Roaring Fork September 2016

Roaring Fork SEPTEMBER 2016

RoaringForkLifestyle.com

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Our Creatures

& Small

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Lifestyle Letter

A Paean to Pets & Wildlife N

SEPTEMBER 2016 publisher

Rick French | RFrench@LifestylePubs.com

ot long ago, I overheard a neighbor saying on the phone, "Where I live, the word 'nightlife' usually refers to the critters that knock over the trash can around three in the morning."

While that probably sells our local entertainment options a bit short, it's true that we're long on things that go bump in the night.

In the summer, masked backyard bandits intermittently disturb my slumbers. I have tried many strategies designed to keep the raccoons out of my strawberries, but because they're clever, determined and have opposable thumbs, I have been unable to oppose them for long.

Still, the fact that we live surrounded by creatures both great and small fills me with delight.

This issue of Roaring Fork Lifestyle celebrates animals wild and tame. In these pages, the eloquent Genevieve Villamizar sings the praises of fly-fishing and explores the mystique of mules. Caitlin Causey writes about the Schneegas Wildlife Foundation, which rehabilitates injured or orphaned creatures ranging from antelopes and foxes to otters and pumas. Jeffrey Barbee, who grew up in Glenwood Springs, tells how his organization, Alliance Earth, is documenting the discovery of new species on Mount Mabu in Mozambique.

In this issue, you will share the fond memories of Lynn Kirchner, who gave several retired racehorses a home in Carbondale.

Pushing this animal theme to a laughable limit, there's even a story about the remodeling of a vintage "Scotty" brand trailer. John Watkins and Dennis Bracegirdle plan to donate a portion of the refurbished Scotty's sale price to Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE), an organization for which Watkins frequently volunteers.

We're pleased not only to sing the paeans of pets and wildlife in these pages, but also to tip our hats to those who care for them—both pros and amateurs who rise to the occasion.

My friend Jim Hawkins would be one of the latter. Jim saved a bear that had gotten a plastic cheeseball jug stuck over its head. The bear was going bump in the day, because it couldn't see well—and it couldn't eat or drink at all. Jim lassoed the bear, tied it to a tree and called wildlife authorities. After sedating the bear, they freed the jug-headed beast from the container. (This is no shaggy dog story; you can read it in the Post Independent or on the front page of the July 23 Washington Post!) With characteristic modesty, Jim said that the whole adventure was the best thing he's ever done to publicize his inn, the Four Mile Creek B & B. Yep. I bet his guests will be talking about that escapade for donkey's years.

editor

Nicolette Toussaint | NToussaint@LifestylePubs.com copy editor

Mason Ingram contributing writers

Jeffrey Barbee, Caitlin Causey, Bridget Grey, John Tindall, Nicolette Toussaint, Geneviève Joëlle Villamizar contributing photographers

Jeffrey Barbee, Mike Brinson, Clayton Ives, Lynn Kirchner, Renee Ramge, Corey Rich, Erin Romero, Nicolette Toussaint, Kelly Wood

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

| Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF SALES OFFICER

| Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DIRECTOR OF MARKETING ART DIRECTOR

| Brad Broockerd

| Sara Minor

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ADVERTISING MANAGER AD COORDINATORS

| DeLand Shore

| Nicole Sylvester | Janeane Thompson

| Cyndi Harrington, Chelsi Hornbaker, Megan Seymour

LAYOUT DESIGNERS

| Nicolette Martin, Cyndi King

DESIGN SPECIALIST

| Ashleigh Thomson

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT APPLICATION ARCHITECT WEB DEVELOPER

| Melanie Carlisle | Michael O’Connell | Hanna Park

Nicolette Toussaint, Editor

by Community ™

RoaringForkLifestyle.com ON THE COVER ”Apache” is the resident Mexican Wolf at the Schneegas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Silt.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN ROMERO 4

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 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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5

September 2016

Departments

22

10

Good Times

12

Around Town

16

Times Past

20

Water & Woods

32

Tech Savvy

38

Inspired By

40

Road Trip

42

Renovate & Refine

20 Exploring the Lure of Fly Fishing

43

Driver’s Notebook

44

Lifestyle Calendar

50

Parting Thoughts

It’s Even Better if You Catch a Few Fish Along the Way!

28 Discovering New Plants and Animals

in Mozambique

Basalt-Based Nonprofit Documents Wonders of Remote Mt. Mabu

40 Picking Heirloom Apples in an Historic Orchard

A Road Trip the Whole Family Will Enjoy

20

28

Lifestyle Publications Arizona | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Kansas | Missouri | Montana North Carolina | Ohio | Oklahoma | Tennessee | Texas | Utah

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An Inspirational Center for Personal Growth TEA ROOM A gathering place for delicious organic food, drinks, & treats.

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BOUTIQUE Conscious gifts to support well-being.

KIVA A ceremonial space dedicated to education, artistic expression, and community. (Construction to begin September 1st)

PEACE GARDEN A sanctuary to engage the senses featuring a labyrinth, reflexology path, and yoga spiral; all free and open to the public, sunrise to sunset.

t r u e n ature h e a lin ga r t s . co m 100 N 3RD ST • C ARBONDALE 970.963 .9900

Publisher’s Letter

Man's Most Loyal Friend I

have had two incredibly faithful dogs: Parker, a huge 100-pound golden retriever, and Buster, a 110-pound yellow lab. Parker was with me for 12 years, Buster for 10 years.

In time, they both fell ill and had to take the horrible one-way trip. Sad as that thought is, the memories are wonderful. As I write this, I’m smiling. When I write about one of them, the memories are interchangeable because they both had the same characteristics and emotions.

Although we had a family of six—me, my wife and four kids—both dogs knew who their true companion was. Those dogs would be playing with my kids, but when I walked into the house they would freeze mid-step, rotate and launch themselves at me. From that moment, they were never more than two steps away from me. They would find a way to jam themselves under the kitchen table and lay on my feet at dinner, causing my kids to laugh.

Parker was an amazing fishing buddy. When I cast my fly upstream, he would stand chest deep in the river shaking with anticipation, waiting for me to say, “Fish on—hold!” Amazingly, he seemed to know the difference between a rainbow and a

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

whitefish. He would lift a rainbow with a tender mouth and hand it to me. But with whitefish, he would lunge, grab and haul the fish up the bank and drop it. Smart dog, even if he could never get the hang of a smooth back-cast.

Parker, on the other hand, would watch my cast, charge into the water, then swim in circles looking for my strike indicator. How he loved to swim! I could toss a branch three-quarters of the way across the river and he would bust the current, searching until he found it, usually a quarter mile downstream. He’d drag it back and stand looking at me as if saying, “let's go again”!

Parker passed three years ago, leaving me dogless for the first time in 40 years.

My son called yesterday to say he’d just bought an eightweek-old yellow lab. He wants me to go pick the puppy up for him, and I will have to be careful, because this puppy has eight brothers and sisters...

Any ideas as to how this story may end?

Rick French, Publisher RFrench@LifestylePubs.com

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Good Times

The Joy of Mountain Fair

During the last weekend in July, more than 20,000 happy fair-goers gathered for the 45th annual Mountain Fair, sponsored by Carbondale Arts. Three days of music, artisans and performers, ranging from fire dancers and aerial silks performers to salsa and belly dancers, kept everyone enthralled. PHOTOS BY RENEE RAMGE.

Dancers from Aspen-Santa Fe Ballet Folklorico; photo by Nicolette Toussaint.

Poet Alya Howe during spoken word presentation.

Amy Kimberly, executive director of Carbondale Arts.

We’ve moved and invite you to enjoy our new facility.

We always welcome new patients.

A D E D I C AT E D TE A M W H O A R E COM PASS I O N AT E AND GOOD L I ST E N E R S. TE C H N O LO GY TH AT M A K E S AP P O I N T M E N TS E AS I E R A N D M O R E CO N V E N I E N T. A S PAC E T H AT I S CO M FO RTA B L E AND INVITING.

D r. M atth ew Ve r h eu l, Dr. Tayl or Verheul and Dr. Gene Covel l o 1199 Village Road, Suite 100, Carbondale, CO 81623 10

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

|

(970) 963-3010

|

v e r h e u l f a m i l y d e n t i s t r y. c o m

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Around Town

AROUND TOWN

SHEEPDOG FINALS RETURN SEPTEMBER 13

and supported Bruna on his own path of recovery from drug addiction and homelessness. Bruna eventually became a Buddhist monk, and subsequently co-founded the Mindful Life Program, which is headquartered in Carbondale’s Third Street Center.

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS OCT. 8 AT CARE The Sixth Annual Blessing of the Animals will be celebrated on October 8 at Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE). The Blessing of the Animals is sponsored by CARE and the Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist (TRUU) Congregation. TRUU’s new resident minister, the

The National Sheepdog Finals are returning to Carbondale and will

Reverend Shawna Foster, will be on hand to bless your pet, your child’s

take place at Strang Ranch between September 13th and 18th. It’s an

stuffed animal or a stand-in photo of any animal too nervous, large or

unusual opportunity to see 200 of the nation’s top dog handlers and

unwieldy to attend the celebration. The event is free, but participants

their dogs competing for over $40,000 in prize money, and also for the

are encouraged to bring a donation of pet food for CARE’s animals.

titles of National Champion Open dog and Nursery dog.

Join your neighbors at the beautiful Strang Ranch up on Missouri Heights for some fantastic competition, a food and craft fair and lamb

AWARDS & ACCREDITATION CELEBRATED AT JAYWALKER LODGE Jaywalker Lodge announced in July that it had earned accreditation from the Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the U.S. Joint Commission accreditation and certification marks the highest level of care and standards for clients. Jaywalker staff worked extremely hard through the rigorous accreditation process.

The first annual Jaywalker Lodge “Anything is Possible” 5k run also took place in July. The run aimed to raise money for Jaywalker's alumni program, and it drew over 50 runners. Community partners Aspen Strong Foundation and Youth Entity came out to support the race. The race offered an opportunity for Jaywalker alumni to be part of a community event and bring recovery awareness to the local residents.

In August, Jaywalker Lodge's founder, Bob Ferguson, was named as a 2016 Behavioral Healthcare Champion by Behavioral Healthcare Magazine. This annual award recognizes four individuals who have

cooking demonstrations. In addition to the sheepdog competition,

been nominated for their dedication, courage, inspiration and excel-

you will enjoy demonstrations of other dog sports.

lence in their roles as executives of behavioral health organizations.

Carpooling is encouraged; spectators should bring a hat, a water bottle and a chair. Some bleacher seating will be available, but please leave pets at home as no outside dogs will be admitted. Tickets can

REPORT TALLIES CRADLE-TO-CAREER EDUCATIONAL GAINS

be purchased at the gate. The price is $15 for each adult and $40 for

The Aspen Community Foundation recently released a report on

a carload of three or more; kids and seniors admitted for $5. For more

its Cradle to Career Initiative (CCI), a collaborative intervention that

information, visit SheepdogFinals.com or call 970.963.2319.

helps improve the educational outcomes for 20,000 children who

LOCAL AUTHOR TOURING NATIONALLY WITH MINDFULNESS BOOK John Bruna, a former Tibetan Buddhist monk, has been touring with his first book, “The Wisdom of a Meaningful Life: The Essence

live between Aspen and Parachute. In 2011, when CCI began, severe achievement gaps existed between local low-income children and their more affluent peers. That’s not surprising; nationally, family income correlates closely with academic success—as one study concluded, the higher the poverty, the lower the test scores.

of Mindfulness” (Central Recovery Press). Bruna is speaking at book

Locally, poverty increases as one travels downstream: In Garfield

signings in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hawaii, New York, Colorado,

County, 41 percent of all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch

Ohio, Oklahoma and Florida.

(the marker schools usually use to define poverty). Over 60 percent of

Bruna’s book was written to offer readers an accessible, practical distillation of the spiritual teachings and life experiences that inspired 12

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

Carbondale Middle School students qualify and more than 70 percent of students in Rifle’s Wamsley Elementary School qualify.

CONTINUED >

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13

Around Town

(CON TI N U ED)

the Rifle-Silt-New Castle area. The two school buses have been converted into preschool classrooms with bilingual teachers and are reaching kids who had no previous access to preschool.

It’s making a difference. As kindergarten teacher Emily Raymonda of Highland Elementary School in Rifle observed, “The children who entered my kindergarten classroom after Preschool on Wheels were well prepared. They had a strong foundation of skills, including letter knowledge, book awareness, and early math skills.”

Colorado

State

Governor

John

Hickenlooper praised the local collaboration—which involves dozens of local nonprofits and educational organizations—saying, “We are grateful for the innovative and collaborative work In 2011, most of our region’s children were not attending pre-

that the Aspen to Parachute Cradle to Career Initiative is doing

school, and changing that has been one of CCI’s major goals. As

to build youth success and then to measure the results. We

reported in the January 2016 issue of Roaring Fork Lifestyle, CCI’s

commend the Aspen Community Foundation for its leadership

Preschool on Wheels program, a partnership between Aspen

and applaud the region’s citizens for supporting their youth in

Community Foundation and Garfield School District Re-2, sends

this visionary way.”

out Gus the Bus and the Sunshine bus to low-income children in

The report is available on the Aspen Community Foundation's website.

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15

Times Past

A COLORADO RETIREMENT FOR ROCK STARS OF THE RACETRACK LYNN KIRCHNER REMEMBERS SECRETARIAT DANCER

ARTICLE NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT | PHOTOGRAPHY LYNN KIRCHNER

I

f it’s true that horses leave hoof prints on your heart, then Carbondale real estate broker Lynn Kirchner has star-powered prints engraved into hers. For years, she owned a son of TripleCrown winner Secretariat, the thoroughbred that set records in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

Like Kirchner’s memories, those records still endure today.

In the 1990’s, Kirchner was part of group that rescued more than 40 horses and re-homed them to loving families. “Race horses were eliminated because they were no longer earning money,” she explained. “That meant that they were of no value, except as meat. It cost $16 to $18 a pound for horse meat–and that’s still going on today.”

Decades before that, in the early 1970’s, Kirchner worked as a racehorse exercise rider. Growing nostalgic, Kirchner says, “When I was a young teenager, I would do anything I could to get near the horses!

They were rock stars to me. So, I volunteered to exercise horses at the tracks in New York. No one asked my age; all they cared about was that I was a good rider and had a natural way with the horses.”

One day, while in the stables at Belmont, hanging out with Secretariat’s groom Eddie Sweat, Eddie said to Lynn, “Here, Secretariat likes you, give him this piece of carrot.” Kirchner smiles ruefully. “The etiquette is that you never give a horse anything without permission from its owner. But Eddie was giving me the OK, so I gave Big Red the carrot.”

Suddenly, a sharp “What are you feeding my horse?” made Kirchner look down the barn’s walkway. “It was all backlit because of the sunshine,” she recalls. “So I saw just a silhouette–a woman in tweed slacks and a turtleneck sweater. It was Penny! I just froze! Even the idea that I had done something to upset Penny was terrifying.”

But Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery Tweedy, was understanding and shared some advice, telling Kirchner to continue her education first, then dream of horses. Twenty years later, having gotten her MBA and working as an executive in corporate America, Kirchner came to own one of Secretariat's sons, a thoroughbred rescued off of a meat buyer’s truck.

While on business in Florida, Kirchner was asked if she would adopt Secretariat’s son, Secretariat Dancer, along with a mare that was pregnant with a foal sired by another of Secretariat’s sons.

Kirchner brought the two horses home to Carbondale and soon added a third, Valentine Dancer. Valentine, who had also descended from Native Dancer, was nicknamed “Bud”. Kirchner recalls, “Bud and Dancer had been pasture mates and Bud was missing Dancer so much I had to take him too.”

Both the mare and her filly “Colorado Star”, a granddaughter to Secretariat, were adopted and went back to Florida. But Bud and Dancer, who were inseparable, settled into a long, happy retirement.

Kirchner scoffs at the attitudes she encountered while adopting the thoroughbreds. “People think you can’t re-train race horses. They actually said, ‘That horse has been trained to travel around a track in just one direction, so you will never get him to turn right!’ That just makes me laugh!”

“Dancer became my trusted trail horse. Bud's injuries kept him off the trails, but Dancer would tell him all about our rides when we got back. The two of them loved to race around the pastures and they always won their own Triple Crown.”

Dancer and Bud died within a month of one another in the fall of 2001.

“They were bonded. Bud mourned Dancer’s death to the point he died too.” commented Kirchner. “The fall is hard for me because I remember that time of year of losing them. But having them was a dream come true.”

CONTINUED >

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

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Times Past

(CON TI N U ED)

‘‘

Lynn Kirchner riding Dancer.

“DANCER BECAME MY TRUSTED TRAIL HORSE. BUD’S INJURIES KEPT HIM OFF THE TRAILS, BUT DANCER WOULD TELL HIM ALL ABOUT OUR RIDES WHEN WE GOT BACK. THE TWO OF THEM LOVED TO RACE AROUND THE PASTURES AND THEY ALWAYS WON THEIR OWN TRIPLE CROWN.”

‘‘

Valentine Dancer, known affectionately as "Bud".

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19

Water & Woods

Fishing for New Stories

A MEDITATION ON FLY FISHING

Ever-hopeful for Key West tarpon; family photo.

ARTICLE GENEVIÈVE JOËLLE VILLAMIZAR

A

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

friend, knee-deep in a masters program for rangeland ecology, lamented once that ignorance was indeed bliss, telling me that knowing too much had trashed her crush on the West.

I was learning to fly fish at the time, and her comment struck a chord. I made a reverse-snob choice to protect the magic and mystery of fishing by unfurling its layers gently, exploring the enigma slowly.

I swore there would be no books. No casting clinics or lessons. And through two decades, my fishing has remained a dive into being a kid.

I’ve sketched my whole life, often repeating the same doodles and concepts. One such drawing has been of a wild-haired little girl sitting within the ancient roots of a tree… on a river bank… with a fishing pole.

Growing up, I hadn't fished. The drawing was just the expression of a daydream that lingers with me still, for its elements hold grace.

My first rod was a hand-me-down, fat and sloppy, with lazy action. I suffered immensely learning to cast with it—tangling it in the bushes behind me, snagging hidden schmeg in front of me. I whipped my line into many a woeful knot.

20

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

I also experienced the fantastical, though.

Hanging my feet in the Laramie River, that childhood drawing came to life. I had spent 15 minutes deconstructing a wicked knot; by then, detangling was practically a meditation. In my stillness, something nudged my calf—a muskrat. I was charmed and flattered as he accepted me fully, nonchalantly swimming ‘round one leg, then the other, harvesting the grass alongside my thighs. His teeth crunched on juicy stems. His tiny fingers fisted his bundle of grass blades. In our shared closeness, the world became ours, two tranquil specks of life floating the veil between water and sky.

While those moments are unique to stillness, active compulsive obsession often led to the sublime.

Chasing brookies up the Piedra, time disintegrated. All that mattered was casting; seeking; poking away at the puzzle. What was below that boulder?

In that seam? Under that bank, I wondered, bend after bend in the stream.

Noticing a change in the air, I finally turned. The stream behind me had gone magenta, suffused in a wilderness sunset. It felt primordial; my humanity evaporated. “Genevieve” disappeared.

I don’t land many fish and I’ve pretended for years that was okay. Truth?

Pair me with an expert angler and it shames me to admit that bearish insecurities arise. This vexes me.

Years ago, during filming for a documentary on fishing in Mongolia, I blew every attempt at landing or even hooking a fish on film. Distraught and sleepless after blowing the money-shot at a long-awaited honey-hole, I rose early the next morning, needing alone time.

Low fog and soft rain held untamed aromas of damp earth and sage. Leaving camp, I ghosted back to the river. No cameras, no pressure. I snuck in the best fishing moments of my life that morning, pulling one husky, muscular body after another from the dark, foaming

C A B I N E T S

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C O U N T E R T O P S

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depths. We held eyes, the fish and I as I unhooked. The wet pungency on my fingers was the slick scent of union.

“Separation” has no place in the water. Wading in, the current grasps and engulfs you. Rivers are “embrace”.

Sharing this experience with others is a treat not to be tinged with jealousy.

Like love, the golden hours of fishing call to us at dawn and dusk. During these purer moods of the day, as we rise anew or relax after what has been, rivers offer up this union. Evening is especially poignant. The dropping sun guilds all, presenting all as infinite: illuminated black trees, monochrome mountains drifting off in layers of light, the river reflecting our hearts and minds. A luminous cosmos of hatching life forms fills the air…caddis kissing my hand… fluttering against your face. What is this, but affirmation?

Now that I feel an ease on the river, I can no longer lie to myself— a fish moving on my fly brings a visceral pleasure I crave. I want more.

And that wild-haired urchin on the bank? Writing this, it hit me: she never had a fish on her line.

Fly fishing isn’t rangeland ecology.

Maybe my angling aspirations should have included landing a few? Perhaps it is time to cast aside my old stories and go for it?

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September 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

21

I

t’s a sunny Saturday morning as I pull into the driveway of a ranch home on County Road 346 in Silt. The house is a beautiful old sandstone affair, shaded handsomely by tall trees and hidden almost entirely from view. If I hadn’t known what I was looking for, I might have driven past without a second thought.

The property is situated within a couple hundred yards of I-70, so you too have probably passed by without realizing that just west of the Silt exit lies one of our area’s most fascinating and impactful nonprofits: the Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation. For more than three decades, the group’s founder Nanci Limbach and her small-but-dedicated team have been operating a rehabilitation center there, caring for Colorado’s most vulnerable wild creatures until they are well enough to be released back into nature. It’s the only facility of its kind on the Western Slope.

I park my car and step out, expecting a cacophony of animal noises. I am greeted only by the faint and pleasant hooting of an owl—one whose remarkable story I will soon learn. How appropriate that this rehabilitation center sits alongside a small irrigation canal called Last Chance Ditch, considering that the only creatures who come here are those on their proverbial last legs: injured, orphaned, forgotten, dismissed. For countless animals that have received its care, the Schneegas Wildlife Foundation offers a final chance for survival.

Limbach greets me in her office.

“Welcome,” she says. “Yeah, it’s pretty quiet out there right now. The animals aren’t very active when the temperature starts to rise.” Bubbly and quick to smile, but also wise with years of experience, Limbach exudes an energetic mix of compassion and pragmatism— perhaps the perfect combination of traits for someone in her line of work.

“I was always the neighborhood kid that any injured animal went to,” she recalls, laughing. “There was the squirrel hit by a car, plus birds and that sort of thing. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to do rehabilitation.”

Today, her life’s work is evident in many facets of the foundation. What Limbach founded as a small project in 1984 has now grown into a fully-certified nonprofit center, complete with educational initiatives and the licenses needed to work with the full

Where the Wild Things Are — Getting a Second Chance

Small Miracles at the Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation ARTICLE CAITLIN CAUSEY | PHOTOGRAPHY ERIN ROMERO

spectrum of wild animals. Within its fouracre grounds and multiple satellite facilities, the foundation cares for everything from the tiniest deer mouse to the biggest black bear.

“We get calls from all over the state of Colorado,” Limbach notes. “It really just depends on the decisions of local wildlife officers as to whether we receive the animals or not.”

Over the years, the foundation has forged close partnerships with officials in Garfield and Pitkin counties. If you live in the Roaring Fork Valley and have ever called to 22

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

report a limping red fox or a flailing young hawk in your neighborhood, chances are the animal was ultimately transported to Silt.

“We do also receive animals brought in directly by the general public,” Limbach reports. “But we always recommend safety and common sense first. Call and report it, ask for help. If an officer can’t get the animal to us right away, we might have a trained volunteer who can assist.”

Once animals arrive at the rehabilitation facility, they are assessed and treated according to their individual needs. How

An antelope fawn that was likely “kidnapped". Antelope mothers leave their fawns to sleep alone during the day; people often mistakenly think they have been abandoned. The fawn was successfully released.

A young otter that was orphaned when it was young when the river was high. It was successfully released.

A young raccoon makes a mess of its milk, as they often do. It was successfully released.

A young mountain lion, most likely orphaned because its mother was killed during hunting season. It was successfully released.

long they remain there depends on their progress and other important factors such as the optimum season for release. “For example,” Limbach says, “with bears, we aren’t going to drop them back where they came from, at some random point, just because they have stopped needing medical care here in Silt. We utilize a satellite facility near the backside of Sunlight Peak, at about 8,000 feet, where we can safely hibernate our bears in winter. It’s kind of like a ‘halfway house’ where they can wait and transition to being released in February or early March.”

Limbach guides me through other areas of the facility that are typically closed to the public to keep human-animal interaction to a minimum.

First we see a small number of permanent residents, animals that remain with the foundation as living components of its educational outreach initiatives. Several birds are on loan from the State of Colorado because they could not be released into the wild. Others, like the Mexican gray wolf named Apache, had been kept illegally by irresponsible owners earlier in their lives; CONTINUED >

September 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

23

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (CONTINUED)

without skills for living in the wild, they cannot be released. These creatures now serve as ambassadors for all wildlife wrongly held in private captivity.

“We do a lot of children’s educational programs here,” Limbach says.

“We saw maybe 700 or 800 kids last year. Our permanent residents help the kids understand why it is never OK to keep a wild animal as a ‘pet’.”

Limbach then takes me to view some temporary residents undergoing rehabilitation, animals that will hopefully be released back into the wild as soon as they are well. There is an orphaned fox, a baby marmot, a young red-tailed hawk, a bear that is being monitored for neurological damage, and many more.

Next, Limbach opens the door to a large flight cage where four majestic great horned owls swivel their heads, turning their attention to our entrance.

“Wow,” is all I can manage to say. One of these fellas must have been responsible for the hooting I heard when I stepped out of my car earlier. The largest owl takes flight, soaring overhead for a few glorious moments before returning to perch beside the trio of smaller ones.

“There goes our foster dad,” Limbach says.

Foster dad, I wonder?

“Those three younger ones—two from Carbondale—came to us really young,” Limbach explains. “So we placed them with this older male who has now sort

A young Saw-Whet owl that was successfully released.

of ‘adopted’ them. He is teaching them how to hunt and basically just be owls so that they’ll be prepared for release back into the wild. See how he is keeping an eye on them?”

I do see, and it’s fascinating to witness. The center is full of stories of second chances—small miracles, really—where animals that might otherwise have perished are granted a new shot at life.

“Almost every animal that ends up here comes because of some type of human action: cars, power lines, accidents, you name it,” she says. “This is a small way of giving back to the animals, considering all the things that humans have taken from them.”

I ask if this is why Limbach persists in her work after all these years.

“Really it’s about trying to equal things out a bit. We’ll never be able to fully equal things out, but…” she adds, “we can always keep trying.”

To date, Limbach and her team have helped rehabilitate and release more than 5,000 wild animals from across the state of Colorado.

Nanci Limbach’s Tips for Helping Wildlife • Keep cats indoors during baby season.

• Keep dogs leashed while hiking.

• Most fawns appearing to be abandoned actually aren't. Call before intervening.

• Return fallen baby birds to their nest—mamas won’t abandon them after being touched.

• Move injured animals out of direct sun and call for assistance before offering them food.

24

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

A rock squirrel that had been hit by a car fills its cheek pouches. It was successfully released.

A baby chipmunk that had been orphaned.

It was successfully released.

Before picture of “Big Mama,” a sow with cubs we rehabilitated and released. She weighed only about 150 pounds when she came in.

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the source for real estate in the roaring fork valley

Local Nonprofit Documents New Species in Mozambique

The isolated nature of Mt. Mabu has allowed it to remain virtually untouched.

Alliance Earth Plans to Engage Local Students in Telling Important Environmental and Science Stories PH O

TOGR APHY JE

FF

RE

Y

BA

EE

AR

RB

TI

E CL

D AN

A previously-unknown butterfly discovered on Mt. Mabu.

A potentially new species of tree frog

A time-lapse image of a stream deep in the forest.

A

lliance Earth’s interest in Mount Mabu began in 2010 when I teamed up with a group of scientists called the Darwin Initiative to film a video that would begin telling the story of the wonders this remote mountain has long hidden.

Dr. Julian Bayliss discovered Mount Mabu in 2006 when he was working with the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew) in partnership with the Mozambican government’s Department of Agricultural Research. Since then, scientists have repeatedly returned to Mabu, finding 55 previously-unknown plants and animals, including chameleons, snakes, butterflies, bats and a wealth of trees and other plants.

As the story goes, Bayliss first found Mount Mabu on Google Earth.

That’s true to a point, but Bayliss explains that he simply used the Google tool to locate all the mountains over a certain height in the area. He then had to climb each one. Bayliss was looking for new species, and isolated mountains are good places to find them.

Mount Mabu rises more than a mile above sea level in Mozambique’s remote Zambezia Province. The 5,500 foot peak is called an “isolate”, and isolates, like islands, breed unique species. The Mabu area has been isolated for so long that species have adapted and evolved to suit its specific environment, occurring there and no place else.

Working in his office, Bayliss was able to separate out forests using infrared filters and a satellite map, but it was only by hiking up the mountains, hacking through undergrowth, getting sweaty and bitten by spiders that he discovered a rainforest that has turned out to be the largest in southern Africa.

That the forest is almost untouched by human presence is clear. A video we produced in 2010 shows no chopped stumps and few paths. Big forest giants like the mahogany trees are only falling because of occasional rot.

The 2010 expedition that was documented by Alliance Earth was hosted by the Darwin Initiative team and led by Bayliss in partnership with the Mozambique’s Department of Agricultural Research. The team included leading scientists such as Bill Branch, an author and esteemed herpetologist from southern Africa, and Steve Collins, the head of the African Butterfly Research Institute, based in Kenya.

CONTINUED >

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

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LOCAL NONPROFIT DOCUMENTS NEW SPECIES IN MOZAMBIQUE (CON TI N UED)

A new butterfly species, as yet unnamed, is held

by Dr. Steve Collins, Director of the African Butterfly Institute.

Hiking up Mt. Mabu.

ALLIANCE EARTH SEEKING YOUNG INTERNS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING ARTICLE BY BRIDGET GREY Alliance Earth, a nonprofit environmental and scientific reporting initiative based in Basalt, is determined not only to document the wonders of Mount Mabu’s biodiversity, it’s also eager to involve young people in learning about them.

Alliance Earth Director Jeffrey Barbee and Chairman of the Board Julian Bayliss are working to establish internships that will allow aspiring young journalists to help tell environmental stories. “We’re interested in partnering with young people from the Roaring Fork Valley who have an interest in environmental and science reporting, and helping to mentor young talent with these local stories,” Barbee explains. “We have already partnered with Samantha Adler, who comes from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, to work with us on climate change and national policy issues over the coming months.”

“Starting in November, we will be reviewing basic proposals from students and graduates from our own local high school and university programs that can help inform people about environmental and science issues affecting western Colorado and the local areas,” Barbee continues. “We’re looking for photographic essays, journalistically written stories

The rainforest on Mt. Mabu even covers the ridges and hillsides of the mountain.

30

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

with images, or short films. The goal is to inspire our community and to find new talent to tell local environmental stories and maybe even further-flung stories like Mount Mabu.”

Information about internships can be found on Alliance Earth's website: AllianceEarth.org.

Researchers on previous trips generally took their finds back to laboratories so that they could consult with senior scientists. But Branch and Collins, giants in their fields, were able to confirm potential finds with a more practiced opinion. In some cases, they could confirm new species right there in the forest. That they joined the expedition was testament to the importance of Mount Mabu’s hotbed of biodiversity.

New species are rare. Werner Conradie, a doctoral student working with professor Branch on Mozambique’s Mount Mabu, put it into perspective: “Some people take years, maybe a lifetime, to find one new species. As a young scientist, it’s a dream to find new species—and at this moment, being in this place, anything can be new.”

In the video, trees rise like the pillars of a cathedral. The forest floor is dark, damp and covered in leaf litter. In the darkness of the canyon-like forest floor, the scientists are busy.

“This is new to science!” exclaims Professor Bill Branch, pointing to the small reptile blinking at his flashlight. “We came here especially to find a new species of chameleon, and this is it!” He handles the tiny little hatchling chameleon with care, like a lady looking over a fine diamond.

It’s late, and in June it’s winter here. It's cold in the Mozambican rainforest, but Branch's excitement brings others in the camp out of their beds. Soon, many team members are wandering the forest floor like fireflies, crunching the leaves under their boots and shining their flashlights to look into the thin branches of small trees for chameleons.

The little chameleons are everywhere. Even the untrained eye can pick them out among the foliage, clinging about a meter above ground, every ten meters or so. They sleep above the ground, away from predators. When they’re caught in the harsh glare of the flashlight, they

resent the intrusion, searching with sleep-stuck eyes for the chameleon equivalent of a cup of hot black coffee. Or at least more sleep.

Today, the mountain has been offered some limited protection from loggers, but it has yet to be named as an officially protected National Park.

To raise awareness about this bio-diverse jewel in the sky, Barbee and Bayliss hope to return to the mountain in October, 2016. Their goal is to cross the center of the forest for the first time, to create 360-degree imagery and a film, and to map a trail that can be used for conservation and appropriate environmental tourism in the future.

“We want to let youngsters join the expedition through the internet, and we will be making some special material for school-age kids and their parents to get involved,” explains Bayliss. “We are seeking funding both to underwrite internships for college-aged photographers to join the documentary process in Africa, and also to produce those materials. If you’d like to recommend a person or a program to Alliance Earth, you’re welcome to contact us through our website.”

To follow the expedition, see Alliance Earth’s first short film about it, or make a donation, see AllianceEarth.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeffrey Barbee works as a photojournalist out of his studio in Johannesburg, South Africa and is the executive director of Alliance Earth, a nonprofit based in Basalt. Barbee started his photographic education in 1994 at Colorado Mountain College, then went on to work for National Geographic photographer David Hiser as an apprentice and assistant. Barbee's photographic work on AIDS, education and environmental topics appears regularly in the New York Times, the Guardian, Newsweek, GEO and other newspapers and magazines.

The researchers' forest camp.

September 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

31

Tech Savvy

Prepairing your home for cold weater ARTICLE BRIDGET GREY | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

A

s the person who receives homeowners’ winter distress calls at Ajax Mechanical Services, Janice Sebald is keenly aware of what can go wrong—and how to avoid it.

Ajax Mechanical serves hundreds of customers in Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle Counties, caring for home and commercial HVAC, plumbing and water treatment systems, as well as humidification and snow-melt equipment. Among Ajax’s customer are a number of commercial home management companies. Property Manager Matt Vogel says that Ajax has become his “go-to mechanical company” because of their “honesty, professionalism, immediate call backs, cleanliness and the ability to get the job done right the first time and in a proper timeline.”

The proper time to prepare your home for winter, advises Sebald, is now—late FIVE STEPS FOR September to early October. And proWINTERIZING fessional help is essential. Most local YOUR HEATING & readers will remember the tragic acciWATER SYSTEMS dent that occurred in Aspen in 2008 when a furnace leaked carbon monoxide (CO) and killed a visiting Denver family.

Sebold cautions, “If you have a gas-fired room heater, you really need to have an inspection and have maintenance done by a pro.”

“HVAC systems contain components that, if ignored, can result in damage or poor functionality,” she adds. “The worst thing is when CO gasses are present because they are odorless. Heating equipment requires checkpoints such as filters, cleaning, a carbon check, a thermostat check, glycol (if applicable) and ventilation and all aspects of the heating system. Every year, without fail, you also should test your smoke and carbon monoxide monitors, inspect fire extinguishers, review fire escape plans and clear out old newspapers and other fire hazards. And never, ever store stuff in your mechanical room. It should never be used as a storage area.”

FIVE STEPS TO WINTERIZING YOUR HOME

Here, courtesy of Ajax Mechanical, are five steps you can take to make sure your home is safe, secure and set for stormy weather. #1 SHUT DOWN OUTDOOR FAUCETS AND SPRINKLERS.

“Insulating is key to maintaining the plumbing within your walls,” says Sebald. “Outside, you should remove all garden hoses and blow out the sprinkler systems. We can install a device that automatically 32

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

It's time to check your carbon monoxide detectors.

To prevent leaks and freezing, locals need to insulate and check gas water heaters and furnaces.

shuts down the main water line if it detects a leak, and most insurance companies will provide a discount for installing this device. Heat tape around exposed pipes is another way to provide freeze protection.” #2 GET A PHYSICAL FOR YOUR FURNACE.

In addition to cleaning or replacing dirty furnace filters, it’s important to have a professional inspect your heating system. “We don't recommend customers working on their own equipment simply because manufacturers have specific requirements that must be followed for the warranty to remain in place,” says Sebald. “OEM parts are generally preferred and may not be available to the general public. Sometimes a customer will look online for parts. We don't recommend this, and we wouldn’t install those parts because our company would be responsible for the equipment. A refurbished or defective part would be unsafe and would also void the warranty.” #3 CALL A PROFESSIONAL

“Before hiring someone, a homeowner should always check online at the Colorado Department of Revenue,” advises Sebald. “You can see there if a business is current in its filing with the state. It’s also important to request proof of liability insurance. That covers any damages that can occur during a repair or replacement.”

“A licensed electrician is a must,” she adds. “At Ajax Mechanical, we do minor electrical repairs that are within our plumbing/HVAC parameters. Our technicians are NATE certified, EPA certified and have Master plumbing licenses as well as ACCA certifications.” #4 INSTALL AND CHECK CO SENSORS

Ajax Mechanical strongly recommends installing carbon monoxide sensors, and Sebald notes that CO detectors are available with different levels of sensitivity. “Again, having the system serviced regularly is key,” she adds. #5 – UPGRADE WATER SYSTEMS FOR COMFORT AND SAVINGS.

Homeowners who have a professional onsite to help with winterization may want to consider adding some new features to upgrade the home’s water system. To soften the Roaring Fork Valley’s hard water, Ajax provides a system called Ultima that is often installed in Las Vegas hotels and in Arizona homes and businesses, where the water has an even-higher mineral content than ours. To cut costs and shorten the wait time for hot water, Ajax recommends tankless water heaters. “They’re highly efficient because they only heat the water ‘on demand’,” explains Sebald. “That saves energy because the electric or gas heat doesn't need to run continuously.”

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33

Driving Mule Teams in the Roaring Fork Valley Not Just Any Jackass Can Do It!

ARTICLE GENEVIÈVE

P

ulling up to a trailhead, it’s interesting to see the mix of recreational lifestyles: mountain bikers, dirt bikers, hikers, trail runners…and pack mules. Mules?! Seeing a string of pack mules heading into the backcountry triggers visions of oldtimey camp trips, hunting, fishing and adventure.

Who’s lucky enough to cash in on this?

Wayne Ives is. Spend a single hour with this retired Range Technician from the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District, and it’s easy to understand his contented nature. For 35 years, Ives managed grazing permits with the National Forest Service (NFS). For him, it was a dream job. The best part was riding horseback, leading pack mules to transport materials in and out of the high country.

“Growing up, both my parents were from Iowa—farmers—and we’d go down to my uncle’s and grandfather’s,” Ives explains. “My cousins and I would just jump on the horses, bareback. That’s where I fell in love with ‘em.”

Ives knew he wanted to work outdoors. A few years into his career, Vance Favre, an old Italian rancher working with NFS, took Ives under his wing, guiding him in the art of pack mules.

“I enjoy mules.

They’re different

JOËLLE VILLAMIZAR ------------------------PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Wayne Ives riding Gertie at the top of Gift Creek Pass with Capitol Peak in the background. Photo below

by Clayton Ives.

JIm Duke and a happy donkey; photo at left by Alex Mills.

34

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

than horses.

They have a little Getting hitched, more personality. If Gianinetti style; you have a string, it’s photo by Mike like being around a bunch Brinson. of adolescents. They’re really strong, have a lot of energy and just need a little guidance. And they bond with each other closely.”

Ives enjoyed decades of summers checking fence lines, water sources, weed populations. He lived in fresh mountain air and aspen forests, turning work into friendships with the

valley’s family ranchers. The ease of working with mules made it that much better.

As the offspring of a jackass (male donkey) and a mare (female horse), mules embody hybrid vigor: they inherit the athleticism of horses, but pack more power and endurance. Hardier bones, feet and skin. They require less food and water and fend for themselves.

They’re tough and intelligent, like wild asses. Mules will resist anything they mistrust or that places them in danger, and that’s key for survival in pack animals working the wild west.

A few years back, cattle were grazing in the pristine wilderness and hanging out in campsites around Capitol Lake. Mules packed in all the primitive tools and fence supplies needed for a weeklong fencing project. A temporary electric fence contained the mules in camp, but because they could smell a bear feeding on a dead calf about quarter of a mile away, they sensed danger, Their anxiety grew. Ultimately, they hopped the fence and bolted. All the rangers but Ives scrambled to catch them. “I knew better!” he says. He wasn’t surprised to find them grazing safely at the trailhead the next morning.

Ives now owns two horses and his own mule, Gertie. Pastured alongside NFS animals east of Carbondale, they’re mostly for pleasure riding. Gertie packs in on hunting trips; Ives and his sons ride into high alpine lakes to fish. With a huge grin, he admits, “It’s a lotta fun.”

Roaring Fork Valley icon Jim Duke, who is renowned for his contributions to local recycling and composting programs, grew up riding. He’s the son of a college professor and always wanted a horse. “My dad had this combination of ag knowledge and academic nerdiness—and he’d always reply ‘I’ll consider it if you go for a donkey or a mule.’” When his dad passed away during Duke’s freshman year of college, he finally “got curious and researched it.”

So began Duke’s 37-year relationship with Blossom.

“My longest standing relationship on this planet, literally more than half my life—one of the most constant things in my life,” he says.

With an undergrad in zoology and a masters in range science, Duke says that “animals have always been the most important part of my life.” Over the years, he worked as a handler for emergency vet clinics and as a hand on several ranches, coming to appreciate the hybrid vigor in mules. “Horses are just an accident waiting to happen,” he quips. Very partial to mules, Duke owns no horses.

To see Duke in the pasture with his mules and donkeys, it’s clear they’re more than beasts of burden. Their deep affection mirrors that of man and dog—and there are several of those running around too.

Duke’s family and friends ride often.

Chatting on his trout-pond dock, a stone’s throw from the Roaring Fork River, Duke sweeps his hand across the bowl of surrounding ridges. “I walk out here, and every place you can see on the horizon, I’ve been. You could spend a lifetime just exploring and never wear [it] out. I’m happiest on the move with my dogs and mules.”

“The coolest thing is when you get really tight with a mule and you can ride full throttle bareback through an aspen grove.” He sighs, his body mimicking dodging trees. “It’s even more exciting than skiing it.” This from a man reputed to have raced donkeys through the bars of Woody Creek and Carbondale.

Duke says he’d like to rootlessly follow the seasons, “take off in the spring and head north, Maybe do the Continental Divide or close to it. Do the Pacific Trail heading back down...”

Ernie Giananetti, on the other hand, is deeply rooted to his family’s fifth-generation ranch. His father was a well-known “teamster,” a driver of mule teams. The Gianinetti family now has seven mules and three horses, mostly for pleasure. Ernie likes to drive a team of sister mules that he’s trained for 15 years.

His daughter Melanie Cardiff points out, “Dot and Daisy have bonded to Dad. They’re very protective of him in the herd.”

Being “on hitch” with Ernie has a lot to do with that. “It’s the prestige of it,” she believes. “They’re trained on this and they’re excited to work.”

Adds Ernie, “My dad was an excellent teamster and he always said it’s

Gianinetti mule wagon in a Carbondale Potato Day Parade.

a special person who needs to handle a mule. If that person knows the mules, it’s unbeatable what they can do.” Ernie has trained his mules to respond to about 17 voice commands, such as “gee” and “haw,” right and left, without the use of reins. He can tell them to walk, trot or canter with no physical control. Perhaps this has something to do with why a mule team played a starring role in wedding of Melanie’s daughter Janelle Cardiff Forbes.

“They’re special; we can do pretty much anything with them,” says Melanie. Throughout her interview with Roaring Fork Lifestyle, Melanie’s four-year old grandson Layton hung out with Dot and Daisy, petting their sides and muzzles with nary a concern. “They’re just really good girls. I’ve put every novice rider on ‘em that didn’t know anything!” she chuckles.

Ernie retorts, “We love to put novice riders on ‘em and hear them turn into professionals when they get back!”

Mules have had a place in this valley as long as the settlers have, turning fields, hauling coal and building railroads. Because locals recognize their strengths, mules have become stubbornly lodged in our hearts. They remain valued partners living life in the Roaring Fork Valley.

September 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

35

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

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Inspired By

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Landscapes that Marry Ecology with Psychology ARTICLE NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

THE LANDSCAPE DESIGN OF GENEVIEVE JOELLE VILLAMIZAR

“

Fifteen minutes of relaxation can change the course of your day.

My work creates those opportunities,” muses landscape designer Genevieve Joelle Villamizar. “More so than ever, landscape design is the creation of spaces inviting us to ‘be’, to live in joy and connect.”

Villamizar’s recent projects include the KDNK radio station, a brewery, a distillery inn and the planting plan for Carbondale’s first natural playground at the new LEED-certified Ross Montessori School. Two private projects remain her perennial favorites: a tiny courtyard and a multi-acre horse property. By helping her clients make the right investments and implementing effective systems that reduce costs and inputs, Villamizar’s Salt + Dirt | Outside Design’s span the breadth of outdoor living.

INVESTING IN TRANQUILITY – A SUNKEN LOUNGE

Tommy and MaryAnn Sands never used their backyard—ever. A minuscule lawn, open to the eyes of neighbors peering down from adjacent townhomes, it was so uninviting it had devolved into a spacious cat litter box.

Villamizar layered the space, allowing for different uses through the rhythms of the day. Clematis and roses smother a swinging bench, entwining a sweet summer spot for coffee and contemplation. A custom-fabricated pergola of fiber-coated steel dapples the light during al fresco meals. An expansive parasol offers privacy from the neighbors above. Dark gray hues throughout cool and soothe the space, making plants and details pop. A Buddha meditates over the gardens that enfold and lace the space with fecund life.

“In a postage-stamp project like this, anything is possible,” comments Villamizar. “You are forced to become more creative.

38

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

Ironically, the secret to a small space is subdividing. Breaking it into multiple components expands the energy and potential. This was a radical, complex project that took a lot of courage.” And MaryAnn had that.

Villamizar notes that landscape is often the last thought. “I prefer to work with the architect, from the beginning, to maximize opportunities.” Investments ideally should suit the neighborhood’s price point to avoid what real estate brokers term “over-building.”

“Tom and MaryAnn rose above that,” says Villamizar. “They prioritized their lifestyle and that made it the right investment for them. They have a sweet property where they enjoy jazz and cocktails, gardening and coffee. Their summer revolves around their pleasure grounds.”

NINE POINT SOMETHING – A LANDSCAPE SYSTEM

Dr. Aaron Koepp was Villamizar’s first official design client prior to acquiring her design degree from Colorado State University. He retained her to design his golf course property. Then his medical offices. And finally his horse property, where “not knowing any better, he was investing in systems that decreased the vigor and value of an exceptional piece of land,” Villamizar laughs.

“Now, the landscape slowly evolves from dormancy to seas of waving grass, sparkling with life each season. It’s breathtaking.”

It took three years to revitalize the land. “We were peeling back layers, undoing damage. It was overgrazed and infested with noxious weeds. And there was nowhere to simply ‘be.’”

Villamizar explains that as a landscape designer, she often finds herself “educating the lawn service, the gardener… Most people don’t how to care for nature. We developed management plans to increase vitality and carve a sense of place into the landscape. We significantly reduced maintenance costs.”

“We pulled from the spirit of valley, echoing the red rock hogbacks, the river elements, focusing on grand gestures rather than fussy details,” she explains. “We used aspects of the native landscape to create holding space for family life within it.” She notes that the plant palette was planned to invite birds. As an avid birder, Dr. Koepp soon saw birds he had never before seen.

Of her business’ name, Salt + Dirt | Outside Design, Villamizar says, “If something’s worth its salt, it’s worth exploring. The new

Taking cues from the red rock hogbacks of the surrounding valley, the regraded red road at Nine Point Something makes the complementary reds and greens of the landscape pop.

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39

Road Trip The orchards seen from a high ridge; that's the old schoolhouse at lower left.

A FUN FAMILY OUTING ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER ARTICLE BRIDGET GREY PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

“O

Human kids will enjoy the goats, full-sized horses, a miniature horse and numerous metal-sculpture animals at the orchard.

40

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

ur orchard gives children a chance to see where apples really come from—and that’s not just a store shelf,” says Orchard Creek Ranch owner Kirstie Steiner-Groccia. During apple picking season at this 75-year-old-orchard, kids can use an apple plucker—Steiner describes it as a “basket on a stick”—while their parents and grandparents take a trip down memory lane.

The orchards that make up Orchard Creek Ranch grow heirloom varieties of Jonathan, Rome and Double Red Delicious apples. Prior to Steiner’s 2007 purchase of the ranch, the orchard had three or four owners. The last one planned to develop the land—something the current owners, John Groccia and Kirstie Steiner-Groccia, vow to avoid. They also made a commitment to maintain the now-manicured five-plus acres so they never again have to clear ditches, bulldoze roads, remove old barbed wire, clear overgrown weeds and hack through a massive pruning job —as Steiner did for the first three years.

No one knows what pioneer transported the trees from the east and planted them here along the Colorado River’s drainage; it’s a mystery to ponder. “When we bought the orchard, I

didn’t even know the trees were planted in rows,” exclaims Steiner-Groccia. “It was that overgrown.” The orchards—there are actually an upper and a lower orchard, each growing different types of apple trees—harbor several mysteries: Who placed the horseshoe on the trunk of the lower-orchard tree that has now grown around it? How long ago was that, and what animal wore the shoe? Was the upper orchard planted to serve the now-defunct, oneroom District 32 schoolhouse that borders it?

Kirstie Steiner and her husband, John Groccia, had never owned an orchard before. Steiner, a well-known local artist, did have construction background. John brought extensive commercial and residential landscaping experience to the property.

Now, each spring, the couple and their two expert helpers, Luis Rosales and Uriel Ochoa, strip energy-wasting sucker branches from the 255 trees and prune new branches to let in light and air. Once blossoms open and fruit appears in June, they thin the apple clusters to ensure the crop will have ample room to grow large, mature fruits.

Growing team Luis Rosales, Kirstie Steiner-Groccia and John Groccia.

By September, the tiny apples will have more than quadrupled in size and will be ready for baking into pies, drying for apple leather and pressing into cider—as well as eating!

“In our juice, we use three kinds of apples,” notes Steiner. “Our heirloom Double Red Delicious—they don’t taste anything like the sweet, mushy ones you get in the store—really compliment the tart Jonathan and sweet Rome apples.”

During the fall, the orchard’s crew spends three, eight-hour days each week just pressing their cider.

“It’s a lot of work, but we love it,” says Steiner.

“It’s very physical, but you get to see what you did that day. I also see amazing animals

out here—30 to 40 elk walking through the orchard. In the fall, deer and elk will come eat all the excess apples on the ground. And at the same time, they fertilize the orchard. My work is a labor of love, and I couldn’t ask for a better job.”

Groccia and Steiner are proud of the fact that no pesticides are used: In 2013, during the rainy season, the growers released 100,000 ladybugs among the trees. Today, many of the red-and-black spotted aphid-eaters are still on the job. In the spring, when the crew sees Pressing cider by hand.

worms, they spray the apples with mixture of Castile Soap, canola oil and water, continuing every two weeks until harvest.

The you-pick apple season at Orchard Creek Ranch begins around the last weekend of September and runs through October, weather permitting. In addition to picking apples, which are sold by the pound, the culinary treats for sale include organic fresh-pressed apple cider, apple cider vinegar, dried apple chips, apple-wood chips for barbecuing and apple firewood. The ranch also sells grass and alfalfa hay.

Locals would be well advised to get a jump on their apple picking; an enthusiastic group called Vail Moms discovered the orchard last year and intends to come back again this year, making it a yearly outing. Those wanting to take a road trip to pick heirloom apples are invited to pack a picnic lunch and bring the whole family. Wear flat, sturdy shoes and a sunhat and bring drinking water.

Orchard Creek Ranch is located between Glenwood Springs and New Castle, just off I-70 at exit 109; watch for the signs. It's open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Renovate & Refine

SCOTTY TRAILER GETS A Scotty trailer exterior- after

PORTION OF SALE TO BENEFIT CARE

Makeover

Scotty trailer exterior - before

J

ohn Watkins, an architect/builder who volunteers at CARE building kennels and cat condos, has a sideline restoring old trailers. The most recent one is an aptly-named Scotty trailer.

Watkins describes it as “a cute little camper with a canned-ham body style that people fall in love with." He says, "She’s basically a brand-new old camper, total frame-off restoration with all new plumbing, electrical, insulated, siding and trim.”

The 10- by 7-foot Scotty has been made cozy with 1½” rigid insulation and a fully remodeled interior that includes new birch and alder trim, a table, a new three-burner stainless steel cooktop powered by propane, the Scotty’s original ice box, a sink and a 10-gallon water tank. A fan and a roof vent keep the trailer cool in summer. The couch opens into a bed and the table drops down to form a second bed.

The Scotty is the latest in a long string of restorations done by Watkins, who teamed up with Dennis Bracegirdle, a Carbondale native with a construction background, after the 2008 recession. Calling themselves DJ Custom Restorations, the two have a shop in the Basalt Business Center. To

42

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

ARTICLE BRIDGET GREY | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Refurbished interior

date, they have restored nearly 30 vintage campers, showing them at the annual Glenwood Springs antique auto show and selling them online to people across the U.S. and Canada.

“When you tear into these old gals, they are completely rotten,” Watkins says. But after six years of on-the-job, in-the-trailer learning, Watkins and Bracegirdle have become expert at removing the ravages of time. They hope to eventually share their restoration process via a TV reality show.

“A restored camper is like a quality, restored vintage car,” says Watkins.

“Our campers are restored to the highest quality and rebuilt to last another 50 years. It is our belief that as long as you maintain and care for your camper, it will not lose its value. I look at them as a fun investment!”

Watkins is selling the Scotty for $15,000 via an online site called “Tin Can Tourist” and via Western Slope Craigslist (search for “1970’s Scotty”).

DJ Custom Restorations is located at 155 Park Avenue, Unit 10 in Basalt.

They can also be reached by phoning John Watkins at 970.379-2592 and Dennis Bracegirdle at 970.404.2602.

Driver’s Notebook

The Evolution of Automotive Design at Berthod Motors OLD FASHIONED SERVICE, CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

GMC Acadia Denali 2017

Buick Envision 2017

Buick Cascada 2017

ARTICLE JOHN TINDALL | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

O

ver the past summer, Berthod Motors, a venerable Roaring Fork Valley business, has been offering a new generation of automotive designs that set a contemporary standard of design and excellence.

For a local family to own any business for 72 continuous years, is, in and of itself, a unique accomplishment. To ride out all the technological changes in the automotive business—beginning with Louie Berthod’s vision of providing automotive repair and service in 1944 in downtown Glenwood Springs to today’s computerized vehicles—has required some resilience.

Back when running boards were the rage, in the late 1940’s, Fred Gerbaz began his employment at Berthod Motors. In 1971, the age of vinyl sunroofs, Fred and Edna Gerbaz purchased Berthod Motors from Louie, and then began providing quality service and products to meet the needs of our growing valley.

It wasn’t long before their son Don graduated from college and joined the dealership. Today, he’s the general manager.

Fast forward to today: Berthod Motors has evolved into one of the area’s largest automotive dealerships. It offers a complete line-up of GMC SUVs, light- and heavy-duty trucks, plus luxury lines of Buick SUVs and cars. Other divisions include the John Deere Equipment Division, plus Berthod Motors Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep dealerships.

Over this past summer, Berthod Motors began offering a new generation of automotive designs that are setting standards for style and excellence. Here are three vehicles that set the pace.

THE 2017 ACADIA SUV

Sculpted outside, refined with interior innovation is the all new GMC 2017 Acadia SUV. Engineered with an exceptional selection of exterior and interior safety features, the Acadia offers a full level of connectivity, available 4G connectivity, quiet–tuned interior and luxurious comfort.

THE 2017 BUICK ENVISION

Berthod’s f leet now features the first-ever 2017 Buick Envision. Size-wise, the Envision fits perfectly between the smaller, more-compact Buick Encore and the mid-size, larger Buick Enclave. It’s offered with three trim levels and power options. But with all three versions, there is only one standard—superior quality and design.

THE 2017 BUICK CASCADA CONVERTIBLE

For those seeking more driving excitement, Berthod Motors is now showing the all-new, luxurious, 2017 Buick Cascada convertible. It’s a modern-day expression of a large luxury car, offered at a very affordable price.

The Berthod Motors dealerships are easy to find. They’re located along the banks of the Roaring Fork River on Grand Avenue south of the Sunlight Bridge in Glenwood Springs.

September 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

43

Lifestyle Calendar

September SEPTEMBER 9

SEPTEMBER 13TH – 18TH

STORM: RECENT WORKS BY LISA SINGER

NATIONAL SHEEPDOG FINALS

ART BASE ANNEX IN BASALT

STRANG RANCH CARBONDALE

The Art Base Annex is proud to present Storm: Recent Works by Lisa

Watch 200 top dog/handler teams competing for over $40,000 in prize

Singer, featuring paintings and sculptures that hold together the di-

money. Food and craft fair, lamb-cooking demonstrations and doggie

chotomy of the turbulent, sinister nature of storms and the calm, un-

demonstrations. Proceeds from the gate benefit Colorado Animal Res-

wavering center within. Exhibition opening begins at 7 p.m.

cue (CARE) and Aspen Valley Land Trust. Tickets may be purchased at

SEPTEMBER 9-11 GRIEF RECOVERY SEMINAR

the gate; event takes place at Strang Ranch in Missouri Heights. Visit SheepdogFinals.com for details. No outside dogs allowed.

PITKIN COUNTY SENIOR CENTER

SEPTEMBER 16-18

Pathfinders presents the Grief Recovery Method®, a powerful action

SPECTRUM DANCE FESTIVAL

program for moving beyond losses including death, divorce, pet loss,

LAUNCHPAD, CARBONDALE

financial loss, loss of safety, etc .Held September 9 from 5:30 to 7:30

The fifth annual Spectrum Dance Festival presents performances

p.m. and September 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sliding scale

of original choreography and an outstanding series of workshops

available. Contact Jennifer at 970.456.7026 for info and to register.

including tap, hip hop, contemporary and modern technique, acro

SEPTEMBER 10 TRIBUTE TO BOB DYLAN AND THE BAND GLENWOOD CAVERNS ADVENTURE PARK

yoga, and aerial silks. Celebrate our local dance artists at the Local Color Performance Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Carbondale Middle School.

Info and tickets for other performers at DanceInitiative.org

Local musicians pay tribute to two icons of American music, Bob

SEPTEMBER 17

Dylan and the Band, bringing folk, rock, bluegrass and gospel togeth-

FIFTY50 ROCK CONCERT

er for one magical, musical night. Enjoy a free tram ride beginning at

GLENWOOD CAVERNS ADVENTURE PARK

4 p.m. and live music with the donation of a can of food for LiftUp. The

Dave Stoltzfus, Beth Getzen Stoltzfus, Dale Loper, Jerry Larsen

band plays shows at 6 and 8 p.m.

and Tom Mercer make up the Fifty50 band. Their music—classic,

SEPTEMBER 11

modern and original rock—and their blend of vocal harmonies and instrumental energy make them unique. Ride the tram free begin-

K9 5-K

ning at 4 p.m. with the donation of a can of food for LiftUp. The

CROWN MOUNTAIN PARK

band plays 6 to 10 p.m.

Join the fourth annual K9-5K fundraiser, sponsored by Alpine Animal Hospital. $20 registration fee; first 20 to register starting at 9 a.m. receive a

SEPTEMBER 17

free t-shirt. Proceeds help fund veterinary treatment needs of pet owners

THE OFF BASE BALL & SILENT AUCTION

in need. Join us, and by doing, so potentially save or significantly improve

THE ART BASE IN BASALT

the life of a beloved animal. For details see AlpineHospital.com.

Join us for the Art Base’s an-

SEPTEMBER 11

nual fundraising summer gala!

Festivities will include dinner

CHRISTIAN MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN

and drinks, live music, and a

GLENWOOD CAVERNS ADVENTURE PARK

silent auction including one

The Orchard, a collective of local musicians, worships with a va-

hundred 10 x 10 inch artworks

riety of styles from keyboard-driven rock to finger-picking folk.

donated by artists based in the

The New Creation Church Worship Team plays energetic, uplifting

Roaring Fork Valley. For more

music. Enjoy a free tram ride after 2 p.m. with the donation of a

information and tickets, visit

can of food for LiftUp. The bands play from 4 to 8 p.m. for this

TheArtBase.org.

special Sunday event.

CONTINUED >

44

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

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45

Lifestyle Calendar

(CON TI N U ED)

SEPTEMBER 23

SEPTEMBER 23 - 25

Nick Kuhlmann, Paul Barker, Erik McPher-

BOOK-SIGNING FOR GROWING A LIFE

MINDFULNESS FOUNDATIONS COURSE

son, Kim Kwiatkowski and Bob Stepniewski.

EXPLORE BOOKSELLERS

MINDFUL LIFE PROGRAM, THIRD

Enjoy “AM Gold” sounds of the 60s plus hits

Dr. Illene Pevec will sign autographs and

STREET CENTER

from all ages and genres. Enjoy a free tram

read from her new book, Growing a Life:

Join the Mindful Life Program Foun-

ride beginning at 4 p.m. with the donation of

Teen Gardeners Harvest Food, Health, and

dations Course, a lively and engaging

a can of food for LiftUp. The band plays from

Joy. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Explore Booksell-

16-hour

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

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

Murray Dental Group (970) 945-5112 murraydg.com Verheul Family Dentistry P.C. (970) 963-3010 verheulfamilydentistry.com

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Country Rose Boutique (970) 319-8894

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 Fahrenheit Body Spas (970) 315-1234 fahrenheitbodyspas.com Hot Springs Pool & Spa (970) 945-6571 hotspringspool.com Midland Fitness (970) 945-4440 midland-fitness.com

48

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 B & H General Contractors (970) 945-0102 bandhgeneralcontractors.com

HOME DESIGN & FURNISHINGS

Down Valley Design Center (970) 625-1589

LUXURY AUTOMOTIVE

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

MEDICAL CLINICS & FACILITIES

The Fireplace Company (970) 963-3598 thefpco.com

MORTGAGE

True North Hearth & Home (970) 230-9363 truenorthfireplaces.com

Liberty Home Financial (970) 945-7210 libertyhomefinancial.com

OTHER

Ajax Mechanical Services (970) 984-0579 ajaxmechanical.com

Seamless Design (970) 876-2232

AV by Design (970) 945-6610 avbydesignllc.com

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

Delta Disaster Services (970) 712-5298 deltawesterncolorado.com

LANDSCAPING

Elite Hardwood Floors (970) 366-1676

LEGAL

Gianinetti Spring Creek Ranch (970) 379-0809

Balcomb & Green P.C. (970) 945-6546 balcombgreen.com

Green Tech Electrical (970) 618-2163 green-techelectrical.com

Brown & Brown, P.C (970) 945-1241 brownandbrownpc.com

Midland Shoe (970) 927-0902 midlandshoe.com

The Noone Law Firm PC (970) 945-4500 noonelaw.com

Network Interiors (970) 984-9100

Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

Spring Creek Land & Waterscapes (970) 963-9195 springcreeklandandwaterscapes.com

Win Health Institute (970) 279-4099 winhealthinstitute.com

HOME SERVICES

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

Roaring Fork Valley COOP (970) 963-2220

Osage Gardens. Inc. (970) 876-0668 osagegardens.com

West Canyon Tree Farm (970) 305-7556 westcanyontreefarm.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 Compass (970) 925-6063 shaneaspen.com The Property Shop (970) 947-9300 propertyshopinc.com

SPECIALTY SHOPS Bleu Door Boutique (970) 945-3070

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Parting Thoughts

OF

RELATIONSHIPS

AND HERDING CATS WORDS NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT

M

any parents get pets for their kids to teach them about the care that goes into building a relationship. That's probably why, when I was two, my mother got me a black puppy that I named “Bow Wow.” All her life, my mom laughed about the neighbors’ reactions when she would lean out the back door and call, "Bow Wow! Bow Wow!” After Bow Wow was killed by a car, my father said, “no more pets”. I first subverted that edict by keeping horned toads inside my sock drawer (mostly). Somehow, my little Godzilla escaped several times. The last time, I was searching for it when I heard a scream from the living room where my mom was being interviewed. A white-gloved lady who had come to take the census accidently found my horned toad—it was hanging by its tiny toenails, clinging to a coarsely-spun fabric lampshade, just inches from her face. That incident outed Godzilla, and I had to let him (or her?) go in the garden.

After that, I befriended a neighbor’s orange-striped tomcat who would come to visit when my brother and I built blanket tents in our yard. I called him “Puss.” (I had a way with names!)

Truthfully, I wasn’t too successful in bonding with the horned toads. But since Puss, who got smuggled into my room many times, I have had a dynasty of ginger tomcats. The ninth and current one— the one sitting on my keyboard—is called Apricat.

Woden was the sixth. I trained him to fetch paper balls, to play ping-pong with balled-up socks, and at night, if I snapped my fingers, he would run down the hall and curl up on the foot of my bed.

Woden was deeply intuitive. No matter what time I came home, he’d be waiting, his little striped face peering out the window. I wondered if he could recognize my footsteps? If I was upset, he’d

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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | September 2016

sit on my lap, purr and bump noses in that feline love gesture called bunting. Woden saw me through interstate moves, divorces, injuries and heartbreak, proving far more constant than some of the human tomcats who shared my living quarters. Woden and I were deeply, wordlessly bonded.

About three years into Woden’s life, I left him with friends while I traveled in Europe. When I returned six months later, I wasn’t sure if he’d remember me.

For the first two days, Woden sat near me, just out of reach, frostily turning his back to me. On day three, he turned and glared at me—almost all day.

But that evening, as I was getting ready for bed, on a whim, I gave Woden the snapping-fingers command. He sprinted down the hall, jumped up on the foot of my friends’ guest bed and began to purr! I was dumbfounded. It was the same command and the same cat—but a different bed, a different house and a different year on the calendar!

Mom was right. I have learned a lot about relationships—both human and animal—from living with cats. For example: • Live in the moment • Don’t hold grudges • Learn to give and take. Compared to dogs, cats aren’t all that eager to please; no cat would pull a sled through the snow just to win points with a human! To befriend a cat, you have to sometimes accept his timing and interests. That's not a bad idea with people either.

• Cuddling helps—sometimes a wordless touch is just what’s needed.

• You can’t command love. You just have to be there, offer your heart and let it come. Anything else is just herding cats.

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September 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle

51

in

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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO 81601

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