Autumn 2021: Mountain Parent Magazine

MOUNTAINPARENT R O A R I N G

F O R K

VA L L E Y,

AUTUMN 2021

C O L O R A D O

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2120 MCLAIN FLATS ROAD | ASPEN

500 SINCLAIR ROAD | SNOWMASS VILLAGE

2503 CISAR COURT 2F | GLENWOOD SPRINGS ARTISTIC RENDERING

2120 MCLAIN FLATS ROAD

Carol Dopkin | 970.618.0187

500 SINCLAIR ROAD

Erik Cavarra | 970.618.9733

2503 CISAR COURT 2F

Carla Van Alstyne | 970.618.7124

1092 W DIAMOND A RANCH ROAD | CARBONDALE

109 W DIAMOND A RANCH ROAD

Mike Elkins | 970.379.1480

MOUNTAINPARENT

Autumn FEATURES

HERE FOR THE ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE.

AUTUMN 2021 I S S U E

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WHAT'S HAPPENING

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 55 39

BACK TO SCHOOL

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CRESTED BUTTE

TRINA ORTEGA Welcomes to the Valley’s newest mountain biking area, a publicprivate partnership above Redstone that transformed a former coal processing center into a model of ecostewardship.

We all have our hidden secrets, places in our homes where we stash the impossible. But how many of us are willing to open up our pantries for everone to see? Architect DANA ELLIS shares her journey from too much to tidy, with ideas for every home and any budget.

TRAIL MAP

Take in the Fall colors by planning a hike or bike ride to Crested Butte.

STEPHEN SZORADI guides us through options to suit either a grown-up-only getaway, or a backcountry trip with kids who are ready for an epic.

COAL BASIN RANCH

HOMELIFE

From 142 student essays, we selected 3 from grades 1-8, 2 high school essayists, 2 honorable mentions, plus 1 winner from each participating school. As you embrace this new schoolyear, meet 3 teachers whose books can inspire the student in all of us.

PHOTO: The Audi Snowmass Mountain Bike Race took bikers on 50-mile or 25-mile loops of gold-medal singletrack trails that zig-zag, climb, and descend the Snowmass Ski Area. The races started at Fanny Hill then progressed to the Discovery, Sleighride, and South Rim/North Rim trails, among other popular routes. Locals on the podium: Simi Hamilton of Aspen, Mike Sampson of Carbondale, Kara Lapoint of Woody Creek, and, bringing home the second-place prize for the womens’ team division, Maria Wimmer and Janis Taylor (a teacher from RMS whose book of poetry is featured in our BTS special section).

Credit: Jeremy Swanson, courtesy of Aspen Snowmass.

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MOUNTAINPARENT HERE FOR THE ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE.

Autumn DEPARTMENTS 2021

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IN SEASON

CATCHING A RIDE

How to raise a conscientious commuter. JAMIE TATSUNO of RFTA maps out some Valleywide adventures that begin with a seat on the bus.

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DIY

SEED SAVING

You don’t need to be a gardening guru to harvest seeds for next year’s garden.

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GOOD SPORTS HUNTING

RFHS graduate RYAN CAMP shares how growing up in a hunting family has given him a rich sporting tradition.

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HELPING HANDS

SCHOOLNIGHT

SEEDPEACE

Suppers

Q& A with Casey Piscura.

Learn how his new nonprofit sewing seeds for the future of our foodshed.

ONLY ONLINE

Easy weeknight recipes made with locally sourced picks from the peak of harvest season. + Lunchbox leftovers they might actually eat. + Tailgating for grown-ups.

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OUT & ABOUT illustrations: EL ANA ROYER Lilybart

See who took center stage in our “society pages” spotlighting local families.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

Save the date for the Valley’s best family-friendly activities and after-school programming .

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU ALL THE TIME.

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Between each seasonal edition, we invite you to join our online conversation.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Connect with us on social media.

Visit us anytime.

MOUNTAINPARENT.COM

UP NEXT! WINTER

We’re looking for your favorite LOCALLY SOURCED TEACHER GIFTS for our annual holiday shopping guide.

Visit us online to learn more.

an outstanding education in the place you love best In a welcoming community that balances challenge and nurture, children build confidence, resilience, and joy in learning.

Valleywide bus service and need-based tuition assistance are available.

Applications are due in February for 2022-23.

Begin here.

aspencountryday.org/admission

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Dear READERS, The field was overflowing with families. Every single person wore a mask, even outside... except me. My little guy looked sorry for me. “Mom, you can wear my mask from today. I need to wear my clean one.”

His sticky little fingers handed me an even stickier toddler-sized mask covered in orange Cheetos dust. It occurred to me that I hadn’t packed Cheetos that morning. So – yeah. Taking a deep breath, I smooshed my face into the mask, trying not to gag. I rushed the drop-off, to say the least. Huffing some other kid’s Cheetos dust, adhered to the fabric with my kid’s spit, left me no time to chat, folks.

I was a true mask martyr, a Supermom - right? Hardly. As we know, all superheroes wear masks.

Batman? Sure. The Flash? Okay. Healthcare workers and teachers? Definitely. Today, I look around at all the mini-superheroes showing up happily to school, wearing masks all day, and I think to myself, “I’d wear used Cheetos dust for you anytime, little guy.”

Lauren Suhrbier Publisher

“IT’S HIS JOB to make you push him out of the nest,” C.P. Kanipe told me about my recent high school graduate. “It’s not something he’s consciously doing. It’s like this in nature. Sparrows pluck out their mother’s feathers when it’s time to fly – so she’ll do the pushing for them. If he wasn’t so annoying, you’d keep him under your wing forever.”

Flight, we learn in Physics, requires opposing forces – lift v. weight, drag v. thrust – without which neither an airplane nor a bird can leave the ground. Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion, a 1686 idea that is a foundation of modern aerodynamics, states that ”every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” And so my eldest son pushes against the mayo I dollop into the honey sriracha sauce. He pushes against our final distribution of household chores, our advice on screen time, our beliefs about sun, hydration, and the proper pen for a thank you note.

It seems, I, no we – his dad and I – can’t tell him anything he doesn’t know. Which I suppose means we’ve done our job. I just wish I could stop crying about it. I mean, college is what we wish for him, right?

When he’s around, I strive to keep a decent foothold on this thin edge between hip mom holding it together and maternal emotional nut job. One day recently at Ace Hardware, I cried on aisle three when Sue Coyle admitted that she survived until she and her husband Chris made it two-thirds of the way home from the University of Kansas. Blessed Mother please, help me stay that strong.

“It’s not a real job when it’s low-wage child labor,” he announces after I ask him for the umpteenth time to wrap up his research as MP’s Events Reporter. And then, in my inbox arrives his coup de grace – his Good Sports column about hunting. I make small editing suggestions while sobbing, telling myself – he learned to write because I read to him out loud the entire works of E.B. White. But the truth is, from the beginning, he’s expressed himself clearly. “Da!” he used to say, and we knew exactly what he meant. Now he describes waiting and waiting until his first hunt. We’re living in a similar kind of waiting and I’m welling up again.

The moment our midwife Julianne Guy found his heartbeat within that mystery of amniotic fluid, strong like a freight train until he rolled away – that memory is as visceral and recent as these moments – his departure with his brother for their first-ever road trip without us, his somewhat twoyear-old tantrum about getting into “the crappy” dorm, his sweet, darling, big-hearted happy sigh over his first love. How he stops at my desk pretty much every time he goes up or down the stairs to show me a Tik-Tok. Parenting takes us on a long, short, invisible path from supporting their newborn-fragile necks to supporting their packing-box independence. And it doesn’t end just because they move out, my friends promise me. One thing I love about my job is how MP gets me out of my bubble to meet, in this edition for example, Dana Ellis, Jamie Tunsani, and Casey Piscura, and then reconnect with Trina Ortega, while trading a slew LOL texts with Lauren Surhbier. Parenting is hard sometimes. I enjoy musing about this well-earned truth with others who are in the trenches, so if you want to contribute, please reach out.

Our writers inspire me, teach me, make me laugh, and catch me with their words when I’m losing my foothold. “Push,” Julianne urged quietly at the onset of an earth-shaking contraction. “Push,” my son tells me when he leaves our conversation to answer a Snapchat. The difference between this push and that first one is only a matter of degree and time, an impossible measure of opposing forces.

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Kathryn Camp Editor

COVER ARTISTS

ELANA & LILY ROYER

founders of LILYBART, an Aspen greeting card and paper-art line created to raise awareness of Cystic Fibrosis.

COVER STORY

“BEATRIX’S BUNNIES”

While Mr. MacGregor found rabbits to be a nuisance, I have always envisioned them as Beatrix Potter portrayed them, as integral parts of our landscape, sharing in the abundance and beauty of the harvest. Beatrix Potter beautifully and exactingly captured the truth of her subjects, their gestures, and their dignity. I strive to follow Potter’s example, and my illustrations for Lilybart are a humble homage to her work. This harvest scene draws from joyous days I have spent with my hands in the chocolate-hued earth. If there is one cover bunny who is most like me, it’s the one who is eating a radish as if it is an apple. I cannot help myself during the harvest. I brush off the dirt and enjoy a crisp, spicy bite – as the Flopsy bunnies – and indeed, Ms.Potter herself – may have done.

… Elana Royer

SAY HELLO MOUNTAINPARENT.COM PUBLISHER

LAUREN SUHRBIER Lauren@MountainParent.com

EDITOR & DESIGNER

KATHRYN CAMP Kathryn@MountainParent.com WE OUGHT TO MENTION …

The opinions and views expressed by contributors to MOUNTAIN PARENT are not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Mountain Parent is registered with the State of Colorado. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without permission is prohibited.

INDEPENDENCE • COMMUNITY • COMPASSION • INTEGRITY • LOYALTY ALPINEBANK.COM | MEMBER FDIC

CONVENIENT LOCATIONS ACROSS COLORADO 7

With GRATITUDE RYAN CAMP

Some may call it child labor. Here at MP, we call it a family business. Ryan delivers magazines. He picks up lunch for the team.

He took responsibility for the most unsung role in a print publication, the grunt work behind online posts.

Last winter, we promoted him to Events Reporter, a position that involved helping us reinvent our What’s Happening section. In our Good Sports column, this RFHS 2021 graduate reflects on growing up in a hunting family. We will miss him dearly as he heads to Colorado State University this semester.

TRINA ORTEGA

A native of Colorado, Trina has been riding the dirt and pavement of the Centennial State since she was a kid, back in the day when it was normal to pedal a 12-speed Huffy 38 miles roundtrip from north Denver west to Morrison in denim cutoffs, with no helmet. Although she is a career journalist, she recently accepted the position of ranch and trails manager of Coal Basin Ranch community trail system west of Redstone, a job that ties together her passion for mountain biking, outdoor education and land stewardship.

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LORRI KNAUS

SUPERHERO & PROOFREADER

TIM CONNELLY

We invited teachers and administrators from every school in the Valley to join us in reviewing essays for our annual student essay contest.

Tim showed up during the precious last days of summer to give blind feedback along with the rest of our staff. With student’s names, schools, and teachers hidden, Tim helped us select the winners who are spotlighted in our Back to School section. The word from Tim’s students is that we actually should have asked him to share his cookie recipe, which is among the many sweet ways he connects with the students at WSRF where he teaches middle school math.

CASEY PISCURA

Casey is the founder of local nonprofit Seed Peace and seed company Wild Mountain Seeds. He has a degree in Crop and Soil Science from Virginia Tech and is known as an expert and visionary in seed breeding, regenerative agriculture and local food systems. A resident of the Roaring Fork Valley since 2009, he started the farm in 2013 where he has spent the past eight years feeding the community from land leased to him from historic Sunfire Ranch owned by Jason and Alex Sewell in the Crystal River Valley.

DANA ELLIS

Dana is an architect, movement artist and mother based in Carbondale. She is the principal architect with The Outpost Studio, an architecture and design firm committed to integrity, playful elegance, authenticity, responsibility and sustainability. Dana is also a managing member of CoMotion Dance Company.

She invited us into her home to see that even an accomplished architect can struggle to create order amid the everyday chaos of family living. Her “before” and “after” process certainly gives us hope.

STEPHEN SZORADI

Stephen began guiding with Aspen Alpine Guides in 2008 after moving from Switzerland where he spent the previous seven years training and working. In the summer, Stephen guides the regional 14,000 ft peaks, as well as day hikes, rock climbs and high-altitude training coupled with trail running. In the winter, he is a backcountry ski and snowshoe guide, avalanche educator, and has worked for five years as a ski instructor. We asked Stephen to help us plan a getaway to Crested Butte, exploring routes to our next-door town over the hills.

SARAH KUHN

MP PHOTOGRAPHER

Sarah has been integral to our creative process since her first gig with MP in April 2019. We have been inspired by her ideas, guided by her artistic eye, and of course, enchanted by the moments she has captured. For this edition, Sarah entered a home during a time of architectural transition. Sarah’s superpower is her ability to put everyone at ease and capture the beautiful reality of her subjects. She is based in Carbondale, and her work can be found at Instagram @ super8sarah.

JAMIE TATSUNO

Jamie grew up in Carbondale. She has worked for the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority for 10 years. In her current role as Communications Manager, she enjoys engaging riders and enhancing RFTA’s image and brand within the community. This is why we reached out to Jamie. We asked, “How do you raise a conscientious commuter?”

She answered with a kid-friendly tour of the Valley’s public transit system and ideas for creating family adventures riding the bus. Jamie is the parent of two young children.

Besides wrangling kids and bus communications, she enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and being on the river with her family.

IN S E A SO N

IT’S TIME TO

Catch Your Bus If you wish to raise a conscientious commuter, plan outings with our community’s thriving Roaring Fork Transportation Authority.

JA M I E TAT S U N O Roaring Fork Transportation Authority

SITTING BEHIND A KID peeking between bus seats with curious eyes can warm almost anyone’s work-filled commute. If you find yourself in such an encounter, please say Hello, and remember: making new friends is only part of the fun. Visiting with commuters, looking out big windows from high above the rest of traffic, talking with a parent who (finally, today) isn’t focussed on driving, and experiencing even the bigness of the vehicle itself – all of this can be a huge adventure if you plan it right.

Perhaps you don’t rely on the bus to get to the dentist or to pick out new school supplies. There are endless free and fun resources in our community, all accessible via RFTA. Riding the bus to go to the pool, visit the library, or simply find a new family dinner spot can be something to look forward to. Imagine it as a family adventure, exploring a different way of travel.

There are over 100 upvalley and downvalley RFTA bus stops between Glenwood Springs and Aspen. Think 100+ chances to visit a new area, play at a new park, find a hike or visit a friend in a different neighborhood. Use RFTA’s online Trip Planner to find literally countless options. For example, RFTA’s Valley Local route stops at 50 bus stops between Glenwood Springs and Aspen. Do you have a busy little kid who cannot sit still for too long? No problem. Travel faster by hopping onboard the VelociRFTA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which only stops at nine major stations along Highway 82. It can get you from one end of the Valley to the other in less than one hour. During peak travel times, you can catch a BRT every 10-15 minutes.

Stay tuned, starting this fall, RFTA will have a new YOUTH FARE to improve mobility options for families, and to promote the use of public transit. Kids, ages 6-18 can now travel one way on any of RFTA’s regional commuter buses for only $1. This new youth fare will allow families to use RFTA more affordably at any time. Children ages five and under still ride free.

“If we always drive, then our kids will expect it as their only option,” says Mike Yang, RFTA’s CFAO and father of three. “From our experience, our kids like to move and don’t like to wait in traffic. I like to think we try to show them that biking and riding buses or trains can be fun and easy to do while helping our planet. At RFTA, we have a chance to do the same by making our transit system affordable and accessible for kids and their families.”

Down the road, when you have preteens and teens who are bus savvy, you can trust them to ride the bus on their own. They’ll appreciate RFTA’s free wi-fi.

You’ll appreciate a better kind of “freedom of the road” because you’re raising kids with the tools and experiences to go to the ski hill, soccer practice, friends’ houses, and other outings independently.

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MAKE PLANS MASK UP At this point, all RFTA drivers and passengers who are older than age two are required to wear a face mask that covers the mouth and nose.

You’ll find plastic barriers and driver enclosures.

To further support COVID safety, riders will enter the front of the bus and exit the rear of the bus when possible.

REAL-TIME FUN Pull up the RFTA Bus Tracker online map. Select your route, direction, and destination. Watch the timer count down as your bus gets closer and closer to your stop.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THIS Even easier, you can download the free Transit app that provides a visual map where you can watch your bus, plan your trip and find all the info you need.

“BE FARE READY” You’ll find this verbiage throughout the RFTA system because RFTA does not currently accept cash due to Covid safety precautions. Look for RFTA Ticket Vending Machines and authorized sales outlets at commuter hubs, where you can pay with cash or credit. Options range from discounted RFTA Stored Value Cards to 30-Day Zones Passes, or Seasonal Zone Passes.

BE FREE Riders ages 5 and younger or 65 and older ride free on all RFTA buses. Senior passengers must declare their status and show a valid photo ID upon boarding. All rides are FREE for the following local circulator routes: Aspen, Snowmass Village, Carbondale, and Woody Creek.

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2. WE-CYCLE From Rubey Park – or 46 other locations in Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, and Willits, some of which are indicated above – you can rent a WECYCLE bike, the Valley’s community bike-share service. This first/last mile option with 255 bikes can make commuting and quick trips across town easy and fun. The first 30 minutes are free.

Please note: cyclists must be at least age 16, and a signed parent waiver is required for those younger than 18.

3. THE RIO GRANDE TRAIL RFTA manages 42 miles of continuous trail on a corridor formerly used by the historic Rio Grande and Western Railroad. It starts at Aspen’s Heron Park and continues all the way to GWS. It is open to pedestrians, wheelchairs, horses, bicycles, e-bikes, in-line skates, and skateboards. Plan a bike outing by taking the bus to one point and biking to another bus stop along the trail. Additional numbered location markers on this map show trail closures, spur trails, and other notable points of interest.

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WOODY CREEK

1. RUBEY PARK TRANSIT CENTER 450 E Durant Ave, Aspen Located in the center of downtown Aspen, this is the beginning and/or end of the line for RFTA commuter buses. From here, you can walk to the Aspen Art Museum or the Aspen Mountain gondola, or play in the Dancing Water Fountain. Be sure to hop inside Rubey Park to speak to an information clerk about departure times for your ride home. From this location, you can catch the free Downtowner service provided by the City of Aspen.

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A NOTE ABOUT BIKES ON RFTA BUSES: RFTA provides bicycle racks on its Valley fleet in the Spring, Summer, and Fall, allowing cyclists to ride the bus with their bikes between Aspen and Rifle, and to destinations in-between. All of the RFTA Stations included on this list allow for bike loading and unloading. Find additional local stops online. There is a $2 per bike user fee, regardless of the distance traveled, in addition to the regular passenger fare when loading bikes. If the bus you are trying to catch has occupied bike racks, you will need to lock up your bike at the stop, pedal to your destination, or wait for the next bus.

4. RIO GRANDE SPUR: CEMETARY LANE Stay out of traffic and take this route to connect with trails to the Aspen School District campuses, the Aspen Rec Center, and the Aspen Golf Course.

5. THE BUTTERMILK STATION Take this stop to see fall colors on hiking trails up Buttermilk Ski Mountain. Or have lunch at Home Team BBQ. 6. ASPEN AIRPORT BUSINESS CENTER (AABC) STATION Next time you fly out of the Valley, save parking fees and travel as if you live in Europe, where it’s not unusual to take mass transit from door to door and across borders.

Also, use the AABC RFTA Station to access the Aspen Business Center for lunch or a snack at Roxy’s.

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7. RIO GRANDE SPUR: WOODY CREEK This route takes you over a bridge crossing the Roaring Fork River, through a tunnel under Highway 82, and up Brush Creek Road to Snowmass Village. At the Rodeo Lot roundabout, this trail forks left to Owl Creek Road onto a paved bike and pedestrian trail all the way to Buttermilk. Connect with (4) Cemetary Lane Spur to create a 20+ mile loop that rolls through glorious fall colors.

8. BRUSH CREEK PARK & RIDE Catch free shuttles from this major parking hub to Woody Creek to play at the riverside Jaffe Park before grabbing a bite and beverage at the Woody Creek Tavern. Or, head from here to Snowmass Village.

9. THE TOWN PARK STATION From this stop in the Snowmass Village transit system, you can visit the Snowmass Recreation Center and nearby skate park. Riders can catch the Village Shuttle for a trip up to Base Village.

Head to The Collective to play retro video games and skeeball, or ride the Skittles gondola to share some nachos at Venga Venga Cantina.

10. RIO GRANDE SPUR: BASALT Keep your eye out for a fork in the trail. Right takes you to downtown Basalt by way of Holland Hills.

Left carries you over two bridges. The first bridge crosses Highway 82 and the second crosses the Roaring Fork River heading to a public right-ofway across the Roaring Fork Club golf course, and then to other points further downvalley.

11. BASALT PARK & RIDE Take a short walk to Midland Avenue to visit the Art Base or get an ice cream at Heirlooms.

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12. RIO GRANDE: POTABLE WATER At the Basalt trailhead next to the Basalt Highschool, look for a water fountain with clean drinking water. Otherwise, bring your own H2O, as there is no other water source along the length of the trail.

18. RIO GRANDE SPUR: CARBONDALE From the Carbondale Park and Ride, you can head South on a spur trail through town and up the Crystal Valley to the Crystal River Cabins and KOA Campground. Or, head north to continue on the Rio Grande Trail.

13. WILLITS STATION Depart here and play for a bit in the fountain at the Triangle Park. Or make dinner plans with the family at Sure Thing Burger. Instead of driving to dinner, take the bus. Make it an excursion that is more than just drive, eat, and drive.

19. RIO GRANDE: VIEWS + VAULT TOILET Heading west toward Cattle Creek, look for a picnic pavilion with outstanding views of Mount Sopris, looking down upon a Bald Eagle nest along a dramatic bend in the Roaring Fork River.

A little further down the trail, find a pit stop with a vault toilet.

14. EL JEBEL PARK & RIDE Bowlskis and Movieland are now open again.

Next time you face a rainy day, why not step into your puddle boots, grab an umbrella, and head to these fun inside activities? You’ll find warm, covered enclosures at every RFTA Station featured in this article, and you can show your kids how fun it is to brave the weather.

15. RIO GRANDE: SEASONAL CLOSURE In respect of a crucial wildlife corridor, the area between Rock Bottom Ranch and Catherine Store Road Bridge closes seasonally from 5:00 PM on November 30 until 5:00 PM on April 30.

The closure applies to all users of the trail and corridor, including anglers and hunters.

16. RIO GRANDE: VAULT TOILET When you’ve gotta go... pedal approximately 150 yards east of Catherine Store Road Bridge.

17. CARBONDALE STATION From the Carbondale Park & Ride, jump onboard the free Carbondale Circulator Bus that has been decorated by students of Carbondale Middle School. It departs every 15 minutes to and from Main Street.

20. 27TH STREET PARK & RIDE. From this station, you can hop on the Ride Glenwood route and access all parts of town, from local shopping, ice cream parlors, pools, and the GWS Garfield County Library.

21. RIO GRANDE SPUR: MIDLAND TRAIL RFTA’s maintenance of the Rio Grande Trial runs from Aspen to the Midland Trail in Glenwood Springs. Cross a bridge over the Colorado River to Two Rivers Park. Connect with the Glenwood Canyon Trail or head into downtown GWS. 22. WEST GLENWOOD PARK & RIDE Glenwood Meadows Shopping Center is the last stop for Roaring Fork Valley buses. From this transit hub, you can continue to New Castle, Rifle and Silt. Or, catch Ride Glenwood to head downtown to shop, eat or soak the Glenwood Hotsprings Pool.

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DIY

SAVING

Grace

Harvesting seeds goes back to the earliest agricultural traditions. It’s how farmers have traditionally prepared for the next season’s planting.

How can backyard gardeners try it at home?

LET THEM “GO TO SEED”

Hearty in our climate, these flowers are self-pollinating, and don’t require special storage or over-wintering:

SUNFLOWERS CHIVES NASTURTIUMS K AT H RY N C A M P illustrations: E L A N A ROY E R Lilybart

NATIVE GRASSES LETTUCES MARIGOLDS CALENDULA

School fall registration open now!

Classes for ages 4 years old and up Locations in Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs For new student registration and information call Melanie at (970) 925-7175 x106

PHOTO: AUDREY DERELL

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aspensantafeballet.com

TIPS: • Pay attention to the plants themselves. Which have qualities that you like? Which seem full of life? Do any keep longer than others? You want to pass along these traits to the next generation in your garden.

• Know the difference between plants that are selfpollinated and outcrossing. Outcrossing crops like carrots and onions need many plants to produce quality seed while other plants like lettuce and tomato are self pollinating and produce quality seed from only a few plants.

• Sunflowers, lettuces and native grasses will often do the work for you. They drop their seeds and you’ll find the heartiest volunteers popping up the next Spring.

• To collect seeds, wait until the blossoms are drying on the stalk, having completed their life cycle of growth and pollination. Gather the flower heads, and gently shake them over a tray to release the seeds.

Store seeds in a labelled envelop in a cool, dry place.

“

There is reason for optimism as a wet, sometimes hot, yet overall peaceful and abundant summer season comes to a close.

Fall is here. Nights become long and the perennial phenomenon of temperate zone life in the Colorado Rockies unfolds before our eyes.

The flowers of the mountain plants that we gazed at in awe in spring have now moved on to the final cycle of life. Offspring, in the form of seed, is dropped from these plants’ straw-like bodies ready to assume their place in nature next year.”

CASEY PISCURA Wild Mountain Seeds Seed Peace

Q&A with Casey: page 17

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GOO D SPORTS

HUNTING

Camp

How I grew up waiting and waiting to be part of my father’s autumn ritual in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area R YA N C A M P RFHS Class of 2021

I GREW UP with my father’s hunting stories. Days filled with wild boar, early morning duck hunts, snakes, and other things one might find in the Florida wilderness of Lake Okeechobee. I remember one story distinctly. Dad and his friend Charley were walking along a trail through thick southern brush, hunting for rabbits and other small game. At some point, they heard a rattle. It slithered between them, and with cat-like instincts, Charley jumped and turned a full 180 and shot the snake in mid-air. Dad tells this one, always making sure to be clear – hunting snakes was not why they were trudging around the forest. This was merely part of being in nature. Hunting is about going deep into the woods, off the trails, surrounding yourself with wildlife, connecting with it, less about actually killing it. Hunting is just our excuse to be there.

We’re a hunting family. Granddad Diamond taught my Mom to shoot skeet with a classic, Browning “Sweet Sixteen,” and their best weekends found them in Alabama loblolly pine forests with his bird dogs. Grandfather Camp hunted sasabi in Africa, elk in Montana, quail in Florida. So naturally, hunting was a large part of how my parents grew up. Getting certified and going on their first hunting trips were coming of age rituals for my father’s five other siblings, both boys and girls. This is a tradition he brings down our family tree to my brother and me.

I cannot remember when I started helping Dad and his friends set up their hunting camp in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area above Rifle. The kids in the group get to go up on Labor Day weekend and cut tall grasses to make room for a big, heated Army-style mess tent. We always run around the woods at night and eat junk food and do grunt work, knowing there is no one around for miles except us and some shepherds. The men tell lots of stories – stories that best stay at camp – and every kid cannot wait to be part of it. On the following weekend, when hunting season starts, only the big kids and grown-ups get to go.

At age nine, Dad brought me to the Roaring Fork Valley Sportsmen’s Association’s shooting range outside Basalt. He started with gun safety. “You always treat it like it’s loaded,” Dad said. “You never point it at people. It is a tool that should only be used with respect.”

In Colorado, you get small game licenses for hunting rabbits, grouse, duck, pheasants, and turkey. Big game hunting here is mainly deer and elk. It also includes bears, mountain lions, and moose.

My first hunting experience was for turkey when I was fourteen.

My father brought me along with some of his friends. We waited patiently and quietly in a gathering of scrub oaks listening to turkeys gobbling, getting closer and closer. Finally, after almost an hour, a large tom walked out, nearly fifty yards from where I sat. I lifted my gun and exhaled. I pulled the trigger.

It was over in an instant.

PHOTOS: • (left) Peruvian shepherds who follow their herds around the Flat Tops are known as the carvers of hidden words and portraits you’ll spot in random stands throughout the area.

• (above) The author’s first time at hunting camp, “driving” a Jeep around the woods.

HUNTER SAFETY

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department offers three ways for youth to take up hunting.

TRADITIONAL CLASSES

Hunter Safety courses are offered yearround in locations throughout the State with ten hours of instruction, a written test, and a live-fire exercise.

ONLINE CLASSES

Followed by six hours of in-person instruction, testing, and a live-fire excercise.

APPRENTICE CERTIFICATE

A good option for those whose parents are not hunters. Youth can hunt with a mentor for up to two years before completing the coursework.

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“

Hunting is about going deep into the woods, off the trails, surrounding yourself with wildlife, connecting with it, less about actually killing it.

Hunting is just our excuse to be there.”

R YA N C A M P

Mom and Dad taught me that an animal’s life is held in reverence.

You must take it with gratitude, and never let one bit of it go to waste. His feathers went into my and my Dad’s cowboy hats, and we mounted his fan, which is now hanging in our home. We cooked his gizzard in gravy the next morning, and Mom planned a dinner as big as Thanksgiving. We moved living room furniture and set up long tables to invite the families who are part of Dad’s hunting group. Everyone spoke about what this life and this experience meant.

My parents waited to let me go on an elk hunt until after I had hunted small game, and after I had helped field dress and haul out a deer with my Dad. We hunt big game with muzzle loaders because this season comes earlier in the year when it’s warmer and the fall colors are at their peak. With a muzzle loader, you load gunpowder and bullets down the barrel as you’ve seen in old Revolutionary War movies. You cannot reload quickly.

These guns are less accurate than modern high-powered rifles, and they don’t have scopes. So it takes more skill to hunt with a muzzle loader – and this is another reason Dad made me wait.

Finally allowed to be part of it, I dreaded the 4:00 AM wakeup call, but I felt excited too. On the night before the hunt, Dad gave me a package of letters from family and close friends. They shared life lessons and about how proud of me they felt as I grew into a new chapter of my life.

Dad and I woke up hours before sunrise and made our way to our tree stand. As the sun scraped its way above the horizon, I noticed the dew on each leaf, rabbits hopping from log to log, and grouse scurrying below the sagebrush. All of the sudden, gunshots erupted like cannons, breaking the morning silence.

My first elk hunt had begun.

We later hiked through the forests and hills as the sun rose higher in the sky. We followed paths made by elk and deer, feeling a peace you get when you’re in the wilderness.

In a thick grove of aspen trees, we heard rustling coming from the depths of the trees. Slowly, a doe stepped its way into a clearing. I raised my gun and slowed my breathing. As I exhaled, ready to pull the trigger, a small fawn stepped out. Without a thought or a pause, I lowered my gun, watching as it followed its mother. The pair meandered. Slowly.

Calmly. Quietly. Somehow they knew we meant no harm.

I didn’t take that doe’s life. In three years since, I have yet to bring home a deer or an elk. But that’s not really why we hunt. We go to the woods to be together in nature in search of something bigger.

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H E LPI N G H A N DS

Peace OFFERING A Q&A with Casey Piscura, the local farmer and visionary behind Wild Mountain Seeds and Seed Peace, a new nonprofit aiming to reimagine our foodshed K AT H RY N C A M P

You’ve made Wild Mountain Seeds a successful, for-profit resource for high-mountain organic seed varieties. Farming is a beyond-full-time job for small producers. Testing, cultivating, saving, storing, and selling seeds adds another complex layer to the farming season.

Why add a nonprofit to your workload?

I started Wild Mountain Seeds because I saw a need – a necessity – for locally adapted seeds. While spending eight years building this operation, I’ve become convinced that something big needs to change if we’re going to significantly increase the local food production in our region. This urgency becomes more and more apparent with the growing uncertainty of climate change looming ahead. Seed Peace is about bringing resources, like land and capital investment, together with educated young growers to reimagine our community’s food supply.

The name Seed Peace rolls right off the tongue.

What is the story behind it?

PHOTO: Casey holds “Finger Print

Fava Beans,” a rare variety from his extensive collection of food plant seeds. Seed Peace is adapting, selecting, and preserving seeds for future generations while developing systems to scale local food production.

It’s a combination of words that carry multiple meanings. “Seed,” in the business sense, refers to the investment capital needed to start something. Of course, it relates to the agricultural sense of “seed” being the beginning of the harvest, the building blocks of the farm. The organization will help give peace to farmers through the seeds of community financial support. Consumers find peace knowing that this food is health-giving and is being produced in a soil-building, climate-preserving way. This is how the community can “seed” a better future.

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Are you talking about cooperative capitalism?

Bringing the community together to invest in shared equipment?

Tractors, balers, combines, and such, like what growers started pooling when the first settlers arrived in the Valley?

In this era, it’s no longer just a matter of getting the equipment you need. It’s about land. Wild Mountain Seeds exists because it operates on land at Sunfire Ranch that is generously leased to my organizations from Jason and Alex Sewell. This parcel happens to be the oldest continually owned land in Pitkin County, the first homestead in the Crystal Valley.

In the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas, the cost of land has made purchasing a farm for the production of local food borderline impossible. Recent data gathered by landwatch.com shows that in Pitkin County, 13,891 acres of rural land are currently for sale. This equals more than three billion dollars of real estate inventory, with an average value per parcel of twelve million. It is inconceivable for a young farmer to own land in this environment.

Of course, not all land is suitable for agriculture, as farms have particular needs. A highly productive farm needs water throughout the growing season, and deep, rock-free soil, and the ability to live on this land to oversee problems that arise. Farmers need to find rental or trade agreements that take the true cost of farming into consideration. Farmers need to work with landowners who place a value on building the soil, and the sweat equity of the long hours necessary to get a farm off the ground. We need landowners to connect with the true cost of the food they eat.

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Can you please put the true cost of our food into words we can wrap our heads around?

The story behind mass-market food is one of social inequality, climate destruction, and poor health. For example, imagine a head of cauliflower that was picked in California by a migrant who has worked those fields for a decade. He cannot get citizenship, so he’s paid far less than minimum wage. Take the organically-labeled cucumber grown in a hydroponic shade house in Mexico. It is grown with nitrogen sourced from tax-subsidized genetically modified soy beans grown in the Midwest. Add the package of sausages where pigs were fed tax-subsidized corn on land that is dead, tortured, and killed by the heavy hand of modern agriculture.

Consumers often overlook the deflationary pressure on the price of local food. When you visit the supermarket, you can walk row by row through the innumerable options of things to eat. The constant, year-round supply of every conceivable produce item – priced within the context of massive economies of scale, and grown by the lowestpossible-wage workforce – these forces drive down the price small, local farmers can charge for their goods.

Local farmers, both young and old, receive few subsidies. Their efforts are of good intention rooted in providing a better option for how we nourish our bodies, an option that is better for the climate, community health, and social justice. The big question suddenly becomes obvious. How do we get talented young people to choose a career in farming if the odds are stacked against them?

So Seed Peace is working to balance the odds…

Seed Peace is developing a model where community investment can fund necessary agricultural research, pay young farmers good wages, and provide tons of food to people in need. Since we started in 2020, we have donated 11,000 pounds of produce to local food banks such as Lift-up and Food Bank of the Rockies.

While growing adapted seeds for over 15 species of food plants.

In 2021 through our education program, we are hosting five young people who will live on the farm and learn through hands-on experience.

Our research is focused on what is needed to scale production, a risk young farmers struggle to make. As a small producer, it is often too risky to engage in scale. With every addition in size, it takes more capital investment; more land, more harvest bins, more irrigation, larger washing and packing facilities, additional cooler space, and special harvesting equipment. The fear of a crop failure due to a weather event is in the back of your mind and the payback on these investments is daunting. With Seed Peace, we want to take on the risk of scaling crops and develop production systems that can feed more people in the valley while giving the food from our efforts to food banks and schools. Our dream is to build a community research farm and seed bank that can be a hub for food production as we flood schools and other institutions with healthy food.

PHOTO:

The Way Home hosts Wild Mountain Seeds’ farmstand throughout the harvest season.

You’ll also find Casey’s produce spotlighted on the menu.

Home to community.

Home to culture.

Home to the great outdoors.

COREY CROCKER Premier Mid-Valley Real Estate Broker

MAKE THE ROARING FORK VALLEY YOUR HOME.

970.445.7259 | ccrocker@sliferrfv.com

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This fall, explore with Aspen Center for Environmental Studies!

Family Programs Self-guided Farm Tours Harvest Party Visit Rock Bottom Ranch

For the most up to date information about our programs, please visit

aspennature.org or call 970.927.6760

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TRAILS & TRAVEL

Over the hills and not so far away

CRESTED BUTTE K AT H RY N C A M P

Hiking to Crested Butte in my twenties meant backpacking to Gothic Campground because even split four ways, a hotel room felt out of reach. You can imagine it.

Backpacker’s ramen, using my Whisperlite stove for the first time. Making friends who drove us into CB for breakfast, then back to the trailhead. Hiking over in time to catch the last Bells bus before a PM shift with a sink bath in the employee changing room.

Thank God we grew up. On my next trip over the hill, the ladies booked a Victorian downtown and we planned it for weeks. Three dads dropped off my minivan at the VRBO and then biked home over Schofield Pass, a ride that required taking off work on a Friday.

What great dads, right? Another bit of planning involved a drop off before sunrise at Maroon Bells, because otherwise, we needed to shuttle from Highlands with all of our gear.

We took the West Maroon route, which we found every bit as beautiful as everyone says it is. You must do this at least once in your life. However. On our Saturday morning in September, it felt sort of like I-70, even with our pre-dawn start. If you like social hiking, here it is. We knew at least half the people on the trail, and eventually we all congregated in the TH parking lot on the other side. Our shuttle driver met us with a cooler of both beer and bubbly. We later pulled into a parade that led to a whole-town mock trial street dance known as the “Burning of the Grump,” the culmination of Crested Butte’s annual pagan Vinotok festival. We’d been so maxed assuring every meal, kid, dad, and workplace need was covered, we never thought to ask if there was anything happening in CB that weekend. Anyway. We reveled like escaped pagan housewives and everyone agreed we should do it again next year.

A decade went by and then there was COVID, and now it’s time to try another way of doing this trip. So we asked Stephen Szoradi of Aspen Alpine Guides to help us map out options that include “roads less taken.” Whether you’re doing the kid-trade or looking for a challenging jaunt to prove you’re not over the hill yet, start planning.

Because, like they say, “as the crow flies,” our next-door town is not so far away.

PHOTO:

The climb through green-into-golden aspen groves to Crater Lake on the Maroon West route is among the most populated trails in the region. Once you get past this stretch, you lose most of the day hikers. For more solitude, try going on a weekday. Or, start training and planning for taking one of our recommended, though honestly hard, alternate routes. The climbs are longer, steeper, more sustained, and equally magnificent. (Credit: Melissa Alcorn)

Trails

STEPHEN SZOR ADI Aspen Alpine Guides Map

RICHARD CAMP RCLA

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1

2

MOUNTAINPARENT PARENT

A

TRAILS & TRAVEL

CRESTED BUTTE

2

ASPEN

RICHARD CAMP Map Illustration

8 9

1 10

C

2a

B

4a

3a

D

1a E

3 6a

F

6

1

4

2

G

3

R

10

6b

H

1b

5a K

I

Q P

3b

5

5 L

J N

2b 0

4b 5b

5 CRESTED BUTTE

7

4

6

M

TRAILS & TRAVEL

Over the hills and not so far away

CRESTED BUTTE RICHARD CAMP Map Illustration

PEAKS, PASSES & LANDMARKS

Driving from Aspen?

104 miles

A

MOUNT SOPRIS 12, 965'

B

PITKIN - GUNNISON COUNTY LINE

C

CAPITOL PEAK 14,130'

D

SNOWMASS PEAK 14,092'

E

NORTH MAROON PEAK 14,014'

F

MAROON PEAK 14,156'

G

PYRAMID PEAK 14,018

H

WEST MAROON PASS 12,500'

I

EAST MAROON PASS 11,820'

1

HIGHWAY 82

J

TRIANGLE PASS 12,900'

2

HIGHWAY 133

K

CASTLE PEAK 14,265'

3

CR 3 to Marble

L

TAYLOR PASS 11,928'

4

CR 12 a.k.a KEBLER PASS ROAD

M

STAR PASS 12,303'

5

CR 317 a.k.a GOTHIC ROAD

N

PEARL PASS 12,705'

6

HIGHWAY 135 to Gunnison

O

TOWN OF GOTHIC

7

CR 738

P

GOTHIC CAMPGROUND

8

MAROON CREEK ROAD

Q

EMERALD LAKE

9

CASTLE CREEK ROAD

R

SCHOFIELD PASS 10,705'

Hiking or biking?

10.3 - 37 miles ROADS

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Celebrating 30 Years Parent Child Toddlers Pre K Kindergarten Forest Kindergarten Grades 1st - 8th

waldorfschoolrf.com

RICHMOND RIDGE ROAD

ROUTES & TRAIL HEADS ROUTES:

THs from ASPEN:

THs from CB:

1

WEST MAROON TRAIL

1a

Maroon Lake TH – #2197

1b

East Fork TH – #1970

2

EAST MAROON TRAIL

2a

E. Maroon Creek TH – #1983

2b

Copper Creek TH – #983

3

CONUNDRUM CREEK

3a

Conundrum Creek TH – #1981

3b

Triangle Pass Trail – #981

4

TAYLOR PASS

4a

Richmond Ridge Rd. – FSR 123

4b

Taylor Pass Divide Rd. – FSR 400

5

PEARL PASS

5a

Castle Creek Rd. – CR 129 to Pearl Pass Rd. – FSR 102

5b

Brush Creek Rd – FSR 738 (Not same as SMV Brush Cr.)

6

SCHOFIELD PASS

6a

Crystal River Road – CR 317

6b

Gothic Road CR ß317

Discover the Difference

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TRAILS & TRAVEL

Over the hills and not so far away

CRESTED BUTTE STEPHEN SZOR ADI Aspen Alpine Guides

BLACK (Shown in RED on the map) CONUNDRUM CREEK - TRIANGLE PASS – GOTHIC

3

This 15-plus-mile trek makes a great trail run for those training for an ultra or mountain marathon. It requires careful planning and conditioning. For a multi-day excursion, you can add an overnight at Conundrum Hotsprings at mile 8.5. This requires a U.S.F.S. permit. Once you pass the hotsprings, climbing up to Triangle Pass, the trail does not get much use, so assistance is infrequent. The length, elevation gain, multiple trail connections, and steepness of both ascent and descent should be carefully evaluated.

PEARL PASS 4

GREEN HIGHWAY 133 – MCCLURE PASS – KEBLER PASS

Adding a shuttle car to the plan allows groups to hike one way then drive home, or to plan something like a Mom-Dad trade-off. Keep in mind that Kebler Pass is a graded dirt road that is isolated and void of cell service. It winds through an oldgrowth aspen forest with amazing views of the surrounding mountains.

BLUE WEST MAROON

1

The most commonly used route for traversing the mountains between the two towns. From Aspen to CB, there is a 3000 foot gain in elevation, and from CB to Aspen, the trail gains 2000 feet over approximately 10 miles. If you make this trip in the Spring, know that early season conditions can make it difficult for the shuttle to get to the East Fork Trailhead. Continue past the TH and head down Gothic Road to wait for the shuttle at Emerald Lake.

EAST MAROON

2

This route is several miles longer than the West Maroon Trail and has different characteristics. Most notably – multiple and repeated river crossings and also, a more sustained high alpine terrain. It's less likely to have the showy wildflowers found on the West Maroon Trail but makes up for it with the rugged pass.

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Park at Ashcroft and bike up Castle Creek Road. After passing signs for the Tagert Hut and Mace Cabin, look for Pearl Pass Road, a left fork that rapidly becomes a steep, narrow, rocky double-black trail pretending to be a 4WD road. Plan on a sustained grunt to the top of Pearl Pass, followed by a steep, technically challenging downhill.

Be careful as you navigate several scree fields because the route can be misleading.

RICHMOND RIDGE - TAYLOR PASS - STAR PASS- BRUSH CREEK 5

Richmond Ridge or "Richmond Hill" is accessible via the Aspen Mountain Summer Road or by riding the gondola. You can also take Midnight Mine, Little Annie, or Express Creek Roads from Castle Creek Road up the backside of Ajax. The legendary Elk Mountain Grand Traverse Races (a summer trail run and mountain bike race along with winter ski mountaineering) are held on this route. It follows the ridgeline until it reaches Taylor Pass. From there, the trail is a primitive double-track trail to Star Pass, where you begin a steep descent. Riders are cautioned that navigation can be difficult after you leave Richmond Ridge. Take extreme care in understanding the route, which features hazardous backcountry terrain with steep drop-offs. Expect to be isolated until you enter the East Brush Creek Drainage, where you'll find more bike traffic, as this lower portion of the ride is a popular out-and-back from Crested Butte.

SCHOFIELD PASS 6

Considered the "most deadly road in Colorado." We do not recommend driving this extremely narrow shelf road with steep drop-offs. A rock slide in 2015 made it virtually impassable for vehicles in several sections where it is hazardous to turn around, and yet people attempt to drive it every year. While these conditions make it less-thanideal for Jeeps, they make it a fifteen-mile pilgrimage for black-diamond mountain bikers. Expect steep climbs, sections of carrying your bike over boulders, and beautiful stretches of isolated trail surrounded by wildflowers.

SHUTTLE SERVICES

Parking is minimal at each of these trailheads, and advanced reservations or permits are required at some locations. Meanwhile, road access to most trails requires a high-clearance vehicle. So we recommend making additional plans to get to the various trailhead options for your hike, bike, or run.

MAROON BELLS SHUTTLE

Parking and shuttle reservations at the Maroon Bells Recreation Area are required through October 24. Limited two-night parking passes at the Bells are often booked months in advance.

Otherwise, park at Aspen Highlands to take a RFTA shuttle, which also requires advance reservations. Cars are allowed in for dropping off hikers, and must exit the recreation area before 8:00 AM. (970) 930-6442

DOLLY'S MOUNTAIN SHUTTLE

Schedule a pick-up on the rugged, high-clearance 4WD Gothic Road after taking the West or East Maroon routes from Aspen.

Choose a pick-up time based on the slowest hiker in your group. Dogs are allowed and are charged the same rate as human passengers – of which you'll need a minimum of five.

Remember to schedule a ride from your CB lodging with dropoff at the trailhead for your return trip. (970) 209-9757

RESOURCES ASPEN ALPINE GUIDES

Trained mountaineers with expert knowledge for planning and guiding your trip. (970) 925-6618

U.S. FOREST SERVICE, ASPEN FIELD OFFICE

Find U.S.F.S trail maps, route details, and updates on route conditions. (970) 925-3445

PHOTO:

Kip Royer (AHS Class of 2020) riding the 4000-vertical-foot descent from the top of Schofield Pass down to CB.

CLAY CLAY CLASSES CLASSES & & FALL FALL EVENTS EVENTS Carbondale Clay Center

KIDS KIDS AFTER AFTER

SCHOOL SCHOOL CLASSES CLASSES

|

135 Main St Cdale, CO

ADULT ADULT CLASSES CLASSES & & WORKSHOPS WORKSHOPS

|

w w w. c a r b o n d a l e c l a y. o r g

SETTINGS SETTINGS FUNDRAISER FUNDRAISER TH SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 18 18TH

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SHOP LOCAL It Matters

“IT’S A LITTLE GEM UP HERE. IT’S SUPER FUN, GREAT TRAILS. THE KIDS ARE LOVING IT. THEY’RE JUST DOING A BUNCH OF LAPS AND HAVING

WWW.CARBONDALE.COM

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PC: Lewis Cooper Photography

A BALL.” TERESA SWANN Glenwood Springs

MOUNTAIN PARENT FE AT U R E

TURNING A

WASTELAND WILDERNESS I NTO

COAL BASIN RANCH IS A SHANGRI LA ON THE WESTERN SLOPE, A MYTHICAL YET VERY REAL PARADISE CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A PRIVATE LAND OWNER COMMITTED TO CLEANING UP A SITE ONCE BLIGHTED BY THE MINING INDUSTRY. Nine-year-old Jackson Cox follows me closely as we pedal our bikes up the dirt switchbacks at Coal Basin Ranch, a new trail system just west of Redstone. After watching him launch his bike 2 feet into the air off a dirt jump in the ranch’s pump track — flicking his rear wheel out to the side to add flair — I don’t doubt this young athlete’s ability to handle a bicycle. As we make the ascent to a more advanced singletrack trail on the ranch, Jackson proves he also doesn’t waver when his bike is pointed uphill.

Still, I keep the pace mellow as our wheels whir past lavender-colored lupine, bluegreen grasses with tufted flowers, and young aspen trees planted two years ago as part of the restoration efforts at Coal Basin Ranch.

Jackson and his family are among the 300 or so mountain bikers who have come to test the trails during the Coal Basin Ranch soft opening July 10, and he and I are heading to the Flying Dutch Boy jump line, a machine-built track with six tabletop jumps, some of which rise and crest at about 4 feet.

Owned by the Carbondale-based Catena Foundation, Coal Basin Ranch comprises 221 acres of private property and was once the processing center for a large-scale coal mine system owned by Mid-Continent Minerals Corp., which operated five mines in the area from 1956–1991 and yielded 23 million tons of medium volatile coal for U.S. steel mills.

Today, the vision for Coal Basin Ranch is to provide a rehabilitated natural landscape where individuals can connect with nature through recreation, while gaining a deeper understanding of how trails can be an integral part of restoration. In the last two years more than 1,000 trees have been planted, along with willows, silver berry, twin berry, and other shrubs. Native grass and flower seeds have been spread, and the growth is starting to color a landscape that was once coated in coal dust. Plant growth returns nitrogen and other nutrients to the soils and helps stabilize hillsides. Water has been routed through the property to boost plant life. And trails are strategically designed to help prevent erosion.

TR I N A

O R TEG A

27

hile much of the work building the trails was conducted by a national trail building company, volunteers helped with restoration projects. Students from the Marble Charter School and Colorado Rocky Mountain School helped establish wetlands by planting waterloving shrubs. In fall 2019, I was among 50 or so volunteers who spread a blend of native grass seeds along the entire length of the singletrack trails as part of a project hosted by Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association. It is rewarding to see the lush result of that effort two summers later, and we aim to organize at least one volunteer restoration project before the 2021 season comes to a close. It is a powerful way to connect trail-users to the land and involve the community in its stewardship.

The trails are open to mountain biking and hiking, and the family-friendly system includes a 3.9-mile loop with singletrack along a creek and a long descent through scrub oak and aspen. The property also boasts several jump lines, pump tracks, and a Strider track circling a pond nestled in the woods at 8,085 feet.

Jackson’s disabled brother, Jordan, makes his way with the use of a walker alongside the boys’ dad on the pump track trails. The pump track system is entertaining enough for Jackson, but he wants to check out the ranch’s higher trails. His passion for riding is contagious, and as the ranch manager, I want everyone to experience the trails and all the ranch has to offer.

When we approach the edge of the forest and see the exit of Flying Dutch Boy, Jackson stops and shows the savvy he’s gained from attending Crown Mountain BMX Camps. “I’d like to look at it first,” he states, then walks the line, eyeing the landings and thinking about how he’ll enter each jump. We pedal to the top, and he takes a run at the manicured dirt track. At the end, he describes how a second trail could wind around and cross over the existing trail. Then he exclaims: “I’d like to do it again, if that’s OK.” Jackson talks about his upcoming BMX competitions and cheers on younger riders navigating a descent. He says later that he has met fun people at Coal Basin and likes the ranch because “the jumps are really fun and the trails, too. I also like when my brother finds a place he likes and that I like,” he says.

Jordan adds: “I like it there because I can walk around without too much assistance and try bike trails in my walker. I want to try it on my three-wheel bike, too.”

The following week, the Cox family returns.

Jackson brings a friend, and they plan to ride the Dutch Creek and Bear Ridge trails, which make up the main loop. Jordan heads out on a walk, aiming to meet his goal to reach the furthest end of the pump track. To me, that’s the best proof that Coal Basin Ranch is a success: Mountain bikers and hikers want to do repeat laps on the trails, and they are returning for more.

You can still get

OUT THERE. The great thing about Colorado is that the outdoors doesn’t shut down when summer’s over.

After August, the heat breaks and there’s still plenty of time to get out there before the snow starts to fall.

We’re prepared for fall camping, projects around the house and yard, hunting trips, and last-hurrah RV trips.

Clothing, boots, fishing and camping supplies, tools, tack, canning needs...

You can get it all at the Co-op.

0760 0760 HWY HWY 133 133 Carbondale, Carbondale, CO CO

28

And don’t forget, we’re the Valley’s source for bulk propane, gas, and diesel, in addition to propane refills!

Member-owned, part of the community, no matter the season, the Roaring Fork Valley Co-op is here for everyone who can’t wait for winter, and everyone who’s not done with summer just yet.

So head over to the Roaring Fork Valley Co-op. Because whatever season you prefer, we’ve got you covered while you’re out there.

970-963-2220 970-963-2220

www.roaringforkcoop.com www.roaringforkcoop.com

Jackson’s father, Jorma, started bringing his boys to Coal Basin even before the mountain bike ranch installed the mountain bike-centric trails. When the boys were little, they escaped the heat of summer to jump bikes and climb the shale piles, old mining remnants that have since been removed.

Now, with Coal Basin Ranch’s pump track, it’s a spot where both boys can thrive. The trails at the pump track are sculpted and smooth with few rock challenges, and there is a double-track road that serves as a “feeder” to get to the furthest end of the pump track system. The wider, smoother trail surface makes it possible for someone like Jordan, who uses a walker and geared tricycle to get around, or for an adaptive cyclist with a larger-width bike to explore what has been described by users as a “playground in the woods.”

outdoor ed programs to have an optimized place to ride, run and hike while learning about sustainably-built trails, restoration, stewardship and conservation. Groups like Roaring Fork Cycling have already used the ranch for coaches’ clinics and youth day camps.

Parents agree that it’s a unique area because of the scenery, ease of access and cooler temps. Families from different towns meet at Coal Basin Ranch to ride and picnic.

Environmental science teachers take pictures and talk about how they want to bring their classes to the ranch for outdoor education.

Fitness junkies lap the ranch’s main loop or extend their rides into White River National Forest via Forest Road 307/Coal Basin Trail Coal Basin Ranch is open to the public, free #1953, the start of which is on the property. of charge. In addition to being a recreational Toddlers cruise along on balance bikes. Even asset for the public to enjoy, it will serve as a the youngest who haven’t taken their first location for local schools and organizations steps sit in shotgun seats mounted to parents’ that have mountain biking programs and bike frames and feel the rush of a descent.

“My oldest son Jordan really likes that the Coal Basin Ranch parking lot area and the bike trails are good enough for him to get around on,” Jorma says. “He can challenge himself on the terrain and get some real exercise while his little brother jumps and races around the pump track. They get to support each other and still be together.”

WISHES THE KIDS IN THE RF VALLEY A HEALTHY AND SMILEY SCHOOL YEAR!

AKDsmiles.com 970.928.9500 Glenwood Springs Eagle Rifle Aspen

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR FUN GIVEAWAYS AND COMPETITIONS AKDSMILES

ALLKIDSDENTAL

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t’s a little gem up here,” says Teresa Swann of Glenwood Springs during her first visit to the ranch. While giving her youngest child, Dylan, the okay to make another lap around the pump track, she adds: “It’s super fun, great trails. The kids are loving it. They’re just doing a bunch of laps and having a ball.”

In the late 1800s, industrial coal magnate John Cleveland Osgood built the company town of Redstone and employed hundreds of men to work the steep tunnel mines above what was known as Dexter Park just west of this site. The Highline Railroad hauled the coal to coke ovens (along what is now Highway 133), where the coal was heated to burn off impurities. During that Most visitors to Coal Basin will take note same era, President Theodore Roosevelt of the striking views of the greater Coal hunted bear and cougar in the Coal Basin Basin area that encompasses roughly region and was among the dignitaries 25 square miles: hillsides covered with who stayed at Osgood’s Cleveholm Manor bright green aspen, ponderosa pine, (Redstone Castle) south of Redstone.

Douglas fir and blue spruce contrast the grays and browns of the rugged, steep Roughly four decades later, Mid-Continent headwalls of Huntsman’s Ridge and other Resources launched its large-scale operation ridge lines. Near the ranch’s parking lot, to mine the high-quality coal, which was Coal Creek and Dutch Creek flow year- shipped to steel mills in California, Utah, round and come together in a symphony Texas, and South Korea. Innovative mining of water tumbling over mountain rocks. techniques, such as the long-wall system, The ranch’s pond is home to Mallards in which used a large blade to sheer off coal spring, and swallows visit in the summer onto a conveyor belt, made mining the steep to skim its surface and nab a snack before and geologically tenuous terrain of Coal darting straight up. It’s quite a contrast to Basin more efficient. the daily bustle of the mid-1900s industrial “town” with large dump trucks filled with Agriculture also supported settlement in coal chugging back and forth. the Crystal River Valley, and local families continue to carry on their cattle ranching Long before the area was accessed for heritage with grazing leases on the its rich coal deposits in the exposed surrounding national forest.

Mesaverde Formation, the indigenous Utes called the area home. The Utes (or Nuche Public use of the trails is possible through in their language, meaning “The People”) an access easement with Pitkin County. migrated annually from the region’s river Gary Tennenbaum, director of Pitkin County valleys to Colorado’s high country during Open Space & Trails, says the private-public the summer hunting season. partnership is the first of its kind in the county.

MUSIC FOR KIDS AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES WITH THE AMFS

REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW!

• BEGINNING STRINGS

violin, viola, and cello, starting in 2nd grade

• LEAD GUITAR

classical guitar, starting in 4th grade

Classes start in early October at schools throughout the Roaring Fork Valley

Tuition and instrument scholarships are available!

FOR MORE INFORMATION Katie Hone Wiltgen Dean of Education and Community

REGISTER ONLINE AT

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aspenmusicfestival.com/afterworks

khonewiltgen@aspenmusic.org 970 205 5055

“A new network of really fun bike trails up Coal Basin will introduce folks to this area and showcase how it is being restored from former mining activities,” he added. “The Crystal Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in all of Colorado and has been found by the public. Wellmanaged recreation can help with the tourist economy while protecting the vast array of natural resources that makes the Crystal Valley so special.”

Zella Arbuckle, 12, has taken note of that.

She attended the soft opening and has made return visits with her family and friends. In early August, she enjoyed a cool morning ride on the longer recommended loop and kept returning to a boardwalk that weaves through the evergreen trees of the “Dutch 2” pond in the upper portion of the pump track.

“It’s awesome. Everything is super cool, and I like that it’s right on the mountain, in a natural environment, and it’s not in the city,” she says before racing off for yet another lap with her posse of eight riders from two families.

PHOTOS: 1. A.Z. of California takes a pause on

the Strider track. 2. Maureen Gaffney descends through the aspen grove on the Bear Ridge flow trail. 3. On a mountain unicycle, Sky Couvreux nears the end of the 3.9-mile main loop. 4. Z.A. focuses on a boardwalk feature in the pump track. Credit: Trina Ortega.

Open to the public, free of charge, from 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM. 3.9 miles west of Redstone at the end of Coal Creek Road.

Park in the Coal Basin Ranch parking lot.

You’ll find it above the White River National Forest parking lot.

Private property. Ride at your own risk.

There are no emergency medical services on site.

Nearest wi-fi = Redstone Firehouse (North end of Redstone Blvd.)

Dogs must be leashed. Please pick up after your pets.

There is no potable water on the property.

There is a porta-potty with wash station.

E-bikes are not allowed at this time.

For more information: (970) 510-6857.

Aspen Medical Care has three pediatricians eager to care for your child in either our Aspen or Basalt office.

your neighbor, your doctor Staff Anne Goyette, MD Charlene Guggenheim, MD Jenny Connery,MD Claudia Nelson, MD Mary Harris, MD Bryan Gieszl, MD Haley Hoffman, DO Shari Kiehnbaum, PA-C Jade R. Golden, PA-C Tracie Walterscheid, PA-C

We offer both in person and video visits utilizing telehealth technology.

A S P E N M E D I C A L CA R E, P.C.

Progressive Medicine · Old-Fashioned Care Obermeyer Place, 101 Founders Pl, Suite 109, Aspen, 920-0104 204 Basalt Center Circle, Basalt, 927-3141 www.aspenmedicalcare.com

T W N OW

D

O

BA

N

All in person visits follow the strictest COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of everyone in the office — patients, staff and providers.

S A LT

Not currently accepting new Medicare patients.

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MOUNTAIN PARENT FE AT U R E

BEFORE, AFTER

& IN-BETWEEN THE CHALLENGE WE FACE LIVING WITH BLURRED LINES

DANA ELLIS. ARCHITECT. MOTHER. SURVIVOR OF A LIVE-IN DIY REMODEL. SARAH KUHN. PHOTOGRAPHY. My Aunt Marge and Uncle Jack lived in a 1,000 SF Cape Cod-style cottage with a formal dining room. This room took up 25% of their living space, and they did not use it.

They sat cramped in the back kitchen, an old radiator threatening to singe your legs each time you stood up from the table.

We – my husband, daughter, and I – live in an entirely different architectural era, a 1980s passivesolar house from the early days of the modern “open floor plan” style. Our dining room IS our living room and both converge in the kitchen. We say this all the time in my profession: “open plan living blurs the line between spaces.” This is the beauty of architecture today. It’s all about spending time together in spaces that are beautiful, functional, and actively IN USE. This is a far cry from the homes most of us grew up in, when “rooms were for looking at, not living in.” In my childhood, TVs were often relegated to family rooms, dens, or TV rooms. Bookshelves were tucked away in corners. Children’s toys and belongings typically lived in their bedrooms. Remember the oh-so-beloved basement office? These were a big trend in my particular family.

That was then. Things were compartmentalized. Walls and doors defined spaces, told you what went where.

I sometimes look around and ask myself why Mom and Dad (and Aunt Marge) were able to keep their homes perfect all the time. Was it because they were better at housekeeping than I am? Or is it because architecture has evolved for our generation? Don’t get me wrong – this evolution is THE impetus of my professional journey. It’s what gets me excited when I sit at my desk designing nourishing spaces for my clients. Yet I’ve come to believe that the architecture of blurred lines between spaces can be a giant source of stress. My house is often a wreck, and it’s not entirely because I am multitasking too much, busy shuffling myself and my child from here to there. I often ask myself: Why is this so hard?

I’ve decided it’s because of an architectural paradigm that opens all of our living functions into one big, shared place. In our house, the only enclosed rooms are bedrooms, bathrooms, and a laundry/ mechanical room. (“Room” is a generous term since you must sumo squat to get laundry in or out.)

We also have a pantry/root cellar, which is the only storage in our home with no basement or attic. My daughter’s dollhouse naturally expands onto the stairs. My laptop lives part-time on the kitchen table. My library books take residence on the coffee table where they “belong,” but all of this creates a home we love that is hardly ever up to my mother’s standards. Somehow we are supposed to actively live in ALL of our spaces ALL at once, and yet we feel it ALL should be pristine.

It got terribly messy (literally; figuratively) when we undertook a remodel of the whole upstairs of our house. Ourselves. Both bedrooms. Both baths. We moved our beds and our entire private lives into one shared downstairs space without doors. It’s like camping with way more stuff. Our clothes are visible all the time. Every single thing is in the open. AND this new bedroom/living room/closet happens to be my office, which means that my two desks, my two large screens, my filing system, and my supplies, in other words, my sanity – moved into an even less private space. Our passive-solar brick sunroom now functions as an office, playroom, yoga studio, potting shed, and, due to our COVID-inspired wish for family dance parties, it is also a dancehall complete with a disco ball.

I am grateful to own in this Valley, having worked our way from basement rental to affordable housing to a free-market home. I love it. But our home is often in a state of living chaos. Like many of my friends during the pandemic, I decided to “Marie Kondo” the #$%@ out of my stress. This took a lot more than “rolling” my t-shirts. While starting our own architectural practice, with our upstairs rooms stripped down to the studs, with our daughter out of school for the summer, with my training schedule building toward hiking the northern loop of Mount Ranier this fall, and, of course, with my ongoing commitments to clients, along with my forever-and-always-priority of nurturing my family – I decided to pull it all apart.

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everything you need for your home

AN ART OPENING

I have amassed many frames. If you don’t yet have “that perfect picture,” create your own. This watercolor was inspired by a place on our property and I used colors that would complement the room.

Why mix art with your storage? So that you place value on the space. I will pause and take a beat before slamming a box in front of my great-grandmother’s portrait.

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Connecting

OUR PANTRY BEFORE

PEOPL E and PL ACE.

The depository of everything from T.P. to sunscreen to tax receipts. This was our catchall room. Because we could shut the door. It will continue to be our catch-all room, but now we can sort and not just pile.

EVERYTHING HAS A PLACE

When we painted the walls dark, I found it important to choose bins in a color that created contrast. The sturdy handles allow me to carry a box out to the kitchen to find what I need, then return each bin to its place.

SAVE OLD TREASURES

This antique lunch box is the most used item in this room because it is filled with my daughter’s favorite accessory, Bandaids.

By placing it at counter height, it allows everyone easy access.

REPURPOSE PACKAGING

I like to reuse attractive boxes for storage.

This box is from an impulse subscription to Causebox, another casualty of the pandemic – our susceptibility to Insta shopping. Don’t feel bad about the things you buy. Appreciate them and give them a place. Or share the love and move on.

IT WASN’T EASY.

“I felt insane at several key junctures because, of course, nothing you tidy is permanent. (Insert here my Dad’s joke quoting Ben Franklin on death and taxes.) However, when I step into my pantry to sharpen a pencil, I stop and look around. My Mom and Aunt Marge would definitely hang out in this space.”

Sarah Murray Broker Associate 970.618.0109 sarah@masonmorse.com

cbmasonmorse.com

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MAKE MAMA HAPPY

My mother would NEVER have a disco ball hanging in her home. And I say this with immeasurable love and respect – no one wants to grow up and live in their parents’ house, so why should we decorate as if we did?

PLAY SPACE

Open-ended toys and a bit of empty space feed a child’s imagination. Given objects of beauty, children will naturally create beauty.

This deer is sharing space with a vintage Lego piece (A Star Wars robot, I believe, from my husband’s childhood). In my daughter’s play, this Lego piece has become an ancient urn, a boulder and a swimming hole. It’s truly endless.

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OPENING SOON IN GLENWOOD SPRINGS! HEALTHCARE MADE

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IMITATION

Although I often long to return to the space I used as an office before we started our remodel, I also see the benefits of working alongside my daughter.

When I enter my quiet, focused zone, she seems to sink more deeply into her own imaginative world. At the end of the day, I always clear my desk, so when I return to work in the morning, my workspace is inviting. Now, this practice is becoming part of her habit life because she imitates what I do.

Casey Aguirre, D.O. 37

NEIGHBORS ASK YOUR

LET US INTRODUCE OUR HOMELIFE ADVERTISERS

CHARLES ANDRADE

JEFF SIRBU

“The open plan architectural style ushered in a new concept in living space where much of the shared community space was within a single view from different perspectives in the house. Lazure painting offers gentle transitions between spaces by utilizing color as a design element. The beauty of Lazure is that subtle changes in hue move across the wall throughout the day. This finish is known for the contemporary, calming, and regenerative qualities it brings to home décor in any interior space.”

“We are continually amazed by the donations that we receive from the community.

There are so many options when it comes to repurposing common items for your organization goals – from credenzas to cabinets to armoires to shelving structures.

Additionally, as you go through the reorganization process for your home, consider us for any furniture items that are no longer needed. It is a win-win for everyone.”

DIRECTOR OF RETAIL OPERATIONS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE

REAL ESTATE

. . .

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LAZURE CUSTOM WALL DESIGNS DECORATIVE PAINTING/MURALS

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JEREMY DWIGGINS

“Most of us don’t park our cars in the garage.

What a crazy idea! They are catch-all places for random cleaning supplies, tools, paint, sports equipment, seasonal decor, tires, and the list goes on. Household tools and gear can take up a large footprint – floorspace that we don’t have to spare. The solution: go vertical. The Co-Op carries an amazing variety of multipurpose hooks, hangers and customizable mounting products. We carry wall-mount bike storage racks that can fit adult and youth-size bikes. For items you use less often, such as tall extension ladders or seasonal decor, consider ceiling mounted storage racks.”

ROARING FORK VALLEY CO-OP

Engel & Völkers Aspen / Basalt (970) 925-8400 Monica Viall, The Agency Carbondale (970) 319-1119 Corey Crocker Slifer, Smith & Frampton Basalt (970) 445-7259 Sarah Murray Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Carbondale (970) 618-0109 Gella Sutro Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Carbondale (970) 379-3880

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FINANCIAL

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Richard Fuller Cornerstone Mortgage Carbondale (970) 704-6440 First Bank Carbondale (970) 476-3500 First Bank Glenwood Springs (970) 947-0300 Alpine Bank Glenwood Springs / Carbondale / Willits / Basalt / Snowmass / Aspen (970) 945-2424

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RETAIL & SERVICES

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RJ Paddywacks Willits (970) 963-1700 Basalt Printing & Art Supply Basalt (970) 927-4705 Habitat for Humanity ReStore Glenwood Springs (970) 945-9138 Sunburst Car Care Carbondale (970) 963-8800 Lazure Custom Wall Designs Valleywide, throughout the U.S. and international commissions Roaring Fork Valley Co-Op Carbondale (970) 963-2220

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(970) 309-5559

MOUNTAINPARENT BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

FROM HERE TO THERE AND OTHER POINTS IN BETWEEN 2021 STUDENT ESSAY WINNERS + TEACHER AUTHORS

AHS ACS

(970) 923-4080

“

340 Woody Creek Mesa, Woody Creek ASPEN HIGH SCHOOL Lottery ASPEN Enrollment Publicly Funded Charter COMMUNITY Aspen School District SCHOOL (970) 925-3760 Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

www.aspenk12.net 0235 High School Road, Aspen Being part of a family is hard because you do not always get along... Stress Open Enrollment could put someone in a bad mood... When you are in a rush and someone Publicly Funded might start yelling, “Go faster, go faster everyone!’’ You might not get along when Aspen School District someone feels sick because they’re coughing and you don’t want to get sick. Family is Mascot: Skier hard because you never know when they will die. They could die at any moment. For Red my & Black example, during theColors: pandemic, grandmother Safta was diagnosed with Parkinson’s

disease. Family is hard but it’s totally worth it.”

UPCOMING PROGRAMS KIDS Bilingual Storytime Thursdays, 10:30-11AM Outside Music Class Fridays, Sept. 3, 10 & 17, 10:30-11AM Manualidad Para Llevar a Casa/ Take-Home Craft Saturdays, Sept. 18-Oct. 9, 12-5PM

TEENS College Essay Workshop Tuesday, Oct. 5, 5-7:30PM SAT Prep Workshop Sunday, Oct. 24, 11AM-2PM

FAMILY Drive in Movie Saturday, Sept 18, 7:30-9:30PM ¡Alebrijes! Create your own Mexican Folk Art Monster Wednesdays, Oct. 6, 13 & 20, 3-4:30PM Swap It Like It’s Hot: Clothing Swap Saturday, Oct 9, 10AM-5PM

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1 4 M I D L A N D AV E • B A S A LT, CO, 81621 • 970-927-4311 • B A S A L T L I B R A R Y. O R G

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Teacher: Jen Weller

ACDS

“

ASPEN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

(970) 925-1909 85 Country Day Way, Aspen Application with testing Tuition & Financial Aid PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

When starting a rock climb, the climber looks up at the wall and scans carefully for hints of what may be ahead. I remember starting in Miss Katie’s Third Grade classroom, where my climb would begin, and being frightened by what was to come. I thought only about the what-if scenarios and failed to think about the memories and friendships that lay ahead. As I climbed, the route became steadily more difficult... Little did I know, a major crux was soon to arrive: COVID-19. While staying home from school, we all realized how meaningful in-person school really is. Finally, I was approaching the top of the climb, the eighth-grade year. Having in-person classes again showed my journey at Aspen Country Day School to be a classic route.”

LUKE LEONARD grade 8 Teacher: Stacy Reed

ONLINE RESOURCES Creative Bug Arts & Crafts classes Tumblebooks Read aloud ebooks PebbleGo Research tools for emerging readers

BIJA VARDY grade 4

AES

“

ASPEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

(970) 925-3760 235 High School Road, Aspen In-District Enrollment Publicly Funded Aspen School District Kindergarten & Grades 1-4

I adore Aspen Elementary! Because, everyone there is doing a lot. (Especially this year!) Even though all of have had to deal with COVID, it has been such a good year. Everyone has done their best in my school.”

CORA CHIMERAKIS grade 2 Teacher: Rixt Clifford

MOUNTAINPARENT BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

FROM HERE TO THERE AND OTHER POINTS IN BETWEEN

...THEY HAVE MUSIC AND PE AND MATH AND YOU CAN BRING STUFFIES TOO. BUT NOT REAL ANIMALS,” wrote Jayson Salceiro in Jen Liddington’s secondgrade class at Aspen Elementary School. Meanwhile, Rio Smith of Chris Mullally’s eighth-grade class

at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork contemplated a hypothetical planet with multiple moons, wondering how their lunar gravity might affect the planet’s imaginary outer-stellar tides. And Sopris Elementary School second grader Jack Ring wrote simply and poetically, “I will never forget this year because my friends never forgot me.” Our Annual Student Essay Contest gave us a chance to contemplate 142 OPINIONS on dogs v. cats, soccer v. football, Highlands Bowl, sleepovers, peer pressure and of course, the global pandemic. We selected winners blindly, with essayist’s names, schools and teachers hidden. This year, we recognize: FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD-PLACE ESSAYS FROM GRADES 1-8.

2 HIGH SCHOOL ESSAYISTS . 2 HONORABLE MENTIONS. 1 WINNER FROM EACH PARTICIPATING SCHOOL. TEACHERS OF EVERY WINNING ESSAYIST + 3 TEACHER AUTHORS. We at MP live in continual gratitude and awe of our community’s teachers, who arrive at school an hour before the bell rings and who often grade papers after their own children’s bedtimes. It is clear when sampling the work of Roaring Fork Valley students that our local teachers are not only champions of proper grammar, rich vocabulary, and the Oxford comma – they also inspire original thinking and an ability to name, precisely, why an experience matters. Through the reflections of their students, they teach us the power of words.

GRADES 1-8 FIRST PLACE

TESSA FIGUEROA

Riverview School, grade 8 teacher: Kirstin McGlothen

“

2020 was the year I got my identity back... Like many kids going through middle school, lots of us lose a bit of our identity to the mindless, toxic drivel known as the social part of middle school. It’s horrendous, toxic friendships, rumors, you name it. During my time in middle school I lost a lot of who I was in a struggle between being myself and being ‘relevant.’ When I was first met with the lock down, I was devastated. I had to actually deal with myself… all of myself.

After many months of introspection, since there wasn’t much else to do, I finally piece by piece put myself together again. You’d be surprised at how much it actually helped me. It wasn’t just mental health, I was able to play piano in a way I couldn’t have dreamed of in just a year. I was able to write so much I nearly filled up my journal. I was finally able to remember my childhood and get past people who hid behind the insult ‘irrelevant’ or ‘weird.’ I no longer had people to impress, so I finally decided to affirm with my true self.

I had finally stopped lying to myself about the music I listen to, as if getting my computer unplugged at school was my worst nightmare. Listening to the music I actually like helped me so much, I stopped faking whatever sense of normal I had. After a year alone, I learned that it’s better to be your true self than be relevant.

However, not all of that came from this is good. I lost a lot of friends and people who were close to me. I was nonchalantly kicked out of all the group chats I was in.

I was blocked, unfriended, and my number forgotten.

Even someone I had considered to be my very best friend turned tail during this year. I made a lot of friends with a false persona, when the veil was lifted, they turned tail and stopped caring about me. This hurt a lot more than I expected, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, for the couple of people that stayed and the person I met are very important to me.

Overall, it’s always better to not hide yourself, it saves time and energy for things that are truly important to you, even if it’s weird for other people. So, when people ask the same question, “psh are you still weird or irrelevant?” I will always with wide eyes and with a smile on my face say, “Well, would you know me any other way?”

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ASAS AMBLESIDE SCHOOL AT SKYLARK

GRADES 1-8 SECOND PLACE

SARA CORWIN

Glenwood Springs Middle School, grade 8 Teacher: Cassandra Irving

“

Oh 2021, how we wished you were different and less traumatic. I am one of the only black people/kids in my school. It is a constant challenge being a transracial adoptee, and a teenage woman and, most importantly, black.

I will never forget the day that we started to be given justice and change was being made – the day George Floyd’s killer finally got locked up and sentenced. All of this trauma was a lot for the black community and was a life-changing event that affected the whole world. I remember the day and will never forget it.

I am a person that doesn’t cry during happy things, but this day I cried tears of joy and happiness, and I felt that a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. We still have a long way to go, though, to get justice for all people of color that lost their lives because of racism. George Floyd was given justice like we said we would give him, but this all shouldn’t have happened in the first place. We have a long way to go to make this world a better place and a long way to go so everyone is truly safe and protected in this country – not just certain people. I believe that with bravery and gut instincts, we will see change and everyone will be safe.”

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AMS

ASPEN MIDDLE SCHOOL

BMS

BASALT MIDDLE SCHOOL

CCA

CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

(970) 930-1804 2195 Co Rd 154, Glenwood Applications w/ Academic Assessments Tuition w/ Need-based Assistance Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

(970) 925-3760 235 High School Road, Aspen In-District Enrollment Publicly Funded Aspen School District Grades 5-8

(970) 384-5900 51 School Street, Basalt Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District Grades 5-8

(970) 927-9106 20449 Highway 82, Basalt, Open Enrollment Tuition w/ Financial Aid Pre-K, Kindergarten & Grades 1-9

BES

“

BASALT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CCS

(970) 384-5800 151 Cottonwood Drive, Basalt Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1- 4

“

When we got to the top of the chairlift, we put our skis on our backpacks. At last we started hiking and the first part was more exhausting than I thought. After a little bit of time, we got to the main gate. When everyone caught up we went through the main gate. There’s a huge rock cliff that you had to walk around it and right next to the boundary line. After that part we had to hike up a really steep part, and after that part, we walked just a little bit longer and we got to the top of the BOWL!! ...We took a lot of pictures and then all the parents did a pole tunnel and we walked through it and got a pin (and) brownies and then we went to g6 but we couldn’t find it so we just went on to g3.

That’s an experience I will never forget.”

CARBONDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

(970) 963-9647 1505 Satank Road, Carbondale Enrollment Lottery Publicly Funded Charter Publicly Funded Free Education Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

Even though the pandemic was bad, the skiing was AMAZING! One of the best silver bits of lining around the pandemic and 2020 was meeting Hailey Swirbal, Olympic skier. It was a bright sunny day when I was out for a skate ski with my family. I had barely gone anywhere at all when Hailey Swirbal skied up next to me and said that I was doing a great job skiing and after a quick chat she was up the hill and gone. By the time she was gone I had the biggest grin on my face and from then on she was my heroine. I have watched a lot of the World Cup races she has been in. In conclusion, right now skiing is my biggest passion and I want to be like Hailey Swirbal when I grow up!”

HUNTER RAYMOND grade 4

HAZEL KUHN grade 3

Teacher: Melissa Gatlin

Teachers: Mandi Read and Mike Mines GRADES

1–8

CMS

CARBONDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL

RMS

ROSS MONTESSORI SCHOOL

(970) 384-5700 180 Snowmass Drive, Carbondale Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District Grades 5-8

CRES

“

CRYSTAL RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

(970) 384-5620 160 Snowmass Drive, Carbondale Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1-4

One of the people I really like is Mr. Dean. ... My school had a party for him because he was getting married to a girl named Stacy. And on their special day, Mr. Dean had to follow clues that were on pieces of paper that all the grades wrote. Mr. Dean got a bow tie... a sash ... a pink skirt ... flamingos and flowers.”

(970) 963-7199 109 Lewies Lane, Carbondale Enrollment Lottery Publicly Funded Charter Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

AVERY LEE KLUMB grade 1 Teacher: Aimee Brockman

BOOK YOUR

winter adaptive FOR THE adventures NOW 2021-22 SEASON Every disability.

Every age.

Every season.

970.923.0578

challengeaspen.org

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GSES

GLENWOOD SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

“

(970) 384-5450 915 School Street, GWS Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1-4

When I was in second-grade I had a teacher named Mrs. Zachman. I had her the entire year and she was the best teacher I’ve ever had... We learned about fossils and went on a field trip and I found a real fossil! Mrs. Zachman is now (my) third-grade teacher. I like her because she gives us the help when we need it and she is never strict. Because of her I try to do hard work because she does so much work for me and I want to make it up to her. And since I’ve had Mrs Zachman for two years, she’s changed my life as a student at GSES.”

GSMS

GLENWOOD SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL

“

(970) 384-5500 120 Soccer Field Road, GWS Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District Grades 5-8

I am from snowy peaks and roaring rivers, from a big house on a mountain top and stunning sunset views. I am from the green grass soccer fields and hardwood volleyball courts. I am from the bright colored fields filled with poppies and dandelions, and from adventurous peaks. I am from Saturday soccer games and long light brown hair, from Tina and Dereck, and the Cox girls and boys. I am from the kind and loving, the smart and hard working. I am from eras of Catholics and Christians. I from Glenwood Springs and the Philippines, from pancit and lumpia. From the tales of traveling all over Asia, the hard work to go to school, and the journey to get to America.

I am from the mountains of Colorado, the raging rivers, the rolling poppy hills – but most of all, I am from generations of wonderful loving families.”

CATHERINE HEISER grade 3 Teacher: Ms. Tammie Zachman

ADDIE COX grade 8

Teacher: Ms. Cassandra Irving

GRADES

1–8

LCA

“

LIBERTY CLASSICAL ACADEMY

(970) 984-0604 5033 Co Rd 335, New Castle Open Enrollment Religious School Tuition w/ financial aid Grades preK - grade 12

I enjoy spending time with my mom, dad and sweet dog. We like to spend time in nature, play games and read books. I have enjoyed the arts and crafts from the library. Girl Scouts has been fun with all the online activities. I love being in the theatre. Last year, I was in Frozen and the Lion King with Theatre Aspen. I am grateful for so many things. Thank you to my family and friends. Thank you for the kindness of churches and for all the people who help other people!”

LEXI JENSON grade 4

Teacher: Stephanie Smith

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MCS

“

MARBLE CHARTER SCHOOL

(970) 963-9550 418 W. Main Street, Marble Open Enrollment Publicly Funded Charter Gunnison School District Daily Bus Service from Carbondale Kindergarten & Grades 1-10

My school year was different because of COVID. To begin with, we had a lot of activities outdoors. Outside we had a marshmallow fight, played kick ball and ball tag. Another fact is our classrooms were in tents. The bears went inside our tents at night. In addition, when COVID hit, we all had to wear masks. It was hard to breathe. Last but not least, all of us came together again. I made lots more friends. I also got to see some of my old friends again. This year was really different, but it was still fun!”

ZEB PIFFER grade 1

Teachers: Gina Mile and Jaime Fiske

“

GRADES 1-8 HONORABLE MENTION

QUINN WAALER

“

Riverview School, grade 8 Teachers: Kristen McGlothen and Skyler McAllister

GRADES 1-8 THIRD PLACE

OLIVIA MIERNICKI

“

Riverview School, grade 8 Teacher: Kirstin McGlothen

The Grizzly Creek fire started around 1:30 PM {on August 10, 2020}. We heard about it around 3:00 - 4:00 PM. My mom told me that we were safe for now, but my family should pack a fire bag just in case the fire jumps the ridge. We were safe that day. The day after, I was doing laundry and my mom busted into the room. She was crying and she told me, “The fire jumped the line, be ready for an evacuation notice.”

My brother was behind her on the verge of a panic attack.

Tears immediately filled my eyes. A thousand different thoughts ran through my mind. “What if the home I’ve lived in since my birth burns down?” “Can we afford a rebuild?” “I hate fire!”

After my family freaks out for a bit, we all calm down, and the fire does too. The fire fighters contained it over to the other side. Still, the fear is always there. One thing about me is I like to see my future. I have lots of plans set out for when I’m older. Including living in a place that is safe. I searched up “places with the least fires.” I decided I would live in Chicago, (where there is little fire action and where my grandparents immigrated to). A day later, I had an idea to watch a movie about fires, Planes, Fire and Rescue ... a classic favorite from when I was a child. That movie is how this new idea of mine started {of becoming an aerial fire fighter by joining either a commercial training school or the Air Force}.

The fire was contained on December 18, 2020. ... I know that these wild dreams of mine will be hard to achieve. ... Just a “little Polish girl” ready to take on all the challenges. Well, bring it on.”

Starting this Fall...

$1

Youth Fare

Death isn’t something that I thought I would be face-to-face with as an 8th grader. Normally, the closest death comes to us is through a dead pet, or maybe an older relative who passes.

Not someone close, nor ourselves. Suddenly, thanks to this coronavirus, and the wrong people with the wrong weapons, death is a lot more frequent, and a lot more real.

3.17 million people have died from COVID alone. COVID is random. While our scientists are trying to find patterns, we are still finding young, healthy people who are dying.

Why should we have to fear death at 14? This disease is something I will never forget because I finally realized how close death lingers, and it isn’t picky with who it takes...it takes whoever it wants, whenever.”

GRADES 1-8 HONORABLE MENTION

VIVIENNE SHAPIRO

“

Homeschool Student, grade 3 Teacher: Meagan Shapiro

I call my grandfather Papa. To me he matters more than the sun, the moon, and the stars. He is family. He lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He has a big house with a big pond. That pond has an island. He has the only island in the neighborhood. In Jackson, the winter is cold. At night it gets far below zero. But to me that cold is wonderful because cold in Jackson only means one thing. Ice skating! The pond is the best ice rink ever. Papa’s house is special. Papa is like my encyclopedia of non boring knowledge. First there’s music. Papa loves music. He plays guitar and sings too. His favorite (and mine too) is The Beatles.

From “I’d like to be under the sea in an octopus’s garden in the shade” to “We all live in a yellow submarine a yellow submarine a yellow submarine.” Second baseball. We memorized Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine. I do Costello and Papa does Abbott. We spend hours playing baseball. One time he hit a baseball over the roof. We put up “Missing” signs to find it. It had rolled into the street.“

Introducing a lower fare for our valley’s youth...

Coming this Fall - kids, ages 6 through 18 will be able to travel one-way on any of RFTA’s regional commuter buses for only $1!

CHILDREN FIVE AND UNDER STILL RIDE FOR FREE! Keep your wallet stocked with a RFTA stored value card (which provides approximately a 26% discount), for even more of a discount on the $1 Youth Fare.

www.rfta.com

Please continue to wear your mask while on board buses and at bus stations.

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RS

“

RIVERVIEW SCHOOL

SES

(970) 928-0240 228 Flying M Ranch Road, GWS Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

“

SOPRIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

(970) 384-5400 1150 Mt. Sopris Drive, GWS Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1-4

I tried dancing, soccer, piano, But none of them made me happy, So I got a guitar and hoped I would like it.

It happened the 17th of March 2021.

It happened because me and Alex where bored.

It was so fun because we missed every shot.

It happened because no one wanted to play.

Alan and Alex where the ones who were playing...

It was awesome because I didn’t have friends.

It changed my life because I learned how friendship felt like.”

Now I have never been more happy, for what I have done To love myself more frequently, Someday who knows what I can accomplish.

Maybe something good Or Maybe something more brilliant than reality, But with my guitar I’m ready!”

CESAR CHAVIRA grade 4 Teacher: Michelle McGory

ANNA PASSENTI grade 4 Teacher: Marty Mazzotta GRADES

SSCS

ST. STEPHENS CATHOLIC SCHOOL

TRES

TWO RIVERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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1–8

(970) 945-7746 414 Hyland Park Dr, GWS Application Process Tuition w/ Financial Aid PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

WSRF

WALDORF SCHOOL ON THE ROARING FORK

“

(970) 963-1960 16543 Highway 82, Carbondale Application Process Tuition w/ Financial Aid + PreK, Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

In the future, what if we found another planet with water on it? Not only would that be an amazing discovery, that could potentially mean that there is life on other planets. And what if this hypothetical planet has a moon? Or two moons? Or eight?

What would multiple moons mean for the oceans? If one moon is bigger then the other moons, would it affect the tides more than the other moons? Would the tides move more quickly?

What would happen? There are so many possibilities.”

(970) 384-5200 195 Center Drive, GWS Enrollment Lottery Publicly Funded Charter Kindergarten & Grades 1-8

RIO SMITH grade 8

Teacher: Chris Mullally

TEACHERAUTHORS

JANIS ANN TAYLOR

NYIBOL BIOR

POEMS OF THE ROARING FORK A TRIBUTARY OF THE COLORADO RIVER

MY BEAUTIFUL COLORS A REFUGEE STORY

Ross Montessori School Student Interventionist

“

Sink into the opening lines of Janis Taylor’s poem, Preservation: I think it was the smell Of decay and renewal That drew my gaze To the white elk frame Nestled in these stones Rounded by river time Brisk wind rips through Remains of ribs Limbs splayed Exposed to this wide sky You must have been magnificent To be granted such a burial.

Crystal River Elementary School Summer Advantage Coordinator

“

In Poems of the Roaring Fork, Taylor shares her view of the world through meditations on moonlit hikes, aspen gold, hummingbirds, coyotes, stardust owls, and swallows. Her collection of more than eighty poems is broken into themed sections exploring seasons, flora, fauna, being human, this earth, downriver, and goodnight. Her words touch deeply and come together to paint a picture of this place that is beautiful and fleeting, like the moments captured by her words.

“As a child I memorized ballads and other forms of poetry with my siblings and we would recite them together on hikes,” Taylor shares, recalling that they mostly hiked in Zion National Park and they favored the works of Robert W. Service and Rudyard Kipling.

Poems of the Roaring Fork is sold locally at Bookbinders in Basalt, Pitkin County Dry Goods in Aspen, and the Launchpad in Carbondale.

The villagers had knowledge about the earth, too, before the war,” writes Nyibol Bior in her short memoir, My Beautiful Colors. “My grandmother took care of me and many of my cousins, cured diseases with her natural medical talent, and united all of us. Even though the men with money bought guns and waged wars, we had what money cannot buy. We had nature, friendships, and our love for one another.”

Bior invites us into her childhood home in the Sudan of the 1980s, which has been continually in civil war since shortly after her birth.

She tells of having to leave her grandmother and her village, walking over 1,000 miles to a refugee camp in Kenya. Eventually, her family resettled in the United States, where the darkness of her skin made her a target of middle school bullying, even by others of color.

Bior’s undeniable clarity and buoyant optimism are expressed through her understanding of her “Beautiful Colors.” Each color symbolizes a state of spirit. Red, for example, “may be challenging, but it enables me to show unconditional love.” Black, on the other hand, “makes room for light ... the night leaves room for the day, and when babies are born, they don’t expect to be called black, brown, or white.” “My skin is as dark as the night sky and everyone who loves me for who I am are like the stars of my world, my rainbow, and my beautiful colors.”

Illustrated by RHFS Class of 2021 graduate, Samantha Ferry.

Find My Beautiful Colors at the Carbondale branch of Garfield County Library.

PROBLEM SOLVER where

meets

Gabriella Sutro has over 28 years of experience in the Carbondale real estate market and a wealth of knowledge of the mid-valley market. She cares more about her clients than notching another sale. They rely on her to tell them the straight story, and Gabriella’s organization and dedication make her an excellent negotiator at closing time.

Gabriella Sutro • Broker Associate 970.379.3880 • gsutro@masonmorse.com

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HIGH SCHOOL FIRST PLACE

DAISY KELLY

ASCENDIGO AUTISM SERVICES WINTER ADVENTURES offering ski lessons for children & adults of all abilities ASPEN | SNOWMASS

PRIVATE LESSONS GROUP LESSONS CAMP the only autism-specific ski & snowboard school

WE'RE HIRING! learn more: ascendigo.org/jobs Ascendigo.org | 970-927-3143 48

Colorado Rocky Mountain School Teacher: Tracy Wilson

“

Every person is worth more than the most terrible thing they have done. Period. Many people would contradict this statement, but I think in the end, every person possesses a moral that is beyond what we can even begin to fathom as human beings.

At times, some are so low or so high that they cannot think straight and commit a crime they had no intention of committing. Before they know it, that person is sitting in a cold cell awaiting their fate, knowing that their days – even hours – are numbered.

If we could embody this concept that even the worst criminals have something deep inside them that realizes their mistakes and wants to atone them, maybe our society would be a just one, with equal parts liberty, equality, and justice.

When thinking of possible ways to change our justice system, we need to ask ourselves, “Do we have the right to kill another person? If so, who gave us that right?”

When someone kills another person, do we get to “reserve” the right to torture and execute them?

I would assume that almost every human in their right mind regrets the decision that puts them in a prison cell, and wishes they could right their wrongs. However, when this opportunity is withheld from them, they lose hope and in most cases, become more violent and/or depressed. If our justice system was shifted to be more rehabilitation-focused, what would that look like? How would we as a nation and a human race benefit?

If our justice system – and our whole government – revolved around {a quote from the documentary film Just Mercy}: “We are all more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”

What would our country look like? How much higher would the average happiness of an American be? What would our prisons and “correctional” facilities look like? It would be exciting to give others hope, that yes, you do get another chance; you can right this wrong.

When we as a nation are seen by others as one big, racist, unjust entity, how does that reflect on our character as a whole? Most of us are so isolated, only hearing about – but not necessarily seeing – death row and systematic racism, but what is it like to experience it? The sinking in the pit of our stomachs that happens after watching movies like Just Mercy only stays for a few hours or days, then we forget about it. But it is the people who are prisoners, families, and friends of those prisoners, or lawyers trying to protect them, feeling that pain forevermore.

So what can we do to fix this broken system? How do we change our mindset and society? We as humans should be able to fully recognize these issues, and without conversation and action, we cannot achieve even the most mundane goals. We are always more than our greatest mistakes, and when we are able – as a whole – to realize this, that is when we can have liberty, equality, and justice once more.

CRMS

COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

(970) 963-2562 500 Holden Way, Carbondale Application w/ entrance testing Tuition w/ financial aid Mascot: Rocky Mountain Oysters Colors: Green & White

RFHS

ROARING FORK HIGH SCHOOL

(970) 384-5757 www.rfsd.k12.co.us 2270 Hwy 133, Carbondale Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District Mascot: Rams Colors: Blue & Gold

HIGH SCHOOL SECOND PLACE

We’re proud to serve families in the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond!

“

ARI CHACOS

Roaring Fork High School Teacher: Denise Wright

“

The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected me with school, the constant requirement to wear masks, the consistent breakdowns due to all the hate in this world. All three things have challenged me to become more resilient and strong.

Online school has affected my attention in learning and overall my understanding in school. For example, when I did online school, I would sit in my chair, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. Two classes went by in a matter of minutes. My lack of attention learning from a screen was not a good fit for me. I learned this the hard way because I was missing assignments left and right.

On top of that, my brothers constantly distracted me, and living in a frantic household made it harder for me to concentrate. I reacted to the best of my ability by working and taking my classes in my tiny, cold camper parked in our driveway. This adjustment made online school feel like school, and I finally got something out of online learning.

On occasions, I did tend to doze off into my imaginary world, especially when I wasn’t engaged through the screen. Finally, when I switched to in-person school, most of the things I struggled with online never appeared in person.

Another difficulty that the COVID-19 Pandemic offers is having to wear masks. Masks have affected me all the time. For example, masks are annoying, like the multiple times I would bike to Bonfire Coffee, City Market, and school, I would frequently forget a mask, and I would have to bike home to get a mask. I was late, and I would get angry. I had to figure something about masks because it wasn’t going away anytime soon. I solved it by packing extra masks in my backpack. I did something because I was not too fond of the feeling of shame and the guilt of being so clueless about my surroundings when the woman at the front counter in City Market says, “Hey honey.

You need a mask!”

The worst that COVID-19 brought was when I saw another shooting on TV, the storming of the capital, George Floyd’s death, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, global warming, etc. I would close my door and sink into this dark hole, feeling all my anger, sadness, guilt build up inside me, and I would cry. I could not deal with all the negative things around me. I could not deal with any more drama. For example, when my family decided on a movie, Zero Dark Thirty. This movie was about the assassination of Osama Bin Ladin. My reaction in watching a dark movie was, “No, I’m not watching this. I will be upstairs.” That night I grabbed my computer and watched How To Train Your Dragon. After that night, this has been my escape. I have watched cartoons since because it seems that these are the only movies that are happy.

So many things during the pandemic made me change and made me more grateful for what I have in this world. After this pandemic, I will come out more resilient and stronger. I lived through a pandemic!”

LET US HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR HOMEOWNERSHIP DREAMS CONTACT U S TO LE ARN MORE

RICHARD FULLER Mortgage Loan Originator | NMLS 458827 Office: 970.704.6440 | Cell: 970.618.4294 rfuller@houseloan.com www.RichardFullerCornerstone.com BRISA GARCIA Hablamos Español Loan Officer Assistant | NMLS 1700997 Office: 970.704.6440 | Fax: 866.311.6890 brisagarcia@houseloan.com 502 Main Street, Unit 11 | Carbondale, Colorado 81623 Not a commitment to lend. Borrower must meet qualification criteria. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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PROUD TO BE

“Your Local Little Store YEverything & More” PRINTING & COPYING ART & DRAFTING SUPPLIES OFFICE SUPPLIES TOYS & GIFTS

AHS

ASPEN HIGH SCHOOL

BHS

BASALT HIGH SCHOOL

BRHS

BRIDGES HIGH SCHOOL

GSHS

GLENWOOD SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL

970 927 4705 23252 TWO RIVERS ROAD, BASALT M-F 8:30-5:30 SA 9-2 basaltprinting.com • bprint@ @comcast.net

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YMHS

YAMPAH MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL

(970) 925-3760 0235 High School Road, Aspen Publicly Funded Aspen School District Mascot: Skiers Colors: Red & Black

(970) 384-5959 600 Southside Drive, Basalt Publicly Funded RE 1 School District Mascot: Longhorns Colors: Purple & Gold

(970) 384-6160 455 S. 3rd Street, Carbondale Publicly Funded RE 1 School District Mascot: Frogs Colors: Green & White

(970) 384-5555 1521 Grand Avenue, GWS Open Enrollment Publicly Funded RE 1 School District Mascot: Demons Colors: Red & White

GOT MILK SHAKE? (970) 945-9463 695 Red Mountain Dr., GWS Open Enrollment Publicly Funded Charter Mascot: Grizzlies Colors: Purple & Black

TEACHERAUTHOR

DAVID CONARROE

Aspen High School, retired IB and AP teacher Former AHS Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach U.S. State Department Fullbright Teacher Exchange California State University Academic Support Director

HOW TO BE A BETTER STUDENT When California State University Bakersfield faced possible NCAA sanctions, they hired Dave Conarroe to stabilize and reinvent the university’s academic support center. He drew insights from his thirty-five year teaching career, both at Aspen High School and in Belfast, Ireland as part of the U.S. State Department’s Fullbright Teaching program. During a two-year period, Conarroe’s team completely changed the academic culture of the university’s athletic department and enabled most of the school’s 300 Division-One athletes to be recognized for outstanding achievement.

“One of my objectives as a coach has always been to condense the necessary terminology, skill set instruction, and knowledge into chunks that are as easy to understand as possible. I think one of the problems in education and coaching is that teachers and coaches sometimes inadvertently make things a little too complicated,” Conarroe writes. “The entire purpose of this book is to do the pre-sorting for the student so she/he can, as simply as possible, get to the most efficient and effective strategies, allowing each to utilize what I think works best and discarding what doesn’t.”

What works? Conarroe’s “academic weight room” strategies cover what to do before, during, and after class; study routines; how to do a quick read; and how to handle an exam and essays. He teaches students how to approach time management, and how to embrace academic integrity. In all, here is a how-to offered to help college and university students succeed, which can be applied as well to students in middle school or high school. Parents can read Conarroe’s work to introduce these concepts early, and to help their children develop a growth mindset, which he relates to a famous quote by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you are right.”

Available at Explore Booksellers in Aspen.

WITH GRATITUDE We feel quite certain that the 142 STUDENTS who participated in our annual student essay contest did so, at least in part, because we bribed them. Whether the kids did it for a love of words, or a love of frosty cool confections, we feel we could not offer this collection of youthful opinions and reflections without the generosity of RYAN VINCIGUERRA and his team at Carbondale’s new culinary hot spot in the retro diner on Highway 133.

Got kids?

WE ARE FREE! If you have a rising 4th grader through 12th grader, join us for FREE a er-school & all day summer programs!

Since 1991, Aspen Youth Center has provided a safe and supportive place where all youth in grades 4-12 connect, learn, and grow, for free.

Programs include: Top Chef Art Spot STEAM and Tech Agility Make a Difference Mondays Community Crusaders Free play and sports Outdoor Explore: Ra ing Horseback Riding Rock Climbing Skiing and Snowboarding Hikes and Trail Work Hut Trips and more!

Aspen Youth Center is open Monday through Friday, 9am - 6pm during summer 10am - 6pm duirng the school year.

HONEY BUTTER “OLD FASHIONED MILK SHAKES FOR EVERY ESSAYIST?” we asked.

“You bet,” Ryan Vincurra wrote back. “We feel strongly about supporting our local schools and especially the students!

155 HIGHWAY 133. @HONEYBUTTERDINER.COM

www.aspenyouthcenter.org 970.544.4130

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O U T & A BO U T “ SOCI E T Y ” PAGE S

CENTER

Stage

Whether the spotlight shined upon us, or simply guided our way, it seems our main focus this summer was following the fun.

1. When CARBONDALE ARTS announced plans for this year’s 50th Annual Mountain Fair, locals rejoiced. This Carbondalian celebrated her 10th birthday at the opening drum ceremony. She couldn’t wait to wear her illuminated fairy wings, which had been stuck inside the house, like the rest of us, since early 2020.

2. THEATRE ASPEN’s summertime production of Tony Award-winning Peter and the Starcatcher upends J.M. Barrie’s century-old story of how a miserable orphan came to be “the boy who would not grow up,” Peter Pan. TA’s young company of actors portrayed more than 100 unforgettable characters and utilized ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination to bring this dazzling story to life.

1 2

3. Master music educator Kate Klotz introduced local kiddos to desk bells and concepts of pitch in the ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL’s Sing Play Move class, an immersive week of music for the littlest Festival fans.

3

4

4. Children’s Workshops at ANDERSON RANCH continued to be some of the Ranch’s most popular offerings. Each week, children ages 4 –12 received mentorship and feedback on their artwork from incredible guest faculty and artistic staff.

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1 1. THE WALDORF SCHOOL ON THE ROARING FORK’s 6thgrade strings class performed for the lower grades during an end-of-year music performance. In order to support the school’s successful plan to remain open and in-person throughout the school year, a number of outdoor classrooms were created, and the patio shown here became a stage.

2. The first-ever ALC FOUNDATION Benefit Concert with Brett Dennen at RIVER VALLEY RANCH GOLF COURSE. The event, the first of its kind at this venue, raised more than $50,000 to support families fighting pediatric cancer.

2

3

3. Have you ever imagined that youºº can climb trees for a living? Christopher DePriest of ASPEN TREE SERVICE certainly has the dream job. When he is not serving the arboreal needs of his company’s clients, he represents ATS in tree climbing competitions such as the International Society of Arborculture Rocky Mountain Regional competition this August in Alberquerque where he placed third overall. The weekend event gave he and his wife Susanna and their twins and newborn daughter a great reason for a family summer roadtrip.

4. Students from Cassandra Irving’s 8th-grade social studies class at GLENWOOD SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL raised funds throughout the year to take a trip last Spring to Washington D.C.. The trip included tours of Mt. Vernon, Gettysburg, the memorials, and Capitol Hill.

5. Balloons! And balls! And dancing parachutes! Oh my!

Too young to remember birthday parties before COVID, these littles, along with countless others in our community, discovered the joy of gatherings with friends this summer.

Another cupcake? Yes, please. (Photo: Lauren Suhrbier)

WEEKLY HEBREW SCHOOL SESSIONS Tuesdays in Aspen Thursdays in Carbondale

For more information: sima@aspenjewish.org Charles Andrade ~ Artist

Specializing in children’s murals and decorative wall finishes.

Commercial and residential commissions.

LAZURE

Custom Wall Designs Ensouling your world with color

www.lazure.com

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970.309.5559

4

HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES Including Tot Programs & Outdoor Family Services

For more information: aspenjewish.org

MAKE

PL A N S

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING

5

September

SEPT

22 - 25

CONVERGENCE CIRCUS 13 MOONS RANCH 5:00 - 9:00 PM

Imagine an Autumnal Equinox celebration that brings together the community and local artists to engage in an interactive, immersive experience of the elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Walk through a series of art installations and performance vignettes designed to evoke the beauty and healing power of the four elements. Fire dancing, spoken word, sculptures, gong baths, giant puppets, stilt walkers, native American storytellers, and music. Make this a family outing or a date night. Bike from Carbondale.

Bring a headlamp for a full moon ride home.

Wear sturdy shoes. Eat before you go. Bring cash for purchasing beverages. Guests ages 9-15 get a reduced rate, available as an addon when purchasing tickets online.

Kids ages 8 and younger are free.

(Photo: Jonny Kloberdanz)

October

OCT

22

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION BASALT REGIONAL LIBRARY 5:30 PM All are welcome to join in a Day of the Dead Celebration, performed by Jarabe Mexicano, a group that has been endorsed as cultural ambassadors by the Mexican Consulate in the U.S., offering musical selections that range from traditional Latin folk to rock and reggae.

You will find altars commemorating deceased loved ones as well as popular icons like Ritchie Valens, Bob Marley, and Juan Gabriel. Prior to the concert (time to be announced), Jarabe Mexicano will conduct a workshop for young musicians from the Aspen Music Festival and School’s Lead Guitar and Beginning Strings programs.

R YA N C A M P

Roaring Fork High School graduate Class of 2021 Events Reporter

November

NOV

29

REDSTONE GRAND ILLUMINATION

REDSTONE 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM The town of Redstone resembles the North Pole, which is why it is Santa's first local stop during the holiday season. All day – visit shops and galleries on Redstone Boulevard for special holiday fare, crafts, treats, and unique holiday shopping, which extends later into the evening. At 5:00 PM, Santa lights the Christmas tree at Redstone Park. Follow him and candlelit lumiaries to the Redstone Inn where children can visit with Santa and the whole family can enjoy fireworks, caroling, a bonfire, and warm libations. You can also make advanced reservations for a sleigh ride to Redstone Castle, home of coal magnate, to see the historic home decked for the holiday.

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MP Make Plans ALL AGES & AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING

Once upon a time, a long time ago when we went to school, we learned that BC is a calendar reference, a point in ancient Western European Christian history, the time before time started counting upward, beginning with year ONE. For each parent, this timestamp, BC, takes on a new meaning: Before Children. This too relates to our calendars because it often comes with nostalgia for those good ole days when we made concert plans on the morning of and started driving an hour later.

BC. Beyond Carefree. Before baby number ONE even arrived, we'd already begun typing dates into an I-Cal with multiple, perhaps musical, reminders of what day they might show up.

Now, in this time of the pandemic, we may understand BC differently: Before COVID. Although few imagine that our particular blip on an endless timeline will change the count of recorded history, we certainly mark our calendars with a new awareness. BC, our only facemasks came out on Halloween. BC, we rarely factored social distance into our game plan. BC, weekends brought us so many activity choices, we discussed FOMO as if it was the plague of our time.

BC, Mountain Parent printed a monthly average of 48 event listings. Plus countless calendar posts about ongoing weekly programming options. Yet BC, working parents in our Valley already struggled for weekday support during those waning hours after 3:00 PM. Now, this struggle has reached urgent proportions.

Meanwhile, our children's programming providers are likewise struggling. At this moment, few can announce class start dates farther out than one month. Few galas, seasonal festivals, or even pumpkin patches are ready to "go live." Because no one knows how the Delta variant (and the Lambda variant for that matter) will impact our lives.

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.

At MP, we're all about necessity. And mothers.

And invention. So we reinvented our calendar.

MP = MAKE PLANS Every children's programming advertiser, all in ONE place. Visit us online for the latest updates, new offerings, and one click sign-up.

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ABBY DREHER

VOILA AND VIOLIN LESSONS ASPEN TO GLENWOOD SPRINGS AGES 5+

Abby is an energetic and passionate teacher, working to build upon students’ strengths and interests. She sets goals, wellness plans, and music etudes that cater to each student’s unique and specific needs. Her studio is at the Snowmass Chapel. The program produces 2 recitals a semester, in world-class venues, specializing in violin, viola, and piano private and group classes.

ASPEN RECREATION CENTER AFTER SCHOOL CLUB 3:00 – 5:00 PM MONDAY - FRIDAY AGES 5 - 10 YOUTH FALL SPORTS:

Soccer (K- U10) Flag football Indoor climbing Swim lessons

Register now.

One or two days per week of programming.

Why not drop off your kids for class and stay to take a fitness class, swim laps, or enjoy the views from the ARC?

ACES

ASPEN CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES VEGETABLE TASTING EXPERIENCE ROCK BOTTOM RANCH, WILLITS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: 10:30 AM ALL AGES

Learn about the journey of a seed to an adult plant by touring the RBR production gardens and then harvesting and sampling a vegetable for yourself. A perfect activity for families to pair with the self-guided tour of Rock Bottom Ranch. Rain or shine. Wear comfortable clothes and bring layers. Ranch experiences will start promptly. Please pre-register.

ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET

CHILDREN'S BALLET CLASSES TUESDAY + WEDNESDAY: 3:30 - 5:30 PM CARBONDALE + GLENWOOD SPRINGS AGES 4 - 8

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is thrilled to announce the return of children’s ballet classes to their Carbondale and Glenwood Springs locations.

Students learn in small classes in a supportive environment that fosters the joy and magic of dance, as well as confidence and individual accomplishment. Come join the fun.

CARBONDALE CLAY CENTER

CREATIVE FLOW STUDIO

This fall, Carbondale Clay Center will be offering youth after-school kids classes that will run once a week for 5 weeks. There is a maximum of 8 students per class. Wheel throwing classes will cover the basics of using the potter’s wheel including wedging, centering, pulling, trimming, and the use of tools and surface techniques.

There are three after-school sessions offered this fall, focusing on printmaking and watercolor. Gelli Printing starts on Sept. 8 and runs for 5 weeks. Indian Paintbrush begins on Nov. 3. Students create 3-D villages, watercolor sunsets, and jungle mono-prints in these courses.

WHEEL THROWING CLASS TUESDAY: 4:00 – 5:30 PM CARBONDALE AGES 9+

MONKEYHOUSE

YOUTH CLIMBING PROGRAMS CARBONDALE TUESDAY + THURSDAY: 4:00 - 6:00 PM AGES 7 - 17

Sign up anytime. Ongoing program with a minimum of a 4-week commitment. The Climbing Club and Team programs build skill and confidence through games, challenges, lessons, and age-appropriate strength and endurance training. A blast for all skill levels, from first-timers, to experienced competitive athletes.

AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY: 3:45 - 5:15 PM THIRD STREET CENTER, CARBONDALE AGES 8 - 12

ROCK & ROLL ACADEMY

AFTER-SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMMING ONCE WEEKLY, 90-MINUTE SESSIONS MONDAY - THURSDAY: 3:30 - 5:00 PM LOVE ROCKS STUDIO, WILLITS GRADES 4 - 12

Kids form bands, choose their instruments, and learn songs they love. Bands practice together for 15 weeks starting in mid-September.

Each group will perform in RRA's Winter Rock Concert on the stage of the new TACAW Performing Arts Center, The Contemporary, in mid-January.

ASPEN JEWISH CONGREGATION TUESDAY: ASPEN THURSDAY: CARBONDALE 3:45 – 5:30 PM

Students will engage in-person with teachers and friends in a meaningful way, to foster a life-long love of Jewish tradition and learning.

Financial assistance is available. Students learn a deep sense of history and a millennia-old call to "tikkun olam," the repair of the world.

ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL & SCHOOL BEGINNING STRINGS & LEAD GUITAR MONDAY – THURSDAY SCHEDULE BASED ON CLASS LOCATION GRADES 2 - 5

After-school violin, viola, cello or lead guitar lessons at seven Roaring Fork Valley elementary schools. Classes start 10-minutes after the last bell rings and last 90-minutes.

Technique, music theory, music literacy, performance skills, and ensemble playing in one-on-one or group classes.

ASPEN YOUTH CENTER

AZYEP

AYC offers free after-school programs full of fun and learning. It is open on snow days, school breaks, assessment days, and some holidays. Students must sign up in advance.

Teacher-mentors help students produce their own radio show by selecting music, delivering speaking breaks, and engineering the sound board. Students improve speaking skills in both English and Spanish, receive technical training, gain self-confidence and have fun.

Internships, volunteer opportunities, and academic credit are available.

CROWN MOUNTAIN PARK

JIMMY BYRNE

FREE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING WEEKDAYS: 2:30 - 6:00 PM WEDNESDAY (EARLY RELEASE): 1:00 - 6:00 PM THE ARC, ASPEN GRADES 4 - 12

BIKE LESSONS SCHEDULE A LESSON TIME ALL AGES

Private lessons are available 7 days a week through the Crown Mountain Bike Park program office. Crown Mountain has a world-class progressive course built by coaches to help riders learn fast. Focus on injury prevention, bike maintenance, and fundamentals.

SNOWMASS RECREATION CENTER FALL REC PROGRAMMING SNOWMASS VILLAGE

YOUTH BASKETBALL: AGES 5 - 8

This program will be one day per week and focus on the fundamentals, rules, and skills of basketball.

TINY TYKES SOCCER: AGES 3 - 5

Tiny Tykes focuses on the basic skills of soccer including gross motor skills, balance, agility, and coordination, as well as social skills and building self-confidence. September only.

ANDY ZANKA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM SUNDAY + MONDAY: 2:00 - 4:00 PM THURSDAY: 7:00 - 9:00 PM KDNK, CARBONDALE AGES 8 - 18

PIANO & GUITAR LESSONS CARBONDALE CUSTOM SCHEDULE AGES 5+

Jimmy Byrne brings decades of experience into working with youth of all ages. He teaches piano or guitar as well as a variety of other instruments and works with his students to select pieces that inspire them. Technique, rhythm, theory, artistry, and reading skills are developed through musical exercises and playing songs. Each lesson is customized for the individual. If two students match up, they may ask for a joint class.

THEATRE ASPEN

WEDNESDAY: 3:30 - 4:45 PM THE RED BRICK STUDIO, ASPEN GRADES K - 4

In Elementary Story Adventure classes, students will explore new and classic children’s literature through theatre. Artistic expression, performance confidence, and peer collaboration will all be in the spotlight for these fun-filled 6-week sessions.

SESSION 1: Sept. 22 - Nov. 3 SESSION 2: Nov. 10 - Dec. 15

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SEPT

3-5

JAS LABOR DAY EXPERIENCE SNOWMASS

Three days of music with an unforgetable lineup: Kings of Leon, Gary Clark Junior, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Larkin Poe, Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers Band, Maren Morris, and Yola.

In addition to headline performances on the main stage, two side stages keep the music going throughout the day with a mix of upand-coming artists. The JAS Village provides shopping, eclectic food and beverage vendors, and a kids' corner with face painting, hair styling, tattoos, balloons, and crafts.

(Photo: Ross Daniels)

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SEPT

6, 13, 20, 27

DINNER AND A MOVIE

BASE OF ASPEN MOUNTAIN 8:00 PM SEATING; 8:30 SHOWTIME

Okay, it's a school night, but... the nights are still warm and you can skip cooking dinner by ordering off the Ajax Tavern menu. And Mom, in case you're thinking this is a family night, be prepared. You might get ditched for the cool kids. But that's okay. You can still hang. At a distance. Maybe.

Sept. 6 – Catch Me If You Can Sept. 13 – Back to the Future (1985) Sept. 20 – E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Sept. 27 – Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade

SEPT

10-12

SNOWMASS BALLOONFEST

SNOWMASS TOWN PARK FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY: 7:30 - 9:00 AM, FRIDAY: 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Celebrating its 46th anniversary in 2021.

The long-standing Rocky Mountain tradition features three days of 30+ festive balloons launching into the air on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings and a Friday evening Balloon Night Glow. Spectators are encouraged to experience the festival grounds and Gitsie’s coffee and provisions food truck. Drive-in, hike up, or bike around to take in the sights and sounds of the morning balloon launches. Parking is available on a first-come-first-served basis at Town Park Station, Rodeo Lot and along Brush Creek Road (between Horse Ranch and Meadow Drive). Free and fun for all ages.

(Photos: above, Anna Stonehouse; right, Jeremy Swanson)

SEPT

14

BEGINNER OIL PAINTING

CMC CARBONDALE, LAPPALA CENTER 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Looking for a weekly crash course in creativity? Perhaps a side-hussle persuing your long-latent dreams of becoming a professional artist? This weekly class runs through the end of October and is open to all artists, even and especially if you've never stretched a canvas. Learn the basics of painting and mixing with water-based oil paints in this beginner's class. Students will do several skills exercises as well as several actual paintings, with lots of handson practice and guidance. Supplies are provided, but feel free to bring your own water-based oil paints and supplies if you have them.

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SEPT

18

AYC'S AETHER GAMES RIO GRANDE SKATE PARK 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Aether Apparel will host the 5th Annual field day for grown-ups only, benefitting Aspen Youth Center. Make a company team with your co-workers, or gather a few fun couples to compete with you in this day of obstacle courses, dizzy bat relays, egg toss, flip cup, and some surprising new tests of your sense of humor and coordination. Team t-shirts. Win prizes from Aether Apparel and support AYC's free after-school and holiday programming for 'tweens and teens.

Schedule your babysitter for a few extra hours so you can aprés with your team. Win or lose, everyone wins.

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SEPT

18

PAIRINGS DINNER

CARBONDALE CLAY CENTER 5:00 - 8:00 PM

"Rooted in Clay, Grounded in Community," CCC's annual fall fundraiser dinner is back, in person, presented on an intimate scale.

Guests can reserve their own table, with four, six, and eight-seat options. Community tables with family-style dining are also available.

Proof of COVID vaccination required, or a negative test within 72 hours of the event.

All guests receive one handcrafted plate made by a local ceramic artist. Appetizers, dinner, and dessert prepared by local chef, Eli LaVaude. Live entertainment by local band The Grass Patties, plus silent auction.

SEPT

19

BLOCKTOBERFEST

6TH STREET, GLENWOOD SPRINGS 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Break out the Dirndls and Lederhosen! The City of Glenwood Springs and The Hotel Colorado are celebrating Oktoberfest on 6th Street. This free, family-friendly event brings together the best elements of a traditional German/Austrian Oktoberfest with ales from specially selected breweries, food vendors, keg bowling, stein hoisting contests, prizes, kids' activities, and of course, live music.

SEPT

23-26

MOUNTAIN HARVEST FESTIVAL

PAONIA

An annual celebration of local music, art, farms, food, and spirits organized by the nonprofit organization Mountain Harvest Creative. Enjoy the music of the North Fork Valley, browse local arts and crafts, participate in farm tours, bring home boxes of fresh peaches and apples, and other locallygrown produce.

Highlights for families include the Great Chili Cookoff, Saturday Sundown Swing, Free-Range Bike Ride, and Kids' Bike Parade. Be sure to check out the Enchanted Planet Kids' Booth.

PHOTO: Fall colors on the East Creek trail above Redstone. Kathryn Camp

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SEPT

26 - OCT 3

ASPEN AUTUMN WORDS AROUND TOWN, ASPEN

Bring your teenage poet, the one-day journalist, playwright, novelist at your dinner table to some of the pubic readings, discussions, and events offered during Aspen Words' annual literary festival. Workshops take place each morning for aspiring writers whose work has been accepted through a juried process. However, anyone with a love of stories can attend after-school and evening events with AW faculty, some of today's most notable literary figures: Emily Bernard, Sherwin Bitsui, Emily Rapp Black, Laura Fraser, Peter Orner, Rebecca Stead, and Luis Alberto Urrea. AW's festival keynote speaker at this year's Book Ball Benefit Dinner on September 28 at the Hotel Jerome – best seller and unforgettable live storyteller, John Grisham.

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OCT

2

POTATO DAY

CARBONDALE 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

If you've never made it downvalley for Carbondale's harvest festival, here's why you should add this to your agenda. One parent can get an early start and pedal the 35-mile stretch of Rio Grande Trail's fall colors in time to meet their partner and the kids for the parade on Main Street. Floats will speak to this year's "Tuber Renaissance" theme, while RFHS homecoming floats will steal the show at the judges' grandstand. Follow the parade to Sopris Park for live music, stands selling 25# bags of local potatoes and other produce, plus KDNK's annual vinyl sale to benefit the community radio station's AZYEP youth programming. Lunch includes cowboy coffee, a pit barbecue of locally-grown beef and pork, all the fixings, and, of course, baked potatoes.

OCT

3

COLORADO WESTERN SLOPE COLLEGE FAIR ASPEN MIDDLE SCHOOL 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Best advice from parents of recent graduates: the freshmen year of high school is truly not too early to start thinking about college.

Here's a chance to help your student hear from admissions officers and others about how to reach their academic goals. Parents should plan to attend, and sign up in advance for panel discussions about scholarships, financial aid, college essays, gap years, student-athletes, arts programming, and a number of other must-know topics. Between programming, visit several massive tents where your kid can speak with, and collect swag from, more than 100 colleges and universities from the U.S. and abroad. Mom hint – unless it's your alma mater, hang back with other parents when it's time to visit the college tables. Schools are looking to see which prospective students can carry on a conversation without the guidance of a wellintentioned hovercraft.

ASPEN VALLEY PRIMARY CARE ASPEN VALLEY HOSPITAL

Better care for patients.

Better health for all.

At Aspen Valley Primary Care, we take the term family medicine to heart, knowing you trust us with your family’s wellbeing. We offer comprehensive internal and family medicine services for adults and children. Our advanced practice integrates behavioral health services, nutrition consults and more, providing you the right care when you need it. That’s something we can all celebrate!

Give us a call today.

Virtual visits are available.

970-279-4111

ASPEN

0401 Castle Creek Road Aspen, CO 81611

BASALT

1460 E. Valley Road, Suite 103 Basalt, CO 81621

Se habla español.

More ways Aspen Valley Hospital cares for your whole family ASPEN BIRTH CENTER

Where Families are Born Schedule a pre-admission navigation or class today.

970.544.1130

EAR, NOSE & THROAT CARE

Dr. Heather Murphy

Offering in-person and virtual appointments.

970.544.1460

aspenhospital.org |

REHABILITATION SERVICES

Traumatic brain injury & concussion care; physical, occupational & speech therapy for adults & kids.

970.544.1177

AspenValleyHospital

AFTER-HOURS MEDICAL CARE

Open evenings & weekends for urgent medical needs.

Walk-ins welcome!

Mon – Fri, 3 – 11 pm Sat & Sun, 8 am – 5 pm

970.544.1250