office blues, but sometimes Zumba conflicts with Pilates class and then I can’t hone my core. Plus, a friend just invited me to play on her softball team—which is nice, but I know that softball isn’t really going to improve my fitness; it’s just an excuse to drink canned beer in the park and socialize. So while I’d like to get involved in a team sport and meet new people, I’m kinda busy with all my other training, plus I’ve got to work a lot right now because I need a new mountain bike and a stand up paddleboard and some climbing shoes this summer. And probably new skis for next year ... oh, and I have to pay rent and buy groceries. What’s a girl to do? —Overwhelmed in Telluride

Dear Overwhelmed, Jock empathizes. Telluride is an über-athletic town if you get caught up with that crowd. Here are a couple of suggestions: 1) Purchase that crazy windmill-shaped exercise machine you see advertised in the back of the in-flight magazines—you know, the one that promises a full-body workout in four minutes and costs about as much as a new car. Let Jock know how it goes because he’s been curious about that thing for years. 2) Or better yet, engage in the many outdoor pursuits that Telluride offers, such as hiking, biking, climbing, or mushroom foraging. You’ll save money on gym fees and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. See you on the trails, — Jock

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Trail Etiquette Dear Jock, I was walking the steep downhill section of the Jud Wiebe when a mountain biker passed by and yelled something at me. I almost dropped my iPhone, which would have made me mad because I was getting my groove on with Galactic in my ear buds. When I got to the bottom, I read the sign: Bikers are supposed to yield to hikers. Where do I go to lodge a formal complaint against him for scaring me like that? — An Angry Hiker

Dear Angry Hiker, Simmer down. You are correct about the right-of-way etiquette on the trails: Cyclists should to yield the trail to hikers. Both cyclists and hikers should yield to horses or other livestock. The fact that you were listening to music with your ear buds and couldn’t hear what the biker yelled, however, makes Jock think that the cyclist might have been behind you for some time, trying in vain to attract your attention. You have no specific legal recourse for being startled on the trail, but if Jock were the judge, he’d say you—with your auditory sense deliberately dulled in a busy public space— are definitely guilty of lack of common sense and courtesy. (I won’t pass judgment on the cyclist. I plead the Fifth.) Next time, please pull the plug when you’re on the trail and enjoy the sounds of Mother Nature and your fellow travelers. — Jock

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Essay

By Rob Story

GET MY TV news from Denver, the usual assortment of Eyewitness, Action, and First news. Some of the anchors are less android-like than others, but they all recite the same headlines. A recurring topic: an ill-prepared adventurer vanishing in the Colorado wilderness. The man was last seen wearing only cut-off jeans and a T-shirt. Authorities fear he may not have survived freezing temperatures and a mountain storm that dropped hail the size of Anjou pears. I used to envy the exciting perils of these men in T-shirts. Then I read something in the furrowed brows of the grim Denver TV anchors—the chilling truth that newsworthy outdoorsfolk rarely make it back to check their Nielsen ratings. Usually, however, misplacing yourself while camping is neither so public nor so tragic. Me, I get 32

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lost sometimes because I can’t see the forest exit for the trees: There are all these trees out there. Yet I’ve always managed to find my way out before friends and family could fear for my life on channel 9. You just need to know how to cope. The first solution for a lost soul is to identify your emotional and mental state. Understand that it’s normal to experience biochemical reactions of the sort commonly described as “going absolutely freaking batshit.” On second thought, that’s not a solution at all. But it’s kind of interesting to note exactly when the chronic dry-mouth and 170 heartbeats per minute begin. The most obvious strategy is to turn back the way you came. My brother tells a story of being lost with his wife in Southern California’s Los Padres National Forest, not far from where captive-bred

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condors are released. The story boils down to this: Outdated guidebook recommends a multiday loop that the Forest Service stopped maintaining in the late Eighties; maddening overgrowth of chaparral and manzanita; poison oak oil seeping into the cuts and scrapes; trailside signposts without any signs; really losing the trail in a place jovially known as “The Devil’s Pothole;” concerned co-workers asking highway patrol to check accident records for any sign of missing couple; and a humiliating retreat. How painful is it to retrace your path when you planned a loop? Well, many years after this misadventure, my brother still rants at length about Forest Service budget cuts and their effect on trail maintenance. He forgets to mention that, while lost in the Los Padres, he and his wife conceived their first

child. He’s still too steamed at the first Bush Administration. Which brings up an important point: Should you ever become lost, be sure to blame someone else. Amelia Earhart might assert that getting lost really stinks. But for most, getting lost is not a life-threatening crisis, it’s an inconvenience. The twenty-first century, however, has declared a holy war on inconvenience. Through cell phones and GPS locators, we try to prevent people from ever getting lost, to keep them present and accounted for at all times. What a bunch of weenies we are. If you get lost, take the opportunity to tap into some of our better human qualities: power of deduction, sense of direction, and animalistic sense of preservation. For instance, a few years ago I took a solo tour of the Tattoosh Range in Rainier National Park. I

ambled aimlessly, and eventually tangled myself in thick underbrush on the wrong side of a ridge. The skies wept rain and my fingers grew numb. It seemed I had two choices: to think my way out or to fashion a nice deathbed pillow out of D.B. Cooper’s wormy skull. I figured that parallel valleys all drain to the same place, so I tramped downstream along a creek till it emptied—into a river adjacent to an unfamiliar trail. My sense of direction then urged me to go right, and eventually I made a grotesque circle back to my original trailhead. Thus was I able to extricate myself from D.B. Cooper’s sopping woods and take comfort at the Rainer Park Lodge, where I sat, alone, to contemplate the gray, spirit-crushing gloom of the Northwest’s so-called “Razorblade Season” with a huckleberry pie. A few years ago, I was hiking near Telluride with my dog Bezo when a game of fetch pulled us far off the established path. A frisky, yet-to-be-neutered chocolate lab, Bezo did not move in linear vectors. When we decided

“Friends tell me to look for Orion’s belt, but everytime I do, Orion seems to be sporting overalls.” to return to camp, we had zero idea how to get there. Time to look for the sun. The afternoon’s overcast skies glowed a little brighter in one direction, which we decided must be west-ish— and somewhat south-ish since it was well before the solstice. Southwest-ish seemed right, and we commenced an ultimately successful bushwack in that direction. Never mind that countless fallen trees blocked our route and that negotiating same

forced Bezo to perform exasperating pull-ups with his forepaws. The sun, though, is the only star I trust. For one, it’s the only gaseous mass decent enough to show itself during daylight. Yes, some say you can navigate by the south-pointing triangle of Deneb, Vega, and Altair, but it’s hard enough to find one star, let alone three. Friends tell me to look for Orion’s belt, but everytime I do, Orion seems to be sporting overalls.

Perhaps Raffi Kodikian shares my confusion. Kodikian, you might remember, was arrested in the Oughts after he and his friend David Coughlin got lost in New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Convinced that they were beyond help and close to death, Kodikian stabbed his friend twice in the chest and smothered him to put him out of his misery. Turns out the pair’s campsite was located 275 feet from a trail and only a mile and a half from their parked car. Coughlin and Kodikian should have brought along a copy of Hiking the Southwest’s Canyon Country. The guidebook contains this valuable advice for those who stray: “If you do get lost, stay where you are, signal your position in some obvious way (such as laying out colorful gear and clothes in an open area), and wait for help to arrive.” Indeed. Denver’s news androids would have never solemnly pursed their lips and enunciated “KO-dik-e-un” had Raffi only welcomed rescuers with a periwinkle micro-fleece rather than a shallow grave.

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The Birth of

Bluegrass Looking Back as

Telluride Bluegrass Festival Turns

By Kathrine Warren

he year was 1972. Avid music fan Fred Shellman, his wife Marikay, and their friends were returning from “Winfield,” the Walnut Valley Festival in Kansas. They had watched the likes of Doc and Merle Watson perform and met an up-and-coming band, Newgrass Revival, with a rippin’ mandolin player by the name of Sam Bush. As legend has it, a starry-eyed Fred declared on the long drive back across Colorado’s eastern plains, “I’m going to have a music festival like that some day with all those guys, only in the mountains of Colorado.” “We all said, ‘yeah, sure Fred,’” recalls Marikay with a laugh. Fred was an aficionado and had wooed

The Fall Creek Band Photos courtesy of Kooster McAllister 34

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Clockwise from bottom left: Fred Shellman, Bill Monroe, Fall Creek Band members, youngest member of the sound crew, Béla Fleck and Sam Bush, Telluride Bluegrass Festival banner. Fall Creek Band photo courtesy of Kooster McAllister, Fred Shellman photo courtesy of Telluride Historical Museum. All other photos by Don Kallaus.

Marikay with his knowledge about the craftsmanship of acoustic music. A painter and art student herself, she appreciated his infectious love of music. Soon after that car ride, the two moved from Boulder to Ophir because the newly opened Telluride Ski Area needed instructors and Fred had taught skiing in Vail. It didn’t take long for Shellman to form the Fall Creek Bluegrass Band along with other musicians, J.B. Matteoti, Kooster McAllister, and John Herndon. And within two years, the first annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival was held in Telluride’s Town Park below the towering Ajax and Ballard Peaks on July 6, 1974. For $2 a person, or a whopping $5 for a family, roughly 200 people witnessed that inaugural run with the Fall Creek Band, Black Canyon Gang, and Denver Blue-

grass Band. “It was just a big old family picnic,” says Marikay, who was nine months pregnant at the time. (Her oldest daughter Megan was born just a few days later after Marikay went into labor at the Sheridan Opera House during a John Prine concert.) Year two saw a few more bands on the lineup, including Boulder’s Ophelia Swing Band, with Tim O’Brien and Dan Sadowsky. Sadowsky ended up emceeing the festival for years as “Pastor Mustard.” “Rolling into Telluride for the first time is an awesome experience. Piled in that truck, it was a knock-out, baby,” Sadowsky says. “We were all ready to go to magic land … we were all young and idealistic and happy to be among our people.” Fred had big plans in store for this little musical gathering, and

the Telluride Bluegrass Festival just kept growing. He nurtured it from its infancy through the late ’80s, bringing such legends as Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, Willie Nelson, and Levon Helm to Telluride. He also brought in young talents like O’Brien, New Grass Revival, and Bela Fleck, who return to play, year after year. What set Telluride apart from its fellow festivals in those early days was the relaxed atmosphere Fred created. He modeled it after the old TV program Hee Haw, the rural counterpart to programs of that era like Laugh In and Soul Train. On Hee Haw, country and bluegrass music interludes were woven with corny backwoods humor and skits, the type of jokes you might expect from someone named Pastor Mustard (pass the summer/fall 2013

mustard), followed by the canned laughter like a braying donkey, the “hee haw.” On the show, famous performers and up-and-coming musical talents intermingled in the same way they do at Bluegrass. “To see Doc calling Sam on and calling Tim on, it was neat,” Marikay said. “I have to say, the seeds of Bluegrass started with Fred watching Hee Haw. Everyone made fun of him, but he used to sneak in the basement and watch it.” Sadowsky agrees that Bluegrass was special in the way it nurtured and widened its genre of music. Only in Telluride could you find traditional flat-picking champions jamming backstage with young, psychedelic-leaning young guns such as Peter Rowan. “Fred absolutely enabled that whole thing.” Fred also had a knack for curating the list of performwww.TellurideMagazine.com

Clockwise from top left: At the old Roma bar, Fred Shellman is encircled by John Herndon, Jim Burley, Marikay Shellman, Salli Russell, Peggy Bedford, Kooster McAllister, JB Matteotti, and Howdo. Top right is John Cowan in drag, below is one of the earliest festival crowds, David Grisman, and a young fan who is taking a potty break between sets. All photos (except top left) by Don Kallaus.

ers, handpicking unrecognized talent. The year Rodney Crowell released his first album, he played the festival. “No one had promoted the album, but it was amazing,” says O’Brien. “The festival was a reflection of Fred’s record collection. He was always looking under the rocks for the next stuff.” Year after year, Telluride Bluegrass felt like a reunion. According to O’Brien, Telluride was the place to go just to be together. “Everyone would try their best to come up with something new and bring something real good for the crowd,” he says. “Something about that experience in the valley created a bond that lasted throughout the year. It’s still that way.” Shellman passed away in 1990, but Telluride Bluegrass Fes36

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tival is his legacy. Today, the festival is run by Craig Ferguson and Planet Bluegrass, an organization based in Lyons, Colorado, which also produces Rockygrass and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. O’Brien, who has played 36 Telluride Bluegrass Festivals (this will be his 37th) has played countless bluegrass festivals around the world, but he says none compare to this to annual gathering here in the box canyon. There is something about the celebration, held annually on the solstice, that’s magical. It’s as if the harmony that rings from the stage extends throughout the crowd, into the throngs of people smiling and dancing, from hippies to hula-hoopers.

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“It’s more than the music and the mountains,” O’Brien says. “It’s also the longest day of the year…it’s like human beings tend to congregate somewhere for the ‘festival of the light.’” More than 9,000 people are expected to congregate for this year’s 40th festival of the light

“

We were all ready to go magic land ... we were all young and idealistic and happy to be among our people. and experience that same magic. Telluride Bluegrass Festival used to sell out the day of the event (in the pre-Internet days) on a good year. Now it sells out

”

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Sefra Maples

months in advance before a full lineup is even announced. This year Planet Bluegrass is anticipating its biggest year yet. “We just got the artist and crew numbers,” Steve Szymanski, the vice president of Planet Bluegrass, said at the end of March. “We’re 40 percent larger than last year. It will be a huge show and huge production.” Bryan Eyster, director of communications at Planet Bluegrass, says they will have a memorial garden set up on the festival ground to pay tribute to figures who were key to the festival. Planet Bluegrass is also working on a 40th anniversary coffee table book to share old stories, photos, and more, but it won’t be available until the fall or winter because they want to include the 40th festival in the book. “The big theme that will play out is a giving of thanks to the festivarians and the town and artists and people,” Eyster says. “That will be a thread that will weave itself throughout the festival.” Telluride Bluegrass Festival has become a beloved tradition to thousands and thousands of music lovers, but it also remains special to the people who were there from the beginning. Marikay Shellman and her family still attend the festival, O’Brien says he’ll be playing at the festival as long as he keeps getting invited back, and Sadowsky no longer emcees, but is a perennial face at Town Park. All three believe that Fred Shellman would be proud of the legacy he created. “Craig has really kept the original vision that Fred Shellman had alive,” O’Brien says. “Fred just wanted to have a big party, the greatest party that was ever given. He came close. He dreamed up this thing and damned if it didn’t come true!”

Emmylou Harris, 1985. Bottom: John Hartford amid the crowd, 1980. Photos by Don Kallaus.

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The region’s only animal shelter Serving San Miguel, Ouray & Montrose Counties Since 1998

Second Chance Animal Resource Center:

177 County Rd 10 – Ridgway Open everyday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Dog and cat shelter and adoption services • Spay/Neuter financial assistance • Mobile adoption program • Education & outreach program

Second Chance Thrift Shop:

309 Sherman Street - Ridgway Sun: Noon - 5 p.m. & Mon - Sat: 10 p.m. - 5 p.m. • Vast range of items (clothing, household, sporting, furniture and much more!) • Sales account for 65% of operating costs and directly benefit our animal welfare programs & services We pick up donations from Telluride! Call 626.3233

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To the Rescue How Thrift Shopping Saves Animals By D. Dion

he boots on the counter are the first thing to catch my eye. They are knee-high, with several different shades of soft leather stitched together in a bohemian patchwork of pale pink, amber, chocolate, and deep brown, and they are gorgeous. The boots are strategically placed right next to the cash register, and the woman sitting behind it smiles knowingly and says, “Aren’t they cool?” Telluride Thrift Shop opened its doors more than a year ago, and it is teeming with secondhand

There is an obvious link between secondhand clothes and secondhand pets, things that are given up by one person but cherished by another.

treasures like these. Funky lampshades, chic handbags, vintage sweaters and jackets, designer jeans, cute tops. Shoppers flock to the store, delighted to rum-

mage through the clothes and housewares and discover what’s in the recycled cache. The best part about scoring these deals is that the money goes directly to

the non-profit Telluride Animal Foundation, which disbursed $155,000 in its first year, sponsoring spay/neuter clinics for 2,000 animals, feeding cats, dogs and horses, donating to animal sanctuaries and shelters, and hosting pet adoptions. “We wanted to raise funds for the animal foundation without asking people for money, so instead we asked them for their gently used goods. From day one, the thrift shop was a success,” says Katja Wichland, who created the foundation with husband Josh Rapaport.

Getting a “Second Chance” There is an obvious link between secondhand clothes and secondhand pets, things that are given up by one person but cherished by another, and it’s a link that has also been capitalized on at Second Chance in Ridgway. Second Chance is a 19-year-old 38

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thrift shop that is operated as the main revenue stream for its animal shelter. The organization receives assistance from Telluride Animal Foundation, and holds additional fundraisers, a Wine and Whiskers fashion show, and Arf, a dinner where you can dine with your pet.

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They also regularly bring a van full of pets, their “mobile adoption unit,” to the Telluride Farmers Market to find homes for them. Second Chance has a 52-acre animal shelter, housing, feeding and caring for up to 25 dogs and 50 cats from San Miguel, Ouray

and Montrose Counties. “We are dependent on community support and without that, there would be no resources for homeless pets in the area. It really makes a difference. Before we were around, there weren’t any options,” says Second Chance’s director Kelly Goodin.

Finding a Home It’s all about networking, says Kajta, sitting in front of the Telluride Thrift Shop. She looks like a billboard model for the shop, dressed in a retro, red athletic jacket, funky cropped pants and sporting glasses with Elvis Costello frames. She has a sunny personality, gorgeous hair with thick, spiraled poodle curls, and a bright smile. She gets stopped constantly by passersby looking for a new dog or asking about items in the store. She takes the networking idea seriously, and her Facebook page is a captivating mix of photos: adorable pets that need to be adopted, trendy things that come into the Thrift Shop, and

she and partner Josh flying to save animals that are on death row. Josh has his pilot’s license and the couple takes a small plane when the circumstances allow—a dog about to be euthanized somewhere that is a short flight away, and a local person who is willing to adopt it that lives close to Telluride. Josh is part of a group called “Pilots for Paws,” which does pro bono rides for pets that need to get to their new adoptive homes. Katja calls them “animal transports,” and the adventuresome couple pays out of their own pockets for these emergency flights. Remember the viral Facebook phenomenon about

the “bonded brothers,” the 90 lb. German shepherd and the 10 lb. Chihuahua in an animal shelter in L.A.? They were brought in to the shelter together, and couldn’t be separated, pining for each other when they were put in their own kennels. Shelter workers hoped they would be adopted together. The same day they were going to be euthanized, Katja and Josh picked them up and delivered the pair to their new home in Ophir, to a woman who had been touched by the story on the Internet. The networking doesn’t stop there. Posters of animals that need homes adorn the shop, and Tellu-

ride Animal Foundation advertises the pets and hosts adoption clinics at the store. The foundation even supported the efforts of a filmmaker trying to save the wild mustangs from Disappointment Valley that public land agencies rounded up—they were adopted and now roam in a 3,500-acre sanctuary in the region. “We want people to adopt a shelter pet,” says Katja. “Twenty-five percent of shelter pets are purebred, if you want that … and between four and six million dogs and cats are euthanized each year, which is why we are on the spay/neuter mission. Adopt, don’t shop, is our motto.”

Recycled Gifts Nothing that is given to Telluride Thrift Shop goes to waste. Old towels, blankets and linens are donated to animal sanctuaries in addition to the financial gifts the foundation makes. Jeans with ripped knees or other items with slight flaws that make them hard to sell get regifted to Hospice in Montrose or to the Salvation Army, where they are shredded for the material. Some of the colorful, special fabric donated

gets repurposed in-house; Katja started sewing together the pieces and creating animal beds and toys, with the label Wag Again. Wag Again became so popular that she had to hire professional seamstresses in Montrose to create the recycled pet items that you can buy at the shop to benefit the foundation. “It’s a very green business,” says Katja. Katja and Josh started the foundation to help shelters like

the one in Ridgway, sanctuaries all around the region that struggle to feed and care for unwanted pets. Telluride Animal Foundation is able to act as an umbrella with funds that cascade down to 15 different organizations. Neither Wichland nor Rappaport draws a single penny from the foundation—they both own their own businesses—so the only administrative costs for Telluride Thrift Store are its rent, utilities, and

employing a manager; the rest of the help comes from volunteers. “I have a full-on bleeding heart for animals,” confesses Wichland. “We started this because I saw organizations that are in need, close by. With not being a sanctuary, we can donate so much more money out to people that are already doing the hands-on animal work. The more we work together, the more animals we can save, rescue, and help.”

Making Connections Even though she doesn’t get paid for her work she still calls it her “dream job.” Katja says she has always been a thrift shopper and loves fashion, so she enjoys the store. But more than that, she has been able to create a community resource

with the Telluride Thrift Shop. It is an affordable option for people who have less money to spend on clothes and housewares, and they also operate a food bank to help people who have trouble feeding their animals during tough economic

times. And through her outreach efforts and organizing of volunteers, she says she has met lots of like-minded people. “We could not have done this without our great volunteers. I love how many animals we’ve been able to help in such a short summer/fall 2013

time, and I love connecting with people that have the same passion, who believe in the same cause,” says Katja; and just as it is for the pets she has connected to new families, “I’ve finally met my people.” www.TellurideMagazine.com

A Hundred Miles of Pain and Beauty Torment and Triumph on the Rico 100 Endurance Ride

By Katie Klingsporn

et’s put it this way: The singletrack trails in the rugged mountains above Rico, Colorado, aren’t where you would send a beginner. The trails, with names like Winter, Calico, and Colorado, are things of both breathtaking beauty and deep pain. They hike up dramatic ridgelines, plunge into deep valleys, crest redstreaked passes and traverse talus fields. In places, they are slender and graceful and quite lovely— tawny lines drawn into fields of wildflowers or across the foot of a rocky peak. In others, they are scenes of torment—muddy, rocky, technical, and brutally steep sections that seem to go on

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endlessly. And they aren’t trails where you will find a crowd. Except for once a year, that is, when a small group of arguably insane mountain bikers gather in Rico to ride 100 miles of them in a single day. Welcome to The Rico 100 Endurance Ride, an event that links together highway, dirt road and singletrack for a self-supported epic through the San Juan Mountains. The ride is one of the newest additions to the Colorado Endurance Series, a string of 100-milers that draw endurance athletes for marathons of suffering and joy. The Rico event, which is organized by dedicated cyclist and Rico denizen Jeff

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Hemperley (aka El Freako from Rico), is pretty new—it’s heading into its fourth year in 2013. But it’s quickly gaining a reputation for being one of the toughest of its kind. “It’s just a super tough course, for sure,” said Dolores cyclist Shawn Gregory, who won the 2012 Rico 100 with a time of 12 hours and 45 seconds. Gregory was one of only six riders who finished. “The Rico 100 makes the Leadville 100 look like a road bike race.” “It’s not easy stuff,” Hemperley admitted. In fact, he said, it can be miserable. During last year’s event, in July, nasty monsoons moved over the riders in the second half of the ride,

unleashing torrents of cold rain, lightning and thunder during the last 40 miles. “It was horrendous,” he said. But Hemperley didn’t put the ride together in some maniacal plan to make people suffer— he did it as a way for endurance riders to check out the goods that Rico has to offer. “Rico has some great stuff on both sides of the mountains. It’s some of the best riding, I think, in Colorado.” While 100 miles on tough mountain trails may sound like a muscle-cramping painfest to many, a small segment of riders live for these type of epic journeys. Hemperley, who used to race cross-country, progressed to four-person endurance races,

Photos by Ben Knight

then to solo 24-hour races and finally 100 milers. He’s ridden the Vapor Trail 125 in Salida, the Crested Butte 100, many a 24-hour race, and the epic Kokopelli Trail Race seven times. “I just like being outside all day and pushing myself to the limit. It’s kind of gratifying to do some big loops.” With plenty of big loops to be had near Rico, he decided about four years ago to organize an endurance event in his hometown. Hemperley got together with Matt Turgeon, who started the endurance series, and the two pored over maps and put together the inaugural Rico 100. That first year, the route traveled from Rico

north toward Telluride and back, but with a lot of highway miles, it was pretty brutal. So after the second year, Hemperly made some big alterations, and the current route is a giant circle around Rico. The ride starts in front of the firehouse, and the first thing riders do is head up Barlow Creek Road, a heinous dirt track that cuts steep switchbacks toward the heavens. Thus begins 95 miles of trail and road riding that entails 15,000 feet of climbing. The ride follows miles and miles of the Colorado Trail, goes up and over stunning Blackhawk Pass, traces the Calico Ttrail through boggy marshes and bounds down Bear Creek.

Last year, seven of the 13 riders who showed up bailed out by the halfway point, where a SAG wagon provides the fanciest support they would see all day. Gregory, who was on a single-speed bike, maintained the lead for most of the ride with a strategy of keeping a steady pace. Things were going pretty well until the monsoons moved in, he said. The wind blew, the lightning flashed, and the trail grew mucky. He spun out, pushed, carried his bike, and pedaled and pedaled. “Coming back to town was the coldest time,” Gregory said. “I was starting to wonder if there was anybody out there still.” summer/fall 2013

Gregory eventually made it to The Enterprise Bar (the end point), where he cracked open a well-deserved beer and ate a hamburger—more than 12 hours after the ride began. “It felt great,” he said. This year, Hemperley has moved the ride to September 14. The event, which is free and capped at 75 people, starts at 6:30 a.m. in front of the Rico Firehouse. Hemperley said it’s a long day and a huge mental and physical challenge. But it feels really good when it’s all over, no matter how long it takes. “The goal is to finish and have the self-gratification of doing something like that.” www.TellurideMagazine.com

Brett Schreckengost

Things were going pretty well until the monsoons moved in. The wind blew, the lightning flashed, and the trail grew mucky.

History

The Nugget Theatre in the early 1940s. The feature that week was Father Takes a Wife, starring Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Swanson, and newcomer, Desi Arnaz.

A Short History of the Movies and Movie Houses in Telluride

by Paul O’Rourke

.A. Segerberg paced up and down Oak Street, from Colorado Avenue up the slight rise to where his family’s newly built opera house stood, and down again. There was only an hour before what he hoped would be a large audience experiencing the 42

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“Everything I learned, I learned from the movies.” —Audrey Hepburn

first motion picture to be shown at the opera house, now a movie theatre. The Segerberg Opera House had opened earlier that

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year, on St. Patrick’s Day, to rave reviews; some called it the classiest and most artistically designed playhouse in all of Colorado, a

real jewel. Segerberg tugged at his stiff collar and fidgeted with his bow tie, jittery as any businessman might be on opening night. Over two hundred people—a full house—attended that first movie night at the Segerberg Theatre on a busy Fourth of July weekend in 1913. Segerberg’s ini-

tial worry was perhaps understandable, but one could have predicted an immediate, if not long-term, success for the movie theatre. Cinema, even in outlying Telluride, was nothing new and was wildly popular. Mr. Segerberg must have remembered that first moving picture exhibition, over ten years earlier, at the Orpheum Theatre on South Fir Street, on the first floor of Red Men’s Hall, chuckling to himself, “we’ve come a long way since then.” On December 5, 1902, the Orpheum played host to what was billed as the “Beaty Brothers Moving Picture Show,” the projection of literally 30,000 color images onto a screen. The price of admission (25, 50, and 75 cents) came with a money-back guarantee from theatre manager, S.J. Adams, if anyone walked away dissatisfied with the showing of features such as Casey and the Street Roller or Carrie Nation and Her Hatchet. The Daily Journal reported a full house at the Orpheum that night, but also voiced concern with the projection system, stating that the “constant shivering of the scene is hard on the nerves and the eyes.” One can only guess how many refunds manager Adams gave, but we do know it was several more

years before Telluride moviegoers were treated to a real SHOW (the all-caps moniker used by today’s Telluride Film Festival to denote cinema). The mechanics and the science of making motion pictures just after the turn of the last century advanced with a speed similar to the meteoric rise in popularity of the films themselves. Multi-reel films, shot with 35mm film and sophisticated cameras, improved the quality of the product and drew more and more people (The Saturday Evening Post reported weekly attendance at the nation’s Nickelodeon theatres exceeded two million viewers) to an ever-growing number of venues designed exclusively for the screening of motion pictures. In early April 1908, James Jarvis converted the Metropole Restaurant (mid-block on the south side of Colorado Avenue between Fir and Pine Streets) and expanded into the space next door to accommodate a roller-skating rink and a movie theatre. The Metropole offered daily and almost nonstop entertainment, with afternoon matinees, early-evening skating, followed by evening movies, with vaudeville acts between reels, and then

John Wayne and Glen Campbell in front of the Sheridan Opera House, cruising around Telluride in between filming scenes of True Grit. Photo courtesy of Dirk DePagter

dancing after the final film feature. A destructive fire in February 1909 almost put the Metropole out of business. Convinced the SHOW must go on, Jarvis and theatre manager Jay Cooper re-opened in April with, apropos of the season, the screening of Passion Play Pictures. Father P.J. Gallagher from the Telluride Catholic Church offered his insights on the subject matter between reels. The Metropole enjoyed a

brief monopoly in Telluride’s movie business until October 1911, when a small movie house, first called the “New Star” and later the “Princess,” opened its doors in the middle of the block between the First National Bank and the New Sheridan Hotel, according to the Daily Journal. While it gained some measure of success during its short run, after the Segerberg opened on July 2, 1913, the Princess, as they say, faded to black.

Silence is Golden

elluride never lacked for movies during the golden age of silent films. Managers Segerberg and Cooper reminded their patrons that Telluride’s two movie houses changed their programs every day. And while there was some lag time to be expected between releases in New York or up-and-coming Hollywood, Telluride movie fans looked forward to the eventual arrival of the most popular films of the day, as

well as seeing their favorite movie stars on the screen. Quo Vadis was considered the first blockbuster in the history of cinema when released in 1912 (the picture was screened at the Metropole on April 4, 1914), but it wasn’t long before D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation gained the distinction of becoming the biggest mega-hit yet seen by American movie audiences after it premiered in New York City on February 8, 1915.

Despite its controversial (and sometimes protested) depiction of slavery in the South, the film was recognized for its pioneering use of such camera techniques as panoramic long shots, night photography, panning, and the cinematographic special effect of making hundreds of extras in a battle scene appear to be thousands. So eagerly anticipated was the film that when booked in Grand Junction for a five-day run (February 29–March 4,

1916) special excursion trains ($7.60 per round trip ticket) ferried Telluride movie fans north to experience the cinematic extravaganza. Birth of a Nation played the Segerberg on November 23 and 24, 1916. War in Europe, a slumping mining economy, and the horrific Spanish influenza epidemic literally brought Telluride to a standstill in the last years of the decade, though the SHOW did go on, albeit only at the Segerberg after

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History

∙ 1920. The 1920s roared in and Douglas Fairbanks was the decade’s swash-buckling star of stars, The Mark of Zorro, The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, The Thief of Baghdad, and The Black Pirate (the first feature-length “Technicolor” movie) all playing the Segerberg. Charlie Chaplin’s first feature film, The Kid, was featured at the Segerberg on November 8, 1921, and what is widely viewed as Chaplin’s finest work as a screenwriter, director, and actor, The Gold

Rush, was booked for a threenight run, November 16–18, 1925. Epic films with casts of thousands, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with Lon Chaney in the starring role, Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, and MGM’s Ben Hur played in Telluride during the mid to late 1920s. Father Gallagher, wherever he was, must have been smiling. Perhaps no stars during the 1920s were more popular than the quintessential western hero Tom Mix and

Gloria Swanson. Swanson in Sadie Thompson (May 20 and 21, 1919 at the Segerberg) epitomized how cinema had changed social perspectives and influenced how society would come to view strong and independent female characters. MGM, as though underscoring the medium’s significance in American culture, boldly introduced its new motto: Ars Gratia Artis, art for art’s sake. The stock market crashed in October 1929. The one

remaining bank in Telluride closed. The mines and mill were eerily quiet and the population in town hovered just above five hundred. J.A. Segerberg closed his movie theatre on September 28, 1929, and moved to Durango. Thereafter, for about five years, only an occasional movie was shown at the opera house, typically for the benefit of a local service organization, or at the Rec Hall farther up the hill on Oak Street. But the SHOW did go on.

Talkies, Academy Awards, and a Three-Movie House Town The Metropole Theatre, located on the south side of Telluride’s main street, had seen livelier days than when pictured here in the 1930s.

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he Telluride Journal announced on the final day of 1934, “Telluride will have a talkie picture, which will be shown once a week.” On January 19, 1935, the Telluride Theatre, located in the First National Bank building on Colorado Avenue, showed Little Miss Marker, starring Shirley Temple, and on February 2 that same year the new movie house screened It Happened One Night, with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Both actors won Oscars (Academy Awards were first presented in 1929), as did the film and its director, Frank Capra. Telluride Theatre owner C.G. Diller performed extensive remodeling work on his movie house during 1936, sloping the floor for better viewing; he added a marquee in July 1937. Diller had always imagined a more appropriate name for Telluride’s newest picture palace, and a contest was proposed. Though it’s uncertain who picked the winning moniker, on July 17, 1936, Charlie Chan in Shanghai played at the newly

named “Nugget” Theatre. It wasn’t long before the management at the Opera House decided to re-enter the movie business with regular showings. When The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind finally made their way to Telluride (in January 1940 and May 1941 respectively), it was the cash register at Sheridan Opera House that jingled. As they had in the 1920s, movies and the newsreels that accompanied them kept Telluride in touch with the world during the 1940s and 1950s. “It was how we got some of our news,” says Jerry O’Rourke, recalling watching movies in town on the weekends. “We didn’t have too much else in the way of entertainment.” Billy Mahoney, Sr. remembers that he and Malcolm “Mouse” McDonald took shifts manning the projection booth at the Nugget during the late ’40s. “We got to see the movies for free,” Senior said. “Gunga Din, that was one I looked forward to seeing.” For a brief while, a third movie house located next

door to the drug store on the north side of Main Street, two doors east from its intersection with Fir Street, did business in the 1940s. The “Mines Theatre” offered reduced ticket prices—and sometimes free admission— for mine employees and families. The Mines screened Hollywood movies, along with public service features. The screening of educational shorts such as “the discovery of the transistor” and “the techniques of coin telephone collections” may explain the free admission policy.

Demand for base metals during World War II and the Korean War revived activity at the mines and mill in Telluride. Production peaked in the early 1960s, when the value of ore shipments actually surpassed those recorded during

the glory days back at the turn of the century. And in 1963, folks in Telluride were excited to learn several scenes in an upcoming major Hollywood production would be filmed near town. The Unsinkable Molly Brown—starring Deb-

bie Reynolds and featuring such Telluride locations as Gene Adams’ West Meadows ranch, Mill Creek, and Bear Cove at the base of Keystone Hill—premiered in Denver on June 11 and hit the big screen at the Nugget for four nights, July 24–27, 1964. As though hosting Hollywood and its stars were no big deal, five years later, John Wayne and Glen Campbell were spotted strolling down Main Street, apparently taking a break between filming scenes of True Grit.

A Ski Hill and a Film-Worthy Idea

he 1970s in Telluride could be called renaissance-like, even revolutionary; such were the social, cultural, political, and economic changes sweeping through town at the time. Labels aside, when the Telluride Ski Area opened for business on December 23, 1972, another chapter opened in the town’s history. And, incidentally, The Godfather played at the Nugget that same weekend. The early ’70s also witnessed a growing appreciation for preserving and renovating the town’s historic buildings. Of course, one of the first properties to catch an artful eye was the Sheridan Opera House. Bill and Stella Pence and Mike Barry had big plans for the venerable theatre. A $50,000 restoration and, according to the Telluride Times, “a full seven-night-a-week schedule of classic and foreign films mixed with live entertainment and a bar” was completed by February 1973. And on July 5, the opera house played host to two classic films, with James Card, curator of the

motion picture collection at the George Eastman House, providing commentary. Mr. Card, upon entering the newly renovated opera house for the first time, proclaimed, “this is a jewel box … to be filled with gems,” the perfect home for a festival dedicated to classic films. Putting the proposition to the opera house operators, Card perhaps only reinforced what the Pences, Barry, and manager Jim Bedford had already imagined. The first Telluride Film Festival was scheduled for Labor Day weekend, 1974. Frances Ford Coppola, German-born filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, and silent screen star Gloria Swanson were in attendance and received the festival’s first Silver Medallions for lifetime achievement. The opening night tribute to Swanson and the screening of a newly restored version of Sadie Thompson were staged at the Sheridan. Festival tickets, granting admission to all events, were priced at $25.

Two women, dressed in the style of the time, stroll past the poster board advertising 7th Heaven, the 1927 release then playing at the Segerberg Theatre.

Bill and Stella Pence, along with festival co-director Tom Luddy, just as J.A. Segerberg had some sixty years earlier, stood outside the opera house on the evening of August 30 and hoped there’d be a good turnout, an appreciative audience for

their celebration of films. And like Segerberg, they had little to worry over. From 1974 forward the highly acclaimed Telluride Film Festival has always been, in Bill Pence’s words, “for people who love films.” It has always been all about the SHOW.

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Getting Into the Swing L egendary golf course designer Pete Dye once said, “The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top.” The San Juan Mountains are not exactly the Himalayas, but they, too, attract the sport’s most devoted enthusiasts. Golfing in this gorgeous setting, at this dizzying altitude, is almost enough to distract your attention away from the scorecard. “It’s the most scenic golf course I’ve ever played,” says Chad Gurney, the new head of Telluride Golf Club, who started here in early April. But with that scenic beauty comes more challenges than your typical water hazards or sand traps. Unlike most “mountain” courses, which are flat with a mountain silhouette as a distant backdrop, the Telluride course is actually in the mountains, which means rolling terrain. “You are either hitting it down the hill or up the hill, so that creates a lot of challenges,” Gurney says. Still, the Idaho native says he can hit an even par 70 on the 18 holes here. Gurney came to Mountain Village by way of Durango’s Glacier Club, where he worked for the last seven years, with four

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Telluride Gets New Golf Pro By Heather Sackett

of those as golf pro. For the last tion, rendering it unusable for the several years, Gurney has made whole season while the grass grows golf his year-round passion. While back. In the meantime, a tempospending summers in Durango, rary green normally used for pracwinters were spent working at ticing chipping and hitting bunker Tucson’s Ventana Canyon Resort. shots will be used as the practice Gurney, 34, turned his attention green. Flattening out the practice from basketball to green, says Gurney, golf while in college was a necessary “Telluride is a true at Boise State. He upgrade. “Anyone knew the sport— who’s been up there mountain course.” which can be notoknows it has been riously frustrating in dire need of fixbecause of its demand for preci- ing for a while.” sion—could be tough, so making This season, the club’s twengolf his career was part personal ty-first, Telluride Golf Club challenge to improve his game and will focus on customer service, part the appeal of an enjoyable day increasing its employee base by job. “I just saw how much golf pros about 50 percent, in an effort to enjoyed being at work,” he says. meet guests’ needs. The club is Gurney is now in charge of also introducing valet parking. everything golf-related at the Tel- Gurney says he will be spending a luride Golf Club, from members lot of time training staff in how to service to the golf shop to teach- provide the best service to let the ing lessons. He recently moved clientele know the staff is genuhis family—wife Morgan and inely concerned about their needs. two sons: Liam, 3 and Graeme, “There’s a lot of competition out 8 months—to Mountain Village there and we know that people from Durango. can play anywhere,” Gurney says. This summer the practice green “People are usually drawn to will undergo a complete renova- where they feel at home.”

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Gurney says the golf club will also concentrate on getting Telluride’s captive audience, already in town for the summer festivals and events, out onto the greens. “The people are here, we just have to get them on the golf course,” he says. Part of that mission will be luring more golfers out onto the links during the early and late season. With the course open just four and a half months of the year, from May 24 through October 6, drumming up more business during off-peak times is a must. While tee times in the 10–11 a.m. hour during July and August are hard to come by, the rest of the season could use some filling in, Gurney says. Rates are discounted from opening day until June 23 and from September 9 until closing day. Despite the putts that might sometimes roll unpredictably on the sloping ground, there are certain advantages to the high-altitude course. The 9,500-foot elevation means less air resistance, which equals longer drives—a trade-off for the short game terrain challenges that can inspire Happy Gilmore-type outbursts. “Telluride is a true mountain course,” Gurney said.

Keeping your eye on the ball and off the towering peaks surrounding the Telluride Golf Club may be your toughest challenge when teeing off at this spectacular course, perched 9,500 feet above sea level. While the scenic beauty may be a distraction, the altitude works to your advantage as Telluride's air creates less resistance against the golf ball during flight, translating to longer drives. Play Telluride today!

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Behind the Scenes

Brandt Garber Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Telluride Film Festival By Katie Klingsporn

since grown into one of the most prominent international film festivals on the circuit. The four-day festival is a movie blitz that packs the town with films, cinephiles, filmmakers and stars, and it has put Telluride on the map for premiering a host of Oscar-winning films. As it has evolved from a modest affair in the Sheridan Opera House to a multi-theater festival that takes over town, Garber’s been there with it, working mostly behind the scenes—setting up theaters, orchestrating the production of the event, and overseeing a growing staff. In that way, Garber, who today is Telluride Film Festival’s production manager, has grown up with the festival. But in a larger sense, he’s also grown up with the town as it has matured into the world-class destination it is today. “There’s a lot of things in Telluride that have evolved,” he says. “It’s almost like I’ve grown up in a series of Tellurides.” Garber moved to town with his family just before the Telluride Ski Resort opened, in 1971, part of the wave of “urban refugees” that arrived in that transitional time. His parents, Bob and Bernice, wanted to get out of Chicago and saw a lot of opportunity in the little town that was going to be a ski area. When they arrived with Brandt and his younger brother, Peter, Telluride was a tiny mining town with its industry in decline. The

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cores of people work for the Telluride Film Festival each year— from festival directors who handpick the movies to part-time builders (affectionately known as “dogs”) who construct theaters around town. But not many of them hold the distinction of having worked for the film festival since its debut in 1973. Brandt Garber, a traveler, architect, and longtime local, fits that tiny and distinguished category. His beginnings with Telluride Film Festival forty years ago, though, were pretty humble: Garber, then 14, was a janitor in the Sheridan Opera House. “We picked up the popcorn and vacuumed and all of that,” Garber says. Along with cleaning bathrooms and taking out the trash, Garber did get to pull the curtains that first year. And in his shining moment, he escorted the aging movie star Gloria Swanson on and off the stage with a flashlight. Telluride Film Festival has

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summer/fall 2013

streets were unpaved, his class at school totaled about a dozen kids, and the mining culture still very much defined the town. There was a sense of Huck-Finn freedom here for a boy, Garber says, but there was also a lot of division. Many old-timers were distrustful of the hippies and ski bums who were settling in. His father was an architect and developer, and after his parents bought the local drug store, his mother ran it. Garber, who was a bright kid, was unchallenged in the small-town school. When he was a sophomore in high school, he went to the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, then spent a year traveling in South America before lying about his age and getting accepted to the University of Washington at the age of 16. He studied architecture in college, after which he traveled for years. But Garber, who had started sweeping floors for Telluride Film Festival years before, would always come back to town in the summers to work. For the first thirteen years of the film festival, Garber and Malcolm Goldie pretty much comprised its production department, he said, and their responsi“There’s a lot of bilities grew as they won the trust of things in Telluride Film Festival founders and the event gained footing. But after Telluride that Goldie contracted AIDS and could have evolved. It’s no longer come to the festival, Garber took over a lot of his responsibilalmost like I’ve ities. He’s held the title of production grown up in a manager for about twenty years now. series of It’s not all he’s done in Telluride over the years—Garber has worked Tellurides.” as an architect and surveyor, and sat on the county planning and zoning commission—but it’s what he’s done the longest. Today, he works out of a small brick office stuffed with books and an assortment of toy monkeys (he’s got a thing for monkeys) on Pacific Avenue. With Telluride Film Festival adding the Hanley Pavilion to its collection of theaters for its 40th anniversary festival this September, he’ll have his hands full. It’s a lot of work, but he says he loves the festival. “Usually the festival is sort of like a marathon … this year it’s going to be more like a triathlon.” Over the years, he’s been able to hear the great Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, whose films had changed the way Garber looks at cinema. He watched as the composer Leonard Bernstein rehearsed with a small orchestra for an event. He heard a great debate between Werner Herzog and Robert Wise. And he saw countless movie premieres. “It’s an amazing cultural event, so there’s always something to learn—it kind of gets your mind moving. People come from all over the world; it’s a burst of energy for the town. There are so many interesting discussions.” Garber, a lifelong traveler, tries to get away from town for long periods, journeying to places such as South America and Africa. But he always comes back to Telluride. His family’s here, after all, and he’s got a pretty sweet gig. “I’ve been in and out, but this is sort of the center of the wheel.”

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Special Delivery

Janet Grant Ushers Telluride Babies Into the World By Martinique Davis

passage for many area mothers. She started coming to Telluride to see patients ten years ago, is a part-time resident in town, and last winter she joined the Primary Care team at the Telluride Medical Center; however Grant has long been known as the childbirth sage among Telluride’s ever-growing circle of mothers. The reason? Grant and her team of CNMs provide a model of care that honors the wisdom and the power of women’s bodies, while skillfully unraveling the secrets of the astounding process of birth. “What inspires me most is how giving birth changes people,” Grant says, reflecting on her three decades as a mid-

wife. “They come in not knowing how powerful they are, then after they’ve had that baby, they truly realize how powerful they are.” As a certified nurse midwife, Grant’s philosophy is based on the belief that birth is a natural, normal process, and that her primary role is to provide support and guidance from pregnancy through birth and beyond. Yet with her background in nursing, she also has the skill set to identify potential challenges and with that knowledge can better prepare for any issues that could arise. Throughout the process, Grant and her fellow midwives at Mesa Midwives create strong con-

nections with their patients, she says, and it’s those connections that continue to inspire and motivate her as she moves into her fourth decade in this profession. Grant says she knew she wanted to be a midwife from a young age, and after graduating college went on to attend nursing school at Grand Junction’s Mesa College before entering the University of Arizona’s program for Midwifery Education. She received her certification in 1983 and shortly thereafter opened the only nurse midwifery practice in Mesa County. After seven years of private practice, Cindy Busker, CNM, joined the practice, and as more families became acquainted

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idwife Janet Grant keeps a little book in which she documents every baby she delivers. The first entry, dated in 1983, tells of Grant’s first-ever delivery: A baby boy, born in the Norwood clinic, in the midst of a raging snowstorm. More than 5,800 entries and 30 years later, Grant is still welcoming Western Slope babies into the world, in the process recording chapters of area history into her little book. As the matriarch of Mesa Midwives, a group of certified nurse-midwives based out of Grand Junction’s St. Mary’s hospital, Grant has become a key guide in this monumental rite of

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with this woman-centered model of care, what is now known as Mesa Midwives grew to include other midwives Ruth Ann Price, and more recently, Tiffini Young. Throughout the years, Grant has witnessed a series of shifts in how women approach childbirth. The ’80s saw a more natural-leaning trend, “That’s really whereas in the ’90s childbirth seemed to the secret of shift toward a less parmidwifery: The ticipatory model with knowledge that more use of epidurals for pain managebirth is normal, ment as well as other and that women labor interventions. are strong.” Now, Grant says, the tide seems to be shifting back toward more natural means of childbirth, as more information is disseminated about labor techniques like hypnobirthing, aromatherapy, water birth, and more. “Fortunately, we’ve had

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midwives in the hospital for thirty years now, so we are able to keep up with the trends” in childbirth, Grant says, referring to St. Mary’s recently renovated birth wing which boasts specialized, private rooms that are designed for “couplet care,” a more family-oriented style of care where new moms and their babies room together and are cared for as a family unit by the same nurse. Grant doesn’t limit her work to the Western Slope. She has been able to explore the ways in which other cultures approach childbirth through her volunteer work with Helps International, a non-profit group dedicated to alleviating poverty in Latin American countries. Grant traveled with a group of midwives in 2009 and again in 2011, bringing tools and training to native midwives in Guatemala. She says the experience was eye-opening, as she and the other nurse midwives taught the locals how to use bulb syringes to clear

newborns’ mouths and noses, and showed them potentially life-saving techniques to stop postpartum hemorrhaging. Back at St. Mary’s, she is actually caring for pregnant women that she once delivered, when their mothers were her patients. Seeing a new wave of second-generation patients coming to Mesa Midwives for prenatal and childbirth care makes her job all the more rewarding, she says. “I’m seeing this second generation of women now, and they are coming to us more prepared, knowing that they’re empowered—because their moms have passed that knowledge on to them. That’s really the secret of midwifery: The knowledge that birth is normal, and that women are strong. Women now are passing that knowledge onto their daughters, and paving the way for a future with stronger families and more empowered birth experiences.”

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The Art of Physical Therapy

Nicole Siegel Heals Telluride’s Injured Athletes

mance when I was a teenager. Therapy was so hard,” she says. Nicole didn’t get interested in physical therapy until her junior year in college at University of San Francisco. Rebecca Liddle, a sports medicine professor and staff athletic trainer, invited Nicole to stop by and check out the athletic training department and watch her evaluate patients. At the time, Nicole was going in a thousand different directions. “I took 101 in everything,” she says, laughing, “psychology, sociology, you name it.” At one point, Nicole thought she would be an interior designer like her mom, but then she took her first college-level art class. “I was terrible,” she admits. But the training center struck a chord in her. “It was a combination of everything that I loved,” Nicole explains, “exercise, health and wellness, and working with people.” After that experience, Nicole switched tracks and changed her major to Exercise and Sport Science. She started spending hours at the training gym. “On top of everything I was doing—all of my science coursework that I was scrambling to catch up on—I’d be at the sports center until midnight.” Professor Liddle also recommended the perfect program for Nicole, at Shenandoah University, one of only a handful of schools in the country to offer a dual degree—a Master’s in Athletic Training and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. After school, Nicole got jobs working with Washington D.C.’s MLS Soccer Team and the U.S. Rowing team, both of which helped her to understand the complexity of athletic injuries. “Having the ability to evaluate patients

Brenda Colwell

hen you meet Nicole Siegel from Peak Performance Therapy, you notice two things: her youth and her mile-wide smile. But neither of those traits are good indicators for the grit she brings to her job as one of the town’s top physical therapists. The latest certification Nicole is adding to her already impressive list of degrees explains it best; she’s becoming a functional manual therapist through the Institute of Physical Art. “I like the term art because therapy is integrative. You have to consider the patient and your approach from all sides.” Nicole’s approach is two-fold: massage and a regimen of injury-specific exercises. “The two are interdependent,” says Siegel. “I could prescribe you a set of squats, but if your hip, for example, is too tight to do the exercises properly, you’re never going to get better.” That Nicole, at almost 30, is a physical therapist in Telluride still shocks her sometimes. She grew up here but never thought that she’d live here when she was older, she says, because of the lack of professional jobs and size of the town. When she was younger she had been on the receiving end of physical therapy, at the very same place she works now, as she rehabilitated a dislocated kneecap for months. “I’d been a patient of Mark and Ali’s at Peak Perfor-

By Emily Shoff

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summer/fall 2013

“Nicole’s therapy does not go easy on her patients. Her massages are not relaxing massages, where candles are lit and Enya is playing.” as well as heal them is immensely helpful in Telluride. Often patients come to us right off the mountain, having injured something skiing or biking. I can tell them whether they need to go see a doctor or if they can dive right into therapy.” Nicole’s therapy does not go easy on her patients. Her massages are not relaxing massages, where candles are lit and Enya is playing. Using manual techniques including soft tissue and joint mobilization, she focuses on releasing muscular tension at the skeletal level. She often employs the Graston technique of instrument-assisted mobilization, using metal tools to reach deep-set tissues. Her therapy routines are similarly tough. The exercises can be challenging, and Nicole has you practice every new thing she prescribes before she sends you out the door, ensuring that you do the exercise properly. Although Nicole is tough, she knows when to back off. She says that one of the biggest challenges of her job is trying to decipher a patient. If you tell a runner not to run, for example, he’ll never come see you again. “You have to moderate, help people figure out their limits, and custom design a therapy regimen that they’ll actually do. It’s a puzzle I love figuring out.” And Nicole’s results suggest that she’s masterful at cracking those puzzles. Her patients consistently get better, often returning from an injury stronger than before. I know of her talents from personal experience: she’s healed me twice, helping me to repair a strained IT band and more recently, my ACL. Both times, Nicole not only fixed the injury, she also helped me to look at the whole picture— the ways I move my body, the ways I might stress it, and the ways that I can strengthen everything around the weak point to prevent further injury. Prevention is another aspect of Nicole’s treatment approach. She has given seminars on injury prevention at CrossFit Telluride, and this summer, she’s pairing with Becca Tudor of Fuel to offer similar injury prevention and wellness classes. Nicole is looking forward to summer in Telluride, her favorite season. As she shoves off on her cruiser to return to the job she loves, helping people to live a great life in a beautiful little mountain town, she says, “It’s good to be home. After ten years of schooling and training on the East Coast, I missed community.”

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By Beth Kelly

laybrook Penn is standing in the basement of the Stronghouse Studios on Fir Street in a space christened the Stronghouse Underground. “Chairs or no chairs?” a volunteer asks. There is a nervous discussion: Will the audience want to sit or stand? Will there be an audience for that matter? Penn settles on chairs. “But not too many.” Penn and other musicians have been utilizing The Underground for over a year. The Underground is a basement space where musicians who don’t happen to have a garage for their band can practice. The space is an offering from Telluride Arts, formerly known as Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities, an organization that predates the ski resort. But Penn’s concept to invite an audience to their practice space was conceived only recently. Now all that’s left to do is see if she can

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draw a mid-winter crowd to a new event in an underground venue most people haven’t heard of. Shortly after 8 p.m. Penn picks up the mic and welcomes a half-dozen people to “The BackStage,” an experiment, she explains, in which the audience is invited to witness musicians as they explore their craft. It’s not an open mic night, she assures, but it is unscripted. Emily Coleman and Emily Robinson are introduced as “The Emilies,” or are they “Popcorn Alley?” Their name, it seems, could be decided right then and there. Together with violin and guitar the ladies join Penn under the glow of red lights for a few traditional folk songs. Their voices, in rare threepart harmony, transform a dark room of black curtains, stone and brick into a nightclub. Only where is everyone? Suddenly a wave of people stream in. An eager crowd had bottlenecked on the Stronghouse Studio’s front porch; the door had been inadvertently locked. Now they fill Solo cups with wine and beer and find seats. Penn’s worries were in vain. For the next hour she and her handpicked musicians play to a packed room of guests, some in chairs, others crosslegged on the floor and still more standing in nooks of the cavernous, but oddly perfect, venue. Covers—think Dylan, Ween and Radiohead—and intimate original music is shared. The roster of musicians grows to include Geoffrey Alexander, Johannes Beere, Michael Dow, Nate Prendergast, Bryan Thames, and as many different instruments.

summer/fall 2013

The audience hangs on every familiar and new tune. Nods and approving glances are exchanged; cups are raised in silent toasts. No one is talking. Everything about The BackStage feels sacred. It becomes clear that Penn has done more than provide the concept. She’s even more than a gifted singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer and adept emcee—we’ve seen her do it all tonight—but she’s also a brilliant curator and her execution of the second set proves it. With a beguiled audience under her spell, she drives the sound upward and brings everyone with her. Finally, chairs are abandoned. Everyone is dancing.

Kate Jones, executive director of Telluride Arts, describes The BackStage as an artist project driven by Penn. But Penn deflects and points to Jones and the other musicians. “No one does anything by his or herself,” she insists. The BackStage is only the latest of acclaimed programs delivered by Telluride Arts, who is also behind the popular First Thursday Art Walk that showcases local galleries and the “twenty(by)telluride” presentations that reveal the inner workings of Telluride’s creative class with fast-paced slideshows. With this new event, The BackStage not only adds some entertainment to Telluride’s nightlife, but

Their voices, in rare three-part harmony, transform a dark room of black curtains, stone and brick into a nightclub.

are collected to help defray costs and drinks are available for purchase. Sponsors have included Bottleworks, Cindy Bread, and Telluride Brewing Company. All told, Penn and Telluride Arts hosted three BackStage events this winter. Penn aims to keep the concept fresh this summer with new music, new collaborations and maybe more expectations from the audience; she’s contemplating inviting guests to bring a side dish to share at a community table. “It’s as much about the musicians playing together as it is about the audience that comes in to enjoy it,” says Jones.

w w w. t e l l u r i d e m u s i c . c o m

also another original venue in a historic building. The Stronghouse was built in Telluride’s Warehouse District in 1898 and has lived up to its name with its longevity. The Stronghouse Underground is also available for rent. Penn likens The BackStage to a an old-fashioned rent party. Popular in urban areas in the early to mid-nineteenth century, rent parties gathered neighbors and friends in private homes, for a small fee or cash bar, in return for live music, dancing, and socializing. Money earned was used to pay rent. The BackStage events are free, but donations

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Local Flavor

Angler Inn: The Deviled Egg

Deviled Egg 15 organic eggs (hard-boiled and peeled)

n fishing, the idea is to choose just the right bait, get the fish to nibble on it, and try to get it hooked. At the Angler Inn, they are employing a similar technique: their “bites menu” of small, inexpensive gourmet appetizers is meant to reel in new customers. One nibble of the blue corn tostada, the ahi tuna tetake, or the masterful deviled egg and the next thing you know you are bellied up at the bar with a full rack of ribs, hand-cut fries and one of the locally brewed beers the Angler has on tap. The Angler Inn is located just down the valley from Telluride, at the spot that was formerly the Blue Jay. The new owners Hays Sibley and Ian Wick—an avid fisherman—took over and reopened its doors in May, with a slight makeover that included a huge, modern bar in the dining area, a summer garden patio with a fire pit and games, and a refined, rustic interior. Chef Mike Alagna has been working with food for the last

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30 small pieces of habanero-cured bacon 30 thin slices of jalapeño 1 cup truffle mayonnaise (mayo + 3 tbsp. truffle oil) juice of 1 lemon 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard dash of Tabasco sauce salt and pepper to taste Cut eggs in half (lengthwise), remove yolks and mix with all wet ingredients and spices. Fill eggs with mixture and garnish with jalapeño and bacon.

twenty-five years in Colorado and California. He lived in Telluride in the ’90s, working at many of its fine restaurants, including a stint at the old Blue Jay. Alagna started his own bistro in Truckee and was most recently the executive chef at Durango’s exclusive Glacier Club. Alagna said

summer/fall 2013

it’s refreshing to be in a more down-to-earth, friendly environment after all the pretense of and fuss of working in a private, fine-dining kitchen. He said he is taking his knowledge of highend cuisine and his from-scratch approach to cooking and applying it to more simple dishes here.

“Coming from a private restaurant for so long, it’s awesome to cook for the community. I’m here to help people celebrate what we have here—each other and this amazing place that we are all blessed to spend our lives in. That’s what makes the food so special.”

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A Last Look Mountain Music Mumford & Sons made their first appearance at Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2010, before they were nominated for two Grammy awards that year for Best New Artist and Best Rock Song (“Little Lion Man”). They returned to play the festival in 2011 and went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year this year for their 2012 release Babel. Mumford & Sons (Marcus Mumford on lead vocals, guitar, drums, mandolin, Ben Lovett on vocals, keyboards, accordion, drums, Winston Marshall on vocals, banjo, guitar, resonator guitar, and Ted Dwane on vocals, string bass, drums, guitar) returns to play this summer’s festival, the 40th anniversary of the event. The group is pictured here in Telluride, getting some fresh mountain air while they rehearse. Photo by Brett Schreckengost

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