Roaring Fork April 2016 by City Lifestyle

Roaring Fork APRIL 2016

RoaringForkLifestyle.com

™

Overcoming a

CHALLENGE RIBBONS OF HOPE – ANNIE’S WISHING TREE CHARTING A TRUE PATH WITH OUTWARD BOUND WINDWALKERS & JAYWALKERS – MAKING STRIDES TOWARD WHOLENESS

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Lifestyle Letter

To Serve, To Strive and Not to Yield C

APRIL 2016 publisher

Rick French | RFrench@LifestylePubs.com

hallenges come in all shapes and sizes. Mine have ranged from a broken arm to a broken heart, from getting lost in the woods to a lost job. Bigger challenges come in the form of the loss of a home or a loved one. Sometimes we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Sometimes we're so disabled we need someone else to tie our shoelaces. This issue celebrates the spirit of those who overcome life's challenges. It began when Gabrielle Greeves, executive director for WindWalkers equine therapy services, asked me if I'd like to meet for coffee and hear about how the Jaywalkers—those very public-spirited guys enrolled in the 12-step programs at Jaywalker Lodge—have been volunteering to help at WindWalkers with riding sessions for clients of Mountain Valley Developmental Services. Three great local nonprofits, all helping people facing different challenges, all working together? How could I resist? That got me to thinking about challenges all kinds. That, in turn, led to inspiring stories. In these pages, you will learn about how Amanda Boxtel turned a paralyzing ski accident into a lifetime of empowering disabled athletes. You’ll meet Mogli Cooper—if you don’t already know this gregarious Swiss miss—and you'll learn how she transformed from a penniless ski bum into one of the valley’s most successful serial entrepreneurs. You’ll learn the healing story of Annie Zancanella’s Wishing Tree, that be-ribboned pine that stands along the Doc Holliday trail in Glenwood Springs. You will also learn a bit about Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS). I’m a proud alumna; my Outward Bound course began in Marble and ended near Old Snowmass. Until writing for this issue, I didn't realize how historic COBS' Marble base camp is. Established in 1961, it was the first base camp the international Outward Bound movement established in the United States. Outward Bound’s motto, one that’s embroidered on a worn patch on the jacket in my editor's photo, is “to serve, to strive and not to yield.” That quote is the last line of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem Ulysses. These are words I hold dear, for they describe the spirit of the people I most admire, those who join together, in Tennyson’s words, “one equal temper of heroic hearts.” I can almost hear the echo of those heroic hearts in these pages. I certainly encounter those local heroes in local newspapers, on the radio and in the grocery store. You know who they are: neighbors helping neighbors, tackling issues ranging from housing to homelessness to climate change, founders of institutions and challengers of the status quo. I’m grateful to live among folks who know, as Mogli Cooper says, that “the best view comes after the hardest climb.”

editor

Nicolette Toussaint | NToussaint@LifestylePubs.com copy editor

Mason Ingram contributing writers

Caitlin Causey, Lynn Dwyer, Bridget Grey, Danielle Howard, Amber Johnson, Nicolette Toussaint, Andrea Palm-Porter, Geneviève Joëlle Villamizar contributing photographers

Carolyn Ansell, Cara Befort, Caitlin Causey, Suzy Cota, George Cutting, Doug Ellis, Charles Engelbert, Ellsworth Faris, Bethany Frakes, Griff Jones, Molly Ingram, Martin Moran, Jack McGill, Katrina Smith, Jeremy Swanson

CORPORATE TEAM | Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

CHIEF SALES OFFICER

| Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

| Brad Broockerd

| Sara Minor

ART DIRECTOR EDITORIAL DIRECTOR AD COORDINATORS

| DeLand Shore

| Nicole Sylvester

| Cyndi Harrington, Chelsi Hornbaker, Megan Seymour

LAYOUT DESIGNER DESIGN SPECIALIST

| Nicolette Martin | Ashleigh Thomson

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT APPLICATION ARCHITECT WEB DEVELOPER

| Melanie Carlisle | Michael O’Connell | Hanna Park

by Community ™

Nicolette Toussaint, Editor

ON THE COVER Colorado Outward Bound student learning to rappel. PHOTOGRAPHY BY Cara Befort 4

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

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P.O. Box 12608 Overland Park, KS 66282-3214 Proverbs 3:5-6 Roaring Fork Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of Roaring Fork’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Roaring Fork Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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April 2016

Departments

Publisher's Letter

Good Times

Around Town

Financial Buzz

Local Limelight

Inspired By

Renovate & Refine

Lifestyle Calendar

Parting Thoughts

18 Lisa Dancing-Light’s Song of Love

Fifth Album, Eight Years in the Making

24 Mogli Cooper’s “Good Run”

From Hitch-Hiker to Business Mogul

32 Amanda Boxtel's “Dance on Wheels”

New Life for Disabled Athletes

A Conscious Boutique

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SEEDS OF REMEMBRANCE

SACRED SPIRALS

Organic artisan soaps and skin care

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Publisher's Letter

Nothing Great Comes Easy S

o you have this great idea! You have given it a lot of thought. Your friends and family like it, so it must be a great idea. You have talked to a few local businesses about supporting your idea, and you have gotten positive feedback. You are set to revolutionize the world, make your first million. Now you take the first step by printing business cards, and voila! You are in business! What can go wrong? Concepts always appear good on paper, just the way they sound good in early conversations. For the first 30 to 60 days, your enthusiasm remains strong—but you are starting to hear a few divided opinions. A few small cracks will appear in even the best plan. The businesses that originally said they were going to support your idea now seem less willing to join your venture. Do dissenting opinions make want to make you reconsider the merits of your plan? Yes and no. You must have the ability to be flexible as your business develops. There's never a straight line between points A and B. You listen to comments, both positive and negative. Sometimes, negative opinions present great information, ideas that allow you redirect your goals, tweak them here and hammer them there. The bottom line is that feedback, both positive and negative, should fuel one’s determination to succeed. As you dig in and evaluate new information,

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

you can adjust direction and refine your products or services. If you listen and adjust your business to your customers' needs, then continue to offer strong values, your determination will carry you through. Remember that a professional baseball player’s batting average will hover around 300. This means he will miss the ball 7 out of 10 times he swings. Does he rethink his ability to succeed? No, he's just as enthusiastic as before. He stays in the batting cage and continues to work on his style and technique. Determination keeps him swinging to improve his game. Businesses are no different. Setbacks are expected. It’s how you recover from setbacks that builds the quality and value of your business and your personal character. Step back into the “business” batting cage and continue to adjust and swing for the fence. Your determination and persistence to succeed will strengthen as the game goes on. That’s how it is here at Roaring Fork Lifestyle magazine, just as it is for the businesses we write about and advertise in these pages. We admire the resilience and determination of the folks who started those businesses, and who make them go. We ask that you reward them too, by bringing them your business.

Rick French, Publisher RFrench@LifestylePubs.com

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Good Times

It's a Spellabration!

Passport to Literacy: Around the World in 80 Words, the 2016 Spellabration raised $18,000 for Literacy Outreach and Colorado Mountain College's learning labs. Twenty-six teams with names like Lost in Translation, From Russia with Love, Jefferson Airplane and Team Baggage Handlers participated in this annual contest. PHOTOS BY SUZY COTA.

From Russia with Love, sponsored by Copy Copy, The Mind Trippers pose for a photo before have a little fun before the competition. Left to right: spelling. Left to right: Charity Drew, Janelle Gail Petry, Jill LaFontaine and Vanessa Caranese. Schuler and Diane Webster.

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Hannah Thimsen celebrates her 30th day of yoga Heidi Small shows her gravity-defying skills. in a row.

Laura Kirk, Nancy Kimbrell, Molly Hunsaker and Martha Capobianco were among those who took the yoga challenge.

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Good Times

(CON TI N U ED)

Glenwood Springs Chamber Gala

The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association’s awards night and gala featured a “Back to the Future” theme, some funny costumes and awards recognizing those who have made Glenwood Springs a seriously good place to live and work. (See Around Town for details about the awards.) PHOTOS BY KATRINA SMITH.

Left to right: Altai Chuluun, President of the Roaring Fork Young Professionals; Debbie Novak, chamber ambassador and Joni Bates, VP of membership development, Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association.

Ian Exelbert and Altai Chuluun.

Left to right: Ian Exelbert, Lisa Langer, Andrea Left to right: Andrea Palm-Porter, Ian Exelbert Palm-Porter, Altai Chuluun, Pat Faler and and Altai Chuluun. Marianne Virgili.

Amber Wissing, ATHENA Young Professional with her family.

Left to right: Ian Exelbert, Amber Wissing and Andrea Palm-Porter, the first recipient of the ATHENA Young professional award.

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Around Town

AROUND TOWN

COLORI GALLERY OPENS IN BASALT

YouthZone’s Director of Mentoring, Patty Schaffner, received the annual Athena Award, which honors an individual who has opened doors for women to succeed. Glenwood Springs native Amber Daniels Wissing received the Athena Young Professional Award. Suzanne Stewart was honored as Volunteer of the Year while Steve Vanderhoof, a banking executive, was honored as Citizen of the Year. The award for Top Brass Business of the Year went to D.M. Neuman Construction while honors for Philanthropic Business of the Year went to Sweet ColoraDough.

MIDVALLEY WOMEN LEADERS HONORED WITH AWARDS

The new Colori art gallery welcomed more than 100 enthusiastic

The northwest region of the U.S. Small Business Association

guests to its recent ribbon-cutting. Basalt Mayor Jacque Carpenter

recently gave its inaugural Mountain Town Business Awards to rec-

Whitsitt performed the ceremony while Robin Waters and Missy

ognize women business leaders, and numerous Roaring Fork Valley

Hagen of the Basalt Chamber of Commerce organized and hosted the

women garnered honors. Robin Waters, executive director of the Basalt

event. More than 30 talented Colori artists have joined the new gal-

Chamber of Commerce, was honored with The Legacy Business

lery, which is located at 132 Midland Avenue.

Women’s Award and commented, “In Basalt, I’ve been fortunate to

In addition to the gallery, Colori also includes

join a community of passionate,

an in-residence arts studio. Gallery owner Von

dedicated and creative people at

Fumetti said, “We have seven in-residence art-

a tremendously exciting time. It

ist studios. We are looking to expand to around

says so much about Basalt and

70 artists.” Fumetti said that she opened the

our Valley that three other women

gallery because she believes in Basalt, in art-

in our area—Amanda, Andrea

ists’ community and in bringing artists together

and

so that they can engage with each other.

honored with U.S. Small Business

GLENWOOD CHAMBER RESORT ASSOCIATION RECOGNIZES LOCAL LUMINARIES

Denise—have

also

been

Association recognitions.” Amanda director

Wagner, the

executive

Basalt-based

Aspen Clinic was recognized as

At a recent gala, the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort

the Emerging Health & Wellness

Association recognized a handful of deserving locals. Mogli Cooper

Champion and Denise Latousek,

was named DECA Entrepreneur of the Year and she also figured in

owner of the Burn Fitness studio

a second award when Iron Mountain Hot Springs was honored as

in Basalt, was recognized as a

Tourism Business of the Year. (See related stories: Mogli Cooper's

Distinguished Health & Wellness

Climb to Success and award photos in Good Times.)

Honoree. Andrea Stewart, executive

Andrea Steward, executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, receives an award from Edward Cadena and Betsy Markey of the U.S. Small Business Administration

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, who was recognized

which is a 30 percent increase over the previous year.” In 2015, the

with the Emerging Leadership Award, commented, “Each day I wake won-

nonprofit broke its delivery record, delivering over 17,000 meals from

dering who am I going to touch today, and how can I make a difference.”

New Castle to Parachute.

In separate events, Basalt’s Judi Tippets was honored with the 2016

Grand River Meals on Wheels, which is affiliated with Meals on

Assistant Town Manager of the Year award, given by the Colorado County

Wheels America and was recently named nonprofit of the year by the

& City Managers Association, and Basalt High School teacher Leticia

Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce, serves over 1,300 meals a month

Guzman Ingram was chosen as Colorado’s 2016 Teacher of the Year.

to home-bound neighbors and seniors in need. Says Peck, “Together,

CASA OF THE NINTH WELCOMES NEW LEADER CASA of the Ninth, a nonprofit that provides well-trained, court-appointed volunteer advocates to abused and neglected children in

we can keep seniors living independently, healthier at home and feeling more connected to their community as they age.”

BASALT SIGNAGE READY TO POINT THE WAY

Colorado’s Ninth Judicial District has hired Patti Cummings its new

The Basalt Chamber of Commerce’s Sign Committee is placing wayfin-

executive director. Cummings, who recently moved to the Valley from the

ding signs at the Basalt roundabout, along Emma Road and on Midland

Front Range, brings to the job more than 20 years of experience in youth

Avenue this spring. Nick Aceto, owner of Terrain Land Architects, creator

development and six years of service as a volunteer Court Appointed

of the monument sign in the roundabout at Basalt Avenue and Highway

Special Advocate, or CASA, in the Denver area. Cummings background

82, designed the signs and says that the design goal for the new signs was

includes an undergraduate degree in business administration as well as a

to utilize materials similar to the monument sign in the roundabout. The

master’s degree in social work. Those interested in volunteering as a Court

new wayfinding signs use a combination of weathering steel and stainless

Appointed Special Advocate may email her at patti@casaoftheninth.org or

steel with tone-on-tone patterning. The smaller 'bollard' elements in the

visit CASA’s website: CasaOfTheNinth.org.

signs are designed as a continuation of the two rivers fishing theme. The

MEALS ON WHEELS CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY

patterns on the bollards replicate the different skin patterns on the four most-common trout species in Basalt’s gold medal rivers.

This month, the River Meals on Wheels program of Grand River Health is celebrating its 40th year of providing meals on wheels out of Rifle, Colorado. Kaaren Peck, Director of Grand River Meals on Wheels, said, “The services that we provide the seniors, disabled and hospice patients of western Garfield County are

Veteran Meals on Wheels driver Mac Burnett delivers to Janet and Don critical and the need is rapidly increasing. Dorrell at their ranch south of Rifle. In 2015, we delivered over 17,000 meals

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Financial Buzz

SPRING FORWARD INTO A HAPPIER FUTURE WHAT SHOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?

ARTICLE DANIELLE HOWARD | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

inter’s chill is ebbing and we look forward to the warmth and new life that spring brings with it. We have also come through the winter of the Great Recession. It was a rough season, one that changed lives. Similar to the crocuses pushing through the hard packed earth, it has taken a few years for many to push through the challenges that thwarted their finances. It is a moral imperative to look briefly in the rearview mirror to see where we have been, learn from it and “do our dollars differently” moving forward. The four primary areas of your financial life are: • How money comes to you, • How you decide to give it, • How you cultivate and protect it, and • How you spend it. What if you brought money into your life with integrity, competency, dignity and grace? Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton of Princeton University found that when they looked at affective measures, happiness did not rise after a household reached an annual income of approximately $75,000. If more money doesn’t buy more happiness, what does? WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Does money come into your life from work, a trust, Social Security, rental property, business assets, investments? Does it matter where the financial flow comes from or your attitude around and feelings about it? Does it affect the way you live and the choices you make? What would change if you looked at it differently?

others. Dunn found that in countries as diverse as Canada, South Africa and Uganda, giving away money consistently made people happier, even when they themselves were relatively poor. With food in your fridge and spare change in your pocket, you rank in the top eight percent of the world’s wealthiest people. Appreciating what we have will free us to give. What if we prioritize benevolence, stepping out of our comfort zone in new ways? GROWING YOUR MONEY WISELY

You need to nurture, grow and protect your financial resources with wisdom, diligence and care. The personal savings rate hit a peak of 11 percent in December 2012 and has fallen by more than half since, according to the Federal Research Economic Data. What gets your business through a prolonged off-season? What will provide you with your future spending? Savings and investing! The positive effect is more than self-serving. Domestic savings create a pool of money from which companies can borrow, creating the jobs that push living standards higher over time. Do you want to invest differently? Do you want to invest in companies that do more than just earn a rate of return? Do you want your investments to reflect your values? The trend towards values-based, responsible, impact investing is growing. According to a report by the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, as of the end of 2013, more than one out of every six dollars under professional management in the U.S. was invested according to sustainable, responsible and impact-investing (SRI) strategies. BOUNDARIES AND JOY

How can you spend within safe boundaries and with joyful intention? Do you make choices and feel good about them? The ski patrol sets boundaries for a reason—to protect us while we have fun. We need to do the same with our finances. Could we also look at “boundaries” in an expanded context of the world’s natural and human resources? In Tom Shadyac’s documentary “I Am,” he points out that indigenous cultures look at people who consume more than they need as mentally ill. Have we asked ourselves: how much is enough? We will experience another financial winter. It may occur in your personal life, or it may a worldwide event. Look forward with wisdom rather than trepidation. Take one area of your financial life and begin to make changes there. Like shedding our winter layers, you will enjoy the freedom that change brings. Danielle Howard is a Certified Financial Planner™

HOW CAN IT MAKE YOU HAPPIER?

practitioner. Investment Advisor Representative,

What do you do with the money you have? Do you give of your financial resources with guts and gratitude? What would that look like? Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and co-author of the book “Happy Money,” discusses the paradox of money. Having more can enhance our well-being, but we actually become happier when we share with

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc.,

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

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Local Limelight

Lisa Dancing-Lights’ “The Song of Love” – Eight Years in the Making

Photo by Doug Ellis Photography.

OVERCOMING COMPOSER’S BLOCK ARTICLE BRIDGET GREY | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

ocal singer-songwriter Lisa Dancing-Light recently released her fifth album, The Song of Love. Called “an anthem for humanity,” the music was inspired by Anne Hillman’s book Awakening The Energies of Love: Discovering Fire For the Second Time, a book which in turns draws wisdom from Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. This new album was composed in a shower of creativity—one that came after a dry spell of eight years. That’s not long compared to the 26 years it took Richard Wagner to complete The Ring of the Nibelung. Or the 22 years Johannes Brahms took to compose his Symphony No. 1 in C minor. Or even the 10 years that passed between Sting’s 2003 album Sacred Love and his 2014 premiere of The Last Ship. Writers as prolific as Leo Tolstoy, J.K. Rowling and Stephen King have suffered writer’s block, and the affliction is common enough among musicians to merit two names: composer’s block and songwriter’s block. Dancing-Light’s quest to compose began in 2008 after she completed her CD Sophia Songs. After hearing that album, Rita Marsh, director of wellness nonprofit Davi Nikent, noted a synchronicity between Lisa’s music and Anne Hillman’s book. The connection was strong enough to prompt Marsh to act as yenta, introducing Hillman and Dancing-Light and prompting them to collaborate. “I immediately read Anne’s book and found a deep connection,” says Dancing-Light. “Anne’s words did inspire me, yet no melodies sang within me. Nothing happened! Embarrassing as it was, after being a songwriter for three decades, I was completely blocked…” In similar circumstances, composers have tried many remedies. Sergei Rachmanioff sought help from a hypnotist. Author Jeff Goins recommends cures that range from laughing and having a conversation “with the block” to dancing in front of a mirror. Songwriter Carole King recommends not worrying, saying, “when the channel wasn’t open enough to let something through, I always went and did something else… Whether it was an hour later, which is often the case, or a day later, or a week later, or sometimes a few months later, I just didn’t worry about it.” Dancing-Light tried not to worry. “For three years, I wrote fragments of words and melodic phrases, but that was it,” she said. Then in 2011, when Hillman was coming to Carbondale to lead a retreat, Dancing-Light signed up, thinking it might supply the inspiration she needed. The week before the retreat, the muse threw obstacles into her path; Lisa fell and got a terrible puncture wound in her leg. She recalls, “I 18

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

could hardly walk. The doctors were worried about infection. I had to keep my leg elevated, and I was heavily medicated.” Despite a fuzzy head and a throbbing leg, Dancing-Light limped off to the retreat. She privately shared some fragments with Hillman and received an encouraging response. But, wanting specifics, DancingLight asked Hillman, “What do you want the song to say?” Gesturing with outstretched arms, Hillman said, “I want it to say: Welcome, you are loved. Everyone is welcome. This is a song of inclusion.” The muse, however, was not welcoming. That night, Dancing-Light’s neighbor was shooting off fireworks, and Lisa recalls, “I did not get any creative time to work on the song nor did I sleep well that night, worrying about a possible fire.” But the next morning, as hot shower water washed away her pain and fatigue, Lisa asked the blocked song to come into her. “What happened next was something I cannot completely explain,” she recalls. “The song sang itself to me completely. It came through me as perfect as a newborn baby.” Lisa rushed to her piano and wrote down the chords and melody. Shortly after that, Anne Hillman told the retreat group that Lisa had something to share. “I walked over to the grand piano and sat down to share this beautiful new creation,” Dancing-Light recalls. “After a deep breath, I started singing. I looked up after the first verse; everyone was in tears. I knew something significant was happening. When I was done, there was silence. Anne, herself a vocalist, declared, ‘Lisa, you did it!’” As songwriter Jimmy Buffet has said. “Songwriters write songs, but they really belong to the listener,” and this song is an example of that truth. The CD is a single release with an instrumental track of piano, nine violins and cello, designed for use with live performances and singing. Those who wish to listen—and to gather The Song of Love into themselves—may do so at LisaDancingLight.com.

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OUTWARD BOUND: Charting a Path Through Challenge "To Serve, to Strive and Not to Yield" ARTICLE NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Orienteering using the map and compass in canyon country. Photo by Ellsworth Faris.

eg Ravenscraft tells the story of a 23-year-old Harvard student who detested his month-long Colorado Outward Bound School course. “It was hard for him. He cried every day. He told us he hated us. But in his exit interview, he said, ‘If I ever have kids, can I send them on an Outward Bound course?’ It was interesting that a gifted student from an Ivy League college could have learned something he never encountered before. He was walking away feeling strong and independent. He basically said that all the money in the world could not have bought him that level of courage and independence.” Ravenscraft, a Carbondale middle school teacher, initially took an Outward Bound course in Alaska as teenager. She wrangled a scholarship for a second course and then finally became an instructor. Her reasons? “I saw value in the shared learning that came out of the courses,” she says. “The students were so far removed from their comfort zones. They were pushed to their limits and had to leave their coping skills behind.” When Susie Bell threw off her pack and staged a sit-in, that’s what happened to me. My Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) patrol had hovered near breaking point all through the first day of our final expedition. As we traversed behind Mt. Sopris, I knew the 12,966-foot peak was there. 20

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But the woods were so thick I couldn’t see it—or any other mountain! That meant that I never could get a compass bead in the trackless woods. The three teenaged girls in my patrol groaned and grumbled about being lost as we bushwhacked over, under and through stabbing branches and downfall. They cursed me personally as they clambered across a slippery log that provided a “bridge” over a waterfall we had to cross. Yet the night before, after the instructors dropped us off, saying that they’d meet us in three days near Snowmass, those girls had elected me their leader. Me!? A bit shy, I had been bullied at school and battered by family dysfunction at home. I had come to hone my mountaineering skills and to escape. Those flatland girls probably chose me just because I was the only Coloradoan and was good at orienteering. But good as I was with a map and compass, I had no idea how to handle an insurrection! When Susie Bell refused to cross Capitol Creek—the creek that separated us from the bull on the other side—I faced a challenge for which I was wholly unprepared. That was in 1968, the first summer that Colorado Outward Bound ran courses for women. My COBS course started in Marble, at the historic base camp where Outward Bound first took root in the United States.

Established in 1962, the first U.S. basecamp built by Outward Bound is in Marble. Photo by Carolyn Ansell.

Outward Bound was founded in 1939. During the Battle of the Atlantic, marooned sailors were dying not just from wounds, but also because they didn’t fight to survive. Merchant shipper Lawrence Holt and educator Hurt Hahn thought that they could change that by starting a new kind of school. Founded in Aberdovey, Wales, its mission was “to change lives through challenge and discovery.” Borrowing a sailing term, they named it Outward Bound. Over the years, Outward Bound has changed—and saved—many lives. The Carry Home: Lessons from the American Wilderness tells about one of them. Gary Ferguson, the author of 16 nature books, wrote The Carry Home about a pilgrimage he took to scatter the ashes of his wife Jane, who was killed in a canoeing accident. Ferguson’s memoire, published in 2014, chronicles both his physical trek through the five wilderness areas Jane most loved and his psychological odyssey from devastating loss to rebirth. Jane Ferguson had been an Outward Bound instructor, choosing outdoor education as way to give back after experiencing a lifesaving awakening in Outward Bound. As a teen, Jane struggled with anorexia, but in Utah’s slick-rock country, she found she had “a talent for handling hardship.” She discovered that the wilderness gave her perspective, a measure of sanity and “the assurance that she could be strong in the face of random weather.” Today, Outward Bound offers courses of varying lengths and welcomes veterans, business professionals and community leaders as well as youth. Its courses include time-honored passages that have changed little over the years: outdoor skills training, challenging environments, a solo and a final expedition where students are thrown onto their own resources—sometimes harrowingly so. Ravenscraft, who has taught for Colorado Outward Bound for five years, comments, “Our instructors are not guides. Guides try to

make you comfortable. We try to make you uncomfortable because this is about challenge.” COBS alumna Darylann Aragon says she’s always been a perfectionist. She’s studying International Business at the University of Denver, taking a whopping 18 credits per quarter. She’s the first in her family to attend college and muses, “Being 20 is so hard sometimes. I’m a worrywart and put a lot of extra pressure on myself.” After training in Leadville, Aragon’s course toured the Andes, alternating between working on farms—building a fish hatchery, picking coffee beans and harvesting food that filled students’ backpacks—then trekking up over frigid, 15,000-foot summits and down through sweltering, equatorial rain forests. Aragon, who weighs just over 120 pounds, carried 60 to 70 pounds of gear daily. On one 12-hour trekking day, Aragon and a friend were in charge of the map. “The instructors told us we had to take a left turn or we wouldn’t get to the camp,” she recalls. “People were complaining and so exhausted. And we missed the turn! The trip leaders knew exactly where we missed it, but they let us walk on for another hour or so. When they finally told us, we had to walk back a full extra hour! Emotions were running high and I just started crying. I felt so angry, so defeated! It was my fault and I felt really guilty. Later, I realized that if anyone else had missed the turn, I wouldn’t have been so mad at them.” “I learned that it’s okay to cry, to do what your body needs, and if you make a mistake, you fix it. Outward Bound changed me,” says Aragon. “It taught me how to be alive and fully present in what I’m doing. By the time I finished the course, there was just an overwhelming sense of peace, this incredible ability to forgive myself.” The lessons that this article’s author learned back in 1968—lessons about leadership, following the line of my own compass and repairing the morale of an unraveling group—were not what I went to Outward Bound to learn. But after handling Susie Bell’s insurrection, I brought my patrol in safely and on time while others went awry. I learned that I could master minds as well as mountains, and those lessons have endured throughout my life. As Ravenscraft says, “Outward Bound is there to change people. It’s character development through the lens of outdoor adventure. During the course, you have some of the most deep and profound conversations of your life: about what you want to do with your life and what you need to do to get there. These are conversations that we all need to have.”

COBS alumna Darylann Aragon on a farm in Palugo, Ecuador. Photo by Molly Ingram. April 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

WindWalkers and Jaywalkers: Striding Toward a Healthy Future

Steve Valenta and therapy horse Becca.

ARTICLE NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

slender young man in a white cowboy hat steps off the mounting platform in the WindWalkers barn and eases into the saddle. Once he’s securely seated aboard Cody, a sorrel quarter horse with a white forehead blaze, a man and a woman grasp the reins and walk forward to make sure that Cody and “Cowboy Joe”, his developmentally-challenged rider, are making strides in the right direction. The two directing Cody are volunteers: In the lead is Elaina, a student at Colorado Mountain College who is working toward a

Left to right: Evan from Jaywalker Lodge, Cowboy Joe from Mountain Valley Developmental Services and CMC veterinary tech student Elaina.

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

veterinary technology degree. Evan, Cody's “sidewalker”, comes from Jaywalker Lodge, where he’s enrolled in the Solutions program and making strides of his own: living the “12 steps” to rebuild his life and transition to sober and independent living. Evan is one of nearly a dozen “Jaywalkers” who volunteered last spring and summer to help with the equine therapy programs offered by the nonprofit WindWalkers. Located in Missouri Heights above Carbondale, WindWalkers Equine Assisted Learning and Therapy Center serves more than 50 clients each week and is home to 11 therapy horses. Its staff includes riding instructors, a psychotherapist, a physical therapist, a program director, a herd manager and a volunteer coordinator who stretches WindWalker’s $470,000 annual budget by keeping as many as 50 volunteers productively occupied. Last summer, nearly a dozen of those volunteers came from Jaywalker Lodge, a Carbondale treatment facility that helps men

One of WindWalkers' younger riders on Welsh pony Cloudy.

recover from drug and alcohol addiction. Each week, three to five men from Solutions, a 90-day transitional program that comes after the recovering Jaywalkers graduate from the 90-day Lodge program, come to lend a helping hand during riding lessons. Those weekly lessons, given to four or five disabled adults from another local nonprofit, Mountain Valley Developmental Services, have been a staple at WindWalkers for years. The connection with Jaywalker Lodge, however, began just last summer. Jim Soda, program director for Jaywalker Lodge said, “The sessions varied from week to week. However, the men from Jaywalker started to develop bonds with the riders, and that appeared to be reciprocated. The impact on everyone was visible from the continuous smiles and laughter that occurred each week. The men always came back refreshed and upbeat, even if they were just moving hay.” “But I didn’t want them just lifting bales of hay!” chuckles Gabrielle Greeves, executive director for WindWalkers. “I didn’t want them just mucking out stalls or being sidewalkers either.” Greeves thought that riding could help the Jaywalkers get a leg up on their recovery. Accustomed as she is to the spell the horses weave with children—kids who are suffering from challenges ranging from spinal bifida and MS to autism or even trauma in the brain—Greeves was nonetheless intrigued with how the Jaywalkers—men who have ridden over some pretty rough personal terrain—reacted to the horses. “Many of them had never been exposed to horses before,” she says. “They would say things like ‘I had a stuffed horse or hobby

horse once…’ and you could see how they were longing to just touch the horses and make contact. I would see a widening of the eyes and sometimes a childlike awe and knew they were wondering, ‘How do I touch a horse?’” WindWalkers taught them. While two-legged WindWalkers were teaching the Jaywalkers what they needed to know about feeding, saddling and caring for horses, WindWalkers’ four-legged staffers were giving nonverbal lessons. Research has shown that horses pick up on human emotions, so while grooming a horse, a person not only learns about self-grooming, he also learns to become aware of (and to mellow out) his emotional state. As Greeves says, “Horses teach lessons that range from respect to bedside manner to an understanding of personal space.” That’s a key lesson for Jaywalkers because one characteristic shared by alcoholics and addicts is the failure to respect others’ boundaries. Thus those in recovery need to learn to recognize cues about others’ physical, emotional and social boundaries—and horses have ways of making them clear. Eventually, Greeves got the Jaywalkers into the saddle. “They were smiling from ear to ear,” she says. “There was joy in their faces and the experience showed the power of the horses as therapy, along with the power of two different organizations with the mission to help others working together,” says Jaywalker’s Jim Soda. As explained on the Jaywalker Lodge website, volunteer service is a key part of recovery because “addiction is a disease of isolation” and service counteracts that, providing “a vital connection to others and the reassurance that life has meaning and purpose.” Nikki Soda, Jaywalker’s director of business development and alumni relations, says that volunteering at WindWalkers is “hands-down one of our guys’ favorite service projects. It’s really inspiring; they can come and assist with disabled adults. That’s not something they would have done before they began the program. It takes our Jaywalker guys out of themselves.” Jaywalker volunteer Jake Toupal agrees, saying, “WindWalkers was a great opportunity to step outside of myself and spend quality time

with some great people. I love the atmosphere of warmth and kindness that the staff and clients alike bring to the program.” Stephen Valenta, another Jaywalker volunteer, said, “My opportunities to volunteer with WindWalkers were truly remarkable! Such an amazing staff, one that delivers an even more amazing therapeutic activity to those who take part in this wonderful experience.” Given the immense strides the riders, horses and volunteers have made together, Jaywalkers is starting an alumni group who will begin volunteering at WindWalkers during the winter, when WindWalkers needs extra hands and donations. “People tend to think we just run programs when the weather is warm,” says Greeves. “But it’s year-around, so we need volunteers and donations yearround. The horses have to eat all year long.” “WindWalkers provides an excellent service opportunity for our young men,” says Nikki Soda. “It’s so meaningful that it stays with them, and many keep coming back as alumni. They make such connections and they know they are making a difference. So for us, it’s a win /win.” Considering how many lives are touched—the clients from Mountain Valley Developmental Services, the clean-and-sober volunteers from Jaywalker Lodge, the staff and the horses from WindWalkers— there may not be enough “wins” in that statement. With all the folks and critters making strides together, it might just be a win to the fourth power.

Jaywalker volunteer Steve Valenta on his first ride.

April 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

Mogli Cooper hiking in the Alps.

Truly, though, what does one do when you’re raw and young, with not a pot to piss in and no experience? Media accolades for Iron Mountain Hot Springs make Cooper’s achievements seem easy. Not so. Like many valley residents, Cooper explored multiple avenues: She started simply, hiring on with a small, local company, Aspen Lids. They sent her home with a knitting machine and paid her, per piece, to knit “massive numbers of hats.” Working in front of the TV and bingeing on soap operas, she learned English.

Mogli Cooper’s Climb to Success From Immigrant to Entrepreneur

ARTICLE GENEVIÈVE JOËLLE VILLAMIZAR | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

sked how a 20-year old Swiss kid wound up in Aspen, Mogli Cooper, co-developer of the Iron Mountain Hot Springs, burst into laughter. “I wanted to ski the Andes!” What must it have felt like, decades later, for her to stand at a community gala accepting a Business of the Year award along with the Iron Mountain Hot Springs management team? How must the heart have swelled, while receiving an Entrepreneur of the Year award the same evening. How did all that happen in the 42-year span after Cooper left her homeland with naught but a backpack? Landing in New York, 1974, Cooper bought an economy Greyhound pass to explore the U.S. en route to South America. 24

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With depleted pockets, she threw out a thumb and landed in Aspen. The skiing was sweet and the region stunning, comparable to her Alps and the Andes. She recalls, “I thought, there gotta be some places up there that’ll hire another Swiss to clean fish. Sure enough, they did!” Aspen didn’t last. It took two or three jobs just to pay rent. “You couldn’t even afford to ski.” Eventually, Cooper moved to Silt, then to New Castle and finally to Glenwood Springs. “From one extreme to the other, with a learning curve between!” “I stayed,” she muses. “Isn’t that amazing?” Longevity and committing to “place” allowed Cooper to sink deep roots and grow wide limbs, encompassing both family and career.

She crafted exquisite replicas of vintage French puppets, selling them at Mountain Fair for $70 each. That was a lot of money back then, but it took two weeks to make one! And ski patrolling at Sunlight Mountain paid minimum wage, $4.25 an hour. Along the way, Cooper married a builder, Buzz Fairbanks. They wanted children.

Moonstone waterfall at Iron Mountain Hot Springs.

An independent and adventurous woman, Mogli also wanted a career. “You know,” her husband told her, “You could be a realtor.” Cooper’s face filled with astonishment. “That was like saying ‘You should be a judge!’ You know, to me, that was something! I thought, hmm, I could try. So I took the test. I’m still doing it 35 years later.” Cooper softens and ponders her real estate work. “I never did anything for the money. It’s the human thing.” Connecting people to homes held intimacy for her. “It’s about relationships,” she says. “It’s more than selling a house. It’s [their] nest—not a piggy bank.” She stays the course with clients after closing, helping with complications that often arise in purchasing homes or land. Relationships were a founding value when Cooper, along with several other accomplished women, formed The Property Shop in Glenwood Springs in the winter 2001. Despite the financial crisis that followed 9/11, Cooper never doubted the future. She’s drawn to big things: big dreams, big mountains, big deals. Commercial real estate became her passion. “It’s the work of it! If I were an artist, I’d paint. But I can’t. The drawing board for me is the development aspects. It’s a palette and I can work with it. I love doing it…it’s creating something! To look at a piece of land and see what you can do… what’s its highest, best use? How to go about it, the challenges of it? I love a challenge. It’s like climbing a mountain. If you say ‘No’ to me, there’s nothing worse!” she belly laughs. Humble despite her success, Cooper downplays her acuity and audacity. She says she never expected to be a player in a venture as grand as Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Glenwood Adventure Caverns developer, Steve Beckley became friends with Cooper when she brokered his home. Later, Cooper’s current real estate company, Plan B, brokered Beckley’s purchase of the hot springs land. Mid-sale, Beckley invited Cooper and her husband, Coop Cooper, to join the business. As co-investors, she and Beckly would meet most days at the Hotel Colorado over coffee. Cooper clasps her hands, relishing the memories. “It was fabulous! What a great dream to have! We didn’t really consider all the things that could go wrong with it. When you have a positive outlook on it, sometimes the bad just really doesn’t come your way.” In Cooper’s view, you don’t look at the “big picture”. She says, “You start in a corner and go from there, or the reality of it can be overwhelming. I look at my schedule and think, ‘Oh, I get to meet with the architect today!’ If we knew how big this was going to be, I don’t know if we would have ever started it!” Iron Mountain Hot Springs is still unfolding. In response to social media reviews, its locker rooms will get expanded. “Even though you have 10,000 good reviews, that one negative one, it kills you,” says Cooper. “It hurts because it’s your child. This is our baby. Somebody

Mogli Cooper and staff with Iron Mountain Hot Springs' first guest Christine Jonez.

says you got an ugly child, it’s like ‘Oh my god!’” She laughs, holding her heart. But her response was predictably resilient: “Let’s work harder! Let’s change this!” Cooper sighs and smiles. “We’re still dreaming, we’re still the same kids dreaming about the next phase.” These days, a spa and hotel/condos fill their heads with delicious possibility. “We have all this beautiful river frontage. People ask, ‘Do you have any rooms?’” What does one do with this good life? What can one give and be of service? These questions lurk behind most civic awards, which recognize tenacity informed by higher good. Of the award she recently received from the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association for Iron Mountain Hot Springs, Cooper says, “I was the pit bull. That’s what I brought. I didn’t quit. I wouldn’t give up.” Mogli was involved in most every detail of construction. Crafted by local artisans of regional materials, the facilities offer refined, quality moments and a welcoming spirit. Hands in a yoga pose, Cooper laughs and says, “Everyone should experience this. It’s not just for the ones that do the Om.” Sunset is a favored time at the springs. Burbling, falling mineral waters meld with the heady pull of the Colorado River. The wing beats of fowl send ripples through lavender and salmon skies. Luminous indigo descends, pulling stars and planets with it. Guests float, heads held close, murmuring and laughing, in twos or threes. Here and there, a solo guest basks, body limp beneath the black mirror of healing water. From far and near, souls gather in a tranquil and restorative reprieve. The reality of what Mogli Cooper co-created is immeasurable, yet she deflects direct praise. In considering her life—a story shared over a long lunch seasoned with liberal helpings of laughter— she expressed gratitude and said simply, “It’s been a good run.”

“I never did anything for the money. It’s the human thing.”

April 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

Wishes Do Grow on Trees!

The Wishing Tree on Glenwood's Doc Holliday Trail ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY CAITLIN CAUSEY

he Doc Holliday trail in Glenwood Springs ranks high on lists of local must-do activities: the popular ascent affords hikers a magnificent view of downtown before leading on to the Linwood Pioneer Cemetery, and it has long been recognized for its historical significance and natural beauty. For the past few years, however, it has also been known for another mysterious sight: The Wishing Tree. A gnarled and knotty old piñon pine stands at the edge of the trail, about halfway up. Adorned with hundreds of ribbons in vibrant hues of green, pink, yellow and blue, the tree beckons to every hiker. Since 2012, when the ribbons began appearing, locals and tourists alike have been perplexed by its significance. “That’s my tree,” says Annie Zancanella. “I’ve always loved it.” Nearly four years ago, while she was fighting for her life as a second-time cancer patient, Zancanella began quietly placing ribbons on the tree. “I’ve been visiting that tree for as long as I can remember,” she says. “When I was going through a very traumatic time a few years ago, I started writing my wishes on ribbons and tying them to the branches. It was kind of like letting go of my hopes, and putting them into the wind. The tree just became a sort of therapy for me.” Zancanella grew up on the 1200 block of Blake Avenue just steps from the trailhead, and her memories of the pine stretch back for decades. With sturdy limbs and roots that seem to have been made specially for a child to climb, the tree was a natural jungle gym where Zancanella could swing and play or just sit and watch the sunset beyond Red Mountain. “Since we lived so close by when I was a kid, my mom would let me play on the trail,” Zancanella recalls. “I would go up there all the time, and I always wanted to climb on that tree. It was my favorite.” 26

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Over the years the tree became a friend to her, a thing of comfort and familiarity that she returned to time and again. A true local, Zancanella is a Roaring Fork Valley native with deep roots. Her father’s forebears were pioneers who immigrated from Italy in the 1800s and worked in the old Sunlight mining camp before settling downtown. For generations, the family has been part of the community—one of those families who know about everything and everyone in town. During her struggle with cancer, Zancanella’s father Lawrence—or “Buzz” as he was known—was one of her most steadfast supporters. Noting that her father passed away last year, she says, “My dad and I were very close. While I was battling cancer and was out of town receiving treatments, he would even go up to the tree to pray for me, and he encouraged me to create what the tree is today.” Zancanella first battled a rare form of non-HPV cervical cancer in 2001, at the age of 20. Eight years later, doctors again found the disease in her body; this time it had spread to her bladder and lymphatic system. Left with few options, Zancanella’s choice of treatment the second time around was decidedly nontraditional. “I started looking around for alternative treatment options and ended up finding an amazing doctor who does cancer research with Northwestern University in Chicago,” Zancanella says. “The hospital there specializes in clinical trials, and they share their findings with other universities. I was one of about 30 women in my study.” Devastated by the prospect of having to battle cancer for a second time in her young life, Zancanella chose to dedicate herself to the research entirely. “I just…felt I didn’t have anything left,” she remembers. “So I kind of gave myself to the program.” The decision saved her life. For a few years, Zancanella traveled around the U.S. to cancer centers and universities as a study participant. She underwent experimental treatments and spoke to halls full of medical students about her experiences. By 2012, she reached a turning point. “I’m normally a happy, bubbly person, and I tried hard to keep that up,” she remembers. CONTINUED >

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WISHES DO GROW ON TREES! (CON TI N U ED)

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

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Salina, Kansas

But deep down inside, I still had all of these things I wanted to do with my life, places I wanted to go, people I wanted to meet. That’s when I had the idea for a wishing tree.

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“But deep down inside, I still had all of these things I wanted to do with my life, places I wanted to go, people I wanted to meet. That’s when I had the idea for a wishing tree.” Inspired by similar trees created as art installations by Yoko Ono in locations around the world, Zancanella had the idea to create her very own—and she knew just the right tree for the job. “It of course had to be my special tree, up there on the Doc Holliday trail,” she says. Zancanella first added her own wish ribbons, followed by others collected from dozens of young cancer patients she met around the country during her clinical trials. “My doctor in Chicago saw a lot of kids,” she recalls. “It made me so happy to spend time with them while we were all hanging out in the waiting room. It started brightening my day. I would get on the floor and play with them, and we would talk about all the fun things they were interested in. I loved it.” As a creative way to help young patients cope with the confusion and fear surrounding their illness, Zancanella began bringing ribbons to the children. “I would give each kid a ribbon to write a wish on, and I’d take them all back home to tie on the tree,” she says. “It was a fun thing for them to do, but it was great for me, too. It gave me a new kind of hope; I was really inspired by how resilient those kids were.” One day, as she went to visit the tree, Zancanella noticed something different.

A nnie Z anca

Ribbons she had never seen before—new ones, not tied by her own hands—had been placed on its branches. “I started seeing ribbons and messages that other people with completely different struggles had placed on the tree,” she notes. “I hadn’t told anyone else what the tree was all about. They just started anonymously adding things. It was beautiful.” The Wishing Tree suddenly transformed into a symbol of hope for others, too. Zancanella watched as it blossomed from her own personal expression of perseverance into something that resonated with a much larger community. “I am amazed,” she says, “ just amazed by the whole thing.” Today The Wishing Tree is ablaze with color, but also alive with dreams. Clinging proudly to its small plot of earth, roots exposed, the little pine seems to be exactly what Zancanella is: a survivor. This month, Annie Zancanella will celebrate two full years since being declared cancer-free.

www.DownValleyDesign.com

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RECENTLY SOLD PROPERTIES OVER $400,000 NEIGHBORHOOD

ORIGINAL LIST

SOLD PRICE

%SOLD/ ORIGINAL

$459,000 $750,975 $2,995,000

$425,000 $750,975 $2,000,000

93% 100% 67%

229 424 951

2 2 3

$1,495,000 $1,401,960 $625,000 $949,000 $1,825,000 $869,000 $697,000 $549,900 $595,000

$1,285,000 $1,100,000 $609,000 $908,600 $1,180,000 $800,000 $692,000 $607,777 $595,000

86% 78% 97% 96% 65% 92% 99% 111% 100%

1178 352 441 259 221 162 114 97 41

GW Park Park East Elk Springs Ironbridge

$479,000 $455,000 $525,000 $545,000

$479,000 $445,000 $525,000 $588,000

100% 98% 100% 108%

Elk Springs

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87%

BASALT

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CARBONDALE Stirling Ranch River Valley Ranch Aspen Equestrian Aspen Mesa Estates Los Pinone River Valley Ranch River Valley Ranch Fender Fleet

GLENWOOD SPRINGS

$847,000

DOM

BEDS

FULL BTH

HALF BTH

3/4 BTH

2 2 3

0 1 1

0 0 0

$413 $475 $332

3 4 3 4 4 4 4 5 4

3 2 2 3 5 4 3 3 3

1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0

0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0

$315 $330 $192 $269 $270 $234 $212 $192 $367

53 77 115 238

3 4 3 3

2 3 2 3

0 0 1 0

0 0 0 0

$225 $234 $246 $267

228

$253

(This data is a sampling of sold properties from 2/1/16 to 2/29/16, Source: Aspen Glenwood MLS)

My new listings:

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Voted 2015 Glenwood Springs Realtor of the Year! I can take the stress out of buying or selling your home. My goal is To EXCEED the expectations of every client I come in contact with. Real estate sales are trending upwards. Interest rates are still low, so the time to buy is now. Contact me if you are looking to sell your home or buy a new one.

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BELLA VISTA

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on the value of agility.

Intuitive. Nimble. Resourceful. Angela Conway knew the market was competitive. She’s now a proud homeowner thanks to her agent Ingrid Wussow, who adroitly separated her oﬀer from the pack. Special thanks to the Riﬂe Animal Rescue. 888.354.7500 | www.masonmorse.com

MISSOURI HEIGHTS Majestic Victorian-style luxury home with end-of-the-road privacy. Awe-inspiring panoramic views from Independence Pass to the Flattops. Designed for entertaining with large gourmet kitchen, grand public spaces, theater and sumptuous bedroom suites ﬁtted with exquisite attention to detail. Viking appliances in kitchen, custom lighting throughout by Laura Lee Designs, wet bar and wine room off media room, caretaker/nanny quarters. Six-car garage. $1,665,000 WEB ID: RF142934 NANCY EMERSON 970.704.3220 nemerson@masonmorse.com www.masonmorse.com

Inspired By

REACHING FOR A DREAM, ONE STEP AT A TIME AMANDA BOXTEL’S DANCE ON WHEELS

Amanda Boxtel at the Maroon Bells.with her golden retriever, Benson.

ARTICLE ANDREA PALM-PORTER PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

manda Boxtel could be seen as a dreamer or as an inspiration. To know Amanda is to know what it means to dream big and live big. On February 27, 1992 a freak skiing accident rendered her a paraplegic. Two weeks later, as she lay in a hospital bed, a young doctor strode into her room and spoke words that became her motivation: “Amanda, you’ll never walk again.” At the age of 24 years young, Boxtel’s life became, as she put it, “a dance on wheels.” Amanda’s outlook on life widened and the world became her oyster. She even signed up for Roaring Fork Leadership’s annual program, a course that teaches personal and professional leadership skills. Boxtel graduated in the Class of 2000, adding civic leadership to the list of achievements that have been steps along her odyssey over the last couple decades. Boxtel became an advocate for people with disabilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every five adults in the U.S. has a disability. Boxtel learned quickly that she wasn’t alone, and hope became her strength. She learned firsthand how important it is for the neuro-muscular system to stay active, and her life is now about finding ways to improve the lives of individuals. “After more than two decades of paralysis and a journey across continents, my pursuit has been one of spirit-mind-body transformation,” she said. Boxtel’s strength and hope opened up a world that lead her to discover the most complex neuro-prosthetic ever imagined— the bionic exoskeleton suit. Along the way, she tried other adaptive technologies. “Adaptive technology enables me to learn how to downhill ski again, rock climb and even handcycle, but nothing enabled me to 32

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

Photo by Jeremy Swanson for Aspen Skiing Company

learn how to walk again until now,” she said during a TED talk in 2011. After the injury, Amanda co-founded Challenge Aspen, a non-profit that enables individuals with disabilities to realize their potential through recreation in the Rocky Mountains. On October 19, 2015, Boxtel officially launched Able Bionics U.S.A., a program funded by the Bridging Bionics Foundation. Located in Aspen, this local program is designed to help individuals who have mobility impairments to regain their mobility with the assistance of a Galileo neuro-muscular tilt table and a bionic exoskeleton suit. “The goal of our program is to provide access to this cutting-edge technology, which is typically cost-prohibitive, to enhance neuro-recovery and quality of life for individuals who have neurological disorders or mobility impairments,” she said. For the first time in the history of assisted movement, there is a mobility option beyond standard wheelchairs and unpowered orthotics: the bionic exoskeleton suit. Amanda was the first parapalegic woman to walk in Ekso™—a bionic exoskeleton. Amanda now travels the world advocating for people with disabilities; she raises funds to help those who suffer from a musculoskeletal challenge to gain freedom of mobility. Among her many talents, she is a passionate and dynamic motivational

Amanda gets ready to stand in her bionic exoskeleton suit. Photograph courtesy of Charles Engelbert.

speaker who captivates audiences with her stories. She weaves in the valuable lessons she has learned along the way and warms their hearts with laughter and compassion. “One of the most fulfilling aspects of this entire initiative,” says Boxtel, “is to see that locals from the Roaring Fork Valley participate for next-to-nothing. Our program is 100 percent fully funded through community support and donations to the Bridging Bionics Foundation.” “We are made for mobility,” Boxtel reflects. “The longer a person sits, the greater the risk for joint contractures, muscle atrophy, osteoporosis and pressure sores. Over time, limited mobility can be socially isolating too. My experiences have convinced me that having the opportunity to regain mobility and walk should be seen as a human right.” “I've never stopped dreaming about walking again,” she says. “I am making my dream my reality, one baby step at a time.”

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Renovate & Refine

It’s Just Around the Corner.... TIME TO PLAN YOUR GARDEN ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY LYNN DWYER

he calendar says that March 21st was the first day of spring. The days and nights are now of nearly equal length, the ski areas are closing and a sense of renewal is in the air. After a long, snowy winter, we are all ready for longer days, warmer weather and more color in our landscapes. This is a great time to think about and make plans for the upcoming season. As soon as the snow is gone, when the ground is no longer frozen or muddy, you can begin to work in your garden. In our area, this means that south-facing beds, which get more direct sun for more hours, will probably be ready for clearing and planting sooner than those on the north side of your house. So what do you want to change this year? It’s usually a good idea to start with a plan, then first prepare the “hardscape” – the terraces, planter boxes, rockscape and features that lay out the garden. This hardscape defines how people move through the garden; they give the space distinctive levels, beds and planting zones. Landscape and garden designers develop plans based on these general principles: • •

•

Unity refers to bringing the landscape together. Colors, textures and shapes are coordinated to blend and contrast. Rhythm makes a garden dance. This is often achieved through repetition of colors, plants and shapes. This can provide a sense of movement. Balance can be accomplished through symmetry. Think of the landscape or garden as a scale. Large elements, such as trees and shrubs, are often used to create balance.

•

Focal Points draw attention to a unique component such as a sculpture, entrance gate, ornamental tree or other element. In container gardens, focal points are usually a special flower in the center of the pot. Proportion refers to the relationship between landscape elements. It is important to consider what the mature size of different plants will be. Planting a native blue spruce too close to the house, for instance, will in time make for an unbalanced landscape, not to mention causing other problems over time. Allure is the element of surprise. Hidden features may entice the viewer to explore the landscape. Diversity in plant material, or a garden gate or an archway, adds allure. Function means purpose. Vegetable gardens are planted for food, while landscaping around the door or sidewalk can be used to welcome people to your home.

Incorporating some or all of these principles into your landscape can be achieved over time. The most important thing is that you love it. Everyone has their own preferences, be it for certain colors, shapes, or fragrances. You should never let someone else tell you what you like. Author Lynn Dwyer, co-owner of Dwyer Greens & Flowers, teaches classes and workshops and mentors gardeners. Learn more at DwyerGreens.com.

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

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Dr. Dave Jensen and his team of therapists always create an atmosphere of health and healing. Just as the last wave of Xgames athletes are leaving the valley, a new wave of different athletes showing up on the doorstep of the Win Health Institute. Any one of the three locations in Aspen, El Jebel or Glenwood Springs has patient centered healthcare. YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR GREATEST WEALTH! “The chiropracTic and massage TreaTmenTs ThaT i have received and glenwood offices are simply The BesT. i would recommend

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April Lifestyle Calendar

day playwriting weekend. Workshop your piece with professional actors and leave with a well-honed scene. Details and registration at ThundeRiverTheatre.com.

APRIL 2

APRIL 1

ROCK THE 80'S PARTY

PRIVATE LIVES EXHIBITION

ASPEN GLEN

R2 GALLERY AT THE

Join one of the best parties of the

LAUNCHPAD

year for Ross Montessori School!

Join the Carbondale Council

We have fabulous silent auction

for Arts & Humanities for the

items, a fun wine wall where you

opening reception of Shelly

play spin the bottle for wine, photo

Safir Marolt's solo exhibition

booth, dinner, drinks and a fabu-

on First Friday. Marolt's orig-

lous DJ spinning 80's hits. Purchase

inal influences and source

tickets online at rmsgoes80s@

material were home movies of

eventbrite.com. All proceeds will go

her father's childhood from the 1930's; current works are often based

directly toward the classrooms to

on photographs taken by her 13-year-old daughter. Marolt's images

enhance the learning environment.

capture motion and fleeting time. More info at CarbondaleArts.com.

APRIL 1-29

APRIL 5, 12, 19, 26 GUIDED MEDITATION

CMC PHOTO EXHIBITION

BASALT FITNESS

ARTSHARE GALLERY IN GLENWOOD SPRINGS

Join us for Guided Meditation every Tuesday at 7 a.m. at Basalt Fit-

This month, the CMC ArtShare Gallery is hosting an exhibit of pho-

ness in the Mid-Valley Business Center. Led by Bennett Bramson. No

tographic works by Colorado Mountain College professional photog-

cost, no membership required, no pitch. Learn the tools and join us to

raphy students in the Isaacson School of Media. The photos range

find serenity, reduce stress, improve health and bring calm energy to

from journalistic, commercial and art prints to unusual portraits and

your world. Please be on time.

reflections on the human spirit. Free and open to public.

APRIL 6

APRIL 1-3

BEACH PARTY POND SKIM SPECTACULAR

PLAYWRITING ROUGH MUDDER

SUNLIGHT MOUNTAIN RESORT

THUNDER RIVER THEATRE

Closing Day on Sunlight Mountain features a beach party at the base

Pump up your playwriting skills! Award-winning theatre profession-

of the mountain. Wear your best costume and show us how you skim

als Julie Jensen, Maurice LaMee and Kristin Carlson will help you

across the pond while enjoying live music and boat drinks!

whip a new short piece and bend it into shape during this three-

CONTINUED >

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

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Lifestyle Calendar

(CON TI N U ED)

APRIL 15

owner Julie Kennedy in 2008, 5Point Film Festival offers audiences a taste

DATE THROUGH THE YEAR

of adventure through the lens, with more than 50 short films, discussions,

FUNDRAISER

community events and parties. Details and tickets at 5PointFilm.org.

THE GATHERING CENTER Join Blue Lake Preschool for their annual

APRIL 23

Date Through the Year Fundraiser. Admission

18TH ANNUAL FRYINGPAN RIVER CLEANUP

is $25 presale and $30 at the door. Your ticket

LIONS PARK, BASALT

includes a silent auction, door prizes, dancing

Help the Roaring Fork Conservancy clean up one of the country's most

and music by DJ Dylan, drinks and food. All money raised supports the

beautiful stretches of river. Volunteers of all ages welcome! Join us for a

preschool. For more information contact Michelle at 970.963.4380.

free breakfast before the clean up and dress with warm layers: gloves,

APRIL 21 BASALT CHAMBER ANNUAL MEETING & LUNCHEON

long pants, hat and sunscreen. Prizes awarded for: Best of Trash, Most Toxic, Most Useful, Most Unusual Trash. Details at RoaringFork.org.

TEMPRANILLO RESTAURANT

APRIL 29

Eagle County Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry, Pitkin County Com-

MOUNTAIN FAIR POSTER CONTEST DEADLINE

missioner George Newman and Basalt Town Manager Mike Scanlon are

THE LAUNCHPAD, CARBONDALE

guest speakers on “Bringing Collaboration and Innovative Solutions to

The winning design in this contest will be on

Regional Challenges.” Members: $30, non-members: $40, all inclusive.

Mountain Fair t-shirts and the official poster.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. For information and to

The artist receives $500. Designs can be in any

RSVP, write info@basaltchamber.com or call 970.927-4031.

medium. Entries can be dropped off or mailed to

APRIL 21-24

the Carbondale Council for Arts & Humanities at the Launchpad. For design requirements

5POINT FILM FESTIVAL

and details, visit CarbondaleArts.com or call

CARBONDALE

970.963.1680.

Colorado’s leading adventure film event kicks off with its flagship fourday concert-style film festival. Founded by former Climbing Magazine

APRIL 30 FUNDAMENTALS OF YOGA TRUE NATURE HEALING ARTS Whether you are brand new to yoga or are a seasoned practitioner, fundamentals of flow will allow you to break down postures and your alignment. You can then experience how physicality can move you into new-found possibility and empowerment. Held every last Saturday of the month; taught by Lara Horst. Drop in $18; passes welcomed. Details at TrueNatureHealingarts.com.

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

The Staff: The team philosophy of flawless building site management and prudent business management is the foundation for the success of JCI. All highly committed to meeting client standards. Ken’s Philosophy: The client and those involved in the project are everything. Clients warmly refer Ken to family and friends. The home-building experience goes beyond specifications and budget. Janckila Construction, Inc. (JCI) was founded by Ken Janckila to build luxury homes, carefully customized for each client. Our clients have unique project goals, such as building a healthy home or protecting the environment by adhering to green building standards. Since 2003, Ken and his staff have been building relationships and building distinctive homes for discerning clients.

50 Sunset Drive, Ste 3 · Basalt, CO 81621

970.927.6714 · JanckilaConstruction.com

April 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

business directory DENTISTS & ORTHODONTICS Jack B. Hilty (970) 945-1185 hiltyortho.com

Murray Dental Group (970) 945-5112 murraydg.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES & PLANNING Bay Equity Home Loans (970) 309-2911 bayequityhomeloans.com/ glenwood-springs

HEALTH & WELLNESS Burn Fitness Studio (970) 379-7403 burnfitnessstudio.com Cardiff Therapy (970) 379-8217 cardifftherapy.com Crystal River Spas (970) 963-2100 Hot Springs Pool & Spa (970) 945-6571 hotspringspool.com Midland Fitness (970) 945-4440 midland-fitness.com True Nature Healing Arts (970) 963-9900 truenatureheals.com

HOME BUILDERS & REMODELERS 3 G Construction (970) 984-7046

Ace Roofing & Sheetmetal (970) 945-5366 aceroof.co

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

B & H General Contractors (970) 945-0102 bandhgeneralcontractors.com Janckila Construction (970) 927-6714 janckilaconstruction.com

HOME DESIGN & FURNISHINGS

Down Valley Design Center (970) 625-1589

HOME SERVICES

Tom Roach Hardwood Floors (970) 274-0944 tomroachfloors.com

LANDSCAPING

Aspen Grove Property Services (970) 279-5530 agps.biz

LEGAL

Balcomb & Green P.C. (970) 945-6546 balcombgreen.com Brown & Brown, P.C (970) 945-1241 brownandbrownpc.com The Noone Law Firm PC (970) 945-4500 noonelaw.com

LUXURY AUTOMOTIVE Midvalley Auto Body (970) 366-0793 midvalley-auto-body.com

MEDICAL CLINICS & FACILITIES

Mountain Family Health Centers (970) 945-2840 mountainfamily.org Win Health Institute (970) 279-4099 winhealthinstitute.com

OTHER

Alpine Aviation (214) 790-8997 alpinehelitours.com AV by Design (970) 945-6610 avbydesignllc.com Dwyer Greens & Flowers (970) 984-0967 dwyergreens.com Eagle Crest Nursery (970) 963-1173 eaglecrestnursery.com Gianinetti Spring Creek Ranch (970) 379-0809 Midland Shoe (970) 927-0902 midlandshoe.com Network Interiors (970) 984-9100 Roaring Fork Valley COOP (970) 963-2220 Spring Creek Land & Waterscapes (970) 963-9195 springcreeklandandwaterscapes.com The Glass Guru (970) 456-6832 theglassguruofglenwoodsprings.com The Hotel Denver (970) 945-6565 thehoteldenver.com

PET CARE

Alpine Animal Hospital (970) 963-2371 alpinehospital.com

Willits Veterinary Hospital (970) 510-5436 willitsvet.com

REAL ESTATE

Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Real Estate (970) 963-3300 masonmorse.com RAD Development Glenwood, LLC (970) 309-1540 Re/Max Mountain West (970) 963-1940 coloradohomesranches.com The Property Shop (970) 947-9300 propertyshopinc.com

RESTAURANTS, FOOD & BEVERAGE Bravo Fine Catering (970) 925-7400 bravofinecatering.com/ Sopris Liquor & Wine (970) 963-5880 soprisliquor.com

SPECIALTY SHOPS Bleu Door Boutique (970) 945-3070

Established 1994 Principals Brad Faber and Hans Raaflaub have been residents in the industry in the Valley 33 years

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Photography Credit: Greg Watts

APRIL IS FOR... Planning This Year’s Garden Projects Planting Cool Season Veggies & Flowers like Peas and Pansies Planting Dormant Trees, Shrubs and Perennials

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April 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

Parting Thoughts

MY DAUGHTER’S FIRST

FOURTEENER

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CLIMBING COLORADO’S ROOFTOP WORDS AMBER JOHNSON

y 11-year-old daughter Hadley has always been a strong hiker, but I was surprised when she announced she wanted a climb a fourteener last summer. I was a bit worried about her readiness but mostly about my own. I’ve “bagged” a dozen of Colorado’s 54 14,000-foot-plus peaks, but it has been several years since my last climb. In the interim, I’ve grown dazzlingly wiser, impressively slower and more cognizant of my own mortality because, if you’ve ever climbed a fourteener, you know there are moments when you feel like you’re going to die (or that death might be more enjoyable than this). Most mountaineering enthusiasts recommend starting with Mt. Bierstadt or Grays Peak, but we opted to hike 14,036 Mount Sherman. There are no easy fourteeners (with the exception of driving to the top of Mount Evans and Pikes Peak in your air-conditioned car). The pitch isn’t the only factor that makes them tough, it’s the altitude. The barometric pressure decreases when you climb. That causes air to expand in volume and to decrease the amount of air you take in on each breath. There are two standard routes up Mount Sherman; we chose the route accessed via the Southwest Ridge from Fourmile Creek outside of Fairplay. The hike is 5.25 miles round-trip from the gate, but parking along the road is minimal and our 9 a.m. (relatively late) arrival forced us to park a mile away, adding another mile and prompting me to seriously consider the virtues of hitchhiking.

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | April 2016

My husband Jamie, Hadley and I have very different Hadley triumphs! hiking styles. He is more of a sprint-and-stop kind of guy while I am slow and steady with minimal breaks. Hadley is somewhere in between. We started at about 11,500 feet, so there was no time to acclimate to the altitude. Hadley and I slugged along the windy rock-strewn road past Dauntless and Hilltop mines, gasping for air, but after 20 minutes we were breathing more regularly as the trail narrowed. Despite the commanding views at the top, I am not partial to fourteeners for their beauty. Part of the reason is that you are doing the brunt of the climb above treeline and, call me crazy, but there is little innate beauty about rocks, particularly when that is all you see for hours on end! However, when we arrived at the snowfields, I was missing those rocks. We generally carry an altimeter but it wasn’t needed on Mount Sherman—the summit is in view for most of the hike. (If you’re not familiar with altimeters, they help you ascertain your elevation and avoid something agonizing that is called false summits: thinking you reached the top, only to find the real summit taunting you in the distance. For further clarification: Baby keeps you up for first six months of her life. Finally sleeps through the night. Parent thinks: Wow, baby slept through the night! I have arrived! Next night: Baby wakes up every hour. False summit.) There were a number of families hiking with elementary-school-aged children but very few made it past 12,500 feet and many looked downright miserable. (Soapbox: Do not ever climb fourteeners with a baby in a backpack. We always take an ibuprofen preventatively when we begin hiking and again at the first sign of an altitude-induced headache. Just imagine how much worse it is for a little one who can’t voice how the altitude is impacting them.) As we hiked to the saddle between 13,748-foot Mount Sheridan and Mount Sherman, Leadville and Turquoise Lake gleamed in the background ensconced by an army of 13,000 and 14,000-foot giants. At that point, Hadley got summer fever and boldly forged forward up the most difficult part of the climb: a narrow ledge of scree. I got an illness of a different kind: altitude sickness. Jamie—knowing he will be stuck with me long after his daughter flies the coop—wisely stayed back with me to ensure I didn’t become one with the glacier-scoured valley below. When we reached the summit, we joined an elite club of folks whose altitude sickness made them forget the misery of the climb as we marveled at the 360-degree views of the Mosquito Range’s craggy peaks, aspen groves, boreal forests and profusions of wildflowers as chirping pikas played peek-a-boo in the rocks. Hadley’s biggest advice for climbing your first fourteener? “Don’t die.”

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