At Home in Steamboat Springs by Steamboat Pilot & Today

SPRING 2009

Make gnocchi just like the pros!

Going to the chapel Your guide to getting married in Steamboat Page 33

PLUS! Run a 10K in 6 weeks Historic Crawford home gets back to its roots

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Contents

Departments 16 Steamboat Seen People and events across town

20 Cooking With

Riggio’s in downtown Steamboat

22 Health & Wellness

Needle away stress with acupuncture

24 Staying Fit

Get ready to run a 10K in six weeks or less

26 Q & A

Get to know new city manager Jon Roberts

30 Road Trip

Find solitude at Needles District of Canyonlands National Park

74 Ross remembers

Nordic combined champions’ climb up Mount Olympus

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Contents

Inside — A special supplement to At Home

Features

WEDDING GUIDE The Wedding Guide is packed full of information to help you plan your wedding. The section starts on page 33 and includes:

61 A Thai new year Reporter Blythe Terrell takes a trip to Thailand

64 Library as comfortable as your living room Bud Werner Memorial Library thrives in Information Age

70 Peek inside the

historic Crawford home After many years, the home is restored and back in tune

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8 common flower questions

Profile of a local wedding

Directory of wedding service providers

5 common food questions

6 common cake questions

❰ On the cover, bride Heather Richey poses for At Home photographer John F. Russell. Read about Heather’s wedding and see her actual wedding photos, starting on page 38.

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Suzanne Schlicht Publisher Scott Stanford Director of Sales and Marketing Brent Boyer Editor Allison Miriani Editor and designer Meg Boyer Creative Services Manager Steve Balgenorth Circulation Manager John F. Russell Photographer Writers Melinda Dudley, Zach Fridell, Brandon Gee, Margaret Hair, Tom Ross, Blythe Terrell Advertising Design and Production Suzanne Becker, Kailey Fowler, Meghan Hine, Julie Molema, Fran Reinier, Russ Savage, Gayle Yovis Advertising Sales Kerry Crimmins, Karen Gilchrist, Jill Hines, Mary Beth Magalis, Deb Proper, Blake Stansbery, Aimee Weekslynn Copy editing Nicole Miller, Amanda Phillips, Steven Reckinger, Christopher Woytko

At Home in Steamboat Springs is published quarterly, in January, April, July and October, by the Steamboat Pilot & Today. At Home magazines are free. For advertising information, call Scott Stanford at 970-871-4202. To get a copy mailed to your home, call Steve Balgenorth at 970-871-4232. E-mail letters to the editor to bboyer@steamboatpilot.com or amiriani@steamboatpilot.com or call Brent Boyer at 970-871-4221 or Allison Miriani at 970-871-4207.

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From the Editor

Behind the scenes T

Mail your comments, criticisms or ideas to: At Home in Steamboat Springs, Attn: Allison Miriani, P.O. Box 774827, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477. You can also e-mail amiriani@steamboatpilot.com.

his is the 12th edition of At Home, and it’s my favorite one yet. This issue is packed with great photos and interesting stories about local people — people like you. We pushed the envelope to get fresh photos beyond the typical posed shots. Who knew it would be so easy to get someone to pose for us while literally kneeling in a pile of books? I wheeled a book cart around Bud Werner Memorial Library and ﬁlled it multiple times with books while photographer John F. Russell prepared the set so library Director Chris Painter could be surrounded by one of her favorite things —“brain candy,” as she calls them (page 64). For the Q & A section, we didn’t want a city ofﬁcial simply sitting at his desk, and new City Manager Jon Roberts really let us have some fun with one of his favorite extracurricular activities. Roberts agreed to take a dip in the Old Town Hot Springs pool — while decked out in scuba gear. Immersing the aquarium to keep Russell’s camera dry for the shot was the tough part. Regardless, the result was worth the effort. (page 26) Of course, there’s another reason this issue is so close to my heart — it includes the Wedding Guide. The special wedding supplement is geared toward local couples and regular Yampa Valley visitors planning their weddings in Steamboat Springs. It’s packed with information about local businesses and resources to help you plan the wedding you’ve always dreamed of. By the time this issue hits newsstands, my own wedding will be over. (I got married

April 4!) My big day hasn’t hit as I sit here writing this, yet I already feel a little nostalgic as I design this edition of At Home’s pages and look through the photos for this year’s guide. I’ve been to ﬁve weddings in Steamboat, and each one was very special. Steamboat Springs has so many options for ceremony and reception locations, themes and activities for guests. No wonder so many couples choose to have destination weddings in Steamboat each year. From getting married in one of the many local churches, to planning an outdoor fete in the botanic gardens or a barbecue dinner at a ranch, our area offers beauty and charm that guests won’t soon forget. Adam and Heather Richey are featured in this year’s Wedding Guide. (page 38) The Richeys married on top of Steamboat Ski Area. Their family, mostly from Indiana, came to visit and became a part of the lifestyle Adam and Heather have led since moving to Steamboat six years ago. The couple held wedding events including a local happy hour outside by the Yampa River, and the ride up the gondola allowed those who hadn’t been here in the winter a chance to see the mountain the couple enjoys so much. What makes a Steamboat wedding extra special is when you are lucky enough to also call Steamboat Springs home. I am extremely excited that my family and friends were able to travel long distances to come support Matt and I. And I can’t wait to put together next year’s Wedding Guide. — Allison Miriani

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Steamboat Seen

Jo Semotan, from left, Billy Kidd, Linda Whittle, Bill Chounet, Jimmy Heuga, Vince Arroyo, Michelle Avery and Wes Dearborn pose at the Heuga VIP Invitational at Harwigs/L’Apogee in January.

Sandy Miller, from left, Debbie Zoub and Keith Miller at the Heuga VIP Invitational. The fundraiser helped raise money for the Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis.

Jimmy Heuga signs T-shirts at the event. Volunteers Deb Zoub, left, and Claudia Beverly Lehrer-Brennan, left, and Stacey Kramer at the Heuga VIP Invitational at Smith lend a helping hand. Harwigs/L’Apogee restaurant.

Jamie Jenny, left, and Billy Kidd, right, join John Lamb and his girlfriend, MaryLiz Gale, at the Heuga VIP invitational in January. Lamb had the highest bid for two of the auction items at the event, which helped raise money for the Heuga Center for James Jenny, owner of Harwigs/L’Apogee, and auctioneer Cookie Lockhart share a light moment at this year’s event. Lockhart helped run the auction at the event. Multiple Sclerosis.

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Steamboat Seen

Michelle Avery and Nelson Carmichael were two of the guests at this year’s Heuga VIP Invitational.

Pamela and Dennis Kinder at the Heuga VIP Invitational at Harwigs/ L’Apogee.

Keith Kramer, from left, Stacey Kramer and Billy Kidd at the event in January.

Gary Robinson, from left, Jeanette Robinson and Jo Semotan at the Heuga VIP Invitational in January.

Dutch Elting and Michelle Avery

Rita Cleary and Nelson Carmichael

Judy Demers ﬂies across the ﬁnish line of the Colorado Ski For Women event at the Steamboat Ski Touring Center ahead of her husband, Tiger. The event raised money for Advocates Building Peaceful Communities.

Linda Faiola, left, and Jane Blackstone got into the theme of this year’s Colorado Ski For Women event at the Steamboat Ski Touring Center. They opted to snowshoe the course instead of skiing it, but they went all out with their PacMan costumes.

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Cooking With

Riggio’s

Riggio’s owners Richard and Stacy Most offer a unique Italian menu. One of Richard’s favorite dishes is the lobster and shrimp gnocchi, served with a Chianti classico.

Simplyscrumptious A

few simple things — including simplicity itself — can make all the difference in your cooking, Rich Most said. “It’s the simplicity of Italian food that really drives me,” said Most, executive chef at Riggio’s in downtown Steamboat Springs. Most and his wife, Stacy, own the restaurant. “Some of the best dishes are garlic, basil and tomato. Nothing else. It becomes more poignant. If you say there’s basil in the dish, you should be able to taste the basil in the dish.” Perfection for Most is two or three ingredients cooked perfectly. A typical meal he would cook for himself at home is a piece

of ﬁsh with garlic and lemon juice. “The tendency is to ask, ‘What can I add to this dish?’” Most said. “When in reality we should be asking, ‘What can I take out of this dish?’ … You’re putting layers of other stuff in there and it’s … just going to smother those other ingredients.” By the sheer number of ingredients involved in Most’s lobster and shrimp gnocchi, the restaurant’s popular dish is somewhat of an exception to the chef’s preference for simplicity. Cooked expertly, however, each ingredient plays its distinct role with none of the feared smothering. Gnocchi, one of Italy’s oldest pastas, has a humble history itself and was born

from the necessity of poorer 12th Century Italians to subsist on what was readily available — namely potatoes and wheat. “Basically, in any culture, food develops from what’s available, and ironically in a lot of cultures, it’s the people who don’t have a lot … who come up with dishes … that are very desired today,” Most said. “Gnocchi is a perfect example of that. Now you put gnocchi on the menu in a nice Italian restaurant and people go nuts for it.” Gnocchi can be purchased in stores, but for those who will make their own, Most’s favorite base is the Idaho potato. Potatoes convert to glucose fairly quickly in the body, triggering the release of insulin,

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Richard Most adds pesto, a mixture of fresh basil, garlic, Romano cheese and pine nuts, to the sauce of his lobster and shrimp gnocchi. The dish is one of his favorites at Riggio’s in downtown Steamboat Springs. which leads to increased levels of relaxing serotonin in the brain. For Most, making gnocchi is a relaxing activity itself. He recommends pinching each one to create indentations that will hold the sauce, immediately dropping them to a floured surface to limit handling, and cooking them right away if possible. When it comes to the sauce, Most stresses that cooks remember another golden rule that, if followed, will translate Lobster and Shrimp Gnocchi Gnocchi (four servings)* Ingredients: 1 pound baking potatoes 1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Dash paprika Dash grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Instructions: with cold 1. Peel the potatoes, cut in quarters, cover cook until and cover heat, e reduc boil, a to water, bring t 2 cups. abou have d tender. Drain and mash. You shoul salt, a flour, the her toget stir bowl, g mixin 2. In a large ped chop the and eg, few dashes of paprika and nutm parsley. onto a floured 3. Add the warm potatoes and turn out and not mixed well is h doug until just d surface. Knea sticky. Let rest for 15 minutes. into logs about 1 4. Roll chunks of dough on floured board inch thick. 3/4 t abou inch thick. Cut into diagonal slices

into better results with all dishes. “It’s important to add your ingredients that need to be sautéed to bring out the ﬂavor of those ingredients before you add your liquids,” Most said. In this dish, the rule applies to the garlic, tomatoes and artichokes that need to be sautéed before other ingredients are added. For example, if you add the white wine before the garlic, you’ll end up with more of a raw garlic taste rather than a distinct

cooked garlic taste encapsulated in the sauce. “Little things like that make all the difference in the dish,” Most said. The Mosts recommend pairing their lobster and shrimp gnocchi with a bottle of Chianti classico. “It’s not just about the great food,” Stacy Most said. “It’s about enjoying it with other people with a great bottle of wine.”

After they rise to 5. Boil a large pot of water. Add gnocchi. 10 minutes, for er simm and heat the lower ce, the surfa uncovered. pasta sauce. 6. Drain well and cover with your favorite ch; you can scrat from made * Gnocchi do not have to be ets mark alty speci or ets mark super in chi ﬁnd gnoc

Pinch salt and pepper 2 tablespoon pecorino romano 1 tablespoon butter Makes 1 serving

Sauce (one serving) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic 3 ounces lobster tail, medallions 3 ounces shrimp 1/2 cup artichokes, 1/4 round 1/2 cup roma tomatoes 1/4 cup white wine garlic, Romano 2 tablespoon Pesto (mixture of fresh basil, nuts) pine e, chees 1 tablespoon cream 1 cup gnocchi

Instructions: 2-quart pot and 1. Boil water with 1 tablespoon salt in a . done re they’ ﬂoat, add gnocchi. When they . Strain 2. 3. Heat a sauté pan. lobster, and 4. Add oil. When oil is hot, add shrimp and minute, and one for Sauté er. season with salt and pepp pan. from ve remo toes, and sauté 5. Add garlic, artichokes and roma toma as. arom get you until 6. Add white wine, and reduce by half. 7. Return lobster and shrimp to pan. half. 8. Add pesto and cream, and reduce by ng in sauce. cooki ﬁnish and chi, gnoc d cooke Add 9. 10. Finish with butter and cheese

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Health & Wellness

Acupuncture basics

Needling away stress

ost people do not ﬁnd needles a stress-decreasing experience, but many others turn to acupuncture and Chinese medicine to help relieve the symptoms of stress. Acupuncture can be used to treat many things, including stress, depression, allergies, asthma and pain from a variety of injuries, said Kelley McDaneld, of Yampa Valley Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. “I have been treating people a little more for (stress) lately,” said Kate Higgins, of Sleeping Giant Acupuncture. “People also come in for something else and end up adding that on.” Chinese medicine began to take off in the United States in the 1970s, and the acupuncture side of it, in particular, has gained popularity and respect even in Western medicine circles, and it is now frequently covered by insurance, McDaneld said. “This is the oldest medicine in the world, and it’s still considered alternative,” she said. Acupuncture points are located on channels called meridians where the body’s energy ﬂows, and Chinese medicine views stress conditions as connected to the liver and gallbladder, McDaneld said. General emotion stress typically is diagnosed as “liver chi stagnation,” she said. People experiencing stress often feel tightness and knots in their shoulders and neck, areas through which the body’s gallbladder channel runs, McDaneld said.

Another key point in acupuncture for stress relief is on the outside of the leg, near the head of the fibula. The ears are a target zone, as well. Ears are very sensitive, and needling them produces a relaxing effect also seen in animals, McDaneld said. During acupuncture, needles are typically left in for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, Higgins said. Although the needling can be felt, it is not painful, and first-timers who are fearful of the needles tend to report that the positive effects outweigh their initial anxiety, McDaneld said. “You want to feel a little something — it’s not like getting a shot,” McDaneld said. In addition to addressing what Eastern medicine considers the sources of stress, acupuncture also can be used to help alleviate some of its common symptoms, including headaches, sleep issues, head and shoulder tension, and anxiety, Higgins said. “You try to treat the root problem and some symptom points,” Higgins said. Another benefit to acupuncture, that will help provide stress relief even to those who may not believe in the philosophies of Eastern medicine, is the half-hour people set aside for the treatment, McDaneld said. “Rarely do you just take a break, lay down, rest and stop,” McDaneld said. — Story by Melinda Dudley Photo by John F. Russell

For newcomers to acupuncture, Eastern medicine can be like “speaking another language,” said Kelley McDaneld, of Yampa Valley Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. An Eastern medicine diagnosis can start out much like a visit with a doctor, with questions about medical history and symptoms, taking a client’s pulse and examining his or her tongue. However, the course of treatment may be a little different than what people are used to. In addition to acupuncture, a course of treatment can include education about nutrition, a form of Chinese massage called tuina, exercise such as Qi Gong and Tai Chi, and herbs, which can be taken in pills or in a bulk form and used to make teas. Herbal formulas are tailored to an individual and their specific diagnosis, as opposed to Western medicine’s “one pill fits all” philosophy, McDaneld said. “Sometimes the Western medicine works great for people, but sometimes it doesn’t. … This can fill in the gaps,” McDaneld said. Kate Higgins, who practices the Chinese and Japanese forms at Sleeping Giant Acupuncture, said the milder Japanese form may be better for first-timers who are “needle-phobic.” Chinese acupuncture uses deeper needling with thicker instruments, she said. “Some people feel the needles a lot more than others. Most feel a small sensation going in, and the sensation dies down,” Higgins said. “Then the relaxation sets in.” The human body has 360 acupuncture points on the body, on 12 main meridians through which the body’s energy is said to flow, McDaneld said. “By putting an acupuncture needle in these points, you’re affecting blood flow in the area and have a neural response,” McDaneld said. The stimulation can cause endorphins, neurotransmitters and other hormones to be released, McDaneld said. For treatment of pain, the needling unblocks obstructions and gets your blood flowing again, McDaneld said.

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Staying Fit

Race-ready in 6 weeks or less Story by Zach Fridell â?&#x2DC; Photo by John F. Russell

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he Steamboat Springs Marathon, a taunting reminder to the marginally ﬁt Steamboat resident, will rear its head once again June 7, when runners from across the state and country tackle the 26.2mile course up and down local hills. But for the uninitiated runner, there is time yet to steel legs and nerves to face the challenge. A whole marathon may be stretching the limits of responsible training for the non-runner, but a 10-kilometer run, said experienced runner Todd Trapp, is feasible in just six weeks. “If it’s a person who is in shape, they’re going to be able to do some running and get out and put in that time to be ready to run six miles,” said Trapp, the Moffat County High School cross-country coach. The key, he said, is consistency. For a person who exercises at least semi-regularly, there is a chance to increase the intensity gradually during six weeks as long as the potential runner sticks to a schedule “This is all looking at a person who really hasn’t been doing too much, but most people who want to ﬁnish a 10K will have been doing something,” he said. “It’s going to be tough if they haven’t been doing cardio work, if they’ve just been doing yoga.” Trapp, a Craig resident, is an active runner in the Steamboat Springs community and won the 2008 Steamboat Springs Running Series with 137 points, 26 points ahead of the nearest competitor. Trapp took points in seven of the 10 races during the season and placed second in the 2008 Steamboat Springs Marathon.

❱❱ Six-week prep plan Week 1: Get into a rhythm. Training for this kind of race will require running three to four days a week, or more, until the race day. Taking more than a couple of days off will significantly hurt, Trapp said. Start by running two to three miles at a time. The goal by the end of the regimen is to run five miles nonstop before the 6.2-mile race. Week 2: Increase to three miles twice a week, with two miles on the other two or three days. Week 3: Try to work up to a three- or four-mile run, Trapp said, with a recovery day of a two- or three-miler. By this time, a four-mile run should be possible. Training continues three to four days a week. Week 4: By this time it should be possible to complete at least one run of four to five miles, Trapp said. Week 5: At least one five-mile run should be completed by now. The rest of the days should include shorter runs of three or four miles, with runs five days a week. Week 6: Marathon preparation. Run six days this week, up to four miles. Trapp recommends a speed accession Tuesday or Wednesday before Sunday’s race. Take Friday off, but run for about 35 minutes Saturday to loosen up. The night before the marathon, chow down. Pasta is Trapp’s favorite. In the morning, eat a small amount of food to replenish calories lost in the night and drink about 8 ounces of liquid per hour before the race to stay hydrated. Now you’re ready. Strap on the running shoes, take a last drink of water, and you’re off. Next year, it’s the marathon.

❱❱ To register For information and to register for the Steamboat Springs Marathon 10-kilometer race June 7, visit www.steamboatmarathon.com. Registration for the 10-km race is $25 until May 15, $30 from May 16 to June 3, and $35 on June 6. Registration closes at 5 p.m. June 6.

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Question & Answer

Steamboat Springs City Manager Jon Roberts goes in-depth with the staff of At Home and speaks about some of his favorite passions outside the ofďŹ ce. Diving equipment was provided by Bottom Time Diver DBA Steamboat Scuba & Water Sports LLC, 675 Lincoln Ave., Steamboat Springs.

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Jon Roberts Steamboat’s new city manager lands in ideal spot for active lifestyle

�� Where Every Smile Is Art ��

Interview by Brandon Gee ❘ Photos by John F. Russell

t’s Monday, Feb. 23, and City Manager Jon Roberts is closing in on his first week as the city of Steamboat Springs’ top administrator. Roberts sat down with At Home just after a gathering of all city employees to discuss unpaid leaves to help ease the city’s budget shortfalls. Up next is a weekly meeting with the top two members of the City Council. Like many of his days to come, it is one of endless meetings. Roberts’ schedule has been so hectic that there hasn’t been much time to add any personal touches to his City Hall office. But sticking out among the area plans, studies, tax policy reports and other official publications is a copy of “Hiking the Boat II,” a gift from a member of the city’s finance staff who marked her favorite local hikes. Roberts, formerly the city manager of Victorville, Calif., can’t wait to check them out. In choosing their city manager, Steamboat Springs City Council members were clear they wanted more than an able bureaucrat to run the day-today operations of the city. They also hoped to gain an involved member of the broader community. With hobbies such as skiing, skydiving, hiking and scuba diving, Roberts certainly appears to mesh well with Steamboat’s active lifestyle. At Home: You have lots of adventurous hobbies. Has that always been the case? Jon Roberts: Yeah. I think it started as a boy growing up. My parents always took the family on adventurous vacations. … Growing up on Catalina Island … we had access to the entire island, so from a very early age I was backpacking, snorkeling, surfing. … My wife and I, when we met in college she liked to backpack, so the two of us then kept backpacking. Then once our children were born we continued that active lifestyle because we wanted our children to be raised in an active environment.

AH: Why was that important to you? JR: To give them a well-rounded exposure. These days, children, young people, I think, have a very intense schedule in terms of academics and sports. … We always wanted them to have that balance in terms of appreciation of nature, self-reliance and, you know, getting away from the hectic schedule that even kids follow these days. … We’ve brought all three of our children here before applying for the position. All three of them are very excited about Steamboat and coming to visit whenever they can. AH: They’re all grown and away? JR: Two of them are in college, and one is out of college. AH: You mentioned earlier that you are afraid of heights. How does somebody who’s afraid of heights muster up the courage to sky dive? JR: (laughs) It’s a different experience. There really isn’t a sensation of falling when you’re free falling. It’s much more a sensation of ﬂying. After the parachute opens and you’re closer to the ground, I just work to overcome those feelings that I could fall. … Just through practice you start to build conﬁdence to overcome the fear.

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AH: You’ve mentioned your wife, LeAnn, a bunch and you’ve said before that she would be the better part of the deal with you coming here. JR: (laughs) More interesting. AH: Could you elaborate? JR: Sure. She came from humble beginnings in east Texas and through commitment to academics in high school she was able to earn a scholarship … so she started out at Cal Poly Pomona in the aerospace engineering program. And I think in her junior year she switched to the civil engineering program, which is where we met, and earned a civil engineering degree. … Then she went on to work on her master’s degree … and then our ﬁrst son was born, and she just completely changed her priorities to raising children. … And their success — particularly the two getting into the Air Force Academy, which academically is very difﬁcult to do — I credit that all to the fact that she took all of her academic skills and applied it to them.

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Question & Answer AH: You mentioned being an engineer, and before you were hired, you talked about traffic in town and how you thought there was a few simple things that could be done to alleviate it, but you didn’t want to divulge that. Do you care to share that now, what your ideas are for alleviating that a little bit? JR: In through town here you’re trying to do several things, which is pretty typical of Steamboat Springs. You have a retail center where you want very friendly pedestrian activity as well as convenient parking. But at the same time you have a federal Highway 40, which serves to move traffic, so those are somewhat competing interests. … I’m aware of some of the latest technologies where you use detection systems to detect the number of vehicles and the number of pedestrians. … The central computer system then makes decisions about allocating time to either your main-through traffic, your pedestrian traffic or your cross-street traffic. And it can customize those programs depending on the time of day, the day of week and the demand. AH: The City Council was pretty clear they wanted to see a manager who is visible and involved and out in the community a lot. What organizations do you plan to join and how else do you think you’ll fulfill that desire of theirs? JR: I’m not someone who spends much time sitting behind my desk or even inside of City Hall. … So a large amount of my time will be spending time out in the community both during working hours and before and after working hours, as well. I will join as many organizations as practical. … But in addition to that,

even organizations that I’m not a member of, I intend to participate in their meetings, develop a line of communication and be very involved and very visible.

cal parties ahead of the best interests of our nation. AH: Do you see any of that in Steamboat? JR: I have not seen that yet. … The council meeting that I attended had the Thunderhead project, which was a very controversial project, and I did not see that sense that … “Our side must win at all costs.” To me, I see that at the federal level, and certainly in California at the state level, but no, I have not seen that yet (in Steamboat).

AH: Do you have any phobias (other than height)? JR: I don’t think that this is a phobia, but I have a real concern about the direction of this country. I’m very concerned about how deeply partisan we are politically and how it’s become a case of, “My side must win at all expense.” And I’m concerned that we’re placing the interests of our politi-

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bear valley saddlery

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Road Trip The 10 miles of paved road near the Needles Visitor Center in Canyonlands National Park make it easy to view spires of Cedar Mesa sandstone and gnarled pinon pine snags. Rise with the sun for the best photography.

Find solitude in Needles M

oab is mobbed in April and May, and so is nearby Arches National Park. But canyon travelers who want to hike and explore in solitude and don’t care about brew pubs and T-shirt shops will ﬁnd happiness 85 miles farther south in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. “Remote camping” best describes the Needles District as a spring getaway from Steamboat. The weather cannot be guaranteed — it could range from daytime highs of 85 degrees to midday snow showers. Most often, it can be counted on to give snow refugees the break they hoped for. Even if you were dreaming of a European vacation for spring break, Canyonlands will substitute in a surprising way. Most of your neighbors in the campgrounds will be young adults from all across Europe. They are taking advantage of favorable currency exchange rates to see the wide-open spaces

Tips

❱❱ Overnight lows in April can dip into the 20s, and the camping spaces in Needles Outpost are shielded from the morning sun by a large butte. If you are tent camping, start the car, brew coffee and drive west to the visitor center, where the sun is up already. A brisk morning hike beats shivering in the tent. ❱❱ Bring along your three-season sleeping bag and a big box of firewood from home. of the American West. Despite the unpredictable weather conditions, April is one of the prime months in which to visit the Needles District. The summer is just too hot for strenuous activity. Melting snow from the Abajo Mountains to the south is still pouring down the re-

mote side canyons in April. In the midst of vast bowls of slick rock and hot sand, these narrow canyons are thick with a mix of cottonwoods just leafing out and lush plants more typical of a marsh. The Needles District is named after tall fingers of Cedar Mesa sandstone that have eroded into domes and pinnacles with bands of red to reddish-purple rock. The sandstone formation is 230 million years older than the snowcapped mountains in the hazy distance. One could be amused during a long weekend taking quick hikes off the paved campground loop. There are marked hiking routes that take families on short loops entirely over rock. The trails are safe but aggressive enough that the National Park Service has fixed handrails of heavy chain link up some steep pitches. There are small arches, twisted juniper trees, micro-ecosystems at Pothole Point

Story and photos by Tom Ross

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Families with children and novice hikers will enjoy a spectacular scramble up a steep slickrock bowl immediately adjacent to the Squaw Flat Campground. Keep your eyes peeled for piles of rock, or cairns, that mark the way.

The deep red blossoms of claret cup cactus begin to appear in late April in the Needles District. The cactus is sometimes overlooked because it often grows in the partial shade of a small shrub. and blooming claret cup cacti, all to be explored from the paved scenic drive near Squaw Flat Campground. An outstanding example of family friendly features at the Needles District is the Cave Spring loop, just six-tenths of a mile long. Children will be impressed by the rustic remains of old-time cowboy camps, standing undisturbed under a huge rock overhang. Ranch employees used this rustic camp beginning in the 1800s and continuing until 1975. There are handmade tables and chairs, cooking pots and a legless wood stove to admire. Unlike many National Parks scattered around the Colorado Plateau, there are options for off-road vehicles in Needles comprising more than 50 miles of routes. The climb up Elephant Hill borders on terror for novice four-wheelers. Expect stair-step drops and tight turns that demand backing in precarious positions. Lavender Canyon spices things up with creek crossings, the potential for deep water and quicksand. Moderate routes include the Colorado River Overlook (some will want to park the Jeep and hoof it for the last mile) and Horse Canyon. Mountain bikers are directed to Elephant Hill and Colorado Overlook. The most dramatic scenery in the Needles District requires an ambitious hike, sometimes with a little rock scrambling and cliff exposure tossed in. Even in spring, take more water than you think you will need. The ultimate destination is Druid Arch at the end of an 11-mile loop. A good, solid hill climb for skiers ﬁnding their hiking

If you go ❱❱ Getting there: The entrance to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is about 6.5 hours from Steamboat Springs via Colorado Highway 131, Interstate 70 to Grand Junction and beyond to Moab via U.S. Highway 191 and the final twisty 48 miles on San Juan County Road 211. ❱❱ National park admission is $10 per car and good for seven days. Campground fees are $15 per night. ❱❱ Sites at the Squaw Flat Campground are first-come, first-served. The Squaw Flat Campground has 26 sites with fire rings, picnic tables, bathrooms and running water. It will accommodate RVs up to 28 feet long with a few sites that will accommodate longer vehicles. ❱❱ Squaw Flat is a long drive to make from the state highway to the park entrance, only to find that the campground is full. Alternatives include a small commercial campground just outside the park entrance at Needles Outpost. Advantages include the ability to purchase a hot shower. Facilities are clean. There is a modest muscles is the Chesler Park Loop, with the best views of the needles in the midst of a grassy savannah. For a safe adventure, tackle the 10-mile jaunt to the rock art panel at Peekaboo. It leaves from the campground and traverses two narrow canyons, requiring climbs up

store and lunch counter (they’ll cook you a hamburger on the propane grill out back). Some Web reports indicate you can purchase fuel, including diesel, at Needles Outpost. Nevertheless, monitor fuel consumption closely. The nearest alternative services are 45 miles away (south on the state highway) in Monticello. There are a limited number of modern motel rooms in Monticello. There is also free camping on BLM land in Lockhart Basin, off a dirt road about a 1/2 mile from San Juan County Road 211 (the road to Needles). There are no facilities whatsoever. However, large RVs and rock climbers in small tents often use the informal camping area. ❱❱ Reservations are available for all backcountry permits and for group campsites in the Needles District. Canyonlands visitor information: 435719-2313. ❱❱ The Needles District Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours March through October. ❱❱ Dogs are not allowed on hiking trails — even on a leash. sweeping slickrock bowls. Be prepared to climb two steep ladders drilled into cliff faces along the route. Canyonlands is less than seven hours from Steamboat, but the landscape is extraplanetary. As a budget spring break, that’s hard to surpass.

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Michael H. Gotchey, D.V.M. Lee O. Meyring, D.V.M. 1878 Lincoln Ave Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 (970) 879-1041

Large and small animal medicine & surgery

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Photo by Jackie Owen/Jackie Owen Photography

WEDDING GUIDE Spring_2009_AT_HOME.indd 33

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8 flower

common questions Debra McClinton and Tara Donne for Real Simple

Happily Ever After...

By The Editors of Real Simple magazine

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1. Who gets corsages or boutonnieres? After you take care of bouquets for the bride and the bridesmaids, and petals or a hair garland for any flower girls, there are two groups to accessorize: Those who are standing. The groom, the groomsmen and the ring bearer typically wear boutonnieres that complement the bridal bouquet in flower type or color. Readers and ushers also are distinguished with corsages or boutonnieres so they are easily identifiable to guests. Those who have stood by you and the groom. For mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers and siblings — or any other special relatives — who are not a part of the ceremony, flowers are a nice gesture. Keep in mind that they don’t have to match the bridal bouquet. 2. Must I toss the bouquet? No. Bouquet tossing, an age-old tradition that says the catcher of the bouquet will be the next to marry, is becoming less and less common. Your single friends may feel silly lining up in front of couples, so if you break with tradition, there will probably be few protesters (except maybe your preteen niece). Instead, keep the bouquet for posterity, give it to the

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family matriarch or present it to your best friend, who listened patiently as you endlessly wavered between a white and an ivory gown. 3. Should we have our guests toss rose petals as we leave the reception? If you wish. The delicate way rose petals float to the ground makes them popular, not to mention that they will bio-degrade. You also could try hydrangea, lilac and peony petals. Some other ideas: ❀ Lavender buds. ❀ Glitter or confetti. Divide into pouches for guests. ❀ Sparklers. Have a bridesmaid distribute them to the guests so you can exit under a canopy of lights. 4. When is the best time to have flowers delivered? At the last possible moment, even if the building is air-conditioned, to prevent wilting. Your florist will determine the delivery time, taking into account the time of year, the temperature and the sun’s brightness. Florists use climate-controlled vehicles (some have refrigeration), so the blooms arrive fresh. The big challenge is preserving flowers during photo shoots before the wedding. Consider paying a florist to be on hand to add replacement flowers as needed.

See Flowers, page 54

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The perfect setting for the dream wedding...

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3/20/09 2:33:50 3/27/09 2:23:52 PM

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On top of the world

Heather Campbell and Adam Richey hold a unique, elegant wedding at Steamboat Ski Area

dam Richey had planned a sneak attack. He and then-girlfriend Heather Campbell were out to dinner at Antares for Richey’s birthday. During the celebration, Richey proposed to the girl he’s known since middle school. “I didn’t have any idea — I thought we were going out to celebrate him,” Heather Richey said. After about a year and a half of planning, the Indiana-raised couple married the evening of Aug. 18, 2007, at the top of Thunderhead at Steamboat Ski Area. “I just thought it was really unique, and obviously the backdrop was so beautiful,” Heather Richey said about the mountaintop ceremony and reception. Adam and Heather, who moved to Steamboat Springs six years ago, invited 150 guests from Indiana and elsewhere to ride gondola cars to the grassy wedding site. “I don’t think they really knew what to expect,” Heather Richey said. “When they got here they were like, ‘Oh, we ride gondolas up — that’s a little crazy.’” Heather was adamant about having the wedding at 6 p.m., and not in the afternoon. “It was really important to me to have an evening wedding because I like that time of day,” she said. “Just the way the coloring

is in the sky, it looked really pretty with the sun going down.” The couple planned the ceremony and reception with a wedding coordinator at the ski area. The ceremony was on the lawn overlooking Rudi’s Run, and the reception was in a glitzed-up Thunderhead Food Court. The wedding coordinator took care of catering — chicken or beef at a sit-down dinner, with appetizers including stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta and a cheese display. The ski area also handled the bar and the stemware and dishes, and it provided a dance floor and gondola rides to and from the wedding location. The wedding party dressed up the cafeteria by wrapping taffeta around the columns in the room and under-lighting them. Floral centerpieces on each table featured long tubes of orchids, roses and calla lilies. The place cards were an added reminder of the wedding’s mountain setting. “When we had people come in to find their table, we had the tables named after different ski resorts from Colorado,” Heather Richey said. “They had to find their destination and get there.” Looking back, Heather Richey searched for one word to describe her Steamboat Springs wedding. Idyllic? Memorable? Picturesque? “It was. Exactly those words.”

Story by Margaret Hair ❘ Photos by Jackie Owen/Jackie Owen Photography

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Key players

Heather and her bridesmaids

Adam and his groomsmen

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The bride and groom

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42Wedding Guide Cover

The details

Dress: Breathtaking Bridal (430 Cottonwood Court, Broomfield,

720-887-2427) Flowers: Steamboat Foliage and Flowers Reception food: Hazie’s, catered through Steamboat Ski Area’s event planner; top of the gondola at Steamboat Ski Area (871-5150) Cake: Jean Wernig (879-6293) Ring: Bride’s ring came from Steamboat Jewelers (906 Lincoln Ave., 879-6332); Groom’s ring was ordered online at www.titanium.com

Rehearsal dinner: Steamboat Yacht Club (811 Yampa St., 879-4774) Lodging: Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel

(2300 Mount Werner Circle, 871-5500) Photos: Jackie Owen Photography (3371 Aprés Ski Way, 846-1901 or photo@springsips.com) DJ and wedding ceremony music: Steve Boynton (846-8199) Invitations: Ordered online

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43Wedding Guide Cover

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Directory of wedding service providers PHOTOGRAPHERS ❖ Angeli’s Photography 970-583-6209

❖ CK Photography www.coreykopischke.com ckrips@springsips.com 970-846-2141

❖ Copa Photo www.copaphoto.com ac@cmn.net 970-870-9224

❖ Creative Mountain Images (Video) www.creativemountainimages.com info@creativemountainimages.com 970-479-0994

❖ Jackie Owen Photography www.jackieowenphotography.com photo@springsips.com 970-846-1901

❖ Jessica Maynard Photography

www.jessica-maynard.com jm@jessica-maynard.com 970-879-6946

❖ One Shot Photo

❖ Ken Wright Photos

❖ Proper Exposure Photography

www.kenwrightphotos.com ken@kenwrightphotos.com 970-846-6076

❖ Lee Alering Video Productions (video) www.leealeringvideoproductions.blogspot.com 970-819-1298

❖ M Lazy P Film Production

970-846-7802

www.kenproperphotography.com kenproper@gmail.com 970-879-1961 or 970-846-1961

❖ Rife Photography www.rifephotography.com rifephotography@aol.com 970-879-7838

www.mlazyp.com mlp3@aol.com 970-879-0033 303-638-3688

❖ Robin Proctor Photography

❖ Nan Porter Photography

❖ Steele Images Studio

robinproctorphotography.com robin@robinproctorphotography.com 970-723-8423

www.nanporterphotography.com nporter4@hotmail.com 970-879-3491

www.steeleimagesstudio.com shauna@steeleimagesstudio.com 970-879-6213

❖ Natural Light Images

❖ Stewart Photo Service

www.naturalightimages.net paula@naturalightimages.net 970-846-5940

www.stewartphoto.biz wstewart@springsips.com 970-871-4277

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Wedding directory ❖ Yung Images Photography

❖ Elk River Guest Ranch

www.yungimages.com yung1@springsips.com 970-879-2802

www.elkriverguestranch.com 29840 RCR 64, Clark info@elkriverguestranch.com 970-879-6220

WEDDING SITES ❖ Catamount Ranch & Club

❖ Glen Eden Resort

www.catamountranchclub.com 33400-B Catamount Dr., Steamboat Springs rmckirahan@catamountranchclub.com 970-871-9300

❖ Cottonwood Grill

www.cottonwoodgrill.com 701 Yampa St., Steamboat Springs info@cottonwoodgrill.com 970-879-2229

❖ Cugino’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant

www.cuginosrestaurant.com 41 Eighth St., Steamboat Springs 970-879-5805

❖ Dutch Creek Guest Ranch

www.dutchcreek.net 61565 RCR 62, Clark info@dutchcreek.net 970-879-851

www.glenedenresort.com 54737 RCR 129, Clark eden@amigo.net 970-879-3907

❖ High Meadows Ranch, LLC 20505 RCR 16, Oak Creek highmeadows@sprynet.com 970-736-8416

❖ La Montaña

2500 Village Drive, Steamboat Springs 970-879-5800

❖ Northstar Management/ Chateau Chamonix

www.chateauchamonix.com 2340 Aprés Ski Way, Steamboat Springs lodging@chateau-chamonix.com 970-879-7511

❖ Old West Steak House

11th Street and Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs marty@oldweststeakhouse.com 970-879-1441

❖ Ore House at the Pine Grove Pine Grove Road and U.S. Highway 40 970-879-1190

❖ Perry-Mansﬁeld Performing Arts School & Camp

www.perry-mansﬁeld.org 40755 RCR 36, Steamboat Springs p-m@perry-mansﬁeld.org 970-879-7125

❖ The Ranch at Steamboat

www.ranch-steamboat.com 1800 Ranch Road, Steamboat Springs 970-879-3000

❖ ResortQuest Steamboat

www.resortqueststeamboat.com 1855 Ski Time Square Drive, Steamboat Springs steamboatinfo@resortquest.com 866-560-9040

❖ Rex’s American Grill & Bar

www.rexsgrill.com 3190 S. Lincoln Ave., Steamboat Springs events@rexsgrill.com 970-871-1107

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��

STEAMBOAT’S PREMIER CATERING VENUE IN THE GARDEN BY THE RIVER 970-879-2229 • 701 YAMPA

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�� 879-5800 • 2500 VILLAGE DRIVE

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ON AND OFF PREMISE CATERING LARGE AND SMALL RECEPTIONS ALL CATERING CUSTOMIZED TO YOUR NEEDS

Full Bar Service • Menus to Match Your Moment Spring 2009 | AT HOME

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Wedding directory ❖ Saddleback Ranch

www.saddlebackranch.net 37350 RCR 179, Steamboat Springs info@saddlebackranch.net 970-879-3711

❖ Slopeside Grill

www.slopesidegrill.com 1855 Ski Time Square, Steamboat Springs slopesidegrill@yahoo.com 970-879-2916

❖ Sheraton Steamboat Resort

www.sheraton.com/steamboat 2200 Village Inn Court, Steamboat Springs lisa.warner@sheraton.com 970-879-2220

❖ Steamboat Yacht Club

www.steamboatyachtclub.com 811 Yampa St., Steamboat Springs dining@mindspring.com 970-879-4774

❖ Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp.

❖ In Any Event www.anyeventco.com 970-846-3253

www.steamboat.com 2305 Mount Werner Circle, Steamboat weddings@steamboat.com, 970-871-5162

❖ Last Call Lora Reichley www.lastcalleventplanning.com 970-819-3668

❖ Three Peaks Grill www.threepeaksgrill.com 2165 Pine Grove Road, Steamboat info@threepeaksgrill.com 970-879-3399

❖ Vista Verde Guest Ranch www.vistaverde.com 31100 RCR 64, Clark reservations@vistaverde.com 970-879-3858

❖ Yampa River Botanic Park Steamboat Springs 970-879-4300

❖ Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel

WEDDING PLANNERS ❖ Caroline’s High Country Occasions

www.steamboatgrand.com 2300 Mount Werner Circle, Steamboat lhamil@steamboat.com (970) 871-5531

Caroline Fisher P.O. Box 880013, Steamboat Springs 970-846-4240 www.carolineshco.com

❖ M Lazy P Film Production www.mlazypevents.com mlp3@aol.com 970-879-0033 303-638-3688

❖ The Main Event Jill Waldman Consulting, planning and coordinating P.O. Box 771869, Steamboat Springs Steamboat: 970-879-9020 Denver: 303-570-6570 www.steamboatevents.com

❖ Party Smart Steamboat Fran DiBartolo Provides some consultation services 1821 Kamar Plaza, Steamboat Springs 970-879-8679 www.partysmartsteamboat.com

THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY. � Wedding Receptions � Rehearsal Dinners � Professional custom catering

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at the Holiday Inn

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� FULL-SERVICE NEXT TO THE HOLIDAY INN • 870-0438 48 | AT HOME | Spring 2009

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LAST CALL

VACATION & EVENT PLANNING

LORA REICHLEY

Prices Negotiable Call Today For Free Consultation 970.819.3668

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complimentary personalized gift YOUR PERSONAL SUMMER AND WINTER CONCIERGE VISIT OUR WEBSITE TODAY AT: WWW.LASTCALLEVENTPLANNING.COM

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Spring 2009 | AT HOME

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Wedding directory CATERERS ❖ A Catered Affair Marcee Marie Event planning and consulting P.O. Box 774000-373, Steamboat Springs 970-736-2454 cedarcreek@steamboatwireless.com

❖ Antares Diane Zahradnik 57 1/2 Eighth St., Steamboat Springs 970-879-9939 On- and off-site services

❖ Azteca Taqueria Jonas Gabriel 116 Ninth St., Steamboat Springs 970-870-9980 Off-site services

❖ Butler Did it Catering

❖ Cottonwood Grill

❖ L’Apogee/Harwigs

Michael Fragola P.O. Box 771257, Steamboat Springs 970-879-2229 On- and some off-site services

Jamie Jenny or Mike Lang 911 Lincoln Ave., Steamboat Springs 970-879-1919 On-site and off-site services

❖ Drunken Onion Get & Go Kitchen

❖ Marno’s Custom Catering

Ben Stroock 685 Marketplace Plaza, Steamboat www.drunkenonion. com 970-879-8423

❖ Fireside Catering Gregory S. Smith 2750 Downhill Plaza No. 202, Steamboat Springs 970-879-9922 Off-site services

❖ Karrie’s

970-879-5154 www.butlerdidit.net

Karrie Littman kjlittman@hotmail.com 970-846-4001

❖ C’s Catering

❖ La Montana

Charlie Epp 125 N. Fifth St., Hayden 970-276-3374 or 970-276-3363 Off-site services

Michael Fragola 2500 Village Drive, Steamboat Springs 970-879-5800 On- and some off-site services

Nanny Marno P.O. Box 772324, Steamboat Springs 970-879-4214 www.marnoscustomcatering.com Off-site services

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Wedding directory ❖ Steamboat Smokehouse

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5. We’re having a chuppah (a Jewish wedding canopy). How can I incorporate flowers into the design? Try these ideas: ❀ Adorn the poles with sturdy flowering spring branches, such as dogwood, forsythia, apple, azalea or cherry. A flower shop can order branches for you. Trail ivy up and down the poles, or wrap them in garlands. ❀ Affix a large flower, such as a gardenia, atop each pole, or secure a cascade of blooms. ❀ Anchor the poles in deep ceramic pots containing budding plants. 6. What should I do to keep flowers looking fresh? Follow these guidelines: Certain large-petal white blooms, such as gardenias and magnolias, are likely to bruise, so they should be kept away from areas that see a lot of action, like the groom’s lapel. Gardenias, specifically, don’t work well in the hair because oil gets on the petals, causing them to brown. (Instead, try stephanotis or cymbidium orchids, both of which are surprisingly sturdy.) Cosmos and some wildflowers don’t have a long cut life and will often wilt when out of water. A post-harvest hydration solution, such as Quick Dip (available through www.floralife.com), will help stems hold fluid and prevent them from bending.

7. Are there any options besides carrying a bouquet of flowers? Yes. A few to consider: ❀ A prayer book, perhaps one that has been passed on to you by your grandmother for such an occasion. ❀ A pomander — a globe of flowers suspended from a ribbon that slips over the wrist. (Dahlias, roses, chrysanthemums and carnations make beautiful pomanders.) ❀ A bunch of fragrant herbs is a fun choice for a gourmet couple. ❀ Candles, parasols or folding fans. 8. How do I choose the right vases for my flowers? Consider the pattern vases will make on your table. Two ideas: A row of identical vases on a long table or a group of vases in various shapes and sizes in the middle of a round table. (Or forgo vases altogether and innovate with julep cups or ramekins.) To select the vase that matches your flowers, rely on this cheat sheet: Tall and narrow: ideal for torch-shaped arrangements with flowers such as snapdragons, sunflowers or gladiolus. Short and stout: perfect for a low half-globe of flowers, like roses or dahlias. Tall and wide: suits long-stemmed flowers, such as lilies or Queen Anne’s lace. Bud vase: fit for top-heavy flowers, like ranunculus or blackeyed Susans, that need stem support.

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Debra McClinton and Tara Donne for Real Simple

Flowers continued from 34

Wildﬂowers are perfect for a casual affair. Try a mix of blue mountain thistle, miniature dianthus, heather, sedum, lisianthus, celosia and eucalyptus — grouped together to appear randomly picked. Urn: allows you to make a round bouquet, even with top-heavy flowers, such as gerberas or tulips. For a list of local florists, see page 52. Copyright 2009 Time Inc. REAL SIMPLE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used by permission. Distributed by United Feature Syndicate.

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5 common food questions By The Editors of Real Simple magazine 1. We want to serve dishes that reflect our cultural background. When should we talk to the caterer? At your first meeting. Better yet, during the first phone call. Some caterers won’t veer from their printed menus; others invite clients to work with them to create a unique meal. If your caterer agrees to handle such a request, get her the recipes as soon as you know what you want, or give her time to research and develop her own (about four months, to be safe). 2. How much food is enough? Luckily, caterers as a rule inflate the amount of food so that they never run out. (Otherwise, they would lose the coveted word-ofmouth business.) If you’re handling the food on your own, steal these catering secrets. Plated meals: Caterers often

figure, per person, 6 to 8 ounces of meat, fish or a vegetarian main course; 4 to 6 ounces of starch (potatoes, rice); 3 ounces of vegetables; and 5 to 6 ounces of salad. Then they may bump that up 10 to 15 percent just in case. Buffets: Caterers usually double the amount per person for plated meals to account for guests going back for seconds (or thirds). They also will know from experience which entrées and sides tend to be most popular (roasted chicken and potatoes au gratin, for example) and have more of those dishes. 3. Should we spring for an open bar? That depends on the venue of the reception. Open bars may be the most expensive choice because the caterer has to cover all tastes, habits and preferences, from your scotchswilling uncle to your cosmo-sipping friends. But you do have options other than no bar (which can get ugly) or a cash bar (which can be

considered tacky). Trim costs with a limited-time open bar — just during the cocktail hour — then downshift to wine with dinner. Offer a signature cocktail, plus wine and beer, rather than the full range. Although costs also depend on the length of time the bar is open, as a general rule you can shave about 30 percent off the total bill by limiting hard liquor. 4. We’re having a sit-down dinner. Is one entrée enough, or should we give guests more options? One is dicey, because not everyone likes the standby chicken or beef. Two is sufficient. Even better: Go with a duo, such as a lobster tail and filet mignon. Know, however, that many conventional catering halls and country clubs don’t offer more than two options, plus a vegetarian meal. As with all things wedding-related, if you want more, be prepared to pay for it. How much depends on your caterer’s price list

or the policies of your reception site. 5. How can we make sure that we actually eat at our own reception? Try these strategies: ■ Tell your wedding planner or maître d’ ahead of time either to gently steer you both to your table when the food is being served or to fix you a traveling buffet plate. ■ If you think you might miss most of the cocktail hour because of a long photo session, ask that a plate of hors d’oeuvres be brought to you while you’re taking pictures so that you don’t start the party lightheaded. Your planner or another point person (such as your maid of honor) can ask the kitchen to pack a doggie bag to take with you at the end of the evening. For a listing of local caterers, see page 50. Copyright 2009 Time Inc. REAL SIMPLE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used by permission.

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6 common cake

questions

By The Editors of Real Simple magazine 1. Should we serve guests the actual cake or order sheet cakes for them? Some couples think a smaller display cake plus a larger sheet cake saves money, but that’s not always the case. Say you have 200 guests. If you ask for a sheet cake for 100 and a tiered cake for 100, the baker still needs to bake the same amount of cake. The only savings is in decorating time. That said, if your cake is truly elaborate, it will be less expensive to keep it small and offer a sheet cake for serving. But singlelayer sheet-cake slices won’t look the same on the plates as those cut from your tiered cake. 2. Do we have to choose vanilla or chocolate cake?

Sweet heavens, no! You can have lemon, pumpkin, banana or red-velvet cake, among many others. You are limited only by what your baker is willing to try — and a good baker should be willing to experiment. That said, don’t go too flavor-crazy with the cake itself; the filling often is a better way to introduce a pet taste (mango, passion fruit). And steer clear of nuts (found in almond cakes and often carrot cakes, as well), unless you’re sure you have no nut-allergic guests. And these days, that’s not very likely. 3. What are the options for frosting? Hold on to your sweet tooth: There are a few types, each with its own look and taste. ■ Buttercream: A generic term that refers to icing made from butter, powdered sugar and flavorings.

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4. Where should we display the cake? Many venues routinely display the cake in a spot chosen to showcase it and keep it safe (in front of a mirror in a corner, near a picture window). Make sure there isn’t anything distracting in the background, such as a fire extinguisher or an exit sign, that will show up in photos. And consider that spotlights and sun streaming in through a window (even in winter) can melt icing, particularly buttercream, with time. If you don’t want the cake where

the venue suggests, look around for a spot you prefer. One to avoid: the edge of the vibrating dance floor. 5. Do we have to have a cake cutting? Well, no, you don’t have to do anything. But if you have a cake displayed, your guests will expect a little fanfare. It’s up to you whether to have a simple ceremonial slicing or to go the whole nine yards with a special song and mutual feeding. A bit of background: History holds that cake cutting is symbolic of the first joint task you undertake as husband and wife. Traditionally, the

Debra McClinton and Tara Donne for Real Simple

There also are versions made with shortening or a combination of shortening and butter. ■ Meringue or mousseline buttercream: Smooth, creamy and made with egg whites, this holds up well in the heat, but it’s time-consuming to make and more expensive. ■ Fondant: A smooth sheet of sugar paste, it can be flavored and tinted different colors (and is more expensive than buttercream). It holds up well, but a lot of people don’t enjoy its chewy texture. So if you want fondant for the look, ask about having a layer of buttercream placed underneath.

husband feeds the wife first. 6. Any ideas for cake toppers? The traditional bride-and-groom statue is waning in popularity in some areas. (But if you want one, you certainly can find it from any wedding supplier, such as www. caketoppers.com.) Some other ideas: ■ Borrow your parents’ or grandparents’ topper, or scour auction sites, such as eBay, for a unique option. ■ Inscribe your new monogram on one of the tiers in icing.

■ Bundle some fresh flowers and arrange them on the top tier. ■ Find a figurine or even a holiday ornament that reflects something you do together, such as a pair of skiers or a couple dancing. ■ Place childhood photos in small, lightweight frames and set them on the cake. ■ Ask your baker to create a bow out of fondant and place it on the top of the cake. Copyright 2009 Time Inc. REAL SIMPLE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used by permission. Distributed by United Feature Syndicate.

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Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is the largest temple in Bangkok. The gold-leafplated Buddha is more than 150 feet long.

Celebrating

a Thai New Year

When your best friend asks you to visit her in Thailand for her 25th birthday, it might be ancient Thai custom to say yes. Maybe? OK, OK — personal wanderlust is far more likely to be the motivating factor. Either way, something took me over the ocean to Bangkok and Hua Hin in

mid-April of 2008. Jordan’s plans to spend her final semester of college in Thailand had been in the works for months. That gave me plenty of time to save up for the $1,000 roundtrip Eva Air flight, which I booked through Kayak.com, my favorite flight-finding site.

Story and photos by Blythe Terrell

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Celebrating

a Thai New Year

Spires with intricate patterns add to the color and beauty outside Wat Pho. After a white-knuckle drive through blinding snow on Rabbit Ears Pass, I arrived on the Front Range for my April 12 flight from Denver. I toted a backpack and a small carry-on, thankful that tank tops for a week in Southeast Asia fold into hankiesize squares more easily than the sweaters needed in Rocky Mountain springtime. The crucial contents of my carry-on: iPod, passport, debit card and about $250 in cash. I would spend less than $400 the entire week. The flight spun me to Los Angeles International Airport, where I found the international terminal and waited for the plane to Taipei, Taiwan. From there, it would be only a hop and a skip to Bangkok. I left at 1:20 p.m. on a Saturday. I would reach my destination at 1:25 a.m. on a Monday. The flight to Taipei was surprisingly smooth. I felt lucky, given that Jordan had spent the majority of her 15-hour flight emptying the contents of her stomach into a tiny white bag. The Taipei airport was bright, clean and organized. It had occurred to me, midway over the Pacific, that I hadn’t bothered to learn a word of any Asian language. I smiled with relief at the English signs everywhere and immediately felt like a jerky American. I arrived in Bangkok in the early hours, fumbling through customs as I realized I hadn’t written down the name of the town I was visiting (Hua Hin). “Bangkok” and “hostel” served me well enough. I was in a new world. A friend of Jordan’s had gone through a miserable day. Her wallet was stolen at the wild Songkran festivities, a celebration of the Thai New Year. Losing your passport and your cash abroad is a sobering — and terrifying — experience. It also served as an immediate reminder: Watch your stuff.

On the ’Net

❱❱ www.kayak.com ❱❱ www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/thailand/bangkok/ ❱❱ www.huahinafterdark.com/ ❱❱ www.hua-hin.com/

Thailand travel tips

❱❱ Show respect for the royal family, which is highly regarded in Thailand. ❱❱ Remove shoes and cover shoulders in temples. ❱❱ Women are forbidden to touch Buddhist monks. When a woman gives something to a monk, she must hand it to a man to hand to the monk. ❱❱ It is considered rude to point your feet at a person. ❱❱ Images of Buddha are sacred — show them respect. ❱❱ Haggling at street markets is expected. Jordan, her friends and I trickled out into the warm sponge of a night, and my lungs labored to adjust to the thick, low-altitude air. We took a pink cab toward the freeway. This cab, like every other vehicle whirring past, seemed to be piloted by a maniacal Joker intent on ﬂeeing Gotham City’s ﬁnest, with no regard for the potential carnage. I didn’t see a single wreck the whole week. We camped out in our hostel. The next day, we headed for the rail system to experience sightseeing and Songkran in Bangkok. Jordan and I wandered through a maze of incense, brightly colored spires and delicious-smelling food near the temple at Wat Pho. We stepped inside the temple, shoeless, and walked in awe along the 150-foot gold-plated Reclining Buddha. Near the temple, we sampled spicy papaya salad and meandered toward the

An outdoor market increased the festive feel outside Wat Pho in April 2008. busy streets, peeking at the wares being sold along the roads. Jordan and I stepped into a water taxi station and made our way across the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn. The temple, covered in colorful porcelain patterns, soars more than 250 feet above the riverbank. After Jordan had slipped a T-shirt over her sleeveless dress — shoulders must be covered at temples — we walked across the grounds and slogged up the steep steps. The view of Bangkok, in all of its grit and vibrant glory, was incredible.

Ringing in the new year

After seeing the sights, we headed for the party. Songkran is a wild time. It runs from April 12 to 15 and features a lot of white clay and even more water. Thai revelers spray you with hoses and squirt guns and smear clay on whatever part of you they see ﬁt. The epicenter is Khao San Road. That’s where we went. My key piece of advice to travelers heading to Songkran on Khao San: Wear old clothes. “If they smear clay on you, it means they think you’re pretty,” Jordan insisted. If you ask me, it just means they can tell you’re tolerant. We were sopping and clayfaced after minutes of tromping through the throngs of people on Khao San. It was a weekday, which might have made the street less crowded than it had been when Jordan’s friend was pick-pocketed the day before. We saw few other foreigners, called “farangs.” Thais walked by us, smiling and smearing, sometimes telling us “happy new year” in English with giant grins. No spot was sacred. A man lifted Jor-

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dan’s glasses to rub clay on her face, and my laughter at her expense earned me a gritty blob to the teeth. Karma. As we got to the end of Khao San, having stopped to watch dancers and eat ice cream, we noticed a sign that made us grimace: “brought to you by Coca-Cola.” Those jolts of America became a theme of the trip. There were 7-Elevens everywhere, for example, where I would buy Chang beer and cigarettes bearing vile pictures of diseased lungs and sick babies. For the ride back to the hostel, Jordan and I ﬂagged down a tuk-tuk, a motorbike with an open-air cart attached. The driver, though he said little, had a sense of humor. As people hollered at us from the sidewalk, he changed lanes to get closer and allow them to hurl buckets of water on us. If they missed, gem that he was, he slowed down to give them a second chance. We ambled into the hostel, soaking wet and grinning our good humor. We spent the next day shopping and wandering, and we had dinner for Jordan’s birthday at a place called Cabbages and Condoms. The restaurant is run by Thailand’s Population and Community Development Association. The group’s founder, politician Mechai Viravaidya,

“believes ‘birth control should be as cheap as vegetables,’” according to Yahoo Travel. Viravaidya is credited with helping reduce the rate of HIV infections in Thailand through education and condoms. Cabbages and Condoms, though it supports a serious cause, shone with festive lights and colorful paper lamps. The pad Thai is tasty, and the condom-themed décor provides a conversation piece — if you somehow manage to be plumb out of things to talk about in Bangkok.

Hua Hin The next morning, Jordan and I made for the beach. This was what I’d been waiting for. We headed for Hua Hin, where she was taking courses and living in a condo on the water. The town is a couple of hours from Bangkok, and we packed into a van with other travelers. Thailand was cheap. The monetary unit is the baht, and the exchange rate was about 30 baht to the dollar. We could get a plate of vegetable fried rice for about 25 baht. Our van ride cost 150 baht, about $5, and everything was cheaper than in the U.S., except alcohol. Jordan and I arrived in Hua Hin and headed to her condo tower, VIP, which had a crystal

blue swimming pool. A few too many beached jellyfish kept me out of the Gulf of Thailand, but a walk along the beach offered a fun surprise: a crew of ungainly water buffalo being herded by a wizened old man. But the night market in Hua Hin is the true attraction. People crowd in to peddle T-shirts, jewelry, food and more. I was salivating to sample the seafood and ordered sea bass with rock salt at an outdoor restaurant. It came, to my delight, with a fishy eyeball staring out of a fishy head. Delicious. We wandered past the tropical fruit vendors and ate rotee, a pancake-like snack we ordered with egg and banana, topped with condensed milk. We sipped a few beers and bought some trinkets before speeding home happily in the bed of a truck. The next day dawned brilliant and sunny, and we went for more seafood. Several Hua Hin restaurants squat on piers over the gulf, and we chose the guidebook-recommended Chao Lay. Jordan ordered fried prawns, and I feasted on steamed prawns with curry mousse in coconut milk, served with steamed rice inside a hollowed coconut. It was spicy, sweet and amazing. The night took us to Hua Hin Brewing Co., where we

overdid it slightly on Dancing Monkey Lager. That severely impaired not only our judgment but also our ability to keep our breakfast down on the jolting van ride back to Bangkok the next day.

Bright lights, big city We kicked it up on our last night in Bangkok. We met up with a couple of Jordan’s friends, who accompanied us on adventures in the bar district on Soi 11. After being rejected for our informal attire at a bar shaped like a spaceship, we played pool at the Hillary Bar before heading down the street. After parting with new friends, Jordan and I made for the airport the next day. As I hugged her goodbye, I felt a spark of elation and smiled. It wasn’t because I was glad to go; I could easily have spent another few weeks in Thailand. But I was delighted with my visit and felt lucky to have passed it without incident. I left at about noon April 19, making it to Denver before midnight on what was technically the same day. Snow welcomed me home to Steamboat Springs, and the sultry Thai sunshine felt about a million miles away. I put away my tank tops and started plotting a return trip. — Blythe Terrell

Remember to smile, and other travel tips When visiting Thailand there is one rule above all else: Keep smiling. Things will not always go as expected. Reservations, appointments and schedules should always be considered tentative, and they are likely to change without notice. But if you lose your cool, you also will lose the assistance of the Thai people. This may sound like cheesy advice, but Thai culture is a complex dynamic of cool exteriors and fiery hearts. If your bags are lost, your reservation is canceled or your tuk-tuk (three-wheeled taxi) driver tries to overcharge you — and these things are likely to happen — you have two choices. You can yell and scream, or you can smile and work around it. Anger may be effective at changing

the situation in the short term, but you will never get any more assistance out of that person or anyone near them. Stay cool and Thai people can be some of the most helpful and kind people on the planet, who, after you have earned their respect, will help you with anything you need. Never underestimate the worth of a local you can trust. With that in mind, there are also a few tips for traveling in any major city in Thailand: 1. Tuk-tuk drivers are not your friends. They will overcharge you, and they work on commissions. Never take their advice for a place to eat or go shopping. Know where you’re going, and negotiate your fare before you get into the cab. Be firm but polite. 2. No, you really don’t want to

rent a motorbike. Unless you are a skilled rider at home, renting a bike is the fastest way to find utter frustration and/or meet a grisly demise. Fatalities from inexperienced tourist drivers happen much more often than you would think (foreigners make up 60 percent of motorbike crashes in Phuket). Public transportation, despite its hassles, is the best way to travel. For longer trips out of main cities, there are trains or bus services to get you where you need to go. 3. Enunciate, but don’t speak slowly. Most Thais, especially in urban areas, have a good grasp of English; just take a moment to make sure you are speaking clearly to make sure you are understood. If they don’t understand, many Thais will be too embarrassed to ask you to repeat yourself, and you will find

yourself following directions to the Royal Paradise Hotel instead of the royal palace. 4. The novelty of hostels is overrated. Cheap, clean hotels can usually be found for the same price as that grimy bunk bed with a shared toilet. It’s worth looking around even if you’re on a tight budget. On the same note, make sure you see your room before you agree to stay overnight. A trip to Thailand can be enchanting and wonderful, as long as you aren’t dragged down in the details or so set on one schedule that you don’t allow any room for flexibility. The key to enjoying Thai culture is to adapt, relax and remember to smile. — By Zach Fridell, who lived in Thailand while working for the Phuket Gazette for a year

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Bud Werner Memorial Library

Disproving doubters, the new Bud Werner Memorial Library — like others across the country — thrives in the Information Age

Steamboat’s living room W

alking the floors of the Bud Werner Memorial Library, Director Chris Painter sees plenty of things that make her happy. One sight — one you might not guess — is more rewarding than them all. It’s not the scene of a new library card being issued or a book being checked out — two activities that are happening at a breakneck pace since the library opened a stylish, $12.5 million expansion in September. No, whether it’s a child gazing into the aquarium or an adult daydreaming in a comfy chair by a window, nothing pleases Painter more than spotting people doing that most simple of things: spending time. “In the old days, libraries were designed around collections. They were designed around the bookshelves, basically,” Painter said. “We designed this space around users. … They were craving a place to go.” In designing the new digs, library officials wanted the institution to be more than a sterile archive of information. They wanted it to be a casual, community-gathering place — a place to spend time. The phrase “living room” came to mind. “We wanted to provide that kind of space that you can’t find when you have a lot of people living together. That happens a lot in ski communities,” said Barb Ross, a library board member. “It also gives families that are crowded someplace to go.” The living-room approach is one that has allowed Bud Werner Memorial Library and others across the country to prove the skeptics wrong. For more than a decade, doomsayers have foretold the death of the library in the face of galloping technological advances and an ever-broadening scope of information easily available on the Internet. Perceived threats include the growing practicality and popularity of e-books and the efforts of companies such as Google and Microsoft to digitize the world’s physical book collections. Google boasts that it is scanning more than 3,000 books a day in its effort to amass the world’s largest collection of human knowledge. And yet, the construction of classy new libraries like Steamboat’s is more rule than exception. According to Library Journal, 82 new library buildings were built in fiscal year 2007. There also were 86 additions, renovations and remodels. Combined,

the projects totaled about 4.6 million square feet of construction. “Despite this notion that we don’t need libraries anymore, all the statistics and all the use variables contradict that,” Painter said. “There still is a lot of passion for the book as a physical object.” Asked whether libraries are threatened in the Information Age, Keith Michael Fiels is quick to respond. “Quite the contrary. They’re deﬁnitely thriving,” said Fiels, executive director of the American Library Association. “The number of people in America with library cards is at a record high.” In September, the association reported that 68 percent of Americans have a library card, up 5 percent since 2006. Asked a similar question, Sarah Peed responds just as quickly. “Not a chance,” Peed said to the notion that her library could be rendered obsolete. “I think it’s a wonderful resource for the community.” Peed visits Bud Werner Memorial Library at least twice a week with her two young children. “It’s great when you can have children that young excited about coming to the library. To get them excited about literacy is fantastic,” Peed said. “Children are more tactile. They’re not going to get the love of reading on the computer.”

Endless Innovation Fiels said the living-room approach is just the latest development in the continuous evolution of the American library. A century ago, Fiels said, the big argument was whether libraries should include novels in their collections. “There’s a lot of innovation going on with the goal of being able to adapt to people’s needs,” Fiels said. That also was the goal in Steamboat, Painter said. “I think libraries in general need to be responsive to their communities,” Painter said. “It’s difﬁcult for libraries to move quickly in the same way the business sector can move to be responsive, but libraries do need to pay attention to what users are asking for and adjust services accordingly.” Once the board of directors decided a new library was indeed a wise investment in the Information Age, Ross said they obsessed

See Library, page 68

Story by Brandon Gee ❘ Photos by John F. Russell Pictured on opposite page: Bud Werner Memorial Library Director Chris Painter sits among a pile of one of her favorite things — books.

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Bud Werner Memorial Library

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“In the old days, libraries were designed around collections. They were designed around the bookshelves, basically. We designed this space around users. ... They were

craving a place to go.” — Bud Werner Memorial Library Director Chris Painter

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Bud Werner Memorial Library Library continued from 65 over the details. The end product at Bud Werner Memorial Library is one where adaptation and innovation take many forms, from the color scheme to the seating arrangements. To make the living room a comfortable one for the entire community, library officials focused on creating a variety of spaces. The first floor is an energetic space — sometimes even loud — and home to the library’s multimedia collection and spaces for children and teenagers. Children’s books are stacked in a bin like you might find at home, where their colorful covers can catch children’s eyes better than if they were lined up on a shelf. Skateboards lean against the wall near teenagers on computers. A flight of stairs away is a more traditional, quiet and academic library setting. As a Regis University student, this is where Peed goes to find resource materials for her courses. “The adult section is fantastic, as well,” she said. In addition to a variety of spaces, there also is a remarkable variety of chairs at Bud Werner Memorial Library. Whether it’s a funky-shaped and cushy one in the teen reading area or a wooden one at a study desk on the second floor, all are very comfortable. And that’s no accident. Before purchasing any chair for the library, Ross said board members sent for and sat in examples of each model they were considering. Bud Werner Memorial Library and others also have embraced their supposed opponent. Audio books that can be downloaded to an MP3 player, free wireless Internet access and access to the library’s subscriptions to a number of rich databases are among the library’s progressive offerings. “I think it is as modern as a library can get,” Peed said. The library also has tripled its number of public computers, 30, with Internet access. “Some people may think everybody has a computer at home and everybody has Internet access,” Painter said. “But we have not seen the demand for access to public computing decrease at all. … There are many times when all the computers upstairs are being used.” Fiels said Bud Werner Memorial Library’s experience is a common one. “They can’t put in enough work stations. People are standing in line to use them,” Fiels said about public computers at libraries nationwide. “The number of people with computers has grown, but also, to some extent, it’s leveled out.” Technology also has been used to improve libraries from an operational standpoint. The new Bud Werner Memorial

Maggie Baumgartner, 3, uses headphones to listen to a computer program in the children’s area of the new Bud Werner Memorial Library. The area is designed to allow children to explore, learn and grow. Library has self check-out counters allowing patrons to bypass lines at the circulation desk to check out items or even pay ﬁnes with a credit card. And librarians can be seen trolling the aisles with electronic wands that tell them what books are missing from the shelves they pass. “It was truly a labor of love and one truly from passion,” Painter said about all the effort that went into Steamboat’s new library. “And we’re really pleased with the overall result. “It’s really kind of the heartbeat of the community in many ways. A library says a lot about a community. It says a lot about what its values are. And this is truly a wonderful community space. You can learn whatever you want and you can be whatever you want to be. You can start here, whether it’s a new language or gardening.”

Recommended reads From the folks at Bud Werner Memorial Library

❱❱ Chris Painter, director

“City of Thieves,” by David Benioff “Peace,” by Richard Bausch “The Story of Marriage,” by Andrew Sean Greer

❱❱ Barb Ross, board member

“Ordinary Wolves,” by Seth Kantner “The Only Kayak,” by Kim Heacox “The Lace Reader,” by Brunonia Barry

❱❱ Janet Finley, circulation desk

“The Girl With No Shadow,” by Joanne Harris “Someone Knows My Name,” by Lawrence Hill “Run,” by Ann Patchett

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Bud Werner Memorial Library

Some of the library’s newest or most popular books are displayed on a table near one of the entrances to the new Bud Werner Memorial Library. Featuring a coffee shop and a children’s area, the library has become a popular stop for locals and visitors.

New library boosts use statistics

Selected statistics from first five months in new library versus same months a year earlier

Books checked out in adult collections A 22 percent increase 31,868

2,500

Teen books checked out A 57 percent increase

2,000

2,088

1,500

26,031

1,000

25,000

A 59 percent increase

20,000

21,710 2,088

15,000

1,333

10,000

5,00

Marly Myers listens to a book on tape while enjoying coffee at the shop inside the library.

Children’s books checked out

13,682 1,333

5,000 0

Sept. ’07 Sept. ’08 to Jan. ’08 to Jan. ’09

Public Internet computer use From September 2008 to January 2009 Total number of uses Total hours used Jeremiah Phelps is surrounded by scenic views of the Yampa River thanks to the large windows and open design of the new library in Steamboat.

Sept. 2007 to Jan. 2008

Sept. 2008 to Jan. 2009

Source: Chris Painter, executive director, Bud Werner Memorial Library

*A 73 percent increase 23,786

15,918

*A 134 percent increase

New library cards: 1,782 *A 105 percent increase 0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

* Increase over numbers from September ’07 to January ’08

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A piano, most likely produced before 1873, sits inside the historic home of James Crawford. The piano probably was purchased in Denver before being shipped to Steamboat Springs and would be similar to those found in bars and taverns of the time.

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in tune

Steamboat’s most important home is back

ames and Maggie Crawford’s old Hallett and Cumston upright piano is back in the parlor where it belongs, and their Romanesque revival home is back in the family, too. After more than 50 years in the hands of others, the descendants of Steamboat Springs’ founding family once again own and cherish the grand home that became, in the early 1890s, a symbol of the community’s growing prosperity. Jim Crawford and his wife, Anna Fang, of Belmont, Mass., own the historic sandstone block home on Crawford Hill built by his great-grandparents James Harvey and Margaret Crawford from 1893 to 1895. Jim’s sisters, Sharon Crawford, of Frisco, and Nancy Rosi, of Denver, along with their guests, are always welcome to visit. The piano, which Jim guesses was purchased used in Denver and brought back in a horse-drawn freight wagon, was repurchased from a Steamboat landlord who kept it in a rental home. Now, it sits in its traditional spot in the Crawford parlor. After reacquiring their family’s historic home from Pam and Jerry Nettleton in 2004, Jim and Anna have completed a detailed ground-ﬂoor restoration with the help of Hayden craftsman Bill Irvine. Steamboat contractor Tyke Pierce built a modern addition on the back of the old house to provide comfort that is up to contemporary standards. Although he had never spent any time

in the homes of his great-grandparents, Jim Crawford, a career computer programmer — the last 15 with America Online — has long felt a passion for it. “There was no question I wanted the house,” Crawford said. “Buying this house was reconnecting with our ancestors.” The old upright piano plays a symbolic role in the restoration of this singular house that provides a direct link to the personalities who founded the community. James and Maggie Crawford always opened their home to neighbors and strangers, and musical gatherings were a big part of their hospitality. Their son, Logan, played the ﬁddle, and John played the banjo. On summer nights, the lights were on and the front door was open, encouraging neighbors to gather and socialize.

The family that grouses The original grandeur of the Crawfords’ home is evident in the faithfully restored ﬂooring and woodwork. It is honored by the laborious preservation of doublehung 116-year-old windows and even the mortar in the repaired stone work. Look closely and you’ll see it in carefully chosen furnishings and historic family objects. The restored front portion of Jim and Anna’s home is a comfortable museum that affords visitors a sense of James and Maggie. Walk from room to room and you glimpse a pair of stuffed blue grouse shot by one of the Crawford boys. There are original paintings by the Crawfords’

Story by Tom Ross ❘ Photos by John F. Russell

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It seems only ﬁtting that the home of James and Maggie Crawford stands on a hill in downtown Steamboat Springs overlooking Howelsen Hill. Many of the stones, including those that form the foundation and those that provide the large, arched entryway, were cut from quarries on Emerald Mountain.

daughter, Lulie, and son, Logan, along with photographs of 1886 hunting trips in North Park. There are even Mexican relics collected by James Harvey on his trips abroad. Walk into the foyer and one immediately acquires a sense of who the Crawfords were and how they lived at the end of the 19th century.

Roots in Central Missouri James and Maggie grew up on farms near Sedalia, Mo., and married after James returned from serving for three years as a lieutenant in the Union Army. They farmed quietly in Missouri for seven years, but then James moved his family to Beaver Brook, Colo., and later Hot Sulphur Springs. During spring 1874, James made a trip to the Yampa Valley and staked a homestead claim. He moved his family into the unsettled land in 1875, and they moved into the ﬁrst of two rustic log cabins. They later built a frame house in what is now commonly called Old Town Steamboat before ﬁnally building the house of native sandstone where they lived until their deaths — James in 1930 and Maggie in 1939. Jim Crawford, the modern owner of the historic Crawford house, grew up on Indian reservations across the West, listening to his father’s inspired stories of the home in Steamboat they never returned to. James Daniel Crawford, Jim’s father, worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as superintendent

James Crawford moved along with his family into the unsettled Yampa Valley in 1875. The family lived in two log cabins and a framed house in what is now called Old Town Steamboat Springs before moving into the native sandstone home. The outside of the home, and the materials James Crawford used to create it, reﬂect the Steamboat Springs area and the time period in which he built the home. of several reservations. Later in his career, he settled the family in Billings, Mont. But even on vacations, they didn’t visit Steamboat, taking camping trips closer to home. “Until we moved to Billings, we always lived 70 miles down a dirt road,” Jim said. “Dad (James Daniel Crawford) never moved

back here, but this was home even though he hadn’t been here for 30 or 40 years.” Jim did not set eyes on the Crawford home in Steamboat until he had reached college age. After the death of Margaret Crawford, the house was inherited by a group of family members. Later, it was owned and occupied

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Photos, clockwise from top left: The rustic entryway of the Crawford home is like stepping into the past. Many of the mantles and fireplace fixtures were purchased from the Sears catalog. However, some of the rockwork around the mantles uses native stone and even onyx mined from quarries around Howelsen Hill. This rocking chair, which is now found in the main downstairs living room of the Crawford House, was a favorite of James Crawford. Bill Irvine, who spent three years refurbishing the home, says he has found many photos of James sitting in the chair. Bill Irvine is reflected in the mirror of a mantle on one of the fireplaces inside the Crawford home. Photos of settler James Crawford and his children are on display. by a succession of four local families. One family hosted Church of Scientology meetings in the house, and another housed bed and breakfast guests in the upper story. Irvine’s passion for the historic residence matches that of the modern Crawford family. “It’s the biggest job I’ve ever done and the one I’m most proud of,” Irvine said.

Picking at the details During the three-year job, 78 of the locally quarried stones on the front façade were removed from the 20-inch thick walls, just to get at the keystones over the front window so they could be repaired. The original mortar was lime and sand, Irvine said. Mason Jeff Kortas had special tools made for hand pointing the new mortar. The ﬁnish of the original molding was painstakingly restored, but not to the point of perfection. “We didn’t remove the scars from the house, we made it fresh,” Irvine said. The dramatic staircase with its builtin bench, where traveling strangers were welcome to sleep, received special atten-

tion. One summer, Irvine assigned an intern to use dental picks to remove gaudy mint green paint from the balusters. Irvine is impressed with the original stonemasons, whom he said did excellent work. They anticipated that the massive walls would settle over time and built accessible bolts into the wall so they could be used to re-level the walls. The stonemasons’ compensation, Irvine added, included horses valued at $1,025.

First Caucasian family When the Crawford family moved to the big bend in the Yampa River and built their ﬁrst cabin, they left friends, family and 19th-century civilization behind. They naturally befriended the native Ute Indians, who became their only companions.

“My grandfather moved here with his parents when he was an infant,” Jim said. “Our grandfather’s playmates growing up were Indian boys. He and his brother, Logan, played with (Chief) Yahmonite’s grandson.” The original settlers of Steamboat Springs lived remarkable lives and through force of personality guided a tiny frontier town into an era of culture and prosperity. It’s a story that is well chronicled in a series of highly readable books by family member Lulita Crawford Pritchett that is available at Bud Werner Memorial Library. But if you want to get a true sense of Steamboat’s founding family, and you’re fortunate enough to receive an invitation, ride up Crawford Hill and enter the parlor where the old upright piano waits. The sheet music on the stand is titled “With Maggie by my Side.” Spring 2009 | AT HOME

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Tom Ross remembers

The climb up Mount Olympus

t’s springtime in Ski Town U.S.A. Do you know where your Nordic world champions are? We can lay claim to three of them, you know! That’s never happened before. Nordic combined skier Johnny Spillane turned golden six years ago; Todd Lodwick broke through twice in the opening events of the World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, in February; and Bill Demong Longtime local answered with a gold writer Tom Ross of his own in the final has called event. The U.S. Nordic Steamboat Springs home Combined Team has since 1979. never been in such a position of strength as it is now, looking ahead to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Demong put the final touch on the season with a first-place finish in the last World Cup of the 2008-09 season in Vikersund, Norway, on March 15. It’s a safe bet that Lodwick is hunkered down with two darling children this spring but already plotting an August bowhunting trip. Lodwick now has two World Championship gold medals in Nordic combined skiing, one for his little boy and one for his little girl to wear in a family photo. How fun is that? Spillane likely is standing in a clear river flowing out of the bottom of a major dam somewhere, studying a trout that is rising to tiny mayflies and making long delicate casts. There’s nothing like standing in the current, with the sun glinting off the wavelets to suspend the passage of time and take one’s mind far, far away from everyday cares. Spillane was the first of the three to claim his golden disc, in the sprint event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in 2003. Demong is spinning through the gears this spring after splurging on a fancy new road bike. The guy can’t seem to get enough aerobic exercise. And hey, with the prize money Billy banked last winter during the course of capturing nine World Cup podiums and a World Championship gold medal, that new bike is well deserved. Demong is from Vermontville, N.Y., and lives in Park City, Utah, in the offseason. But during a long tenure at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, he formed many close relationships here. For now, the pressure is off. All three

of America’s best Nordic combined skiers have pocketed World Championship gold, and they can approach the 2010 Winter Olympics with the confidence that brings. However, Nordic skiing is a year-round sport, and it won’t be long before the boys are back in training, bowing to the discipline of a detailed training plan that tells them day by day when to go long and slow, when to test their bodies with intense intervals and when to rest. I wonder if on their rest days, Spillane, Demong and Lodwick ever stop to contemplate the fine line between merely being one of the best Nordic athletes on the planet, and the exalted status of a world champion. When you think about it, every one of the World Cup podiums Lodwick racked up during the past 15 years was the equivalent of an Olympic or World Championship medal. The same cast of athletes that competes for Olympic and World Championship glory shows up for every World Cup. If you vanquish them in January 2010, it’s a significant career achievement and an encouraging sign. Defeat them a month later in Vancouver, and it’s a television event that propels you to the top of Mount Olympus. Go figure. Billy Kidd, the longtime director of skiing at Steamboat, knows all about how fickle ski racing fame can be. Most of you recall that Kidd won an Olympic silver medal in slalom in 1964. What you may have forgotten is that the ski racer from Stowe, Vt., was still a couple of months shy of his 21st birthday on that life-changing day in Innsbruck, Austria. For the next six years, Kidd fought through a severe ankle injury and a broken leg, trying to reclaim the Olympic glory he had achieved at an early age. It was the broken leg that prevented him from competing in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. He was back in action for the 1970 World Championships in Val Gardena, Italy, but still struggling with injuries — this time a bad back. In his book “The Story of Modern Skiing,” John Fry recalls that despite his injury problems, Kidd approached the World

Bill Demong, clockwise from top left, Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane

Championships with a bullish attitude. Fry recalled that Kidd could barely bend over to buckle his ski boots and could not take as many downhill training runs. He brushed off his limitations, Fry wrote, by observing that the snow cover was too thin to make training runs worthwhile anyway. Kidd finished out of the medals in fifth place in downhill. But that race result, combined with a bronze medal in slalom, vaulted him to a gold medal in the combined event and right onto the cover of LIFE magazine. It was a highlight of his career and one he remains tremendously proud of. But it’s not all Kidd remembers about Val Gardena. “I finished just six one-hundredths (of a second) out of first place in the slalom,” he told me. And that sums up the existence of worldclass competitive skiers. Any World Cup podium is a moment to celebrate, and any major championship medal is something that will assure fame that outlives the athlete. But it is only during a few days during a skier’s career that there is that fleeting opportunity to find a little piece of immortality. And it can hang on the vagaries of a flu bug or a sprained ankle, or the choice of ski wax or just a fewhundredths of a second.

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