Beyond Telluride

by Erik Dalton

Andy Bagnall Surfing The 3rd Annual Ridgway River Festival at Rollins Park in Ridgway, CO on Saturday, June 26, was a huge success and a great day of fun along the banks of the Uncompahgre River. Jagged Edge, as well as the Telluride Kayak School, event sponsors, were there with a fleet of demo kayaks and a series of free kayaking clinics to help introduce folks to the sport.

Junk of the Unc Race As midday approached and the temperature steadily climbed, it was time for a series of fun races open to all species of  river rats: down-river races for kayaks, racing kayaks, inflatables, and make-it-yourself contraptions to compete in the "Junk of the Unc" race. A kayak rodeo in the mid-afternoon rounded out the fun. Imagine whitewater kayakers competing on a set of waves for who could throw the best tricks and impress the judges the most.

 

By D. Dion

(editor's note: Telluride Kayak School and Jagged Edge are very much involved in the Ridgway River Festival this Saturday, June 26. There are opportunities to try out kayaks, or just enjoy being on the river. In addition, Telluride Kayak School is holding a 2-day beginner clinic this weekend. Check out the website for information.)

If you think the only things landlocked Colorado can thank Hawaiian culture for are loud floral dress shirts and the ukulele, think again: Stand Up Paddling has made the migration from the islands to our rivers, and there are already a lot of whitewater junkies on board the new trend.



Telluride Inside... and Out goes behind the scenes at Crow Canyon with Vice President of Programs Mark Varien, who has worked in the Crow Canyon research department since 1987.
 
Between 1987 and 1997, Varien directed Crow Canyon excavations at numerous archaeological sites. He earned a Ph.D. from Arizona State University, and won a Society for American Archaeology award for the best dissertation in archaeology in the United States for his investigations of regional settlement patterns. His paper later became a book:"Sedentism and Mobility in a Social Landscape: Mesa Verde and Beyond."

[click "Play" for Karl Schaeffer's conversation with Clint] The Ridgway Railroad Museum will help Telluride celebrate a chronologically short but rich cultural history this weekend, June 12-13, during the second annual Heritage Fest.  The Railroad Museum is an active participant...

[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with Dan Mooney]

IMG_2051 Crow Canyon may just a hop, skip and a jump from Telluride, but this world-class archaeological research center represents a long march back in time to explore the rich history of the ancestral Pueblo Indians commonly known as the Anasazi.

Experiential education is at the heart of Crow Canyon's mission, and on June 16,  8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., the Center, in conjunction with the Telluride Historical Museum, plans to pull out all the stops for a select group of Telluride locals.
[click "Play" to hear Dr. Deborah Gangloff speaking with Susan]



Dm_2009_PLC_tower_view Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is located in southwestern Colorado, a rewarding day trip from Telluride of a little over two hours each way. Telluride Inside...  and Out visited for a day, doing video interviews and podcasting key players on site. This post is the first in a series you won't want to miss: Crow Canyon is another instance of priceless nuggets under foot and in our own backyard.

 For over 25 years, the on-campus staff has made it its business to study and teach human history, particularly the rich history of the ancestral Pueblo Indians (aka, the Anasazi), who inhabited the canyons and mesas of the Mesa Verde region over 700 years ago.