Covered Bridge Magazine | Summer + Fall 2023 | Issue #4

SUMMER

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FALL 2023

M E N TA L WELLNESS IN THE M O U N TA I N S

Becoming a Mountain Mama

Your Guide to Mushroom Foraging

Trail Running Safety Tips

VAI L + M INTURN + EAGLE-VAI L + AVO N + E DWARD S + EAGLE + G YPSU M

100% COLORADO. BECAUSE IT 100% MATTERS. We built our company on a belief in local business, relationships, and the impact that locally-focused real estate can have on our communities.

We connect the people and places that make Colorado home.

We are Slifer Smith & Frampton, Colorado’s real estate company.

SliferSmithAndFrampton.com

UNDER CONTRACT

196 Spring Creek Lane | Cordillera Valley Club

5 Waterfront Way | Riverfront Village - Avon

5-bed | 5.5-bath | 4,854 sf | $5,595,000 Tom Jaffe | 973.747.7009 | tjaffe@slifer.net

4-bed | 5-bath | 2,594 sf | $4,700,000 Tina Vardaman | 970.390.7286 | tvardaman@slifer.net Patrice Ringler | 970.376.7986 | pringler@slifer.net

Seller/owner is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Colorado

SOLD

318 Brett Trail | Lake Creek Valley 6-bed | 4.5-bath | 4,721 sf | $2,719,500 Amy Dorsey | 970.471.2374 | adorsey@slifer.net

446 Kensington Drive | Cordillera Divide 3-bed | 3.5-bath | 3,440 sf | $2,295,000 Doug Landin | 970.376.1299 | dlandin@slifer.net

131 Sawmill Circle | Eagle Ranch 4-bed | 4.5-bath | 5,483 sf | $2,500,000 Hoy Team | HoyTeam@slifer.net | Michael Hoy | 970.390.6445 mhoy@slifer.net | Susan Hoy | 970.471.1411 | shoy@slifer.net

6 Black Bear | Cotton Ranch 5-bed | 3.5-bath | 3,100 sf | $1,299,000 Lissa Tyler | 970.390.7493 | ltyler@slifer.net Jack Affleck | 970.331.3686 | jaffleck@slifer.net

View our Vail Valley properties any time at: VailRealEstate.com

SPECIALIZING IN INTERIOR DESIGN, GENERAL CONTRACTING, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN RESORT MARKETS www.ocgdesignmanage.com

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970.470.9139

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info@ocgdesignmanage.com

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hello from our publisher

Journey Publisher Jaunt Media Collective

“The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment.

That’s all there ever is.”

ECKHART TOLLE

Editor-In-Chief Kim Fuller Managing Editor Lexi Reich Assistant Editor Lauren Farrauto Creative Director Chelsea Connolly Creative Consultants Kitty Nicholason + Robyn Britt Partnerships Bobby L’Heureux

JUST AS MOUNTAINS are climbed one step at a time, narratives are written as moments are woven together, piece by piece. The articles in this “journey” issue inspire deep discovery and exploration of the Vail Valley, from thoroughly sourced features to eloquent personal essays.

With every stride forward, we move in the direction of transformation, because it’s quite true that the only constant is change. From starting businesses and starting families, to adventuring in the local backcountry or around the world — every journey reminds us that we are always shifting from one state of being to another.

“Your Guide to Mushroom Foraging in the Vail Valley” on page 82 was not only the impetus for this issue’s cover, captured by the amazing Abby Dykes; it was also a reminder to take more time along every journey to look a little more closely — you never know what’s just under a fallen pinecone on the forest floor.

The more challenging steps of individuals and entire communities are also taken here. “Mental Wellness in the Mountains” on page 98 unearths the reality of many who are struggling — your friends, neighbors, kids, partners. When living in this world can feel uncertain and

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In Gratitude,

Digital Editor Kristen Grace Intern Riley Tedesco Contributors Townsend Bessent, Kristen Blizzard, Whitney Brofos, Julia Clarke, Tom Cohen, Abby Dykes, Kaitlin Emig, Sandy Ferguson Fuller, Kim Fuller, Kristen Grace, Courtney Holden, Kira Johnson, Ayla Katsorchis, Laura Lieff, Cameron Martindell, Laura Mills, Kimberly Nicolletti, Madison Rahhal, Lexi Reich, Maddie Rhodes, Becca Saulsberry, Jace Stout, Riley Tedesco, Tracey Van Curran ,T.J. Voboril, Jennifer Weintraub, Agostina Zampieri, Ian Zinner Cover Photographer Abby Dykes Website coveredbridgevail.com Social @coveredbridgemag Partnership Opportunities Email bobby@jauntmediacollective.com or call 815.414.9642 Proudly produced + printed in Colorado.

Kim Fuller with Bobby L’Heureux Jaunt Media Collective jauntmediacollective.com

Thank you for supporting local media!

Jaunt Media Collective 2077 N. Frontage Road Suite D Vail, CO 81657 ® 2023 Covered Bridge Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion may be duplicated, in whole or in part, without the written consent of its publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. The publisher assumers no responsibility for accuracy of information or omissions from the material provided. Company cannot be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services rendered by the advertisers published in this magazine.

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PHOTO BY KIM FULLER

Dear Readers,

overwhelming, stories of transformation and growth provide us with hope.

Find uplift on page 28 with “Biohack Longevity: How to Live Healthier + Happier,” and Corrie Crane’s impressive path of sobriety and training for Leadville’s “Race Across the Sky” on page 30. This issue is full of resources for you, from postpartum tips for mountain mamas (page 46) and co-parenting goals for families (page 44), along with nods to notable gear, local style, art and food, plus tips for visiting nearby and faraway destinations.

We make magazines, because we know the power of authentic storytelling isn’t lost on humanity, just as an epic quest and even a walk around the block can leave someone changed.

So, valued readers, keep turning the pages, and be sure to enjoy the journey.

Community Engagement Laura Mills

table of contents Su m m er + Fall

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contents

66 MOUNTAIN STYLE

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92 10

72 c o v e r e d b r i d g e va i l . c o m

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FROM THE PUBLISHER Journey

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CONTRIBUTORS

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14 ABOUT THE COVER Q&A with Abby Dykes 16

VOICES OF THE VALLEY Thoughts on “Journey”

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VALLEY HAPPENINGS. + The Barn: New Aerial Arts Studio in Minturn + Vail Valley Unbound + Feel the Momentum Behind Mountain Pride

22 VALLEY BUSINESS Peak Microgreens 26 MOUNTAIN LIVING Mountain Careers 28 WELLNESS + FITNESS + Biohack Longevity to Live Happier + Healthier 30 ATHLETE PROFILE Corrie Crane’s Journey to the “Race Across the Sky” 32 GEAR FOR THE SEASON + Summer + Fall 2023 + Gear for Lil’ Rippers 38 ADVENTURE Trail Running Safety Tips for Colorado’s Backcountry 42 GRAND OUTDOORS Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance 44 FAMILY + COMMUNITY + Co-Parenting in a Competitive Community + Tips for Mountain Mamas 48 NOURISH + Recipes from Tracey Van Curan, Foods of Vail + Restaurant Spotlight: Social Oak, Eagle

62 ART + MUSIC + Art by Agostina + Your Robot Overlords

70 MAKER Sunward: Carrie Calvin’s “Magic Combinations” 72 ROAD TRIP Local Summer Escape to Silverthorne

+ Local Column: Eat With Your Hands

106 EVENTS Summer + Fall 2023

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110 DINING GUIDE Eat Local 112 PARTING SHOT Illustration by Sandy Ferguson Fuller

MUSHROOM FORAGING Your Guide In + Around the Vail Valley

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LESSONS FROM THE JOURNEY Reflections from a Humbling Day on the Halo Ridge Loop

+ Isla Holbox: Mexican Seaside Escape 104 LIVE LIKE A LOCAL Erik Brofos

60 BOOK CLUB The Blues Go Birding

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76 GETAWAY + Break Clear Away in Yosemite

+ Restaurant Spotlight: Montauk Seafood Grill, Vail

58 CHEERS + Cocktail Feature: Figgie Smalls from Revel Lounge

features

66 STYLE FOR THE SEASON Transitional + Trendy: Local Boutiques Share Mountain Style

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HAPPY TRAILS The Piney Lake Journey

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MENTAL WELLNESS IN THE MOUNTAINS Healing a Community From Within

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contributors

summer + fall 2023

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1. Whitney Brofos Photographer bywhitneyrae.com 2. Jennifer Weintraub Writer + Photographer @the.outdoorista 3. Sandy Ferguson Fuller Writer, Editor, Illustrator + Photographer alparts.com

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4. Chelsea Connolly Creative Director @thechelseaconnolly 5. Kaitlin Emig Writer @sunflower_lion 6. Laura Mills Writer + Community Engagement @l.millsy

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7. Julia Clarke Writer juliaclarkeyoga.com

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8. Maddie Rhodes Writer @maddiebucketzz 9. Kristen Grace Writer + Digital Editor @kristengraceyoga

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10. Laura Lieff Writer @lieff_ink 11. Courtney Holden Writer @courtneysoltys 12. T.J. Voboril Writer @tjvobo 13. Cameron Martindell Writer @offyonder 14. Kimberly Nicoletti Writer kimberlynicoletti.com 15. Lexi Reich Managing Editor + Writer lexireich.com 16. Lisa Blake Writer @lisablakecreative.com 17. Townsend Bessent Photographer @townephoto

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about the cover

Photographer Abby Dykes

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Luxurious Mountain Living Experience luxurious mountain living at its finest in this stunning 3-bedroom Hythe residence with unparalleled views of Vail Mountain.

How long have you been a photographer, and how are you currently finding inspiration in the craft?

My stepmother was a professional photographer who encouraged me at a very young age and gave me my first film camera when I was about 10. Later in life, I decided to follow a dream to Vail where I had an opportunity to work as an on-mountain photographer. This was about nine years ago where I found my platform to learn how to capture with an incredible group of photographers who also taught me so much along the way. Currently, I find inspiration in so much of what is around me, a dream of living in this beautiful place as well as the people that I have grown so close to who teach me every day. Inspiration expresses itself through opportunities to capture a moment that embodies some sort of emotion. It means everything to me that I may have the chance to communicate through a photograph in this way.

The Hythe 5H 714 Lionshead Place | Vail 3-bed | 3-bath | 1,677 sf | $5,000,000

TEAM K2 Slifer Smith & Frampton Kim Fritzler | Kelly Moser | TJ Davis 970.328.2550 | K2@Slifer.net K2VailValleyRealEstate.com

Tell us about this mushroom foraging session — what are some of the types you discovered, and then did you all cook them up?

We went hunting at a spot in Breckenridge mid-August where we found so many beautiful varieties: yellow, white and purple coral, puffballs, turkey tail, porcini, shingled hedgehog, devil’s tooth and a ton of chanterelles, which is what we were out there for. We cooked all of the chanterelles with thyme and butter to complement some dry-aged steaks.

What do you remember about this shoot that stands out to you? What details, like the time of day, lighting, angles, etc., helped you capture such awesome images and highlight the experience of foraging and the art of photography?

This shoot stood out for me specifically, because in preparation for an upcoming photoshoot at a darker restaurant, I decided to bring my flash. To play with flash photography in nature is something that I never really do, because I'm very comfortable with natural lighting. This was a fantastic experience to capture so many beautiful varieties all while working with different lighting techniques! + + @sleepy_shutters abbydykes.smugmug.com

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voices of the valley

What does Journey mean to you?

Kayla Webber

Owner of Revolution Power Yoga “To me, the journey is what it’s all about. The winding road from one junction in our lives to another is where everything happens. We can have a destination in mind, sure.

However, on my journey through this life, I’ve found that if I stay open to all possibilities, doors that I never even knew existed started opening. My journey has twisted and turned, and my ‘destination’ keeps changing. I’m not even sure if I have one anymore!

The journey from a solo-prenuer to the owner of a wellness/yoga studio was a big rite of passage and a journey in its own right. I attribute this new role and honor to staying open to every piece of my journey thus far. If you stay present on your journey and open to possibility and opportunity, you never know what amazing places you could end up!”

Donovan Sornig

Director of operations for Craftsman Brew Co. "The journey through life, both personal and professional, is filled with happiness and celebrations, challenges and hardships, that are the foundation that will ultimately define our human experience. This is why I love living in the mountains and working in the hospitality industry. The day might start off on a mountaintop and then finish in a dining room — two different worlds that are both magical and fascinating in their own way. Everything from an early morning summer dew or the crisp mountain air at sunrise to the laughter from people in the dining room celebrating life with loved ones.

For me, being present creates the richest memories and most meaningful experiences throughout any adventure or regular day. Trust the path, and enjoy the journey."

Erin Perejda

Supportive care services manager and licensed clinical social worker at Vail Health Shaw Cancer Center “Journey: the path of discovery and evolution that each one of us will experience in our lives. Our journeys consist of chosen plans and unexpected detours. Many parts of our journey will be beautiful experiences that fill our lives with joy, yet some will be tragic and difficult. I have both experienced and witnessed this to be true. I have come to learn that allowing the joy and fear, the beauty and pain, to coexist is something that we are all called to learn to do. I am reminded of this through the daily work that I am fortunate enough to do within the field of oncology, and I am constantly in awe of the ability of the human spirit to courageously adapt along the way.”

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valley happenings

The Barn: New Aerial Arts Studio in Minturn Aerialist Alicia Kelley

PHOTOS BY KIRA JOHNSON

By Kaitlin Emig

THE BARN IS OPENING this year in Minturn and will be unlike any other movement studio in the Valley. With ceilings over 26 feet high and cushioned flooring, this studio will host aerial arts plus much more. Participants will suspend themselves from apparatuses while twirling from the ceiling in a beautiful aerial dance, but beyond this circus-like performance, they are connecting through conscious movement and building a supportive community.

Tracy Long, owner and founder of The Barn, describes the journey to creating it as fulfilling a niche in the Valley. “The Barn is engineered to be the ideal space for learning aerial arts for normal humans who are interested in a fun, creative and empowering activity,” she says.

Historically, aerial and circus arts were kept secret among the great traveling circus troupes, Long explains. However,

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with the growth in circus and flow arts as a non-traditional exercise activity comes unique community groups who need a place to practice. The Barn will offer multiple forms of conscious movement classes, including aerial (lyra, sling, silks), yoga, AcroYoga and a weekly circus skills open gym. “Some of the flow arts fit nicely into this broad category,” Long adds. “Juggling, stilt walking and hooping are where we will start.”

The Barn came into being because Long had a little treasure of a studio in Minturn from 2017 to 2020, she says. Peace, Love, Aerial, Yoga, or P.L.A.Y., was an aerial yoga and fitness studio in the Minturn Business Park. It attracted people who were interested in aerial acrobatics. The studio closed because of the pandemic, and then classes moved to the Mountain Recreation field house in Edwards.

“Since re-homing at Mountain Rec, we

became convinced that this, a space with higher ceilings, was the right direction for the new studio,” Long explains. The minimum attachment height for a well-rounded aerial acrobatics program is 25 feet. “Turns out it is near impossible to find a space with that challenging requirement to rent in the Valley. So, we dove in and decided to build what we needed,” she shares. “A bit of a Field of Dreams scenario — build it and they will come.”

Now located in south Minturn at 1041 Main St. next to The Trading Post, The Barn is a noticeable addition to the small town. Long describes the building process as challenging, but she knows it will be worth it.

In the meantime, aerial classes and open gym nights are hosted at Mountain Recreation. Long describes the growing community of teachers and students as incredibly supportive, encouraging and welcoming.

As the new space opens this year, the community is excited to host more opportunities for conscious movement.

Long defines conscious movement as when you are singularly focused on the one thing you are doing in that exquisite moment. These practices teach us to be present in our bodies and patient with the process. “Conscious movement invites us to be. Be focused, be engaged, be connected, be creative and be just who we are,” she believes.

We welcome The Barn to our community and all the new opportunities to connect through conscious movement. + For more information, visit @thebarnminturn.co on Instagram.

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RENDERINGS COURTESY OF VAIL VALLEY UNBOUND

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Vail Valley Unbound Guiding Learners Kindergarten through Fifth Grade

FINDING YOUR WAY HOME

By Kristen Grace VAIL VALLEY UNBOUND is a new and innovative school for kindergarten through fifth-grade learners. Located in the Edwards Riverwalk, the school founders and teachers seek to guide curious minds by encouraging exploration and allowing space to grow.

Cassie Boca, Vail Valley Unbound co-founder, passionate mother and entrepreneur, believes that kids are not empty vessels to be filled. Rather, they are already full of the skills, curiosity and tenacity needed to succeed; they only need guidance. When she and her husband, Zak Boca, couldn’t find the perfect educational fit for their son, they were inspired to create the change they want to see in the school system.

Co-founder Heather McMahon — veteran educator in the Valley, founder of Youth Enrichment School and parent — says, “I was immediately drawn to Cassie and Zak's commitment to providing our local children (and families) with new opportunities. The first time we met for coffee, I knew right away they wanted the same for their children as I do for my own child. As someone who has developed a social/emotional approach to early childhood education over the past 18 years, the Boca's vision serendipitously aligned with my views on education.”

Unbound takes the rigidity out of school; although the public school system works for many kids and families, Boca understands that it does not work for everyone. “We have a few big differences,” Boca explains. “The first one is that we’re really shifting the knowledge source away from the teacher in the classroom into a student-led model.”

Unbound teachers are referred to as guides, and they’re challenged to not answer questions. Instead, their goal is to create games out of learners’ questions, directing the children to find the answer.

This method is rooted in one of their foundational values of empowerment

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through autonomy and collaboration, and it places the problem-solving and critical thinking on the children.

While learnings that fall into what’s known as “Common Core” skills, such as reading and writing, are taught and valued, Unbound emphasizes social-emotional skills and understanding. “My son will go here. I want him to know all those Common Core skills as much as any other mom out there,” Boca explains. “But, what’s more important to me right now, in the elementary phase of life, is that he learns really good social-emotional skills, that he learns how to navigate challenging situations, that he learns how to actively listen, how to hear someone else’s opinion, how to disagree and state his opinion and do that in a way that you can leave that conversation, and you’re still friends.”

“The other big difference with us is community involvement,” Boca shares.

Unbound plans to utilize local recourses, such as parks and recreation centers, take trips to bakeries and art studios for play and learning and invite locals to teach their passions (such as music or yoga) to the kids. The school’s goal is to build the skills needed to be successful in a modern, changing world — resiliency, curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.

“I am most excited about providing our learners with the guidance to pave their own paths and to help them realize their authentic capabilities,” McMahon emphasizes. When not outside or in the community, learning happens in open, bright, Montessori-inspired studios that foster authenticity and friendship. Alongside McMahon and their zealous team, the Bocas will lead Unbound into guiding learners beginning fall 2023. Upper-elementary will be introduced next school year. +

Sam has an upbeat and eager personality that makes the whole experience worthwhile. She’s quick on her feet, isn’t afraid to hold back and certainly knows how to get the job done! I would recommend her to anyone even just considering the market.

Whether buying or selling, she will direct you to the right resources for whatever you need. Thanks Sam for all of your help, you’ve made it a breeze! – Jordan

Sam Gerstein Broker Associate SSF Top Producers Q1 2023 SamSellsVail.com 970.331.1519 sgerstein@slifer.net SamSellsVail

To read more and support Vail Valley Unbound’s efforts to inspire learners, visit vailvalleyunbound.org.

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valley happenings

Feel the Momentum Behind Mountain Pride “You are seen. You are not alone. You are loved.”

By Kim fuller MOUNTAIN PRIDE is a local organization inspired and driven to serve the needs of our LGBTQIA+ communities.

"LGBTQIA+ people in small towns and rural communities face unique challenges in coming out and being out,” shares Mountain Pride executive director Madison Partridge.

"Meanwhile, they frequently live in communities with few or no resources for LGBTQIA+ people, forcing them to travel long distances to access the services and care they need.”

Mountain Pride is addressing these

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challenges by increasing year-round programming for the LGBTQIA+ community in addition to the annual Pride in the Park. Mountain Pride is devoted to strengthening its foundation and expanding its reach as an organization by establishing supportive, safe spaces, enhancing family acceptance and understanding, and offering access to education, resources and programs. + Pride in the Park is June 3, 2023.

Head to mountainpride.org for a full calendar of events this summer and fall.

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Let’s find your next mountain retreat today!

Pete Seibert broker associate Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate Lionshead, Vail cell 970.390.1864 | office 970.479.0245 PeteSeibertJr.com Helping you create your legacy in the valley!

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valley business

Peak Microgreens Sprouted from the Bottom

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PEAK MICROGREENS

By Laura Mills

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hace MacDermott and Dave Curulewski are two guys in their early 30s paving, or should I say seeding, a way for themselves and their company, Peak Microgreens. MacDermott from Connecticut and Curulewski from just south of Chicago, they both came out west to chase fresh powder and enjoy mountain living. Little did they know, their common fields of study and jobs in hospitality would plant them smack dab in the center of a booming niche industry — microgreens. MacDermott’s background in environmental science and Curulewski’s background in biology made them the perfect pair of friends to dive into this business.

While the pair were grinding away in the hospitality industry along the I-70 corridor, they gained inspiration from a microgreen farm based out of Steamboat and wanted to bring a similar idea to the world-renowned restaurants located in the Vail area. By sheer luck, Curulewski had a spare bedroom in his apartment, and in no time, the two were setting up a vertical microgreen grow operation out of said 120-square-foot bedroom. Over the winter, they dialed in their processes and realized they had a good shot at making something of it. Curulewski was working in the Manor Vail Lodge and would bring in samples of their product to the restaurant, now known as Ridge + River, for the chef to test and critique.

This helped them know what their potential clients would be looking for and perpetuated their growth even further.

Developing a business and growing produce is not a simple task, especially when you still have other jobs to take up your time and make ends meet in the beginning.

“We did the hustle of working second jobs for that whole first year. Dave was doing overnight security and work-

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ing literally around the clock. I would work during the day and then run to my serving job. We were just completely grinding,” recalls MacDermott. “Last June/July, we went full-time, and over the past year we’ve been working just as hard.”

Transferring over from that comfy every-two-week paycheck to being the people controlling the cashflow can be daunting. “You feel that pressure come onto you like, if I mess this up … this can mess with my whole well-being,” states Curulewski.

“Normally, you have five days on and two days off at a typical job, but we’re communicating with chef’s 24/7. We have two delivery days a week, but sometimes chef’s run out, and, obviously, we want to keep business rolling, so we buckle down and do it, but it does sometimes make it hard to ‘clock out,’” MacDermott explains as we discuss the realities of owning your own business.

When asked if they have any grow hands or staff at this point, MacDermott, with a grin on his face, lifted up both his hands and says, “Nope, not yet; just these hands!” Curulewski, laughing, follows, holding his hands up saying, “Four grow hands total!” It’s clear that these two work hard but have a great time doing it together.

A GROWING BUSINESS To paint a picture for you, Peak Microgreens has expanded from the 120-square-foot bedroom to a 2,000-square-foot space with rows and rows of metal racks holding 900 trays of microgreens in various stages of their growth cycle fed with LED lights. The space is fully complete with a harvesting and packaging station, a planting station, an industrial sink and three large refrigerators for ready-to-go inventory.

MacDermott and Curulewski are on

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two-week grow cycles, which boils down to them constantly planting, cutting and flipping the trays to keep up with their demands. When explaining their various bouts of trial and error, they described how they have dialed in their watering process by watering from the bottom of the plant. The trays of tightly-packed microgreens sit in soil; below that tray is another of water. Being bottom watered virtually eliminates the risk of mold and fungus in this high-moisture environment. These trays require watering every single day; that’s 900 trays a day.

Not only does this two-man team do all the day-to-day work, but they are also moving large amounts of soil constantly.

They purchase 2,400 pounds of soil at a time and transport that by hand up and down the stairs of their rental property.

Once they’ve harvested the greens, they compost the soil, which is an awesome component of their process, but also means they have to carry the used soil back down the stairs. It's unanimously agreed that their next space will be on the first floor.

“We’re just a year and a half in

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business, and we’re basically already maxing out this grow space now,” shares MacDermott. “We’d like to buy land and build out a custom fit building to grow mushrooms, flowers and microgreens.

But, it’s tough out here with real estate.”

An unfortunate reality in the state of Colorado, especially closer to the ski resorts. It’s clear that small businesses thrive on the tourism of this state but can be suffocated by the limiting, and in some cases unreachable, real estate market.

Though they face the battle that most of us do with the real estate market at this time, they have felt extremely supported by the community in their business venture. Their first summer in business, while still grinding it out at their other jobs, the pair would divide and conquer to be at the Edwards, Dillon and Minturn farmers markets.

It’s there that Curulewski feels most connected to the community.

“At farmers markets, it’s great to talk to the people who are enjoying the market and purchasing from us. The biggest thing for me, though, is getting to know other farmers and vendors there that

are also trying to grow a small business,” states Curulewski.

“We would like to get into local grocery stores. There’s not many, but we would really like to move forward with that. We have talked about one day maybe having a little storefront ourselves,” MacDermott chimes in. “We’re just trying to grow sustainable, local produce and food for the community.”

Peak Microgreens feels strongly that vertical growing systems are the push that sustainable agriculture needs, and it’s pretty great to feel that level of innovation helping people within the community strive for their goals. This perfect pair of best friends turned business partners are visibly filled with the excitement that comes of their first year and half in business. If you ask them if this was something they thought they’d be doing, they’ll say absolutely not, but they love that they’re here. + If you want to purchase microgreens straight from the source or get them for your restaurant, you can find more information at peakmicrogreensvail.com.

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132 Main Street, Minturn, CO 81645 970-827-5353

Order Online! sunriseminturn.com Serving breakfast + lunch all day 7am-2pm daily

MOUNTAIN INSPIRED APPAREL + GIFT New Location in Minturn!

102 Main Street Minturn 61 Avondale Ln Beaver Creek @alpinekind alpinekind.com

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mountain living

Mountain Careers

Changing the Mountain Living Narrative

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wenty years ago, Aryn Schlichting moved to the mountains and didn’t think she would stay. At the time, she worked for the Vail Resorts human resources department and watched as friend after friend moved to the Front Range or out of Colorado, because they couldn’t find the job they wanted, couldn’t find one that paid the bills or both. It wasn’t until she began working for the Town of Vail that she realized a variety of year-round career options were available.

“I was in the recruiting industry and still didn’t know,” says Schlichting, who is now the deputy director of human

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resources for Eagle County and the founder of Mountain Careers. “The narrative around ski towns was the ‘ski bum’ mentality, meaning that it’s expensive to live in a mountain town and seasonal jobs are the only choice. That wasn’t accurate then, and it still isn’t.”

As a business owner and full-time working mother of two, as well as an industry leader, a community influencer and a recruitment expert, Schlichting understands the value of growing and developing the mountain town workforce. In an effort to get the word out and change the narrative, she founded Mountain Careers — a job board/ network that attracts professional

candidates and employers to the most coveted mountain towns in the world.

Created in 2015, Mountain Careers connects qualified, long-term candidates (who are experienced, local, career-driven and dedicated to making a life in the mountains) with professional positions in the places they want to live.

“When I started Mountain Careers, my hope was that mountain towns would focus on attracting the types of people who are willing to work locally and forge their own paths,” she explains. “I realized that in order to be happy here, you have to want to be part of the community.

I also learned that plenty of jobs here support that mindset.”

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PHOTOS COURTESY ARYN SCHLICHTING

By Laura Lieff

MOUNTAIN TOWN STRATEGY While the Mountain Careers network is diverse, what sets it apart is that the jobs posted are quality career opportunities (rather than seasonal jobs with a lot of turnover) for people who are serious about making the mountains their full-time homes. By working with start-ups, corporations, non-profits and local businesses, Mountain Careers finds and posts the best available long-term job openings.

That being said, in many cases, one job is not enough, so when people mention that having two is necessary to support themselves, Schlichting offers a strategy that serves her well. She explains that having a “career” job and a “perk” job is beneficial — especially when they connect.

“Through Mountain Careers, I had to learn how to create a website and manage social media, which are two skills that I now use for my human resources job,” says Schlichting. “I find that when people apply their skills across different channels and are deliberate about which jobs to seek out and take, they see the most success.”

On that note, Schlichting has noticed the difference between the candidates who really want to live in a mountain town — i.e. those who are willing to prioritize their surroundings over having a larger house or fancier car — and people who aren’t ready to make that commitment.

“It’s not that mountain towns don’t have opportunities,” she explains. “It’s that the people we attract don’t always know what they want. Those who survive here find a way to make it work by putting their skills to use or finding their own niche. They are also willing to restructure their mindsets and priorities and put forth the effort to live in these communities.”

AHEAD OF THE CURVE During the initial few years of Mountain Careers, Schlichting worked on changing the narrative and reeducating the community on what was possible for both job seekers and recruiters. Eight years later, Mountain Careers boasts 10,000 newsletter subscribers, another 10,000

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followers on social media and is bridging mountain communities by focusing on year-round professional prospects.

“We’re lucky that the Vail Valley is ahead of the curve in terms of career opportunities, salaries and diverse industries,” Schlichting points out.

“While some towns remain more service industry-focused, the Vail Valley started working on a year-round economy way before other mountain towns, and now we have more options.”

Another aspect of mountain living that Schlichting understands is the value of community. “We live in a place where everything works better when we help each other,” she says. “Living in a mountain town is not for everyone, and people need to be strategic about deciding whether they want to do what it takes to live here.”

The type of strategy Schlichting is describing is what Mountain Careers has been doing more of the last few years — helping people understand what they need to do to thrive in a stunning place with a unique lifestyle.

In addition to the job board, Mountain Careers provides webinars that educate both sides — employers and job seekers — on how to make mountain town living more feasible.

“No one was educating employers on how to be better, and no one was showing job seekers how to get on their path to success,” she explains.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this job is hearing all the success stories from those who found a career they love and feel secure about creating a life here. I remember what it was like to feel lost, and I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.”

Schlichting is also always looking ahead — both professionally and personally. “I want my kids to be able to live in the mountains if they choose to as adults, and I want to ensure that they have all the professional opportunities available,” she adds. “We are building something for the future, and I feel really good about that.” +

“When I started Mountain Careers, my hope was that mountain towns would focus on attracting the types of people who are willing to work locally and forge their own paths.

I realized that in order to be happy here, you have to want to be part of the community. I also learned that plenty of jobs here support that mindset.”

ARYN SCHLICHTING

For more information, visit mountaincareers.com.

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wellness + fitness

Biohack Longevity

How to Live Healthier + Happier

By Julia Clarke

“

Use it or lose it.”

She didn’t come up with the phrase, but I first heard it from Ellen Miller during her early morning running sessions up on Vail Mountain. Much like the way your glutes atrophy if you don’t focus on using them when you’re climbing up a steep slope, your brain cells will stop functioning if they’re not being used.

The result? Aging. You know, that thing that we’re all trying desperately to hold back. Aging is the consequence of the accumulation of a variety of molecular and cellular damage that occurs over time. Of course, we can’t stem the passage of time, but we can impede the damage that we cause to our bodies and brains through our lifestyle and behavior.

Lifestyle medicine is central to an ancient medical practice from India called Ayurveda, which terms it “longevity,” and has more recently become

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the focus of a body of research called biohacking. Whatever you want to call it, the goal isn’t just to live longer but healthier and happier.

Humans are already living longer than at any other point in history, but a 2022 paper published by global consulting firm McKinsey points out an inconvenient truth: we’re also spending a greater portion of our lives than ever before in moderate-to-poor health. We’ve increased the quantity of our life but not the quality.

But, does this really apply to us here in the Valley? In Eagle County, it’s certainly true that quality of life is a priority; we enjoy abundant time in nature, shown to benefit both body and mind, and between winter sports and summer hiking and biking, you can’t fault us for our commitment to physical conditioning.

A U.S. News assessment of our health reveals that our smoking population is 60% of the national average, and the

average life expectancy is a full 12 years longer than the national rate. We’re also lower than average in cancer and heart disease rates.

So, we’re doing well, but if you could hack into your physiology and try to secure a healthier and happier future, wouldn’t you? After all, there’s a tendency here to burn the candle at both ends, taking on all the work we can get during high season and playing hard while we do it. Living in a place where housing is scarce, jobs are unreliable and friends move away is stressful. And, we undergo a lot of joint surgeries, don’t we? To offset some of the potential damage of our work hard, play hard lifestyle, Ayurveda and modern biohacking offer a few simple practices you can integrate into your daily life that won’t detract from your rad mountain lifestyle but might make that extra-long life you’re going to live that little bit more enjoyable.

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SIP HOT WATER We all understand the importance of staying hydrated, especially at altitude, but Ayurvedic wisdom recommends you put the icy beverages down and sip hot (or warm) water to improve digestion. While more research needs to be done, modern science identifies hot water as a vasodilator that improves short-term circulation.

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EAT LESS, MIX IT UP A promising biohack from both the ancient and modern perspective is to simply cut down on the number of calories you consume. Try weekly periodic fasting by taking a light, early dinner then skipping the following breakfast.

It’s been shown to stimulate and increase the production of a sirtuin gene, which plays an important role in slowing down aging.

Even if you’re health conscious and eat your five a day, it’s easy just to keep returning to the same two fruits and three vegetables you like, but eating a more varied diet is thought to produce a more varied microbiome, promoting gut health, which can influence all aspects of your health and how you respond to disease.

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MOVE MINDFULLY Modern science hasn’t pinpointed the perfect type or quantity of exercise for longevity, but everyone agrees it’s key to longevity. While Ayurveda recommends you don’t overdo it and incur oxidative stress. Walking and yoga are considered good for all body types, and luckily, the Valley is packed with great trails and awesome yoga classes. Getting out in the early morning light has an added advantage, as it boosts melatonin production, which is good for anti-inflammation and anti-aging.

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TRAIN YOUR BRAIN Meditation can slow aging as well as reduce stress. A study on transcendental meditation conducted at Harvard showed that meditators had significant improvements in cognitive functioning and blood pressure compared to control groups. Check out local classes with teacher Karen Anderson at Gravity Haus in Vail.

Further, biohackers love quick and easy ways to stave off mental decline, such as doing the daily crossword puzzle, learning to play a musical instrument and taking art classes at Alpine Arts Center or other programs at Colorado Mountain College. +

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athlete PROFILE

Corrie and Mr. Gus, her favorite running partner

Corrie Crane

Journey to the "Race Across the Sky"

C

orrie Crane got into ultramarathons late in life, and now at age 45, she’s running the Leadville 100 this August. She chose the hardest terrain possible for her first 100-mile race to be completed under 30 hours; the trail demands runners climb over Hope Pass (twice) at 12,600 feet and test themselves with a 15,744-foot elevation gain through the forested mountains.

After growing up in northern Alabama and graduating college, Crane wanted a complete change of scenery. She was always intrigued with Colorado, and when she moved to Vail, she was “just amazed by what it had to offer as far as mountains,” she says.

Prior to moving, the biggest race she

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had ever run was a 10K. About seven years ago, she met Emily Selonick at a yoga studio and acted as a crew member and pacer for Selonick’s 50- and 100mile races. Then, she became curious about what her body and mind were capable of. She began with a 26-mile marathon, then moved up to 50K and 100K races.

“I enjoyed being on trails. I wouldn’t do a marathon on a road; I like to be in the forest,” Crane says, adding that she likes “races that take me places,” such as the Beaverhead 100K on the Continental Divide between Idaho and Montana.

She and Selonick ran it together last July, supporting one another through stormy weather, lightning strikes and mental doubts.

“She has been with me through all of my races. She just brings an incredible positive attitude and stoke. She’s always game for anything,” Selonick says. “She is just one of those people that you’re always glad to have in your corner, and she’s been with me through some of my darkest times and some of my best times in all those races.

She’s just a joy to be with and spend time with in the mountains.”

Crane hadn’t seriously considered a 100-mile race until she gave up alcohol two years ago and discovered she had more free time.

“I’m clear-headed. I don’t have the anxiety I did. When I wake up, I don’t have to worry about a headache. I’m a better wife, employee and friend. I’m still the life of the party. I’m just a better

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF CORRIE CRANE

By Kimberly Nicoletti

person, because I’m learning to deal with the issues I have — we all have issues — and work through the emotions rather than covering them up,” she says.

And, that’s when she began running longer distances.

“I didn’t think I had time before, but now that I’m on a journey of sobriety, I have more time,” she says, adding that since she and her husband don’t have kids, she trains before and after her work at East West Hospitality (which she loves, partially because they support work-life balance), often with her rescue dog, Mr. Gus. “He’s the one who motivates me to get out,” she shares.

Beyond miles of trail running, additional physical training includes interval sessions, speed workouts, hill training, skiing, skinning up the mountain and skate skiing. Spring desert trips get her running and biking on the dirt early season. In mid-summer she climbs 14ers for altitude acclimation work, and she has started fat biking in the winter months.

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Recovery includes one to two rest days a week, adequate sleep, breath work, deep stretching, leg compression sleeves and a diet free of sugar and full of plenty of protein, carbs and electrolytes.

Since you can never control weather, she trains in all conditions and, at times, purposely pulls herself off her warm, cozy couch on a wintery Friday night at 9 p.m. to run outside, just to get more comfortable with discomfort. “[Running] 100 miles is not about physical fitness. It’s about your mindset,” she says, adding that journaling, gratitude and meditation are part of her routine. “I try to pump my mind and my body with anything that’s going to further me with performing at my best.

I have to stay uber-focused, trust the process and know that I’ve trained for this, which I do remind myself often through my low points of a big mileage race. I just look up at the summit and put one foot in front of the other, regulate my heart rate climbing and just keep

moving. When you’re ready to quit, just go one more, whether that’s one more aid station, one more mile or one more section. Really, your race is a celebration of your training.”

After the Leadville 100 in August 2023, she plans to train for the 50K skate/53K classic American Birkebeiner in February 2024 in Wisconsin with Selonick.

Her overall goal involves living a fulfilled life while inspiring others. As her friend Katherine Bugby points out, "She vibrates at a very high frequency.”

Whether it’s a race, work or life in general, Crane focuses on the journey rather than the destination, while still pushing the boundaries of the horizon.

“Anyone who’s willing to step out of their comfort zone — that’s where growth really happens,” she says. “I want to encourage people to live an awesome, healthy life and enjoy the beautiful mountains we live in. And, if you’re struggling, reach out to a friend. There’s always hope around the next corner.” +

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gear

Gear

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for the Season

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Summer + Fall 2023

Tested + Compiled by Covered Bridge Staff

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1. CANNONDALE HABIT CARBON 2 Feel your flow with this mid-priced, light, fast and fun trail mountain bike that's ready to climb as much as it wants to rip descents.

Available in several other style, spec and price variations, the Habit is pretty ideal for Colorado riding! $4,350 cannondale.com

7. EDDIE BAUER HIGH ROUTE GRID FLEECE HALF-ZIP MOCK Next-to-skin comfort is noticeable with the grid fleece material on the interior of this essential layer. The fabric provides warmth and breathability, while also wicking away moisture. $90 eddiebauer.com

2. BIOLITE SITELIGHT STRING Light up any season, inside or out, with this compact and lightweight string of lights that can be easily hung anywhere. It features a USB-rechargeable battery and a durable construction, so you can use it on an outdoor patio, to illuminate an evening yoga class or create more ambiance at a campsite. $19.95 bioliteenergy.com

8. VIMAZI Z50 Depending on your pace, Vimazi makes a road running shoe for you. The Vimazi Z50 is specifically tuned and designed for running between 7:15-8:45 minutes per mile (4:305:25 min/km). The Z50 is optimized for quickness and max energy efficiency at pace, and a slightly wider platform is designed to enhance stability at speed. $175 vimazi.com

3. HOLOS ORGANIC OVERNIGHT MUESLI This delicious and nutritious breakfast option can be prepared the night before for added convenience. Made from high-quality ingredients, such as whole grains, nuts and fruits, this muesli provides a good source of fiber and protein to start your day off right. It also comes in a variety of flavors and is free from artificial additives. Starting at $4.42 per meal us.liveholos.com

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4. PATAGONIA STRIDER PRO SHORTS Go light on the trail with these high-performance shorts, available for men and women with several options for inseam length. With a range of pockets and reflective detailing, these shorts are super functional and a top choice for all types of runners. $85 patagonia.com 5. WONDERY PARKS OF THE USA WATER BOTTLE Celebrate the wonders of the U.S. with this fun and practical accessory for those who love the great outdoors. The design features illustrations of iconic national parks, making it a great way to show off your love for the natural beauty of the United States, while staying hydrated as you roam. $58 wonderybrand.com

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6. DEUTER SHORTRAIL I Go minimal on your trail runs with this cleverly organized running belt that keeps your valuables, cell phone and soft flasks securely stashed and easily accessible. A trim-to-fit waist belt cuts down on excess weight and ensures a personalized fit. $60 deuter.com

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9. ONX BACKCOUNTRY APP This is truly a powerful tool for outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore the backcountry.

The app provides access to detailed maps, including topography and satellite imagery, and it has offline capabilities. The app also includes features such as waypoints, tracking and weather updates, making it a valuable companion for hikers, campers and hunters alike. $29.99-$99.99 per year membership onxmaps.com 10. THERM-A-REST HONCHO PONCHO DOWN Hanging out at camp just got a little cozier.

The Honcho Poncho is now available with down insulation (the original has synthetic insulation). This blanket-like fireside staple moves with you when you’re wearing it but packs down when you’re transporting it. $195 thermarest.com 11. KLEAN KANTEEN 14 OZ RISE MUG Get your hefty mug fix when you’re on the go with this durable option that features a leakproof cap and comfortable handle. It’s made from post-consumer recycled stainless steel.

We’ve used it at the office and on a backcountry hut trip, with hot and cold beverages, and its only downside is that it may not fit in your car cup holder. $32.95 kleankanteen.com 12. ORTOVOX PEAK LIGHT 32 PACK For the love of mountaineering, this high-tech pack provides enough space for essential gear and features a range of pockets and attachment points for convenient storage. The backpack's lightweight and durable construction, coupled with its comfortable and adjustable fit, make it an excellent choice for alpine adventures. $200 ortovox.com 13. UCO GEAR FOUR-PIECE MESS KIT This lightweight and durable kit is made of 90% natural materials. The plate, bowl and spork all tether for easy storage and transport. $18.99 ucogear.com

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gear 3 2

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1. ORTOVOX LADIZ HYBRID JACKET This versatile and stylish outerlayer is made for the mountains. It seamlessly blends warmth and breathability with a combination of natural and synthetic materials to offer excellent comfort and moisture management. $270 ortovox.com

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2. ISLE PIONEER PRO SERIES Isle’s new Pioneer Pro Series bridges the gap between an inflatable and hardshell watercraft, delivering performance and versatility, and offering two to three times more rigidity, durability and glide than traditional inflatable models. Isle’s stainless steel G-Hook system allows you to link up with other Isle Link compatible boards, seamlessly convert between kayak and SUP modes, and attach new Isle accessories such as coolers. $895-$1,095 islesurfandsup.com 3. PATAGONIA SWIFTCURRENT ULTRALIGHT WADERS Ideal for travelers, hikers and warm-weather anglers, these durable yet lightweight waders roll up into a small stuff sack that weighs just 36 ounces. $499 patagonia.com 4. SEA TO SUMMIT BIG RIVER DRY BAG Keep all your gear safe and secure in this durable and abrasion resistant dry bag that uses a strong 420D nylon fabric. Bag sizes range from 5-liter to 65-liter. Lash loops allow secure stacking or attachment to watercraft, motorcycles and other equipment, and the hypalon non-wicking roll-top closure keeps water out. $39.95-$79.95 seatosummit.com

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5. SMARTWOOL MEN’S MOUNTAIN BIKE LONG SLEEVE JERSEY Style and performance come together with this moisture-wicking and odor-resistant long sleeve that’s made from a Merino wool blend.

The light fabric is paired with back vents, allowing for ideal temperature regulation. The generous fit gives you room to move and the longer back hem offers extra riding coverage. $95 smartwool.com 6. RUFFWEAR BACKTRACK DOG EVACUATION KIT This is an essential item for any dog owner who heads into the backcountry with their furry best friend. It’s compact to carry and includes a lightweight first-aid dog muzzle and a human vest with a built-in dog carrying sling, so you’re always prepared for any unexpected evacuation or emergency situation. $119.95 ruffwear.com

8. KNOG SCOUT BIKE ALARM & FINDER This convenient and reliable device helps protect your bike from theft. With its loud alarm and real-time tracking capabilities, the Scout can deter thieves and help you locate your bike in case it gets stolen. It also features a long battery life, a waterproof design and a user-friendly app. $59.95 us.knog.com 9. KRIMSON KLOVER RORY SHORT AND VIDA JERSEY We’re so excited that Krimson Klover is making cycling gear, especially these pieces that combine stylish flare with technical details.

The Rory Short is lightweight, stretchy and available in a 5-inch and 7-inch inseam for all your mountain bike adventures. The Vida Jersey has UPF protection and can be worn on the road or the trail. Both pieces have pockets with zippers in the perfect spots. Ride on!

Rory Short: $99-$105; Vida Jersey: $89 krimsonklover.com 10. OUTDOOR RESEARCH FERROSI TRANSIT PANTS These will be your go-to pants for before, during and after outdoor activities. Stretchy, light and breathable, the pants feature a range of pockets and a durable, water-repellent finish. $89 outdoorresearch.com 11. TAILWIND ACTIVE HYDRATION Known for fueling endurance athletes on and beyond the trails of Colorado, Durango-based Tailwind now has an electrolyte formula that also includes collagen and vitamin C. Mix the powder with water — it has a clean taste with subtle flavor and minimal sugar. $21 per 12-pack tailwindnutrition.com 12. OUTDOOR VITALS SUMMIT SLEEPING BAG With its ultralight and compressible design, this sleeping bag is made for backpacking and camping trips. Insulation options range from -15 degrees to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmth to weight ratio on this bag is truly impressive. $285-$390 outdoorvitals.com 13. HABITUDE FAMILY & GROUP CAMPING TENT Ideal for a small family, this tent has a high ceiling, so standing up isn’t an issue. It’s easy to pitch and dialed for ultimate camping comfort. Available in four-person and six-person sizing. $450-$530 msrgear.com

7. ADIDAS SPORT SP0060 AVIATORS Pair an active lifestyle with these lightweight sunglasses. Their stylish and practical design has modern features with a timeless look, and the high-quality KOLOR UP lenses help to enhance color. Wear them to and from yoga, on the trail or during a sunny outdoor lunch. $156 adidas.com

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gear

Gear

For Lil’ Rippers

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Summer + Fall

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2023

Mountain kids love being outside!

Here are some tested favorites from a mountain-loving, adventurefocused family.

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Compiled by Cameron Martindell

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the patented Virobloc Safety Ring locks the blade closed and open to avoid any accidental movement. $26 opinel-usa.com 4. PRIORITY BICYCLES START SERIES New York-based Priority Bicycles is focused on keeping bicycles simple. They build lightweight, low-maintenance bikes, and one key feature is the use of a Gates Carbon Belt drive instead of a chain. No grease, no rust, no slipping, no wearing down. They use premium components yet manage to keep the prices very reasonable. The Start Series comes in three sizes: 16-inch single-speed for 3-7 year olds, 20-inch three-speed for 6-11 year olds and a 24-inch three-speed for 7-13 year olds. $329-$449 prioritybicycles.com

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1. MOTOROLA JR300 HEADPHONES For us, some adventures include a good stint in the car before we can hit the trail. For that, we have these headphones for blissful adult quiet time on the road. They’re Bluetooth equipped to avoid the cord tangle, have easy button controls for little hands to manage and the volume is limited to 85dB to be safe for little ears. $50 motorola.com 2. SUNDAY AFTERNOONS KIDS' ULTRA ADVENTURE HAT The sun can be brutal on long adventures where there is little opportunity for shade, and the Kids’ Ultra Adventure Hat with a full brim, adjustable sizing, breathable mesh panels and the packable brim has proven to be an ideal combination for our kiddos. $34 sundayafternoons.com 3. OPINEL NO.07 OUTDOOR KIDS FOLDING KNIFE Opinel offers a few versions of the No.07 Junior folding knife, but we like the outdoor variation, because it has a built-in pea-less safety whistle that works when cold, hot or wet. The rounded tip eases the risk factor when being used by young adventurers and

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5. MIDLAND RADIO T10X3M MULTI-COLOR PACK X-TALKER TWO-WAY RADIO Kids love walkie-talkies, especially when they are small and colorful. This three-pack can be divided up a number of ways — including when friends come along on the adventure.

The T10X3M tauts up to 20 miles of range in the most pristine of conditions and includes all the standard features across the 22 available channels, including privacy codes. Adults will also appreciate Midland Radio’s NOAA Weather Alert technology, which can sound an alarm if there is a risk of severe weather.

They are also water resistant to handle play in all kinds of weather. $50 midlandusa.com 6. LEDLENSER KIDLED4R HEADLAMP This headlamp is lightweight, versatile, safe and super fun. Along with the standard white LED, the fun factor is the red and blue LEDs that can flash! Maximum brightness is 40 lumens to protect curious eyes, and the adjustable headband can give way if the strap catches something. The rechargeable light turns off after 20 minutes to save battery, and the light unit can be removed from the headband and clipped onto backpacks or jackets. $20 ledlenserusa.com 7. WOOLAID Each year, millions of plastic adhesive bandages get used, go in the trash and then end up in the landfill — if we’re lucky. Microplastic litter has been found in the guts of a range of sea life, and plastic bandages are part of the problem. That’s why Woolaid was invented — an adhesive bandage made of “hyperfine” merino wool, which is breathable, naturally antimicrobial and biodegradable. $variable woolaid.com 8. VEER ALL TERRAIN CRUISER For families pushing the limits of how far they adventure, there will come a time when the kids are done and just need a ride. The Veer All Terrain Cruiser, available in two-seat and four-seat options, is extremely versatile and

is great for families with newborns onward.

Accessories include an infant car seat attachment, sun shields, weather covers, snack trays, cup holders, shearling seats and more to match any weather. The unique wheel and steering system makes the Cruiser extremely nimble, and it all folds down for compact storage or travel. $699-$799 goveer.com 9. YETI RAMBLER JR. 12 OZ KIDS WATER BOTTLE Yeti gear is tough, and that’s important when kids are involved. Most importantly, the lid and sip spout are made of durable plastic, so kids won’t bite through with their fresh chompers. The wide handle makes it easy for little hands to hold the bottle. Just like the adult version, the cap is leakproof and the double-wall stainless steel construction ensures drinks stay cold (hot drinks not recommended with the straw cap; use the Hotshot cap) and refreshing. Also, the cap is the same sizing as the adult Ramblers, so it’s easy to mix and match amongst the various styles of caps. $25 yeti.com 10. XTRATUF BIG KIDS 8” LEGACY BOOT The adult version of this iconic boot has stood the test of time amongst Alaskan fishing boat workers, and it’s only appropriate for there to be a kid’s version, as well. These 100% waterproof boots inspire confidence for playing in wet and muddy conditions. Just like the adult version, the kid’s style has the skid-resistant chevron outsole for protection on slippery surfaces. $65 xtratuf.com 11. MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR YOUTH BOZEMAN ADJUSTABLE SLEEPING BAG Kids grow fast, so any piece of gear that can adjust accordingly saves the need to sacrifice appropriate sizing or buying new gear as often. This bag uses an internal drawcord system to adjust inside length and minimize dead air pockets. The synthetic insulation will be more tolerant in wet conditions, and it has a draft tube along the zipper to eliminate cold spots. Plus, the stuff sack is fleece-lined, so it works great as a pillow when stuffed with extra clothes. The bag adjusts from 66 inches to 54 inches, for roughly 9-12 year-olds. $100 mountainhardwear.com 12. NEMO SWITCHBACK SLEEPING PAD — SHORT I know all kids are different, but mine tend to be pretty zonked after a day out hiking, splashing, playing and finally camping and don’t need much to be comfortable when they sleep. Also, these closed cell foam pads are 100% fail proof; meaning, you can cut them in half and tape them back together, and they’ll still work fine. We have the short version (51x20 inches) for the kids, and it will serve them for many years. $45 nemoequipment.com

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adventure

Trail Running Safety Tips for Colorado’s Backcountry

By Julia Clarke

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n the summer of 2022, two trail runners went missing in Colorado’s backcountry. First, 22-year-old Daniel Lamthatch, a Salt Lake resident, set off on foot on July 17 in San Juan National Forest and never returned to his vehicle. Less than three months later, 29-year-old Durango resident David Lunde parked in La Plata Canyon and set out on a 40-mile route around Madden, Gibbs and Parrott peaks. He was reported missing by co-workers the following day. Despite exhaustive search efforts, at the time of writing, neither runner has ever been seen again.

Though two cases so close together isn’t enough to make a trend, Anna Debattiste, public information officer for the Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR), says it’s enough to make her team sit up and take notice.

“It might be an anomaly,” Debattiste says. “What I do know, though, is this is a group of backcountry recreationists that need some education.”

DeBattiste says that the more people come to our mountains in search of adventure, the more calls they see coming in to an already-stretched system of volunteers.

“We see where it may be going if visitation to Colorado continues to rise, if more people continue to move to Colorado. Eventually, we're gonna have a problem,” she states.

In an effort to curb that problem before things get out of hand, CSAR recently put together the Three T’s of safe trail running in Colorado to help you understand the unique risks surrounding the conditions and terrain here (hint: it won’t be like running back in Kansas) and make sure you’re educated and prepared before setting off.

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adventure

Covered Bridge's Kim Fuller

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TRIP PLAN First, backcountry running means anticipating the terrain you’ll encounter to ensure you have the skills, fitness and gear required to tackle it. And no, this doesn’t mean checking Strava.

“Sometimes a trail runner looks at somebody's Strava track, and they think, ‘Oh, that looks great.’ Well, that's not a topo map, right? There are no contour lines on that. You don't know if that was just a trail run, or if that was really more of a kind of a technical mountaineering route,” DeBattiste points out.

A technical mountain run is different from a regular trail run and may involve challenging scree, exposed ridges and massive changes in elevation.

Further, always communicate your exact plans to a reliable person. The sooner you’re reported missing, the sooner a rescue team can mobilize, something which could be the difference between life and death.

Finally, don’t be fooled by Colorado’s bluebird skies. You might encounter lightning, snow and wild temperature swings, so check the weather using a reliable website or app.

“The weather really can change on a dime in Colorado. You can leave town in 70 degrees and sun, and then you can get up on that peak where it's basically winter,” warns Debattiste.

Carry extra clothing that can protect you against the overnight conditions in case you’re out for longer than planned.

2.

TRAIN Just because you’re fit enough to run at high altitude, don’t assume that fitness will save your life — something DeBattiste was guilty of as a younger runner.

“I know that my attitude was always, I can go fast and light, because my

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fitness will protect me, right? If it starts storming, if it gets cold, I'll just turn around and run back, and I'll be there in a jiffy,” she recalls.

Physical conditioning can’t save you from loose rock, lightning strikes or subzero temperatures, so Colorado trail running requires skills-based training like navigation, avalanche awareness and general mountain safety.

“The thing is, anybody can twist an ankle. Anybody can blow out a knee.

Anybody, if they're in a really rugged area, can get hit by rockfall or can take a fall,” DeBattiste says.

Join a running club when you’re first starting out, and look into outdoor safety courses, so that you are confident.

TRAIL ESSENTIALS +

Electrolytes and energy bars

+

Sunglasses

TAKE THE ESSENTIALS Finally, DeBattiste highlights an increasing trend towards an ultralight approach to trail running as a potential problem.

“Since you can go fast and light, you're not carrying anything, but you can't survive a night out there waiting for us to find you,” says Debattiste. Search and rescue can take a long time to reach you by the time they assemble a team, get to the trailhead and start searching.

If you set off on a warm summer's day wearing only mesh shorts and carrying a few gels and a liter of water, you’re not prepared. Debattiste urges runners to carry the following items on every backcountry run, so that you always have what you need to spend the night in the wild. +

+

Headlamp

+

Emergency bivy

+

Minimalist first-aid kit

+

Pocket knife

+

Fire starter

+

Map and compass

+

Two-way communications device

+

Portable charger

+

Wool/synthetic gloves

+

Wool hat

+

Soft water bottles and water filter

+

Phone with offline mapping app

+

Waterproof breathable shell jacket

+

12-liter running vest

Learn more about CSAR at coloradosar.org.

+

Lightweight puffy jacket

3.

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grand outdoors

The Trails That Lead Us Home Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VAIL VALLEY MOUNTAIN TRAILS ALLIANCE

By Laura Mills

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A

driving factor in why so many of us love to live in these mountains are the trails that intertwine our community.

These trails are our gyms, our old friends, our peace of mind, our meeting places and are also home to a vast wildlife population. Whether you originate in the Vail Valley or its beauty drew you here, it is undeniable that this fresh mountain air and the world-renowned views bring us moments of reprieve during the chaos that can inhabit our everyday.

The Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance (VVMTA) was founded on the mission to maintain, educate, advocate for and build sustainable trails for the benefit of our community. Ernest Sager, executive director and first official VVMTA employee back in 2017, is clearly all-in on this mission and full of passion from the get-go.

“We need to take care of what we use, what we know and what we love, and our community needs to drive that conversation,” Sager says. “That’s what VVMTA was founded on, and that’s still how we operate today.”

Sager and a growing team of employees are not in it just for increased recreation. They care about the wildlife, the impact we have on the environment around us, getting people out on these trails that never have been before and sharing these trails with generations to come. They are here to create trail infrastructure that is proactive in preventing stressors on our natural world.

Stemming from their Adopt A Trail program in 2016, VVMTA created the Wildlife Trail Ambassador program. This program places trained volunteers by active trail closures to not only enforce these crucial closures but to also educate users about the reasons behind them.

“The education runs deep. It’s not just me interacting with a hiker or a mountain biker at the trailhead. Our trainings are extensive,” shares Ellen Miller, VVMTA Wildlife Trail Ambassador and longtime Vail Valley local.

In collaboration with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service, VVMTA brings in wildlife biologists to properly educate ambassadors on the reproduction cycles of the

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ungulates and other animals that inhabit these trails, as well as the ecosystems that support them.

The VVMTA has compiled a list of informational maps articulating what trails are open, conditions and proper etiquette to ensure our community has access to the information at all times — all available on their website. In the coming year, Sager is working with Eagle Valley Land Trust, Community Wildlife Round Table and Eagle Valley Outdoors Stewardship Coalition to create a GIS mapping system for the areas that need to be protected among our trails. By creating programs like this, VVMTA is proactively dealing with future problems and can determine where the best place to develop future

to care for them,” explains Miller.

“I tell a lot of our participants within the Soul Dirt process that I’m inviting you out to something I love and cherish tremendously, and I’m also going to show you how to take care of something I love and cherish tremendously,” adds program director Erinn Hoban.

Through sharing the activities that are most important to us with members of our community who may not be so familiar, we are creating new bonds and a sense of belonging for everyone around us — including ourselves.

“Getting outside, socializing, nature, volunteering: research study after research study comes back and says these are the things that improve your mental health,”

“We need to take care of what we use, what we know and what we love, and our community needs to drive that conversation.

That’s what VVMTA was founded on, and that’s still how we operate today.” trails would be, all while making a minimal impact on the ecosystem.

VVMTA has a vast web of initiatives that focus on the needs of our community. The Vail Valley brings such a variety of people together that inclusivity should always be at the forefront of our focus. Through the Soul Dirt program, launched in 2022 in partnership with Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, VVMTA has facilitated, supported and encouraged 400 people to get out on a trail or bike for the first time. Soul Dirt taps into the mind-body connection that we get from physical activity and breaks down the barriers to entry of a new sport, in a new space. VVMTA mixes trail stewardship in with these experiences to teach new users that we must care for the things we love for them to be able to serve us.

“I think after you’ve been out working on trails — helping to build them, helping to maintain them and cleaning them up — you view them through a different lens.

You view them through the lens of wanting

shares Sager. “We’re not mental health professionals, but we’re going to create that connection to get people outside.”

With the support from Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, VVMTA is able to work alongside mental health professionals to develop programing that touches on these impactful initiatives and provides support for the community.

In 2023, VVMTA is excited to expand the trail infrastructure in the area by breaking ground on the Eagle Bike park as well as about 60 trail-focused events. The development and success of the Soul Dirt program is ongoing, and through collaborations with other local non-profits in the works, we know the impact has just begun.

No matter where you are, the natural world and all it provides is available to you. Sometimes, you just need guidance down the right trail to bring you home. + If you would like to get involved with the VVMTA, visit vvmta.org/volunteer.

family + COMMUNITY

Teamwork + Grace Co-Parenting in a Competitive Community

by T.J. Voboril

T

he Vail Valley is packed with some of the raddest kids on the planet, the rambunctious offspring of the adventurous mountain folk who have made their homes here. Bewildered to have settled down at all, these parents have at least numerically grown up. Despite the veneer of perfection that shines in our paradise, we are not immune to troubles: couples get divorced here, just like everywhere else. In the aftermath of those schisms, adults and children alike need to figure out how to proceed in a healthy manner.

Axiomatic to any successful co-parenting endeavor is the mutual and immutable recognition that the children are always the priority. Already prone to exhibiting solipsistic, selfish tendencies, when mountain people unexpectedly find themselves single again, there is an understandable but troubling impulse to concentrate only on one’s own recovery.

That is a luxury that the parents forewent at the time of the child’s conception. The kids are adrift in the myriad uncertainties of living between two homes, and they need steadfast guidance and undivided attention.

This Valley’s denizens have a proclivity for being hyper competitive, always

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striving to move faster, climb higher, send deeper. These predilections are fantastic for a life in the mountains but, if unchecked, can be highly destructive to successful co-parenting. One’s former spouse is a teammate, not a competitor. The race to be more permissive, to buy more gifts, to take the kids on bigger, better trips is one that only has losers. Children still love and cherish both of their parents, so it becomes extremely confusing and off-putting if the parents are locked in a battle for affection. Supporting one’s ex, being patient, giving a lot of grace, even when you are upset: these are the hallmarks of a great teammate. These are also traits that children should inherit.

A catalyst for divorce is almost always a breakdown in communication. This failing must quickly be remedied; the only way to be on the same co-parenting team is to be able to communicate effectively.

There will undoubtedly be very difficult conversations as to school choice, extracurricular expenses, puberty problems; the list is interminable (parenting is hard!).

These require active listening, cooperation and coordination. If parents revert to a passive-aggressive, or simply aggressive, manner of speaking/arguing, the ensuing conflagration will lead to a death spiral. If

parents can have calm, rational discussion in the face of emotional turmoil, that sets an amazing example for the kids. Thus, always take the extra minute to evaluate the text to one’s ex. If it is of even questionable tone, erase it and come back to it later. Some things cannot be unwound.

Inevitably, one’s former mate is going to say or do something that is maddening. When one receives this negative input, it is likely that a kid will be in earshot. It would be so easy to make even a passing disparaging remark about one’s co-parent. It is an impulse that must be avoided at all costs. Yes, this requires unbelievable levels of self-restraint. But, the children’s well-being is very much in the balance; it is mega important to be unfailingly positive when discussing the actions of one’s counterpart. Kids who witness mutual respect between their divorced parents are much more likely to carry that ethos forward in their own life.

The converse is true; if parents tread the low road, their children will follow.

In a tight-knit community such as ours, the necessity of behaving appropriately as a newly single human is all the more critical. Gossip spreads like wildfire here; the last thing that a kid needs to hear is a rumor about his or her parent, whether it be as to the parent’s dating life or other lifestyle choices. Discretion and decorum are important virtues in any town; here the lack thereof can destroy a reputation, a ruination that will absolutely trickle down to the children.

There are many couples in the Valley on the precipice of, or in the nascent stages of, a separation. While daunting, there is so much reason for optimism.

The same qualities of resilience, patience and fortitude that made one an elite mountain athlete can be transmogrified into the basis for a successful co-parenting relationship, assuming one remembers to save the psychotic stubbornness for physical pursuits. No peak seems attainable when at the trailhead, but the view from the top is what makes this life so special. Remembering to breathe, to take breaks, to push when it is warranted, will let one survive the ordeal of parenting through divorce just as it keeps one alive in outdoor adventures. +

c o v e r e d b r i d g e va i l . c o m

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family + COMMUNITY

Tips for Mountain Mamas The Truth Behind Postpartum Recovery

by Jennifer Weintraub

A

few hours before I was induced with my first son, I was hiking on Berry Creek in Edwards on a warm fall day.

I stayed active over the nine months, but at a slower pace while carrying the extra weight of pregnancy. On my first mountain bike ride the following spring, I was surprised by what I could not do.

Climbs felt like I was riding through the deep desert sand, and descents were significantly slower, lacking the control and confidence on the trail I was used to.

Within six months of giving birth, I thought I would feel like myself again.

But, I was far from healed. Many women, especially those who were active before and during pregnancy, expect to bounce back quickly. I was surprised

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at how long my body didn’t feel like my own. Recovery from pregnancy takes longer than most would expect, even for the fittest of athletes. Stephanie Drew, a certified women’s health specialist at Howard Head Sports Medicine, says it’s normal for it to take up to two years to feel fully recovered.

In the first three months postpartum, women should be conservative when reintegrating activity. Resuming a high impact sport, such as running, before then can cause long-term damage to the musculoskeletal systems. Additionally, it’s harder for new mothers to rebuild strength and endurance quickly due to hormonal changes, lack of sleep and, most importantly, a weakened pelvic floor.

During pregnancy, a woman's body releases the hormone relaxin to loosen joints, muscles and connective tissue in the abdomen to support a growing fetus in the womb and to relax the pelvic floor to prepare for delivery. The loosening effect can make the body more susceptible to injury. After giving birth, it takes a minimum of three months for the ligaments to regain their integrity and stability. Relaxin hormones can circulate in the body even longer if a woman is breastfeeding.

The pelvic floor, a group of muscles and connective tissues that stabilize the core and support major organs, is significantly affected throughout pregnancy.

“Pelvic floor muscles must work harder to support the additional weight of a

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baby and are stretched up to 250% of their normal size during a vaginal delivery,” says Drew. Alternatively, a cesarean section is a surgical procedure that cuts through the abdominal muscles to deliver a baby. Either way a baby is brought into the world, your core and pelvic floor muscles need time to heal before resuming vigorous activity. A strong core provides stability and power in dynamic movements needed in most sports.

Postpartum bodies often lack healthy sleep and nutrition, two important factors for healing. “Sleep is essential for recovery, because it allows the body to fully rest and recover. But, most new mamas aren’t sleeping so well,” explains Drew. Constant nighttime feedings can interrupt deep sleep cycles, a time when growth hormones are released to repair and rebuild muscles. Breastfeeding mothers aren’t receiving all the nutrients they intake as they continue to share resources with their baby.

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So, how does a new mother regain her strength and her shape? “Progression is key to return to activity, just as it would be for an athlete returning from injury,” says Laura Seelig, owner and coach at GOAT Training in Edwards. “A progressively planned program can help improve the function of the core and pelvic floor while rebuilding strength and energy.”

Additionally, gradually ramping up activity can minimize injuries and aid in a healthy and strong return to sport.

There is no set roadmap to recovery.

The six-week postpartum check-in is the starting line for rehabilitation, not the end goal. To help with your healing, it may be beneficial to work with a team of professionals to manage expectations and create a customized program, Seelig explains. From traditional to holistic medicine, there are many resources to assist with postpartum care, but a pelvic floor specialist is a great first step. They can recommend safe progressions and

address any lingering issues or pain.

Mental health is also a crucial component of any type of recovery. As an active person, not being able to perform at the level you are used to can impact your self-esteem, motivation and/or drive.

The early days can be isolating, often stuck at home while healing and nursing a newborn. This is especially hard when you are missing out on meeting up with others for physical activity as your social outlet. If you are experiencing postpartum anxiety or depression, seek support through friends and family, or talk to your healthcare provider.

Every woman has a different pregnancy and postpartum experience. Be patient with your recovery, and give yourself grace in the journey. Remember that your body just created a tiny human, which is no small feat.

You got this mama; you are so much stronger and more resilient than you may believe. +

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nourish

Recipes for the Season

TRACEY VAN CURAN Foods of Vail

Asian Pasta Salad Serves 6-8 DRESSING:

SALAD:

2 cups mayonnaise

1 pound of spaghetti, cooked

½ cup Thai chili sauce 1 Tbsp sambal 1 Tbsp dijon mustard

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2 cups red bell peppers, chopped

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

2 cups sugar snap peas, chopped

1 Tbsp tamari

1 cup scallions, cut on bias

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 ½ cups shredded carrots

Squirt of sririacha

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sesame seeds, for topping

1.

Mix all salad ingredients together, and toss with dressing.

2.

Adjust seasoning according to taste.

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PHOTOS BY TOWNSEND BESSENT

Tracey Van Curan has been the sole owner and creative force behind Foods of Vail since it was established in 1981. A business degree paired with a love for beautifully prepared foods is the foundation of her successful career. A cooking course in France with Madeleine Kamman was a pivotal point in establishing her passion for the integrity of all foods and their preparation. From artistic dinners to the casseroles in the retail shop, the same philosophy prevails: "Use the best ingredients available, and make it with love.” Tracey's attention to detail encompasses all aspects of the business, from event planning to the retail shop selections.

115 E 2nd St. Eagle, CO 81631 (970) 705-4188

Cold-Pressed Juice Super-Food Smoothies Smoothie Bowls Plant-Based Snacks Elixirs & Coffee Juice Cleanses

100% ORGANIC

@innerlightjuice

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Chocolate Chip Cookies Serves 48 2 cups super fine cake flour 1 ¾ cups bread flour 1 ½ tsp baking soda 1 ¾ tsp baking power 1 ½ tsp sea salt 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temp 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar 1 ¼ cups granulated white sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Chocolate square chips, to top Flaky sea salt (like Maldon) Cream together unsalted butter, packed brown sugar and white sugar.

2.

Scrape the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

3.

Scrape the bowl again and add dry ingredients while mixer is on low speed.

4.

Mix in chocolate chips.

5.

Place dough in an airtight container, and refrigerate for 48 hours.

6.

Shape the dough in 2 ½ oz balls. This works best if the dough is a little cooler than room temp.

7.

Lightly press four to five pieces of chocolate squares on the top of the balls.

8.

Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 14-15 minutes.

9.

Sprinkle with sea salt while warm and serve.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRACEY VAN CURRAN

1.

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U PLEVE LE D MOU NTAI N CU ISI N E & COCKTAI LS

2 3 2 B r i d g e S t , Va i l 970.470.4803 falllinevail.com

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Social Oak Restaurant spotlight

Eagle

PHOTOS BY TOWNSEND BESSENT

By kim fuller

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T

ake a glance at Social Oak’s wine list, and you’ll see immediate splashes of Christina Hofman’s inspired palate.

Generic options by the glass aren’t here, and it’s for good reason, as Hofman taps into a world of wine to showcase at her restaurant and bar in Eagle Ranch.

Hofman invites guests into a fresh and innovative space with an approachable menu and delicious food, all paired with drink options that will keep diners learning about what they like.

Bubbles from New Mexico, white from Piedmont, rosé from Provence, red from Rhone — it’s exciting to see a sophisticated wine menu offered in a more casual and affordable eatery. Hofman’s interest in worldly varietals can make for an educational wine bar experience at Social Oak, if you want one, but this is also the perfect place to come in and simply enjoy a crisp lager and a burger on brioche.

Hofman opened Social Oak in December of 2022. It’s her first restaurant, yet with a master’s degree in business and a background in construction management, alongside a hospitality resume of serving and bartending, Hofman has created something really special for Eagle

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and the entire Vail Valley. Social Oak is a neighborhood bistro with comfortable vibes and modern flare. Chef Tony Ferrozzo comes from a background of fine dining and walks the talk of using quality ingredients and proper techniques to make great food.

“It’s all done in-house,” Ferrozzo shares. “We’re not buying pre-cooked products; some of it takes multiple days and takes technique, but it’s done right.”

To share, try the lollipop wings, and be sure to order Ferrozzo’s hand-rolled gnocchi if he has this seasonal dish on the menu.

The cocktail program follows suit with bar manager Derek Carroll at the helm.

Order the Dirty Mule, a mezcal rendition of the staple libation that features a pinot noir ice cube.

Leave room for homemade dessert and perhaps another wine flight from a region that’s seasonally inspiring to Hofman.

“From start to finish, with our price points, we provide such a good value,” she says. “The idea here is to be a community gathering place where you can feel comfortable. Everybody can get what they want, and you might be turned on to something new.” +

Open: 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday + Thursday

12 p.m.

Friday + Saturday Closed on Tuesday 1143 Capitol St., Unit 3, Eagle 970.705.1639 socialoakwine.com

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Montauk Seafood Grill Restaurant spotlight

Vail

O

nly a handful of restaurants in Vail are still around to be considered legacy status, “iconic” even. Montauk Seafood Grill is one of them.

“There are generations of people who have been coming to Montauk,” shares owner Cameron Douglas. “People have been eating here since 1987, and their kids are grown now and bringing their kids. It’s one of those iconic restaurants.”

In 2017, Douglas could hardly believe the restaurant was for sale, but he didn’t

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hesitate on the opportunity to keep something great going. He completely refreshed the space with new artwork, furniture, lighting and paint, and he and his wife Heather even took a trip to Montauk, New York on Long Island to fully experience the namesake.

Douglas had a couple decades of restaurant management under his belt before he acquired Montauk, and he’s also a primary owner of El Segundo in Vail and Eagle. It’s no surprise that he runs a tight ship and it keeps everything

c o v e r e d b r i d g e va i l . c o m

PHOTOS BY TOWNSEND BESSENT

By Kim Fuller

afloat nicely. In a valley where employees are hard to find and even harder to keep, Douglas has a crew that stays with him year after year, and that says a lot.

Executive chef Dimitri Souvorin works with trusted purveyors like Seattle Fish Co. to source incredibly fresh seafood, from ahi tuna and Atlantic scallops to Chilean seabass and Scottish salmon.

The raw bar menu is not to miss, especially The Tower that’s a generous and delicious display of east and west coast oysters, Alaskan king crab legs, Maine lobster tail and more. Order it to share alongside some Champagne, and you’ll settle right in to your sea legs.

Souvorin brings local land fare to the table as well, featuring seasonally inspired dishes and grilled options like pork chop and filet mignon. Fish and meat options can also be cooked up as “simply seasoned and grilled” with a choice of sides à la carte.

Sail off into the sunset with the Sand Pie dessert, a delectable combination of whipped chocolate chip ice cream, graham cracker crust, warm caramel and chocolate sauce with toasted almonds.

Douglas recommends the espresso martini, and we’ll take the captain’s order every time. +

Montauk serves dinner nightly from 5 to 9 p.m.

549 E. Lionshead Circle, Vail 970.476.2601 montaukvail.com

c o v e r e d b r i d g e va i l . c o m

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By Russel Reuben + William Montecristo Each issue of Covered Bridge, we, your brave culinary explorers Russel Reuben and William Montecristo, search the Valley for inspiring burgers, sandwiches, tacos, snacks on a stick, second breakfasts and finger foods.

For the fourth issue, we wanted to highlight our love of food with a purpose. Today, we raise our mimosas toward those bleary-eyed brave souls that took their extreme après a little too deep. Are you even able to call yourself a local if you haven’t fallen madly in love on the 2 a.m. bus a few times? We’ve tried hair of the dog, the half hour sit-down shower and the Sunday morning street sweeper. Some days you have to take your vitamin I and call in the big guns …

Hangover elixirs, potions and egg sandwiches.

Paired with black coffee, sweatpants and sunglasses.

Gold

Egg Sandwich, Hovey & Harrison

Edwards Reuben: Long time listener first time caller here for me, but when William Montecristo says jump, I ask, ‘How high?’ The real question is, are you Team Sausage or Team Bacon on your morning after meal?

Because I’m Team Tot! Between the buns was spectacular, but these little potato croquettes were sensational; I’m salivating just thinking about them.

Montecristo: I’d like to apologize for telling rookie Russel to order the "Hungdog Millionaire with HashLeBrons” from the secret menu. Yeah, they didn’t think it was funny either. Thankfully, the nice team behind the counter didn’t deny us service and treated us to the most wonderful prescription breakfast known to man. Fluffy soft bread cradling avocado, eggs and your favorite breakfast meat. Yellow cheese glues it all together unpretentiously and lets the yolk drip down to sauce the show stealing tots.

Disclaimer: These rankings are absolutely anecdotal samplings of some of the food we ate with our hands and is by no stretch of the imagination an all-inclusive or accurate encapsulation of the Valley’s cornucopia of offerings. If you have a suggestion of where we should eat next please email us at eatwithyourhandsvail@gmail.com.

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY BECCA SAULSBERRY

Eat With Your Hands

Silver

Bronze

Steak and Eggs Wedge, The Little Diner

Breakfast Sandwich, Sunrise Minturn

Vail

Minturn

Reuben: There’s nothing ‘little’ about this Italian stallion; it’ll either have you loving or hating your decision to make one last stop at The George the night before. Belly up with your brown bottle fever and witness kitchen wizardry! Don’t make plans after grubbin’ down this sanducci; you’ll want to get home and go full horizontal. But, wasn’t that the point?

Reuben: What’s more classic than a Disney sequel? A bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. Duh. At $7 a pop, naturally Billy Cristal and I ordered two each, because absorption is key after running the pool tables all night at Route 6. As we took our first bite in absolute synchronicity and witnessed that perfect egg explosion happening and the liquid chicken spill onto our plates, we realized sometimes the right path is the easiest one.

Montecristo: Waking up sideways, you might be tempted to stray from our advice and order the aptly named Hangover Helper Wrap. Yes, it’s delicious and has some medicinal properties, but we’re not talking about a little wobble noggin. When you’re fully goosed, you need tender steak and fried eggs piled on an authentic Amoroso roll. Salt. Fat. Yolk.

Reminiscent of a Philly steak but with a much friendlier disposition to help you get yourself put back together.

SCAN THIS + SIGN UP To receive emails highlighting community information + inspiration from Covered Bridge

Montecristo: Stripped down and delicious. The perfect morning after antidote for when your check engine light is on, and you don’t know where your phone is. A couple splashes of Sendy Sauce for a little extra kick, and you’ll be ready to start remembering the night before. You might want to order a burrito, too. You’re going to need it when I tell you about what you said to your ex on the dance floor.

Honorable Mention: The Cappy, Village Bagel

Edwards Fried bologna, garlicky, buttery deliciousness on an everything bagel toasted with a cracker crunch. A totally capable anti-venom for those difficult mornings.

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cheers

Figgie Smalls

Created by Luke Proffitt, Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at Revel Lounge in The Hythe Vail

Cocktail feature

2 oz fig-infused gin ¾ oz strawberry syrup ½ oz lemon juice Spoonful balsamic glaze “We do a rapid infusion of gray whale gin with dried figs using the pressure generated by a nitrous charger. This gives a four-day infusion in just four minutes."

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PHOTO BY TOM COHEN

L

uke Proffitt grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and developed a love for food and beverage from a young age due to his southern roots. His love for the outdoors has taken him to Montana, New Mexico and now Colorado. He has a passion for having a great day on the mountain and an equally great après experience, enjoying cocktails and good food with people he loves.

Proffitt’s philosophy on cocktail making is one born of a love for comfort and haven, a reason why he has made The Hythe his home. Cocktails do not need to be over complicated but should always satisfy the mood that has drawn us to them. Every drink has its own purpose, its own day to be called. No matter which season you are in, there is a drink for you.

“This drink was inspired by our combined love of epicurean experiences and our philosophy of ‘après all day,’” Proffitt adds, “blending both passions into a single presentation." +

WIND DOWN

WA K E U P 225 Wall Street #103A • Vail • 970-763-5101

288 Bridge Street #C4 • Vail • 970-470-4189

book club

The Blues Go Birding

By Sandy Ferguson Fuller

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ne morning at daybreak in 1953, British naturalist and seabird expert James Fisher peered through his window over an airplane wing down to the coast of Newfoundland.

On a small beach below, he spotted a brilliant white bird with black wing-ends.

This gannet looked familiar, but Fisher had never seen one so far afield from home. He jotted down the first entry in his journal, covering his planned expedition and inaugural visit to North America.

It was destined to become an epic journey, the greatest birdwatching adventure ever!

James was traveling to meet his friend, renowned American ornithologist, author/illustrator and conservationist Roger Tory Peterson. Together, they set out from St. John’s on a strenuous and thrilling 100-day trip around the edge of the continent, spanning 14 weeks and 30,000 miles. To what purpose? To observe and record the birds, sights and sounds of wild America, from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific.

Their adventure (resulting in sightings of over 600 different types of birds) is recorded in their classic nonfiction book,

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Wild America: The Legendary Story of Two Great Naturalists on the Road, Houghton Mifflin, 1955. (Used copies available online. Highly recommended.)

And, that’s what inspired The Blues, five intrepid bluebirds who are smitten with the sport of birding, to take their journey chronicled in The Blues Go Birding at Wild America Shores. If you’re an amateur or professional birder of any age, or if you simply admire birds, the children’s picture book series, The Blues Go Birding, is a must add to your travel shelf and a primer about the sport of birding. Three individual books comprise the series, each masterfully illustrated in full-color by Louise Schroeder.

Each bluebird shares a plucky personality, unique life perspective and peculiar habits. In short, they are hilarious!

“The idea for these characters came from a photo in a book about five brown birds huddled together on a branch,” recalls Schroeder. “Also, my favorite expression has always been, ‘Let’s go somewhere!’ I began to paint my interpretation of these birds and to add humor and foibles, including creating one little bird to be always upset about something.

Soon this group had morphed into inquisitive, enterprising bluebirds who love

“Take a journey with these fun, hip characters to see some of the fascinating birds found around the world … your kids won’t want to miss it — and neither will you!”

ANNE JAMES ROSENBERG, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Youth Education nal and field guide notes. These details are documented and well-researched.

There’s much to learn at every turn. The Blues also reveal their subtle humor with a variety of quips and observations added to the narrative in each scene.

Their initial trip is chronicled in The Blues Go Birding Across America, in which they set out on a cross-country singing tour “from sea to shining sea.” Instead of a planned itinerary, they have a list of birds they hope to find on their travels,

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BOOK IMAGES COURTESY OF SANDY FERGUSON FULLER

Let’s Wing It!

to travel. We had a book!”

“It’s such fun to work on this,” notes coauthor and avid birder Carol Malnor.

“Once readers meet The Blues, they just love them. They are adorable. And, our information is scientific and accurate, including Louise’s renderings of the other bird species encountered in the stories.”

There is infinite creative content to be discovered and enjoyed inside picture books, fiction or nonfiction. As coauthor of the series, I’m delighted with the fabulous illustrations throughout.

Although The Blues are fictional, anthropomorphic characters who wear clothes and accessories, they share rich, factual information about birding. The sidebars in the double-spread illustrations comprise birding tips, an expanding jour-

including a bald eagle, a western meadowlark, a black-footed albatross, a turkey vulture and an American robin. They venture from Alaska to Hawaii, over the Pacific to the Rocky Mountains, crossing the Great Plains, into the south, up through the midwest and, finally, touch down in Washington, D.C. When they return back to their clubhouse, they reminisce about the excitement of their first birding trip.

They’re hooked!

“Let’s wing it,” says Eggbert, the Super Birder, “and follow in the famous footsteps of Roger Tory Peterson.” Eggbert, Bing, Lulu, Uno and Sammi set out to do exactly that in The Blues Go Birding at Wild America Shores. Their itinerary includes Newfoundland, Chesapeake Bay, the Everglades, Dry Tortugas Islands, Isla Coronado Mexico and the Pribilof Islands in Alaska. Eggbert, especially, is on the lookout for an elusive loon.

After successfully returning from wild America, it’s no wonder that The Blues team decides to expand their horizons and tackle a birding trip around the world. The third book in the series, The Blues Go Extreme Birding, finds them scaling a skyscraper in New York City, summiting Mt. Everest, snorkeling in Antarctica, whitewater kayaking in South America and more before returning home to their clubhouse. On this quest, they seek record-setting birds, including the peregrine falcon, the bar-headed goose, the emperor penguin, the superb lyrebird and the sungem hummingbird.

The series has received endorsements from the American Birding Association, Bird Watcher’s Digest and Cornell Lab. Each book received the Mom’s Choice Award Honoring Excellence and Birding Across America was a Colorado Book Awards Finalist. + All The Blues books are available in portable paperback editions from your bookseller of choice or at alparts.com.

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The River Between Hearts

by Heather Mateus Sappenfield Review by Lexi Reich

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s a lifelong resident of the Rocky Mountains, Heather Mateus Sappenfield loves adventure, but she says her toughest trials arise in the writing of stories. A runner up for the Kraken Book Prize, her newest novel, The River Between Hearts, explores grief, loss, compassion and friendship. The characters in this book are the type that stick with readers for a long time.

The heartfelt story takes place at the start of summer break when third-grader Rill Kruse’s dad goes missing in the Colorado River. The journey leads to her befriending a Mexican immigrant named Perla; the two young girls — despite being from different countries and different cultures — explore their similar experience of loss and grief together. In the end, what Rill discovers nudges her and those she loves towards healing.

Targeted to middle-grade readers, The River Between Hearts — the author’s fourth book — was released in 2022. heathermateussappenfield.com

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art + music

Art by Agostina

Beauty in the Slow Journey

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rom the north facing slope of Vail Mountain to the rolling hills of Piney Lake, all the way to the towering Torres Del Paine in Chile, Agostina Zampieri’s art tells a story — a multitude of miniscule dots, each contributing to a beautiful whole, capturing the ethereal and harmonious nature of life.

Zampieri is a self-taught artist and architecture graduate from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. She has an eye for the little things that make a scene alluring. “I create highly detailed drawings using the stippling technique, also known as pointillism. With a fineliner pen, I draw dot by dot landscapes, wildlife portraits and other nature related subjects, inspired by my breathtaking surroundings. I started drawing with these pens when I was studying architecture in my hometown of Cordoba, Argentina. I would use them to draw

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blueprints, sketch ideas in our notebooks and immortalize a place or a moment,” Zampieri says.

During breaks from school, Zampieri would travel from Argentina to Vail to work for the town’s busy winter season.

“After I graduated, with all the money I saved up from my four winters in the states, I began the journey of my life,” Zampieri shares. In a converted 1979 van, Zampieri embarked on a 16-monthlong road trip from Colorado to Argentina’s southernmost city, Usuahia.

Covering 30,000 miles, Zampieri reveled in the wonder of what each untraveled mile had to offer. “The complete freedom, the constant change of scenery and the endless amount of time for myself with a pen and notebook in my hands documenting the trip made me into the artist I am today,” she says.

On this journey through 14 different countries, Zampieri tried different drawing techniques, but she always came back to stippling. Ultimately, Zampieri fell in love with Vail, and she decided to make the Valley her home base as she pursued art full time. In 2020 when Zampieri, along with the rest of humanity, was forced to learn to cope with isolation and unprecedented times,

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF AGOSTINA ZAMPIERI

By Kristen Grace

“My work is a reflection of my philosophy: a slow-paced life, being authentic, paying special attention to details and perseverance to achieve goals.”

she found herself even more drawn to the detailed sketching she had grown to adore. “[Stippling] was my meditation during pandemic times. All I had was paper, a pen and lots of time,” Zampieri shares. “The action of repetitiveness, while listening to my favorite music and seeing the slow progress, made me feel at peace when my world — and the outside — was chaos.”

In the slow traveling of the clouds across the sky, in the falling of the rain to the earth one drop at a time, in the tenacity of a tree that grows through the setbacks and triumphs of a changing world, nature whispers that life is found in the journey, and sometimes, the journey is tedious and gradual. Zampieri’s art is infused with this essence; stippling takes her an incredibly long time, but she finds beauty and joy in the intentional process.

In fact, Zampieri believes that slowing down is essential to experiencing true growth and freedom. “A final piece takes many hours to be completed. It takes weeks, sometimes months. My work is a reflection of my philosophy: a slow-paced life, being authentic, paying special attention to details and perseverance to achieve goals,” Zampieri remarks. “My work is simple and intricate. It makes me free.”

Zampieri spends the winter season nestled in her studio in Eagle Vail preparing for the summer markets; this market season, you can find Zampieri and her artwork every Friday at the Dillon farmers market, on Saturday at the Steamboat Springs farmers market and on Sundays in the heart of Vail Village at the Vail Farmers’ Market & Art Show.

Zampieri offers original ink drawings, and you can add a zest of nature to your life with her highly detailed drawings on prints, shirts, water bottles, mugs, tea towels and stickers. If you’d like to capture the love of your life in a special way, she also draws custom pet portraits. If you have a space you’d like to enhance with a mural, Zampieri may be able to create a custom masterpiece for you. + To see what inspires her and follow her journey, you can find Zampieri on Instagram @arbyagostina and online at artbyagostina.com.

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This year Vail Public Library celebrates 40 years of providing services and resources to the Vail community and beyond!

Vail Public Library offers access to information resources of many types for the needs of Vail’s guests, residents, businesses and schools.

Offerings include: • •

Fiction and non-fiction books, audiobooks and DVDs for checkout Access to electronic resources including eaudiobooks, ebooks, emagazines, emusic, and evideo

The library operates on a firm foundation of values, which include service, a welcoming spirit, respect, wellbeing, environmental stewardship and education. Vail Public Library serves and enriches the entire community.

292 W. Meadow Dr, Vail 970.479.2184 | vaillibrary.com

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art + music

child and recently applied those skills to teaching himself how to play bass. “Music has always been there,” he adds.

Although singing and songwriting was new for Pleshaw, he found that both provide an outlet — whether he’s at band practice, performing or belting out lyrics in his car. “When we started the band, I was going through a breakup and needed something to focus on,” he explains.

“Singing helps me express myself and helped me get through what was going on in my life.”

Your Robot Overlords

Not Your Average Local Band

By Laura Lieff

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here’s something about selftaught musicians. They are scrappier, hungrier and usually more fun. Sometimes, they even dress up for their shows and give the shows names like “The First Second Annual Service Industry Appreciation Winter Formal.” Your Robot Overlords is that band.

Comprised of five Vail Valley locals, Your Robot Overlords is made up of Audrey Ste-Marie (the sole female member of the band) on guitar and flute, Bob Aubrey on guitar as well, Robo Harrell behind the drumkit, Tyler Alvarez on bass and David Pleshaw providing the lead

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vocals. While the band officially began performing together publicly in 2021, they began practicing together in 2018 — every Tuesday for five hours a night.

“I love music and taught myself guitar, because I wanted something more,” Ste-Marie explains. “It takes dedication to teach yourself how to play an instrument, and we’ve all taught ourselves, so this band is like an art project that’s ongoing.”

Harrell grew up listening to punk and hardcore music, then became a DJ and then started experimenting with Aubrey’s drumkit, which turned into teaching himself the instrument. Alvarez has been playing guitar since he was a

ECLECTIC SOUND With influences that range from Frank Sinatra to Robert Smith to Sid Vicious, and various forms of metal, punk rock and reggae, the band’s individuality bleeds through their shows, and audiences eat it up. Two fan favorite songs are “Banned From The Narrows” (ask Pleshaw about this one in person) and “Microchip Implants,” which Ste-Marie explains, “Brings awareness to the world being taken over by artificial intelligence.”

Everyone in the band loves music — there’s no question about that — and Aubrey is the most apparent music nerd in the bunch. He has been playing guitar since fourth grade and cites a wide variety of influences, including the Dead Kennedys, Slash, Ian MacKaye and the Ramones. A self-described “musical instrument hoarder,” he hadn’t played music publicly for 15 years until he sold one of his electric guitars to Ste-Marie (who he had just met) in 2017, and they started playing together more regularly.

Recalls Ste-Marie, “When I bought the guitar from Bob, I didn’t know anything about it, so I asked him to teach me, and then over time, the band came together.

We all have the same aspirations for music and are happy to entertain people and have a good time.”

TEAM EFFORT While everyone contributes to songwriting and vocals to some extent, and the band is very much a collaborative

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effort, Aubrey is the common thread that brought the group together. “Each of us has been playing music for a long time, so it’s fun to play together and see our audiences dancing and having fun at our shows,” he says.

When asked to describe the Your Robot Overlords sound, Aubrey says, “New wave by label, punk rock by heart.” That description exemplifies what sets the band apart; their music is as eclectic as their members. Additionally, what makes Your Robot Overlords truly memorable is their creativity and willingness to take the music seriously — but not themselves.

“My favorite part of performing is hearing the full sound,” says Harrell.

“You can have a cool guitar riff or a great song lyric, but hearing everything come together and work is the best part.”

POSITIVE LOCAL RESPONSE The band’s unique outlook, performance style and overall vibe is clearly working as Your Robot Overlords has garnered a great deal of local support over the last few years. In fact, they were recently recognized in the 202223 Best Local Musician/Band category in the Best of Vail Valley Readers’ Choice Awards.

“Being in a band is marketing,” says Aubrey. “Having that many people vote for us was amazing. Also, we would not be a live band without Ollie at Route 6. He’s given us the opportunity to hone our live shows, and we appreciate him so much.”

Adds Ste-Marie, “It feels great to have that many fans out there who were willing to vote every day for two weeks," adds Ste-Marie. "People are going to get a little bit of everything from our shows, and we’re excited for them to see what’s next.” + For updates on future shows, follow the band: Instagram: @yourrobot0verlords Facebook: facebook.com/YourRobotOverlords SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/yourrobotoverlords

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A local favorite for gatherings & celebrations eaglevailpavilion.org 970-748-4515 538 Eagle Road • Avon, CO

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style for the season

Transitional + Trendy

Chic and Casual Pieces for Warm Days and Cool Nights

By Jennifer Weintraub

Luana Picpus Set A timeless outerwear piece receives an upgrade in an oversized silhouette.

The blazer’s new shape is casual and classy, perfect when paired with jeans or as a matching set.

Elevate your style with a tailored, wideleg, pleated trouser.

A cotton linen blend in a neutral palette can be dressed up or down for a practical and polished style. $150 - blazer, $105 - trousers Lady Jones

Dress + Sweater Combo Layer a neutral crop knit sweater over a vibrant maxi stretch dress for an easy outfit and effortless transition as the temps cool. $36 - dress, $26 - sweater Wild Heart

Pair a clean white crochet tank and a corduroy shacket over a mid-length denim short for a stylish and casual mountain outfit. $42 - shacket, $44 shorts Wild Heart

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOCAL RETAILERS

Shacket + Shorts

Featured Local Retailers Valley Girl Boutique / Ruby Jane 225 Main St., Edwards rubyjane.com Wild Heart 56 Edwards Village Blvd., Unit 128, Edwards wildheartcolorado.com Lady Jones 172 E. Gore Creek Drive, Vail shopladyjones.com Wolf People wolfpeopleco.com

Lole Piper Jacket Featuring a waterproof 10K fabric and a fully seam-sealed design to keep you dry, this waist-cinching rain jacket is both sleek and functional. Its packable design easily tucks away when the sun comes out. $169.90 Valley Girl Boutique

Cooper Cargo Jean Cargo jeans are making a comeback.

With a high-waist and straight-leg fit, these utilitarian pants are the perfect off-duty look that is on-trend. $228 Lady Jones

Felt Hats A statement hat is always in season. Top off your outfit with a wide-brim, felt hat paired with a funky, unique band. $32 Wild Heart

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style for the season

Christy Jacket A leather motorcycle jacket is a wardrobe staple that instantly adds cool girl vibes to your outfit. With cut-out stars on the back panel and an asymmetrical zipper in the front, this jacket is the perfect piece for cooler temps. $298 Valley Girl Boutique / Ruby Jane

Vervet Colorblock Jeans Colorblock jeans are the newest take on a classic style.

A high-rise, superflare denim will elongate your legs for a fashionable and flattering fit. $72.90 Valley Girl Boutique

Protea Medallion Necklace,

Inspired by the mountains and the sea, these statement and stacking rings inlaid with gemstones draw inspiration from the artist’s homeland in South Africa but are handmade in the Vail Valley. $55-65

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOCAL RETAILERS

Elevate your basic tee with a bold gold necklace. The 18k gold plated pendant features the King Protea flower, representing beauty and strength. $120

Wolf People

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sponsored content

Meet the Boyer Family Growing an Authentic Vail

PHOTO BY CAYLEE RUSH

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eet the Boyer family, Vail’s most recent returning residents, helping the town grow one home — and one family — at a time!

Dr. Laura Boyer was recently recruited as Vail’s newest OBGYN. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to live in the mountains, and I feel so fortunate to be able to practice medicine in such an amazing environment.

Every day when I’m seeing patients, I’ll steal a look out my window and it honestly makes me so happy to be here,” she says. “Vail is a very special place for me” Her husband Finn Boyer, owner of Alura Development, feels the same, and if you’ve been around Vail for long enough you might recognize him from his decade long tenure at the Park Meadows Lodge. “It was one of the original buildings from the 1960s and we loved it,” Finn Boyer shares.

Indeed, records show that the original site of the Park Meadows Lodge was one of the first sites developed in Vail — it was the only large mountain side lot without any view obstructions.

“We would have liked to just renovate the old building” he says, “but at the end of the day it was clear that if we wanted to create something that took advantage of the natural views, we were going to have to completely scrape the site and start fresh. We used it all up,” Boyer recalls knowing The Park Meadows’ glory days were through. The site

is special for Finn Boyer — he first stayed in the Park Meadows Lodge while working summers in Vail throughout high school and has been working steadily on acquiring and entitling development rights on the property for almost 20 years.

After getting married, Laura Boyer developed her robotic surgical skills at high-volume hospitals, while Finn Boyer transitioned from hotelier to a stay-at-home dad with a real estate hobby.

What began as a small project in Boulder eventually became Alura Development (an anagram of his wife’s name), a firm whose projects spanned from Boulder to Aspen to Tahoe and even along the California coast.

It was one of those projects in California that reunited Finn Boyer with his childhood friend, Lindsay Brown who, along with his wife Rory, own the nationally acclaimed Brown Studio in Encinitas, California.

“It was real serendipity that they just happened to be available right when I needed them,” Finn Boyer says. “They’re in the business of creating livable art that you instantly want to call home, the perfect juxtaposition of both soft and modern elements.” Alura

Development and Brown Studio are collaborating on Boyer’s new Vail project.

In talking about his development philosophy, Finn Boyer says, “My only talent is recognizing talent — I started a software company, a clothing line and I even produced movies for a while. I was really lucky to spend my youth around so many truly talented people and my one overriding belief is that we can never create art for someone else. I’ll never be smart enough to know what other people want, so my only alternative is to take my passion for something and do something I feel is great and hope that enough people share my vision — and that is the underlying mantra that has really guided my whole professional career.”

“Vail is a sacred place to me,” he adds, “and I feel that especially when you’re building a large development in a small town it’s going to have an outsized impact. Ergo, there’s a responsibility that falls on those of us who build to build things that are beautiful and timeless.”

In that vein, Alura Development has also retained local architect Pierce Austin to oversee the project on site. Finn Boyer believes that the best architecture always has a little sprezzatura sprinkled in, and that is exactly what his international design team has delivered. The new development boasts 10 homes that range from 4,600 feet to 6,200 feet with oversized three-car garages and individual rooftop hot tubs with wide spans of folding glass doors that open onto massive outdoor living spaces for a true indoor/outdoor living experience. The homes authentically encompass all that Vail has to offer — wonder, beauty and community. • You can visit Dr. Laura Boyer at Colorado Mountain Medical offices in Vail or Avon and follow along with Vail’s newest development on Instagram @aluravail.

maker

Sunward

Carrie Calvin’s “Magic Combinations”

C

arrie Calvin sees herself as a storyteller first and foremost — just not in the way you’d expect. Instead of using words, she stamps her narratives into clay and metal. Each piece from Sunward Jewelry features simple shapes accented with colors and textures that Calvin brings back with her from every adventure.

The name Sunward bears a long history in and of itself. “My dad passed away when I was in high school,” Calvin explains. “He would always say that attitude is everything and remind me of the Helen Keller quote: ‘Keep your face

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to the sun, and you will never see the shadows.’ I collected little suns growing up for that reason and also wanted to channel the western mentality. ‘Sunward’ brings all these things together for me.”

Calvin comes to jewelry making from a background in graphic design. She first discovered the joy of working with a laser cutter through a former employer and found inspiration in the geometric styles that the tool so cleanly produces. But, most of Calvin’s work in graphic design lacked a physical component. She wanted a way to get her hands dirty and create a finished product that she could feel.

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PHOTOS BY MADISON RAHHAL

By Lucie Hanes

Jewelry making stood out to her as a way to combine the virtual and the tactical.

“The idea that I could blend my design skills with technology and a physical outcome was so alluring,” gushes Calvin.

“Creating something I could hold in my hands felt good.”

After some experimentation, Calvin quit her full-time gig in graphic design to dive in deep with her craft. She works out of her cozy home studio where she’s installed her own laser cutter — the first big investment she made in her business — and creates two main styles of jewelry: laser-cut leather combined with metal linework and silver combined with precious metal clay.

“I use precious metal clay, because it holds so much texture,” Calvin says.

“It’s basically recycled silver made into a powder and then into clay form. It’s more rustic and organic than other forms of clay, too, and shows the whole process from A to B.” She uses the precious metal clay to pick up prints from natural features, like leaves and rocks, so that she can tie pieces of the places she’s been into her work.

The subtlety of those prints alongside the stark lines of the geometric leather merges organic and man-made beauty.

It reminds the wearer of how we fit into the natural world around us, distinct but still harmonious.

On top of jewelry, Calvin’s been exploring a range of other creations, including leather clutches and hatbands, engraved drinkware, wood-carved coasters and even personalized denim jackets.

She has a soft spot for all things western and enjoys weaving together modern design and classic “cowboy” culture.

“My husband used to run a horseshoe business,” reflects Calvin, “so the ranch life feels very peaceful to me. Then, I make those memories more concrete and urban by blending them with crisp shapework.”

Calvin is still processing the growth of her business over the past year. “It used to be just all my friends wearing my jewelry. Now, I see it on people all over the Vail Valley!” she exclaims.

Now, she’s focused on finding the balance between accessible and elegant.

Calvin uses materials like leather and

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brass, because they’re easily obtainable but far from bland. These components give a piece an air of sophistication without ramping it to a much higher price range. She wants to foster a real connection with her work, rather than have it be something people admire from afar. Experimenting with other materials that have the same grounding effect will drive her craft forward in the future.

Calvin says 2022 was her year of “yes,” and that she’s now in a place of expansion to see what other “magic combinations” she can create. +

“Keep your face to the sun, and you will never see the shadows.”

HELEN KELLER

Calvin sells her jewelry and other creations at shops, popups and markets around the Vail Valley, including the ARTSPaCE workshop + gallery in Eagle, as well as on her website at shopsunward.com.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SILVERTHORNE

road trip

Bluebird Market Hall

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Silverthorne

Local Summer Escape

By Courtney Holden

S

ituated at the junction of I-70 and Colorado State Highway 9, the town of Silverthorne is often considered a place to merely pass through.

Grab a burrito from Chipotle or a sub from Which Wich and be on your way north to Steamboat Springs, east to Denver or back home to the Vail Valley.

Yet, with nearly 20 restaurants added to its roster in the past couple years, plenty of outdoor adventure opportunities nearby and a burgeoning art scene, this up-and-coming mountain town — one of the fastest-growing incorporated areas in Summit County — is well worth an extended weekend visit. Here’s what to do and where to stay when you go.

Tilford's

The Pad Hotel

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DAY 1: HIKE + SETTLE IN Start your time in Silverthorne with an exploration of the local flora, fauna and falls with a 7.1-mile, out-and-back hike to South Willow Creek Falls. This intermediate outing includes wooden bridge crossings, its namesake waterfall and a chance to see patches of columbine, mountain bluebells and other wildflowers heralding spring’s transition to summer. Keep your eye out for moose, which are commonly seen in the area.

Just be sure to stay a safe distance away from them — and any other wildlife you encounter.

You’re probably hungry after all those miles, so swing into Kúcu Tequila Bistro

(kucutequilabistro.com) for some Cactus Fries (made with real cactus!) and a marg.

Just don’t ruin your dinner.

A little after 4 p.m., check into your room at The Pad (thepadlife.com), the new-in-2022 boutique hostel/hotel combo. Be sure to ask one of the friendly front desk folks about the roster of PADHAPS — community events like yoga, dance and speed dating that happen regularly at the hotel — to see what’s available during your stay. Once you’ve dropped your bags in your room, relax with a dip in the hot tub or wander over to one of the many common areas to take a minute to review work emails or upload those hiking pics to Instagram.

By 6:30 p.m., your stomach will be rumbling, so head across the street to dinner at Eclectic Bar & Grill (eclecticbarandgrill.com). It’s less than a half-mile walk, so skip the car if your legs can handle it. Order their spicy cauliflower appetizer, a perfect pairing to their barnyard burger, which comes with a fried egg.

DAY 2: GET HIGH + NIBBLE THROUGH Yesterday you got a feel for some of Silverthorne’s new additions. Now, it’s time to enjoy one of its old favorites: Red Buffalo Coffee & Tea (redbuffalocafe.com). Their wood tables and welcoming atmosphere might entice you to linger, but resist the urge and order that avocado toast (served on

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road trip locally baked sourdough) or bacon and egg burrito to-go.

The 20-ish-minute car trip over to Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (arapahoebasin.com) will fly by as you munch breakfast, sip your latte and blast pump-up music. When you arrive, it’s time to ascend the resort’s via ferrata, a series of iron rungs (used as hand and footholds) permanently bolted into the rock. Choose the full-day tour, and you’ll ascend 1,200 feet to the 13,000-foot summit of Little Lenawee Peak where 360-degree views of the Continental Divide, Lake Dillon and two 14ers (Grays and Torreys) await. As you take in the scenery, enjoy the enlightened state achieved by conquering the highest elevation via ferrata in North America.

Once down, it’s time to eat your way through a progressive dinner at Bluebird Market Hall (bluebirdmarket. co). Begin with an old fashioned from Mighty Bar before moving onto shared

Kucu

Via Ferrata Arapahoe Basin

House of Vibes

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appetizers from Lucky Bird (go for the fresh farmhouse salad) and Tilford’s Wood-Fired Pizza (where else can you get brussels sprout pizza?) For the main course, tacos from Baja Chimayo or empanadas from Lazo Empanadas?

That is the question. Dessert is a scoop of salty Oreo or cookie monster ice cream from Don’t Call me Charlie’s.

Eat on the early side, and you can catch a show at Theatre Silco (thesilco.org), formerly Lake Dillon Theatre Company. The Pad’s bar scene will likely still be hopping when you return after the play, so grab a drink (maybe a hand-crafted lavender sage gin + tonic?) and join the fun; after all, you’re not driving home.

DAY 3: BREATHE IN + HEAD OUT Take a step back in time at the House of Vibes Coffee + Curio (houseofvibescoffee. com) where etiquette manuals are stapled to the wall and a 1970s-era TV welcomes

those looking for their morning caffeine fix. After digesting a bit, escape for some restorative me-time with a run along the Blue River Trail or some retail therapy at the Outlets at Silverthorne (outletsatsilverthorne.com). Meanwhile, your partner can take the kids over to Rainbow Park to expend some energy.

Next up, experience Silverthorne’s burgeoning art scene by joining a Sunday Art Stroll (offered on select dates throughout the summer) or taking your crew on a self-guided tour. Don’t miss the Angler Mountain Bridge Mural, found along the Blue River Trail, and the “Water Is Life” mural, created by Lakota artist Danielle SeeWalker along with local high school students, at Rainbow Park. Before heading home, salute the two owl sculptures by Eric Kircher, situated outside the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center. One raptor represents wisdom, the other a soaring spirit, and your weekend trip to Silverthorne is sure to leave you with both. +

Old Dillon Inn

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Break Clear Away in Yosemite

By Julia Clarke

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ot even a lifetime in the Rockies can prepare you for the sweeping majesty of Yosemite National Park. No matter how many times I go, my heart leaps each time I pop out of Wawona Tunnel and get my first glimpse of the valley spread out before me. Tunnel View reveals a vast glacier-carved valley, framed by the majestic rock monoliths of El Capitan and Half Dome and dusted by the spray of Bridal Veil Falls. Each time, I can’t help but pull over and get out to breathe in the view and the scent of California pine.

After Tunnel View, the adventures here come thick and fast. In a few days here, you’ll discover sun-dappled groves of giant sequoia trees, colorful meadows blanketed in wildflowers and dance in the mist of Vernal Falls. When you’re seeking a change of scenery after a busy summer but can’t really bear to leave the mountains behind, Yosemite makes the perfect fall getaway.

The thundering waterfalls that materialize in the spring slow to a mere trickle by summer’s end, but so do the crowds.

The trails are quieter, the days still long

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make sure to request a room with a balcony out back.

enough to explore and, with daytime highs in the low 70s and overnight lows in the low 40s, the conditions are perfect for hiking and camping. Oh, and the mosquitos? They’re long gone.

GETTING THERE My favorite way to get to Yosemite is to fly direct from Denver to Fresno, a charming international airport where I can switch to flip flops upon landing, pick up a rental car in the terminal building and make the short drive north through California farmland, arriving in the valley two hours later.

If you’re feeling adventurous, make a road trip out of it. Head west on 70 like you’re going to Moab, but just keep driving. You’re looking at 15 hours of drive time if you take the most direct path, but you can take the scenic route through St. George, Utah, Las Vegas and Death Valley National Park if you have the time.

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WHERE TO SLEEP Another argument for visiting after September is that it’s much easier to secure camping in the valley, which means you can ditch your car and walk to most hiking spots or take the free shuttle bus.

Upper Pines Campground: The best spot in the valley; you can sleep along the banks of the Merced River and enjoy great amenities as well as unparalleled access to Half Dome, Mirror Lake and Vernal Falls.

The Ahwahnee: If you’re seeking luxury after a hectic summer and have money to burn, book a room at this historic hotel, a National Historic Landmark in the valley boasting a cavernous dining hall and crackling fires.

Yosemite View Lodge: For a mid-range option, this laidback 1970s-style lodge is located just outside the park’s west entrance on 140 and offers easygoing hospitality at the bar and river views;

BEST HIKING TRAILS Yosemite is home to 750 miles of hiking trails, and although pine trees dominate the landscape, the park showcases the dazzling colors of fall in aspens, maples and dogwood trees.

Mirror Lake Loop: Ease in with this chill five-mile nature walk along Tenaya Creek with abundant flora and fauna.

Mirror Lake is the last remnant of a glacial lake that once filled the entire valley and offers near-perfect reflections of the surrounding cliffs.

The Mist Trail: It won’t have the splendor of spring, but Yosemite’s signature hike is still a must-do in the fall.

The challenging, seven-mile rocky trail takes you up alongside both Nevada and Vernal Falls, where you can relax on giant rock slabs and watch the water tumble out of view.

Four-Mile to Glacier Point: If you’re feeling bold, trek from the valley floor to the south rim for the best views of the valley. Return the way you came for a quad-testing 9.6-mile journey, or catch the shuttle from the top.

TREAT YOURSELF In the afternoons when you’ve kicked off your hiking boots and are ready to recover, these spots never disappoint for relaxation and festivities.

Kick back: Grab a blanket and your binoculars, and while away an hour or two in lovely El Cap meadows watching the rock climbers. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagle sightings here, too.

Cocktail: Take a trip back in time to 1927, and sip on an El Capitini in a distinguished drawing room.

Soak: Need to soak those legs? If you’re heading west on 140 when you leave the park, schedule a pit stop at the Yosemite Bug Rustic Resort, where you can enjoy the spa, stretch in their yoga classes, have a bite in the bar and even spend the night all in a treetop setting. +

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Isla Holbox

Mexican Seaside Escape

By Lexi Reich

STAY Arguably one of the most luxurious properties on the island, St. Somewhere by Karisma Punta Coco is worth the stay. The latest addition to the Margaritaville collection,

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. SOMEWHERE

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sla Holbox is Mexico’s best kept secret. Located just across the water from the port of Chiquilá on the Yucatán Peninsula, the island is only reachable by ferry. While the once backpacker’s paradise continues to modernize, Isla Holbox still remains an authentic seaside escape with zero cars or high-rises. Instead, visitors are greeted with white-sand beaches, turquoise water and abundant wildlife.

the boutique hotel offers 3,000-squarefeet of beach access, 39 impressive suites and on-site restaurants with exceptional culinary experiences. Guests have the option to start their day from a swim-up suite where a floating platter of mimosas and fresh fruit awaits outside. Can a vacation truly get any better than that?

The yacht-inspired architecture, boho-chic style and open-air design are unmatched. Plus, the staff are there to please; the intimate setting allows personalized care to be devoted to each guest. 24/7 room service and pristine, air-conditioned rooms are the standard.

St. Somewhere’s craft cocktail and culinary scene is unexpected but completely elevates the destination as a bucket list item. The Sand Bar is home to panoramic sea views and lives in harmony with its natural surroundings. After a sun-drenched day, the sharing-style menu has everything you need: fresh ceviche, signature drinks and more. A few steps away, the Harbor House taps

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into ancestral creations with seasonal ingredients. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you’ll want to enjoy meal after meal here. As an added bonus, chef-led cooking classes are available to learn how to prepare local dishes like a pro.

The hotel offers kayak and stand-up paddle board rentals where you can explore miles of coastline off Coco Beach. After, it’s only ritual to order a handcrafted margarita.

PLAY The tropical oasis is 26 miles long and one mile wide, boasting a small-town feel.

The sandy — and sometimes very muddy — streets lined with oversized golf carts only add to the island-time vibe (similar to mountain time, minus the I-70 traffic). Isla Holbox has been likened to what Tulum used to be before its development boom.

Make sure to book a boat tour to visit Isla Pasion, Isla Pajaros and Yalahau Lagoon. The trio offers the chance to see resident flamingos, 35 species of nesting

birds and a freshwater sinkhole perfect for soaking. The Bioluminescent Tour takes you to swim in water glistening with the stars — a result of micro-organisms emitting light through a chemical reaction in their bodies.

Venture into town for a community yoga class or an Instagram-worthy smoothie bowl from Painapol, a must-visit brunch spot. Exploring the various food stalls and shopping nooks is advised to enhance your days on this quaint but colorful island.

IF YOU GO Fly into Cancun International Airport, and take a two-hour shuttle to the port of Chiquilá, where a ferry takes passengers 20 minutes across the water to Holbox every hour. Pack bug spray and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy if you’re visiting during rainy season.

Because of the longer travel time, you’ll want to enjoy, at minimum, an extended weekend in Isla Holbox. +

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Guide

Mushroom Foraging in the Vail Valley

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KRISTEN BLIZZARD

By Kimberly Nicoletti

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HAWK’S WINGS Sarcodon imbricatus

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CHANTERELLES Cantharellus roseocanus

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The biggest “threat” of getting into mushroom foraging may not be poisonous species; the most common risk that seems to come with foraging involves its addictive nature.

Kristen and Trent Blizzard began foraging for mushrooms in the Vail Valley about 10 years ago, and these days, their “addiction” has taken them into the forests of Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest. They even wrote a book, published in 2020, titled Wild Mushrooms: A Cookbook and Foraging Guide, which provides “everything you need to know to make mushrooming a lifestyle choice, from finding and storing to preserving and preparing common and unusual species,” according to the book description.

“This obsession has totally taken root, and it grows,” Kristen Blizzard believes. “It feels like, in a way, some sort of DNA switch flips on, igniting an ancestral hunter-gatherer gene. Part of it is about the hunt, and part of it is the thrill of being outside and seeing

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the connectedness in nature, and all of it turns into this passion. This long-lost genetic code is driving you to become a person who collects food and preserves it for the long winter, and at the same time, it’s a treasure hunt, like an Easter egg hunt for adults.”

The itch can begin with finding and identifying your first mushroom in the forest, or it can nip you when you find an amazing stash.

Kristen Blizzard was exposed to foraging through Walking Mountain Science Center, then met Trent, who had peripheral experience through friends. The couple attended the Telluride Mushroom Festival and began foraging together, and then “had one of those days where you hit the motherload, and it kinda creeps in and takes over and becomes an obsession,” Kristen Blizzard shares.

Of course, sometimes, learning from friends involves rites of passage. Trent Blizzard’s friend took him on a 10-mile hike in the Glenwood area, only to return to the car and say, “Let’s check here.”

Sure enough, they found a massive amount of mushrooms about 500 feet away. Trent called Kristen, and they continued to hunt for several hours.

“There’s a chemical dopamine response that triggers your brain, and you want to find it again and again,” says Trent Blizzard.

And oftentimes, mushrooms are like little tricksters in the forest. You may hunt all day for them only to find them close to where you started or simply at the end of the day.

Krista Schoenberg and her husband also got hooked their second year of foraging; her inspiration began working at Beano’s Cabin under a chef that foraged for all kinds of edibles in the forest. Then, she and her husband got hooked when they found a field of mushrooms so abundant that they filled their backpack, which was so heavy and full they had to take turns carrying it down the trail.

Schoenberg loves exploring the forest floor, slowly meandering, a method of “wandering and taking it all in,” she says.

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DON’T LIKE MUSHROOMS? PORCINIS Boletus rubriceps

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According to Kristen and Trent Blizzard, that’s like saying you don’t like fish.

“There’s definitely as much diversity in mushrooms as there is in fish,” Trent Blizzard says. “They all taste so different, and they’re full of protein, vitamins and minerals.

They’re a very healthy part of the diet.”

Chanterelles have a fruity taste, porcinis offer a very earthy taste, saffron milk caps have a mildly nutty, woodsy flavor, hawk’s wings are the most “mushroomy” of the bunch and puffballs, while mild and delicious, absorb the flavors around them like tofu does, Kristen Blizzard explains.

And, as the Blizzard’s point out in their book, “One of the best things about cooking wild mushrooms is that every time you open your dried caches, their unique aroma recalls your foraging experience, creating an immediate and visceral connection back to the forest. There is no finer way to appreciate food.”

“For anyone saying they don’t like mushrooms, they’re missing out on a whole world of foodie adventure,” Kristen Blizzard says.

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“It takes time, but the more you go out and pay attention to the terrain and altitude and specific trees [the more you find],” she says. “Porcinis are my favorite; they’ve got such a fantastic flavor, and they’re so cute when you find them in the forest, because there’s usually a little moss around them. The minute you find one, it’s like this addiction to keep looking and see what you’re going to find.”

So, how do you find mushrooms?

In Eagle County, most grow above 10,500 feet in and around mixed conifer forest openings and edges, with the exception of blonde morels, which grow in springtime under cottonwood trees in riparian areas. However, Kristen Blizzard says morels are a bit elusive in Colorado.

Although, they do grow prolifically in old wildfire scars one year after the wildfire, as long as the area receives average rainfall. For example, the 2021 Sylvan wildfire in Eagle produced hundreds of pounds of morels, she says.

As the season progresses, black morels grow alongside conifers and aspens at higher elevations.

From mid-July through September (and sometimes into early October), mushrooms like porcini, chanterelle, oyster, hawk’s wing, saffron milk cap, shrimp russula and puffballs emerge above 10,000 feet.

Of these eight edible mushrooms (including morels) that grow locally, porcini tends to be king.

“It’s one of the most widely loved mushrooms, with its pleasant, earthly flavor,” Trent Blizzard says, contrasting them with another popular mushroom, the morel, which offers a “totally different textural experience with beefy ridges and pits that hold a lot of sauces,” he adds.

About 40 species of chanterelles grow worldwide, but only one stands out in Colorado, perhaps due to our more arid climate; the mushrooms have a fruity, apricot taste, so the Blizzards make apricot jam with them and serve it with baked brie; it also pairs well with pork, they say.

Similarly, hawk’s wings are only considered edible in the Rocky Mountains.

Everywhere else, they’re bitter.

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“If I had to pick one to be the state mushroom, hawk’s wing would be it,” explains Trent Blizzard. “Think of it as a beginner mushroom (because it’s easy to identify). The top looks like a hawk’s wing, and the bottom, instead of pores like the porcini, or gills, has teeth; it looks like a shag carpet on the bottom.”

The saffron milk cap is unique in that it lactates a milky substance when it’s cut.

Shrimp russula actually smells a bit fishy, like shrimp, and it’s a little harder to identify for newbies, because look-alikes also grow in the forest.

Puff balls are common in Eagle County but not as desirable to eat as others, Trent Blizzard reveals.

Lobster mushrooms are another edible mushroom, with a dense texture and a nutty, sweet smell reminiscent of steamed lobster. However, they’re found mostly on the Front Range near ponderosa pines.

“You can go in three directions in the Vail Valley — north, south and east; it’s all full of mushrooms,” says Trent Blizzard.

Friends ask the Blizzards if they’re afraid of dying from poisonous mushrooms, and while they caution foragers to do their homework, they say once you learn a lot, identifying poisonous mushrooms is like distinguishing between a brown trout and a rainbow trout.

While mushrooms in other areas of the United States, such as the Pacific Northwest and Midwest, can kill you, “You’d be hard-pressed to die from a mushroom in the Vail Valley,” Trend Blizzard shares.

“There are a lot more plants in the forest that can hurt you than mushrooms.”

“At the same time,” Kristen Blizzard says, “the disclaimer around mushroom hunting is: do not eat anything you can’t identify 100%.”

Foragers like the Blizzards spent years going out with knowledgeable friends, attending mushroom festivals, joining mycological societies (there’s one in Denver and an emerging one in Glenwood) and learning about various mushrooms.

“We started with two species, then five, then 12 mushrooms, and now, we know of maybe 50 edible mushrooms,” Kristen Blizzard says. “Start slowly, and make sure you put in the time to increase your learning curve.”

“It’s an onion with a lot of layers. The more you learn, the more you grow,” Trent Blizzard says, explaining how there are medicinal mushrooms, as well as the science of mycology and the symbiotic relationship of mushrooms and trees (for example, mushrooms extract moisture and nutrients out of the soil and give it back to the tree, while the tree provides sugars for the mushroom). “It’s a pretty big world once you start investigating it.

Your curiosity has many avenues to go down, and it’s a diverse community.”

Indeed, foraging draws people from all kinds of backgrounds, and “We all get along,” Kristen Blizzard says.

“You find people who are scientists, citizen scientists, foodies or those interested in the medicinal and psychoactive (aspects),” she adds. “There are a lot of angles that bring people in, and then you kind of expand from there.” +

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KRISTEN AND TRENT BIZZARD holding morels found in a local burn (Morchella species), they refer to them as "burn morels."

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Lessons from the Journey

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By Maddie Rhodes

“Why do you think this class is called Journeys?” I posed this question to my juniors as we read two different pieces of literature — Into the Wild and The Great Gatsby. They were perplexed until they saw the ways that literary themes mirror our own lives. In Chris McCandless’ escape to Alaska and attempted transition toward a transcendental lifestyle, students could counterpose their outdoor experiences to those of McCandless and the other adventure seekers listed by Jon Krakauer. The journeys in Gatsby are abstract, but once students saw the chase of materialism, success, love and all that the past has locked away, they connected to Fitzgerald’s classic story.

Journeys define us; in literature and in nature we see a singular journey reflect the themes that guide our lives, one step or decision at a time. Last year, I was asked to give an alumni speech at my high school in Memphis, and I told the students my story since graduation — the multitude of twists and turns leading me to find a home in Eagle County.

Each step of my journey led me to this community, where my days are occupied teaching students and my weekends are filled with long run (or ski) adventures.

On a July day last year, my friend Marisa and I set out to conquer the Halo Ridge Loop in Holy Cross Wilderness.

When she first sent me the route on All Trails, I responded, “Let’s do it!” My

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zealousness to summit Holy Cross and Notch in one day overcame the concerns I should have had about the terrain and our preparedness.

Holy Cross was first photographed in 1873 by William Henry Jackson. The 14,005-foot mountain is known for its couloirs shaped like a cross, holding snow and ice into late summer. It has long been a site of mythology and pilgrimage. Since the early 20th century, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts have ventured to Holy Cross Wilderness to submit themselves, body and soul, to nature and divinity in the hopes of curing rare illnesses and absolving sins. Many of us view it from a distance in Vail during summer hikes, rides and runs. In his 1869 book, The Switzerland of America, Sam Bowles wrote of the cross, “One of the largest and finest, the snow fields lay in the form of an immense cross, and by this it is known in all the territory. It is as if God has set his sign, his seal, his promise there — a beacon upon the very center of the continent to all its people and all its generations…”

Marisa and I camped at the Halfmoon campground the night before we set out on our adventure. We scoped the signage at the trailhead, reading quotes

by Henry David Thoreau and Arne Ness, absorbing the silence and scents of pine and dust that Holy Cross Wilderness offered. In the final moments of light, we

laid out our clothes and packs of water and snacks. We were prepared. Outside the tent, we sat in camping chairs and talked about life. At 9:30 p.m. we went to sleep, alarms set for 3:30 a.m.

Raindrops hit the cover of the tent like marbles that night. We woke up in a daze of excitement, exhaustion and predawn darkness. With our GPS watches set, we took off, headlamps lighting the way.

Climbing Holy Cross, one of Colorado’s 58 14ers, requires preparation.

Though touted as a holy place, The Colorado Springs Gazette titled a 2012 article, “Mount of the Holy Cross: Colorado’s Bermuda Triangle” due to the number of mysterious hiker deaths and disappearances. We had done research on the route through word of mouth and reading online reviews. One stated, “If you’ve got a few other 14ers under your belt, this loop won’t be too much to handle. Halo ridge is arduous, but I wouldn’t call it dangerous. Lots of false summits.” The route on the app said it would take about 10 hours to complete. We were both well-worn hikers and trail runners training for fall races.

We planned to hike up Holy Cross, run across the ridge and down the other side. I thought there was no way it could take 10 hours.

As we summited the first climb, we watched the super moon shine next to the peak of Holy Cross and the sun rise

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behind our backs. The silence of the wilderness as day broke reminded us why this place amassed its fame. We continued as the trail got steeper, rockier, and we emerged out of tree line again. This time, where the trees ended, the talus began. But in between the rocks grew wildflowers galore — purples, pinks, blues and greens poked through the cracks. We followed the trail by cairns, lunging from one rock to another, from marker to marker. After just over four hours, we summited Holy Cross.

We sat at the summit, eating granola bars, sipping water and talking to other summiters. One man dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, sweatshirt and shoes that looked like Vans approached the top from the ridge we planned to climb down. He started the loop counter-clockwise. He

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told us he was coming from Notch, and he guided us in the right direction, assuring us we would make it. He didn’t look prepared for a 10-hour trek. Marisa and I, questioning if we should continue, felt more confident after talking to him, and set off down the ridge.

We continued climbing over talus toward the next peak, sure the terrain would flatten soon. When we reached the top, we took a self-timed picture on my phone — the bowl of tears just out of frame to the left and two unnamed high alpine lakes in the background on the right. We were having fun.

Ridge after ridge, we descended and ascended, each revealing a string of several peaks and valleys before us, all covered in enormous rocks. The terrain we expected to run, we realized, we would

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PHOTOS BY MADDIE RHODES

Maddie Rhodes + Marisa Dobrot

crawl over, one boulder at a time. As we progressed, I noticed a dark cloud developing to the south. We were running out of time. We skipped our planned breaks to get back below tree line before the storm developed. It was only 11 a.m.

As we neared the hut on the top of Notch Mountain, after about six hours of crawling across a ridge of scree, Marisa pointed out Gilman in the distance. We could just see the mine shaft building and abandoned houses below perched on the cliff of Battle Mountain, the Eagle River flowing beneath. I wanted to stop and watch the town, but we didn’t have time. We needed to keep moving to avoid bad weather.

We reached the hut at the top of Notch Mountain and wondered aloud how it got there. Since childhood, I roughly knew the story of Gilman and the early residents of this valley, but it wasn't until I moved here as an adult that I researched the town’s real history and relation to the land. I wanted to know how it felt to live in a town perched on the side of a mountain, surrounded only by wilderness largely untouched.

Ute Indians first called this wilderness home. They roamed and hunted animals like buffalo, elk and deer. Colorado and Utah were their land until prospectors began to lay their own claims to the area and the precious metals beneath the mountains. With miners came railroads, new settlements and no space for the Ute. Nathan C. Meeker was appointed the Indian agent for the area around Red Cliff and Gilman. In 1878, he was killed for demanding the Ute abandon their nomadic tradition for agriculture. Following the Meeker Massacre, the Ute were moved to reservations.

Residents of Gilman 100 years ago recall hiking, camping, riding horses, exploring the wilderness, fishing, skiing and sledding — ­ living every moment outside. Vesta Coursen writes about her family’s arrival from New York, “Never shall I forget the feeling of insignificance that day. We three tiny creatures on a little dirt road dug out of the side of that massive, towering, sheer brown moun-

tain! We were many days in adjusting to this sensation so that we again felt normal in size. But small as we were, we walked without fear, wondering if every shiny pebble could be gold.”

Marisa and I retraced the steps of Gilman residents and felt their presence in the Notch cabin, which was built in 1934 for day hikers like us. It’s hard to fathom trekking thousands of vertical feet with supplies to build a cabin, but they did it to admire Holy Cross, to shelter those enjoying the wilderness from danger, to lay their mark on the land and allow future generations to absorb the powers of Holy Cross Wilderness, if they survived its challenges.

We didn’t stay in the cabin for more than a couple minutes. We resumed jogging the trail heading down the side of Notch Mountain. Our legs were tired and heavy, but the storm cloud was growing larger, darker, closer. After we made it down the first few switchbacks, a thunderclap hurried our pace. We were still at least a mile above tree line. We ran down the trail into the safety of the spruce and aspen forest, several miles ahead of us. Despite our panic and fear of the sky, it never rained. We didn’t hear

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another thunderclap or see a lightning strike, but we knew not to slow down.

We had been warned.

After a successful descent, nachos in Minturn and a long conversation about never trying that again, Marisa and I parted ways. That night, I researched old newspaper articles about deaths and disappearances in Holy Cross Wilderness.

The lesson I gathered was the importance of preparedness and understanding nature’s cues. Marisa and I didn’t communicate about the storm except once or twice, but we didn’t need to.

We’ve been hiking in Colorado for most of our lives, and we know how quickly a storm can turn. We both saw the cloud forming above our heads, and we knew we needed to get off the mountain before it hit.

In the days that followed, our friends asked us how it went, and our response never varied. We were glad we did it, but we discourage others from attempting the same route. The more we pondered those ridges, the hours spent above 13,000 feet, the more we realized how much danger we had been in that day.

We were grateful Holy Cross looked favorably upon us. +

Climbing Holy Cross, one of Colorado’s 58 14ers, requires preparation.

Though touted as a holy place, The Colorado Springs Gazette titled a 2012 article, “Mount of the Holy Cross: Colorado’s Bermuda Triangle” due to the number of mysterious hiker deaths and disappearances.

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Piney Lake at Dawn September 20, 2019

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TRAI LS The Piney Lake Jour ney

By Sandy Ferguson Fuller

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DAWN. SEPTEMBER. EARLY 1800S. A mist blankets the alpine lake as warm water meets chilly air. Rainbow trout rise to paint surface ripples. From the willows, a bull moose slowly ventures out for breakfast, heavy head dipping low then lifting, dripping with a mouthful of aquatic plants. An eagle spreads its shadow high across the landscape as the sun rises behind the Gore Range. Perhaps a solitary Ute lingers, but otherwise, no human is present to observe the beauty.

Kim Fuller 2001

The Fullers 2001

Bob Woods 1970

Kim Fuller 1995

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LATE MORNING. SUMMER, 1868.

John Wesley Powell summits the 13,448foot Colorado peak that will bear his name.

Despite losing an arm in the Civil War, the heroic major prevails. Now geologist, ethnologist and professor-turned-explorer, he indulges in scaling mountains during his travels. On this second trip to the West, he will head out the following spring on a dangerous, historic expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers through the Grand Canyon. Powell’s personal mission is to enlighten others about the realities of inhabiting the Great American Desert.

How fertile is the land? Can it be settled and farmed? The riches that he discovers far exceed his expectations or anyone else who debates him, even in Washington, D.C. Looking westward from the heights of Mt. Powell, he is awed by the majestic view of the Piney River Valley, a fitting prelude to his epic journey. Powell’s expedition departs on the Green River on May 24, 1869, two weeks after the Golden Spike is driven in nearby Promontory, Utah to celebrate the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

NOON. JULY 4, 1876.

A fortune seeker dips his pan into Piney River, eager for a payoff. Rumors abound of gold and silver treasures hiding in the Gore Range. Prospectors and settlers poke around for suitable land and rewards, suddenly more accessible with the growth of the railroads. The amateur gold panner comes up short on this try. Nevertheless, he and his family intend to homestead this valley. The growing season will be short, but he will farm and hunt and build and gather. Change scents the alpine air. The black bear is aware.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANDY FERGUSON FULLER

John Wesley Powell

A CENTURY LATER. 1970S. Indeed, change arrives. The Denver Water Board acquires the Piney River Ranch property, including Piney Lake, as its front yard and playground. Mt. Powell and companion Gore peaks provide commanding views. The Ranch is a 40-acre retreat surrounded by vast back country wilderness. Over the years, several parties will purchase/resell leases. Each new operator will implement a unique vision and use, adding to the diverse history of the Ranch and surrounding area.

MEMORIAL DAY. 1970.

Licensed outfitter guides, Bob Woods and Butch Byers arrive, in the red mud with 10 horses in tow, to work the summer at the lake. They live in the sole two-room log cabin with outhouse. They end up with 20 horses and lead riders in the wilderness for the first time, including New York City mayor John Lindsay and his family. Lindsay bellies up for an eight-hour trek with Butch over remote trails around the Piney basin, including the Sheephorn.

EARLY AFTERNOON. JULY 3, 1995.

I arrive at Piney Lake for a holiday weekend of tent camping along the river with my two kids and our dog. It’s an annual tradition, and we always find change … this year, in the weather! It starts to snow, then blizzard and, soon, the property is deserted. We’re prepared, so we hunker down overnight. We wake to two feet of white and one rare, curious female moose spying from a distance.

We are alone at Piney, for the first and probably only time. I sense what a gift it is for the wild creatures to live here without human activity.

We’re soggy, but the sun arrives, along with major melt, drying out and return of the human population. Soon, we’re fishing and paddling our small kayak up the river and savoring s’mores. We’ll return, each year unique but inspiring.

MID-AFTERNOON. AUGUST, 2010.

Matt and Nancy McKenna hike the path along Piney Lake to the Piney Falls above. The McKennas live in New York but vacation in their Colorado home near

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Wolcott. Like many visitors, a repeat visit to these vistas is a favorite … Nancy’s absolute. This trip, they spot a hand painted sign at the trail edge. It reads 'For Sale' with a phone number.

What if?

“The more Nancy and I talked,” Matt McKenna remembers, “the more we realized that purchasing the Piney lease would bring together three important personal priorities: cherishing the outdoors, natural beauty and this special place; helping the public to access and enjoy that beauty; and creating an innovative business with trusted friends.”

McKenna’s law degree, career in finance with Pepsi Co., tenure as president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful and service as senior advisor to the Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture provide his foundation. If he adopts Piney, his Pepsi Co. investor colleagues will join him.

Why not?

McKenna phones. He learns that the Hansen family, current lease owners, has manned the Ranch and raised family there over summers. They embraced teepees, a boat dock and many upgrades.

Now, it seems it is their time to pass the torch. They will transfer all improvements to the new operators.

“Most importantly, we will inherit and perpetuate the Hansen traditions and vision for the property. Everyone agrees on the model of a business that can pay the bills but also walk the fine line of balancing wilderness and public access, while enabling people of every age and ability to participate in the Piney experience,” McKenna observes.

What next?

“After completion of the lease purchase, baby steps will first introduce additional changes and improvements each year to polish the gem that is Piney River Ranch. A light-touch biz regarding the environment,” McKenna proposes.

He will recruit staff to work onsite to help reach these goals. He will nurture valuable partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Denver Water Board and others. Gradually, they will encourage more activities, like trout fishing or paddling, events, like weddings or naturalist talks, overnight

guest visitation and expanded dining and retail services. With McKenna at the helm, Piney remains a side venture, still open only a few months each year. But, the Ranch will stay alive and thrive.

LATE AFTERNOON. JUNE, 2013.

Opening day for the season, June 21, approaches. McKenna is optimistic about his operation at Piney, but he is missing “one key ingredient.” He has hired an enthusiastic summer staff. Since he divides time between New York and Colorado, and he needs a general manager on site.

Enter Monique Busold, who has spent the previous 10 years managing the Lazy J Ranch in nearby Wolcott. Busold brings in Sophia Agostini as her assistant manager, desiring extra support.

Busold is the perfect match. She shares McKenna’s values of stewardship and preserving Piney’s natural beauty. She loves and respects animals, domestic and wild. Busold covets her twice-daily one-mile walk with her dog along the lake, whatever the weather, always surprised by something new.

Her work furthers the goals of promoting the Ranch to the public, facilitating events, guiding visitors about available activities and advocating a “real” mountain experience, especially spending overnights at the lake.

“That’s when the best memories are made,” Busold muses. “How many kids these days have built a campfire from scratch or toasted s’mores or spotted a shooting star with one of the best backdrops in the Valley?”

Although Busold embraces social media to support the Ranch, she is also an advocate of “digital detox.”

“No Wi-Fi,” she explains. “It’s one of the reasons Piney is popular. We are all so connected — always looking at devices. Guests arrive asking me how to connect, and many leave thanking me for the disconnect. They survive without and enjoy what Piney is about.”

Indeed, Piney is about a lot. Into canoeing, paddleboarding, fly, lure or bait fishing, horseback riding, day hiking or glamping? All available. Enjoy a burger or beer or signature barbeque? Come and get it. Crave a hat or T-shirt or toy

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Kim + Bobby 2019

or snack? Hang out at The Trading Post.

Hosting a destination wedding? Piney offers that, too.

“There’s something for everyone,” says Busold. “If the kids can’t make it the 5.8 miles up to Piney Falls, parents or grandparents can stay back and enjoy a canoe ride, pat the horses or savor a snack.”

“I have 10 grandkids and the oldest is 7. Part of my personal guide and motivation for wilderness preservation is seeing the smiles on their faces when they visit,” adds McKenna.

What about Piney’s wilderness and wildlife? Devin Duval, district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, works closely with Busold and the rest of management. Both McKenna and Busold greatly value ongoing partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the Denver Water Board (DWB). The Ranch is surrounded by White River National Forest, and USFS is mostly responsible for maintaining the road up to the lake, clearing equestrian and hiking trails, etc.

Wildlife knows no boundaries, and the creatures who inhabit the area often roam private land. The challenges and benefits of coexisting with humans are paramount at Piney, underscoring the importance of cooperation.

Duval comments on their joint effort

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and the wildlife: “The Ranch is a very easy partner to work with, and it helps when their value set aligns with some of the objectives and the mission of CPW. Since the start of our relationship, they have proven to be good stewards of the environment that they operate in. That has fostered a joint work effort and a unified goal in addressing any issues. Our end purpose is to preserve this unique area and to manage it and the Ranch appropriately.

Piney is one of the most beautiful places around and emblematic of the Gore Range and the high-country aesthetic of being in the mountains amid wildlife and stunning natural beauty. It gives the public the opportunity to connect with and truly appreciate their good fortune … and to kindle a desire to take care of what makes this place so special.

Most notable, perhaps, are the moose.

They are a Colorado success story and no more apparent than in the Piney River Valley. This drainage provides optimal habitat with a meandering river and wetlands.

Most visitors are blessed to sight them.

Black bear, too. Monique and Sophie are very effective in educating visitors about peacefully coexisting with bears.

Deer and elk roam the drainage.

Mountain lions and bobcats are more elusive, with rare sightings, not favoring

the disturbance created by human activity. Beaver, porcupine, marmots, pica, pine marten, coyote, red fox and small game species abound. Higher up toward the falls, one might spot an occasional bighorn sheep or mountain goats.

The fish population is abundant with rainbow and brown trout. Occasionally, CPW stocks the lake with catchables, creating a self-sustaining population, unless the lake gets too cold during winter to nurture spawning.

Bald eagles and golden eagles. Blue grouse. A rich variety for birders. Canadian lynx? Who knows? Ask me in a few years.”

Duval concludes, “I believe that Piney River Ranch finds it incumbent on themselves to take care of the thing that draws so many visitors up there, because if that draw is lost, the magic is lost.”

EVENING. SEPTEMBER 19, 2019.

I am back at Piney, not in hiking boots or fishing gear. I’m dressed up, with makeup! I’m here for my daughter’s wedding, and so is my son. We camped here together 25 years ago in the snow.

This time, my two young grandkids join us, and I watch them soak it all in. Maybe we’ll take a hike tomorrow, or shop for a souvenir. It’s a different Piney experience entirely, but just as special.

LATE NIGHT. SEPTEMBER 19, 2019.

We dined and wined and danced. Now, I’ll sleep in a cozy cabin, embracing change. The stars are out, so bright at high altitude, hinting at the infinite. I make a wish. Promise me, Piney?

DAWN. SEPTEMBER 20, 2019.

A mist blankets the alpine lake as warm water meets chilly air. Rainbow trout rise to paint surface ripples. From the willows, a bull moose slowly ventures out for breakfast. An eagle spreads its shadow high across the landscape as the sun peeks from behind Mt. Powell. I am present to observe the beauty.

SUMMER-FALL 2023.

The journey continues.

HAPPY TRAILS, PINEY! + pineyriverranch.com

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YOUR PREMIER FAMILY FLORIST & BOUTIQUE LOCATED IN THE HEART OF VAIL VILLAGE 970.476.2241 • 100 E. Meadow Dr. # 3, Vail, CO • secretgardenvail.com

Mental Wellness in the Mountains Healing a Community from Within By laura mills

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It’s a jersey that will never be worn again, a chef’s knife that will forever remain in its sheath, a snowboard that unknowingly took its last run, a pet that waits at home for their owner to never return and classmates that will not get to accept their diploma with their friend by their side. The agony associated with losing a loved one to suicide materializes in unimaginable ways. In intimate communities like our own, the space we take up, or the void we leave, is felt so closely by all. Grief and pain live in the wake of tragic loss, something our community is all too familiar with.

“When one person dies by suicide, research shows that about 135 people are directly exposed to that incident, and about 11 of them have significant impacts on their daily life because of that loss,” explains Erin Ivie, executive director of SpeakUp ReachOut, a nonprofit in Eagle County dedicated to suicide prevention.

Many of us carry multiple jobs, are self-starters, multi-sport athletes and so much more. We feel the need to meet expectations of “life in paradise.” But, what if your view of paradise is blocked by substance abuse, mental and behavioral health issues, high cost of living, burnout or any of the other — very real — struggles residents of our region face?

With the lofty demands of mountain-town life, we tend to forget the important role we play in the day-to-day of our small communities. You may not know it, but you could be someone’s favorite barista, waiter, cashier or friendly face at the grocery store, the bit of extra joy in their everyday that keeps them going. When your presence is no longer there, the barren space you left will never be filled the same way again. It’s a vicious cycle of loss and pain.

In most of the states that make up the mountain west, there is strong sense of, potentially toxic, independence woven into the culture. Add in a lack of mental and physical health care, isolated communities, increased access to firearms, lack of housing, substance abuse and a massive wealth gap. You can’t forget the, often invalidating, feeling of someone saying, “How could you be sad? You live in Colorado!” And that is how you fall

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into the scenario mental health experts refer to as the “paradise paradox” of the mountain west – home to the highest rates of suicide in the country.

THE WORST YEARS ON RECORD Thirteen people in Eagle County lost their lives to suicide in 2017 (an increase of eight from 2016) and 14 in 2018 as cited by the Center for Disease Control on cdc.gov. These abnormally high rates were double the historical norm according to the Colorado Center for Health & Environmental Data. Statistics provided

by Vail Health show, from 2012 to 2017, visits to the Vail Health Emergency Department for behavioral health-related causes increased by 465%, and visits related to substance use increased 332% in that same timeframe. Our youth were also deeply impacted, with three times more middle schoolers reported to have made a suicide plan than years prior. In a close community like the Vail Valley, these painful ripple effects were and are still felt, and changes needed to be made.

THE SHIFT In fall of 2017, with a landslide win of 73%, Eagle County voters passed ballot issue 1A to allow the tax revenue generated from the sale of recreational marijuana to directly support behavioral health programs throughout Eagle County. Vail Health stepped in to help with the allocation and support of this funding, thus the creation of Eagle Valley Behavior Health (EVBH) in 2019 and their commitment of $60 million over 10 years.

Prior to the involvement of EVBH, behavioral health services existed in the county but needed some help themselves. EVBH recognized the direct connections these nonprofits have within the community. They knew that the best way to connect with the community was to connect through the community.

“We’re really excited to be working with the nonprofits that have the expertise in behavioral health prevention and crisis and that we are able to support them financially and with infrastructure, so they can continue to do the great things that they do,” shares Dana Erpelding, senior director of operations for

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“When one person dies by suicide, research shows that about 135 people are directly exposed to that incident, and about 11 of them have significant impacts on their daily life because of that loss.”

Erin Ivie, executive director of SpeakUp ReachOut, a nonprofit in Eagle County dedicated to suicide prevention.

Eagle Valley Behavioral Health.

SpeakUp ReachOut works closely with EVBH, focusing on suicide prevention and loss support with a strong belief in peer-supported methodology. This impactful organization runs with a full-time staff of five. When interviewing Ivie, she painted a painfully clear analogy: “Suicide prevention is kind of like a river with a waterfall, the waterfall being the final crisis. How do we get further upstream and get people out of the water before they reach crisis?” she explains. “Can we keep them from falling into this river in the first place?”

The local economy, resources, gun safety, housing crisis, substance abuse and many other factors are all intertwined with the reality of unusually high suicide rates in our mountain valley.

However, through the intervention of EVBH and the nonprofits they are closely aligned with, Eagle County has seen a decrease in suicide rates since the re-focus on behavioral health in 2019. In

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2019, we saw 10 deaths by suicide, 12 in 2020 and eight in 2021 — the lowest Eagle County has seen since 2016. Sustaining a decrease is vital to the behavioral well-being of our community. SpeakUp ReachOut is focused on creating programs and systemic solutions to address the contributing factors of suicide and to continue to reduce this number. This materializes in a variety of initiatives; one that has caught a bit of attention is the Colorado Gun Shop Project.

According to Ivie, Colorado and other mountain west states are largely made up of rural communities; with that comes a higher number of firearms in these regions. Though owning a firearm does not mean you are going to die by suicide, Ivie adds, it does put you at higher risk.

“We are addressing that with our program called the Colorado Gun Shop Project,” Ivie explains, “where we educate our firearm retailers, firearm advocates, firearm instructors and range owners about how they can have conversations around safe storage. The conversation isn’t about the right to bear arms but about what to do when people are in crisis and how to keep them safe.”

It is no secret that the traditional rhetoric of suicide prevention and firearms historically do not share common views.

By finding neutral common ground on the safe storage of firearms and the identification of suicidal warning signs, organizations like SpeakUp ReachOut are able progress across traditionally differing sides for more wide-spread change.

PEER SUPPORT At the center of most suicidal thoughts is the feeling of being a burden to those around you. Peer support addresses that at the core by putting trained volunteers in contact with those in-need within the community. For decades, we have seen successful examples of peer support in organizations like Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous — support groups where people can connect with others who have been in their shoes and understand

their experience.

But, in a place where many residents are already stretched thin with multiple jobs due to cost of living — a contributing factor to the suicide rates in and of itself — how do we ensure peer support is available and being utilized? Erpelding says EVBH is dedicated to working with the state to establish sustainable funding, making fulltime peer support available.

“We want to continue to build that network of peers to be even greater, so anybody that wants that service can find someone in the community that they really connect with,” explains Erpelding.

Local restaurant owners Samantha Bizsantz and Lindsea Stowe were directly impacted by the loss of a dear friend by suicide in 2022. The duo modeled a great example of community involvement and a form of peer support with their Service Industry Mental Health Series and the creation of @vailmentalwellness. Bizsantz and Stowe collaborated with organizations in the Valley and peer advocates from EVBH to establish an array of workshops for community members to gather, learn about behavioral well-being, self-harm warning signs, healthy coping mechanisms and what they can do to help those in need.

“We are not the experts on mental health by any means, or the saviors, but we wanted to provide the space, physically and emotionally, for people to work through it,” says Bizsantz.

By working with leaders within their industry, Bizsantz and Stowe were able to provide a space for their community to connect, heal and grow, all while honoring a friend lost far too soon.

“I’ve had two managers [in the industry] this season reach out for resources,” shares Stowe. “I feel like the message is out in a really good way. We know where the resources are, and we’re happy to get them to the right people. I think the biggest thing we can do at this point is say there is a need. If we can be advocates, I think other people will see they can be, too.”

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Karen Jarchow is the founder of Vail Valley RIDE, a mountain bike program based in Eagle that uses the bike as a tool to nurture a child’s holistic health.

The program’s community endured the heartbreaking loss of a teen rider to suicide in February 2023, and Jarchow says there is a deep need for more mental health and wellness for local kids and the community as a whole.

"The evolution of Vail Valley RIDE has directly resulted from my own healing path,” Jarchow shares. “As I learn new ways to nourish my holistic self, I find ways to bridge these lessons to the valley youth through mountain biking. At its core, we are using the bike as a tool for a child's holistic health. Riding a bike provides many physiological benefits, such as healthy muscles and lungs. Bikes further provide nourishment for our mental, emotional and spiritual health. When riding, the thought scribbles of our mind start to lineate, and we feel more comfortable talking about our emotions."

between Grand Junction and Denver.

The main goal for the Edwards facility is to not just provide a medical building but also address the need for a better supported community in the form of an epicenter for care of all types.

By treating mental and behavioral health in the same way as physical health, we are able to knock down the stigma one rung at a time. Colorado Mountain Medical (CMM) is doing just that by working with EVBH on their Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) program. This program places a licensed behavioral health clinician at CMM. When all patients come in for their physical health visits, they are

In fall of 2017, with a landslide win of 73%, Eagle County voters passed ballot issue 1A to allow the tax revenue generated from the sale of recreational marijuana to directly support behavioral health programs throughout Eagle County.

CHANGES TO COME From the grocery stores to the housing crisis, it is clear that lack of resources is a consistent issue in the Vail Valley. This was mirrored within the health industry in a lack of both physical and behavioral health clinicians in the area.

“We don’t have as many physical health providers compared to urban areas, and we also don’t have as many mental health providers,” explains Erpelding. “That’s something we’ve been really trying to tackle.”

The Wiegers Mental Health Clinic opened in January 2023 in the Edwards Community Health Campus as the main location for outpatient services through Vail Health’s EVBH providers.

Additionally, Vail Health has broken ground on the Precourt Healing Center, a 28-bed in-patient behavioral health facility in Edwards due to open in 2025.

This facility will allow those in need to seek out and receive help closer to home by providing direct access to clinicians

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The Wiegers Mental Health Clinic opened in January 2023 in the Edwards Community Health Campus as the main location for outpatient services through Vail Health’s EVBH providers.

now asked to fill out a form focusing on the status of their behavioral health.

If the patient’s response flag concern, a licensed clinician is on site to address the issue at the time of the visit.

This supports and implements the “no wrong door” approach. As Erpelding explains, “If you’re going to see a doctor, we want to make sure they are assessing your full physical and mental health needs.”

Since the IBH program was established, it has drastically decreased the amount of M1 Holds within the community.

“A M1 Hold is when someone is in such an acute behavioral health crisis that they have to be sent to an in-patient hospital,” Erpelding explains. “They are able to identify those individuals earlier and provide them with the wrap around services and care that they need to keep them out of needing to go for a hospitalization.”

Since the launch of the IBH program in April of 2022, according to EVBH, 564 interventions have occurred, over 100 safety plans were created for those in need and 40 M1 transfers were diverted to other care. With an average cost of $25,000 per patient for each M1 Hold,

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Vail Health has broken ground on the Precourt Healing Center, a 28-bed in-patient behavioral health facility in Edwards due to open in 2025.

the implementation of the IBH program has truly redirected hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the pockets of our community.

When discussing SpeakUp ReachOut’s next focus, Ivie lit up at the opportunity to speak on their future and current project — the inclusion and education of behavioral health in Hispanic and Latin communities.

“How do we have this conversation, and what does it look like in the Hispanic and Latin community?” Ivie asks herself.

“We know that just translating everything we do in English into Spanish isn’t going to get us anywhere. We have to really be looking at the transcreation of suicide prevention into a very culturally relevant conversation.”

EVBH and their almost 50 nonprofit partners are starting to see a shift in Eagle County but recognize the work has yet to kick into high gear. With the development of the facility in Edwards, there is strong hope that, moving forward, behavioral healthcare holds its own weight. With Eagle Country acting as leaders in these systematic changes, we all have stake in, and can positively impact, this outcome. +

If you or someone you know is struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the following local resources: •

SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE: Call or text 988 for 24/7 confidential support.

•

COLORADO CRISIS SERVICES: Call 844.493.8255 or text “TALK” to 38255.

•

YOUR HOPE CENTER: 970.306.4673

•

VailHealthBH.org

•

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live like a local

Erik Brofos by lexi reich

“ First graduating class of Vail Mountain School in 1976. Brofos is in the back row.

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Growing up here was like going to summer camp every day,” Erik Brofos says. The longtime local moved to Vail in 1965 from New Hampshire when his parents made the decision to manage Vail Blanche Sport Shop.

Now, 58 years later, Brofos reflects on a time when Vail only had a couple hundred residents and how it has blossomed since.

“Adventure was as far away as the edge of town, which was about where Ford Amphitheater to the east and Lionshead to the west are now with no I-70,” he explains. “Camping was as close as Golden Peak or Shady Oaks, as we called it, the cliffs above the town shop yard.”

After college, Brofos pursued a career as a ski instructor and finished his 47th year last season. He loves the active lifestyle of the Valley, and riding bikes has also been a big part of it. “A dozen years ago, a friend and I rode from Canada to Mexico to raise funds for Pediatric AIDS in our Valley,” Brofos recalls.

While Brofos knows firsthand the struggles of living in an expensive resort town, he believes volunteering and getting involved in the fabric of the community is key to maintain a positive outlook.

“I am very fortunate to have been brought to Vail at the age of 7 and to experience the building of a community, town and ski resort,” Brofos shares.

What does “journey” mean to you?

As many people often announce that Vail isn’t the real world, I’ve got to step back and try to figure out why that is.

My journey isn’t that different than anyone else anywhere else. As I write this, I’m celebrating my other journey; it’s been six years today from beating cancer for the second time, so yes, I’m winning life’s health journey in many ways. How can we help those around us see that life is tough everywhere, not just here? And, it’s damn beautiful, too. Check in with your friends, and see how their journey is going, and pull them up when needed. Remember we live in a town, a ski resort and a community, and we all share that journey!

What is your favorite part about living in the Vail Valley?

Well, it goes without saying that this is an amazing place to be from. Vacations and travel are always looked forward to, but coming home after is the best! I guess, over the years, I’ve tailored and blended my love of all things outside with my work, so it’s sometimes hard to tell one from the other. I’m fortunate to still work for the mountain, but primarily, I work for a family that I’ve been with for literally decades. Truly, some days I can’t believe I get paid to do what I enjoy. And yes, it takes several jobs to make my world go round! We really do live in an exceptional and supportive Valley. +

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIK BROFOS; PORTRAIT BY WHITNEY RAE PHOTOGRAPHY

“All three of those things reside here, and it’s important that we take care of all three.”

Today, his family is heavily involved in the active lifestyle of the Valley; his wife Joelle works for Vail Resorts, his daughter is a wedding photographer and others in his family circle are ski instructors, as well.

Covered Bridge reached out to Brofos to learn more about his journey as a Vail Valley local.

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events summer + fall 2023

Bravo! Vail Music Festival

Vail, CO • June 22-25, 2023 Come join fellow classical music connoisseurs at this three-day festival featuring performances by orchestras, small ensembles and more. For information about ticket prices and dates, visit the website. asmf.org

Eagle Flight Days

Pride in the Park

Avon, CO • June 3, 2023 Whether you are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community or an ally, all are welcome at this event celebrating visibility, equity and inclusion in the mountains of Colorado. The main festivities include a drag show and parade around Nottingham Park. avon.org

SunsetLIVE!

Avon, CO • June 4, 2023 This unique event is sure to be an evening to remember. Listen to a variety of local Eagle County musicians while enjoying a beautiful Rocky Mountain sunset. vailvalleypartnership.com

GoPro Mountain Games

Vail, CO • June 8-11, 2023 This is the perfect event for active, mountain-loving people. Be surrounded by a plethora of music and art as you spectate or participate in these thrilling games. Some of the games will include biking, hiking, kayaking, yoga, fishing and more. To register to participate, visit the website. mountaingames.com

AvonLIVE!: Battle of the Bands

Avon, CO • June 14, 2023 Enjoy a little friendly competition with this battle of the bands between national and regional talent. While listening to musicians compete against each other, enjoy some delicious food from local food trucks and ice cold beverages, and make some memories with good friends. vailvalleypartnership.com

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Downvalley Get Down

Gypsum, CO • June 14, 2023 This free concert is one of many that will take place in Gypsum this summer. Grab your family and friends, and enjoy food trucks, live music and nonalcoholic beverages. Not up for the food provided? Feel free to BYO dinner and picnic. townofgypsum.com

Vail Craft Beer Classic

Vail, CO • June 16-17, 2023 The seventh annual Vail Craft Beer Classic combines beer with the high-altitude adventure of Vail Valley. Enjoy the best assortment of craft beers, seltzers and ciders while listening to live music with the advantage of beautiful views. vailcraftbeerclassic.com

Minturn Market Father’s Day Market

Minturn, CO • June 17, 2023 Enjoy this local, family-friendly artisan market that features a variety of local products, including food trucks, fresh produce, baked goods, art and pottery, clothing and jewelry, pet products and much more. Spend the day making memories with dad while getting the best the local community has to offer. minturn.org

Summer Solstice Race

Beaver Creek, CO • June 22, 2023 Celebrate the longest day of the year with fun competitive races for the whole family, including a kids race, 10K, 5K, food vendors and an award ceremony. This event is sure to be fun and will take place with gorgeous alpine views. raceentry.com

JULY July Fourth Kids Bike Parade

Eagle, CO • July 4, 2023 Give the kids a Fourth of July to remember with this fun parade! Bring your bikes, trikes and scooters decked out in red, white and blue to show your American pride. Kids can also enjoy bouncy houses, face painting and freeze pops. eagleoutside.com

Farm to Table Dinners

Vail, CO • July 7, 2023 Enjoy a chef-crafted dinner sourced from local Colorado fields that will include seasonal favorites. You can’t beat this intimate dinner in the heart of Vail that is sure to enhance your dining experience. For recurring dates, visit the website. discovervail.com

Vail’s Art on the Rockies Festival

Edwards, CO • July 7-9, 2023 Enjoy art with a view with this festival featuring beautiful art from over 110 artists from around the country. Whether you are there to purchase, judge or enjoy art, it is sure to put a smile on your face. zapplication.org

Vail Farmers’ Market & Art Show

Vail, CO • July 9, 2023 For its 22nd year, over 148 tents of delicious fresh food, handmade products and beautiful artwork will be available to peruse. Enjoy the fun of the hand-picked food vendors mixed with a gorgeous view of Vail Valley. vailfarmersmarket.com

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PHOTO BY KIM FULLER

JUNE

Eagle, CO • June 23-25, 2023 This event is sure to be fun for the whole family with activities like kid zone, interactive games, splash of color fun run, silent disco, crafts and even a parade, which you can dress up as an old-time settle for. Among the fun, exciting events, you can indulge in all the festival favorites, such as food vendors, fresh popcorn and refreshing beverages. eagleoutside.com

Vail Jazz Festival

R4R Women’s Fly-Fishing Event

Lakeside Cinema

Beaver Creek Art Festival

Vail, CO • July 9, 2023 This music festival is sure to be fun for the whole family. Running from July 9 to Sept.

4, it is sure to bring your spirits up with the many classical performances and workshops.

Expand your knowledge and love for this underrated style of music, and let it lift you up. vailjazz.org Avon, CO • July 14, 2023 Gather your closest friends and family, and enjoy free movies in the park ranging from adult classics to family-friendly animations.

This is sure to be fun for the whole family with various other activities available for early-goers, such as picnicking and paddle boating. vaildaily.com

Eagle County Fair and Rodeo

Eagle, CO • July 27, 2023 Experience an old western-style event this summer at the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo.

Activities of non-stop fun include The Freedom Riders Drill Team, Mutton Bustin’, wagon hitch, rodeo clown and professional rodeo contestants and their horses. Ticket sales information is available on the website. eaglecountyfairandrodeo.com

Vail Dance Festival

Vail, CO • July 28- August 7, 2023 This two-week festival features world-renowned artists and companies and multiple festival events, ranging from master classes for pre-professional dancers to conversations on dance, pop-up performances and more. vaildance.org

Avon Arts Celebration

Avon, CO • July 29-30, 2023 The fourth annual Avon Arts Celebration is sure to be fun for the whole family with an art show featuring works in various mediums, such as printmaking, ceramics, mixed media, jewelry, wood, fiber and photography. You’re sure to find artwork that is just right for you at this celebration festival. avon.org

AUGUST Berry Picker Race

Vail, CO • August 3, 2023 Enjoy this race that tests runners of all abilities on both single-track and double-track terrain over 4.5 miles of uphill running with an average grade of 14%. This race begins at the base of Gondola One in Vail Village and ends at Mid-Vail at the top of Gondola One. raceentry.com

Minturn, CO • August 3-6, 2023 Enjoy nature in the company of other women who want to have a great time for a great cause. This event raises money for the Risers for Rett Association, so whether you are a fishing expert or a first timer, you will be making a memorable difference. eventbrite.com Beaver Creek, CO • August 4-6, 2023 Enjoy the 35th annual Beaver Creek Art Festival and all that it has to offer the first weekend of August. This festival includes a perfect ambience to view and purchase amazing artwork from the nation’s talented artists and crafters. Spend the weekend in good company with immaculate vibes radiating from both the art and the artists. artfestival.com

Kids Adventure Games

Vail, CO • August 10-13, 2023 This is the perfect event to get your kids out of the house this summer with a variety of challenging obstacle courses and friendly competition. This event teaches lifelong values of teamwork, sportsmanship, problem-solving, overcoming adversity and joy and appreciation for the environment. kidsadventuregames.com

Vail Wine Classic

Vail, CO • August 10-13, 2023 Calling all wine enthusiasts for a fun weekend of wine tasting. This grand tasting includes domestic and international wines, premium craft beers and seltzers. Also, enjoy live music, appetizers, educational seminars and paired dinners. Must be 21 with a valid ID to attend. vailwineclassic.com

Block Party Eagle 2023

Brew’Au Avon

Avon, CO • August 19, 2023 For the fourth year in a row, attend this day full of fun for the whole family. This festival includes unlimited samples of amazing brews, seltzers and ciders in a souvenir sampling glass, live music, water lanterns, food trucks, kids activities, lawn games and many more activities. Ticket packages are available on the website. avon.org

Nature Tykes

Gypsum, CO • August 21, 2023 Introduce your children to the beauty of nature, and watch as they learn about the environment through fun activities and lessons.

Explored areas include the woods, meadows and wildflowers. Registration is required. walkingmountains.org

XTERRA USA Championship Triathlon

Avon, CO • August 26, 2023 Enjoy some family-friendly competition while getting some healthy exercise in this set of triathlon events. Compete in a full triathlon, sprint triathlon or both, and start out your day right. Also, participate in a variety of festival-like activities after the races, and enjoy a fun summer day. xterraplanet.com

SEPTEMBER Gourmet on Gore

Vail, CO • September 1-3, 2023 Spend Labor Day weekend having fun at this culinary event that includes food trucks, wine, beer and spirit tasting, live music and other fun boutique events. Enjoy this gourmet event in great company and within great views in the heart of Vail Village. gourmetongore.com

Eagle, CO • August 11-13, 2023 This summer kickback is sure to be a blast for all ages with a variety of fun activities, including live music, bar, local food trucks and craft vendors. Enjoy all the neighborhood block party fun on a whole other level for a weekend you won’t forget. allevents.in

Summer’s End

Drinkering and Tinkering: A Zero Waste Craft Event

Paddle Battles

Avon, CO • August 17, 2023 Create an upcycled clock at this fun event that promotes a healthy environment with a lesson in the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. Bring a friend, crack open a cold one and explore how you can upcycle many different household items. walkingmountains.org

Avon, CO • September 1-4, 2023 Celebrate summer’s end at this annual Labor Day weekend festival showcasing fun activities, including lakeside cinema, sand volleyball, paddle boating, swimming, picnicking and so much more, all while enjoying live music. discoveravon.org Avon, CO • September 3, 2023 Celebrate summer’s end with this unique array of family-friendly activities, ranging from paddle board competitions to a cardboard boat regatta. discoveravon.org

Vail Oktoberfest

Vail, CO • September 8-10, 2023 Enjoy this classic Bavarian festival in one of two weekends this September. Experience all the festivities, including brat eating, keg bowling and stein lifting contests, yodeling, alpenhorn blowing and Bavarian dancers. oktoberfestvail.com

events summer + fall 2023 Dynafit Meadowgold 5K and 10K

Minturn, CO • September 9, 2023 This is the seventh and final race in the Vail Recreation District's Vail Trail Running Series.

The 5K runners will enjoy a 1.5-mile double-track ascent through mountain meadows and past old homesteads. 10K runners will ascend technical single-track on the beautiful West Grouse Trail with multiple stream crossings and fields of blooming wildflowers. vailrec.com

Vail Automotive Classic

Vail, CO • September 15-17, 2023 This event is sure to rev everyone’s engines, as it showcases a variety of different vehicle types ranging from classic to futuristic. Also, enjoy various other festivities, including drinks, good food, live music and lawn games. vailautomotiveclassic.com

Freebird 50 and 25K Mountain Bike Races

Eagle, CO • September 16-17, 2023 This popular mountain bike race is back again and is sure to be a good time. Grab your friends and family, and experience and enjoy the uphill route and beautiful scenery as you work on your stamina. strambecco.com

Mountain RATS Festival

Eagle, CO • September 16-17, 2023 Celebrate the arrival of the fall season with trail running and mountain bike challenges. Ring in the end of summer with exciting festival fun and adventure for the whole family. Afterwards, you can relax with a beer, hot meal, music and a massage at the recovery station. ultrasignup.com

The Vail Concours

Vail, CO • September 17, 2023 Calling all car enthusiasts for this showcase of diverse cars, ranging from supercars to vintage classics and motorcycles. carsandcoffeeevents.com

Donation-Based Yoga

Minturn, CO • September 26, 2023 Attend this donation-based, guided yoga session, and reach your spiritual awakening. Give back to the community with donations and help those who can’t afford yoga knowledge and classes. Registration is required online before the session. vaildaily.com

OCTOBER Community Meditation

Eagle, CO • October 1, 2023 Enjoy a heartfelt evening of meditation as you take time for your mind and body. Gather with a community of wellness and spirituality focused people, and witness something truly special happen inside you. vaildaily.com

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EarthKeepers

Eagle, CO • October 10, 2023 Bring your kids, and watch as they explore the natural world and have fun learning about the world and environment with others. Nothing beats watching your kids see new things for the first time. This event will bring fun for everyone — children and adults alike. walkingmountains.org

Man of the Cliff

Avon, CO • October 14-15, 2023 Join the fun of lumber-jack games and outdoor ruggedness at this festival full of vibes.

Put on your favorite flannel, and participate in axe throwing, keg tossing, speed chopping and so much more. avon.org

Family Story Time

Gypsum, CO • October 19, 2023 Grab the little ones, and head on over to the Gypsum Public Library for some fun. Kids can enjoy theme-based stories, songs, rhymes and more to encourage healthy development. vaildaily.com

All Terrain Games

Eagle, CO • October 25, 2023 Compete in this multifaceted race that combines elements of endurance, strength and coordination. This race varies over many different tests of endurance, including mountain biking, rock climbing, fitness tests and trail running. raceentry.com

Avon Spooktacular Polar Plunge

Avon, CO • October 28, 2023 Grab some of your best friends, and enjoy this fundraising event where you will plunge into the freezing Nottingham Lake for Special Olympics Colorado. specialolympicsco.org

Minturn Halloween

Minturn, CO • October 30, 2023 Put your costumes on, grab the kids and head on over to Minturn for some trick-or-treating and fun photo opportunities. This family-friendly Halloween event is sure to be fun for the whole family. minturn.org

Minturn Monster Dash 3M and Tombstone 10M Run

Minturn, CO • October 30, 2023 Celebrate the spooky season right with these festive themed runs! Participate in a 3M, 10M or both, and stay active this Halloween. raceentry.com

NOVEMBER Revely Vail Thanksgiving Festival

Vail, CO • November TBA This event will help you and those you love kick off the holiday season with beautiful views and fun winter activities. Explore the magic of the holiday season at this must-go event, featuring things like light displays and skiing fun. discovervail.com

Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week

Vail and Beaver Creek, CO • November TBA Enjoy high-altitude dining with an array of restaurants spanning across two World Class Mountain Resorts — Vail and Beaver Creek.

Try the best that these resorts have to offer, paired with amazing winter views. diningataltitude.com

Winter Market and Holiday Fair

Eagle, CO • November TBA This is a one-stop shopping experience for all of your holiday needs. Choose from handmade crafts, holiday must-haves, beauty products, food and so much more. festivalnet.com

Brush Creek Elementary Turkey Trot

Eagle, CO • November 23, 2023 This event is one that the whole family will enjoy with a 5K on Thanksgiving morning.

There will be snacks and hot beverages waiting for you at the finish line to warm up with. eagleschools.net

Eagle-Vail Turkey Trot

Eagle-Vail, CO • November 23, 2023 Enjoy a fun family event on the morning of Thanksgiving. This event features a fun 5K run/walk through Eagle-Vail in which fun Thanksgiving costumes are encouraged. It is sure to be a fun time and an excellent way to get your exercise in before turkey time. youthpower365.org

Beaver Creek Tree Lighting Ceremony

Beaver Creek, CO • November 24, 2023 Create new holiday memories this year at the annual Beaver Creek tree lighting ceremony, where the town Christmas tree begins its journey to Christmas. Enjoy this festive evening with your closest friends and family this holiday season. beavercreek.com

Christmas Fun Run and Walk

Eagle, CO • November 26, 2023 Start off the Christmas season right this year with a fun run and walk. This event includes a 5K and a one-mile option. This is sure to be fun for the whole family. raceentry.com

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dining guide VAIL Après Cafe

A casual dining and drink spot in East Vail that’s great for groups, game day, après-adventure and dinner.

Open Thursday-Monday, 1-9 p.m.

4695 Racquet Club Drive, Vail 970.688.5437 aprescafevail.com

El Segundo Vail

Hip restaurant whipping up casual Mexican, Asian and American dishes, plus an extensive tequila list.

223 Gore Creek Drive, Vail 970.763.5470 elsegundovail.com

Fall Line Kitchen & Cocktails Globally accented new American cuisine and cocktails served in a ski lodge inspired setting.

232 Bridge St., Vail 970.470.4803 falllinevail.com

Montauk Seafood Grill

Warm, intimate restaurant and bar offering refined surf 'n' turf and an extensive wine list.

549 E. Lionshead Circle, Vail 970.476.2601 montaukvail.com

EAGLE-VAIL + AVON Foods of Vail

Small food store and catering outfit offering gourmet prepared foods, plus olive oils and cheeses.

82 E. Beaver Creek Blvd., #100, Avon 970.949.0282 foodsofvail.com

Hygge Life Shop & Café

Home décor shop with a cozy craft coffee bar and a collection of Scandinavian home goods, accessories and gifts.

41149 US-6, Avon 970.331.5745 hyggelife.com

Pazzo’s Pizzeria

Local pizzeria chain serving pies, pasta and sandwiches, plus beer and wine, in a casual atmosphere.

82 E. Beaver Creek Blvd., Avon 970.949.9900 pazzospizza.com

Vin48

Stylish spot for wine by the glass or bottle and creative American fare in a cozy setting with patio.

48 E. Beaver Creek Blvd., Avon 970.748.9463 vin48.com

Pazzo’s Pizzeria

Local pizzeria chain serving pies, pasta and sandwiches, plus beer and wine, in a casual atmosphere.

122 E. Meadow Drive, Vail 970.476.9026 pazzospizza.com

Root & Flower

Modern bar offering craft cocktails and a curated selection of wines by the glass, plus a changing menu of New American bites.

288 Bridge St., Vail 970.470.4189 rootandflowervail.com

The Grazing Fox + Picnic Vail

Antipasto platters, grazing tables and luxury lunch boxes; mountain-inspired picnics.

Delivering East Vail to Edwards 970.279.1342 thegrazingfox.com picnicvail.com

Two Arrows Coffee | Bar

Craft coffee and cocktails with fresh local provisions in the heart of Vail Village.

225 Wall St., Vail 970.763.5101 twoarrowscoffee.com

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MINTURN Sunrise Minturn

Mountain café with local ingredients, coffee, breakfast and lunch.

132 Main St., Minturn 970.827.5353 sunriseminturn.com

EDWARDS Craftsman Brew Co.

Modern, chef-driven sandwich and beer bar.

0105 Edwards Village Blvd., Edwards 970.855.2718 craftsmanbrewco.com

Drunken Goat

A cheese shop, wine bar and gathering place for delicious charcuterie, bruschetta, paninis, salads and soups, along with gourmet market offerings and an amazing patio.

56 Edwards Village Blvd., #104, Edwards 970.926.1393 drunkengoatco.com

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Riverwalk Theater + Edwards Supply Company

Locally owned movie theater featuring craft beer, BBQ sandwiches, coffee, pizza, soft serve ice cream, milkshakes, popcorn, candy and snacks.

34253 US-6, Edwards 970.855.2182 riverwalktheater.com

Village Bagel

Fresh, hand-rolled bagels made the old fashioned way. Schmears, savory bagel sandwiches and homemade pizza available.

34500 US-6 B7, Edwards 970.855.2940 villagebagel.co

EAGLE El Segundo Eagle

Hip restaurant whipping up casual Mexican, Asian and American dishes, plus an extensive tequila list.

1020 Capitol St., Eagle 970.328.6220 elsegundoeagle.com

Inner Light Juice

Juice bar with a mission to serve organic nourishment that provides healing and balance to body, mind, soul and planet.

115 E. 2nd St., Eagle 970.705.4188 innerlightjuice.com

Pazzo’s Pizzeria

Local pizzeria chain serving pies, pasta and sandwiches, plus beer and wine, in a casual atmosphere.

50 Chambers Ave., Unit C, Eagle 970.337.9900 pazzospizza.com

Wild Sage

A healthy approach to casual dining, vegetarian and vegan friendly menu with craft cocktails, local draft beer and an amazing wine list in the heart of Eagle Ranch.

1143 Capitol St., #104A, Eagle 970.705.1689 wildsageeagle.com

GYPSUM Village Bagel

Fresh, hand-rolled bagels made the old fashioned way. Schmears, savory bagel sandwiches and homemade pizza available.

150 Cooley Mesa Rd., Gypsum 970.855.2940 villagebagel.co

“My 1970 summer on horseback in the Gore Range-Eagles Nest Primitive Area, working as an outfitter guide, kindled my appreciation of the Colorado wilderness and awakened my curious mind to journey to wild places around the world.”

Robert (Bob) Woods

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c o v e r e d b r i d g e va i l . c o m

ART BY SANDY FERGUSON FULLER

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