LIVING
suMMeR 2015
INSIDE: COOKING WITH EUREKA, HUNTING HEMINGWAY AND MORE!
A guide to Northwest Colorado’s historical markers
LOCALS special section
Medical matrimonies
2 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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It takes a village
Photo by sott FRanZ
FROM thE eDitoR
Suzanne Schlicht Publisher Lisa Schlichtman Editor in chief
I
got the news checking in with my wife when flying back from a backcountry skiing trip in British Columbia. “You hear about Chris?” she asked. “Broke his neck skiing. Got flight-for-lifed to Denver.” It hit me like a bombshell. Chris? A Division I ski racer, stud mountain bike racer and better athlete than any of us? How could he get hurt, on a run like Rainbow? But it was true. He had hit some blind ruts left over from caution fencing that had been removed, lost his ski and landed head first on To help with Chris’s continued recovery, a the flats. He was airlifted straight to Denver Chris Arnis Benefit Fund has been set up at Hospital before being moved to the Spinal Wells Fargo bank downtown. Cord Injury Rehabilitation Unit of Denver’s Craig Hospital, where he is undergoing rehabilitation for breaking his C4 vertebra. It’s a gut check for everyone, especially him. One second enjoying life as we all know it in Steamboat and the next paralyzed, with a whole new outlook on what’s truly important in life. Their goals, says uber-wife Cindy, aren’t getting mobile enough to kayak, ski or bike again, but to simply feed yourself and brush your own teeth. His eyes lit up when I first visited him, as if, more than ever, he appreciates what’s going on in the outside world. He stays busy with rehab through the week, but it’s the weekends when his new world bears down. The same holds true for 15-year-old freestyle skier Kailyn Forsberg, of Eagle, who, in the next room over, was paralyzed from the waist down after breaking her neck throwing a backflip at Copper Mountain. For both, family and friends are key umbilical cords to the lives they once knew and are determined to regain. At the end of the season, I skied in the STARS Challenge, a benefit for the local nonprofit’s efforts to provide recreational opportunities for people with disabilities — people like its program director, Craig Kennedy, who is paralyzed from the waist down after a skiing accident in 1996. As with Chris’ and Kailyn’s injuries, the cause opened my eyes even more to how lucky we are to have our health, friends and family, and such a great town to call home. As these and countless other examples illustrate, accidents like these happen and can change lives in an instant. And to get through them, to recover emotionally, if not physically, takes impenetrable spirit and the support of everyone around you. In short, it takes a village, which is what we have in spades here in Steamboat. In fact, our village is one of the best ones you could ever script. Proof came in June when we held a fundraising party at Olympian Hall for Chris’ rehabilitation efforts. The community turned out in droves, with bands, restaurants, retailers, artists and individuals donating their time, products and services to aid his continued recovery. Capping an end-all silent auction was a raffle for a Moots bicycle, tickets for which sold out in two days. The event also raised home remodeling funds to accommodate Chris’ new perspective on life. Even though this new perspective is now lower to the ground, its message is high on hope: Live life to the fullest, don’t sweat the small things and appreciate your friends, family and every single moment you have. Our time is preciously short on this earth, so make the most of it and be thankful while you can. It’s a lesson I plan to heed whether I’m on the dirt or at my desk, and one you should, too. — Eugene Buchanan
eugene buchanan Magazines editor Laura tamucci Multimedia sales manager Jenni DeFouw Magazine sales Jim Patterson Assistant editor Lindsay Porter Creative services supervisor Steve balgenorth Circulation manager Photographers Austin Colbert, Scott Franz, James Garcia, Chris McGaw, Joel Reichenberger, John F. Russell, and Matt Stensland Copy editors Jim Patterson, Deanna Allen advertising design Veronika Khanisenko, Mack Maschmeier, Chris McGaw and Jessica Wagner Steamboat Living is published three times a year, in April, July and October, by the Steamboat Pilot & Today. Steamboat Living magazines are free. For advertising information, call 970-871-4235. To get a copy mailed to your home, call 970-871-4232. Email letters to the editor to ebuchanan@SteamboatToday.com or call 970-870-1376. Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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Professional emPloyment • steamboat sPrings
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We provide healthcare I.T. consulting services to hospitals around the country.
For more information contact: employment@himsconsulting.com 6 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
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Departments
9
Quick Hits YVMC turns 100, two nonprofit heads square off to prove their Steamboatness, signs of the time, inside the Toponas General Store and more!
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Cooking with Eureka - Mediterranean Grills’s Craig Sutherland For Eureka Mediterranean Grill’s Craig Sutherland, creative license comes with the tzatziki territory.
46
5 minutes with Pacific Crest Trail hiker and cancer survivor Greg Sagan
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Locals Scalpel? Check. Swabs? Check. Skis and mountain bikes? Check. Seven local couples blend busy medical careers with love and living the mountain life in Steamboat.
Features
Special section
34
Historical markers Cliff’s Notes to historical markers surrounding Steamboat, heralding Colorado’s people, events and issues while providing an excuse to stretch your road-weary legs.
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Hunting Hemingway A Q&A with local author and 20-year ski instructor Nancy Sindelar on her new book, “Influencing Hemingway.”
On the cover: This might hurt a little — Dr. Kristen Fahrner giving husband Dr. Scott Fahrner a pseudo shot for Steamboat Living. (Photo by Matt Stensland) Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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8 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
Jim vs. Jim
QuiCk hitS
Two local leaders square off in Steamboatness
I
Jim Clark
CEO of Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association
n case you haven’t noticed, two different Jims recently took the helms of prominent Steamboat organizations — Jim Clark as head of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and Jim Boyne leading the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. This got us to thinking: Which one ranks higher in genuine Steamboatness? To find out, we pitted them head to head, assigning points for all things Steamboat. Here’s how they stack up. Advantage
King City, Missouri, rural farm kid 25 until I gave it up In the market for a good deal Yes 25
• • • •
Snowshoes
tie
3
•
Float tube
Question Hometown?
Mokena, Illinois Severe ... I’ve only seen the good side of 100 a few times
Own a mountain bike? Own a road bike?
Own skate skis, cross-country skis, Telemark skis or a snowboard? Number of Alpine skis owned? Own a kayak, raft or canoe? Have a dog? Dogs’ names?
Nope ... too old
tie
Four of ‘em Butcherknife for beer, BARley otherwise, Rio for margs
• •
•
Number of ski days in 2014-15 season?
Only granddogs
•
Advantage
Golf handicap?
Emmy and Coco Yes
Jim Boyne
Executive director of Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Hunt? Stripped down at Strawberry Park Hot Springs?
Yes, I love to ride on Emerald Not yet, looking right now Bad year ... knee injury on Scholarship Day
tie
• • • tie
Snowshoes 1 4 battle-tested river tubes Three of them Remy Martin, Pip and Izzy Not yet, but also not sure I’m interested I was paid not to
Own a fly rod?
Just waders and a few flies
Favorite bar?
The Hero of Waterloo in Sydney, Australia ... too many fine establishments here in Steamboat
Haven’t yet ... got here too late
Number of tubing trips last summer?
River Road / Core Trail
Favorite bike ride?
First one this year!
tie
Attended Cabaret or Pirate Theater?
Yes
tie
Own Hiking the Boat?
Vanilla
•
Favorite Clark Store ice cream?
No
tie
Coach a kids team?
Don’t I wish ... too busy
Attend Sunset Happy Hour?
I’m shopping now!
Own cowboy boots?
Fish Creek Falls
Favorite hike?
• •
10 Emerald Mountain
tie
Pirate Theater
tie
Yep Haven’t been there yet, but it’d be caramel sea salt
tie
Not yet
• • •
Cowboy hat, motorcycle boots
Yes I like the 10-mile loop around Gilpin Lake
Valley View (for the view)!
tie
Favorite ski run?
tie
Crow Track over to Buddy’s Run
Not yet
tie
Ever early bird skied?
tie
Not yet
Not this one, but I have others
tie
Ever skin the mountain?
tie
Not yet, hoping for next season
It’s a draw!
Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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QuiCk hitS
Photo CouRtesy oF saM aiKen
Locals bag first elk SUP descent I
elk season: hala Gear founder Peter hall eeking out his line on the elk.
10 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
t’s all how you package the accolades. While the Elk River has been kayaked and rafted for decades, this spring, a group of local adventurers etched themselves into the history books (fame, fortune!) by stand-up paddleboarding it for the first time ever. During the mid-May assault, the river was flowing at a medium level of 1,200 cfs, with enough push to keep them on their toes and shallowness to knock them off them. “It was kind of a novel thing to do,” says Peter Hall, owner of local SUP company Hala Gear, who made the hang-10 trip with fellow locals Danny Tebbenkamp, Charlie Preston-Townsend and Andrew Smith. “I biffed a couple of times when my fins hit rocks, but overall it was a nice clean run. We had a blast.” — Eugene Buchanan
QuiCk hitS
Photos by saMie CRetney
our barbecue did not survive, but these signs still thrive, thrive, thrive ...
We b Smokin’ bbQ
While the BBQ joint is history, are the airport’s quirky signs historical?
F
.M. Light & Sons isn’t the only Routt County business with a corner on the roadside billboard market. Drive to Yampa Valley Regional Airport, and you’ll notice a series of curious yellow signs on your final approach. Each is printed with a poem verse warning against traffic offenses, with the stanza ending with the signature “We B Smokin’ BBQ.” After some investigative sleuthing, Steamboat Living discovered that We B Smokin’ was the name of a tasty, but shortlived, barbecue restaurant that opened in Hayden in 2013 and closed shortly thereafter. The signs, 26 in all, are reminiscent of the 1940s Burma Shave ad campaign and its limericked signs that littered the back roads of America. “It’s kind of funny that they’re still there and advertise a closed restaurant,” admits Hayden Mayor Jim Haskins, who’s not sure when the signs were first put up. “In any case, I love the old Burma Shave signs — they had a cowboy poetry feel to them.” Since it’s hard to read their rhymes when you’re late for your plane, we dispatched a photographer to catalog them for your reading pleasure. And with Haskins in no hurry to take them down, it could be that “We B Smokin’” has found a quirky niche in Routt County history. — Tom Ross
the bbQ stanzas Drinking drivers, enhance the chance; To highball home, in an ambulance.
The blacken forest smolders yet; Because he flicked, his cigarette.
Passing cars, when you can’t see; May get you a glimpse, of eternity.
The one who drives, when he’s been drinking; Depends on you, to do his thinking.
‘Twould be more fun, to go by air; If we could put, these signs up there.
Substitutes can let you down; Quicker than a strapless gown.
No matter the price, no matter how new; The best safety device, in the car is you.
Drinking drivers, nothing worse; They put the quart before the hearse.
We know how much, you love that gal; But use both hands for driving, pal. Thirty days hath September; April, June and the speed offender.
Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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QuiCk hitS
Hospital timeline
Yampa Valley Medical Center celebrates 100 years
M
y, what a difference 100 years makes. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the award-winning Yampa Valley Medical Center started its humble beginnings as the Steamboat Springs Sanitarium at the former Albany Hotel and current-day Old Town Pub building on Sixth Street and Lincoln Avenue. Three years later, it was purchased by Dr. Frederick E. Willett, who ran it for 56 years. It since moved to Park Avenue, where a “Ski Injuries Only” sign directed patients to a separate entrance, to its current Dec. 5, 1913 — Five Routt County doctors announce the need for a hospital in a letter to the Routt County Sentinel.
COURTESY OF
YAMPA VALLEY
NTER
MEDICAL CE
June 1, 1921 — Hospital moves to converted apartment building on Seventh and Pine streets.
Late 1914 — Facility moves to corner of Sixth Street and Lincoln Avenue.
1913 April 13, 1914 — Steamboat Springs Sanitarium opens in the Payne building on Sixth Street.
July 1915 — Hospital is purchased by Dr. Frederick E. Willett.
Aug. 13, 1950 — Routt County Memorial Hospital opens at 80 Park Ave.
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12 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
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August 1976 — $1.2 million expansion adds new X-ray machines and nurse’s station.
hn F. Russel
AL CENTER
COURTESY OF YAMPA VALLEY MEDIC
dr. Frederick ewing Willett outside the steamboat sanitarium on sixth street and lincoln avenue in 1915, the hospital’s home until 1921 and today home to the old town Pub.
February 1998 — Ground broken for new hospital.
Photo by Jo
123,000-square-foot facility at Central Park Drive, where it employs 500 people and treats more than 8,000 emergency room and 4,000 surgical patients each year. “The depth of our medical staff is unique,” maintains hospital president Frank May. “The lifestyle here brings high quality individuals into our community.” With that, hoping we never have to sample its services ourselves, we bring you the following timeline of the hospital’s heritage in Steamboat.
l
QuiCk hitS
2010 — $13 million expansion adds Family Birth Place and Surgical Services department.
2014 — Yampa Valley Medical Center celebrates 100 years!
2014 1992 — Steamboat Springs Health Care Association purchases 29 acres at Fairway Meadows for new hospital location.
1999 — Yampa Valley Medical Center opens at 1024 Central Park Ave.
April 2014 — Gloria Gossard Breast Health Center opens.
Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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QuiCk hitS
Inside the toponas General Store
W
e’ve all seen the Toponas General Store when driving Colorado Highway 131 to or from Wolcott. But while the speed limit change forces us to slow down and smell the Toponas roses, few venture inside unless we’re short on gas, bladder room or Otter Pops for the kids. Not to worry. We ventured inside so you can see what you’ve been missing.
at your service
after retiring from the navy and a career at Rocky Flats, toponas General store owner Russell Gehl, who used to hunt in the area and noticed the building’s forsale sign in 1995, bought the business with his wife, barbara, in 1996 and moved up from denver. as well as offering gasoline, food, supplies and even a u-haul rental business, they installed the first atM between steamboat and Vail and dish up Mount Werner-sized ice cream cones. “the best part of this business is the people we get to meet,” barbara maintains.
badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges
on the wall to the right as you enter the store is a case filled with state trooper badges from all across the country. look closely and you’ll even see emblems from Japan and Germany. “Whenever state troopers pass through, they stop in and see if they have a new different badge to contribute to the case,” Russell says.
Counter clutter
like an archaeologist unearthing ancient finds, owner Russell Gehl digs through some paperwork encumbering the checkout counter. yellowed newspaper clippings, salt shakers, family photos, old magazines and other items compete for counter space with your pretzels and soda pop. Photos by samie Cretney
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I ‘yam what I yam’
an old Rocky Mountain empire magazine article from 1946 dubs the store’s original owner Jack holden as “Colorado’s spinach King” for the area’s vegetable production. in 1949, toponas was the biggest shipping point for spinach in the united states, filling 600 to 700 railroad cars each summer.
Pictured: Hunter Douglas Designer Roller Shades with Custom Wood Valences
the lion sleeps tonight
an old article from the bottom of the counter pile highlights the general store in toponas in 1933. among its gems: toponas is the ute word for sleeping lion, named for a rock formation found nearby. the store still carries the same tagline: “a convenience store in the middle of nowhere.”
au revoir, gopher
a 1957 article in the denver Post investigates the area’s gopher problems, whose holes have long plagued the fields of area famers. as the story attests, in 1957, losses from gophers eclipsed $3 million. Where’s bill Murray when you need him?
Into a nearby phone booth
need to change into superman? here’s your chance. the telephone booth at the toponas General store started as a regular outside pay phone, with the booth moved from Craig in 1998 to keep the phone from freezing. the booth worked up until five years ago, before it was shut off for lack of use. as for the toilets, barbara says, “Where’s the bathroom?” is their most-asked question: “We’re basically in the middle of nowhere, so we’re the first bathroom for quite a while.”
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LOCALS Medical matrimonies in sickness & in health Scalpel? Check. Swabs? Check. Skis and mountain bikes? Check. Saturday night dinner date? Check (as long as busy schedules allow). That’s the scenario for an exorbitant number of Steamboat couples who blend medical careers with living the mountain life here in the Yampa Valley. They patch us up during the day and tend to their personal lives when off the clock, calling Steamboat home for the same reasons we all do — the community, outdoor lifestyle and friendliness. Following are seven such couples mixing their medical professions with matrimony. 18
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Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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Photo by John F. Russell
McCreight Jim and Wendy O
ne of the things Jim and Wendy McCreight, both doctorates of dental surgery (DDS), love about living and practicing dentistry in Steamboat Springs is the people. After 17 years of operating McCreight Progressive Dentistry in the Yampa Valley, the two local dentists have begun to truly understand what is means to be Steamboat locals. This arose largely from a fickle twist of fate. At this time last year, Wendy was diagnosed with a rare case of lymphoma and was undergoing chemo treatment. “That really put everything about being a local into perspective,” Jim says. “Because the heart of this valley is really the people.” People they had known but hadn’t seen in a while came out of the woodwork to help, from the church community to business owners in town. “When you own a business or restau-
18 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
rant, you understand what it’s like to be faced with something like that,” he says. “You still have to show up and keep that business going. People say they come for the winter and stay for the summer, but I think it’s really staying for the people.” Parents to 15-year-old daughter, Hannah, and 8-year-old son, Jackson, Jim, 47, and Wendy, 51, met at the Iowa College of Dentistry in 1994. That was where Wendy received her BS in nursing and worked in cardiology for three years. With Jim graduating in 1997 to pursue dentistry, the two moved to Yuma, Arizona, in 1998, where Jim was stationed as a Navy dentist working for the Marines. They started their first practice in Craig after finding a classified that listed a dental practice for sale. Soon after, they acquired enough of a following to build a new practice in Steamboat. While it may be hard to separate
work from personal life, especially owning the business with a significant other, Jim says they’re getting better at it. “When it’s your own business it’s different because you’re its heart and soul,” he says. “But we’re getting better at when to turn that off.” Outside of work the couple enjoys spending time with their kids, skiing, biking, swimming and car camping. Jim has also competed in five Ironman triathlons, the affinity showing in their support of local triathlons and other community events. They also formed the McCreight Smile Foundation to provide dental care to victims of domestic violence in Northwest Colorado. The common thread, or floss, running through everything they do is dedication to their family, dental practice and community, which makes them smile happily about calling Steamboat home. — Audrey Dwyer
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Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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20 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
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Harrington Brian and Lori services than a typical small rural town of our size.” Brian, a partner with Yampa Valley Medical Associates, grew up in a small town in Nebraska, so his idea of a physician was always the family doctor. “In medical school I liked just about every area I studied, so I wanted my medical practice to include all ages, genders and organ systems,” he says. “So, I chose to go into family medicine, where I could take care of the whole person from birth to old age. I also was attracted to the community health aspect of family medicine.” Lori, an orthopedic surgeon, was drawn to her line of work through her love of sports. “I gravitated toward the surgical specialties in medical school,” she says. “Given those, orthopedic surgery seemed a natural fit. I enjoy seeing things heal and watching people return
to their normal, active lifestyles.” Apart from their busy careers, the couple is raising four children, with their oldest daughter just graduating from Steamboat Springs High School. “We wanted to be in a smaller community for the sake of our children and had always desired to live in a Colorado mountain town,” Brian says. They add that when a couple is in the same profession and works at the same place, work and personal life tend to blend together. “Medicine for us is difficult to do ‘half time’ or within certain hours of the day,” Brian says. “We chose to live in a small town where we’d know people and accepted that discussing medicine with friends, at social events or in the grocery store is just part of small-town life.” — Matt Stensland Photo by John F. Russell
B
oth having a connection to the U.S. Army, Dr. Brian Harrington thought he and his future wife, Lori Harrington, also a medical doctor, would have an immediate connection at Dartmouth Medical School. He was wrong. It was not until a snowshoe outing in February during their first year of med school that the two started dating. Then, after finishing their careers in the Army, Brian and Lori moved to Steamboat, where they’ve lived for the past 10 years. The move was made with family in mind, but they quickly discovered the town has a lot to offer on the medical side. “Steamboat turned out to be a pleasant surprise in that it offered a vibrant medical community with excellent physicians in many specialties and a top quality hospital,” Brian says. “The community offers much more in medical
Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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Hopfenbeck James and Sarah W
hile doctors James and Sarah Hopfenbeck have only lived in Steamboat Springs since August 2013, when Jim, 57, took over as pathologist and lab director at Yampa Valley Medical Center, they’ve quickly settled into their new home. Sarah’s only memory of Steamboat was coming here to ski at age 6 in a blizzard and “failing miserably” in learning how to ride the Poma. “Our decision to move here had to be made fairly quickly and was to some extent a leap of faith,” she says. “But we’re so happy we went for it.” Married for 30 years after growing up in Denver, both left Colorado for college — Jim to Northwestern University and Sarah to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington — before returning to the Front Range, where career path and courtship converged. “We met back in Denver after college, when we were working in a pathology research laboratory at the University of Colorado,” Sarah says. “A year later we started medical school together at
Northwestern University in Chicago and got engaged after our first quarter of med school. We figured if we could stand each other through that, we could stand each other through anything.” After medical school, they did their residency training at the University of Utah before moving back to Lakewood to start their respective practices — James in pathology and Sarah in internal medicine — and raise a family, including children Jeff, 26, and twins Chris and Eric, 23. While James heads YVMC’s pathology department, Sarah joined Yampa Valley Medical Associates in April 2014, working at YampaCare Family Medicine’s Craig and Steamboat offices and as a hospitalist at YVMC. She adds that their practices here are interesting and challenging, and their colleagues have all been welcoming and helpful. As for juggling two busy medical careers, Sarah says the key is finding balance. “We try to separate work from personal
life and to leave work at work,” she says. “But the nice thing about being married to a fellow physician is the ability to ‘talk shop’ if we need to, with a partner who knows and understands the issue.” They’ve also made short work of settling into their new lifestyle. “We love living in Steamboat,” Sarah says. “We’ve always wanted to live in the mountains, and we love the small, friendly community, more relaxed pace of life and all the outdoor recreation opportunities.” While these include such traditional mountain town pursuits as hiking, skiing, fly fishing, cycling, tennis and golf, the doctor duo also enjoys cooking and gardening together, as well as spending time with their dogs, Rudy and Jack. They’re also finding that living here makes it almost easier to see their children. “Our kids seem to be finding excuses to come visit mom and dad in Steamboat,” Sarah says. “We love it here and look forward to years of snowy winters and beautiful summers.” — Eugene Buchanan Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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Eivins Scott and Sandi S
Photo by John F. Russell
andi Eivins, MD, and Scott Eivins, DDS, were young medical students at the University of Iowa when they met during a histology class. Deep into a late night study session, the two made plans to attend the Rose Bowl together in California during Christmas break, and, as Sandi says, “we’ve been together ever since.” A board certified doctor of dermatology and pediatrics, Sandi, 51, is the owner and operator of the Dermatology and Laser Center of Steamboat Springs and Aesthetica Medical Spa, while her husband Scott, 55, owns the Dental Center of Steamboat Springs. Up until Scott’s recent move to a new office on Pine Grove Road, the two spent 16 years in adjacent
24 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
offices in the medical office building connected to Yampa Valley Medical Center. The two businesses were started from scratch after the Eivinses moved to Steamboat Springs in 1998 with baby Paige, now 18 and a recent Steamboat Mountain School graduate, in tow. The couple adopted a second daughter, now 12-year-old Piper, from China when she was 10 months old. “Scott wanted to move here for the outdoor lifestyle, the powder and a great place to practice. I wanted a place to raise the girls in a safe, community-minded town where I could be successful,” Sandi says. “Steamboat fit the bill for both of us.” With two kids and demanding professions, the Eivinses say it’s difficult to find time for everything, but it’s easy to separate business from family at the end of long day. “When we come home, our focus switches to family,” Scott says. “We almost always have supper together so we can catch up on each other’s day. That time together is really important at our house.” The couple has developed an appreciation for practicing in small-town Steamboat, where parents, siblings and even the neighbor kids might tag along to an appointment and where patients haven’t always taken off their ski boots before sitting in the dental chair. Sandi fondly remembers one dry, snowy February morning when a patient with an open dermatology wound disappeared from the waiting area between procedures. “After about 30 minutes he came back, sheepishly, still wet from the powder,” Sandi says. “Only in Steamboat would a patient leave in the middle of surgery to go skiing.” Scott remembers the first powder day the couple had after opening their practices. “We looked at each other and said, ‘What happened to our schedule?’” says Scott, who realized back then they hadn’t a clue what it meant to be a local. More than 16 years later, the Eivinses still aren’t sure if they qualify as locals yet, but they’ll continue trying while building on their successful practices, always working, says ever-thedentist Scott, “by the skin of our teeth.” — Teresa Ristow
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S
cott and Kristen Fahrner were looking at a map on their dining room table in Portland, Maine, several years ago when Colorado stood out. It didn’t take a stethoscope to hear its call. Scott remembered how fun it was to race on a mountain bike in Steamboat Springs. So, in 2008, they decided it was time to raise their family here. “We thought the odds of our getting dream jobs in a dream place would be similar to winning the lottery,” Scott says. “I guess we won the lottery.” Both able to land jobs in their respective fields, Scott is an anesthesiologist at Yampa Valley Medical Center and Kristen an otolaryngologist with fellowship certification in allergy. Kristen says it takes teamwork to juggle their busy medical schedules with family time and other obligations, but that it’s worth every scribble on their calendar. “Fortunately, Kristen is very organized and one of the best planners I know,” Scott says. “And fortunately, cellphones exist. A lot of planning happens in the car between the pool and home, Howelsen Hill and home, the tennis center and home, and the schools and home.” The Fahrners have two very active and involved daughters. Their oldest, Annika, plays tennis and swims year round, and the youngest, Becca, swims, mountain bikes, dances, plays tennis and ski jumps. Adding to the mix of gear in their garage, Scott recently added skate skiing to his list of sports and Kristen loves playing tennis. All that recreation and running around, of course, occurs when they’re not manning their respective medical
offices, vocations they wouldn’t trade for the world. “It’s gratifying to be practicing where I truly feel like part of a community,” Scott says. “It helps me feel passionate about being a physician. Nothing about it feels like a factory. The patients are from your community.” Kristen adds that her patients here
are very unique. “In general, the patients we see in Steamboat seem to be very invested in their health, and take an active role not only in the treatment of medical illness, but also in prevention,” she says. “It’s gratifying to be a part of this process and to help improve the quality of their lives.” — Scott Franz
Fahrner Scott and Kristen 26 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
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Kempers Scott and Jennifer S
hop talk is a healthy thing. And medical doctors Jennifer and Scott Kempers don’t hesitate to come home from work and engage in it. In fact, it’s a common way for Jen, who practices internal medicine, and Scott, an anesthesiologist, to unwind (patients, of course, remain anonymous). “We often talk about work at home,”
Photo by John F. Russell
28 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
Jen says. “It’s a way for us to decompress from stressful moments at work. It’s also nice to be able to talk with someone who understands your situation and supports you.” Ask the Kempers’ three sons — Matthew, 13, Daniel, 12, and Andrew, 10 — about shop talk and you might get a different answer.
“Our kids are very used to us talking about medical topics, to the point I think they’re a little sick of it and are not considering medicine as a career,” Jen admits. The Kempers moved to Steamboat Springs from Tucson, Arizona, with their two oldest sons in June 2003 right after Scott completed his residency at the University of Arizona. They were introduced by a mutual friend who accurately predicted they’d be a good match. With a shared love of sports and outdoor activities, the Kempers have blended well into Steamboat and enjoy working in a small community with sophisticated medical facilities, as well as good friends who help them balance professional life and raising boys. Scott says it’s rewarding to take care of friends and acquaintances while working in a “highly modernized” hospital setting. “The staff and other physicians are all excellent and an honor to work with,” he says. “Specifically, the OR staff is a true joy to work with, and we have a lot of fun in a very professional setting.” Jen adds she’s especially happy to be associated with Yampa Valley Medical Associates, which she describes as being at the forefront of primary care. “I really enjoy caring for the people of Steamboat,” she says. “They all have a unique story behind how they got here and what they’re doing with their lives.” As a family, the Kempers enjoy exploring North Routt and they take an annual trip to Lake Powell for water skiing and other family fun. Scott enjoys mountain biking, skiing and hunting, and Jen plays in the women’s soccer league and took up hockey after hours of watching her sons trigger slap shots. You can bet they talk about all of that around the dinner table, too. — Tom Ross
Photo by John F. Russell
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1 8 0 9 C e n t r a l Pa r k D r i v e • S t e a m b o a t S p r i n g s, C o l o r a d o 9 7 0 - 8 7 9 - 5 6 6 7 • w w w. d a v i d c h a s e r u g s a n d f u r n i t u r e. c o m Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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Meininger Alex and Angie Alelxander H
aving grown up in Colorado, Angie Alexander and Alex Meininger never thought they’d spend 10 years in the Midwest. But after a decade of medical school and residency in Chicago, getting back to high elevation became top priority. “It was our goal from the beginning,” Meininger says. “We first met living in the mountains, and after medical school, our goal was to always get back.” That dream was realized three years ago when Steamboat Springs became home. Married for 10 years, Alexander, 41, and Meininger, 37, had been living in Moab, Utah, before an opportunity arose to practice medicine in Steamboat. The couple has no plans to move again anytime soon. “I had lived here for a winter with the Winter Sports Club after college and always wanted to come back,” Alexander says. “Our goal in Chicago was to come to Steamboat.” Meininger is an orthopedic sports medicine specialist at Steamboat Orthopaedic Associates, P.C. Alexander is an emergency medicine physician, working full time in Moab — where the couple still owns a home — and part time at the Yampa Valley Medical Center. Both are also certified physicians for the U.S. Ski Team. “It’s kind of a childhood dream to be an orthopedic surgeon in a ski resort,” Meininger says. “It was also a lifelong dream to take care of the U.S. Ski Team.” Longtime outdoor enthusiasts, Meininger and Alexander graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder, where they each competed for the CU freestyle ski team. But they didn’t meet until after graduating when a mutual friend from the ski team introduced them during a mountain bike race. Meininger soon left for med school in Chicago, and Alexander followed a few years later. Now, they’re living out their mountain dream in Steamboat. While finding time for a social life — or for each other — is difficult, especially with Alexander spending half the month in Moab, they make it work and can often be found side by side on a bike trail or skiing down Mount Werner. “Thankfully, we have a pretty close network of friends who respect that sometimes we are crazy and missing in action,” Meininger says. “The community has been incredibly accepting, and it’s been rewarding to build a practice here.” — Austin Colbert
Photo by Austin Colbert
30 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
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Cooking with
Photos by James Garcia
Eureka’s Craig Sutherland Tabouleh bouleh
E
ureka Mediterranean Grill, sister restaurant to Carl’s Tavern next door, is led by executive chef Craig Sutherland, of England. Its meals and ambiance are from “across the pond,” as well. Having worked as Carl’s sous chef for three years, Sutherland was asked to be the brains behind the flavors of this new endeavor into Mediterranean cuisine. Sutherland’s stature in the blossoming local eatery is even more impressive since he’s a self-made restauranteur. “I did it the hard way: dish washing, kitchen prep and spending a fortune on cookbooks,” says Sutherland, adding he spent his spare time shadowing a butcher to learn that skill set. “I picked up a lot from different people.” Believe it or not, Sutherland began his, taste bud-driven career at McDonalds at age 16. From there, he managed a pub in England before moving to New York in 2005 and pursuing his dream of becoming a chef. Not fully understanding the difference between New York City and Steamboat Springs, he packed up his car and headed to the Yampa Valley, where he’s been cooking for the past 10 years. “I love it here. It’s a great town,” Sutherland says. In fact, there’s only one thing that
competes for his affection for Steamboat. “I’ve always loved cooking,” he says. “It’s one of the happiest times for me, being in the kitchen and cooking by myself.” Sutherland specializes in Mediterranean foods, and he jumped at the chance to head a restaurant focusing on that niche. “I like this style because of its cleaner, brighter flavors,” he says. One of Eureka’s staple offerings is the Lebanese Tabouleh salad. “It gives a good idea of what we’re aiming for,” Sutherland says. “It’s really bright, especially with grilled meats.” The dish — which comes with a brilliant zing of lemon citrus and crisp-tasting vegetables, spices and garlic — can sub bulgur wheat for quinoa to become gluten-free, and Eureka often serves it with pita and hummus. Its flavors are at their best after the mixture sits for 24 hours, absorbing each others’ best qualities. Sutherland adds that a steady string of customers, new and repeat, is showing that Eureka is meeting a need with its Mediterranean cuisine. Info: 700 Yampa Ave., 970-761-2061, www.eurekasteamboat.com — James Garcia
Eureka’s tabouleh salad 10 fresh tomatoes (small diced) 1 red onion (small diced) 2 cucumbers (peeled and deseeded, diced small) 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. Kosher salt 2 cups fresh lemon juice 4 cups fresh parsley (finely minced) 2 cups fresh mint (finely minced) 3 cups bulgur wheat, fine ground (substitute 2 cups quinoa for glutenfree)
Soak bulgur wheat in warm water for one hour to “puff” the wheat and make soft. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Let meld together, covered, in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. To make up to 24 hours ahead, combine all ingredients and keep chilled except for bulgur wheat (or quinoa); stir in just before serving. Serve with hummus and pita. Makes 8 or more servings; recipe can easily be halved.
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Historical marker roundup O
By Eugene Buchanan
K, we know road trips can get a tad boring. So spice yours up by stopping at historical markers surrounding Steamboat. One of the oldest such programs in the nation, Colorado’s commemorations date back to the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1907. Produced by the Colorado Historical Society and government transportation departments, these signs herald Colorado’s people, events and issues, helping you journey through the past while providing an excuse to stretch your legs. The following are a handful to look for within a few hours of town. Hayden rest area Location: Hayden Rest Area, mile marker 100.5, 7 miles northwest of Hayden, U.S. Highway 40 Topic: King Coal/Taylor Grazing Act/Farrington Carpenter/Hayden Surveys Year installed: 1965-1997 This four-panel marker calls attention to mining, grazing, surveyors and more, championing coal as the region’s king of
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minerals. While large-scale mining awaited the coming of the railroad in 1908, today, of Colorado’s eight major coal regions, 13 mines in Routt and Moffat counties account for more than half of the state’s total coal production. Other panels tout the Taylor Grazing Act and the region’s competition for free range land, resulting in the creation of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934, as well as maverick rancher Farrington Carpenter, appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the government’s first director of the Division of Grazing. A district attorney known for prosecuting cattle rustlers and negotiating a cease-fire between sheepmen and cattlemen, Carpenter is the namesake for The Nature Conservancy’s Carpenter Ranch. The final panel heralds geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden’s famous Hayden Surveys, which produced Colorado maps between 1859 and 1876.
mount Harris Location: Mile marker 114.5, U.S. Highway 40 Topic: The ghost town of Mount Harris Year installed: 1990 This marker stands at the former townsite of Mount Harris between Milner and Hayden, a community settled in 1914 when brothers George and Byron Harris opened the first mine at Bear River Canyon. With a conveyor carrying coal across the Yampa River to waiting
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continued on page 36 34 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
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railroad cars, the town was a hub of activity for three additional mining camps, and by 1916, it was a nationally recognized model company town, sporting company offices, a general store, post office, drug store, barbershop and pool hall. Main Street also was home to three boarding houses, the Colburn Hotel, a church, doctors’ offices and a community center for meetings, Saturday night dances and movies. By 1920, Mount Harris was the largest town in the county with 1,295 residents. On a sad note, one of Colorado’s worst mining disasters occurred there in 1942 when a methane gas explosion killed 34 miners. With the rise of petroleum dampening coal demand, the Victor American Camp shut down in the early 1950s, and in 1958, the Mount Harris mine closed.
oak Creek Location: Mile marker 56.5, Town Park, Oak Creek Topic: Coal/Labor Day Year installed: 1999 Featuring photos of mines, parades and even the arrival of the National Guard in 1913 to settle a labor dispute, this two-panel marker com-
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memorates coal, Labor Day and a town founded in 1908 to feed the locomotives of the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railroad. At one point, nearly two dozen languages were spoken in Oak Creek, and a local mine featured the state’s largest hoist at 280 tons. The community staged its first Labor Day celebration in 1915, a year after a landmark United Mine Workers strike. The event let miners protest labor injustices and renew common bonds. Today, Oak Creek’s Labor Day party is one of Colorado’s largest, featuring parades, contests and the crowning of the annual Coal Queen.
the town of Teller City, the area later hosted residents who stayed on to raise cattle, cut timber or mine coal. Founded in 1889 by refugees from the Teller City mining bust, Walden was the only incorporated town in North Park and a vital link to the world beyond the basin. Its first railroad came in 1891 to serve the nearby Coalmont coal mine, at the time one of the largest strip mines in the world. The marker also champions the area’s wildlife, thanks to its variety of habitat and spring runoff ensuring ample water and vegetation for antelope, deer, elk, black bear, moose, beaver and waterfowl.
Dinosaur
Grand County
Location: Dinosaur, U.S. Highway 40 Topic: Echo Park Dam/Ancient Inhabitants/Rangely Oil Field Year installed: 1997 Conservation, natives and oil are the theme of this four-panel marker, which pays tribute to the oilmen who first tapped the Rangely Field in 1902 — the boomtown of Artesia, later renamed to its modern-day Dinosaur; the Fremont Indians, who lived in the area from 200 to 1200 A.D.; and the defeat of the controversial Echo Park Dam in Dinosaur National Monument in 1958, thanks to opposition by the Sierra Club. It also serves as the official welcome plaque for travelers entering Colorado from Utah.
Location: Winter Park, Hideaway Town Park Topic: Skiing/Moffat Road/Berthoud Pass Year installed: 1997 This panel pays homage to Norwegians Carl Howelsen and Angell Schmidt, who traveled through Middle Park in 1911 and entertained onlookers at Hot Sulphur Springs with their ski jumping. It also commemorates the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railroad, which topped 11,660foot Rollins Pass in 1905; the history of Berthoud Pass, whose road was built with the help of mountain man Jim Bridger; and the opening of the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel in 1928, which brought skiers to the area and led to the opening of Winter Park in 1940.
maybell
Kremmling
Location: Town Park, north side of U.S. Highway 40 Topic: Ranching/Rustlers/Fort Davy Crockett/Jim Beckwourth Year installed: 1997 This four-panel marker highlights the area’s ranching and renegades. The first panel depicts Brown’s Hole and Robber’s Roost and the history of such outlaws as Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, Isom Dart and Black Jack Ketchum. The panel also highlights tough-as-nails pioneer Elizabeth Bassett and her two daughters, Ann “Queen of the Cattle Rustlers,” and Josie. Panel two honors the region’s fur trappers, as well as Fort Davy Crockett, built along the Green River after Crockett’s death at the Alamo in 1836, and such luminaries as Kit Carson, Joe Meek and ex-slave captain Jim Beckwourth, who enjoyed a 40-year career as a trapper, scout and backwoodsman. Panel three showcases early ranching families, including crusty Charley Crouse, the Hoy brothers, the Spicers and the Bassetts, who routinely faced down rustlers, Utes, bandits and more. The final marker pays homage to the region’s infamous Sheep-Cattle Wars, which pitted sheepherders against cattlemen and resulted in the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934.
Location: Inspiration Point, 8.5 miles south of Kremmling on Colorado Highway 9 Topic: Moffat Road/Argo Squirrels/Mountain Exploration/Geology Year installed: 1997 This marker heralds the Moffat Road, brainchild of banker and railroad entrepreneur David Moffat; the famous “Argos Squirrels,” immigrant surveyors who scaled the cliffs of Gore Canyon and hung from swinging bridges to build the railroad through the canyon; and Anglo-Irish baronet Sir St. George Gore, who explored the region in 1854, guided by mountain man Jim Bridger. continued on page 38
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Jackson County Location: Mile marker 57.9 on Colorado Highway 125, Wyoming border north of Walden Topic: North Park/Walden/Wildlife Year installed: 2002 This marker highlights the history of Walden and North Park, which the Utes called the “Bull Pen” for its bison. It also brings attention to the area’s ample beaver, hunted by the likes of Kit Carson. Unsettled until a brief silver rush in the 1870s spawned
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Photo by saMie CRetney
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Location: Downtown Kremmling, U.S. Highway 40 Topic: Kremmling/Ranching/Dr. Ceriani Year installed: 2003 This marker details the history of Kremmling, founded in 1884 by Rudolph Kremmling, who built a dry-goods store to serve local ranchers. It also touches upon Middle Park ranching, which by the mid-20th century was known nationwide for its prize-winning Herefords (local Fred DeBerard was named “Stockman of the Century” in 1951). It also honors 1912’s Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch, still the oldest guest ranch in Colorado, as well as early doctors like Dr. Susan Anderson (“Doc Susie”), Dr. Archer Sudan and Dr. Ernest Ceriani, who was featured in a 1948 Life magazine article and retired in 1986 after 40 years of service.
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meeker Location: Meeker, mile marker 72.6 at Colorado Highway 64 and Moffat County Road 7 Topic: Attack at White River/Battle of Milk Creek Year installed: 1997 This marker calls attention to U.S. Indian agent Nathan C. Meeker, who, in 1879, wanted the Utes to become Christians and farmers and plowed up the tribe’s sacred horse track. When they objected and responded by killing Meeker and 11 other white men, 120 troopers under the command of Major Thomas Thornburgh crossed Milk Creek 15 miles north, the northern boundary of the Ute Reservation. The Battle of Milk Creek ensued, with the U.S. troops joined by the 9th Cavalry (the famed African-American “Buffalo Soldiers”) and 5th Cavalry. By the battle’s end, 23 Utes were
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7 Photo by John F. Russell
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killed, as well as Thornburgh and 10 other U.S. soldiers. It was the Utes’ last military stand against white encroachment. Two years later, the Tabeguache and White River Utes were relocated to barren reservations.
rangely Location: Downtown Rangely, Colorado Highway 64 Topic: Escalante Expedition Year installed: 1951 This marker commemorates the 1776 Dominguez-Escalante Expedition, which passed through the region in its attempt to fi nd an overland route from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to a Catholic mission in Monterey, California. Led by Franciscan priests Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and cartographer Don Bernardo Miera, eight men traveled through present day western Colorado to the Utah Valley in Utah, aided by three Timpanog Ute guides. While their route became part of the Old Spanish Trail, the group ended up aborting its mission and returning to Santa Fe through Arizona.
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9 Photo by John F. Russell
Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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A Q&A with local author Nancy Sindelar on her new book, “Influencing Hemingway”
HUNTING
Hemingway By Eugene Buchana
F
Photo by John F. Russell
or the past 20 years, part-time local Nancy Sindelar has spent her winters guiding skiing in Steamboat Springs. But she’s had good reason to leave, as evidenced by her new book, “Influencing Hemingway: The People and Places That Shaped His Life and Work,” released by Roman & Littlefield Publishers last June. Though much has been written about the Nobel prize-winning author, Sindelar’s tome is the first to document — in photographs and letters — the individuals and locales that inspired him (many of its photos are new to the public). Recently hosting a signing at Hemingway’s former home in Key West, Florida, Sindelar has presented her work at the International Ernest Hemingway Colloquium in Havana, Cuba; the Hemingway Society Conference in Venice, Italy; the Hemingway Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho; and the American Library in Paris. We caught up with her between spring ski runs for her thoughts on Steamboat and bringing Papa to life. Steamboat Living: How much time do you spend in Steamboat each year? Sindelar: I’m in Steamboat each ski season. I’ve been a mountain guide for Steamboat Mountain Masters for the last 12 years. SL: What first brought you here? Sindelar: In 1993, my daughter and I were skiing in Winter Park during her spring break. We skied in Steamboat for one glorious day and then visited a model home. Shortly thereafter, I bought it. The rest is history. SL: What’s your back story?
Sindelar: I was an English teacher at Hemingway’s alma mater, Oak Park and River Forest High School, and later worked as an assistant superintendent in a large school district in suburban Chicago. When I retired, I rekindled my interest in Hemingway as a Hemingway scholar and lecturer. SL: How did you first become interested in him?
“Influencing Hemingway: The People and Places That Shaped His Life and Work” was released by Roman & Littlefield Publishers in June 2014. Find it locally at www.steamboatbooks.com. Sindelar: It began 30-plus years ago when I was teaching at his alma mater. My students were fascinated by his life, but some thought their own lives paled in comparison. They inspired me to learn more about Hemingway’s years continued on page 42
40 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
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as a high school student. I wanted my students to know what he was like, what activities he was involved with and what shaped his life. I studied the school’s yearbooks and archives and even interviewed some of his former teachers. We learned that the man who became an international sports legend and literary figure was just as involved with life as a teenager as he was as an adult. He was athletic, intelligent and handsome, was the editor of the school paper, published three stories in the school’s literary magazine, played cello in the school orchestra and was a member of the football, track and swim teams. SL: Any parallels to your own life?
Photo CouRtesy oF nanCy sindelaR
Sindelar: Living in the Oak Park River Forest area gave me an understanding of the culture in which Ernest was raised. Then — as it is now — the community was focused on high educational expectations. Though Oak Park was more conservative in Ernest’s day, even now the strict Protestantism of Ernest’s family and the religious influences of Wheaton College can still be found there. I’ve also spent time in many of the places Hemingway was drawn to later. As a kid, I raced sailboats to Mackinaw Island in northern Michigan, so I had an appreciation for Walloon Lake and the “summer people” of northern Michigan. Having lived in Switzerland and spent time in France, it was easy for me to see how a boy from Oak Park could be energized and transformed by the people,
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food and freedom of Paris during the 1920s, and thrilled with the opportunities to ski the mountains of Switzerland. Similarly, as skiing and hunting drew Ernest to Sun Valley, I, too, was attracted to the resort. I learned to ski there and knew well the celebrity atmosphere of the Sun Valley Lodge and mountain comfort of the Trail Creek Cabin that he experienced later in life. SL: How about his travels to Cuba? Sindelar: My first trip to Cuba came in 2011. I’d been asked to make a presentation at the 13th annual International Ernest Hemingway Colloquium, a gathering of scholars whose ideas, research and presentations created an interesting tapestry of his life. After only a few days in Havana, it was clear to me why Hemingway was attracted to Cuba and why the 22 years he spent there was the longest period of time he lived anywhere. The people were charming, honest and friendly; the climate and culture were warm and exotic; and the island was surrounded by beautiful waters and world-class fishing. SL: What was your favorite part of the research?
Sindelar: Visiting his homes and reading his personal letters. I visited every place he ever lived and have stood in the room where he was born and the room where he ended his life. I’ve tracked down his Paris apartments, his favorite ski town in Switzerland and spent time in his Key West and Cuban homes. I’ve seen his Red Cross uniform, touched the clothes in his closet in Cuba and his skis and snowshoes in Sun Valley. I’ve also seen his notes charting his weight on the wall of his bathroom in Cuba and read many of his personal letters. Knowing where he lived and worked has provided new insight into his fiction. Reading his casually written letters has provided insight into his happiness, pain and depression. SL: What did you unearth that people might not know about him? Sindelar: Hemingway had a tremendous work ethic. Though his hunting and fishing expeditions were legendary, he always got up early and wrote for five or six hours each day. He was always happiest when he was writing. SL: There’s a photo of him skiing ... how big a skier was he?
Photo CouRtesy oF nanCy sindelaR
a far cry from Giggle Gulch: hemingway, sampling the ski slopes of switzerland.
Sindelar: Hemingway loved skiing and the outdoors. He learned to ski at Les Avants in Switzerland. Then he later skied in Schruns, Austria, Gstaad, Switzerland, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Though his final years were spent in Sun Valley, he never skied there because of problems with his back. SL: How do you think he would’ve liked Steamboat? Sindelar: Hemingway would have loved Steamboat! He would have hunted in the fall, skied the trees in the winter and fished whenever he wasn’t hunting or skiing.
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5 minutes with
Pacific Crest Trail hiker and cancer survivor
Greg Sagan
T
hree years ago, undergoing treatment for testicular cancer at age 23, local Greg Sagan couldn’t fathom hiking, let alone spending five months trekking the Pacific Crest Trail from the California-Mexico border to Canada. But after recovering and emerging with a fresh perspective on life, in April, he and friend Zac Barbiasz began doing just that to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s children’s cancer research. He plans to complete the 2,663-mile journey in September, just in time to come back and shave his head to celebrate National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Steamboat Living: How long have you lived in Steamboat? Sagan: Since summer of 2013, after graduating from Westfield State University in Western Massachusetts in 2012. I love the accessibility to the outdoors we have, waking up to bottomless Champagne powder days, the people who live here and the abundance of sunshine! SL: What inspired you to hike the PCT? Sagan: Growing up in a city, I didn’t have many chances to hike at a young age, nor appreciate the outdoors. In
college, I took a weekend backpacking trip to the White Mountains and was hooked. Going to the mountains soon meant going “home.” Since coming here, the chance to get outdoors has only grown. Last November, Zac and I were chosen to be a part of the Vasque Footwear Thru-Hike Syndicate program as product ambassadors for a few outdoor companies. We started planning our trip about four months before we started on April 24. SL: How did you train? Sagan: Preparing for a 2,650-mile hike isn’t easy, but I maintained a good dayto-day workout regimen that included backpacking in the Zirkels, climbing 14ers and biking. People asked me how one gets in shape for such a trek, and my answer was always, “Look out the window.” We’re indeed spoiled to live in Steamboat. SL: Have you ever done anything like this before? Sagan: No, but I’ve completed several overly ambitious “death marches” in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I’ve also summited a few 14ers, but with far less weight than I’ll be carrying
on the PCT. SL: What other sports, activities, interests, etc., do you pursue? Sagan: I like craft beer and the craft beer movement that just keeps growing! We’re pretty fortunate living in a state that is one of the country’s craft beer meccas, and I love supporting the local breweries we have here in town! SL: Why the St. Baldrick’s Foundation? Sagan: Being a cancer survivor at a young age and being fortunate enough to do something I’m passionate about made me want to give back. I wanted more than to just hike the trail. Being the oldest of four, I couldn’t resist choosing St. Baldrick’s. Kids should be kids and be able to live life to the fullest without being burdened by a terrible disease. Families of children with cancer face many challenges, including uncertainty, restrictions and rigorous treatments. People often link cancer with age; children and young adults with cancer are a less visible demographic than adult cancer patients. When I was diagnosed, I realized that age is an inextricable factor of how we experience cancer and that life, indeed, is too short. continued on page 46 Summer 2015 | Steamboat living
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5 minutes with I’m now 26, hiking 2,650 miles to raise money, and I have yet to define who I really want to become. For all of us who are facing or have overcome cancer, we don’t know what’s next. All I know is that we’re going to make it to see it. SL: What are you hoping to accomplish from the trip? Sagan: What many others unfortunately don’t get to see or do — life’s simple pleasures like the outdoors and detaching from today’s Wi-Fi-connected society. To quote Edward Abbey: “Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am — a reluctant enthusiast, a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves...and I
promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.” SL: What’s next?
Sagan: After the hike, I plan on returning to Steamboat and my seasonal jobs at Steamboat Resort and as a snowboard instructor and club service attendant at One Steamboat Place. A career in the outdoor industry would be something to look forward to.
Get Ready to Enjoy the Outdoors
at Hot Stuff Hearth & Home
1625 Mid Valley Dr. #3 (across Pine Grove from Walgreen’s)
Steamboat Springs 46 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015
(970) 879-7614
www.hotstuffhearth.com
48 | Steamboat living | Summer 2015