July is the Explore Issue
Welcome to the Explore issue! What does that word bring to mind when you hear it? Maybe going into the woods. Or, discovering a new country on a different continent. Sampling new cuisines and foods. Learning new information.
Tracing the word back to its origins, we find its original meaning ascribed to ancient hunters who scouted new grounds by calling out—ex plorare—to startle animals from their hidey-holes. In this way, the hunters could see what resources were available to them. Over time, the word's "calling out" meaning took a turn for the philosophical and began to refer more to humankind's innate need to ask why. To call out this question, along with who, what, when, where, and how, into the void of the unknown and the unseen. These questions are not dead ends, but rather, delicious invitations to go, find out.
In this issue, we're calling on you to call out your deepest curiosities. We invite you to go find out what's on the menu for your next backpacking trip? When is the only time you'll see this region's most dazzling secret sites? Where can you get away and reconnect with your inner spirit without even boarding a plane? How can screen-addicted youngsters learn to appreciate the great outdoors? And, why will it be impossible to see a single aspen tree while out on a hike?
Our Explore issue presents a host of ways you can explore this region from dawn til dusk (plus the hours in between). It offers pathways to seek trails that lead you "out there," but also right back "in here" to your heart and soul. So, whaddya say? Are you ready to go hunting for the unknown, unseen, and undeniably satisfying? Let's go!
BRANDEN (BRANDY) MURRAY, PUBLISHER @DURANGOCITYLIFESTYLE
Correction from the last issue: In The Gentlemen's Issue, Wyatt Richards was the photographer for "Durango's Beauty on Display" (not Josh Cannon).
July
PUBLISHER
2024 Visit our Instagram
Branden (Brandy) Murray branden.murray@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATORS
Chelsey Juarez | chelsey.juarez@citylifestyle.com
Jennifer Mason | jennifer.mason@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jenny Mason, Zac Robinson, Richie Samora
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Kathrene Frautschy, Amanda Johnston, Rob Lovato, Justin Sutton, Mary Teraji
Corporate Team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Rachel Chrisman
LAYOUT DESIGNER Jamie Housh
Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com/franchise.
Proverbs 3:5-6
inside the issue
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Durango Sustainable Goods’ outdoor café is popular this summer! 2: Cindy Schmidt (left) and Claire Attkisson rockin’ out at the Michael Franti concert. 3: If you see random pianos to play around town, thank Durango Street Pianos! 4: The San Juan Symphony Chamber Ensemble ends the Bach Festival on a high note. 5: A record-breaking crowd (300+) swarmed the Community Foundation’s opening 19th Hole Concert benefitting local nonprofits.
CLAIRE ATTKISSON
RACHEL ROSENTHAL
CINDY SCHMIDT
LAURA ARGOTSINGER
@DURANGOSTREETPIANOS
Want to learn to shoot the Milky Way? Join us for a 2 night, 3 day photography workshop where you will gain all the knowledge you need.
Three seasoned photographers have teamed up to take advantage of the dark skies near Durango to offer these workshops. Visit our web site to book on line. rgpexpeditions.com
Bet THE RANCH
WHEN THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE LIGHTS UP YOUR LIFETIME
Families
ARTICLE BY STAFF WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA JOHNSTON
ranch.
Giddyup! Dash across the meadow feeling newfound confidence.
Hang on to your hats! Fun hits all new levels out at the Colorado Trails Dude Ranch.
Aching to travel, yet dreading the rigamarole of flying? Not sure how to entertain your summer visitors? Saddle up and head to the Colorado Trails Ranch, an all-inclusive dude ranch and resort surrounded by over two million scenic acres. For over six decades, this getaway has provided first-class hospitality.
“One of our goals is to help our guests have a great time,” explains ranch co-manager Amanda Johnston. “But the larger goal is to create positive interactions that each individual will find enriching and inspiring. It’s our mission to leave guests
feeling more refreshed, more self-aware, and more confident in themselves and the direction of their lives. Learning how to guide your horse, cast a fly rod, or just soak up nature gives us all a refreshing perspective that is truly transformational.”
Guests of the Colorado Trails Ranch rediscover their core authenticity—who they truly are at heart and what really matters. This pathway to authenticity is likely rooted in the site’s adherence to genuine ranch work. As Johnston notes, “We are a working ranch.” That means the ranch produces hay, manages a garden and greenhouse, breeds horses, and participates in forestry management. Guests should expect to encounter lots
of animals, including horses, goats, rabbits, wild deer, chickens, cats, a ranch dog, and a tortoise!
“We want to preserve our land, provide the utmost care for our team, and animals, and we want to utilize our resources from the nature around us,” Johnston says.
Throughout July, Colorado Trails offers a Summer All-Inclusive Dude Ranch program with a 3-6 night experience complete with daily horseback rides, white-water rafting, fly-fishing, sports shooting, Durango rodeo, forest cookouts, chef-prepared meals, and unlimited access to trails, a heated pool, and hot tub. Packages are also available for the fall and offer a slower pace to drink in Colorado’s stunning colors!
Gourmet meals are locally sourced.
Visiting the ranch is an unforgettable experience for the entire family.
Families connect in new ways and on new levels.
Hikes, cookouts, singalongs are only a few of the highlights offered.
Ranch staff are always nearby to help, coach, or encourage guests to go beyond their comfort zone.
ARTICLE BY ZAC ROBINSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB LOVATO, JUSTIN SUTTON & MARY TERAJI
A R K S K Y
Dark Sky Destinations
The Darker the Prairie, the Sweeter the Views
D
Gem-toned leaves dripping off trees and sweeping mountain vistas—drives up US-550 easily fill a camera-roll with calendar-worthy shots of Southwest Colorado. But most tourists and locals neglect the best time to view this region’s splendors: nighttime! A near-perfect combination of high altitude, dry climate, and minimal light pollution combine to create world class stargazing conditions.
Opposite: Is that dragon’s breath in Justin
Sutton’s photograph of La Plata Canyon?
Above: Rob Lovato sees the cosmos come alive over the Animas River.
Right: Colorful night skies over Little Molas Lake as photographed by Lovato.
The best time to peek into the universe is near a new moon, or when the moon will be staying below the horizon until later in the night.
After sunset, escape to more remote spots to glimpse the shimmering star palaces. Just 35 miles west of Durango, Mesa Verde National Park was recently (in 2021) certified as a Dark Skies International Park. Marvel at the Milky Way’s glow or cascading meteor showers from the Morefield Campground.
Heading east from Durango, Chimney Rock National Monument opens the celestial window to ancient Puebloan culture and serves as a prime location for stargazing events. The monument's Great House Pueblo was strategically aligned with celestial events, demonstrating the historical significance of astronomy in the region.
Each time you gaze up at night’s dark ocean and notice how its sparkling ships sail steady courses throughout the year, you share in a human experience that spans countless generations.
Above: Photographer Rob Lovato spots "rainbows" at night from Cascade Creek. Opposite: Sutton renders the Milky Way's glow from Engineer Pass.
“A near-perfect combination of high altitude, dry climate, and minimal light pollution combine to create world class stargazing conditions.”
Top: Lovato captures the night sky's jewels from Handies Peak.
Left: Mary Teraji captures night's vinyl album turning above Uravan, Colorado.
Right: Taylor Lake stuns more by night than by day through Lovato's viewfinder.
Durango Cabinet Co.
July Art Classes Are In!
Ink Drawing:
The Botanicals of Colorado
July 12th @ 5PM
Figure Drawing: Dynamic Dogs
July 13th @ 1PM
The Magic of Wheel Throwing
July 15th @ 6PM
The Wonders of Watercolor
July 18th @ 6PM
Warhol & Wine: Moonrise
July 18th @ 6PM
Art of Glass: Stained Glass Bluebird/ Cardinal
July 20th @ 2PM
Threads of Renewal:
Upcycled Block Printing
July 27th @ 2PM
The
HIDE
AND SEEK
Find These Gems on San Juan Mountains Association’s Scavenger Hunt
ARTICLE BY STAFF WRITER
1. GO WILD FOR WILDFLOWERS
Summer wildflowers pop like fireworks on the Pass Creek Trail (#500) up to Engineer Mountain. Wildflowers are like your nose— resist picking! Flowers are a key food source for pikas and marmots, which eat dried wildflowers stored in their burrows over winter. Take pictures and create virtual bouquets instead.
Did you know ponderosa forests, like those engulfing the Boggy Draw Trail System, need regular wildfires to keep them healthy? At lower elevations, a 10- to 15-year cycle is perfect. As you trek through Boggy Draw, look for trees with burn scars. More scars indicate a robust forest.
The lodgepole pines found along the Crater Lake Trail (#623) from Andrew’s Lake are technically an invasive species. They were planted during past wildfire restoration efforts. Mo’ invasives usually means mo’ problems, but the lodgepoles saved lives. Their presence boosted the snowshoe hare population which, in turn, saved dwindling lynxes from demise.
2. SCARS ARE HOT
3. LIFE AND DEATH ARE LYNX’D
Lynx look cute, but they are dangerous predators. Look for lodgepole pines on your scavenger hunt.
Burn scars are a sign of a healthy ponderosa forest.
Before they metamorphose for flight, many insect larvae develop underwater.
Beavers seem destructive, but actually create healthy habitats.
Good luck spotting just one aspen tree! These clones are tough to distinguish.
SJMA dares hikers to point at a single aspen tree on the Big Al Trail (# 630). Aspen trees are clones. To point at one is to point at hundreds. Clone colonies change colors simultaneously in autumn. Some clones stand out thanks to burls, or tree warts. These trunk lumps are caused by fungi or other diseases.
4.
If you pause to soak your sore feet while traversing the Vallecito Creek Trail (#529), flip over a submerged rock or two. Odds are good you’ll see benthic macroinvertebrates, or BMVs. These soggy larvae will develop into winged insects, like dragonflies and stoneflies. Far from lazy loafers, these teen bugs are a sign of a healthy waterway.
The Owens Basin Trail (#746) conceals a rarely-sighted secret! A massive embankment of lumber and mud is actually an engineering marvel. This and every beaver dam "breaks" ponds and rivers, which creates a rich habitat for other wildlife. Plus, the beaver's oasis mitigates devastating wildfires. Beavers and humans are the only animals on Earth that reconstruct and redesign their environments.
5. CLONE WARS
6. NATURE’S ARCHITECTS
LITTLE BUGGERS
Pre-order a basketpicnic&
Elevate your Thursday “Concert in the Park” Experience this Summer! laurasartisan.com/picnic-baskets
ARTICLE BY JENNY MASON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRENE FRAUTSCHY
EXPLORATION IS AN EXPECTATION AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LA PLATA COUNTY
Instead of touching screens, BGC kids get in touch with the real world.
GENERATION WILD
Wade in a stream. Bury a time capsule. Watch a sunrise. On the official 100 Things to Do Before You Turn 12 list, young people are invited to explore life’s simpler pleasures. All too often, these pleasures are sidelined and ignored in
“We’re meeting them where they’re at and challenging them to explore,” Morris says. He explains that anytime devices are incorporated into an activity, they are used to provoke new interests and passions that can then be
“WE’RE MEETING THEM WHERE THEY’RE AT AND CHALLENGING THEM TO EXPLORE.”
today’s fast-paced, screen-based culture. Luckily, the Boys and Girls Club of La Plata County (AKA The Club) is adept at spurring kids to go explore.
“The big challenge these days is how do you balance ‘you need to go outside and do things’ with ‘you’re addicted to technology and screen time’? Both have pluses and minuses. How are we going to get them more outside?” ponders The Club’s Executive Director, Vaughn Morris. The Club tempts youngsters outdoors by incorporating devices and technology into the activity. Maybe they host a digital scavenger hunt that challenges kids to photograph particular sites. Or, maybe they bring charging stations to a scenic outdoor space.
further explored without the screen. What kids discover on the device immediately translates into time spent in the real world doing something new and enriching.
Not to be confused with an afterschool daycare, the Club is a center for excellence that develops 4th through 12th graders into future leaders. Ultimately, The Club does not exist to warehouse and “helicopter” young people. Rather, it provides a safe, welcoming, engaging space where children and teens can develop their best selves.
The BGC mission reaches all the way back to the original club which began in 1860. Three women in Connecticut resolved to get young boys off the streets.
They aimed to build character and expand personal expectations and goals. Their model rippled across the nation, becoming the Boys Club of America in 1931. Six decades later, the organization became the Boys & Girls Club, a nowglobal entity.
Leadership skills. Healthy lifestyles. Academic passion. Every program The Club offers incorporates one or all of these core objectives.
Kathrene Frautschy, Director of Development, calls it, “Fun with a purpose.”
“It’s high-quality, comprehensive, accessible out-of-school experiences, programs, and activities,” Morris adds.
Importantly, the world class opportunities The Club offers could cost as much as $1,250 per month per child if offered by any other agency or company. However, Morris estimates that the aggregate monthly cost per month for a child who comes every day is closer to $20! Affordability and accessibility go handin-hand as far as Morris is concerned. Transportation also factors into accessibility in this rural region.
To reach as many of the county’s 8,00010,000 kids as possible, The Club has bolstered partnerships with the region’s many school districts. Kids can now find a BGC mini-site at every 9-R school, plus Bayfield. The Club also piloted a new summer program for Mancos Schools last year that is repeating this summer. And, if that were not enough, BGC is in talks with schools in and near Pagosa Springs, as well as in Archuleta County.
No matter where a child intersects with The Club, he or she will be enticed to explore. Thanks to collaborations with a host of local businesses and other nonprofits, club members go rafting, learn fly fishing, or learn about watersheds while on a hike. They discover dancing, music production, and careers in the music industry.
Kids explore beyond their comfort zonesss.
Big fun translates directly into big growth at The Club.
“...KIDS BECOME MEMBERS OF SOMETHING LARGER THAN A CLUB...”
They work with AI programs and virtual reality headsets to learn how to deconstruct a car engine or use a welding torch (without the risk of losing a finger). The Club also challenges young people to tick off every item on the 100 Things to Do list.
At The Club, exploration is an expectation, whether it’s the wilderness, new hobbies, or careers. Kids will explore childhood’s simple pleasures and life beyond childhood. They’ll trek landscapes, both external and internal. In so doing, maybe kids become members of something larger than a club and join the ranks of a new generation—one that goes wild for life’s diverse experiences. Generation Wild.
Encapsulating The Club’s attitudes, Morris affirms, “There’s zero substitute for being someplace with someone else and learning how to be human.”
Imitate a bird call. Build a fort. Find the Big Dipper. Go on a picnic. Run through a sprinkler. Perhaps the 101st item on the official list ought to be “join a Boys and Girls Club.”
Crafting a mural beautifies a public space as well as the artist's internal space.
The Boys and Girls Club boasts a support staff trained to deliver excellence in youth development.
Why play a video game when you can build a real guitar?
Wow Your Backpacking Buddies with a Fancy Al Fresco Fish Dish FISHING FOR COMPLIMENTS
ARTICLE BY RICHIE SAMORA
This easy, trail-ready recipe will satiate and wow your band of backpacking pals!
ingredients:
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 fresh-caught trout
• 2-3 packets red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon
• garlic salt
• Sriracha powder
• packet of crackers
Servings: depends on how hungry you are, how big that trout is, and how good your fishing skills are…
directions:
Step 1. Catch your fish. Backcountry fishing requires flies or lures only. Be sure to pack your telescoping rod, reel, and line. No spears allowed!
Step 2. Gut, clean, and descale the fish. I like to fry it in a bit of olive oil (transported in a small, leak-proof container). Alternatively, you could boil the fish or cook it over an open fire using the ponassing method. Once cooked, debone the meat.
Step 3. Season with some red wine vinegar, garlic salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle with Sriracha powder.
Step 4. Serve! I like to dish my fish onto some savory crackers. Bon appétrout!
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Visit us this summer at the Gallery Building and see how our one-stop design hub can transform your next project into a masterpiece of functionality and style.