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Beyond Telluride

Colorado Springs is often thought of as Denver’s ugly twin sister. But as any Pikes Peak loving fan will tell you, there’s much more to the place than its sprawl and its conservative bookends. It is not only Focus on the Family. Nor is it only the military. It is a vibrant, surprisingly fun city that feels as warm and as close-knit as a small town.

Admittedly, Andy and I met in that city, at Colorado College, so we may have that extra special spot in our heart for it. But the reason we return annually is not just because we want to walk down memory lane. We genuinely love the city. Here are a few reasons why. Garden of the Gods Number 1. The Garden of the Gods. Yes, the park may get crowded at times. Yet, with its great sandstone rocks tipped up like giant whale fins, you can’t help but fall in love with the place. We love to run and rock climb there, and our kids love to scramble on the rocks. To me, Garden of the Gods is one of the few places in the world where you can know, without a doubt that the world is and always has been about change. Once, great seas flooded that basin. When the waters receded, massive tectonic forces shoved the stone up sideways with the same urgency that pushed the Rockies up. Sitting in that park, staring up at the patches of blue sky framed by red rock, watching ravens drift in slow circles is a sacred experience.
21 August, 2011 /

by Jon Lovekin

Moonrise The Red Sox won the world series in 2004. This was an historic event and especially significant for long suffering Boston baseball fans. Meanwhile, within the southwest plains of Colorado other significant events were about to occur as well. Tonight was a full lunar eclipse, a spectacular sight anywhere but this night was going to be special. The excitement was building while driving to the Commanche National Grasslands south of La Junta, Colorado. The view port from there was going to be wonderful and all the camera gear was stashed in the truck.  The light haze of front range cities is visible to the north but is greatly diminished under the vast, clear portal that exists on these high plains.

The gap gate off the county road was barely discernible within the fence line. No road was visible beyond it. Careful study of maps indicated that an access road into the national grasslands existed along the other fence perpendicular to the gate. The early summer winds had buried that fence and whatever road lay beside it under four feet of tumble weeds. There was no other access through the cactus and rock outcrops at this point. Taking a deep breath, and gearing down, the truck munched its way through the debris. There wasn't going to be a crowd out here!

 

20 August, 2011 /

by Eric Palumbo

"Figuring out who you are is the whole point of the human experience." - Anna Quindlen

Hiking pic Last month I packed into the northern terminus of the Colorado Trail (CT) in Denver, intent on backpacking to Durango over the ensuing four weeks. It was the culmination of months of dreaming, planning and conditioning.

Until a year ago I hadn't backpacked since the Boy Scouts. Then I met a girl (isn't that how it always happens) who rekindled my love for the outdoors. While hiking on Kenosha pass last year, we met a guy who was thru-hiking the CT. He joined us at our campsite for dinner where we shared grape soda and he shared his experiences.

17 August, 2011 /

If any of you are up around midnight over the next few days, take a look at bright planet Jupiter as it rises above the eastern horizon. It's brilliant beauty far outshines any other point of light in the night sky - except the...

16 August, 2011 /
[click "Play", Steve Gumble talks to Susan about the Taos Mountain Music Festival]

 

Taos Music poster Steve Gumble (and his SBG productions) is the force behind the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, now in its 18th year and a sold-out success annually. So what's a nice guy like that doing in a place like Taos? The short answer: Making a good thing better.

Friends and producers of the Taos event were not in the Festival producing business like Steve. Their day job was running the mountain. So, they approached their friend Steve to grow a musical event with loads of promise.

The third annual Taos Mountain Music Festival takes place this year on Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21. Northern New Mexico's music event of the summer features headliners Matisyahu, Railroad Earth, Ozomatli, and Leftover Salmon. Additional festival performances include Donna the Buffalo, Jackie Greene Duo, Afroman, Orgone, Dangermuffin, Langhorne Slim, Shannon McNally and Hot Sauce, Ryan McGarvey and Mariachi Luz de Luna.

15 August, 2011 /

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The eighth annual Riverfront Park Fashion Show brings some of fashion’s best and brightest to Denver’s Riverfront neighborhood. The theme is “Classic” but don’t expect to see your mother’s flat knit and pearls strutting down the catwalk.  This year the “Crack Pack” is sure to have fashion addicts hooked on the edgy, youthful looks that define classic in a fresh new way.  

06 August, 2011 /
[click "Play" to hear Will Thompson's thoughts on the Christo project]

 

 

Christo_over_the_river4 The Telluride Gallery of Fine Art is the local representative of the world's most famous wrapper: Christo.

Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude (now deceased) became world famous for hiding familiar objects, buildings and views in plain sight by wrapping whatever struck their fantasies in what amounts to a second skin. The big idea: transform the quotidian into something transcendent, stimulate our imaginations and the joy of discovery, causing us to take a second look at that which we tend to take for granted.

06 August, 2011 /

Joe Kimm, my former father-in-law and a friend and mentor for over fifty years, will turn 100 years old on August 18, 2011. We learned yesterday that Joe's flying career, which spanned 42 years of Northwest Airlines early history, has earned him a place...

04 August, 2011 /



Tim DeChristopher, Mountainfilm
Tim at Telluride Mountainfilm

On July 28, Telluride Inside... and Out received the following note from Telluride local, filmmaker Beth Gage, who with husband George, is making a documentary, "Bidder 70," about environmental activist Tim DeChristopher. Tim, a Mountainfilm regular over the past three years, recently received his sentence for his act of nonviolent civil disobedience.

"Dear Susan,

You may have heard but Tim got a 2 year sentence and was whisked out of court and into a prison van in chains within minutes of his sentence.  I thought you might like to re-print Terry T Williams letter to the editor.

Hugs,
Beth"

30 July, 2011 /

Yes, it's true. Telluride Inside...and Out wholeheartedly supports the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program. With us it is strictly personal: my husband Clint has been an Adaptive instructor for 12 years and counting. For him the work is soul food. But helping others with special challenges is important work no matter where in the country it is going on.

In the state of Colorado, Steamboat Springs also has an active adaptive program, Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports, a chapter of Disabled Sports USA and a US Paralympic Sportclub.

30 July, 2011 /