The Durango Telegraph, Jan. 20, 2022

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Jan. 20, 2022 Vol. XXI, No. 3 durangotelegraph.com

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T H E

O R I G I N A L

I N D I E

W E E K L Y

L I N E

O N

D U R A N G O

&

B E Y O N D

Outstanding effort

Off the grid

Noodlin’ around

Groups band together to protect area’s high-alpine waters p8

How to live within your means amid a big energy rethink p10

From the dorm to the big stage, local band is on the rise p11

Get ready to lose yourself.

Issue 18 of The Gulch is out now!

Wherever you find the Telegraph or at www.gulchmag.com.

To find out about advertising opportunities or get a subscription, email: steve@gulchmag.com

2 n Jan. 20, 2022

telegraph

lineup

4

4 La Vida Local

Sometimes, your heroes are even bigger in real life

4 Thumbin’ It

Tommy time

by Luke Mehall

5 Word on the Street 6-7 Soapbox

8

8 Top Story

Clean & clear Enviro groups seek to protect high alpine streams in SW Colorado

10 Land Desk

by Jonathan Romeo

Ear to the ground: “At least pets don’t steal your stash and smoke it in the garage.”

– Response to Pope Francis’ comments scolding couples who choose having pets over kids

Snow brains

thepole

RegularOccurrences

It happened – astonishingly – again.

Recently, another big truck went off a main highway in Southwest Colorado, apparently trying to take a “short cut” led by a GPS system, and became stuck on a narrow mountain road. Oh, and it’s winter, so there was a couple feet of snow that added to the driver’s plight.

The incident happened on South Mineral Road, just off Highway 550 near Silverton. In the photo, it appears – an ambulance? an armored vehicle? a Boar’s Head delivery truck? – took a really, really wrong turn.

“Have you ever set out to the woods only to find out that your phone’s navigation app led you astray?” the Forest Service wrote. “Regular road navigation apps don’t know when forests close roads seasonally for snow, if high-clearance 4x4 is required, or that a certain road might be a four-hour drive and not a 40-minute one.”

11 Rock ‘N’ Roll Sweetheart

10

12 Stuff to Do

Rewiring the grid Energy transition going to take massive shift in how we live

by Jonathan Thompson/ Land Desk

13 Ask Rachel 14 Free Will Astrology 15 Classifieds

11

15 Haiku Movie Review

The secret sauce

On the cover: The iconic and weathered Hesperus ski shack glows in the morning sun. The ski hill is now open Thurs.-Fri. nights and all day Sat. & Sun. – get it while you can./ Photo Missy Votel

From the dorm room to the big stage, Noodle is on the rise

by Alex Vick

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EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com ADVERTISING SALES: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com STAFF REPORTER: Jonathan Romeo jonathan@durangotelegraph.com

T

he Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, beckoning singletrack or monster powder days. We are wholly owned and operated independently by the Durango Telegraph LLC and

STAR-STUDDED CAST: Luke Mehall, Jonathan Thompson, Lainie Maxson, Rob Brezsny, Alex Vick and Clint Reid

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We’re only human. If, by chance, we defame someone’s good name or that of their family, neighbor, best

friend or dog, we will accept full responsibility in a public flogging in the following week’s issue.

Although “free but not easy,” we can be plied with schwag, booze and flattery.

telegraph

It seems people trusting blindly in GPS, and then getting into very dangerous situations, is becoming increasingly more common on the mountain roads of Southwest Colorado.

To name just a few: In Oct. 2020, a 30-foot truck got stuck on Engineer Pass, one of the most difficult and steep backcountry roads in the area.

This past June, a box truck driver following a route between Montrose and Silverton ran aground on Ophir Pass. And in December, a woman slid off a snowpacked road near Dolores.

When her husband came to help, he too was swallowed up by snow.

Oh, and worst of all, a regional manager and the assistant to the regional manager, on their way back to the office from a business meeting, followed GPS and drove into a lake.

OK, that last one was Michael Scott in Season 4 of “The Office,” but you get the idea. More people are trusting in GPS and, on a sober note, are putting themselves and others at risk.

“It’s a phenomena that’s happening more and more,” Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes said.

It’s kind of the perfect storm: relying on GPS for travel routes is by far becoming the norm, and at the same time, droves of people from out-of-state are moving to Colorado or just passing through on road trips (especially since the pandemic).

CDOT does its best to get messaging out to travelers to stay on paved roads, especially in winter, Schwantes said. But at the end of the day, people need to take some responsibility. “If you’re a newcomer, learn the area you’ve moved to,” she said. “And for travelers, stay on U.S. and state highways; venturing off onto a forest road is not a wise thing to do. We need to use some common sense.”

In other words, four-wheel drive is no substitute for brains.

Jan. 20, 2022 n

3

opinion

LaVidaLocal Cabin fever and the Dawn Wall This winter I’ve had the fever. No, not the fever for more cowbell, or the fever from COVID (thankfully), but rather cabin fever.

Before COVID, I used to love working from home. After decades of service industry jobs, I was finally living the dream, and running my own publishing business. It was a perfect balance of solitude and engagement with the world.

These last two winters, that balance has been off. That new saying you’re not working from home, you’re living at work definitely has some truth to it. And with this winter in particular – living alone and being single – I’ve just simply had too much time at home. Luckily, as a writer and host of the “Dirtbag State of Mind” podcast, I’ve got the perfect excuse to hit the road: to interview some interesting people.

Early in the year, it seemed like every time I set up an interview it would get cancelled because of someone catching COVID or having an exposure. Finally, last weekend, I managed to record two successful interviews: one with Tommy Caldwell, the star of the “Dawn Wall” film, and one with Erik Murdock, of the Access Fund, which was responsible for a great deal of the advocacy and creation of Bears Ears National Monument.

My first stop was Gunnison to pick up my buddy Shaun, who was also in need of a road trip and some bro time. En route to Estes Park – where both Tommy and Erik live – we got caught in a whiteout snowstorm on Highway 285 as we descended into Denver. We watched cars skidding off the road, some going the opposite way that were unable to climb up the hill, leaving a mess for the tow truck drivers to clean up.

We arrived to Estes Park much later than we anticipated, and both Erik and Tommy were getting their afternoon exercise, so we had a late lunch as we marveled at the beauty of Estes, with snowy rocks and mountains all around.

As we finished lunch, we got ahold of Erik. In a crazy coincidence, Erik had rented a room to Shaun in Joshua Tree nearly 20 years ago, and they hadn’t seen each other since. Shaun had even helped Erik do some research on climber behavior in the park. The payment: Patagonia clothing that had been returned to the company and upcycled for compensation for his research. Unlike today, 20 years ago there wasn’t all that much money in the outdoor recreation world.

Erik had wanted to speak with me after listening to another interview I did with Durango hometown hero Chris Schulte. In the podcast episode, Chris spoke about the “Climb the Hill” event where climbers – led by the Access Fund and the American Alpine Club – go to Capitol Hill and meet with senators and members of congress to advocate for climbing and public lands. Chris and I also spoke about our mutual love for the land that is now Bears Ears National Monument. After listening, Erik asked me if I wanted to learn more about how the monument came to be.

Of course, the answer was yes.

Over the course of an hour, Erik told me the fascinating story of the work that the Access Fund, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and other entities did to create Bears Ears. Erik even lived in Washington, D.C., while the monument designation was being drafted. Now more than five years later, and the monument designation restored, it appears as though the state of Utah is going to sue the federal government over this designation. This while Utah is also vying to get the Outdoor Retailer show back. (The show moved to Denver, specifically over the Bears Ears issue.)

My head was already spinning after this conversation, with so much information on policy and politics, but right after, I had to head up the road to interview Tommy Caldwell.

Tommy is the closest thing I have to a climbing hero, reaching international fame after he and his climbing partner, Kevin Jorgensen, were the first to successfully free-climb El Capitan’s 3,000-foot Dawn Wall in 2015. Since then, Tommy’s gone on to become a climate activist, using his fame for good.

I rarely get nervous for an interview, but I was nervous to interview Tommy, mostly because he has been interviewed a million times, and I felt pressure to come up with questions he hasn’t already been asked.

Tommy has lived a life that sounds stranger than fiction. Born in Estes Park, he started climbing at 4 years old with his dad, and by 7, he had climbed Wyoming’s iconic Devils Tower, as well as routes in Yosemite. In 2000, while climbing in Kyrgyzstan, he and three other climbers were kidnapped by militant rebels, barely escaping with their lives after Tommy pushed their captor off a cliff. A couple years later, he cut off his index finger in a table saw accident, and when his doctor told him to forget about being a professional climber, he went on to become the best big wall climber of all time, culminating in the Dawn Wall.

There was simply too much in this conversation to summarize in this column, but the one topic that left me inspired was his take on climate change. Like many, climate change overwhelms me, and I often find myself thinking that it’s too big of a problem for me to do anything about. Tommy doesn’t think that way – his brain is wired to take on impossible challenges – and much of his day to day involves working toward solutions for this crisis.

“Climate advocacy feels a lot like my climbing challenges, except this work really matters, what’s more important than saving the world?” he said.

Sometimes a quote is all about who says it. When Tommy Caldwell speaks, the world listens. And Shaun and I had the pleasure to speak with perhaps the most optimistic realist in the world for an hour that day. It certainly helped cure my cabin fever, and reset my brain to start thinking more positively. I can’t wait to share these conversations with the world, soon enough.

– Luke Mehall is the publisher of The Climbing Zine and host of the “Dirtbag State of Mind” podcast. Check out climbingzine.com for more.

Thumbin’It The La Plata County Humane Society getting a boost from the Betty White Challenge, where people donate to the animal shelter on the beloved late actress’ behalf (White was a huge animal rights advocate, aside from being a general badass).

The city of Durango raising sewer rates.

Not that the increase isn’t necessary to keep our you-know-what from going youknow-where, but it feels like everything has increased recently, as if it’s not expensive enough to live here.

Durango skier George McQuinn recovering after a nasty fall in the World Cup freestyle final in Deer Valley. McQuinn was on his way to represent Team USA, but now we’re just glad to see he’ll be OK.

COVID canceling La Plata County Search & Rescue’s annual pancake breakfast on the last day of Snowdown (the only proper way to bid adieu to the grueling binge fest). The breakfast is one of SAR’s biggest fundraisers, so consider donating!

Reports of three cats holding a blender hostage from their owners for weeks, not so much for making smoothies, more for the cardboard box. Thousands of people are following the saga, which might be the only thing social media is good for.

4 n Jan. 20, 2022

Sign of the Downfall:

People scalping and jacking up prices of Snowdown Follies tickets. A ticket to the marquee event is only $25, yet some people just suck.

telegraph

Gas Money As I’m sure you already know, “90 Day Fiancé” star Stephanie Matto made $50K a week last year selling her farts in jars before the high bean and egg diet hospitalized her, thereby forcing her into a career selling NFT’s online. But what you might not know is that “Teen Mom” star Farrah Abraham decided to go further last week by selling jars filled with her poop on OnlyFans, and yes, each jar comes with a video.

I’m all for single mothers making more money, but just like a fart on an elevator, this story is just wrong on so many levels.

WordontheStreet Betty White would have turned 100 this week, so the Telegraph asked, “How would you celebrate turning a June century old?” “Scuba diving in

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“I’d want to be as ridiculous as possible. Probably in Hawaii.”

Denny

“Party with as many of my friends that were still alive.”

Ray

“I’d want to go skydiving and end up in a waterfall with a bunch of fireworks going off.”.

Susanne

“I’d want to go on vacation to Brazil and definitely watch some ‘Golden Girls.’” telegraph

Jan. 20, 2022 n 5

SoapBox Here come the wolves When it comes to wolves, Colorado is not an island.

When gray wolves return to Colorado, they will connect a contiguous population of this species from Mexico to the high Arctic.

In Arizona, we are working to restore populations of the endangered Mexican gray wolf and have implemented an innovative compensation program to reward livestock producers who use non-lethal coexistence strategies to prevent conflict between livestock, wolves and humans.

The statute implementing Proposition 114 requires compensation to producers when wolves kill livestock. The statute also requires the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to “Assist owners of livestock in preventing and resolving conflicts between gray wolves and livestock.”

Currently, stakeholder advisory groups charged with working with CPW and the Commission to guide the wolf restoration process are contemplating compensation schemes, expecting wolf predation on livestock. In fact, an incident of predation has already occurred through a naturally migrating wolf pack lucky enough to have survived the gauntlet of neighboring states.

Compensation schemes matter, because they can either encourage or discourage conflict between humans and wolves. But to be fair, compensation schemes must reflect all stakeholder values, including those not associated with livestock production and hunting.

Currently, the biggest delimiting factor in wolf restoration is intolerance. Intolerance feeds upon conflict, and when we do not actively prevent conflict, we get exactly that – conflict between wolves and livestock. Intolerance will later justify wolf hunting programs, which means the compensation schemes being designed in Colorado will directly impact how wolves are perceived and ultimately treated in the state in the long-term.

An ode to skate skiing

Will the Commission choose to assist livestock owners and pay for practices that reduce conflict (sometimes known as pay-for-presence or outcomes-based compensation), or pay for conflict through a typical damage compensation program? One program is preventive and recognizes the benefits of wolves, while the “status quo” program rewards conflict and only recognizes the cost of wolves.

Livestock producers are not the only interests that should be considered in any compensation scheme – photographers, nature enthusiasts, and yes, even the urban dweller as part of the public trust, have rights to compensation for the absence of wolves – compensation that recognizes the value of wolves to a biodiverse landscape that provides all of us with clean water, clean air, disease control, climate regulation and psychological well-being.

Will wolves kill livestock in Colorado? Ultimately, that is up to the producers, too. Ranchers are not powerless bystanders and have a responsibility to protect livestock from predation. Nonlethal practices are working elsewhere – including grazing management, low stress herding, range riding, fladry and guard dogs – and yes, they require effort. But effort is the cost of the privilege of subsidized grazing on public lands. With hazing regulations now in place, producers can work to prevent conflict while being responsible stewards of the land.

I believe ranchers and wolf advocates want to minimize livestock losses. Preventive coexistence strategies must be included in any compensation scheme and producers incentivized to use them. If livestock producers are compensated for preventing conflict, Colorado has an opportunity to dismantle the culture war against wolves, within and outside its borders, by turning the expectation of livestock depredation to an expectation of prevention – and that’s good news for wolves and humans everywhere.

– Courtney S. Vail, Arizona, biologist/social scientist, advisor to the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project

Learn to skate, you will not abate, Loose the stride, you will abide.

Skate at random, do not abandon, You come up short, if you abort, Once you get it, the brakes and gas, Finally, you’re skating, alas!

– Paul Jankowski, Durango

Love from over yonder My name is Sara, and I’m from the U.K. I have no idea where Durango is, but I found your website after going on the 10th page of search results for “Chamonix.” I stumbled across your website, and I must say, your articles are very engaging! I really like the tone; it’s quite jolly and it’s like I’m being personally talked to, and the way you interact with your readers is very cool. I wish my hometown had a newspaper, but I guess we can’t have it all. If I ever go to the USA, I’ll be sure to pop round!

I would buy a T-shirt, but, unfortunately, I’m broke.

I sincerely hope your newspapers are being used for more than firestarter, windows, bird cages, mulch, paper airplanes and piñatas, though :).

– Sara, U.K. Editor’s note: We did offer to send Sara a free T-shirt, but the shipping was cost-prohibitive. We assure you this was a legitimate letter, and she was not just trying to sell us a new website.

Hopes for a better 2022 I believe there should be realistic incentives to keep the Earth’s population numbers down. The one-childper-couple in China would make sense, again, and all of

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us need to not have more than one or two children to save our planet.

Although there are a lot of great things in the Build Back Better Bill, I believe Sen. Joe Manchin has rightful concerns. I received a small child credit in the 1990s while working two to three jobs. The overly generous child credit pay-outs in BBB would benefit some, but be abused by others.

If moms were encouraged to have only one or two children and then lift themselves out of poverty with vocational schooling, a functional family typically happens. Tough love from our government providers should be part of the program to make people less codependent by giving financial help to a two-child household or cutting off all funds with a third pregnancy.

Money talks – precautions to only have two children makes a parent(s) think twice about not having a third.

Let’s face it, too many children, rich or poor, in one house can create stress with alcohol/drug/violence and other negative outcomes for family members.

A better future with dignity and respect for all on Earth is not that hard to do.

– Sally Florence, Durango

Take care of victims Sheltering domestic violence victims is fairly easy. Durango has three basic options: the VOA shelter, the homeless shelter and Alternative Horizons. Unfortunately, they also have impossible standards, dangerous

beliefs and a disdain for domestic violence survivors with disabilities.

The disability rights movement has been slow to acknowledge domestic violence in our community, but it hits home way too often.

What would help? Training is a step in the right direction. Disabilities are not ubiquitous and can be easy to accommodate.

Likely in a business environment, people with disabilities deal with trauma issues, physical injuries or even some chronic illnesses. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, housing providers are required to accommodate people this community labels disabled without discrimination, but they fail to do this daily.

Housing providers base their criteria for admittance on bizarre and unarticulated options, and then randomly exclude people. Their behavior is very mindful of people who engage in domestic violence. Controlling, harassing and intolerant of difference, and this is from the director, their legal counsel and others in the agency.

Durango without a question needs a shelter that isn’t discriminatory or dangerous. Perhaps one that is better located and is not hard to access for people in wheelchairs or with mobility issues.

Certainly the agency will dispute any attack on it, and will harass and put critical voices in danger.

It’s time to do something better for domestic violence victims in this sad little town.

– Christa Turnell, Durango

The morning sun lights up a frosty stand of cattails in the Animas Valley recently. / Photo by Stephen Eginoire

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TopStory

Raymond Rose tests the waters of Priest Creek, a tributary of the Dolores River and one of the proposed Outstanding Waters streams./ Photo by Duncan Rose

Outstanding Waters More than 20 streams in Southwest Colorado proposed for protections

by Jonathan Romeo

A

t a time when water in the Southwest is becoming increasingly scarce, more than 20 streams in the region are being proposed for protective safeguards in an attempt to preserve the waterways for years to come.

For the past two decades, a prolonged drought driven by climate change has snowpack levels in the Southwest on a continual downward trend. Obviously, that’s not good – less snow means less runoff for rivers and streams, and less water available for use.

8 n Jan. 20, 2022

As a result, a few years ago, a coalition of environmental groups started a process to locate and identify streams in the high country of Southwest Colorado that would qualify as Outstanding Waters (OW). The designation protects defined reaches of rivers, streams and lakes that have exceptional water quality.

The thinking, environmental groups say, is saving these pristine high-alpine streams in the face of climate change and worsening drought will ensure the longterm protection of tributaries that are vital for the region’s most important rivers, such as the Animas, Dolores, Gunnison,

San Juan and San Miguel – which all feed into the Colorado River.

“Right now, this water is perfect, and we’d like to keep it that way,” Marcel Gaztambide, the Animas Riverkeeper for San Juan Citizens Alliance, said. “(OW) doesn’t stop future development, but it does establish water quality baselines that can influence decisions on management in these watersheds.”

Really special rivers The Outstanding Waters designation was established as part of the Clean Water Act of 1972. For streams to qualify, they must meet a set of criteria based on water

telegraph

quality and national resource values. And, the streams also must serve as critical habitat for aquatic life and have a component of recreational value, such as fishing or river running. Once designated, the water quality in those streams must be maintained and protected from any future development or use.

The Clean Water Act, however, left it up to states to create a process and specific criteria for streams to qualify as OW. In Colorado, that job falls to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We protect every stream in Colorado, but this is the highest level of

protection,” Blake Beyea, a water standards unit manager with CDPHE, said.

“And it needs to be supported by water quality data, as well as evidence it’s an outstanding resource that requires protections.”

While the designation is somewhat seldom used, as of February 2020, Colorado had an estimated 78 stream segments and bodies of water, covering 5,869 river miles, classified as OWs, mostly located within wilderness areas and national parks. The environmental groups’ proposal – which includes SJCA, Trout Unlimited, American Waters and Pew Charitable Trust, among others – would be unique in terms of the amount of streams proposed and the fact the waterways are located outside wilderness areas, mostly on Forest Service lands.

“We’re really struggling with droughts and fires and development and over allocations,” Mike Fiebig, the director of American Rivers’ Southwest protection program, said. “And the great thing about an OW designation is that we’re identifying really special, important rivers that already exist, and committing to keeping them that way.”

Setting a standard Back in 2019, the environmental groups started conversations on what streams might qualify as OWs. They looked at maps for high-altitude waterways that showed the potential for pristine water quality and impeccable habitat for aquatic life, while also escaping histor-

ical impacts from uses like mining and development over the years.

In all, nearly 30 streams emerged as potential OW candidates. Then, the next step was to prove it with on-the-ground water testing, an effort led by the Durango-based Mountain Studies Institute.

That process lasted two years, with samples taken four times a year from each stream. In the end, the environmental groups ultimately proposed 26 stream segments (five in the Animas; nine in Dolores; seven in Gunnison; three in San Juan; and two in San Miguel).

An OW designation does not affect water rights and would not prohibit future development in these watersheds, Gaztambide said. It would, however, establish a baseline of water quality that cannot be impacted or degraded in the face of that development. And in some circumstances, it’s not just development; the waterways are also protected from things like an increase in recreation, which can result in elevated levels of E. coli.

Essentially, uses and development can change on the landscape; the existing, high-level water quality standards cannot.

“All the waters we’re proposing are above and beyond the standards (for an OW designation),” Gaztambide said. “And that’s the idea behind it. Without the data we collected, there’d be no baseline to judge future degradation.”

Unintended consequences Gaztambide and the environmental

groups are optimistic all the streams they’ve proposed will attain the OW designation. And indeed, there doesn’t seem to be much pushback from other water users in the region, such as agriculture and water districts.

Steve Wolff, manager of the Southwestern Water Conservation District, which represents nine counties in Southwest Colorado, said it’s unlikely the district’s board will take a stance either way for the OW designation. To date, the board has just monitored and asked questions about any possible unintended consequences the listing may have.

One potential concern, Wolff said, is what outside impacts and degradation, like rising water temperatures driven by climate change, would have on the designation and the requirement to maintain those standards. “If that happens, what does that mean from a regulatory aspect?”

Wolff said. “We really don’t know yet.”

Since most of the streams are located on Forest Service lands, another question has been raised on the impacts to grazing and logging. A Forest Service representative said Tuesday “we don’t have information to share about the designation at this time” and did not provide comment for this story. Gaztambide, however, said an OW designation does not impact uses like grazing.

A critical time Peter Butler, who serves as a consultant for SWCD and has worked on water qual-

ity issues in the region for years, said he wasn’t aware of too many issues with the OW designation in Colorado over the years. In 2009, Hermosa Creek, for instance, was designated as the first OW outside of a wilderness area or national park, and the situation hasn’t run into any problems or controversy.

“It had never been done before,” he said. “It was a big deal.”

To nominate nearly 30 streams in one proposal is a big project, Butler said. But OW, though rarely used, is a way to protect precious water resources at a critical time, in a way that’s more regulatory and doesn’t have to go through a political process. In June, CDPHE’s nine-person Water Quality Control Commission is expected to vote on the proposal.

“I think (the environmental groups) tried hard to reach out to stakeholders,” Butler said. “They’ve been doing their homework.”

Gaztambide said the designation will also protect these vital tributaries, which provide a boost of clean water to major rivers should a large event, like the Gold King Mine spill or mudslides from the 416 Fire, seriously impact water quality and threaten drinking water for downstream towns.

“The magic of water quality are these pristine tributaries; it’s why rivers can bounce back from those major events,” Gaztambide said. “I think we have enough buy-in. I think we’re in a good spot.”

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The Alter native Resource telegraph

Jan. 20, 2022 n

9

LandDesk

Off the grid Learning to live within our means amid a big energy rethink

by Jonathan Thompson

W

ay back in 1998, my wife Wendy and I were living in Silverton when a couple of communityminded Durango entrepreneurs asked us to come down to the relative lowlands to help them start an artisan bakery. Even then Durango home prices were somewhat out of reach (it’s all relative – we almost purchased a downtown house for $125,000, but worried that it would break our budget).

So, we did as workers do all over the West: Drove till we qualified. Actually, we drove beyond qualification range, all the way to Arboles, on the north shore of Navajo Reservoir, where we found a beautiful, off-grid strawbale home that was in our price range. We couldn’t help but buy it, the 45-minute commute be damned.

It received all its electricity from a ragtag array of possibly-pilfered photovoltaics backed up by six golf-cart batteries ($105 each at Sam’s Club). A single inverter allowed us to use AC appliances. I don’t know how much the system cost, but I’m certain it was no more than $5,000.

And it delivered: The system powered all our lighting, a computer, a television, a stereo system, fans, irrigation, well and water-pressure pumps, and various small appliances and power tools. We had a propane stove, refrigerator and small heater and a solar-assisted hot water heater. We could also heat water through our woodstove and oven, and most of our heat came from wood stoves.

We never had to use the backup diesel generator. So long as I kept the panels clear of snow, the power held out during the longest nights and on cloudy days. We eventually moved away for career reasons and – regrettably – couldn’t afford to hold onto the place. I still yearn for that off-thegrid living and get a taste of it when we visit Wendy’s father here in California.

I’m currently writing from a cabin

wholly powered by four, small photovoltaic panels paired with four deep-cycle batteries.

My father-in-law’s main house, which is larger, is similarly powered by the sun and batteries. The nearest power line is miles away, electric bills are non-existent. The dual-system on this cabin – four panels, four batteries, two inverters and two controllers – cost about $1,200. The system powers lighting, a water pressure pump, a laptop for hours each day and night, and charges three smartphones. We haven’t come close to maxing out the capacity or draining the batteries.

There is a catch, though: All of the offgrid homes I’ve referenced were constructed to be off-grid. They are small and therefore more efficient. Our Colorado home had thick mud and straw walls for better insulation. Most of the lighting was fluorescent or LED, made for boats or RVs, and ran on direct current – the overhead light in our bedroom was a Volkswagen bus headlight recessed into the ceiling. A cistern in the house (actually, a built-in stock tank) caught rainwater from the roof to lessen the need for pumping from the well. And the well pump was manual, so we could turn it on when the sun was out and fill the cistern without draining batteries.

This cabin and our old off-grid house still relied on propane – a fossil fuel – for cooking, refrigeration and water-heating, a major drawback. But a slightly larger solar system would allow for more electrification as long as one used super-efficient DC refrigerators, heat pumps for cooling and heating, and solar hot water heaters. Stoves and ovens are a bigger challenge, but induction cooktops are extremely efficient and getting more so. Even small, efficient washing machines are available.

And as I sit here typing these solar-powered words, I am convinced the desertlovers’ dream of a solar array on every rooftop, obviating utility scale solar installations on wild lands, is attainable.

Then I think back to our road trip across the desert, and I’m not so sure.

Before being captivated by the sci-fi sight of the Ivanpah Solar Power Station in the Mojave Desert, we pulled off the Interstate on Las Vegas’ fringe to get some overpriced nourishment at a Whole Foods. We gawked at the gaudy skyline, recoiled at the conspicuous consumption – of goods, energy and water – that surrounded us.

As we continued south through a sea of giant, new homes, I realized that this place – and so many other cities in the West – had been built to use huge amounts of energy. Beginning in the middle of the last century, monopolistic utilities, in cahoots with the coal industry and the federal government, set about to manufacture demand for their product, in part by drawing new customers to the region’s cities.

Now, we are in the midst of a disaster, manifested by warming temperatures, aridification, an endless megafire season, smogobscured vistas, heat-related deaths.

But the tide is turning. The cost of solar panels are decreasing and electricity costs increasing. The centralized power grid is becoming more vulnerable to climate changeenhanced extreme weather, and the power lines criss-crossing the sky are ever more prone to sparking devastating wildfires.

More and more people want to break free from the grid and make a go on their own, but they feel it’s not really a choice, because decades of societal inertia, bolstered by the

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entrenched power of the utility industry, stand in their way.

The system – the power grid, decades of poor urban planning, a culture built around fossil fuel combustion and mass consumption – remains stuck in the last century.

Sure, a lot of the suburban Las Vegas homes had a solar panel or two on their roofs, but it’s not enough for their decadent lifestyles.

With this sort of gluttony baked in, there really is no choice but to blanket the desert with solar panels and the plains with wind turbines – and even that won’t do the job.

Something funny happens to those who live off-grid, even for a short time. They become more aware of their energy consumption, of the weather, and the length of days and nights. They pay attention to when they should charge their devices and when they should unplug, they learn to enjoy washing dishes, they shorten their showers, meditate as they hang clothes. Efficiency becomes habitual. Extend this ethos across society, and perhaps there will be progress.

We can have energy transition and still save most of our public lands. But it can’t happen until society changes the way it lives, until the collective “we” alter our gluttonous ways, and learn, at last, to live within our means.

Jonathan Thompson is a fourth-generation Durangoan who runs the Land Desk, a thriceweekly newsletter: visit www.landdesk.org. He is also the author of River of Lost Souls, Behind the Slickrock Curtain and Sagebrush Empire.

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10 n Jan. 20, 2022

telegraph

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RockNRollSweetheart

Noodlin’ round From dorm rooms to sold-out shows, Durango rockers are on the rise

by Alex Vick

I

t’s a Thursday night on Richard Drive in northeast Durango, and I walk into a typical college rental – beer cans on the kitchen table, empty toilet paper rolls on the bathroom floor. But the music being played in the house is anything but typical.

This is the first Noodle practice of the year.

The group moves through practice with precision. Harmonized vocals fill an overstuffed living room brimming with musical gear. The walls, adorned with tapestries and friend-made art, vibrate from dynamic drums, smooth bass, snappy guitar licks, percussive mandolin, jazzy keyboard and poignant vocal harmonies.

I’m sitting on a couch that could sit six but is only comfortable in three wellmapped locations. Taking it all in, I’m pierced by the funky swing and folky-psych energy of the group. Matt Kolbe, on the keys, said the band “wants to achieve a timeless sound and play covers that have aged well.”

Noodle pays homage to technical classics

by Pink Floyd, The Doors and Steely Dan. But the band also plays originals. “Lester One,’’ authored by Kolbe, changes in tempo, key and rhythm so many times it’s hard to keep track, and yet all the transitions are seamless, like the song is woven into a beautiful, intricate tapestry.

“This song is like a journey,” Clay Kinder, manager of Noodle, said. “It takes you places.”

Noodle was founded by Kolbe, mandolin

player Salvador Sharp and guitarist Alex Eckler after the three starting playing music in a Fort Lewis College dorm room their freshman year, in 2017. From dorm room jamming to opening for Leftover Salmon in August 2021, the band has transformed with multiple musicians and styles. Now, the band consists of six members: Eckler and Eli Emmitt on guitar; Carlo Fourzan on bass; Sharp on mandolin; Alec Mayes on drums; and Kolbe on the ivories.

The first time Mayes played with the band, he had never heard the songs – he was called last minute to fill in for a backyard gig. “I just played from the hip,” he said. Almost immediately, he felt that special click musicians experience when playing together. “Noodle also already had a built-in fan base, which gave good motivation to show up for the fans,” he said.

Fourzan came aboard after seeing the band play and noticing there was no one on bass. “I walked up, asked if they wanted a bassist and then I was in.”

Emmitt, the newest member of the group, said after he joined the band, it quickly started to feel like family. “There’s camaraderie among the members; everyone adds elements and it creates a family feel,” he said.

Kolbe agreed. “There’s collaboration working together for a greater goal and everybody gets a chance to rock it,” he said.

Sharp said because of the different personalities in the band, it creates a fuller sound. “There’s a lot of diversity in what we like to play and listen to,” he said.

This labor of love in creating a family of musicians has also pumped good things back into their community, friends and fan base. Kinder, the band’s manager, was just a friend who wanted to see his buddies succeed in their musical efforts. Equal amounts of help and support have come from other unofficial members of the band in forms like art, flier making and recording. “We believe in these guys,” said Kinder, with a look of endearment in his eyes.

This sense of community has run strong for five years and has propelled them to where they are now: opening for Liver Down the River in a sold-out 2019 show at the Animas City Theatre, and headlining their own show before the pandemic at the Durango Arts Center.

And now, they’re back with a show at The Hive, 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 28. Whether you’re young, old, folky, rock ’n’ roll, funky or psychedelic, Noodle has a sound that spans genres.

“Noodle puts Americana on a modern stage,” Kinder said. “It’s a sound that fits for everyone. It’s unique and fun, yet familiar.”

Noodle loves its fans and it shows in the band’s live performances, which practically create a glow in the room. Sounds like the perfect party after the Snowdown Parade (planned for 6 p.m., Jan. 28.)

You can also check out Noodle’s newest album, “On a Whim,” recorded in December 2020, on Spotify. Each song has its own flavor and personality, so give Noodle a listen or come see them live to get a taste!

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Jan. 20, 2022 n 11

StufftoDo

Thursday20

Sunday23

Heartwarming Soup Sale, 5 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Proceeds support local families with financial assistance through the winter.

Open Mic, 2 p.m., Mancos Brewery.

Intentional Consciousness for the Future w/Eiwah, 2 p.m., Mountain Monk Coffee, 558 Main Ave. Open Mic, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider in Mancos.

Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Six Dollar String Band plays, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Author Heather Hansman speaks, 6:30 p.m., Fenceline Cider, Mancos.

Monday24 Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Beam Me Up Starlight Trivia, weekly 7:30-9:30 p.m., Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

Deadline for “Stuff to Do” submissions is Monday at noon. To submit an item, email: calendar@durangotelegraph.com

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8-10 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

Tuesday25

Friday21

Writing for Resilience, free grant-funded poetry and art program for teens every Tuesday, 4:30-6 p.m., Mancos Library Community Room.

Lacey Black plays, 5-8 p.m., Lone Spur Café, 619 Main Ave.

Acoustic Music Jam, 5-7 p.m., all instruments After a year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Duand styles welcome, vaccinated players only, 11th St. rango’s celebrated Snowdown winter bash is back on. This Station. year will mark the 43rd annual Snowdown festival, with the Live music, 5:30 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, theme “Magical, Mystical.” Think whimsical, wizards, uniTone Dog plays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle 699 Main Ave. corns, that sort of thing. Next week’s Telegraph will feature a Saloon, 699 Main Ave. full run-down of events, but if you’re itching to see what’s hapRupaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party, 5:30 p.m., pening from Jan. 26-30, you can visit www.snowdown.org or Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, Father’s Daughter Pizza, 640 Main Ave. find a brochure around town.

699 Main Ave. Comedy Showcase, 8-10 p.m., 11th Street Plant Diversity in the HD Mountains, 6-7:30 Station. p.m., presentation

by FLC grad Emma Cooley. Meeting Lacey Black plays, 5-8 p.m., Lone Spur Café, 619 held on Zoom at CONPS.org.

Singer/songwriter Carter Sampson Pop Up Main Ave. Performance, 7 p.m., Smiley Café. Presented by Open mic night, weekly 7:30-9:30 p.m., Moe’s Community Concert Hall. www.durangoconcerts.com.

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave. Main Ave. High Country Hustle & Morsel, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Magical and Mystical Snowdown, events around Sapphires Garden plays, 6 p.m., Fenceline Cider, town run from Jan. 26-30. For a full listing of events, visit www.snowdown.org.

On-Snow Avalanche Awareness Course, Jan. 22 or Mancos.

23, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Andrews Lake. Free, pre-registration Late Night Radio & Motifv, 9 p.m., Animas City Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, required. For more info and to register, visit Theatre, 128 E. College Dr. 699 Main Ave. www.thesanjuans.org.

Live music, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.

Wednesday26

Saturday22

Joel Racheff plays the Bear Bar, 2-4:30 p.m., Purgatory base area.

12 n Jan. 20, 2022

DJ Voss, 9 p.m., Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

telegraph

Live music, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.

AskRachel

Bear-naked, uppity coffee lovers & emergency contacts Interesting fact: Filtered water is actually not “sticky” enough to grab onto coffee flavors. You want hard water for the perfect cup, but only the right kind of hard water, by which (apparently) we don’t mean ice.

Dear Rachel, We bears live year-long in the forests at Purgatory. We have seen the humans leave panties, bras and beads for my family in the trees. My wife likes the bras and panties the best. My kid love the beads. Is the Forest Service or Purgatory going to remove the items in the future? I like the tree on people mover #3 as it has the most for my family. I’m not willing to go to town if they remove the old underwear, too far to walk. We will go back to just plain fur. DO NOT LITTER IN MY HOME. I need your HELP and suggestion to stop littering.

– Yogi Hey hey hey, Wait. You want us to stop littering, but to keep the undergarments coming so you don’t have to roll downhill to Walmart for sexy secondhand lingerie for the missus? I feel like this is some verbose attempt at a wry contradictory aphorism, the likes of which your namesake’s namesake was so known for. But you, my ursine friend, are no Yankee great, and maybe you should ask your kid how they’re actually earning their beads.

– Your average bear, Rachel

Dear Rachel, Why are coffee snobs the worst snobs? My younger bro-in-law just came through and wrecked their first morning here because he wouldn’t shut up about our water. It was too hard or too fluorinated or too something for his precious coffee. I’m an uncultured pig for not having appropriately filtered bottled water on hand for the perfect cuppa. Makes me just wanna toss a mug in his mug.

– Watered Down Dear Wet Blanket, No one should be snobby about coffee water in the morning. It’s too early to be snobby. No one has earned the right by 8 a.m. to get snooty about a cup that’s cold before it’s halfway gone. Anyone pretending it’s about the “ritual” or the “flavor profile” is like a heroin junkie waxing poetic about a certain poppy’s piquant aftertaste. So long as you didn’t give him bubbly water for his brew, he can stuff his beans in a sack.

– Always percolating, Rachel Dear Rachel, Trying to figure out the fine line here between “my friend probably just forgot to text me back” and “my friend is dead in a freezing ditch somewhere and I should call for help.” I figure a courtesy second text is in order before calling search and rescue, but if she really is dying in a ditch, a text asking so isn’t going to help matters. What’s

The Mysto Really Big Magic Show, a family friendly Snowdown event, 7:30 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.

Jan. 29, 10 a.m. – 12 noon, Durango Nordic Center. Proceeds go to the youth Nordic program. www.durangonordic.org.

Ongoing

Dustin Burley plays the Bear Bar, Jan. 29, 2-4:30 p.m., Purgatory base area.

Chapman Ski Hill is open. Mon.Fri., 3:30-8 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

For info.: durangogov.org/chapmanhill.

The Hive Indoor Skate Park is open, offering open skate and skate lessons.

Waivers required. For schedule and online waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org

Upcoming Chuck Hank Duo plays, Jan. 27, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Mystic Coffee House Party, Jan. 28, 5:30-8 p.m. Mountain Monk Coffee, 558 Main Ave. DJ Calvin plays, Jan. 28, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

4Corners Riversports Red Hot Relay,

Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com the ideal duration to minimize annoying overfreaking, while still maximizing the potential for resuscitation?

– Emergency Contact Dear ICE ICE Baby, This is why you should always choose your underwear as if you’ll get in an accident. Your friend probably won’t be able to reach you in time to swap out your tread-worn Superman briefs because they’re too concerned with Big Brothering you to ask where you are. Also, if a pervy bear should find you in that ditch, apparently your quality used undies might be a nice bartering chip for your life.

– Bahama mama, Rachel

Tone Dog plays, Jan. 29, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station.

Catherine Russell plays, Feb. 4 & 5, shows at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., The Lift at Cascade, 50827 Highway 550. Hosted by Durango Cool Jazz.

Silverton White Out, 10-hour fat bike extravaganza, Feb. 5, Silverton. www.silvertonwhiteout.com.

McDonald’s Winter Triathlon, Feb. 5, 9 a.m. – 12 noon, Durango Nordic Center.

Winter triathlon of ski, fat bike and snowshoe. www.durangonordic.org.

On-Snow Avalanche Rescue Course, Feb. 5, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Andrews Lake. Preregistration required. To register or for more info., go to www.thesanjuans.org.

Algorithm free since 2002.

(A good thing on so many levels.)

Giving you the news the old-fashioned way for nearly 20 years.

telegraph

Jan. 20, 2022 n 13

Enough to make LeBron smile.

A new shipment of Telegraph T’s has arrived (Also available in muscle T if you wanna show off your pipes.)

In a variety of mens & womens sizes for all your exploits on and off the hardwood.

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Order yours today by calling 970-259-0133 or email: telegraph@ durangotelegraph.com

14 n Jan. 20, 2022

FreeWillAstrology

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In October 2021, the Vancouver Canucks hockey team played the Seattle Kraken team in a Seattle arena. A fan named Nadia Popovici noticed that the Canucks’ equipment manager Brian Hamilton had an irregular mole on the back of his neck – possibly cancerous. She found a way to communicate her observation to him, urging him to see a doctor. In the ensuing days, Hamilton sought medical care and discovered that the mole was indeed in an early stage of melanoma. He had it removed. In the spirit of this inspiring story, Aries, I invite you to tell the people in your life things they should know but don’t know yet – not just what might be challenging, but also what’s energizing and interesting. Be their compassionate advisor, their agent for divine intervention.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Canadian-Jamaican songwriter and recording artist Kreesha Turner isn’t a mega-star like Beyoncé or Rihanna, but she has had a successful music career. What’s the secret to her constant creative output?

Here’s what she has said: “I love to surround myself with people who are the best at what they do. My idea is I want to be a sponge and absorb everything they teach, experience their energy, view them in their element and have the opportunity to ask them questions.” The coming year will be one of the best times ever for you to emulate her strategy, Taurus. And now is a perfect moment for formulating plans to make it happen.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Lisa Cron says that when we’re telling a story, we should give each successive scene “new information, rather than rehashing things we already know. Never tell us the same fact twice.

Because it’s boring and stops the flow of the story. Never tell us the same fact twice.

Because it’s boring and stops the flow of the story.” In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I suggest you apply this counsel to everything you say and do in the next three weeks. Don’t repeat yourself. Keep moving right along. Invite novelty. Cultivate surprises and unpredictability.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Years ago, I reluctantly gave up my music career. To do so was sad and hard. But it enabled me to devote far more time and energy to improving my writing skills.

I published books and developed a big audience. I’m glad I did it. Here’s another redemptive sacrifice I made earlier in my life: I renounced the chaotic pleasure of seeking endless new romantic adventures so I could commit myself to a relationship with one particular woman. In so doing, I

learned a lot more about how to be a soulful human. I’m glad I did it. Is there potentially a comparable pivot in your life, my fellow Cancerian? If so, the coming weeks and months will be a favorable time to make a move.

finishing the piece. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that one of his mottoes was “Patience is also a form of action.” I’m recommending Rodin-like patience to you in the coming weeks, Scorpio. Yours will be rewarded long before seven years go by.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo actor Claudia Christian has appeared in more than 50 films, including many in the science fiction genre. She has played a variety of roles in movies with more conventional themes. But as for the sci-fi stuff? She says, “Apparently, I’ve been typecast: I’m a Russian bisexual telepathic Jew.” If Christian came to me for astrological advice right now, I would suggest that the coming months will be an excellent time for her and all of you Leos to slip free of any pigeonholes you’ve been stuck in. Escape the mold! Create niches for yourself that enable you to express your full repertoire.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): “I am ashamed of confessing that I have nothing to confess,” wrote author Fanny Burney. Actor Jennifer Lawrence said, “I started to write an apology, but I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for.” I nominate these two souls to be your role models for the coming weeks.

In my astrological opinion, you are currently as immune to karmic boomerangs as it’s possible to be. Your guilt levels are abnormally low. As far as I can determine, you are relatively free from having to answer to the past or defend your actions.

How do you plan to make maximum use of this grace period?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The coming weeks will be a favorable time to meditate on your job and your calling – as well as the differences there may be between your job and your calling.

In fact, I regard this as a phase when you can summon transformative epiphanies about the way you earn a living and the useful services you provide to your fellow humans. For inspiration, read this quote from photographer Margaret BourkeWhite: “Even while you’re in dead earnest about your work, you must approach it with a feeling of freedom and joy; you must be loose-jointed, like a relaxed athlete.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “New truths become evident when new tools become available,” declared Nobel Prize-winning medical physicist Rosalyn Sussman Yalow (1921–2011).

She was referring to developments in science and technology, but I think her idea applies to our personal lives, too. And it so happens, in my astrological opinion, that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to acquire new tools that will ultimately lead you to discover new truths.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Marguerite Yourcenar wrote, “All happiness is a work of art: The smallest error falsifies it, the slightest hesitation alters it, the least heaviness spoils it, the slightest stupidity brutalizes it.” If what she says is true, it’s bad news, isn’t it? She makes it seem like cultivating joy and well-being is a superhuman skill that few of us can hope to master. Personally, I am not as stringent as Yourcenar in my ideas about what’s required to generate happiness. But like her, I believe you have to work at it. It doesn’t necessarily come easily and naturally. Most of us have never been taught how to cultivate happiness, so we must train ourselves to do it and practice diligently. The good news, Libra, is that the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to upgrade your happiness skills.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1891, a cultural organization commissioned Scorpio sculptor Auguste Rodin to create a statue of beloved French author Honoré de Balzac. The piece was supposed to be done in 18 months, but it wasn’t. For seven years, Rodin toiled, producing more than 50 studies before finally

telegraph

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Self-help teachers and New Age gurus are fond of using metaphors about opening doors. They provide a lot of advice that encourages us to knock on doors, scout around for doors that are open just a crack, find keys to unlock doors and even kick down doors. I will not be following their lead in this horoscope.

In my opinion, the coming days are an excellent time for you to heed the contrary counsel of author Paulo Coelho: “Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.” Once you carry out this assignment, I believe you’ll find interesting new doors to open.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 2017, Piscean film director Jordan Peele released his debut film, “Get Out.” It was a success with both critics and audiences. A year later, Peele became the first Black screenwriter to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

As he accepted the Oscar, he said, “I stopped writing this movie about 20 times because I thought it was impossible.” I’m glad Peele didn’t give up his dream. Here’s one reason why: He will serve as an excellent role model for you throughout 2022.

As you reinvent yourself, Pisces, don’t give up pushing ahead with persistence, courage and a quest for what’s most fun.

classifieds

Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon. Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $5 minimum. Even better, ads can now be placed online: durangotelegraph.com. Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check.

(Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)

Ads can be submitted via: n www.durangotelegraph.com n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133 n 679 E. 2nd Ave., #E2 Approximate office hours: Mon: 9ish - 5ish Tues: 9ish - 5ish Wed: 9ish - 3ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first

Announcements The Perfect Gift for your favorite dirtbag. Literature from Durango’s own Benighted Publications. The Desert, The Climbing Zine, The Great American Dirtbags, American Climber, Climbing Out of Bed and Graduating From College Me are available at: Maria’s Bookshop, Pine Needle Mountaineering, the Sky Store, or on the interweb at www.climbingzine.com.

HelpWanted

Classes/Workshops Vision Board Workshop - Jan 29th Join me for an afternoon to envision and create your 2022 journey. Contact Trish at Joy Rides Coaching for more details: joyrides.dgo@gmail.com, 970-9467835, www.joyistheride.com Insight Meditation Class Calm your mind and connect with your heart through insight meditation.

Six-week class starts Tuesday, Feb. 1. 6:007:45 p.m. Hosted by the Durango Dharma Center both in person and online. Visit durangodharmacenter.org for details.

BodyWork Lotus Path Healing Arts Now accepting new clients. Offering a unique, intuitive fusion of Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, 24 years of experience. To schedule call Kathryn, 970-201-3373.

Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199. massageintervention.life Voted best massage in Durango 18/19/20. Couples, cupping, local CBD. Reviews on FB + Yelp. 970-903-2984

ForSale Classic 1996 Saab 900 S One owner, all records, no accidents.

Great condition. 80,000 miles. $8000.

Seeking Saab fan/car tinkerer.

970.779.0718 Reruns Home Furnishings New inventory including dressers, side tables, rustic console, Urban Market industrial-style barstools, and rugs … Come in today! 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat.

CommunityService SJBPH Vaccine Clinics Free vaccine mobile clinic provided by San Juan Basin Public Health in partnership with Jogan Health. Pfizer (12+), Moderna (18+), and J&J (18+) are avail-

HaikuMovieReview ‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’ I think they were just trying to see how much cash could be blown on this – Lainie Maxson able. Contact 970-247-5702 or visit https://sjbpublichealth.org/covid-19-vaccine/ for more information.

Applications Open for SCAPE 2022 Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs (SCAPE) works with start-ups and early-stage companies to help launch with an intensive 6-month program that provides education, skills and support for rural entrepreneurs. Primary focus will be given to applicants wanting to market and compete outside the local area while remaining headquartered in the region. Deadline to apply is Jan. 31. To learn more, go to: www.goscape.org/apply

NewspaperOrigami

Paper airplane

Wanted Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum, Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970-259-3494.

Parade Help Wanted Seeking friendly, enthusiastic people to appear in costume in the Snowdown parade. Good appearance important. Must be 21 yrs of age. The Green House Dispensary, Durango. Send email to: marketing@ jandjinc.net.

Organic Farm Manager Twin Buttes of Durango is seeking an experienced organic farmer to manage our 1 acre farm for the 2022 season. Must have 2 seasons of experience at a minimum and be familiar with growing in the southwest climate. Farm manager is responsible for hiring and directing farm staff, generating a crop plan and harvest schedule, coordinating with wholesale accounts and managing the farm’s marketing efforts. Position begins in February.

Interested applicants please send a cover letter and resume to thefarm@twinbuttes ofdurango.com

Services Marketing Small and Local Businesses Media, website building and content editing, copywriting and editing, newsletters, blogs, etc. for small, local, independent or startup businesses. www.forward pedal.com or email jnderge@gmail.com RSE Handyman Service Home repair yard work odd jobs 970903-0449.

Harmony Cleaning and Organizing Residential, offices, commercial and vacation rentals, 970-403-6192.

Lowest Prices on Storage!

Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.

telegraph

Jan. 20, 2022 n 15

(Advertise in the Telegraph.)

To learn more about our golden advertising opportunties, email: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com or call 970-259-0133

16 n Jan. 20, 2022

telegraph