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FOOD MATTERS SWEET DEAL

A&E ‘CLIMB TO GLORY’

APRIL 3 - 9, 2014 • ASPENTIMES.COM/WEEKLY

CULTURE/CHARACTERS/COMMENTARY

HAUTE ROUTE

FIND IT INSIDE

GEAR | PAGE 12

Whitman Fine Properties ted a v ti ller Mo Se

Executive Pitkin Green Estate

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whitmanfineproperties.com • 970.544.3771 • aspen-luxury-rentals.com 2

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Contemporary Custom residenCe in eagle pines 401 Eagle Park Drive, Aspen | $29,900,000

A remarkable custom home sited on one of the most private lots within Eagle Pines. Set on the ski slopes of Buttermilk ski area with ski in/out access and abundant views capturing the city of Aspen and mountains beyond. Unique design elements such as the Cantilevered terraces, attention to detail, and the scale of the rooms are reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright design esthetic. A tasteful home theater on the lower level of the house, geothermal heating & cooling, caretaker quarters, over five acres of secluded serenity and all bedrooms above grade make this a very unique property. Web Id# WN131420

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Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Aspen | 514 E. Hyman Avenue | 970.925.7000 | Find more at www.masonmorse.com Exclusive Member for Aspen and Snowmass, CO

©2013 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker®, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International®, the Previews International Logo, and “Dedicated to Luxury Real EstateSM” are registered and unregistered service marks to Coldwell Banker LLC.

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WELCOME MAT

INSIDE this EDITION VOLUME 2 F ISSUE NUMBER 61

DEPARTMENTS 09 THE WEEKLY CONVERSATION

Publisher Gunilla Asher Editor Jeanne McGovern Subscriptions Dottie Wolcott

10 LEGENDS & LEGACIES

Circulation Maria Wimmer

Art Director Afton Groepper

FROM ASPEN, WITH LOVE

14 WINE INK 16 FOOD MATTERS 28 AROUND ASPEN 30 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 32 LOCAL CALENDAR 38 CROSSWORD 39 CLOSING ENCOUNTERS

Publication Designer Ashley Detmering Production Manager Evan Gibbard Contributing Writers Gunilla Asher Amiee White Beazley Amanda Rae Busch John Colson Mary Eshbaugh Hayes Kelly J. Hayes Cindy Hirschfeld Barbara Platts Bob Ward Tim Willoughby High Country News Aspen Historical Society Sales David Laughren Ashton Hewitt William Gross David Laughren Max Vadnais Louise Walker Tim Kurnos

22 COVER STORY Backcountry hut trips are a tradition among many Aspen locals. Oftentimes, it’s just a one- or two-night trip to a single hut. But not for Aspen Journalism writer Paul Andersen and a group

ON THE COVER

of friends, who recently skied their own Aspen “Haute Route” — a hut connection that means

Photo by Paul Andersen

skiers can tour the high country for five days and never drop below 11,000 feet.

Read the eEdition http://issuu.com/theaspentimes Classified Advertising (970) 925-9937

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Learn what is happening at Aspen/Snowmass throughout the season.

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Keep up with the latest on-mountain conditions, activities, events, packages & specials in Aspen/Snowmass!

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Brian Hazen presents...

The Compound...at Woody Creek

Immerse yourself in the Colorado Lifestyle. Understated elegance and Italian charm epitomize this exquisite 35-acre ranch, with Woody Creek meandering the length of the property. Perfect for any size family and intimate or formal entertaining, the Braun Ranch features a stunning 5 bedroom main residence. Charming guest house, adjoining state-ofthe-art horse barn, outdoor paddocks, irrigated pastures, tranquil ponds and meticulous grounds enhance an environment perfect for hiking, trail riding or fishing. A truly stunning ranch offeringâ&#x20AC;Śjust 15 minutes to Aspen. New Price! $21,750,000. coldwell banker Mason Morse 514 e. Hyman ave., aspen masonmorse.com

brian Hazen, crS vice president/broker associate 970.379.1270 cell 970.920.7395 direct bhazen@rof.net www.brianhazen.com

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

THE WEEKLY CONVERSATION

with JEANNE MCGOVERN

FILM WITH A RECORD number of submissions — more than 3,000 from over 90 countries — considered for this year’s Aspen Shortsfest program, film lovers can rest assured that the 70 shorts representing more than 30 countries that were ultimately selected for this year’s International Competition are sure to entertain, enlighten and educate. From recognizable actors (Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins and Natalie Dormer) to emerging directors, the 2014 edition showcases a vibrant array of stories and styles in comedy, drama, animation and documentary film. “Our 2014 season explores a truly global array of characters, situations and subjects,” says Aspen Film co-director George Eldred. “From our festival seats we travel together to all seven continents — even Antarctica — to experience the imagination of our talented filmmakers and their creative risk-taking. We look forward to sharing the thrill of discovery with our audiences this spring.” In addition to film screenings, this year’s Shortsfest includes special presentations such as “Writing for the Screen: How to Create Characters and Keep Your Friends,” a free Filmmaker Forum, three free Filmmaker Talk Backs, as well as a Family Fun program featuring an international selection of animated and live action shorts from around the world for movie lovers age 7 and up. Aspen Shortsfest runs Tuesday, April 8 through Sunday, April 13 with screenings at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, via aspenshowtix.com, and at The Blend in Carbondale. For more information and the complete program, visit aspenfilm.org.

The French short film “Cargo Cult” shows as part of the opening night program of Aspen Shortsfest, Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. at the Wheeler Opera House.

CURRENTEVENTS POPULAR MUSIC

The Aspen Choral Society’s annual Spring Concert — featuring more than 40 local singers — is Saturday, April 5 at the Aspen School District Theatre. J. Roddy Walston & The Business play Belly Up on Tuesday, April 8. Doors open at 8:30 p.m.

RODDY WALSTON DEFINES his band, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, as an “American band, just as much as Creedence Clearwater Revival or Big Star or The Pixies were all perfectly American at the time they were coming out.” And in creating their lastest CD, “Essential Tremors,” as well as its cryptic cover art, Walston says the band was trying to encapsulate that Southern richness while maintaining a certain air of mystery and mysticism. “It’s not about some sort of Skull and Bones thing of gaining access to an inner circle of high society,” he says. “It’s about feeling an intimate connection with these weird secret worlds that are the legs holding up the table of what seems like a normal, average, everyday American life, but that most people might not even know are there.” But he also promises that the band’s frenetic live show — including one Tuesday, April 8 at Belly Up — will remain a key element of the J. Roddy experience.

CHORAL MUSIC THE ASPEN CHORAL SOCIETY’S annual Spring Concert takes a turn to the contemporary this year with two choral works: Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” with Cantor Rollin Simmons as guest soloist, and Rene Clausen’s “Crying for a Dream” with soprano soloist Marnie White and local celebrity Nina Gabianelli as narrator. Under the direction of Paul Dankers, the Aspen Choral Society, is now in its 36th year. This year’s concert will showcase a choir of more than 40 local singers and a 22-piece professional orchestra. Together, “Chichester Psalms” and “Crying for a Dream” represent a departure from the repertoire that the choir has sung in the past. The concert is Friday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Aspen Disrict Theatre. Tickets are $15 for adults and free for children age 12 and under. For more information, visit www.aspenchoralsociety.org.

COMPLETE LOCAL LISTINGS ON PAGE 32 8

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COURTESY PHOTOS

THE WEEKLY CONVERSATION

with JOHN COLSON

Taking aim at the Koch Party’s influence ALL RIGHT, now we’re getting down to it. The New York Times editorial board recently issued a broadside against the lavish spending of the Koch brothers in a blatant attempt to brainwash voters and get them, the voters, to cast ballots against the voters’ own self-interest. The NYT didn’t exactly put it like that, of course, but the meaning was there. The editorial, published in late January, was headlined, “The Koch Party,” and heaped criticism on Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy organization organized and financed primarily by brother billionaires Charles and David Koch, who together own 84 percent of Koch Industries, named by Wikipedia as the second-largest privately held company in the U.S. In the editorial, the paper noted that the Democratic Party has been “staggered by a $20 million advertising blitz” funded by Americans for Prosperity, a campaign aimed primarily at broadcasting halftruths and outright lies about the Affordable Care Act, derisively known as Obamacare (an appellation you will not see here again). The goal of the campaign, the Times stated, is to undermine Democrat candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate who have supported the health care law and to “blame them for the hyped-up problems with the law’s rollout.” This and similar disinformation campaigns, the Times continued, “now seem to be the sole plank in this year’s Republican platform.” An example of these lies, as described by the Times, was an ad that maintained that a Democrat now serving in the House and running for an open Senate seat, Gary Peters, of Michigan, lied when Peters said the Affordable Care Act “bars cancellation of insurance policies.” But Peters was correct — the law does disallow cancellation of health-insurance policies by insurance companies, a trick that has for decades been a favorite tactic of the insurance industry to rid itself of people with expensive illnesses. According to the editorial, the 225,000 Michigan residents who received “cancellation notices” actually were receiving notice that they could change to a better policy under the Affordable Care Act. They were not being told they could no longer have insurance. So, it was the Koch brothers and their minions who were lying. But they did so, and will continue to do so, on the theory that the more often a lie is told, the more likely it is to be believed, regardless of the

facts of the matter at hand. They, and others in their camp, continue to trumpet claims that health care costs are “skyrocketing” as a result of the Affordable Care Act, when the exact opposite is true. Study after study has shown that health care costs are rising at a slower pace than ever before, in large part because of the Affordable Care Act. But, as noted previously, facts are malleable quantities in the hands of the Koch brothers and their ilk. Some might recall that David Koch was a Libertarian candidate for U.S. vice president in 1980, and among his proposals at the time was the abolition of the U.S. Social Security programs, which has long been a goal of Republicans and others who feel the poor, the aged and the infirm should be left to their own devices rather than offered government assistance. He soon left the Libertarian Party because it would not bend to his will. Other things people should know about the Koch empire is that it ranks high among industrial polluters of our air and water and has spent multiple millions to fight environmental legislation aimed at cleaning up our natural resources. Starting last year, the Koch brothers and Americans for Prosperity have been putting together an organizational effort that, in the eyes of some, outpaces the official Republican Party in its financing, its reach and its complexity. They are training candidates for races at all levels of politics and bankrolling misinformation campaigns all over the country, and they already have begun pumping millions of dollars from unidentified donors to ill-defined nonprofit groups hoping to give control of the government entirely over to Republicans and tea-baggers. What it all comes down to is this: The Koch brothers have an unacceptable influence over politics in this country because they have enough money to overdose the dazed U.S. electorate with lies and deceit. And if it sounds as though I am demonizing them, I guess I am, because I believe their influence on U.S. politics is an evil one designed to do only one thing — make them and their cohorts richer and more secure while emasculating our social safety net, our public-educational efforts and any chance of undoing the growing social and financial inequality that characterizes this nation.

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jbcolson51@gmail.com A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

LEGENDS & LEGACIES

FROM the VAULT

by TIM WILLOUGHBY

Vast quantities of beautiful pyrite can be found at an iron mine above Ashcroft.

MY FAVORITE MINERAL Pyrite appears to be some kind of cosmic April Fools’ joke; that

must be how it got its nickname, fool’s gold. If only fools are attracted to it, then I’ll plead to being foolish; it is my favorite mineral.

When I was a child, I found pyrite everywhere I went. I would find a rock laced with it and haul it home to my father, who, after faking a thorough investigation, would pronounce it fool’s gold. I would add it to my rock collection even though it wasn’t plain old gold; to me it seemed just as beautiful. While my father fished during our weekend picnic trips, I scoured the river for interesting rocks. White quartz caught my eye, but everywhere the sand beckoned with a more alluring color: gold. Sometimes the source of the color was lowly mica, but usually it was real gold, or at least I was sure it must be because it was so beautiful. I convinced my father I had to have a sluicing pan to claim my fortune. Always supportive of my interest in minerals, he obliged; I sifted quantities of my kind of gold and kept it in a glass jar. I recently studied old maps that clearly illustrated that the existence of pyrite was one of the telltale signs

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of suitable geology for Aspen’s silver veins. One of the mountain’s prettiest formations is stark white porphyry dotted with contrasting small specks of glittering pyrite. I find it ironic (no pun intended) to realize that

gold-ore sample, you would prefer the iron pyrite for its more sparkly reflective appearance. Iron pyrite crystals often occur as cubes, but Aspen’s crystals more frequently form as dodecahedrons with more

WHEN THE IRON MINE ABOVE ASHCROFT BEGAN PRODUCTION AND I GOT TO VISIT THE SITE, I THOUGHT I HAD DIED AND GONE TO ROCK HEAVEN. IRON ORE ALONE IS PRETTY, BUT GLISTENING PYRITE CRYSTALS, SOME THE SIZE OF A SUGAR CUBE, ENCRUSTED ROCK IN EVERY DIRECTION I TURNED. my father must have purposely searched for fool’s gold inside Aspen Mountain as an indicator of the presence of silver. Aspen’s pyrite occurs in two varieties: chalcopyrite, the copper version with a greenish tint; and iron pyrite, a brassy-colored mineral that illustrates what gold should look like. If you placed iron pyrite next to a

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reflective surfaces. When the iron mine above Ashcroft began production and I got to visit the site, I thought I had died and gone to rock heaven. Iron ore alone is pretty, but glistening pyrite crystals, some the size of a sugar cube, encrusted rock in every direction I turned. I picked up a few and then discarded them as I

found better ones, on and on for an hour. Pockets heavy, I hauled home enough to open my own rock shop. I sold many of my fool’s gold finds from my sidewalk store set up on card tables in front of my Galena Street residence. Tourists seeking a mineral souvenir from a historic mining town predictably chose them over the calcite and quartz crystals I also offered. I was never short on inventory; in fact, generations of gold “fools” have not dented Aspen’s supply. If you have a child, or if the sight of sparkling minerals leaves you as excited as a child, then head for the hills and keep your eyes on the ground. Who is not a fool for the sight of gold? Tim Willoughby’s family story parallels Aspen’s. He began sharing folklore while teaching for Aspen Country Day School and Colorado Mountain College. Now a tourist in his native town, he views it with historical perspective. Reach him at redmtn2@ comcast.net.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WILLOUGHBY COLLECTION

LEGENDS & LEGACIES

FROM the VAULT

compiled by THE ASPEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

THE REAL BACKCOUNTRY

1900 CRYSTA L C I T Y

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ASPEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

A GROUP OF MINERS skis down a hill in front of some buildings, supposedly at Crystal, circa 1900. Once a bustling mining town located near Marble, Crystal City is now just a ghost town, where many buildings still stand. Crystal is best known for one of the most photographed historic sites in Colorado, the Crystal Mill, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This photo and more can be found in the Aspen Historical Society archives at aspenhistory.org.

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

FROM ASPEN, WITH LOVE

GEAR of the WEEK

by SEBASTIAN FOLTZ

GEAR TO HELP YOU EARN YOUR TURNS FROM MORE TRACKS in the backcountry to more ski-equipment companies dipping into the alpinetouring market, there’s no question that the “earn your turns” touring crowd is growing in size. Market research from SnowSports Industries America — the trade association that puts on the annual SIA Snow Show in Denver — shows touring gear and apparel to be the fastest-growing market in the ski industry. And that growth is expected to benefit more than just the backcountry crowd. The walkmode feature in ski boots — a staple of backcountry gear that a number of companies will emphasize next

season — offers just as much benefit for the destination guest just looking to be more comfortable walking the après-ski scene as it does for the skier looking to climb to the tree line by sunrise. From climbing skins to heel-release bindings and ski-specific backpacks, we can expect to see more backcountry-influenced gear on the market next season. With that in mind, we took a look at three solid pieces of equipment for the skier looking to delve into the world outside the ski-area boundary line: the Technica Cochise boot, the Adrenalin 16 touring bindings and the Powder Keg pack from Boulderbased Mile High Mountaineering.

MHM POWDERKEG 32 PACK In 2009 a group of soon-to-be college grads decided that the world of backpack designs left something to be desired. With that idea in mind, Denver-based Mile High Mountaineering was born. The company prides itself on innovative pack designs, often incorporating zipper systems that make the entire pack easily accessible. We took a look at the PowderKeg 32, a winter ski and snowboard pack, to see what it had to offer for the aspiring backcountry enthusiast. Like other Mile High Mountaineering packs, its low-profile design and well-thought-out straps allow a skier to feel unencumbered when charging a downhill. With a capacity of 32 liters, the PowderKeg is more than the average person might want for a day of cruising the resort. But take it to the backcountry, and it’s a solid go-to. Its strap system allows for skis or a snowboard to be strapped on in a variety of ways — vertically, diagonally or horizontally. And when not in use, the strap system tucks away comfortably. The pack’s large top compartment can take on a solid amount of gear for any day trip, and its sizable fleece-lined top pouch makes a great spot for storing goggles or camera gear. The medium-sized rear compartment has a zipper that allows for full access to the compartment. The pack also has a number of small compartments for tools and additional gear. While it’s extremely comfortable, the one thing we didn’t like about the pack was that the hip strap was not removable for those who prefer a pack that doesn’t require buckling at the waist. That said, the pivoting design of the hip strap makes the pack shift and adjust well to its user while skiing. Release buckles on the shoulder straps also make the pack easy to put on and take off. This is a solid pack for anyone making a quick backcountry excursion.

GET IT: $114 TO $229 12

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TECHNICA COCHISE 110 When it comes to footwear, snowboarders still have skiers beat. But maybe not for long. Ski-boot manufacturers are increasingly looking to the backcountry world to make a more comfortable boot to walk in. The key is in the heel release, and Technica has been at it for a few years now. Whether you’re new to backcountry or you’re just looking to be more comfortable while walking from the slope to the car, Technica’s Cochise boot is a solid option. The heel-release switch quickly pops the boot from ski to walk mode, substantially increasing range of motion in the ankles. Combined with a quick-release Velcro top strap that loops through a buckle, the boot goes from rigid ski boot to comfortable touring boot in no time flat. The difference is noticeable. Once you own a good heel-release boot, you may never go back. When in ski mode, the boot maintains all the stiffness and support you need to charge downhill. We tested the Cochise with a 110 flex rating — a measure of how easily the boot bends forward from the ankle, with the higher numbers being less flexible. They also come in 90, 120 and 130 ratings. We also found the boot was a good choice for skinning uphill. The Cochise also offers interchangeable soles, letting you alternate between a standard alpine DIN binding and a tech binding for serious AT skiing.

GET IT: ABOUT $440 ADRENALIN 16 BINDING Whether it’s made by Head, Tyrolia, 4FRNT or Liberty, the Adrenalin 16 AT binding is a solid choice for the skier looking to charge inbounds resort terrain but also throw on some climbing skins and head into the backcountry. With a DIN rating that goes up to 16, these puppies will hold up for any skier looking to go big off a cliff drop or just slay some powder. The best feature in the Adrenalins is the location of the heel-release mechanism, which lets a skier go into touring mode without removing the ski — unlike its Marker counterparts. A simple flick of the ski pole in the heal-release switch will set the bindings into touring mode.

This is also a great feature for moving around on flat cat tracks inbounds. When touring, we did notice a wet snow occasionally building up under the sole, making it a little trickier to put the skis back in downhill mode without clicking out of the binding. But in most conditions the difficulty was minimal. The bindings lock back into alpine mode with the push of a ski pole. They also have three adjustable heel settings for different graded climbs. This is a great choice for anyone entering the alpine-touring world.

GET IT: $300 TO $500

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1974 A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

FROM ASPEN, WITH LOVE

WINEINK

RINGING MY BELL “CLOSE YOUR EYES” was the admonition from Sandra Hewitt Bell as she hovered behind me, a glass in each hand. “Tell me what yo smell.” I was suddenly wrapped in the aromas of fresh pears. Then, just as suddenly, the sensation changed and the smell of coconuts filled my nostrils. Not only did the fragrances stimulate the senses, but Sandra’s KELLY J. sensory seminar had HAYES reiterated that a world of beauty can be found in a glass of wine if you simply put your nose to it. One by one I inhaled the smells from the dozen or so glasses that had been set before me. Each had been filled with a product that represented the components of what makes up the aromas of a wine. There were blackberries in one, raspberries in another. A handful of dirt and mushrooms in still another. There was even one filled with Jolly Rancher candies. The vivid smells made it much easier to identify the same aromas when it came to sniffing a glass of wine. I had come to Bell Wine Cellars for the final event of a media week in Yountville, Calif., a wine town at the southern end of the Napa Valley that serves as a gateway to wine country and is a culinary capital as well. All week long I had been with a group of journalists, exploring the great restaurants of the town’s mile-long main drag (Four Michelin stars hang in the small community) and tasting great wines. But this morning at Bell was our first foray of the trip into an actual winery with the attendant tanks, barrels and other winemaking equipment. While I consider myself to be more than fairly familiar with the wineries of the Napa Valley, I had never heard of Bell before. So when we traveled just a mile or so south of Yountville on Washington Street and turned into the winery, I was unprepared for what awaited — a gorgeous winery, a great visiting/ tasting experience and a winemaker with both a pedigree and a passion. So much so that it made me happy to realize that if you look a little

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deeper there are still people and stories to find in a Valley where things sometimes seem a little jaded. Silly me. The winemaker is Anthony Bell, a South African by birth, who was raised in a prominent wine family in Stellenbosch, perhaps the most beautiful wine region on earth. As he youth he studied viticulture and made wine in both Spain and Bordeaux before coming to California to attain a Master’s in Enology at UC Davis in the late 1970s. He matriculated to Napa thereafter and has never left. Anthony began working under the tutelage of the legendary André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards, or BV, which, at the time, was considered to be the epitome of a California Cabernet house. This would be the wine equivalent of being an assistant coach for Vince Lombardi. In the early 1980s, Anthony was intrigued with the plethora of possibilities that the Napa Valley afforded for producing great Cabernet. Remember, at that time, Napa was still in its relative youth as a grape growing region and experimentation was critical to learning what would grow well. Against that backdrop, Anthony undertook a project to plant 14 separate clones of Cabernet Sauvignon on one vineyard at BV. A clone is the plant material of a specific grapevine that has its own unique and identifiable characteristics. The clone will influence, amongst many other things, the size of the grapes or crops it produces, the period it takes to ripen fruit, or its ability to resist disease. Clones are the backbone of any wine. One of these 14 plantings was from a vine Anthony had found in the Sierra foothills in a vineyard long abandoned. The clone was originally from Bordeaux and had arrived in California with settlers around the time of the California Gold Rush in the 1840s and 1850s. As the grapes grew from this clone, it did not look to be the best in show. The berries were small and the clusters less than vibrant. Ah, but the wine was magnificent. Anthony had found the

clone he was looking for. This clone, dubbed Clone 6, was grafted onto 10 acres of vines in nearby Rutherford and it has become legendary in the Valley. It is also the basis for some of Bell Wine Cellars best wines including the 20th anniversary edition of their Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon that was sourced from the magnificent 2010 vintage. All of this is important because it is indicative of the intensity and focus that Anthony Bell puts into his bottlings. A walk through the cellar or a glance at a Bell Wine Cellars label causes one to consider that Anthony is not only a great winemaker, but a man obsessed with details. Pick date, brix (sugar) levels, oak regimen, case production and more are all depicted on each bottle produced. Anthony has been on the lovely vineyard south of Yountville since 1991, but a partnership between the Bells and members of two prominent California families in 2002 (one being the Spanos, who are best know as the owners of the San Diego Chargers) helped take things to another level. Today Bell Wine Cellars boasts one of the most accommodating winery and visitor centers in the entire Valley. A magnificent stone edifice opens to a welcoming tasting room and a patio, anchored by a pizza oven, that spills

out into the vineyards. While the Clone 6 Cabernet is the centerpiece of the showcase wines from Bell, some Bell lovers prefer a wine called “Big Guy Red.” Sure, the juice in this big BBQ-style wine is great, a blend led by lush Syrah from the Canterbury Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills that is supported by four other grapes grown in the Napa Valley. But the real attraction of the wine for many may be the image that graces the label. The “Big Guy” is named for the Bell’s late, great, Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier, Ty, who left the winery a couple of years back after eight solid vintages as the vineyard dog. While Ty has gone on to a firstgrowth Chateau in the sky, he lives on, not just on the labels of the 3,000 or so cases that sell for $16 a bottle, but in the wine that bears his name as well. Beloved by all who knew him and those who visited the winery, Anthony and Sandra continue to include Ty’s image in current staff photos. Ah, the wonders of photo shop. Not quite a clone, but still a valued member of the Bell Cellars team. Kelly J. Hayes lives in the soonto-be-designated appellation of Old Snowmass with his wife, Linda, and black Lab named Vino. He can be reached at malibukj@aol.com.

by KELLY J. HAYES

NOTEWORTHY BELL WINE CELLARS To buy the wines of Bell or to join their wine club you can find them here: 6200 Washington Street Yountville CA 94599 Winery: 707-944-1673 Tasting Room Direct Line: 707-944-1564 Facsimile: 707-944-1674 E-mail: info@bellwine.com ADDENDUM Last week I wrote about the wines of Jessup Cellars which are mostly sold direct to consumers. Contact them at: Jessup Cellars 6740 Washington Street Yountville, CA 94599 wine@jessupcellars.com Tasting Room 707-944-8523 Toll Free 888-537-5620

UNDER THE INFLUENCE BELL WINE CELLARS 20TH ANNIVERSARY 2010 CLONE 6: CABERNET SAUVIGNONRUTHERFORD A wine to celebrate, this Cabernet Sauvignon tells the tale of Bell Cellars. The Clone 6 has power, structure and finesse. The black fruits dominate and there is a hint of both chocolate and leather on the palate. Drinking a touch tight now but it will be a wine that gives pleasure for years to come. A keeper and a collector.

Beloved by all, the late Ty (left) is forever remembered by Bell Wine Cellars “Big Guy” label.

passover dinner enjoy matzo ball soup and gefilte fish along with braised brisket, ruby red trout, or housemade gnocchi and finishing with coconut macaroon, raspberry sorbet and white chocolate

monday, april 14 | 6:00 p.m. service | 7:30 p.m. dinner | $72++ | $36 kids reservations recommended, please call 970/920.6330

food + drink at The Little Nell breakfast lunch après dinner after

www.element47aspen.com 920-6330 A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

FROM ASPEN, WITH LOVE

FOOD MATTERS FOOD MATTERS

HOW SWEET IT IS

A SNEAK PEEK TO SPRING IN THE LITTLE NELL PASTRY KITCHEN AS A FOOD WRITER, my favorite part of the gig — aside from the obvious — is hanging out in restaurant kitchens to watch chefs in the zone. I feel nostalgia for a longago waitressing stint in an Italian trattoria with a manic Pompeian owner mixed with inspiration I pick up as an avid home cook, but what I enjoy most is absorbing the behindthe-scenes energy, like AMANDA hanging out at band RAE practice or lounging in an artist’s studio as she sculpts a masterpiece. Much different from observing a regular chef is watching a pastry chef at work: frenzy and stifling heat cede to cool, calculated precision. Tweezers are swapped for tongs. Racks of meat and stinky stuff like fish stock and onions are nowhere to be found; instead, there’s butter, sugar, cream, and chocolate galore. So last week I geeked out at the chance to visit executive pastry chef Danielle Riesz and crew backstage at The Little Nell to learn how they make a spring dessert menu. “I need to play with the doughnuts,” Riesz says when I arrive in the modest pastry room at the end of the sprawling kitchen. Lined in neat rows on top of her gleaming stainless-steel station are plastic containers of colorful accouterments — purple berries, golden streusel crumbs, bright-green pistachios, buttercup-colored custard, snowwhite meringue — next to a crisp ingredient list and ideas notebook. She glances down at a single square white plate: her blank canvas. “I don’t know where it’s going to take me,” she muses. “This is first time it’s going on the plate.” Riesz picks up a freshly fried beer doughnut the size of a golf ball. This iteration — she creates a different variety each season — is made with New Belgium Trippel and rolled in nutmeg sugar. She pipes lemon curd into its center, and with a metal spatula swipes a comet of lemon curd to anchor the doughnut to the plate. For the second doughnut, a

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stripe of blueberry sauce. “No, I don’t like that,” Riesz says, erasing the blob immediately with a clean towel. “Too smooshy. It needs more…luscious loving.” Riesz works with the focus of a surgeon: piling streusel crumbs here, tweezering a few threads of candied ginger there. She wields two spoons and a few fast click-clack-click-clacks later lays a football-shaped cannelle of blueberry cheesecake ice cream atop the crumbs. A lemon chip, shaved super thin with a mandolin, dipped in simple syrup, and dehydrated in a low oven for hours, finishes the spherical tableau. “This will evolve,” she says. The doughnuts join half a dozen other desserts on the new spring menu at element 47 at The Little Nell, set to launch in a week or two. Shortly afterward, however, the Five-Diamond award-winning hotel restaurant goes dark for offseason, closing on April 20 after Easter brunch and reopening on May 15. “In our culinary department we are always using what’s fresh, what’s in season,” says executive chef Bryan Moscatello when he stops into the pastry kitchen. “There’s a minievolution of the menu in April, kind of like a sneak peek to spring.” Pastry chefs — and dessert menus — perhaps benefit the most from this seasonal shift. “It’s like an awakening,” Riesz says. “Winter is long and stagnant. The (regular) kitchen can get produce from local farms, but they don’t grow fruit yearround. For us, it’s limited. Between now and June there’s another set of fresh produce that will become available. End of July and August: Paonia peaches, apricots, cherries— we get excited for those.” One seasonal ingredient is rhubarb, which is poached sous-vide and cooked into a consommé, to accompany the dessert on element 47’s new tasting menu, which launched on April 1: a cylinder of limoncello glacé wrapped in tarragon gelée with candied fennel and meyer lemon. First-day intern Deanna Gamache, a Denver Johnson & Wales culinary student, preps the garnish, liquid-center limoncello

cordials, by brushing loose starch off of each one the size of a pencil eraser. It’s a slow task. Pastry supervisor Makayla Gagne finishes a few dozen dark chocolate and passion fruit lollipops, while colleague Yazmin Saraya whisks a saucepan of salted caramel to top shortbread squares, both mignardises delivered to each table at the end of the meal. Gagne then bastes freshly baked Parker House rolls with melted butter; Saraya sets the line for the upcoming dinner service. Compared to other restaurants, the pastry staff at The Little Nell is big: nine currently, with an additional member beginning in June, the most “intense” month, to help with banquets, weddings, the Food & Wine Classic. Enrique the baker arrives at 5 a.m. to make muffins, croissants, sticky buns, burger buns, breads, and rolls, plus dough for cookies, brownies, and banana bread; the last staffer leaves at 11:30 p.m. What’s more, each dessert is tweaked and approved, tweaked and approved, by multiple people — chef Moscatello, general manager Simon Chen, other Nell bigwigs — before being printed on the menu. “By the time it gets to the guests, we want it to be perfect,” Riesz says. Today the chef is also developing her

deconstructed strawberry shortcake (pictured above): toasted brioche, fresh and roasted strawberries, whipped whitechocolate mousse, dried lemon and pink peppercorn meringue. “I removed the ice wine sorbet and ice wine gelée and replaced them with basil sorbet and pink peppercorn gelée,” she tells me later. “These changes brightened up the dish and brought all of the flavors I already had together, like a family.” A soda-shop inspired root beer and espresso frappé and milk chocolate brownie sundae with bourbon-praline ice cream and caramel are in the works too. And, of course, a creamsicle invention, Riesz’s signature since she joined The Little Nell four years ago. When I ask about upcoming trends, Riesz doesn’t skip a beat. “Well, the cupcake trend is over,” she says. “I think they’re cute and timeless, but it was so big for so long. French macarons—right now, everyone wants them. I’ve always been into the classics and putting a twist on them—strawberry shortcake, doughnuts—to take what’s comfortable and make it fancy. That will never go away.” Amanda Rae has spring fever. You? amandaraewashere@gmail.com

PHOTOS BY AMANDA RAE

by AMANDA RAE

IF YOU GO... element 47 at The Little Nell 675 E. Durant Ave 970-920-6330 thelittlenell.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Little Nell executive pastry chef Danielle Riesz plates a dessert; dark chocolate passion fruit lollipops and caramel shortbread mignardises; Yazmin Saraya stirs caramel; Makayla Gagne brushes butter onto Parker House rolls; beer doughnuts with lemon curd, blueberry compote, and blueberry cheesecake ice cream on element 47â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new spring menu.

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

FROM ASPEN, WITH LOVE

GUNNER’S LIBATIONS

by JEANNE MCGOVERN

MAKE IT

BLACK CHERRY SLING

¾ ounce cane-sugar simple syrup (equal parts water and cane sugar) ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1½ ounces Breckenridge bourbon (or Four Roses bourbon) 3 dashes Fee Brothers cherry bitters 1 ounce Boylans black cherry soda (or other cherry soda made with cane sugar)

There’s a lot of buzz going around town about Aspen’s newest restaurant, David Burke Kitchen, slated to open in late May. And the buzz isn’t just about the farm-to-table cooking at this trendy eatery; it’s also about its inspired beverage program. Created by Connor Burke (David’s son), the drink menu promises to “showcase hand-crafted cocktails inspired by regional spirits.” Top on the list for Aspen is the Black Cherry Sling. And while I haven’t gotten to taste it (yet), the blend of

Place first four ingredients in a mixing tin. Add large ice cubes, and shake vigorously. Double-strain into the tumbler over fresh ice; then add soda. Tumble-roll back and forth once, and taste for balance. Serve drink in a rocks class, and garnish with ground nutmeg and 3 dried cherries, rehydrated and skewered.

bourbon, lime juice and black cherry soda has me thinking it’ll be the perfect sipping drink for those dreary offseason days we’re sure to encounter upon the restaurant’s opening. GUNILLA ASHER DIDN’T MAKE IT TO THE BARS THIS WEEKEND, BUT SHE’LL SHARE ANOTHER FAVORITE DRINK WITH US SOON. IN THE MEATNIME, EMAIL JMCGOVERN@ASPENTIMES.COM WITH WHAT COCKTAILS YOU’RE MIXING, WHAT LIBATIONS YOU’RE DRINKING and WHAT TASTES HAVE TEMPTED YOUR TASTE BUDS, AND WE’LL SHARE THEM WITH OUR READERS. CHEERS!

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970.927.2002

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APRIL INCENTIVES

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

New Listing

The Ultimate Family Compound • 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 5,763 sq ft • 2-acre riverfront estate 10 minutes from Aspen • A spectacular private setting with a pond, large yard and mature trees • All above grade living • Includes a majestic log main house with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths 4,490 sq ft, attached 2-car garage, plus a separate 1-car garage/shed • Charming guest home with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,272 sq ft, 1-car garage $5,500,000 Robert Ritchie | 970.379.1500

Custom Home in Snowmass Village Direct ski-in/out access to Snowmass Mtn. 6 bedroom (including caretaker unit), 6 bath, 6,100 sq ft quality custom home Spectacular outdoor living and dining $8,995,000 Furnished Craig Morris | 970.379.9795 Maureen Stapleton | 970.948.9331

Stunning mountain estate at The Divide 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 5,747 sq ft, 1.2 acres Sits on the highest ski-in site Great sun & views of Snowmass Ski Area $8,250,000 Brent Waldron | 970.379.7309

Private East Aspen Setting with Views

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9 bedrooms, 7+ baths, 9,434 sq ft 4.23 acres accessed by private bridge Roaring Fork River flows through property Activity Envelope approved $8,500,000 $6,750,000 Penney Evans Carruth | 970.379.9133

Ultimate Ski-In/Ski-Out Estate

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Beautiful home in Meadowood 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, 7,000 sq ft Gazebo, ponds, large lawn, great views Walk to school district and ski lift $6,950,000 $6,700,000 Furnished Robert Ritchie | 970.379.1500

Colorado Rocky Mountain Grand Estate Architectural masterpiece on 36 acres 6 bedrooms, 6 full, 3 half baths, 11,311 sq ft 3,000 sq ft of decks and patios Unlimited High Aspen Ranch amenities $7,995,000 Furnished Llwyd Ecclestone | 970.456.6031

Elegant Mountain-Style Core Duplex Conveniently located in Aspen’s core 3 en-suite bedrooms, 2 half baths, 3,362 sq ft 3 levels, great room with wet bar, 2 decks, garage with built-in storage $6,300,000 Myra O’Brien | 970.379.9374 Wendy Wogan-Williams | 970.948.8948

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New Listing

Magnificent Wraparound Panorama • 4 en suite bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 4,480 sq ft • Panoramic views of North Star Preserve and Independence Pass • Well-equipped kitchen with Viking range and walk-in pantry • Lower level can be used as media room, office, workout area or billiards corner • Detached, oversized 3+ car garage provides ample room for storage and “toys” • The studio is ideal for projects, housing guests, nanny or property manager $5,495,999 AnneAdare Wood | 970.274.8989

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Sophisticated urban living! High-end 5 bedroom, 5.5 bath, 4,080 sq ft duplex just blocks from downtown 1 bedroom apartment with own entrance $5,250,000 Furnished Andrew Ernemann | 970.379.8125 www.103southseventh.com

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FIVE DAYS, FOUR HUTS ALL ABOVE 11,000 FEET by PAUL ANDERSEN for ASPEN JOURNALISM

THE EUROPEAN ALPS are renowned for their famed Haute Route (High Route), a mountaineering rite through sublime vistas and pricey mountain refuges. Colorado now has its own Haute Route, showcasing a uniquely American setting of wilderness and rustic huts. This Haute Route happens to be in Aspen’s backyard, traversing the Elk Range to Crested Butte. Five skiers from Aspen and five from Crested Butte christened the “Colorado Haute Route” in mid-March,

taking the huts in sequence, from north to south. Our cohort, mostly board members of the Braun and Friends’ huts, spent five days connecting four huts through a mostly trackless landscape, all of it above 11,000 feet. While the Grand Traverse adventure ski race has made this connection obvious, a multi-day trek through these mountains offered a daily reminder that mountains may separate communities, but they link to deeper, shared values. Touring the Colorado Haute Route created new appreciation for the connectivity of huts and communities.

BACK DOOR TO BARNARD

TOP: A pressing storm sweeps high cirrus clouds across the Sawatch Range. ABOVE: Deep snow demanded a group shoveling effort at the Goodwin Greene Hut, one of the Braun Huts, in the headwaters of Difficult Creek. OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT: The Friends’ Hut was built in 1984 as a memorial for ten friends, from both sides of the Elk Range, who died in a freak airplane crash in 1980; early morning paints the Collegiate Peaks, on the eastern horizon, with purple shades as seen from the deck of Opa’s Taylor Hut.

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Ten of us set off by skinning up Little Annie Road on a picture perfect spring day. Birds were singing, and our outlook could not have been brighter given five days of skiing that would take us over three passes above 12,000 ft. Earlier that week, Hawk Greenway, hut master of the Braun Hut system, had delivered supplies to the huts by snowmobile, with help from Cooper Means. This wasn’t exactly a clean approach for us non-motorized purists, but it allowed for certain luxuries in the Haute Route tradition of Europe. Topping Richmond Ridge, Greenway, who also serves on the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Board, led us down the backside to a historic wagon road. This trail contours through dark timber and open meadows where Aspen’s earliest lumbermen felled trees and sawed planks in the 1880s.

PHOTOS BY PAUL ANDERSEN/ASPEN JOURNALISM

IF YOU GO... 10th Mountain Hut Division Association 970-925-5775 huts@huts.org

Given skier complaints about snowmobile impacts on the ridge, Greenway, blazed this backcountry route as a non-motorized alternative. The hut, built in 1967 in honor of Marsh Barnard, felt far more removed with only our ski tracks cutting through the White River National Forest on “Hawk’s Route.” At dusk, Braun Huts board chairman Craig Ward glided up on track skis to spend the night and stage a session of “Bananagrams,” a scrabble-like word game. Ward praised the idea of the Colorado Haute Route, especially since the Braun Huts provide the vital links to an outstanding high mountain traverse.

clambered onto the eaves and, with our avalanche shovels, began calving off huge chunks. Hours later, voices called from above as our Crested Butte friends skied down from the ridge, linking beautiful turns. They helped us clear the roof, allowing all of us to set out for a late afternoon tour. Gusts picked up snow on the corniced ridge above the hut, and Castle Peak and Mt. Hayden were plumed in the advance of a fast moving storm. Greenway’s savory elk stew fueled us that night for the planned crossing of Taylor Pass the next day.

EIGHT FEET OF SNOW

WHITEOUT TO OPA’S HUT

The next morning, Cooper Means and Morgan Boyles, who were training for the Grand Traverse, pushed off early for a training run to Taylor Pass. Ward left for commitments in town. Unhurried, the rest of us sipped coffee while the sun blazed on the face of McArthur Mountain. At mid-morning we set off toward the Goodwin Greene Hut where three Crested Butteicians planned to join us that afternoon from Express Creek. High cirrus clouds painted horsetails across the blue sky, and the Elk Range stood radiant against the blue horizon. Dropping into Difficult Creek near Gold Hill, we enjoyed a dozen sweet turns through four inches of fluff, then skinned up through the dark timber to the buried hut. The Goodwin Greene was built in the 1970s in memory of mountaineers Peter Goodwin and Carl Greene, and was renovated in 2001. Getting to the door required sliding down a steep ramp of snow. Once inside we noticed that half the windows were buried, emitting only a dull greenish glow. “There’s a bit of snow on the roof,” prodded Greenway, referring to eight feet of snowpack that nearly covered the stovepipe. We

The storm arrived at first light with wind and driving snow. The weather made the warmth of the crackling wood stove and the smell of sizzling bacon all the more appealing as we contemplated crossing the ridge above Taylor at 12,400 ft. Bundled like Eskimos we climbed into the void toward the windswept ridge. Greenway fell in step behind Cooper and Morgan, who wanted to break trail as part of their training, which the rest of us were happy to oblige. We felt our way, as if skiing by Braille, through the whiteout, thanks to Greenway’s internal compass. Finally, locator poles with blue triangles – hut markers – emerged from the haze and locked us onto the route. We dropped over the ridge and contoured above a broken cornice that had tumbled down in huge blocks like an

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

The Colorado Haute Route is a backcountry ski experience with an all-American flavor of wilderness and rustic huts. Here the route climbs through Star Basin toward Star Pass

ancient ruin. Suddenly the clouds opened, and sun poured across Taylor basin. We broke trail beneath a long, cantilevered cornice, crossed a windswept meadow, and meandered around glacially carved undulations to Opa’s Taylor Hut. Built in 2012, Opa’s is the newest hut in the Braun system, a tight, clean, bright, warm hut that honors the hut system founder, Alfred Braun, whose nickname – Opa – means “grandfather.” As Colorado’s first ski hut system, the Braun Huts got its start with the Tagert Hut, a mining era cabin in Pearl Basin above Ashcroft. In the 1950s, John Holden, an educator who started Colorado Rocky Mountain School, acquired the Tagert with the idea of founding a hut network. With help from Ashcroft legend Stuart Mace and German immigrant Alfred Braun, the hut system grew. Fred Braun ran the huts with imperious notoriety until his death in 1988. Greenway now supervises the seven huts in the system.

OVER STAR AND PEARL

Bright stars and a crescent moon greeted us at first light. The storm had cleared and the hut windows framed the purpling horizon

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over the Collegiate Range to the east. Crossing Star Pass in the severe clear of post-storm made for an outstanding tour, albeit through serious avalanche terrain. Crossing slide zones, one-at-a-time, beacons strapped to our chests, we contoured Star Basin with awe, both for the outstanding mountain scenes surrounding us and for the inherent risks all skiers must accept on their own. Star Pass was blocked by a cornice, so we crested the ridge to the north and stood gazing at a sea of snow-covered mountains. One at a time, we skied a pitch of windblown crust down to the Friends’ Hut. Soon a fire was heating up the stove, and mugs of tea were handed around. Built in 1984, this memorial hut pays tribute to ten friends killed in a freak, head-on plane crash over nearby East Maroon Pass in June 1980. The hut commemorates a shared love for mountains and the special friendships they inspire. A brass plaque bolted to the log wall reads: “Built in loving memory by their friends.” A packed hut is a warm hut, and the Friends’ hut was warm that night with a crackling fire. Stories were told that rekindled

the memories of friends, past and present, some of them verging on legends and myths that small mountain huts have a way of perpetuating. The next morning the Aspen contingent bid our Crested Butte friends farewell, then set out for Pearl Pass, at 12,705 feet. An hour later we stood on the divide of the Elk Range, looking back over our route and ahead to hot showers and fresh food at home. We wrote our signatures in the snowy bowls leading to the Green-Wilson and Tagert Huts, the ephemeral graffiti of skiers. Below the huts we rocketed down the luge run of the Pearl Pass Road to Ashcroft, where the pavement ends and adventure begins. Paul Andersen is the Land Desk editor for Aspen Journalism, an on-line news service based in Aspen. Read more at www. aspenjournalism.org.

VOYAGES

ESCAPE ARTIST | DISNEY

by AMIEE WHITE BEAZLEY

LESSONS FROM ‘THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH’ AFTER FOUR DAYS in “The Happiest Place on Earth,” there are a few things that are worth mentioning: 1. Let me start off by admitting, I’m a Disney fan. I love the movies, and I cherish my own childhood memories of visiting the Magic Kingdom as a kid. So let it be known, I’m coming at this with a little bias. For kids, AMIEE WHITE Disney is the coolest BEAZLEY place imaginable. Everything is geared toward their enjoyment and happiness. They can make their own decisions, and for the most part, it is safe, so here a little freedom is possible. Generally speaking, we let the kids rule the days at Disney. They chose the rides, where to eat and what to do. A true break from the school, ski, chores, and the routine of home. 2. My kids are ages 8 and 5, and this was the perfect time for them to visit. They were able to enjoy every ride (the more exciting rides one must be 44 inches or taller) and they will be

able to remember the experience. Riding a roller coaster for the first time with our kids and seeing the thrill — bordering on panic — on their faces was priceless for us as parents. And for our kids, to hear their mom screaming with laughter at the drop of Splash Mountain reminded them (and us) that their parents were once kids, too. 3. Stay at a Disney resort. This choice is worth every penny. Inter-resort and theme park transportation, the Magic Band that allows you to charge things to your room, and the ability to take a break in the middle of the day to go “home” for a swim, lunch or just to relax, never having to touch your car, etc., keeps the “World” experience going. 3. If you are staying in Disney World, Fort Wilderness Campground is the best choice with kids. I’ve stayed in many different resorts at Disney World and the best, by far, is Fort Wilderness. This is a 700spot, meticulously maintained campground that begins at $40 per night for up to 10 people per spot. You can do the math, but it is by far the most affordable way

to stay. If you don’t have a camper, or can’t commandeer one from your parents like I did, you can stay in a tent site, or rent a cabin (for more money, of course) on the campground property. Benefits include wide open spaces to play, nighttime outdoor Disney movies, campfires, swimming pools, bike riding, horses, water sports, you name it. It’s an adventure in itself. 4. If the people in Disney World are an actual cross-section of the United States, the health epidemic we’ve all been reading and hearing about is the darn truth. Living in Colorado, and especially the Aspen area, you forget at how healthy of a lifestyle we all live — until you get to Main Street U.S.A. I couldn’t get over how overweight the majority of parkgoers were — especially the children. If parents who physically abuse or neglect their children are punished under the law, why not those who are killing their children with hundreds of extra pounds? It was so sad to see kids, no more than 12 years old, being pushed around, or worse, using electric carts to get around Disney because they were too heavy to

walk. And it wasn’t just one or two people — the minorities were those who seemed fit and healthy. We are in big trouble, no pun intended, if this is really what America considers normal. 5. Yes, Disney can be a headache for adults. The crowds can be overwhelming, and the food can be terrible. But for our kids, they are oblivious to all of the things that bore us silly adults. It is a memory that they will always cherish. Kids need to be kids, and for all the adult activities we drag them to — even if they will someday appreciate these experiences, too — childhood goes by so quickly, kids deserve to be kids. And there is no better place to celebrate all that is fun about being a child than with a coonskin cap and a fast pass to Space Mountain. Amiee White Beazley writes about travel for the Aspen Times Weekly. Reach her at awb@awbeazley.com or follow her @awbeazley1.

Disney World, and Fort Wilderness Campground in particular, is where kids — like Tanner (back) and Brady Beazley — can be kids.

PHOTOS BY AMIEE WHITE BEAZLEY

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

FROM ASPEN, WITH LOVE

ASPEN UNTUCKED

Graham Sparks is making a living making skis with his locally based Grizzly Boards business.

GRAHAM SPARKS: THE SKI MAKER PROFILING AN ASPEN MILLENNIAL

Many people figure out what they want to do with the rest of their life in college. Sometimes a favorite class strikes a passion, an inspiring teacher helps create a long-term goal, or an extra-curricular imparts real life experience. For Graham Sparks, the idea for his career did not come from academia, but rather from distracting BARBARA himself from it during PLATTS a class his sophomore year at Hobart and William Smith colleges in New York State. He was browsing Stumble Upon, a discovery search engine with a collection of obscure websites, when he found a blog about making skis. “I thought about it and figured I could do that. I already had all of the tools,” the now 26 year-old said. That random website planted an idea in his head and a few months later he attempted to make his first pair of skis. Although his initial boards were barely skiable, the process ignited a passion that brought him West and eventually to Aspen, where he founded Grizzly Boards, a ski manufacturing company. While his company is currently small, the products that come out of it are

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truly authentic. All of the skis are made by hand, one at a time, to ensure proper care and precision. And the designs are hand-painted, making sure each set of skis is different from the next. “It’s not a ski that is coming out of a factory,” Graham said. “Everything is done by hand.

For every ski, the graphic is a number one.” Graham learned to ski as soon as he could walk. Growing up in Rhode Island, his parents took his sister and him skiing throughout their childhood at resorts like Jay Peak and Stowe in Vermont. Sparks and his dad were particularly close

and skied constantly together until his senior year of high school, when his father was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD), a disease that causes dementia. As years went by and the disease worsened, Graham started spending more time in his parents’

P H OTO S B Y C H E RY L S PA R K S A N D BA R BA R A P L AT T S

by BARBARA PLATTS

NOTEWORTHY HOW TO MAKE A PAIR OF GRIZZLY BOARD SKIS After the customer fills out a questionnaire, Graham comes up with a ski design based on body type, ability, skiing style, and many other factors. The customer approves the design and Graham starts the ski making process: 1-Create a blank of the ski’s side cut 2-Route the P-Tex (base material) on the blank and attach the edges 3-Make the core (core is made out of poplar that is hand selected and laminated in house) 4-Cut down the core 5-Attach maple sidewalls 6-Taper the core (more tapering= more flex in the ski) 7-Original artwork is hand painted on and sublimated into our polycarbonate top sheets 8-Material prep is finished so it’s time for wet lay 9-Laminate materials together with layers of 10oz biaxial and 22oz triaxial 10-Press on Grizzly Board’s custom camber-rocker racks 11-Place in a 130 degree hot box for 3 hours 12-Turn off the heat and let the skis cool naturally 13-Cut off the excess fiberglass 14-Bevel the sidewalls 15-Give the ski a base grind and tune 16-Get out there and ski!

barn making skis. “He would go out to our barn with pieces of wood and stay up really late working,” said Cheryl Sparks, Graham’s mother. “I think it was kind of therapy for him.” In August 2011, after six years of suffering with FTD, Graham’s dad passed away. Soon after, Graham accepted an apprenticeship with a ski manufacturing company in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. “I used the opportunity to get out of my house and be by myself,” he said. But his work, both at home and in California, showed him that making skis wasn’t just an escape or form of therapy. It was an opportunity to combine his love for skiing and his aptitude for creativity. “I realized it was more than just getting through what we were going through,” his mom said. “He

got both a passion for skiing and a creative gene from his dad. He is able to meld those two things together.” After a short time in California, Graham moved to Aspen at the end of 2011. He worked at a tune shop and started building his own Grizzly Boards, which he launched last fall. Graham made 89 pairs of skis this winter season. He designs each pair of skis based on a customer’s body type, skiing style, and the kind of boards they want. Once a customer approves the design, it takes him about 15 hours over three days to build a pair from start to finish. The Grizzly Board workshop is located downstairs at an office building on North Mill Street. The place is cozy and, at roughly 350 square feet, every spare bit of space is used to for ski making.

Graham wants to continue growing Grizzly Boards by making quality skis and he thinks Aspen is the ideal location for that. “I’m so excited to be in this town,” Graham said. “It’s the right town to start the company.” Despite the emotional challenges he has faced along the way, Graham believes he is now doing exactly what he should be. “It’s so rewarding,” he said. “You put everything you have into a pair of skis and then you get out on them and they can shred. It’s awesome.” For more information on Grizzly Boards, visit GrizzlyBoards.com. Barbara Platts covers millennial life in Aspen and is always looking for inspiring stories, like Graham’s, to tell. She can be reached at bplatts.000@gmail.com.

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

AROUNDASPEN

The SOCIAL SIDE of TOWN

by MARY ESHBAUGH HAYES

ST. PATRICK’S AT ST. MARY CHURCH EVERY ST. PATRICK’S DAY (March 17), the parish of St. Mary Catholic Church puts on its St. Pat’s dinner with hundreds of Aspenites attending — and peeling potatoes, making coleslaw and serving the dinners and the fabulous desserts. Undercurrent...the aspen trees are covered with pussywillows... MARY or catkins as many ESHBAUGH HAYES Aspenites call them.

ST. PADDY’S The band played Irish melodies all evening.

ST. PADDY’S

Michael Yang, Lucy Yang, Bob Yang and children.

Erica and Brian Golden and twins, Ellie May and Mary Lou.

ST. PADDY’S Lisa Markalunas, Peggy Mink, Maryellen Secrist and Connie Taddune.

ST. PADDY’S Jeff Busby, Brian Sousa and Beben Tivey.

ST. PADDY’S Chris and John Keleher, Albie Kern and Brian Keleher.

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Katherine Gordon and Bill Shaffer.

A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC/ART/FILM/LITERATURE

by CORBY ANDERSON

FROM RIVA TO RICHMOND:

THERE WAS NO RIDGE TOO HARD FOR THE 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION IN THE WEE HOURS of the night on Feb. 18, 1945, a volunteer division of American ski racers, rock climbers, mountaineers and ski patrollers scaled the frozen flanks of Riva Ridge in the Italian Alps, intent on cracking the vaunted “Gothic Line” and dislodging the occupying Nazis from their key vantage points on the mountains flanking the Po Valley, which led to the strategic city of Bologne. After training for months in the mountains of Colorado for this highly specialized mission, the newly-formed U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division launched a meticulously coordinated assault. Hauling heavy packs, the lightly-armed, elite soldiers quietly tapped in their piton rock climbing aides to fix ropes for the men to follow. In as much silence as they could muster, the troops ascended five separate routes up a 1500-foot, vertical wall of snow and ice. For reference, imagine a team of kids who are barely old enough to order a beer silently scaling the Maroon Bells in the middle of a winter night to wage allout war on a deeply entrenched enemy. As a fortuitous morning fog blotted out the first rays of the new winter sun, the soldiers topped out at the rock wall rimming the ridge and surprised the dug-in German observation and artillery units that stretched along the ridge. The efforts of the 10th Mountain Division were instrumental in keeping the advance of the large Allied 5th Army unbeknownst to the Germans, who had spent years fortifying the “last bastion” of their southern defenses and had successfully fought off previous campaigns in large part because their command of the high ground. Due to the extreme angles that they commanded, the Germans didn’t even assign patrols at night on Riva Ridge. They refused to believe that the Americans could mount such a steep-angle assault, in day or night. The unlucky Germans were reportedly “dazed and surprised” when two 10th Mountain sergeants appeared out of nowhere from below the ridge and pointed their Tommy guns at them. Thanks to their intense training, conditioning and a (now) textbook plan of attack hatched by commanding Gen. George Hays, the 10th Mountain

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Division suffered relatively light casualties during the successful one-day assault on Riva Ridge. The following day, however, things did not go nearly as easily for the fighting men of the 10th Mountain Division. Next in line in the series of ridges that had to be taken in order to ram the 5th Army through the Gothic Line fortifications and break out into the Po Valley was the heavily defended Mt. Belvedere. Again using the cover of night, the 10th picked its way through minefields and barbwire until they were discovered by German forces while scrambling up an exposed position in the early morning light. With no choice but to fight, the 10th fought a desperate path to the top of the precipitous mountain under withering mortar and machine gun fire. Many fine men were lost that day. All told, after the initial assault on Mt. Belvedere, the 10th Mountain had lost

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553 troopers on the first day alone. Five days later, after valiantly fighting back seven counter-attacks from German forces intent on regaining the Italian high ground, the 5th Army achieved their historic breakout, ultimately cutting off the German escape route over Brenner Pass and permanently evicting the Nazis from formerly fascist Italy later that May. The 13,000-man 10th Mountain Division had spearheaded nearly the entire Italian mountain campaign, suffering 1,283 casualties in just a week’s time. By the end of the war, their unit would endure the highest casualty rate of any single division, with nearly 50 percent of their troops killed or injured in action. But the toll was far more punishing to the enemy. The gritty soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division completely wiped out five entire elite German mountain divisions. Despite their tremendous losses, due to their being a relatively “fresh” unit, the 10th was designated to be part of

the planned assault on mainland Japan later that year. It was a fearsome task that thankfully was never needed of them due to the Japanese surrender following the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945. Almost immediately, 10th Mountain soldiers flocked home to the mountains that they loved, seeking a lifetime of peace that had eluded them for 144 hard days in that alternately horrific and triumphant year of 1945. Many remembered their dulcet days of training at high altitude in Camp Hale, near Leadville. They recalled the joy of descending in formation into the sleepy town of Aspen after a brutal, pioneering mountain ski traverse, now known as the “Trooper Traverse.” Who could blame them? It’s hard not to when you’ve finished a multiday winter ski tour, only to be feted by an awed, appreciative local population, and put up for the night in the blissful comfort of the Hotel Jerome.

COURTESY PHOTO

Anyone who has ever enjoyed the sublime sensation of skiing on an American ski mountain should tip their helmets to the brave, innovative men of the 10th, for without them, an entire industry would likely not exist. That skiing legacy is the focus of Warren Miller’s film “Climb To Glory,” a historical documentary produced in conjunction with the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum, which will be shown as a benefit for both the Aspen Historical Society and The Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club on Friday, April 4 at the Wheeler Opera House. The film is decidedly Milleresque in tone and humor, but also features historic footage of the 10th Mountain Division training at nearby Camp Hale in the days leading up to the Italian Campaign, interviews with veterans, and historically accurate reenactments starring Chris Anthony, who has starred in or produced 23 Warren Miller films, as well as 10th Mountain descendants Scott Kennett and Tony Seibert, the grandson of Peter Seibert, the 10th Mountain veteran who cofounded Vail. The younger Seibert, who Anthony related in a recent Vail television interview was “so honored to strap on the same gear that his grandfather had worn in the war,” was tragically killed in a January avalanche near Vail. Mike Monroney, the History Coach of the Aspen Historical Society believes that both the town of Aspen and the entire industry of skiing were forever changed for the better by the brave men who returned from their wartime ordeals. “They saw the potential. The population of Aspen was at less than 1000 residents at the time of their return from war. They saw what Aspen could become and took the risk. They were bold,” says Monroney. In her historical accounting of Aspen, Mary Eshbaugh Hayes writes that Friedl (10th Mountain vet Friedl Pfiefer) took one look at Aspen (during the halcyon Camp Hale training days) and saw the possibilities of a north-facing ski slope coming right into town. He skied Aspen and vowed to return after the war and create his idea of a perfect mountain town.” Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club executive director Mark Cole is in awe of what the soldiers did on what was at the time revolutionary equipment, but which today seems

hardly viable. “You might as well strap a couple of two-by-fours to your feet!” he says, recalling his days with the National Outdoor Leadership School, which had a cache of old hickory wood, “bear trap” binding-clad 10th Mountain skis. He marvels at the list of accomplishments by the “Greatest Generation” of skiers: more than 60 ski areas (including Aspen) were founded, developed and managed by 10th Mountain vets, 2,000 of whom entered various ski patrols upon returning home. Their ranks include presidential candidates (Sen. Bob Dole,) peace activists (Sierra Club founder David Brower,) inventors (Nike founder Bill Bowerman,) and filmmakers (Dick Durrance.) Countless innovations in skiing were forged by 10th vets, whose love of the mountains and boundless, can-do spirit and energy infused a love of skiing in America that continues to this day. For his part, Cole is proud to help keep the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division alive in Aspen, whose surrounding mountains served as the tough training grounds nearly seventy years ago, when ambitious boys became mountain men. “The story of the 10th Mountain needs to be kept alive,” says Cole. “It is a huge part of the history of the state of Colorado and the ski industry. And, they played such a significant role in our World War II efforts.”

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IF YOU GO... WHAT: “Climb To Glory: Legacy of the 10th Mountain Ski Troopers” WHO: Produced by Warren Miller Entertainment and the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum, presented as a benefit for Aspen Historical Society and the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club WHERE: Wheeler Opera House WHEN: Friday, April 4. Doors at 5:30 p.m., presentation including 10th Mountain Division WWII vets begins at 6 p.m. TICKETS: $15/adult. $10/kids 12 and under. Tickets available at the Wheeler or aspenshowtix.com

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A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

THELISTINGS

APRIL 3 - 9, 2014 BERKEL BEATS — 10 p.m., Belly Up Aspen, 450 S Galena St, Aspen.

Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen.

VID WEATHERWAX - KEYBOARDS & VOCALS — 4:30 p.m., 8K Lounge Viceroy Snowmass, 130 Wood Rd, Snowmass Village.

OMAR — 7:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 LIVE MUSIC WEEKENDS — 4 p.m., The Red Onion, 420 East Cooper Ave, Aspen. LIVE MUSIC: LOST CARAVAN — 4 p.m., Chair 9, 675 East Durant Ave, Aspen. ASPEN CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT — 7:30 p.m., Aspen School District Theater, 0235 High School Road, Aspen. OMAR — 7:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen. HEAR Sound artist Alyce Santoro is part of Justice Snow’s Salon program April 6.

ONGOING AMY SILLMAN — 10 a.m., Aspen Art Museum, 590 N. Mill St., Aspen. The first museum survey of New. 970-925-8050

THURSDAY, APRIL 3 PEDRITO MARTINEZ — 7 p.m., The JAS Cafe Downstairs, 675 East Durant Avenue, Aspen.. 970-920-4996 AYPA DIGITAL MEDIA FILM FEST — 7 p.m., Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen. PEDRITO MARTINEZ — 9:15 p.m. 970-920-4996 THURSDAY NIGHT KARAOKE — 10 p.m., The Red Onion, 420 East Cooper Ave, Aspen. WHITEWATER RAMBLE — 10 p.m., Belly Up Aspen, 450 S Galena St,

VISITING ARTIST LECTURE: OLIVER HERRING — 5:30 p.m., Anderson Ranch Arts Center, 5263 Owl Creek Road, Snowmass. LIVE MUSIC: BRUCE HAYES — 4 p.m., Chair 9, 675 East Durant Ave, Aspen.

FRIDAY, APRIL 4 ARCHICULTURE: A DOCUMENTARY — noon, Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen. LIVE MUSIC: LOST CARAVAN — 4 p.m., Chair 9, 675 East Durant Ave, Aspen. FILM: ‘CLIMB TO GLORY’ — 6 p.m., Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen. PEDRITO MARTINEZ — 7 and 9:15 p.m., The JAS Cafe Downstairs, 675 East Durant Avenue, Aspen. 970-920-4996

40 OZ TO FREEDOM - A SUBLIME TRIBUTE — 10 p.m., Belly Up Aspen, 450 S Galena St, Aspen. LIVE MUSIC FOR APRES SKI WITH THE TRUE STORY BAND — 4 p.m., The Bar at Wildwood Hotel, 100 Elbert Lane, Snowmass Village. VID WEATHERWAX - KEYBOARDS & VOCALS — 4:30 p.m., 8K Lounge Viceroy Snowmass, 130 Wood Rd.

SUNDAY, APRIL 6 AAM FREE FAMILY WORKSHOP — 3:30 p.m., Aspen Art Museum, 590 N. Mill St., Aspen. LIVE MUSIC WEEKENDS — 4 p.m., The Red Onion, 420 East Cooper Ave, Aspen. LIVE MUSIC: HANNIBAL BROWN — 4 p.m., Chair 9, 675 East Durant Ave, Aspen. THE WIND RISES — 4:30 p.m.,

THREE 6 MAFIA NKA DA MAFIA 6IX — 9:30 p.m., Belly Up Aspen, 450 S Galena St, Aspen. VID WEATHERWAX — 4:30 p.m., 8K Lounge Viceroy Snowmass, 130 Wood Rd, Snowmass Village.

MONDAY, APRIL 7 LIVE MUSIC: DJ DYLAN & FRIENDS — 4 p.m., Chair 9, 675 East Durant Ave, Aspen. THE WIND RISES — 7:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen. OPEN MIC — 10 p.m., The Red Onion, 420 East Cooper Ave, Aspen.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8 LIVE MUSIC: MARK NUSSMEIER — 4 p.m., Chair 9, 675 East Durant Ave, Aspen. J. RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS — 9 p.m., Belly Up Aspen, 450 S Galena St, Aspen. LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC — 10 p.m., The Red Onion, 420 East Cooper Ave, Aspen.

WEDNESAY, APRIL 9 LIVE MUSIC: DJ DYLAN & FRIENDS — 4 p.m., Chair 9, 675 East Durant Ave, Aspen. ASPEN SHORTSFEST — noon, Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen. The complete schedule with film descriptions and trailers is available at aspenfilm.org. aspenshowtix.com or 970-920-5770.

Late Winter Edition is on the streets! You’ve all been missing it - Now it’s baack!

LUCKY DAY YAPPY HOUR WEDNESDAY, April 9 Finbarr’s Irish Pub & Kitchen 4:30 - 6:30 pm

We hope to see all our friends there supporting us and having fun!

Look for it around town or online at:

www.snowmasssun.com/insnowmass

www.snowmasssun.com

$15 minimum donation (cash or check) - all you can drink Pacifico beer, wine and select liquor.

A S P E N T I M E S W E E K LY

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970-925-3414

XXXXXXX

WORDPLAY

INTELLIGENT EXERCISE

by MELISSA HART for HIGH COUNTRY NEWS

BOOK REVIEW

NOTEWORTHY

‘THE RESIDUE YEARS’ TODAY, MOST PEOPLE who think of Portland, Ore., picture charismatic bridges spanning the sparkling Willamette River, cozy coffeehouses and brewpubs on rain-slick streets, and passionate environmentalists bicycling to farmers markets. But behind the scenes, Portland in the 1990s teemed with crack dealers and users willing to sacrifice home and family for a night’s partying. And if you were African-American, according to author Mitchell S. Jackson, life could be a specific sort of hell fraught with racial profiling and lack of educational and employment opportunities — unless you were very, very good at basketball. “Let them quit screaming your name,” he writes of young black athletes in his debut autobiographical novel, “The Residue Years,” “and worse-case you just might rob a bank (who gets

by PETER A. COLLINS / edited by WILL SHORTZ

MUSICAL INTERPRETATION

away with that?), just might hatch a (hand to God this happened) flawed murder-for-insurance plot. But maybe it’s just here. In my city. Not yours.” “The Residue Years” portrays Jackson’s childhood streets as darkened by poverty, abuse and addiction. Grace, newly clean after losing a corporate job to the allure of crack, finds a sympathetic employer and resolves to do better by her four sons. Champ is the oldest, the collegiate boy. Throughout the novel, Jackson lets the young man and his mother take turns telling their stories, giving readers multiple perspectives on a family dynamic now threatened by Grace’s litigious ex-husband, who hopes to retain custody of their younger sons, and by Champ’s attempts to keep his kin safe — by selling crack. “You’d be surprised at how many chase heartache,” says one of his

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Start of the United Negro College Fund slogan Old lab burners Abbr. at the top of an email Something passed between the legs? ___ Domingo Now and again? Like an ode Kind of farming Like Neptune among the planets in the solar system ___ pro nobis Echelon With the circled letters, 1955 Bill Haley and His Comets hit? Sound of sweet nothings Having a beat Hall-of-Famer Ralph Purveyor of the Doublicious sandwich ___ Webster, Twain’s “celebrated jumping frog” With 43-Across, 1973 Deep Purple hit? Like Odin Sound engineer’s knob See 37-Across Brings in Some dreams Reverse, e.g. Dismissed “Eternally nameless” thing, in Eastern religion Bath accessories

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Dr Pepper alternative Former Disney president Michael Dreamy romantic quality Olympic leap Ring Lardner’s “Alibi ___” It’s put on before takeoff 1959 Dion and the Belmonts hit? Old mattress stuffing Pond denizen Phil who played 65-Down 1984 Cyndi Lauper hit? Memorable series in “Psycho” Dawn-to-dusk The continents, e.g. “Phooey!” Kelly of morning TV Haughty affectation Rap sheet listing Query at the start of a poker game Verbally assault Rene of “Thor” Thumbing-the-nose gesture Challenge for F.D.R. Mideast V.I.P. Meatless day in W.W. II: Abbr. Some lawn mowers Pertaining to religious rites Bugs Bunny addressee Where to find screwdrivers and rusty nails Like peas in ___ Suffix with salt Made bats

116 Primer pair 119 Info on a magazine cover 120 Real dear 121 More cool, in slang 122 French thinkers? 123 Wink’s partner 124 ___ State (Mountain West Conference team) 125 Runners in the cold?

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Org. Actress Tierney Suffering Some versions of Windows “Quit stalling!” Suffix with major Back it up, in a way “Seduction of the Minotaur” author Bank ID “Listen, pal!” Tea Partiers, e.g. Crack filler Casual summer wear Medium for love letters? Card reader, for short What fastidious people can’t be ___ Scott Card, “Ender’s Game” writer Competitor of ZzzQuil Label for 28-Across Alaskan city Fake Chef Lagasse “To sum up …” No longer in fashion Info for an airport

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greeter, for short Victorian ___ Summons, of a sort The “T” of Mr. T Prefix with thermal “Long time ___” Boss Tweed nemesis New York arrival of ’77 BBC std. Bank in need of support? Where “hello” is “sveiks” Reinforces Muff a grounder Something you can believe Hands on deck Chicken ___ (Italian dish, informally) NCO of 1950s TV Former faddish exercise regimen Way off Oktoberfest quaff John Locke, philosophically Out-of-the-way way Brand of pickles Slanted writing Description on many eBay listings The “s” in Awacs: Abbr. Dose meas. Eastern religion Place for a manipedi Graz’s land: Abbr. Rev (up) See 95-Down 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival hit? Quantum physics particle Rubber from

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customers. “Need it to feel whole.” In adamant, provocative prose, Jackson examines that theme throughout the book, creating unexpected sympathy even for Champ’s mother as she surrenders everything once again to pursue her addiction. “The Residue Years” will alter your view of Portland. Despite the Rose City’s impressive gentrification and its mostly genial residents, a desperate population still sleeps on the streets, willing to sacrifice any small gain for a new high. Rather than letting us sidestep their gaunt faces, their sleeping bags, their ragged cardboard signs, Jackson demands that we look at their motivations and ponder such profound scarcity in the midst of bounty.

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ACROSS

“The Residue Years” Mitchell S. Jackson 352 pages, hardcover: $26 Bloomsbury USA, 2013

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— Last week’s puzzle answers — 95 97 99 100 102 104 106 107

Arabia? With 89-Down, 1968 Tammy Wynette hit? “Twelfth Night” duke “___ to the list” Inspector of crime fiction One inspiring love of poetry? “___ alive!” “Bonne ___!” Longing looks

109 Some queens 110 Didn’t stop in time, say 112 ___ ale 115 French scene 117 Hollywood special FX 118 “Selena” star, to her fans

A D D S M O N A I H A V M E F O U H E L P A D E S O C T R U S Y A L T S E A B M U S S O H M T H O M E U R O T H E W

O C E A N M E T A L L I C A

I K I N C A N Q U I T O S T R E W

N O N O C D T R O O P P I S S E O S N A U M S E B Z A E G D E L S

E N T R E E S

O F F I N G

S C A N T

S I G H

T H S O A S H O T P A T A R S O M N U T M O D I S O E N R D O F P A S C E N U N D G E N

R E C O U T H L E D I V E C A O U S A N L O G A T W O N R B A A T U S B U S L A S N L T H U S M E G B E S J A N T E S T A T S M E N L O E L L A T L I G H R E N E O R E S

A M E N D T H E N I N E R S P A T E L

T E A M A M B A J U S T W A Y S O L A Y W O R K N N E L E S S E D O S E P A L S E T S N B A C A T B I C S A R K R C B U L B R I E R A T E R

CLOSING ENCOUNTERS

IMAGE of the WEEK photography by AUBREE DALLAS

| 03.27.14 | Snowmass | REIGNING OLYMPIC CHAMPION TED LIGETY AUTOGRAPHS A HELMET DURING THE NASTAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AT SNOWMASS.

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A S P E N T I M E S . C O M / W E E K LY

Elks Way • Nestled in the heart of Wildcat Ranch, Homestead Seven borders and overlooks Wildcat Lake • Private wilderness of 501 acres, heavily timbered with pine and aspen trees • Spectacular views in every direction • 5 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, 13,217 sq ft • Comfortably contemporary with mountain elements • Detached guest cabin with 4 bedrooms • Riding, hiking, fishing, & boating $26,500,000 $24,500,000 Penney Evans Carruth | 970.379.9133

Aspen Contemporary

The Lenado Aspen 19 bedroom suites, 19.5 baths, 4 housing units, and 6 parking spaces Private, exclusive 9,000 sq ft corner lot Just a few blocks to Gondola & downtown $15,500,000 Furnished Craig Morris | 970.379.9795 Dayna Horton | 970.274.9777 TheLenadoAspen.com

Three Dimensional Piece of Art 6 bedrooms, 6 full, 2 half baths, 6,580 sq ft Extraordinary custom home built to enjoy all year-round, adjacent to open space Impeccable detail, design, and materials $11,950,000 $11,450,000 George P. Huggins | 970.379.8485

Opportunity to create 2-home compound Contiguous ski-in/ski-out lots Located adjacent to open space for privacy Walking distance to Base Village $12,500,000 Larry Jones | 970.379.8757

Elegant Glamorous Starwood Estate Lowest price per sq ft home in Starwood Beautifully remodeled, designer furnished, fully equipped, ready for occupancy A must see “wow” property Carol Dopkin | 970.618.0187 StarwoodHome.info

Aspen Contemporary Mixed-use building with Main Street visibility Two retail/office spaces to finish to suit 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2,930 sq ft penthouse 3 finished employee housing units $11,995,000 Entire building Craig Morris | 970.379.9795 Larry Jones | 970.379.8757

Prestigious Divide Neighborhood 7 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, 1.65 acres Best ski-in/ski-out location in Snowmass Perfect spaces for entertaining Expansive decks overlooking the slopes $8,875,000 $7,995,000 Terry Rogers | 970.379.2443 Greg Didier | 970.379.3980

AspenSnowmassSIR.com

Aspen | 970.925.6060 Snowmass | 970.923.2006 Basalt | 970.927.8080 Carbondale | 970.963.4536