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Awesome Opals Editor's note:  The astrological signs of October are Libra (September 23 –October 22) and Scorpio (October 23 – November 21). For what's happening in the stars, see Cynthia Zehm's weekly Alacazem. But celestial bodies are not all that shines: the birthstone of the month is opal. To romance the stone, see Telluride Inside... and Out's newest  monthly column, Birthstones, from Dolce.


It is altogether fitting and proper that our birthstone column launches with a riff on opals because Dolce's owner and Telluride local Beau Staley has a personal history with the stone.

In 1989, Beau spent his summer break from college working for Nagalle Designs, a company founded and run by Dolce artist, sculptor James Vilona and once a dominant force in inlaid jewelry manufacturing. Nagalle built its fine reputation on its designs incorporating the coveted Australian opal. Beau wound up taking over Nagalle from James so that James could work full time on his art.  By the time Beau sold Nagalle hinself, he had built a reputation as a power player in the wholesale marketing of this precious stone.

08 October, 2010 /

[click "Play", Ashley Deppen talks about ballet flats]     Telluride's Two Skirts wants to leave you flat – on your feet. Ashley Deppen is talking about ballet flats for this week's installment of Fashion Friday."Feminine, flirty, fantastic...

08 October, 2010 /

by Erik Dalton

 

View towards Lizard Head The Hope Lake trail starts and ends in the Trout Lake area just southeast of Telluride.  I regard this hike as a classic in the fall because of the sweeping views it provides looking out towards the Lizard Head Wilderness and the Wilson Range of 14ers.  Hope Lake is also off the beaten path and a little harder to get to, so if you are looking for some solitude, it can usually be found in the high country surrounding Hope Lake.

To find Hope Lake trailhead, drive out Hwy. 145 past Ophir and turn left at the Trout Lake Road. You parallel the lake for a while before making another left on Trout Lake Road #626, which is well marked.  It's approximately a 10-minute drive from this turn to the trailhead for Hope Lake, which is easily found and marked with a large sign and accompanying map.  Be sure to bring a lunch or some snacks, as this hike is an out-and-back that leads you into the high country and offers some great spots for stopping to smell the roses – rather, wild flowers.

06 October, 2010 /

by Erik Dalton

 

Wasatch Trail September 2010(70) Bear Creek is well known to most Telluriders. The popular hike to the falls has always been a great escape from town. Big trees, gushing creeks, and expansive views welcome hikers as they enter the canyon from the edge of town. The Wasatch Trail is essentially a continuation of the Bear Creek Trail, taking the hiker high above the falls, eventually cresting the high ridges surrounding the basin at 13,000 ft. Although the Wasatch Trail is not for the faint of heart, it is certainly a trail worth every bit of effort, especially in the fall when you can almost be assured it will be just you and the marmots up in the high country.

The Wasatch Trail is marked by a small wooden sign located in the last big flat area before you reach Bear Creek Falls. As soon as you turn right onto the Wasatch Trail, you immediately start climbing towards the cliff bands above, traversing numerous switchbacks as you work yourself high on the hillside towering over the falls.

05 October, 2010 /

by Erik Dalton

 

High Basin below summit-Sneffels Highline Trail The Telluride valley is surrounded by some great hikes, but none can compete with the few that take you up into the high country of our surrounding San Juan Mountains.  The Sneffels Highline Trail is one of these classics that can be completed as a loop right from town, and leads the hiker up through the pines and aspens into incredible high alpine basins and to some of the best views around.

The Sneffels Highline Trail is a 13 mile hiking loop that starts and ends in the town of Telluride, and can be accessed via the Jud Wiebe Trail at the top of Aspen Street.  The trail first loops through National Forest land on the north side of town as it climbs its way up towards Pack Basin, eventually topping out just below Mount Emma at 12,200 ft. in the Sneffels Wilderness Area.  Although the climb up from town is steep, the trail is in great condition and the effort is well rewarded along the way with incredible views down into Mill Creek Basin and back towards the ski area.  The hiker gets the sense of traveling back through time as old mining cabins and the remnants of mines and equipment can be seen scattered along the landscape. 

04 October, 2010 /
[click "Play" to listen to Erik and Susan discussing Fall hiking and proper gear]

 

 

IMGP1667
On the Highline

Erik Dalton, owner of Jagged Edge, grew up in the Telluride region. It's fair to say he is a mountain man with (please forgive the expression) a leg up: owning a store that caters to outdoor adventurers, he not only knows the terrain, he knows what equipment is needed to be comfortable at altitude in this terrain. The following is his short list:

Day pack that can be worn comfortably all day long

At least 3 litres of water

Raincoat, sunhat, sunscreen, chapstick

03 October, 2010 /

[click "Play", Dr. Richard Simpson speaks about autism]

 

 

Rich Simpson photo On Tuesday, October 5, the Palm Theatre in Telluride plays host to Dr. Richard L. Simpson, Professor of Special Education at the University of Kansas and an internationally known expert on the subject of autism.
 
Autism is general term used to describe a group of complex spectrum of developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Autism produces significant impairment in social, communicative, cognitive, and behavioral functioning, typically lasting a person's lifetime. The syndrome may affect as many as 1 in every 100 children (estimates differ, but they all are sobering), making it a more common condition than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. Government statistics suggest the prevalence rate of autism is increasing 10-17 percent annually.

03 October, 2010 /

 Telluride locals, Ben Clark and Jon Miller, returned to climb and ski Baruntse, 23,390' in the Himalayas of Nepal. Their attempt in the Spring of 2009 was cut short. In this episode, Spring of 2010, we see them climbing in the 20,000' range, getting acclimated...

02 October, 2010 /

IMGP1496 We at Telluride Inside... and Out have family on both coasts, and in between. With the busy calendar in Telluride in Summer and Winter, most of our travel gets concentrated in the off seasons. Throw in the occasional glitch, and that off-season travel can get hectic.

IMGP1567_2 The past several weeks serve as an illustration: Susan and I spent a week in Pittsburgh with daughter Kjerstin and family. Some transportation difficulties made it more advantageous to forgo our planned two day stop in Telluride before continuing to the Seattle area to be with Chief Geek Kimm Viebrock and her family. The change meant we had a few extra days with the Northwest contingent, but brought a few difficulties of its own. We had driven to Denver and our car was at the airport. Instead of flying to Rapid City, SD for the annual get-together with fellow retired Northwest Airlines pilots, I flew to Denver, got the car, drove to Rapid City.

28 September, 2010 /