Summer Preview 2009

The low-down on Gunnison trails B2

Summer biking schedule B7

B1

Locals feature B2/B7

‘Hawgs’ of Taylor B8

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2009

Golfing in the valley B8

WWW.GUNNISONTIMES.COM

CBMR is all about the adventure this summer

BRING ON THTHEE

BOATS

Resort set to unveil ‘Adventure Park,’ ‘Adventure Programs’ Crested Butte Mountain Resort has always been about the snow business.

This year, they’re also about the summer business.

The resort recently announced its plans to unveil both an “Adventure Park” and “Adventure Programs,” offering a full slate of family fun.

River rats of all makes and models will be out in full force for the Gunnison River Festival, held June 26-28.

Courtesy Photo

Gunnison River Festival headlines a summer of down-river fun Times Staff Repor t

W

hen it comes to enjoying rivers, the Gunnison Country offers something for everyone — from thrilling whitewater to mild family floats, or simply relaxing on the banks and dipping your toes in the water.

For those seeking a little more flair in their float, the timing couldn’t be better.

With rivers near their maximum flow for the year, guides like Jeff Stanley of Three Rivers Resort are riding high in the big whitewater while it lasts.

“It’s excellent right now,” said Stanley, a 10-year veteran of the service based out of Almont. “Bigger means better for us and with run off creating high water

levels, it’s perfect.”

But something else keeps Stanley coming back every year to man the helm.

“It’s the scenery for me,” he said. “I love the whitewater, but I love the canyon just as much.”

Rain showers over the past week have only fueled the flow. The Gunnison peaked out at more than 3,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) in the past week, while the Taylor reached 1,300 cfs on Friday and is back on the rise.

Stanley is a proponent of the Taylor, saying, “It’s perfect for people from beginner to novice, and especially for families,” he continued.

Taking center stage during the summer season will be the Gunnison River Festival, back for another run of aquatic celebration and zaniness.

The festival offers a unique blend of hard-core and lighthearted outdoor recreation, from June 26-28.

On hand will be a mix of competitive river boating, a climb-a-thon and adventure racing scheduled alongside bird watching tours, a community boat float, Inner Tube X and foamy boat races for kids.

Gunnison Whitewater Park, redesigned in 2007 and 2008, serves as home base for the festival, which also utilizes other locations and attractions in Gunnison and nearby Almont.

Adventure Park New for 2009, the Adventure Park will be located at the Mt. Crested Butte base area. Activities include year-round ice skating (on synthetic ice), bungee trampoline and a climbing wall.

This outdoor area is sure to be a big hit with kids of all ages.

Activities can be purchased à la carte or unlimited access to chairlift rides and all Adventure Park activities can be had with an Adventure Ticket.

Tickets are available at the Adventure Center in Mountaineer Square. Check www.ridecb.com for opening date and available activities.

Summer Adventure Programs This summer, CBMR’s favorite ski instructors are sticking around the mountain for a whole new adventure. For the older kids, the Passport to Adventure is a great program that combines outdoor mountain activities on the ski area with indoor crafts and education. For the younger ones, the Camp CB Nursery is the perfect spot to spend a day away from the parents.

No matter the age, CBMR has the perfect summer program for young CBMR on page B8

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B2 • SUMMER

PREVIEW • Thursday, May 28, 2009

Gunnison Country Times

On top of the world with ATVs

Running Martin Catmur, 51 Crested Butte

Exploring the high country of the Gunnison Basin via ATV is a fun, familyfriendly activity. For those who may not own machines themselves, rental and guided trip options are available locally.

Courtesy photo

Dirt work on tap Dirt jumps this weekend; CB trail day next Trail work to benefit local mountain biking areas is planned for both this coming weekend and next.

This Sunday, May 31, the G u n n i s o n Va l l e y F re e r i d e Association (GVFA) will host its annual work day for the dirt jumps at the base of Hartman Rocks, south of Gunnison.

Work starts at 9 a.m. and will extend until early afternoon.

Plans are to give the lines on the east side of the jumps a little TLC, as well as create a few new line opportunities.

“It just hasn’t had any maintenance this year yet,” said GVFA board member Joel Scott.

“There’s some spacing issues that we want to fix most of all, and I want to get more creative with lines than what’s out there now.”

Anyone interested in offering a hand should bring a shovel

and/or sturdy rake, gloves, water and sunscreen.

GVFA, a Colorado non-profit, built a set of six table tops at the base of Hartman’s in 2004 — with approval and a few conditions from the city and county — and expanded them the following summer with some inkind help and dirt donated by Spallone Construction.

In 2005, GVFA received a $ 1 , 0 0 0 g r a n t f ro m t h e International Mountain Bike Association and Kona Bicycles, which has helped maintain and improve the jumps.

Next weekend, to celebrate National Trails Day 2009, everyone is invited to join Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association (CBMBA) and the Gunnison Forest Service in building a singletrack trail on the Crested Butte Mountain trail system.

CBMBA will have a season kick-off party Friday, June 5, at the Crested Butte Hostel. The annual meeting will be held at 4 p.m. and trail users are welcome to get involved. At 6 p.m. is the membership dinner and party.

The following morning, June 6, CBMBA will meet at 9 a.m. at the Crested Butte Mountain Resort base area next to the CBMBA trailer. Bring water, sturdy shoes, gloves and sunscreen.

Beer, a raffle and refreshments will follow the workday.

National Trails day is sponsored this year by Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Peak Sports, New Belgium Brewing, Clif Bar and Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association.

For more information on this event, call 349.6482 or visit CBMBA.org.

Trails, trails and more trails A few simple guidelines ensure fun — for everyone The Gunnison Valley is renowned for its unique trail opportunities, but having fun for all depends on following trail ethics.

There are hundreds of miles of trails locally and numerous types of users. Some areas offer a better experience for the type of travel you’re • Stay on designated roads and trails • Pay attention to seasonal closures • Do not trespass on private land • Minimize use during wet conditions • Minimize your noise to avoid disturbing wildlife and other visitors • Don’t chase wildlife

planning. Still, many of the Gunnison Valley’s public-land pathways are shared use. Whether you’re riding a mountain bike, motorcycle, horse or simply hiking or running, following this set of trail-wise etiquette is paramount to making sure everyone has a good time.

“I’ve lived in the valley almost 21 years.”

When asked about his favorite place to run, Catmur explained, “they’re all good.

There’s not a bad place to run, but I’d have to say my favorite is trail 401.”

“I don’t know that you could ever have a bad run on that trail. It’s usually early July before the snow is melted out and you can actually get up there, and then the flowers are just awesome.”

More than anything, it’s the views from Trail 401 — which begins from Schofield Pass above Gothic — that bring him back time after time. “I’ve done it one time in the fall when the whole floor of the valley was filled with clouds and the Crested Butte mountains were peaking up above the clouds and it was just spectacular.”

Horseback Riding Heather Bell, 24 Gunnison

From the moment Heather Bell was born s destined to ride horses. “I didn’t really have a on that matter,” she said, “it was something m had always been into since she was very sma kind of been the family thing.”

She started riding at the age of 3, when she acquired the little pony, Chippy. “He was a better investment than a baby-sitter ... awesome,” Bell explained.

As for her favorite place to ride? “First thing that pops into my top of the list, would probably be Horse Ranch Park in the Swam area. Some trails get kind of sketchy with going over passes an crossings and that kind of thing, but as much as we’ve ridden ou we’ve never had to turn back because the trail was in bad conditio

• Keep your dogs under control • Yield to uphill traffic • Avoid skidding; it deteriorates the trail • Leave no trace of your visit — pack out your trash • If you find a closed gate on public land, close it behind you

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www.sunsportsunlimited.com ©2007 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. Kawasaki ATVs with engines over 90cc are recommended for use only by persons 16 years of age or older. Kawasaki also recommends that all ATV riders take a training course. For more information, see your dealer, or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. Warning: ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Never carry a passenger. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Never ride on public roads or pavement. Avoid excessive speeds and stunt driving. Be extra careful on difficult terrain.

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Thursday, May 28, 2009 • SUMMER

Gunnison Country Times

Hiking Maureen Hall, 61 Crested Butte

“I’ve been hiking about 15 years. Actually, my daughter enrolled in field biology at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab and spent a couple summers taking classes and working in Gothic. She got hooked on hiking around Gothic and Crested Butte. The credit belongs to her on giving me not only the inspiration to enjoy the trails in Gunnison County, but also advice on sturdy hiking boots and overnight hiking/ camping gear. “My favorite place for a short workout close to town is the Upper Loop and Upper Upper Loop.

It’s easy to walk or ride a bike to the trailhead and, within minutes, you are surrounded by aspens, flowers and the occasional fox. For a longer hike, West Maroon Trail is unbeatable for the majestic views and proliferation of wildflowers. “My perfect day on the trail includes moderate temperature, blue skies, little wind, a deer, elk or fox sighting, abundance of wildflowers and joints that hold up long enough to get me back home.�

Gunnison County

Dirt Biking

PREVIEW • B7

Get your roll on Since the 1970s, when locals started retrofitting old Schwinn paperboy bikes with multiple gears, Crested Butte has helped write the history of mountain biking and is now home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Today, some of the sport’s most thrilling chapters are still unfolding in the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley, with both classic and cutting-edge events and backcountry trails straight out of mountain and road biker fantasies.

Biking is fully engrained in the experience of visiting and living in the Gunnison-Crested Butte area. Townie bikes are common forms of transportation, even in winter, and many people just park their cars as it’s easy to ride a two-wheeler to epic trails, museums, concerts, shops, restaurants and nightlife. In fact, two of the state’s biggest summer rides will be passing through, with Ride the Rockies overnighting in Gunnison on June 15, and Bicycle Tour of Colorado spending two nights and a day off in Crested Butte on June 24 and 25.

Following is a condensed list of events that will be held in the Gunnison Valley in the coming months:

2009 BIKING EVENTS

John Solanik, 39 Gunnison

June 6 — Trail Work Day with Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association, Crested Butte Area

John Solanik has called the Gunnison Valley his home since 1988, but just four years ago chose dirt bikes as his favorite mode of recreational transportation. He first hopped on a motorized two-wheeler, he says, to achieve “the grin factor of everyone else who had one.�

While singling out one specific location for his favorite was a hard task, Solanik claims that the Taylor Park area is as good as any for laying down tracks. “It’s just a great combination of all types of riding and it’s accessible within just a few minutes,� he explained.

she was a choice my mom ll ... it’s

June 15 — Ride the Rockies Overnight Stay, Gunnison June 20–21 — 9th Annual Wildflower Rush Mountain States Cup Race, Mt. Crested Butte June 24–26 — Bicycle Tour of Colorado, Overnight Stays & Day Off, Crested Butte

e brown he was

June 24–28 — 29th Annual Fat Tire Bike Week, Crested Butte

y mind, mpy Pass nd creek ut there on.�

June 27–28 — Bridges of the Butte (24-hour townie tour), Crested Butte June 27 — Loco-Motive Adventure Race, Gunnison July 16, 23, 30, Aug. 13, 20 — PowerAde Pinnacle Summer Race Series, Mt. Crested Butte

KEY:

N

Paved Road Dirt Road 4-Wheel Drive Road Biking & Hiking

Streams Lake Wilderness Boundary Continental Divide

Aug. 15–16 — 7th Annual 24 Hours in the Sage, Gunnison Sept. 12–13 — 33rd Annual Pearl Pass Mountain Bike Tour, Crested Butte Aug. 6, Sept. 17, Oct. 8 & 29 — Gunnison Growler Mountain Bike Fall Series

Map design by Vince Scola

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B8 • SUMMER

PREVIEW • Thursday, May 28, 2009

Gunnison Country Times

Golf in the Gunnison Valley:

It’s good for you Some people bill golf as a “lazy man’s sport.” Absent of running, catching or throwing — as is par for the course with many popular sports — it’s easy to see why it might be perceived in that light.

But playing a round of golf can actually be good exercise. So if any excuses are necessary to hit the links this summer, touting the health benefits of golf is a tactic that can’t be refuted.

With two top-notch 18-hole courses only a chip shot away from the heart of Gunnison, no time is better than the present to dust off the old clubs and play a round or two.

As any avid golfer knows, most courses have varied topography — meaning players could be climbing uphill and downhill, working several muscles in the process.

Research has indicated that playing a round of golf can have the same health benefits of a full 45-minute fitness class. Some estimates suggest that playing a round and carrying clubs can burn more than 400 calories, while walking with a pull cart can burn more than 300 calories.

Swinging clubs and putting are also a physical workout. Repetition can help tone muscles in the arms, back and shoulders and it may also improve flexibility and range of motion.

One of the primary benefits of golf comes from leaving the cart at the clubhouse; walking 18 holes can involve traversing three to five miles.

Apart from the apparent physical benefits, playing golf can boost certain aspects of mental health as well.

Simply being outdoors on a beautiful day can boost a person’s spirits. Provided they’re

not caught up with the competitive aspects of gunning to win, golf can also be a relaxing endeavor that helps melt away stress.

The Club at Crested Butte — located at 385 Country Club Drive, just south of the town of Crested Butte — was rated the “Best Mountain Golf Course” in Colorado

by Mountain Golf Magazine. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the course features 7,200 yards of manicured links and is surrounded by a majestic mountain landscape.

Because Crested Butte has plenty of other “extreme” sports, carts are required to play a round at the club.

To schedule a tee-time or harvest additional information about the Club at Crested Butte, contact the golf shop (349.8603) or visit www.crestedbutte.com.

Since being established as a 9-hole course in 1964, the Dos Rios Golf Club (501 Camino Del Rio in Gunnison) has matured into a full 6,566-yard 18-hole course that includes a variety of water hazards on 17 of its holes.

The semi-private course offers public tee times and a host of lively tournaments throughout the summer. The Dos Rios Open — touted as the longest continuous running match-play tournament in Colorado — highlights the season on July 30-Aug. 2.

Tee-times may be scheduled by calling 641.1482 and additional information can be found at www.dosriosgolf.net.

So whether it’s working out the kinks of a finely tuned game or picking up a set of clubs for the very first time, golfing in the Gunnison Valley is a great way to get out and explore the natural beauty of the surrounding area and get a good work out in the process.

Enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds Crested Butte and Gunnison is just one of the many benefits of playing a round on a local golf course.

Courtesy photo

The ‘Hawgs’ of Taylor The Taylor River catch-and release area — known as the “Hawg Trough” — is a prime area to pull in lunkers like this one, which was recently caught by Oscar Marks on a single egg pattern with a pheasant tail in tow.

Photo by Erich Walter

T

he Dos Rios Golf Club is a semi-private golf club located in Gunnison, Colorado and features a beautiful 18-hole golf course that incorporates the natural landscape and intertwines with the tree-lined Gunnison River.

Set in the valley of the Gunnison River Basin in southwest Colorado, the course gets its name from the river splitting in the area. “Dos Rios” means “Two Rivers” and is a fitting name since this par71, 6,566-yard course has water on 17 out of 18 holes. Numerous water hazards, mature cottonwood trees, and scenic views of the surrounding area guard Dos Rios Golf Club’s 18 holes.

Public tee times are available.

CBMR from page B1 ones.

The Passport to Adventure Program is geared toward ages 5-12 and the Camp CB Nursery accommodates ages 2 months to 4 years.

“There’s something adventurous and educational in each part of the Passport to Adventure,” says Nick Herrin, director of the CB Adventure Programs. “We’ve put together a group of programs that show off the natural area, animals, history and, of course, we’ll have some fun.”

From June 17 through Sept.

7, parents can enroll their chil-

• Championship 18 hole course • Driving range is open to the public • Our course is a challenge for any caliber of player • Lessons available

dren into either the Camp CB Nursery or the CB Summer Adventure Programs.

Programs include: Animals of CB, Forest Discovery, Mining of CB, Clowning Around and Wild Goose Chase. The cost for the programs is $65 each or parents can purchase a “10 Pack” of days for $450, including lunches.

The nursery has a variety of offerings, ranging from hourly services to a “10 pack” of visits.

Hourly rates are $25, half-day is $75, full day is $99, and a “10 Pack” at the nursery is $650, including lunches for toddlers.

For more information, visit www.skicb.com or call 970.349.2259.

• Memberships available • Members Day is Thursday • Restaurant and Bar • Well stocked pro shop

Public Welcome! Call for Tee Times

(970) 641-1482

501 Camino del Rio South of Hwy 50, 1 mile west of Gunnison