What’s New in the Four Corners

from Durango Magazine Summer/Fall 2023

IGNITING PASSION WITH THE RIGHT MATCHES: BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SWCO PROVIDES MENTORSHIP FOR KIDS

by Zach Hively

More Than 200 Acres Enter Conservation Easement

Within one week in March, three separate landowners in La Plata County entered conservation easement agreements that will limit development and preserve their lands as wildlife habitats, watersheds, and scenic areas.

The properties include a 160-acre Centennial Farm near Elmore’s Corner, 30 acres of forest and open space north of Durango West 2, and the 28-acre Tocayo Farm in the Florida River Valley. These agreements, signed in partnership with the La Plata Open Space Conservancy, are part of a rising trend of conserving land in southwest Colorado amid increased development.

The new law aims to reduce the number of single-use bags in circulation. The fee is expected to reduce plastic bag use by up to 50% and ease the state’s growing wastemanagement challenges, in addition to addressing environmental concerns.

Starting in 2024, these stores may only offer shoppers recycled paper bags at the same rate. Municipalities can implement higher fees of their own.

United Airlines carried 49% of all passengers traveling to and from DRO in 2022, approximately 179,000 in total.

Colorado Bag Fee Sacks Waste on Plastic Bags

Colorado’s new bag fee came into effect at the start of 2023. It requires shoppers at many stores to pay a 10-cent fee for every disposable plastic or paper bag used at checkout.

United Enlists New Aircraft Serving Durango Airport

United Airlines is augmenting its service between Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) and Denver with an Airbus A319, the largest commercial aircraft servicing southwest Colorado.

The Airbus A319 will fly between the cities once a day. United operates five daily year-round flights between Durango and Denver and is the only airline to offer that service.

The aircraft is a short- to mediumrange twin-engine jet airliner seating up to 126 passengers.

San Juan National Forest Welcomes New Supervisor

The San Juan National Forest announced the placement of David Neely as the new forest supervisor. He returns to the National Forest where he served as acting forest supervisor in 2022.

Neely has worked in various roles and locations throughout the agency, including as a seasonal and permanent employee in four different ranger districts and the Forest Service’s national headquarters. He most recently served as deputy director for the Ecosystem Management Coordination staff in Washington, D.C., and has spent 27 years with the Forest Service. He and his wife will now call Durango their home.

LODGING & FOOD:

Step back into the Victorian era in Durango with a stay at the Strater Hotel (opened 1887), or lodge at the centrally located General Palmer Hotel (1898), in the heart of downtown Durango National Historic District.

Either option will get you in the right frame of mind to board the renowned Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (1882), which operates throughout the four seasons.

Durango has a plethora of excellent, independent eateries that serve food with flair. One of the newer establishments is Rupert’s Durango , open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day at College Drive and East 8th Avenue. Maybe you’ll find your old toaster among the wall of antiques while enjoying one of the favorites that range from the truffle scramble to the deluxe steak burrito. And if you dare, Rupert’s would love to pour you a mimosa to put some zing into your day.

Looking for a very quiet, relaxing stay? Mancos is definitely away from the city hubbub, and that’s how the locals want it. For lodging there’s the interesting Mesa Verde Motel just off the highway.

For breakfast or lunch, Absolute Bakery & Cafe is both scrumptious and charming. Across the street, find Fenceline Cider , with its taproom and patio, open Wednesday through Sunday. Both are an easy find downtown.

It’s a bit outside the city of Cortez , but that’s the charm of Ancient Echoes at Kelly Place , tucked into the red rock walls along McElmo Canyon, 10 miles down County Road G off U.S. Highway 491. Shut the car door and listen: what’s that you hear? Nothing. It’s the perfect place to experience the spirit of the Four Corners.

Former Bozeman, Montana, residents Celine Leavitt and Allison Troxel were looking to simplify when they made a Southwest pilgrimage in 2020. Kelly Place was on their itinerary, and they were surprised to see a “for sale” sign. One night of camping on the 38-acre property, complete with Ancestral Puebloan sites, convinced them to sell pretty much everything they owned and buy Kelly Place.

This didn’t exactly simplify their lives. (Leavitt used the term “drop-shock” – look it up.) They’ve spent the last couple of years refurbishing and modernizing the adobe cabins and lodges and rooms. They plan to be open March through December.

“We took the place down to the bones and built it back up,” Leavitt said. Plumbing, wiring, flooring – “we put our hands on everything. It’s a labor of love, creativity, and madness.”

Bringing in meats and produce from the surrounding area and preparing them in fresh, delicious ways is what Chef Geno (owner Gene Powell) and his staff do at The Farm Bistro on West Main Street in Cortez. Powell, a longtime area chef, bought the Bistro in 2019, 10 years after its opening as a farmto-table concept. It’s proven a popular one among locals.

Pasta, pizzas, burgers, steaks, chicken and fish make this a full menu – ranging from Baseball Sirloin® to Dove Creek Black Bean Burger to vegetarian dishes such as basil pesto cream. The locally sourced selections “make us special,” The Farm Bistro declares, and it’s hard to argue.

WHAT TO DO: How to spend the days?

That’s where summer and winter activities diverge.

SUMMER:

Heading west from Durango on U.S. Highway 160, you’ll notice the La Plata Mountains rising up to 13,237 feet (Hesperus Mountain). Along the range’s main access, La Plata Canyon , you can hike, camp, or four-wheel-drive with your own vehicle or on a tour offered by several Durango-based businesses.

In Mancos , check out the Artisans of Mancos at the corner of Grand Avenue and Main Street. The shop is a co-op staffed by the artists themselves. You’ll find beautiful, offbeat, one-ofa-kind pieces of art – paintings, jewelry, gourds, photography, glass, ceramics, pottery, and more. A good start to discovering the local scene.

Almost halfway from Mancos to Cortez is the exit to Mesa Verde National Park . The heart of the park is a bit of a drive, plus there’s a lot to see, so you’ll need at least a half-day but likely a full day. Or several. The Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center, just off Highway 160, is a good introduction. From there it’s 20 miles to the park’s top draws, although you’ll find plenty of other scenic and archaeological treasures to visit along the way. To best understand the big Ancestral Puebloan ruins, take a ranger-assisted tour.

Are you a mountain biker? Two playgrounds to check out: Phil’s World , a fantastic series of singletrack trails just east of Cortez , across from the fairgrounds; and Sand Canyon , part of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument , and located along McElmo Canyon Road just a couple miles past Kelly Place.

WINTER:

Skiing/snowboarding is the obvious draw, with Purgatory Resort and Silverton Mountain offering challenging terrain. As you head west out of Durango , maybe you’d like to take a side trip up La Plata Canyon for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or the louder and faster sport of snowmobiling.

Mesa Verde National Park might seem traditionally a summer venue, but that doesn’t give the full experience of how the Ancestral Pueblo people lived. It’s open in the winter – just be careful on the winding roads, which can be icy in spots. Otherwise, it’s possible to cross-country ski, hike or make the scenic drive.

Depending on the weather, winter can offer the best and quietest time to hike Canyons of the Ancients . Just be warned: If you get off the beaten path and onto the clay roads when they’re wet … well, just don’t.