The Durango Telegraph publishes every Thursday, come hell, high water, tacky singletrack or mon-
9 Getting pumped
Incentives make heat pumps more attainable, but barriers remain by Allen Best / Big Pivots
STAR-STUDDED CAST: Doug Gonzalez, Ben Long, Allen Best, Missy Votel, Rob Brezsny, Lainie Maxson, Jesse Anderson & Clint Reid
On the cover
A perfect late-summer golden hour marks the end to a perfect ride in Horse Gulch./ Photo by Missy Votel
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Ear to the ground:
“I had a time when my body was 80% Annie’s mac ‘n’ cheese and PBR, so I had to stop.”
– Ah, college. No one said it was going to be pretty.
Less is more
Anyone whose visited the Blue Lakes between Ouray and Telluride knows: it’s crowded. But that’s about to change. The U.S. Forest Service, which oversees the 16,200-acre area, which includes Dallas Peak and Mount Sneffels, officially announced it will be going to a permit system for day hikers and campers from June-September.
Exactly when the new system will take effect remains unknown, although Forest Service officials said it will likely be next summer or summer of 2026.
The decision, announced Tuesday, comes after nearly a year of public input. The move is in response to increased foot traffic (thank you, Instagram) to see the turquoise blue waters of the three lakes near 14,000-foot Mount Sneffels. The increased traffic has negatively impacted the natural landscape and the experience for hikers. Prompted by public complaints, officials began looking at a plan to curtail visitation last fall.
Up to 40 day-use permits will be issued per day, which can be reserved at recreation.gov. Every individual would need their own permit. The agency will also issue up to 24 overnight permits per night, but only for four designated campsites. That means each campsite could have up to six people.
Hikers would need either a day-use permit or an overnight permit – not both. That means up to 64 people per day would use the trail. Permits will likely carry a fee though the cost has yet to be determined.
Climbers will not be required to have a permit to climb Mount Sneffels if they approach from the Yankee Boy Basin trailhead. However, dogs are prohibited from the Mount Sneffels zone altogether.
Permits will be divided among five zones: Lower East Dallas; Blaine Basin; Yankee Boy Basin; Mount Sneffels (including the summit); and Wilderness, which encompasses the Blue Lakes.
Dana Gardunio, Ouray Ranger District for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, estimates the permit system will cut the number of summertime visitors by 40%, from 13,000 to 7,808. The agency deemed it necessary to mitigate human waste, vegetation loss, user-created trails, negative dog interactions, illegal campfires, bear conflicts and overcrowding.
ster powder days. We are wholly
dependently owned and operated by the Durango Telegraph LLC and dis-
“Keep in mind that this plan is really a blueprint of where we are headed,” Gardunio told the Denver Post. “It’s not an ‘on/off’ switch … this will be years of planning and implementation to come.”
opinion
LaVidaLocal
Send flowers
When I was in high school, online chat rooms were a social necessity. In those digital spaces, I was able to chat with friends no matter where they were, whether that was a few houses down or several states over. But chat rooms also provided a way to meet new people. Specifically, other gay people. In my naivety, I didn’t realize that in this digital world you could be anyone you wanted to be, for all I wanted to be was myself.
Once in a room, the group chat would be inundated with messages, as well as a constant update of who left and joined. In my room of choice, there was a barrage of lewd messages and sassy, gay commentary. I had never experienced a place like this before. It was incredibly exciting for a teenager who was still in the closet.
Over time, there was a sense of comradery amongst this group of strangers. One of these people messaged me personally, which was apt to happen. He was just out of high school and lived out of state. The way he presented himself initially didn’t interest me. However, we still built a friendship through our daily chats. These chats eventually transformed into long phone calls. In his photos, he presented various looks. They all seemed to match the stories he told me. My favorite photo came from a series of portraits that he told me a friend of his in college took. It displayed his green eyes, black hair and slim but muscular frame. I thought he was so beautiful and that I was lucky to know him. He used to joke that one of his last names, Xóchitl, fit him perfectly. Translated, it is the Nahuatl (Aztec) word for flower. As I was nearing the end of high school, we decided to be boyfriends. Despite never having met in-person, I trusted him enough to believe this felt right.
I moved to New York City.
After leaving a toxic job there, I decided to get to the bottom of this relationship. I spent a few dollars to receive an online public record of him based on the information I knew. In the record, I could see his family members’ names, all of which I recognized. But the next thing I noticed? He was eight years older than I, making him a grown adult when I was only a teenager. This changed the entire timeline. How did he keep it up for so long?
Through more searching, I found his high school yearbook on Facebook. I found his name, then his photo. He did not match the young man I believed he was. I hoped I was wrong, that I was getting this person confused with another. But, a heavy feeling came over me. It felt like someone close to me had died, and in their place were made-up stories of this man looking back at me. My heart was beating out of my chest. When do I confront him? Tomorrow? Now?
I called and informed him that I found out about his identity. He acted confused and proceeded to gaslight me, trying to convince me I was crazy. Searching for him online? Incomprehensible. He decided that we shouldn’t be friends and hung up on me.
I know what you’re thinking – how did I let it get this far? How did I let myself be convinced by this person? These questions also ran through my mind. I knew I was an intelligent individual, but here I was being, what I would have described at the time, incredibly stupid. But I think I can finally answer these questions. As a queer, late ’80s baby, I thought I could not be loved. I thought it was dangerous. Allowing a relationship with someone who couldn’t physically touch me seemed safe. But I didn’t know how powerful a strictly emotional relationship would be. I hadn’t considered how much it would require of myself.
Once in college, we kept up with our communication, although it became less of a relationship and more of a burden. He’d get angry if I forgot to call him. I did my best to convince both him and I that I was a good person despite my misstep.
After the first year, this long distance “relationship” became too cumbersome. Our calls became less frequent, but sometimes we would simply call to check in or ask for advice. I pressed for him to visit me, although he always declined. I imagined visiting him, but he convinced me his mother would run me out of town. This continued through graduation, until my first year after college when
Thumbin’It
Long criticized for its reliance on coal, TriState, LPEA’s wholesale electricity provider, received $679 million in federal funds to help speed its transition to clean energy. Maybe this will help clear the air, in more ways than one.
The popular Blue Lakes trails are going to a permit system. The move is expected to decrease summertime visitors by 40%, from 13,000 to 7,808 and poop piles by almost as much.
Our little airport is going big, with $13 million in federal funding to enlarge and upgrade the terminal. OK, so maybe this means more people, but maybe it will also bring more airlines and cheaper tickets? We can dream, can’t we … ?
Years later, I sent him this final message: “I feel like it’s time to get some closure from this. You took a lot from me, and I wish you could just say ‘I’m sorry.’ My current boyfriend says, ‘I hope you don’t have to lie to feel loved anymore.’ That’s so much better than anything you could have ever said to me.”
Although he did not respond, the text is noted as being “read.” Despite what was done, I hope he’s doing well. I wish him the courage to be himself and allow someone to love him for who he is. I wish that for everyone.
– Doug Gonzales
SignoftheDownfall:
A setback for Colorado’s wolf reintroduction, with the patriarch in the Copper Creek Pack dying from a leg injury after being captured for relocation and the future of the remaining four pups and mother looking dubious at best.
What is it with Trump and cats? First, Vance goes off on single cat ladies, then Trump weirdly accuses people of eating cats in Springfield, Mo. – on live TV, no less. Please, just stop.
OK, so this may not be a big surprise –turns out K-Cup coffee pods aren’t all that recyclable after all, even though Keurig said they were. They were fined $1.5M for the false claims – small beans for a product found in half of households and every cheesy hotel room in the country.
The Loathsome Camel Amy Halterman weighed over 400 pounds when she starred alongside her sister on TLC’s “1,000-Lb Sisters.” But according to the arrest records posted by a sheriff in Tennessee this past Labor Day, Amy is down to 230 pounds, which is great! On the down side, she got bitten by a camel at a local safari park, which sucks, and when the cops came, they found weed and mushrooms next to the children in Amy’s car. Then the safari park’s owner claimed that the stoned, tripping lady made up the whole “camel bite” story, but whatever. The point here is that someone in Tennessee lost weight and didn’t get caught with meth. Thank you, TLC.
SoapBox
Wheeler will guide LPEA
LPEA is in the beginning of a historic period that will shape the future of energy in our region. On April 1, 2026, LPEA will exit its restrictive contract with Tri-State. This transition represents a significant opportunity for LPEA to embrace a future of local, clean and affordable energy. There is a lot of work to be done to prepare for this transition, and that is why we need Tim Wheeler’s experience and dedication for another term on the LPEA Board of Directors.
In his five years with LPEA, Tim has served as Treasurer and Chairperson of the Finance and Audit Committee. He has had a successful career in engineering and marketing leadership in the tech industry and has owned a successful Main Avenue business. This is the deep experience that we need during this transition.
Results matter. Here are a few of LPEA’s accomplishments during Tim’s board tenure:
• Reduced GHG emissions by over 10%.
• Got Tri-State to cut wholesale rates by 4%.
• Returned $3-4M/year in capital
credit refunds to members.
• Opened the 1.7MW Sunnyside Community Solar Garden.
• Voted to exit the restrictive contract with Tri-State.
Tim’s experience, track record of results and dedication to our community make him the ideal candidate to help guide LPEA through this critical period. Please join me in voting to reelect Tim Wheeler to help ensure a successful transition for LPEA.
–Kyle Amstadter, Durango
Check your registration
The League of Women Voters (LWV) of La Plata County is an organization dedicated to educating the public about its right to vote as a part of our democracy and empowering voters with the information they need to exercise that right. We help community members be informed and work to motivate them to exercise their right to vote; we’ve been educating voters for more than 100 years. If we choose not to vote, we cede power to those who do. Voting is the foundation of our democracy, so we hope you will make your voice known –and encourage others to do so as well.
D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim
With November’s election fast approaching, LWV is encouraging all voters to check their voter registration status. We’re within 60 days of voting on Nov. 5, and now is the time for voters to double check their registration status to ensure they receive their ballot. Have you moved or changed your mailing address? Have you gotten married or divorced? Changed your name? Do you need an absentee ballot,
because you’ll be out of the country on election day? These are all changes you can take care of now.
There’s an easy step you can take in advance of voting in federal elections to make sure your registration status is active. Just go online and check your status by using these sites: GoVoteColorado.gov; VOTE411.org; vote.gov; or IWillVote.com.
Each of these websites lets you check
your voter registration status and make any necessary updates. Once you’ve made any changes, LWV encourages you to take a screenshot, keep it handy, and if there are any issues, you’ve got proof that you’re an active voter. If there’s any question at the polls, you’ve got documentation.
For students who are currently studying abroad, they can request an overseas absentee ballot at: students.votefromabroad.org.
If you have questions about this or anything regarding voting, contact our County Clerk Tiffany Lee, elections@lpcgov.org or (970) 382-6296.
Getting registered is the first step. It’s equally important to stay registered and make sure you protect your right to vote. Now you know how. Please, share this with everyone you know. Voting is too important not to. For more information on candidates, ballot issues or other voter questions, please go to www.Vote411.org or check the LWV website at www.lwvlaplata.org for more information.
–Laurie Meininger and Jan Phillips, LWV La Plata; and Tiffany Lee, La Plata County Clerk and Recorder
Rethink our exit from Tri-State?
I read with interest the Sept. 6 Colorado Sun article about Tri-State receiving the largest Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) award in Colorado of $679M. These funds “will help it (Tri-State) to exceed Colorado greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
I will admit in the past I have viewed Tri-State as a carbon-polluting villain, generating a high percentage of coal-based power. Eating my words, they have made progress in the last few years in stepping up renewable
energy generation. This IRA award will greatly accelerate that transition. Tri-State’s change to allow us to locally generate up to 40% of our own power (up from just 5%) gives us local control options. Tri-State also has a few large advantages over other energy suppliers – long term reliability and now financial stability.
Is it in the best interest of LPEA to rethink a TriState exit? Would energy purchase from Tri-State be a long-term, cheaper, more reliable source than other options?
My understanding is that LPEA can still re-enter an agreement with Tri-State, as long as LPEA has not actually paid the $207M exit fee. Saving that exit fee plus interest on the loan is no small accounting. That sum does not go toward providing electricity, just to break the contract. Regardless, we will still pay Tri-State as they own all our transmission lines.
I encourage the LPEA Board of Directors and senior staff to do a thorough new cost analysis of exiting in light of this new announcement.
–Susan
Atkinson, Durango
Lions are a hunter’s best friend
The ballot measure to protect mountain lions from trophy hunting and bobcats from baiting and fur trapping is a crucial step toward protecting the state’s billion-dollar deer and elk hunting and wildlife-watching industries from the devastating effects of chronic wasting disease (CWD).
CWD is a neurodegenerative disease posing a significant threat to Colorado’s deer, elk and moose. It is transmitted through direct contact or exposure to con-
taminated environment (42 of 51 deer herds and 17 of 42 elk herds in the state are infected).
Mountain lions and bobcats play a vital role in regulating ungulate populations and in cleansing them of CWD. Continuing to sanction highly commercialized trophy hunting and commercial fur trapping of native cats in Colorado will mean 500 fewer lions and 2,000 fewer bobcats to cleanse CWD-infected cervids and ultimately to strengthen the health and viability of deer and elk populations.
Over the 50-year horizon, if we keep these commercial kills of native cats going, CWD mortality may increase to the point that hunting of deer and elk in parts of Colorado will no longer be possible. Given that all human attempts to control CWD have failed, mountain lions are a deer and elk hunter’s best friend.
In the coming decades, CWD will become a bigger and bigger national issue far beyond Colorado, especially if it becomes zoonotic and infects people or livestock, like CWD’s first cousin, Mad Cow Disease, did 25 years ago.
By protecting mountain lions and bobcats from wasteful trophy hunts and fur traps, Colorado is taking a proactive approach to prevent the spread of CWD. This decision aligns with the growing consensus among wildlife experts and conservationists that the health of our ecosystems depends on the preservation of all species, including predators.
Learn more about the vital role of mountain lions to combat CWD in Colorado – a disease without a cure that is always fatal.
–Dr. Jim Keen, DVM, Director of Veterinary Sciences for The Center for a Humane Economy
WritersontheRange
Wolf tales
Biologist details 40 years of living with wolves
in northern Montana
by Ben Long
Biologist Diane K. Boyd has had a front-row seat to 40 years of wolf recovery in the West, but her new memoir reveals that entanglements with humans in Montana were often tougher than dealing with the four-legged predators.
There’s a proud literary canon of women telling their stories of studying wildlife in remote places – Mardy Murie in Alaska, Jane Goodall in Tanzania, Dian Fossey in Rwanda. Now, Boyd’s memoir, “A Woman Among Wolves –My Journey Through 40 Years of Wolf Recovery,” runs in that pack on the strength of her personality and the drama she documents in both the natural and human worlds.
Boyd was raised in Minneapolis, where her suburban upbringing included regular escapes to local swamps and a zoo. At the zoo, alarmingly, one of the caged wolves bit her dog. Nonetheless, Boyd emerged enamored with both wolves and the wildness they represented.
After becoming a biologist, Boyd found a mentor in the famed wolf researcher David Mech, working with him in the upper Midwest. A woman of statuesque frame and Nordic features, Boyd stood out in a field dominated by burly alpha males, all studying wolves that were then an endangered species. Her career gained momentum when she moved to Montana in the 1980s, just as wolves were trickling into Glacier National Park from Canada. These wolves would reset the ecology of the American West and, along with it, set a course for her life.
The main setting of Boyd’s book is Montana’s North Fork of the Flathead River, which remains a remote valley flanked by fir forest and glacier-sculpted mountains. This is one of the only
places south of Canada that still has all the native predators it had before settlers arrived – grizzlies, mountain lions, wolverines, lynx and more. It’s so spectacularly scenic that Hollywood Westerns have been filmed there, yet so remote it still lacks electric power, pavement and phone lines.
In the 1980s and ’90s, the North Fork of the Flathead was also a unique natural laboratory. A decade before the Clinton administration and Interior
Secretary Bruce Babbitt began relocating wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, the animals recolonized the North Fork on their own. Boyd and her
cohorts were there to document their dispersal, compiling data while forcefeeding wood stoves to heat drafty cabins in subzero winters.
Boyd’s memoir vividly paints that place and time, spiced by tales of derringdo: trapping wolves for radio-collar research; surviving close calls with grizzly bears; crossing icy rivers; and flying small planes low over dangerous terrain. It also paints colorful portraits of fellow scientists along with neighboring hermits and poachers, outfitters and loggers.
In those early days, scientists weren’t sure that wolves would regain a toehold in the American West. By the end of
Boyd’s career in 2019, the population of wolves had grown from a rumored few to thousands.
The wolves proved resilient, reproducing faster than the rigors of the wild and the hand of man could limit them. From a conservationist’s perspective, recovery of the animals has been a remarkable success of the Endangered Species Act.
Yet Boyd also illustrates the dark side of that story. Some of it is personal – a man who grabbed her leg and tried to assault her in the backwoods of Minnesota; two pursuing men she scared off with a hunting rifle at a remote cabin.
Nearly as unsettling is her more recent tale of representing the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks at contentious public meetings in rural Montana. Elk and deer numbers go up and down like the stock market, but when numbers of game animals seem low, wolves are the favorite scapegoat. At times, Boyd and her colleagues had to stand before a crowd of armed and angry men, fueled both by alcohol and politically driven disinformation. Such can be the reality of being a public servant in today’s West.
“Wolf management is people management. Period,” Boyd concludes. “My hope is for a more tolerant world, with wolves living out their lives as a valued wildlife species. We can live without wolves, but the world is a much richer place with wolves in it.”
Reading Boyd’s memoir, it seems we’ve come a long way, though wolves still have a lot of enemies who wish they’d disappear.
Ben Long is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit that aims to spur lively conversation about the West. He is the author of Hunter & Angler: Field Guide to Raising Hell and can be found at www.con servationforthewin.org ■
Diane K. Boyd’s memoir, “A Woman Among Wolves – My Journey Through 40 Years of Wolf Recovery,” gives readers a glimpse into her career as a biologist, during a time when she studied then-endangered wolves in the American West./ Courtesy photo
BigPivots
Pumped up
Reforming our buildings, one heat pump at a time
by Allen Best
As Colorado stretches to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, dismantling coal plants will be the easy part. We have just a handful of them. The last one, Comanche 3, in Pueblo, is to close by the end of 2030.
Buildings pose a far greater challenge. We have many hundreds of thousands of them, perhaps millions. We burn natural gas in most of them to heat space and water and, in many cases, for cooking. It will take decades to decarbonize them.
Effective technology has arrived. Airsource heat pumps work in nearly all of Colorado’s climates. Ground-source heat pumps work everywhere. And various programs dramatically lower the costs of installing these and other technologies.
Consider the 1,500-square-foot house in Denver purchased by James Warren and Hayley Schroeder in 2023. The attic had the skimpiest of insulation. They boosted it to R-60, among the very best. Insulation is relatively cheap and easy to install, the payback quick.
The 17-year-old gas furnace provoked a more complex calculus. It was nearing the end of its useful life. And the couple wanted cooler air during the summer. An air-source heat pump can do both.
Heat pumps don’t come cheap, but local, state and federal programs along with a rebate from their electrical utility, Xcel Energy, delivered $10,286. Being in Denver helps. City voters in 2021 approved a sales tax to fund climate-change work. That delivered rebates of $4,786.
The couple paid $13,000 for the heat pump, about the same as if they had purchased a new gas furnace and air conditioner. Their electric bill will rise modestly, but their gas bill will wither to what they need for cooking.
The Inflation Reduction Act approved by Congress in 2022 has started delivering a substantial amount of money for renovating our buildings. Who will do the actual work? Unions representing electricians and pipefitters are on board with the retraining of their members for this work on our buildings as we start reducing use of methane, the primary constituent of natural gas. This federal aid will be used, in part, to train workers during the next five years.
Denver homeowner James Warren with the air-source heat pump he recently bought. The appliance runs on electricity and can both heat and cool a home. With rebates and incentives, the pump cost about $13,000 – about the same had they installed a new furnace. / Photo by Allen Best
This is also an opportunity for entrepreneurs. Elephant Energy, the company that oversaw the work at the house in West Denver was founded in April 2021, with operations in Colorado from Fort Collins south to Littleton and Parker.
DR Richardson, a co-founder, says business has been rapidly growing. His company acts as an intermediary between contractors and homeowners who might be baffled or at least confused about the various incentives as well as costs. The incentives of the IRA coupled with growing awareness of the advantages of air-source heat pumps have been a boon.
“A year ago, we were doing 10 (installations) per month,” Richardson said. “Now we’re doing 50 a month – and I foresee a similar trajectory once (new) rebates come out.”
In all this, Colorado lags behind some other industrial countries. Richardson cites Norway, where he says 60% of homes have heat pumps. “In Colorado, it’s maybe one in a hundred, or probably closer to one in a thousand,” he says.
“Our job is to make the lives of contractors easier,” he explained. “We work closely with homeowners. We do the system design and equipment procurement, handle the incentives and rebates, and do all the billing and commissioning.”
This pivot won’t occur on a dime. We unfortunately continue to dig a deeper hole in most places, installing natural gas when we should be installing alternatives. And in some places, it may be difficult to find somebody to install a new heat pump. In mountain valleys of the Western Slope, for example, electricians and others have all the work they can manage without the need to learn new technology. Challenges? Yes, they exist. But also great opportunities as we wean our buildings from the continual combustion of fossil fuels. We’re just getting started.
Big Pivots covers Colorado’s energy and water transitions. See more of the e-magazine at BigPivots.com. ■
A big piece of what holds back contractors is the new technology. “They don’t know how to install or sell or price the technology and think through the cost implications,” Richardson said. And then there are the incentives. That’s what Elephant Energy does.
LocalNews
Endless summer?
Local group explores feasibility of (nearly) year-round surf wave
by Missy Votel
Once a fringe river sport relegated to natural anomalies like the Snake River’s Lunch Counter wave, there’s no doubt river surfing has gone mainstream. Thanks to advances in whitewater park engineering, human-made surf waves have popped up across the West, from Cascade, Idaho, to Salida’s celebrated Scout 2.0 wave on the Arkansas River, which is surfable even at low flows.
Now a group of local river surfers is hoping to bring a wave like that to the Animas River in Durango.
“We’re trying to raise funds for a feasibility study to see if a modern surf wave could be created on the Animas in or around Durango,” Amanda Kiessel, founder of the newly formed Animas River Surfers, said.
Although there are existing surfable waves in the Whitewater Park at Santa Rita, notably Corner Pocket and Ponderosa, Kiessel said conditions are not always ideal. These waves peter out for board surfing at lower flows, become extra spicy for surfers at higher flows and are not exactly kid-friendly. In addition to contending with an aftermath of potentially nasty holes downriver from the wave, the eddies can be difficult for surfers to navigate as well.
“At high flows, the entry and exit from Corner Pocket is pretty intense,” said Kiessel, who has lived in Durango for 20 years and surfed just as long. “When Corner Pocket is above 3,000 cfs, it’s a pretty meaty swim.”
She said engineered waves, such as the Scout 2.0, function at lower flows down to around 300 cfs, with easier entrance eddies and fewer hazards downstream. They are also friendlier to a wider variety of surfers, including beginners and kids. “If we could have a wave that’s not as scary and not just surfable for only six weeks, it would be incredible,” she said.
And that’s where the Animas River Surfers group comes in. Made up loosely of 200-250 members, the group is rallying to raise money for a feasibility study to see if and/or where a “high performance” surf wave could be built on the Animas.
She estimates the cost of the study will be about $30,000 with funds coming from donations to the nonprofit group (which would be tax-deductible.)
Kiessel said she was further encour-
aged to do the study by the creators of the Salida wave, Recreational Engineering and Planning, or REP. Those who’ve been around the block may remember the Boulder-based firm, founded by Gary Lacy, doing design work on the Durango Whitewater Park in the 2000-10s. Today, the company is mostly run by Lacy’s sons, Mason and Spencer. Salida’s Mike Harvey, who was also instrumental in building the Scout wave and is co-owner
of Badfish surf store and company, is also a member of the REP Team.
Kiessel said the study will be done by REP, with help from local consultant Shane Sigle. An experienced boater, he formerly worked for REP and now owns his own Durango whitewater design company, Riverwise Engineering.
“Basically, they all said ‘Yes, there are numerous options that make this a possibility’ and are of the opinion that it’s
Local surfer Ben Cross tears up the Pondo Wave during this year’s Animas River Days competition. Although great for surfing at higher flows, Pondo and the other waves at the Whitewater Park peter out at lower flows for surfers and can make swims – a necessary part of the sport – unpleasant at higher flows./ Photo by Bob Grunert
worth consideration,” said Kiessel.
But not to burst any bubbles, one common idea floated in river circles – that, with a little tinkering and a couple thousand dollars, the 29th Street play hole could be magically turned into the perfect surf wave – is not realistic. “This is going to be a million-dollar, multiyear project,” Kiessel said.
But before folks get their wetsuits in a bunch over cost and location, Kiessel wants to stress this is just the first, small, baby step in the kiddie pool. “Right now, we’re just putting one foot in front of the other,” she said.
More than likely, given the difficulties of permitting through the Army Corps of Engineers, any wave will arise from some sort of existing structure in the river, she said. She also envisions a wave that will not diminish current or downstream uses. For example, the Scout 2.0 wave consists of two channels: the main surf wave as well as a “sneak route” for kayaks, tubers and rafts.
Originally built in 2009, the first Scout wave was eventually deemed “irrelevant” and was updated to Scout 2.0 in 2022 at a cost of $257,000 to the City of Salida, according to the Chaffee County Times. Another $267,000 was set aside in the winter of 2024 to fix unforeseen high-water dangers at the wave, which was flipping rafts and virtually unsurfable at higher flows.
However, it is estimated the economic benefits of Scout 2.0 (technically now Scout 3.0) go far beyond the price tag, with surfers from far and wide flocking to Salida for a chance to surf the glassy, green wave. On any given day, surfers are stacked 10-20 deep in the Scout eddy. This summer, as of July 25, some 20,000 cell phone pings were tallied at the Salida Whitewater Park, according to the Colorado Sun. Beyond that, surfers are
staying in local hotels, eating at local restaurants and buying from local shops.
“In terms of benefit to the economy, it’s great,” Stacy Falk, owner of Salida skate shop Ramps and Alleys and also a boater, said. “It is pretty cool to have in this little mountain town – to be able to go down any time of the year and be able to surf.”
Of course, before Durango can get to the stage of an “endless summer,” there are many river miles to go. Animas River Surfers has been in contact with the City of Durango’s Parks and Rec Department, which was receptive to the idea. However, the group was advised to do more homework and build consensus among river users and the community (pickleball, anyone?) before coming back with a formal proposal of any kind.
To that end, the group has had or plans to have discussions with everyone from the San Juan Citizens Alliance and American Whitewater to local kayakers, anglers and rafting companies.
“This is something that should have happened decades ago in our town,” well-known local kayaker John Brennan said. Over the years, Brennan was a slalom coach for Durango Whitewater and was also involved with the design of the Whitewater Park. “The economic boost will be massive. We need to be leaders of positive river recreation, not reactionary to the process. Every town that has built one of these has said, ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’”
The group is hopeful of reaching its $30,000 goal by the end of the year. This would enable the feasibility study – which requires a year of flow data – to kick off as soon as this winter.
And from there, Kiessel is hoping the momentum for
has Sound Gear Rentals
Kids surf Corner Pocket. With a year round wave surfable at lower flows, Animas River Surfers envision getting more kids into the sport, like a “surfing Devo.”/ Courtesy photo
the wave will only swell, not only for the economic boost it will bring, particularly in the off season, but for enhancing Durango’s livability.
“I have a 4-year-old kid. I want him to fall in love with the river like I did,” said Kiessel. “We’re not boaters, and we don’t own a raft. This is another way for people to use and enjoy the river.”
Proceeds from beer sales at the Valkyrie Race this Sat., Sept. 14, at Santa Rita Park, will go to Animas River Surfers. For more info. on the group or to donate, go to: www. animasriver surfers.org. ■
Thursday12
Volunteer Trail Work, 5-7 p.m., Spirit Trail, Overend Mountain Park, sign up required: durangotrails.org
Trivia Night, 5-7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
Live music by Andrew Schuhmann, 5:30 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Live music by Tracy Wiebeck and Friends, 6-9 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Irish Jam Session, 12:30-3 p.m., Durango Beer & Ice Co., 3000 Main Ave.
Board Game Sundays, 2 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Theatre performance of “Wait Until Dark,” 2-4 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.
Sunday Funday, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Live music by the Blue Moon Ramblers, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Live music by Jose Villarreal, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Monday16
Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.
Live music by Terry Hartzel, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Live podcast of “Magic City” audio storytelling, 6 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.
Live music by Leah Orlikowski, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Singo with Devin Scott, 6 p.m., Grassburger South, 360 S. Camino Del Rio
Comedy Showcase, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Tuesday17
Rotary Club of Durango presents speaker and author Ed Horvath discussing local history, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Live music by Nina Sasaki & Dan Carlson, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
Live music by Terry Hartzel, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Live music by Randy Crumbaugh, 6-9 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
“Service Unscripted,” customer service storytelling, 7-9 p.m., The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave.
AskRachel RV revenge, copping out and feeding frenzy
Interesting fact: According to AAA’s stats, Labor Day domestic travel was up 9% this year over last. Undoubtedly, every bit of it was obnoxiously long and intentionally slow RVs.
Dear Rachel,
Labor Day Weekend reminded me how badly this country needs a network of back roads exclusively for RVs and travel trailers. You can’t go anywhere on those holiday weekends without getting stuck behind one going 30 mph under the speed limit – until of course you hit a passing lane. Then they’re suddenly going warp speed. What gives?
– Moving Violation
Dear Unmovable Object,
This is one of those Laws of the Universe: an RV must accelerate to high speeds on straightaways with high visibility. It’s not their choice; it’s physics. There’s some sort of ionic bond between the big-ass vehicle and the quarter mile of passenger cars behind it. Every now and then, one car from the back breaks this bond and attempts to escape. But it typically gets beaten back by a double yellow. Nothing to be done.
– Riding your tail, Rachel Dear Rachel,
Wednesday18
You talked last week about a friend mixing up “cramp my style” and “crimp my style.” Well, my little sister says “pop a squat” and refuses to believe that it’s “cop a squat.”
There’s a lotta years and a generational divide between us. Maybe our parents failed to teach her to read so she misheard the word. Cop-a penny for your thoughts?
– Popping Off
Dear Jack-in-the-Box,
The word “cop” is disappearing because the younger generations is woke enough that no one is copping a feel anymore. Thank goodness. Without copping feels, there’s no sister phrase for copping squats, so it’s just going to fade into nothingness. Kind of like that jar of copper pennies I used to have, eight moves ago.
– Cop goes the weasel, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
Why is the etiquette for feeding houseguests? It’s my house, I’m inconvenienced, I’m saving you a crap-ton of money on a hotel, and I’m also supposed to buy groceries for the week? I know, technically I invited them or at least caved to their request. But shouldn’t they at least have to cover groceries?
– Innkeeper, Try Outkeeper
Dear Host with the Least, You lose the economic high ground the moment you accede to houseguests. You feed ’em, you launder ’em, you tolerate their annoying everything until they finally, blissfully, pack up and go. But you get to maintain the moral high ground, at least. Still, sounds like the high ground you need is the top of a steep hill, with your guests in an Airstream where they can cop a squat while you push them slowly down the incline. – A warm welcome, Rachel Email Rachel at
Fiesta on the Mesa, Thurs., Sept. 19, 4-8 p.m., FLC Student Union Plaza
Deadline to submit items for “Stuff to Do” is Monday at noon.
Please include:
• Date and time of event
• Location of event E-mail your stuff to: calendar@durangotelegraph.com
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): One of the longest bridges in the world is the 24-milelong Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. During one 8-mile stretch, as it crosses Lake Pontchartrain, travelers can’t see land. That freaks out some. You might be experiencing a metaphorically similar passage these days. As you journey from one mode to the next, you may lose sight of familiar terrain. My advice: Have faith, gaze straight ahead and keep going.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): My horoscopes don’t necessarily answer questions that are foremost in your awareness. This might annoy you. But, my horoscopes may nevertheless nudge you in unexpected directions that lead you, in seemingly roundabout ways, to useful answers. The riddles I offer may stir you to gather novel experiences you didn’t realize you needed. Keep this in mind while reading the following: In the coming weeks, you can attract minor miracles and fun breakthroughs if you treat your life as an art project. I urge you to fully activate your imagination and ingenuity as you work on the creative masterpiece that is YOU.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Gemini musician known as Prince got an early start on his vocation. At age 7, he wrote “Funk Machine,” his first song. Have you thought recently about how the passions of your adult life first appeared in childhood? Now is an excellent time to ruminate on this and related subjects. Why? Because you are primed to discover forgotten feelings and events that could inspire you going forward. To nurture the future, draw on the past.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are lucky to have an opposable thumb on each of your hands. You’re not as lucky as koala bears, however, which have two opposable thumbs on each hand. But in the coming weeks, you may sometimes feel like you have extra thumbs, at least metaphorically. I suspect you will be extra dexterous and nimble in every way, including mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You could accomplish wonders of agility. You and your sexy soul may be extra supple, lithe and flexible. These superpowers will serve you well if you decide to improvise and experiment, which I hope you will.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The internet is filled with wise quotes that are wrongly attributed. Among those frequently cited as saying words they didn’t actually say, Buddha is at the top of the list. There are so
many fraudulent Buddha quotes in circulation that there’s a website devoted to tracking them down: fakebuddhaquotes.com. Here’s an example. The following statement was articulated not by Buddha but by English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray: “The world is a looking glass. It gives back to every man a true reflection of his own thoughts.” I bring these thoughts to your attention, Leo, because it’s a crucial time for you to be dedicated to truth and accuracy. You will gain power by uncovering deceptions, shams and misrepresentations. Be a beacon of authenticity!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Peregrine falcons can move at a speed of 242 miles per hour. Mexican free-tailed bats reach 100 miles per hour, and black marlin fish go 80 mph. These animals are your spirit creatures in the coming weeks, Virgo. Although you can’t literally travel that fast (unless you’re on a jet), I am confident you can make metaphorical progress at a rapid rate. Your ability to transition into the next chapter of your life story will be at a peak. You will have a robust power to change, shift and develop.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Mythically speaking, I envision a death and rebirth in your future. The death won’t be literal; neither you nor anyone you love will travel to the other side of the veil. Rather, I foresee the demise of a hope, the finale of a storyline or the loss of a possibility. Feeling sad might temporarily be the right thing to do, but I want you to know that this ending will ultimately lead to a fresh beginning. In fact, the new blooms ahead wouldn’t be possible without the expiration of the old ways. The novel resources that arrive will come only because an old resource has faded.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Did you ever have roommates who stole your credit card and used it to buy gifts for themselves? Does your history include a friend or loved one who told you a lie that turned out to be hurtful? Did you ever get cheated on by a lover you trusted? If anything like this has happened to you, I suspect you will soon get a karmic recompense. An atonement will unfold. A reparation will come your way. A wrong will be righted. A loss will be indemnified. My advice is to welcome the redress graciously. Use it to dissolve your resentments and retire uncomfortable parts of your past.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): One of my oldest friends is Sagittarius-born Jeffrey Brown. We had rowdy fun together in our twenties. We were mad poets who loved to party. But while I went on to be-
This week’s FREE music: Thurs., Sept. 12, 6-9pm: Tracy Wiebeck Fri., Sept. 13, 7-10pm: Ben Gibson
Sat., Sept. 14, 12-3pm: Dustin Burley
Sat., Sept. 14, 7-10pm: Uncle Kelsey’s Family Reunion
Sat., Sept. 14, 10pm-1am: House DJ Party
Sun., Sept. 15, 1-3pm: Rob Webster **FREE Trivia Every Tuesday @ 6 p.m.**
come an unruly rock and roll musician, experimental novelist and iconoclastic astrologer, Brown worked hard to become a highly respected, award-winning journalist for PBS News Hour. Among his many successes: He has brought in-depth coverage of poetry and art to mainstream TV. How did he manage to pull off such an unlikely coup? I think it’s because he channeled his wildness into disciplined expression; he converted his raw passions into practical power; he honed his creativity, so it wielded great clout. I urge you to make him one of your inspirational role models.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s hypothesize that you will be alive, alert and active on your 100th birthday. If that event comes to pass, you may have strong ideas about why you have achieved such longevity. I invite you to imagine what you will tell people on that momentous occasion. Which practices, feelings and attitudes will have turned you into such a vigorous strong human? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to meditate on these matters. It will also be a favorable phase to explore new practices, feelings and attitudes that will prolong your satisfying time here on planet Earth.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Few Americans are more famous than George Washington. He was a top military leader in the Revolutionary War before he became the country’s first president. George had a halfbrother, Lawrence, who was 16 years older. Virtually no one knows about him now, but during his life, he was a renowned landowner, soldier and politician. Historians say his political influence was crucial in George’s rise to power. Is there anyone remotely comparable to Lawrence Washington in your life? Someone who is your advocate? Who works behind the scenes on your behalf? If not, go searching for them. Your chances are better than usual of finding such champions. If there are people like that, ask them for a special favor.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Over 15 centuries ago, Christian monks decided Fridays were unlucky. Why? Because they were the special day of the pagan Goddess Freya. Friday the 13th was extra afflicted, they believed, because it combined a supposedly evil number with the inauspicious day. And why did they think 13 was malevolent? Because it was the holy number of the Goddess and her 13-month lunar calendar. I mention this, because Friday the 13th is now upon us. If you are afraid of the things Christian monks once feared, this could be a difficult time. But if you celebrate radical empathy, ingenious intimacy, playful eros and fertile intuition, you will be awash in good fortune.
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Wanted
Books Wanted at White Rabbit
Donate/trade/sell (970) 259-2213
Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970259-3494.
ForSale
Reruns Home Furnishings
Lots of new furniture/cool furnishings for home, office or dorm. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
Helping to build a strong family team. 970-403-3347.
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.
Boiler Service - Water Heater
Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Need a House Sitter?
I'm local, dependable & trustworthy. Please call 402-206-4735 or 970-424-1962 for more info and rates
BodyWork
Effective Natural Healing
Do you want to experience more joy and happiness? Improved health and well being? 20 years experience in effective holistic healthcare. For more info call/text Dr Erin @ 970-903-7164
Massage by Meg Bush
LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
CommunityService
The Maker Lab in Bodo Park
Collaborative workspace, tools, learning and equipment featuring metal and woodworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, electronics and sewing. Classes for all levels. www.themakerlab.org.
Americorps is Hiring
Our partner organizations are concentrated in La Plata and Montezuma counties and span from September - May or August 2025. To learn more, visit unitedway-swco.org/americorps.
Volunteers Needed
Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Alternative Horizons in need of volunteers to staff our hotline. Training and support provided. For more info., visit alternativehorizons.org
tel
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