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FREE Feb. 15, 2024 Vol. XXIII, No. 6 durangotelegraph.com
B E Y O N D
Git along, pardner
A trail to somewhere
Living to tell
Conserving the West requires friends, not foes p5
Proposed path to Hermosa gets first green light p8
As deaths mount, revisiting one avi survivor’s tale p10
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lineup
Within anonymity, the kindness of strangers can go a long way
5 Writers on the Range
4 La Vida Local
Kind acts by Doug Gonzalez
6-7 Soapbox
5
8 Top Story
Git along Conserving the West requires collaboration, not insults
10 State News
by Ben Long / Writers on the Range
12-13 Stuff to Do
8
13 Ask Rachel
Finding a path Proposed trail from Durango to Hermosa wins preliminary green light
14 Free Will Astrology
by Jonathan Romeo
15 Classifieds
11
15 Haiku Movie Review
Friends in need As avi deaths mount, revisiting one survivor’s harrowing rescue
On the cover Two ice climbers pick their way up a route in the Ouray Ice Park./ Photo by Stephen Eginoire
boilerplate
by Stina Sieg / Colorado Public Radio
EDITORIALISTA: Missy Votel missy@durangotelegraph.com
STAR-STUDDED CAST: Doug Gonzalez, Jonathan Romeo, Rob Brezsny, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson & Clint Reid
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Ear to the ground: “Bars are my main food group.” – Why bother with real food when you can open a wrapper and eat glorified saw dust for every meal?
The long haul
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4
RegularOccurrences
Clocking in at 1.45 miles and 30 minutes of ducking and weaving through wall-to-wall people, shlepping from one end of DIA’s B Concourse is no cake walk. But now, DIA travelers have someone to commiserate with. Apparently, Salt Lake City International Airport also has a B concourse with a death march from hell. However, airport officials in the Beehive State have decided to embrace the grind instead of ignoring it, with witty signs like: “Let’s call it cross-training for ski season,” featuring a stick figure carrying a roller bag. Travelers apparently weren’t amused, so the Salt Lake Tribune asked readers to come up with their own signs poking fun of the arduous journey. Some leaned into the misery: • “Don’t bother. The complaint box is already full.” • “Try walking a mile in my shoes – and then bring them back to the TSA checkpoint.” Others embraced the pain: • “Making your knees hate your feet … one step at a time.” • “Today is ‘leg day.’” A few made nods to the Latter-day Saints (it is Utah, after all): • “Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked…” • “Please return your handcart at the end of the journey.” Several took aim at the airport’s planners: • “Wait. Was there supposed to be a train here?” • “The guy who designed this never had to use it.” A number got political: • “Don’t worry – there’s a restroom at the end of this journey – unless you’re trans, then you’ll have to wait until you land in another state.” • “If you had a drink in Utah, we make you walk it off.” Fortunately, jet-setters will get relief by October, according to the Tribune, with a new tunnel that will trim the trek by 1,000 feet . And maybe a more appropriate sign could read “Quit your bitching – at least you’re not in Texas.” That’s because Dallas-Fort Worth wins the country’s long haul prize with the journey between its terminals B and E, which is 2.16 miles. On the bright side, there’s nothing like a brisk walk to ward off those pesky embolisms. Although we’re pretty sure there’s nothign funny about that, or those ugly black compression socks. Feb. 15, 2024 n 3
opinion
LaVidaLocal The kindness of strangers Over the weekend, I ventured to Miami to see some friends from college. It was one of their birthdays, and I had decided some months ago to go because I wanted to start traveling more often. In the days leading up to the trip, I heard about a snowstorm that would hit Durango on Friday afternoon. With my plane scheduled to leave on Friday morning, I thought “What perfect timing!” But then on Thursday night, the snow started. It wasn’t just the snow I was worried about. I bought a 4x4 years ago, and it has been a literal life saver in the snow. It was the ice. The temperature started to drop steadily through the night, and by the time my alarm went off at 4:45 a.m., I was regretting the decision to book an early flight. I deeply considered staying in bed, where it was warm and where my joints weren’t yet creaking. Wrapped in my blankets, I thought, “...perfect timing my ass.” I eventually hopped out of bed after hitting snooze only once, and began the journey toward the airport. The first clue that my day was going to be “odd” was that my vehicle’s ignition switch had frozen stiff. The panic started to set in while I tried to start my car for a couple of minutes. Only after I was convinced that my key was going to break off inside the switch did it finally turn. At the airport, the main parking lot was filled, and the lot behind the airport had the only availability – four rows into the edge of the lot where there was thick snow. The boarding process went smoothly, and it appeared like the first leg of the trip was going to go well. However, the ice had other plans. We sat on the tarmac for an hour and a half while different parts of the plane got defrosted. It was a funny situation to be in; I wanted to leave, but waiting gave me the peace of mind of knowing that the crew was removing more dangerous bits of ice. On the second plane, this one on its way to Miami, I asked the flight crew, “Is it like this before every flight?” It felt chaotic, like we were all frustrated to be there. It seemed like the seats were tighter than the last time I flew. The air also somehow felt hot and cold at the same time. I sat down in my seat, squished between two men. I repositioned my hat and tried to get as comfortable as possible for the four-hour flight. At first, I tried attending to some work that was due that night, but the turbulence of the plane made me quickly put it away. I tried dozing on and off for an hour and a half, regretful that I didn’t have a
neck pillow. I was then awoken by a passenger in the row in front of me saying, “Hey bud, hey!” She was hitting the arm of the guest sitting beside her, trying to get him to respond. They were strangers, but her profession as a nurse made her notice the tell-tale signs of a drug overdose – his lips had turned blue and he had sweated through his shirt. She threw her ear bud out onto the floor and began to hit his arm harder. “We need some help over here!” The crew eventually came running, although it felt like they had forgotten this part of their training. I wondered if anyone who has a career outside of medicine can ever mentally prepare for this type of incident. So I just sat there, strapped to my 16-inch wide, basic economy seat, looking on with a bag of emotions. I felt fear that the gentleman might continue spiraling. I felt moved by the quickness and intent of this person to help this stranger. I felt frustrated thinking that we may need to land the airplane, thus extending the travel time – and the shame that came from recognizing that this sort of frustration doesn’t align with who I want to be. The man was eventually revived and reseated closer to the front of the plane. His vitals were checked periodically, and he was able to walk off the plane safely. This incident made me wonder about the kindness of strangers. Are there instances in your life where you have relied on someone you just met? I found myself thinking about the possible differences in political, cultural or religious backgrounds between the nurse, the overdosing passenger and even myself, and how I wanted to commend her for acting on her instinct to help this man. I also thought about the luck of the two of them sitting next to one another. It made me think about the possibility of a higher power – we are sometimes not given the choice to sit where we want and how that can save us. On my arrival back to Durango, I stepped off the plane and found myself enjoying the chilly air that had delayed my trip just a few days ago. I removed my mask, but the rubber band got stuck on one of my earrings. With a slight tug, the earring popped off, and I heard it ding on the ground. A gift from my mom to my sister, who then gifted it to me, I tried to calmly search for it. But my mind and eyes scrambled the ground, fearful that I might have lost it forever. Eventually, a kind stranger found it, in the cracks, a few feet away from me. – Doug Gonzalez
SignoftheDownfall:
Thumbin’It District 9-R getting a jump on Colorado’s green energy goals by adding solar panels and LED lights to its buildings, reducing annual carbon emissions equivalent to 409 cars – which we’re pretty sure is about the number in the high school lot most days. Last week’s Phat Phluffy Phriday, one of the best bluebird powder days in recent memory. (Which begs the age-old question, if it’s too hard to get to school, how do people make it to the mountain?) Colorado lawmakers targeting high-powered guns with a new bill that would ban the sale, transfer and importation of assault weapons.
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Tuesday’s great baking soda caper, where the “mysterious” white powder forced the closure of some civic buildings. Maybe the perpetrator was just looking for a cup of sugar and some eggs? Apparently, not just the West Coast is falling into the sea. The East Coast is also slumping, due to groundwater depletion and sea rise. Parts of New Jersey are sinking by 4 cm a decade, which is … a bad thing? OK, so the other day we saw a dirty diaper on a local trail. Sure, dog poop is one thing, but this definitely reaches a whole new level of “really, people?”
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Six Feet Blunder The Superbowl commercial receiving the most online hate currently is the “Jesus didn’t teach hate, he washed feet” ad, which seems counterintuitive. However, the ad cost $17.5 million that could’ve been used to feed the poor, and it was paid for by Hobby Lobby’s David Green, who recently donated $50 million to a LGBTQ hate group despite the commercial’s last scene, which is of a priest washing a gay man’s feet. So, given all the hypocrisy, the internet has decided that the whole thing was an ode to foot fetishes, which has surely left David Green feeling defeeted.
WritersontheRange
Git along, pardners Collaboration on conservation goes a lot farther than insults
by Ben Long
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s there any habit harder to break than harboring a grudge against an old adversary? Yet, burying hatchets is exactly what it might take to conserve our wildlife, in the face of ever-increasing pressures on the places they need to survive. Consider grizzly bears. In 1973, grizzlies were on a steep decline and headed for the list of threatened species. Wolves were almost extirpated from the West. As that story was told, its villains were often the folks in the cowboy hats. It was an old tale that cattle and predators didn’t mix. Environmentalists came up with all kinds of insults for livestock producers, but the one that stung the most was “welfare rancher.” It was true that some livestock interests played into negative stereotypes, promising to “shoot, shovel and shut up” any predators caught within rifle range. But fast-forward 50 years to 2024. Those few hundred grizzly bears have been reproducing under the protection of the Endangered Species Act and now number perhaps 2,000 in the Northern Long Rockies. Since the 1990s, wolves have gone from a handful to about 2,500 in the Northern Rockies. This has been a conservation success story. Yet too often the story still smears a broad brush on the same bad guy, the rancher. If you ask someone in Montana, Idaho or Wyoming what the largest environmental threat is, they probably won’t say the biodiversity crisis or climate change. Most times out here, the air blows clean and the place is full of open space. But Westerners are likely to rue something they see with mounting heartbreak: Family farms and ranches lost to development, open spaces built on and paved over. While bears and wolves have expanded their range in the last half-century, times have been hard on local agricultural producers. High production and shipping costs, low commodity prices and meat packing monopolies tighten the vise. Millions of acres of ranch lands have been transformed by trophy homes, ranchettes or roadside strip malls. It turns out that losing all that ranch land is bad for
the environment. More residential sprawl means lost winter range and wildlife migration routes for deer, elk and antelope, which people, mountain lions and wolves depend on. And the loss of farming and ranching has significantly more negative consequences. It’s irreversible. Subdivisions are essentially minefields for hungry bears. Garbage cans, pet food and hobby chickens are just too much temptation for bruins to resist. Fed bears end up dead bears. A problem, yes, but also an opportunity. Conservation groups like the Montana Land Reliance and scores of local land trusts are focusing on conserving agricultural lands. The same ethos is beginning to take hold in the wildlife advocacy world as well. There is a joint benefit in keeping bears acting like bears and not raiding ranches. Ranchers and their families feel safer and have more and fatter calves to send to market. Wildlife advocates enjoy more wild animals behaving as they should in the habitats where they can best survive. The good news is, we have the technology to reduce conflicts between agricultural producers and bears and other wildlife. Range riders are essentially hired hands on horseback, keeping an eye on predators and live-
stock alike. Electric fences can keep bears, wolves and coyotes out of calving and lambing pastures. With some extra effort, livestock carcasses that are part of ranch life can be disposed of, composted or rendered so they don’t attract wildlife. Bears sometimes eat calves and lambs, of course, and can even cause trouble with farm crops, eating corn on the cob and chickpeas in the field and learning to pry open grain bins. But merely shooting the offender is rarely a long-term solution. Another hungry animal is sure to show up. It’s not fair to expect ranchers to pay all those costs because society at large has decided it wants predators on the landscape. That’s where conservationists and wildlife agencies can come in, with private-public partnerships to get those solutions in place on the ground. Don’t expect everyone to buy into this solutionbased conservation paradigm. There is something deeply emotionally satisfying about engaging in political battles, no matter which side you are on. But the story is changing. Are we nimble enough to change with it? Ben Long is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is program director for Resource Media and lives in Kalispell, Mont. ■
Join us for a community potluck & loan pitch event Sat., Feb. 24, 11:30 a.m., Durango Rec Center, Eolus Room Info at: www.fourcornersslowmoney.org/events
Support local organ farmers w ic ith 0% loans
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Feb. 15, 2024 n 5
SoapBox
D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim
Meet DA candidate Eley My name is Jason Eley, I first made my home in the Four Corners in 2006. My family and I currently live in Durango. I am the Assistant District Attorney for the District Attorney’s Office located in Cortez. I am running to fill the vacancy for District Attorney in the 6th Judicial District. I have two decades of experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney. I have seen our region change and grow, and the types of crimes that affect our communities has changed. The traditional model of prosecution has not adapted to the way our society has changed. We see more people going to prison, more people in and out of jail, and more people not receiving necessary services to assist in helping them with the underlying problems that lead to involvement with the criminal justice system. I am running for District Attorney to change this trend. I have prosecuted thousands of cases, from homicide to drug distribution. As a defense attorney, I have also defended hundreds of people charged with crimes. My approach to prosecution is to be “smart on crime” and reduce recidivism through appropriate diversionary programs whenever possible in order to seek corrective sentences to address underlying root issues to help defendants re-integrate into our community. Very few people involved in the criminal justice system are averse to taking accountability for their »
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6 n Feb. 15, 2024
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actions and accepting help to better themselves and their community through corrective actions such as restitution, treatment, therapy and community assistance. I want to be District Attorney serving our community to see our community thrive. I like helping other people. I want to see my kids continue to live in the wonderful community that I love and to be able to enjoy going to school and to be safe in our community and live the life that kids deserve to have. I invite the public to join me Feb. 24, from 4-5 p.m. at the Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., Durango, for a meet and greet in Room 1. Please call 970-209-3285 with any questions. – Jason Eley, Durango
Organizing democracy Indivisible Durango will hold its first general meeting of 2024 on Sat., Feb. 17, 10 a.m. - noon at the Durango Library. Come meet some of the local candidates for Colorado State House, State Senate, CU Regent for CD3 and District Attorney. Our featured speaker, Darcy Hitchcock, will describe her experiences organizing neighborhoods in Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Colorado. Darcy is an author – often of nonfiction, but also of a novel titled “Dragonfly’s Question.” Darcy organizes her neighborhoods, because she understands the importance of people connecting for their mutual well-being. We’ll also discuss the importance of local and state elections and the upcoming caucuses,
assembly meetings, as well as primaries. Please bring your energy, your ideas and your friends! Democracy is on the ballot! – Lora Fults, Durango
Rework the utility rebate Y’all know about the Durango utility tax rebate? If you live alone, make less than $36,400/year gross and own a home in Durango, then you qualify for a $216 utility rebate. This is a fine offering, and if you qualify (families of 4+ is ~$52k/yr for $485), be sure to apply before July! However, does this properly service our community? An income of $36,000 is roughly $13/hour after taxes. Do you know someone taking home this much that owns a home in Durango and lives there alone? Instead of basing the numbers off the greater La Plata County area, maybe it should be based on the City of Durango. Link for reference: www.durangoco.gov/734/UtilityRefund-Food-Sales-Tax-Rebate – David Abbott, Durango
address purchases by companies and other entities from China and other adversarial countries. Although these companies might only own a small percentage of U.S. farmland, recent purchases by Chinese companies have increased in recent years, including the purchase of Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer. Several Chinese companies have tried to buy farmland near U.S. military bases. In 2021, a Chinese company tried to purchase land about 12 miles from the Grand Forks, N.D., Air Force Base. The base houses top secret intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communication facilities. The deal was killed by intervention from the Air Force. Prior to the Grand Forks effort, another Chinese company tried to buy land near the Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, but lawmakers killed the deal. We have to stop allowing companies in countries like China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela from purchasing our farmland and corporations. These countries are ongoing threats to our national security. – Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry ,N.H.
“We’ll print almost anything”
Don’t let China buy U.S. land Congress has to pass the 2024 Farm Bill, which includes a provision to provide oversight and the restriction of foreign companies and governments from purchasing U.S. farmland. In particular, it must
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Feb. 15, 2024 n 7
TopStory
A trail to somewhere Grassroots efforts launched to build Durango-to-Hermosa trail by Jonathan Romeo
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new grassroots community effort has begun to champion a new trail that would connect Durango to Hermosa. In addition to offering more recreational opportunities, the trail is seen as a way to increase cyclist safety and take cars off the busy stretch of highway. “We’d like to have it done today, but if we don’t start today, it’ll never get done,” Peggy Montano, one of the project’s organizers who lives in Hermosa, said. Indeed, creating an entirely new trail that would connect Durango to Hermosa, about 10 miles to the north, may seem like a tall order. But organizers are playing the long game, going through the proper government channels and garnering community support. Because, at the end of the day, Montano said, who wouldn’t love a new 10-mile trail that could connect to other areas and trails in the county, and at the same time, offer an option for people who want to commute to work through the beautiful Animas Valley? “It seems obvious,” she said. The project, though, is still in its early stages. This past February, organizers got the idea placed on the Colorado Department of Transportation regional planning group’s 2045 long-range priority list, which is a first step in the right direction, Montano said. Julie Constan, CDOT’s Regional Transportation Director for southwest and south-central Colorado, said don’t expect to hold a ground-breaking ceremony anytime soon. However, she did say the project has all the attributes CDOT looks for in a project. “The idea is great,” she said. “And anything we can do to help take cars off the road, we’re in favor of.” Becoming Aspen, in a good way In summer 2022, longtime La Plata County resident Bob Wolff, one of the more involved community members over the years, took a trip to Aspen to visit his daughter. Over five days, his family rode e-bikes all over town, barely getting in the car. “I was blown away with what Aspen has done with its trails system,” he said.
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The Animas Valley, north of Durango, where a proposed multi-use trail would connect Durango and Hermosa./ Photo courtesy Visit Durango Wolff started to wonder why there wasn’t that connectivity between Durango and Hermosa. So, he decided to do something about it, taking the idea to CDOT’s Transportation Regional Planning (TRP) group, made of five Southwest counties. “It was a glaring thing to me; why don’t we have this?” Wolff said. It’s far too early to talk about the actual alignment; however, Wolff said the general idea is for the path to follow CDOT’s right-of-way on the west side of Highway 550, from the start of County Road 203 to where it ends just north of Hermosa Grill. At the meeting, the TRP voted unanimously to place the project on the long-range planning list, which puts it in a prime spot for future consideration, Constan said. Many projects, like the Grandview interchange and impending improvements to Highway 160 toward
Bayfield, started that way. “It allows us to keep it in the back of our minds for our long-range goals,” she said. “And if any CDOT funding does become available, a project needs to be on that plan to receive funding.” Constan said that this summer, the TRP will re-evaluate its priority list, providing a chance to elevate the Durango to Hermosa connection in importance. Even with high community support, the project is still subject to many factors, like environmental assessments and ROW studies. “There are a lot of things to look at before we can say it works,” she said. “But we at least need a starting point.” Taking the lead Durango has a strong history of supporting trail connectivity, evidenced by the Animas River Trail through town and the ongoing effort to connect it to Three Springs. La Plata County even has
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a long-range plan from 2000 that features a Durango to Hermosa connection. Recently, both the City of Durango and La Plata County have expressed support for the project. However, neither entity has taken the initiative to spearhead it, prompting a communitydriven effort. Despite this, the two jurisdictions have allocated $10,000 to help seed the project. “It would be beneficial for the whole region to have commuter systems in place,” City Councilor Olivier Bosmans said at a recent joint city-county meeting. “And that money is a start to encourage people to step up.” Some entity, however, will eventually need to claim ownership of the trail, which looms as a potential sticking point. “Given the complexities of project ownership, development and long-term maintenance, the options are realistically limited to CDOT, the City and the
County,” Ted Holteen, spokesman for the county, said. While the proposed route is on CDOT right-of-way, CDOT, as an agency, doesn’t develop or maintain trails. And while the trail would be located almost entirely in the county, La Plata County doesn’t have a parks and recreation department. Tom Sluis, spokesman for the City of Durango, said the city is always open to participating in projects that will ultimately benefit the public, but there are some major details to work out. “Before any relationship is established, the City always has to look at what exactly is being proposed, the financial cost, what city residents think about the proposal and much more before any decision could be made,” he said. The county’s Holteen proposed a possible alternative solution. “A special transportation or recreation district is a model used elsewhere in Colorado that could be a possibility in the future,” he said. Why not us? Despite all the red tape, other communities in Colorado have gotten big projects like this done – such as the 42-mile Rio Grande Trail from Aspen to Glenwood or the 18-mile Clear Creek Trail that connects Golden to Denver.
So why not Durango to Hermosa, especially given the increased traffic on the roads and the ever-growing popularity of e-bikes? “It is a good question, and we have a huge cycling community here,” Constan said. “And it was those types of grassroot efforts in other communities that made it happen.” For now, Montano and Wolff said efforts will focus on building community support (visit www.hermosatodurango biketrail.com to learn more). At the same time, the group will continue to fundraise and look for grant opportunities, like with Great Outdoors Colorado. “We’re proud to support trail planning and development through competitive grant programs,” Mike Wight, GOCO’s Southwest program officer, said. Since 1992, GOCO has partnered on multiple projects, including trail planning, trail construction and land acquisition, contributing more than $2.3 million toward the Animas River Trail, among other projects in Horse Gulch, Vallecito and Hermosa, he said. Wolff, who is no stranger to the time it takes to get big projects done in Southwest Colorado, said the trail could be a legacy accomplishment enjoyed by generations to come.
The Rio Grande Trail, which was the impetus for the proposed Durango-toHermosa trail, connects Glenwood Springs to Aspen with 42 miles of continuous paved, multi-use trail. /Courtesy photo “Fifty years ago, Hermosa was way out in the sticks; it’s not now,” Wolff said. “We have more trails surrounding our
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town than anyone, but we don’t have any trails that go anywhere. We need trails that go someplace.”■
Feb. 15, 2024 n 9
StateNews
Living to tell Telluride man reflects on surviving avalanche – and what he could have done differently Editor’s note: There have been two backcountry skiers killed in avalanches in Colorado’s mountains so far this season. The first, Dr. Peter Harrelson, 67, occurred Mon., Jan. 22, near Ophir. Harrelson, a longtime Ophir resident, was skiing alone. The second death, Eric Freson, 36, of Gunnison, took place Sun., Feb. 11, near Crested Butte. Although Freson was dug out relatively quickly by his skiing companions, he did not survive. Experts say scant early season snowfall has created an unstable layer deep in the snowpack, and dangerous conditions are expected to persist for months. Following is a harrowing account from Colorado Public Radio of a skier who was buried – and survived – a slide near Ophir last season. His survival is mostly credited to the quick action of his ski partner and others. by Stina Sieg / Colorado Public Radio
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t was warm, unseasonably warm, the morning of New Year’s Eve, 2022. Scott Benge could feel it as he left his home in Telluride. “I think one of the main mistakes I individually made was not putting enough stock in that warming trend,” he said, looking back on the day that would forever change him. That trend had destabilized the snow. And there was a lot of it – more than a foot had fallen in the last 24 hours. Still, Benge decided to stick with his plan for the day: Backcountry skiing with a buddy, Kane Scheidegger, in nearby Ophir. Benge calls it “jaw-dropping beauty” but also knows the risks of skiing the small hamlet’s craggy peaks. Two winters before, three skiers died in a single slide not too far from Ophir. This winter, the avalanche danger in the area had been consistently rated considerable or higher. “And we were definitely well aware of that and well aware of the areas that we wanted to stay away from that day,” Benge said. He met up with Scheidegger, a photographer. They planned to enjoy the powder and take some pictures – and at first, that’s how it went. Photos from that morning show Benge with a big smile, turning between trees heavy with snow, a white cloud billowing around him. ‘It almost sounds like thunder’ After following Benge into an area the two weren’t so familiar with, Scheidegger remembers stopping to “kind of reassess at that point.” The terrain before them was steeper than they wanted to venture into that day given the avalanche conditions, Benge explained. “It’s a notorious terrain trap” that’s known for slides, he said. But they thought they could ski out of the area quickly. So they kept going, on the quest for fresh tracks. Benge watched as Scheidegger skied down first. Then Scheidegger radioed that he was safe and waiting in the trees. It was Benge’s turn. He dropped, gliding through the snow. After three or four seconds, Scheidegger heard air
10 n Feb. 15, 2024
From left, Sheamus Croke, Scott Benge and Kane Scheidegger in Telluride. Croke and Scheidegger helped unbury Benge after he was caught in an avalanche near Ophir on Dec. 31, 2022. / Stina Sieg / CPR News release from the snowpack, and “that entire layer of snow whomps to the ground,” he said, “and it almost sounds like thunder.” Scheidegger watched as an avalanche of maybe 700 feet rushed by him in less than a minute, releasing thousands of pounds of snow down the slope. In the chaos, he never saw Benge. That was his biggest worry. “In an avalanche-burial scenario, you have, you know, 10 to 15 minutes at the most to recover somebody,” Scheidegger said. Luckily, both of them were wearing avalanche beacons. Scheidegger put his into search mode and got to work. ‘It’s much scarier living through that than you can ever imagine’ Benge was stuck under at least 5 feet of what felt like concrete on top of him. Both men had gone through avalanche-safety training, and while being pushed down the mountainside, Benge had tried to do what he had learned: put his hands in front of his face to create an air pocket, to hopefully prolong his life just a few more minutes. He never got the chance. By the time the slide stopped, “I couldn’t move a finger,” he said.
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“I mean, I couldn’t move anything.” His airway was completely filled with snow. “It’s always been one of my biggest nightmares,” Benge said. “And yes, I’ve thought about it a lot, and I can tell you it’s much scarier living through that than you can ever imagine.” He knew he couldn’t afford to panic, to scream, to get his heart rate up. For all the terror, he described it as “more of a calm time.” During the 20 or 30 seconds he managed to stay awake, he figured he wasn’t going to make it, that he would die right there. All he could do was hope people around him would find him in time. “I thought about my mom and my dog and my fiancée,” Benge said. Then he passed out. Searching in a sea of snow Meanwhile, Scheidegger was working his way through the slide path, beacon in hand, listening for that little “beep” that would tell him his friend was close by. He had hoped he’d see a gloved hand or a ski boot, but there was no physical sign of Benge in the sea of crumpled snow before him. Scheidegger kept moving down and down, going hundreds of feet until the signal went off. That’s when
he knew Benge was within about 5 feet of him. He got out his probe pole and started poking. Finally, he hit something that felt hard, like a person. He got out his shovel and started digging. For at least five minutes, he dug alone. Then another skier showed up, Sheamus Croke, who had heard the distress call over the radio. When he arrived, only Benge’s hand had been exposed. The rest of him was still completely encased, with the snow starting to harden around his body, making the excavation even more difficult. They worked to uncover Benge’s face as quickly as possible. Soon, they were digging snow out of his mouth. They were eventually joined by others who had also heard about the avalanche over the radio. Scheidegger remembers how relieved they felt when they finally freed him enough to clear Benge’s airway, “and he took this really kind of deep, gurgly, labored breath.” Benge was still pretty unresponsive, though, for the next four or five minutes, as the group worked to release him, still clicked into his skis, from the snow’s grasp. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw he was surrounded by about a dozen people. “And I remember just looking up at the slide, and I just couldn’t believe it,” he said. ‘Guilt and embarrassment’ That’s his first memory, combined with being cold with a fierceness he had never felt before. The group of skiers tried to warm him up with various articles of clothing and a space blanket. They asked him if he knew what day it was, if he knew his name, if he was hurt anywhere. Benge kept saying he felt no pain, and finally, they called off the search-and-rescue team that was going to head out. Benge was “showing signs that he was actually gonna be able to physically ski out,” Scheidegger said, “which I think is amazing.” And getting out of there was essential. They were still in avalanche terrain, after all. As adrenaline pumped through his body, a “convoy of people” helped him ski down, Benge said. He remembers that, but not much else – except for what he felt. “Guilt and embarrassment, you know, that I made a decision that led to this,” he said. He described himself as being in a grieving period for several weeks after. He still sounds humbled by the knowledge of all the things that had to go right in order for him to ski away that day. It took the quick actions and level-headedness of Scheidegger and Croke, “and then all of the other people recreating in the area at that time, you know, really saved my life,” he said. Returning to the scene Two weeks later, Benge returned to the area, to a safe spot where he could view the place he almost died. “Kind of looking at the terrain really made my stomach turn and was very emotional,” he said. He brought along Croke, who thinks it’s admirable that Benge wants to talk about his experience. It’s not easy to be open about something like this, Croke said. He believes it’s important to change the narrative from one of blame to, “Hey, everybody makes mistakes. This turned out really well. How can we – how can the whole community – benefit and learn from that?” Scheidegger has seen that learning already begin in the small community dedicated to exploring the backcountry. They’ve rehashed the whole thing, looking at how critical teamwork was – and how vital it is that people practice every winter with their safety equipment and rescue skills. Avalanche beacons. Shovels. Probes. These can be the difference between life and death. The mountains are “big and unforgiving, and they need to
Top photo: Croke holds a space blanket around Benge after helping dig him out an avalanche in Waterfall Canyon, south of Ophir. Above: A group of backcountry skiers worked together to free Benge, partially visible in gold emergency blanket. Eventually, he was able to ski out, with their help. / Photos courtesy Charlie Howard / CAIC be respected,” he said. “Ultimately, the mountains call the shots, I think. So it’s important to listen to them.” ‘It was almost never again’ All the people who were there that day carry this experience with them, but Benge more than anyone. He remembers how emotional it was to recount it to the people he cares most about. “I mean, just telling everyone how much I love them and how much they mean to me,” he said, choking up just a bit. “Cause, you know, it was very – it was almost never again.” Like so many people in the Telluride community, he’s lost friends to avalanches. Now, as he continues to walk through his own near-death experience, he’s surrounded by others who understand the toll that takes. “The support’s just been so appreciated and pretty incredible,” he said. It’s a dangerous thing backcountry skiers do, Benge knows. But for him, there’s no substitute for it – skiing powder with friends in remote, gorgeous places. So he’ll keep doing this thing he loves, just more cautiously than before Even now, he says that what backcountry skiing gives him, “is more than most things in life.” This story orginally appeared in March 2023. For more from Colorado Public Radio, go to www.cpr.org. ■
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Feb. 15, 2024 n 11
StufftoDo
Thursday15
Live music by Jack Ellis and Larry Carver, 5-7 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St. Leah Orlikowski plays, 5-8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave. Architecture of Durango Area, 5-9 p.m., Create Art and Tea, 1015 Main Ave. Live music by Andrew Schuhmann, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Live music by Tim Sullivan, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main
Deadline for “Stuff to Do” submissions is Monday at noon. To submit an item, email: calendar@durangotelegraph.com
Violinist Artist in Residence recital with Ambroise Aubrun, 7 p.m., Roshong Recital Hall, Fort Lewis College Drag Trivia Night, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Friday16
Free Friday Yoga, 8:30 a.m., Lively (a boutique), 809 Main Ave. Live music by Gary B. Walker, piano, 10:15 a.m.–12 noon, Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.
Fanny Pack Friday, 3 p.m., The Nugget Mountain Bar, 48721 North Hwy 550 Leah Orlikowski plays, 5-8 p.m., El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave. Live music by Jack Ellis & Larry Carver, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live Music by Ashleigh Bennett, 6 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Live music by Dustin Burley, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Friday Dance! 6 p.m. West Coast swing lesson; 7 p.m. dance-of-themonth lesson; 8-10 p.m. open dancing, VFW, durangodancing.com
Justin Hubbard, saxophone, and Holly Quist, piano, perform for the UUFD Recital Series, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango, 419 San Juan Dr. “Small Mouth Sounds,” presented by Merely players, 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr. Late Night Radio with parkbreezy • Motifvplus, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E College Dr. Aria PettyOne presents Aria’s Pizza Party, 8:30-9:30 p.m., Father’s Daughters Pizza, 640 Main Ave.
Saturday17
Pine Needle Langlauf Nordic Ski Race, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Durango Nordic Center “Televestivus” Telemark Festival, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort Indivisible Durango meeting, featuring local candidates and presentation on neighborhood organizing,10 a.m.-noon, Durango Public Library, 1900 E 3rd Ave.
FLY Dance Co., 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College The Surfrajettes with The Tailspins, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E College Dr.
De-stress and boost your health with Jin Shin Jyutsu, 6:30 p.m., Animas Valley Grange, 7271 CR 203, Free and open to public.
Silent Disco, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 11th St. Station
Comedy Showcase, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Sunday18
Tuesday20
Veteran Benefit Breakfast, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., VFW Post 403, 1550 Main Venture Snowboards Demo Day, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Purgatory Resort Silverton Skijoring, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Blair Street, Silverton
“Small Mouth Sounds,” presented by Merely players, 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Slow Bluegrass Jam, 5:30-7:30 p.m., General Palmer Hotel, 567 Main
Board Game Sundays, 2 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Rotary Club of Durango presents Ellen Babers, Durango Community Events Administrator, 6 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Ska/Venture Snowboard Giveaway, 3 p.m., Purgatory Resort
Sunday Funday, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Euchre Tournament, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main
Live music by Joel Racheff, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main
Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted
Blue Moon Ramblers, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Live music by Matt Rupnow, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main “Small Mouth Sounds,” presented by Merely players, 7 p.m., Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Dr.
Bayfield Death Café, 1-2:30 p.m., Pine River Library Community Room, 395 Bayfield Center Dr. Community Yoga, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted
Durango Palestine Solidarity Coalition rally, 4 p.m., Buckley Park, 12th St. and Main Ave.
Adam Swanson Ragtime, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main
4Corners River Sports Red Hot Nordic Relay, 9-11 a.m., Durango Nordic Center
Durango Food Not Bombs mutual aid and potluck, 2-4 p.m., Buckley Park
Silverton Skijoring, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Blair Street, Silverton
Parent’s Night Out, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino Del Rio
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Monday19
“These Places Untold” and “Vibrant Cows,” artworks by Joseph Magnano, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Gallery 1135, 1135 Main Ave. Ukulele Jam, 5 p.m., Durango Coffee Co., 730 Main Ave. Meditation and Dharma Talk, 5:30 p.m., in person at The Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E 3rd Ave., Ste. 109 or online at www.durangodharmacenter.org
Live music by Jason Thies, 5:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Live music by Randy Crumbaugh, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave. Caro Pierotto performs as part of the “Artist You Should Know Series,” 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College
Wednesday21
Children’s Story Time, 9–9:45 a.m., Maria’s Bookstore, 960 Main Ave. Restorative Yoga for Cancer, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Smiley Building, Room 20A. Info and register at cancersupportswco.org/calendar Yoga With In the Weeds, 10-11 a.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave., Ste. A
Winterr Sale! Great selection of cold weather and ski wear from brands like Icebreaker, Merrell, Patagonia and Sundance Buy • Sell • Trade • Consign ~ Home Furnishings ~ Clothing ~ Accessories ~ Jewelry 572 E. 6th Ave. • 970-385-7336
12 n Feb. 15 2024
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AskRachel
Sideline entertainment, colorful cops and toxic males Interesting fact: In a piece about cop cars as PR vehicles (ha), the WaPo highlighted a 1933 report finding that citizens believed a police force had doubled once they painted the cars white to make them more visible. So just imagine what yellow paint would do. Dear Rachel, I’m old enough to remember when there was no Super Bowl halftime show. Now I wonder if we are about to see a new standard for entertainment. Not who performs, but what famous girlfriends of players are sitting in the suites. I think the NFL could continue drawing a bigger viewership if we get some entertaining guests. Maybe we could even create a tournament for them, to run parallel to the big game. Think we’ll see the shift? – People Watcher Dear Paparazzi, Come on. Taylor’s done it; we’ve already peaked. She’s bigger than the Beatles and Elvis put together. No guest could possibly top her. That said, our entire entertainment culture is based on sequels for franchises that have already jumped the shark. I guarantee we’ll see intrigue about other girlfriends (maybe even boyfriends?) in the stands. I mean, if I were an aspiring pop artist, I’d find some tight end to schmooze, just for the airtime. Actually do you think that works for journalism-adjacent advice columnists? – Armchair quarterbacking, Rachel
Local First Member Bash, 4:30-6 p.m., Animas Chocolate & Coffee Co., 920 Main Ave. Live music by Gary Watkins, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave. Covenant Christian Academy of the Southwest, public informational meeting, 5:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, Room 1. “Reimagining Success: Manifesting Happiness and Fulfillment,” author event & book signing with Maureen Fallon-Cyr, 6-8 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave. “10 Years of Bird Banding at Oxbow Preserve,” 6 p.m., FLC, Education and Business Hall, Room 55 West Coast Swing, 6:15 & 7:30 p.m., West Coast Swing by the West Slope Westies, Smiley Building
Dear Rachel, We have clear blue sky in Colorado 300 days a year. Police cars in the area are black and white. I know it was cheaper to get black or white in the past, but why not have them in white and blue like other towns? Yeah, black and white TVs worked fine but color is so much better. Black shows sadness, we need happy police in a hard job. Your thoughts on the color when getting new vehicles. – Stick Shift Dear Color Guard, I remember reading some study that I can’t find now, so it’s possible I dreamed it, that said the public perceives cops dressed in blue as far more approachable than ones dressed in black. This has to track to cop cars. They DO have a hard job (and not, I hope, the thing I misread “hard job” as the first time), and we DO want happy police. So let’s paint their cars yellow with smiley faces. All the better to see them coming. – Not smiling enough, Rachel Dear Rachel, I’m seeing more and more of this “alpha male” chatter on the interwebs. Fortunately it’s in the sense of “let’s make fun of this toxic ridiculous alpha male mentality,” but if it didn’t exist we wouldn’t be making fun of it. So is this crap much more pervasive than I realize? Or is it a couple very loud, very ob-
Open Mic, 6:30 p.m., EsoTerra, 558 Main Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com noxious dudes giving everyone something stupid to point to? – Alpha Bits Dear Omega Pieces, You know what’s creepy af? Referring to human beings as “males” and “females.” Makes us sound weirdly like specimens. No one but David Attenborough narrating my life is allowed to call me a “female” and get away with it. Ick. But it sadly is pervasive, this alpha-male baloney. But hey, maybe we can turn taking them down a peg into a fullblown halftime entertainment spectacle. I’d watch. – Your Alfa Romeo, Rachel
22, 7-9 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E 2nd Ave.
The Elovaters with special guests Shwayze and Claire Wright, 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E College Dr. Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Bottom Shelf Brewery, 118 Mill St., Bayfield Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.
“Fifty Years in the Canyons,” presentation by hiking guide author Steve Allen, Feb. 22, 7-8:30 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum, Fort Lewis College and via Zoom “The Wolves,” presented by FLC Theatre, Feb. 23 March 2, Gallery Theatre at Fort Lewis College FLC Alumni Ski Day & Après-Ski Party, Feb. 24, 9 a.m.– 6 p.m., Purgatory Resort.
Ongoing
“The Return of the Force,” art exhibit exploring the influence of “Star Wars” on Native artists, FLC’s Center for Southwest Studies. Thru August 2024
Upcoming
Birds of Play, an evening of song and stories, Feb.
An Evening with Durango Poet Laureates Esther Belin and Zoe Golden, Feb. 26, 6-7 p.m., Durango Public Library. AJ Lee and Blue Summit with La La Bones, Feb. 27, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E College Dr.
Deadline to submit items for “Stuff to Do” is Monday at noon. Please e-mail name, time, date and place of event to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com
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Feb. 15, 2024 n 13
FreeWillAstrology by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Some stories don’t have a distinct beginning, middle and end. It may be hard to know where you are. Other tales have a clear beginning, middle and end, but the parts occur out of order; maybe the middle happens first, then the end, followed by the beginning. Every other variation is possible, too. And then there’s the fact that the beginning of a new story is implied at the end of many stories, even stories with fuzzy plots and ambiguous endings. Keep this in mind during coming weeks, Aries. You will be in a phase when it’s essential to know what story you are living in and where you are located in the plot’s unfoldment. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As I meditate on your destiny in the near future, I sense you will summon extra courage, perhaps even fearless and heroic energy. I wonder if you will save a drowning person, or rescue a child from a burning building, or administer CPR to a stranger who has collapsed on the street. Although I suspect your adventures will be less dramatic than those, they may still be epic. Maybe you will audaciously expose corruption and deceit, or persuade a friend to not commit self-harm, or speak bold thoughts you haven’t had the daring to utter before. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Lately, you have been learning more than you thought possible. You have surpassed and transcended previous limits in your understanding of how the world works. Congratulations! I believe the numerous awakenings stem from your willingness to wander freely into the edgy frontier – and then stay there to gather all the surprising discoveries and revelations flowing your way. Continue your pilgrimage out there beyond the borders for a while longer. CANCER (June 21-July 22): As I study omens for the coming weeks, I suspect you will feel more at home in a situation that has previously felt unnerving or alien. Or you will expedite the arrival of the future by connecting more deeply with your roots. Or you will cultivate more peace and serenity by exploring exotic places. To be honest, though, the planetary configurations are half-mystifying me; I’m offering my best guesses. You may assemble a strong foundation for a fantasy. Or perhaps you will engage in imaginary travel, enabling you to wander widely without leaving your sanctuary. Or all of the above.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Of your hundreds of wishes and yearnings, Leo, which is the highest on your priority list? And which are the next two? What are the sweet, rich, inspiring experiences you want more than anything in life? I invite you to compile a tally of your top three longings. Write them on a piece of paper. Draw or paste an evocative symbol next to each one. Then place this document in a prominent spot that you will see regularly. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you are in a phase when focusing and intensifying your intentions will bring big rewards.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dear Wise Gambler: You rank high in your intelligence, intuitive logic and robust fantasy life. There’s only one factor that may diminish your ability to discern the difference between wise and unwise gambles. That’s your tendency to get so excited by big, expansive ideas that you neglect to account for messy, inconvenient details. And it’s especially important not to dismiss or underplay those details in the coming weeks. If you include them in your assessments, you will indeed be the shrewdest of wise gamblers.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy hiked across Spain’s famous pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago. At one point, he felt so brave and strong that he had a sobbing breakdown. He realized how fear had always dominated his life. With this chronic agitation absent for the first time ever, he felt free to be his genuine self. “I started to feel more comfortable in the world and consequently in my own skin,” he testified, concluding, “I think travel obliterates fear.” Apply his prescription to yourself in the coming months, Virgo – in whatever ways your intuition tells you are right. Cosmic forces will be aligned with you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn golfer Tiger Woods is one of the alltime greats. He holds numerous records and has won scores of tournaments. On 20 occasions, he has accomplished the most difficult feat: hitting a hole-in-one. But the weird fact is that there were two decades (1998–2018) between his 19th and 20th holes-in-one. I suspect your own fallow time came in 2023, Capricorn. By now, you should be back in the hole-in-one groove, metaphorically speaking. And the coming months may bring a series of such crowning strokes.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the natural world, there are four partnership styles. In the parasitic variety, a living thing damages another while exploiting it. In the commensal mode, there is exploitation by one partner, but no harm occurs. In the epizoic model, one creature serves as a vehicle for the other but gets nothing in return. The fourth kind of partnership is symbiotic. It’s beneficial to both parties. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Libra, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to take an inventory of your alliances and affiliations – and begin to de-emphasize, even phase out, all but the symbiotic ones. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author Dan Savage says, “I wish I could let myself eat and eat and eat.” He imagines what it would be like if he didn’t “have to monitor the foods I put in my mouth or go to the gym anymore.” He feels envious of those who have no inhibitions about being gluttonous. I authorize Savage and all Scorpios to temporarily set aside such inhibitions. Take a brief break. Experiment with what it feels like to free yourself to ingest big helpings of food and drink – as well as metaphorical kinds of nourishment like love and sex and sensations and entertainment. Just for now, allow yourself to play around with voraciousness. You may be surprised at the deeper liberations it triggers.
Food Trucks Now Hiring: Avalanche Bowl Co. & Backcountry Gourmet Start immediately. 1135 Main Ave. • DGO, CO
14 n Feb. 15, 2024
Drop off resume at one of the trucks or email to: backcountrygourmetllc@gmail.com
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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Poet Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) lived till age 76, but her destiny was a rough ride. Her native country, the authoritarian Soviet Union, censored her work and imprisoned her friends and family. In one of her poems, she wrote, “If I can’t have love, if I can’t find peace, give me a bitter glory.” She got the latter wish. She came close to winning a Nobel Prize and is now renowned as a great poet and heroic symbol of resistance to tyranny. I predict your life in the coming months will be very different from Akhmatova’s. I expect you will enjoy more peace and love than you’ve had in a long time. Glory will stream your way, but it will be graceful, never bitter. The effects will be heightened if you express principled resistance to tyranny. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean perfumer Sophia Grojsman says, “Our lives are quiet. We like to be disturbed by delight.” To that end, she has created over 30 bestselling fragrances, including Eternity Purple Orchid, Désir Coulant (Flowing Desire), Spellbound, Volupté (Pleasure) and Jelisaveta (“God is abundance”). I believe it’s now essential for you to be disturbed by delight – as well as to disturb others with delight. Please do what’s necessary to become a potent magnet for marvelous interruptions, sublime interventions and blissful intrusions. And make yourself into a provider of those healing subversions, too.
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-Wed: 9ish - 5ish Thurs: On delivery Fri: Gone fishing; call first
Announcements Friday 6pm Dancing Lesson at VFW Go to DurangoDancing.com to get on notification list. KDUR is Celebrating 50 years of broadcasting in 2025. Staff is on the hunt for past DJs who have a fond memory, story or even some recorded material! Please email station manager Bryant Liggett, Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu or call 970.247.7261
Classes/Workshops Call a Lawyer Event Free Divorce & Custody Presentation presented by Colorado Legal Services Tuesday, February 20th from 5:30 pm to 7 pm at the Durango Public Library and via Zoom Please call 970-247-0266 for details on how to attend or visit www.durangovap.com/events/
Wanted Books Wanted at White Rabbit! Cash/trade/donate (970) 259-2213 Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970259-3494.
HelpWanted Do You Drive to Bayfield? The Telegraph is looking for someone to deliver papers to Three Springs/Bay-
field every Thursday. Four stops. $25/ week. For info., email telegraph@durangotelegraph.com.
ForRent Office Space for Rent Beginning April 1st in Colorado Heritage Plaza at 150 E 9th St., Ste 200. 305 sq/ft at $625/mo. includes all utils except internet. Internet ranges from $30$50/mo. Please email or call Matt: matt@homesfund.org; 970-2591418 ext. 4 Integrative Health Clinic Renting beautiful office downtown. Patio, sunlight, reception with park view. 970-247-1233 600-sq. ft. “Seinfeld” Condo (no Kramer though) Fully furnished. N. Main. 1 bed, 1 ba. $1600/mo. + utils. Avail. Feb. 15. Short term; lukemehall@gmail.com or 970-376-3116
sign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
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Services
‘Queenpins’ Crafty criminal masterminds make millions off counterfeit coupons – Lainie Maxson Harmony Cleaning and Organizing Residential, offices, commercial and vacation rentals, 970-403-6192.
Boiler - Water Heater Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917 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.
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BodyWork Rachel McGehee Massage therapy & intuitive health consult-970-903-0388 Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199. Lotus Path Healing Arts Fusion of Esalen massage, deep tissue & Acutonics, 24 years of experience. To schedule call Kathryn, 970-201-3373.
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Subaru Outback Legacy – 1999. Not pretty but runs OK. 244k. $2500 or thereabouts. Call Chip @ 970-403-4989. Firewood for Sale Cedar, piñon, oak & hickory true/partial cords, campfire cooking bundles & more! Text/call for more info 9707596900
Heating - Electric Roof, boiler, gutter cleaning, fence, floors, walls, flood damage, mold.
TaoTronics 4k Action Camera New and in the box. Comes with user guide and all accessories: waterproof housing, handlebar/pole mount, mounts, battery, tethers, protective back cover, USB cable and lens cleaning cloth. $50. J.marie.pace@gmail.com Reruns Home Furnishings Brighten up your space. Lots of new inventory including tables, chairs, gorgeous lamps, mid-century modern coffee table and nightstands. Looking to con-
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Volunteers Needed Alternative Horizons is in need of volunteers to staff our hotline. Next training April 19, 20 and 26. Call 970-247-4374 or visit alternativehorizons.org.
“I saw it in the Telegraph.” Read by thousands of discerning eyeballs every week. (*And a few that just look at the pictures.)
For more info. on how to get your business or event seen, email: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com Feb. 15, 2024 n 15
16 n Feb. 15, 2024
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