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ALL ABOUT ASPENS 12 BLUECORN BEESWAX 32 BACKCOUNTRY SEARCH + RESCUE IN CO 60 DURANGO’S RICH CYCLING CULTURE 72
FALL 2022 / ISSUE 21
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VIEWS!
• Homes starting at 1800 square foot • 3-6 bedroom • 3 car garage minimum • RV parking and storage allowed • Stucco exteriors with optional stone accents • Architectural 30-year shingles • Nature’s Composite brand U privacy fencing approved U • Pressurized irrigation water to each lot • Parks & walking paths ON-SITE OFFICE LOCATED AT 2649 Emerald Ridge Lane Grand Junction, CO 81506
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O = Office A = Available for Purchase (under construction)
(North, off H Road & 26 1/2 Road)
emeraldridgegj.com
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S = Sold UNMARKED LOTS ARE AVAILABLE
U = Under Contract
We look forward to working with you to design and build your new home in Emerald Ridge! For more information, contact New Horizons Development, Inc.
JANET ELLIOTT
GRI, CRS, ABR
Broker/Owner
REALTOR®, ABR, CRS, GRI 970-250-0765 N1323D@msn.com
Embrace Your Soul Resort Style Swimming Pool Over 30 Natural Hot Springs Pools Private Ofuro Soaking Tubs Full-Service Day Spa New Private Access Day Club Open Year Round Reservations Required www.dhsresort.com 970-247-0111
CO N T what’s up in the west
lifestyle
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VOICES OF WESTERN COLORADO Locals Weigh in on Roots
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST Colorado National Monument: Monumental Art Show
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BOOK + BEVERAGE Tears for Crocodilia by Zach Fitzner Beetlejuice Matcha by Copeka Coffee
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S+B’S INSTAGRAM + PODCAST PICKS
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST Sauvage Spectrum Opens Tasting Room in Ouray
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STYLE Bookish Purses: One-Of-A-Kind Handbags
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST HopeWest CEO Retires, Welcomes Successor
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ART Grand Valley Creative Alliance: Nurturing Creativity
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BLOSSOM All About Aspens
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MAKER Bluecorn Beeswax: Candle-Making at New Retail Café
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HOME + GARDEN Black Monarch Hotel
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MUSIC crêpe girl
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DRINK Carrot-Ginger Cocktail
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EAT Fall Recipes
FOOD Winddrift Farms: Conscious Farming Practices Yield Better Pork
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WELLNESS + FITNESS Rooted in Vitality: Cryomedspa + Restore Hyper Wellness
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GATHERINGS + GETAWAYS GUIDE Special Advertising Section
E N TS adventure
features + events
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ADVENTURE Joe’s Valley Festival: Climbers + Coalminers Find Common Ground
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LOOKING BACK, RACING AHEAD 50 Years of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and Durango Cycling Culture
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SPOKE Gear Profile: Erem Walking the Talk of Performance + Sustainability
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THRIFTING CULTURE IN WESTERN COLORADO A Local’s Take
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SPOKE Gear for the Season
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FIRE + WATER The Dance of a Balanced Ecosystem
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SPOKE Athlete Profile: Cameron Smith
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EVENTS Fall 2022
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GRAND OUTDOORS Backcountry Search and Rescue in Colorado: How Does it Work?
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WHO WE ARE Isabel Ehrich of Jabulani Creations
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TAKE A HIKE West Bench Trail
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COMMUNITY Durango’s Speakeasy: Bookcase & Barber
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STAY + PLAY Ridgway: Chipeta Solar Springs Resort & Spa
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STAY + PLAY Moab: Radcliffe Moab
SPOKE+BLOSSOM
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
ROOTS Roots are a foundation, and they are an evolution. Not only do roots provide support, they also convey nourishment to a growing organism; like the strong ties that connect the communities of Western Colorado, roots are essential for a vital existence. Nothing says fall in Colorado quite like the stunning gold aspen trees, and along with this issue’s cover photo captured by Grand Junction Field Office manager Kamie Long, writer Laura Mills took a deep dive into the ways of these magnificent trees in her article on page 12, “All About Aspens.” Mills interviewed Long for the piece, which highlights how the aspen’s connected root system is what sustains the species in such a unique way. Mills’ article states: “As most trees are are focused on extending upward, the aspen’s chance of survival depends on the strength and breadth of its roots.” Aspens quickly colonize recently burned or bare areas, helping to establish a balanced ecosystem. This display of Earth’s essential “dance” is what writer Kristen Grace outlines in her feature on page 80, “Fire + Water.” What you see as a group of aspens may seem like many trees, but each is a part of one core organism. In the same way, each community within Western Colorado is growing in a distinct way, yet we’re all connected at our roots. Through the changes of every season, let the aspens remind us how essential it is to stand tall and to thrive together.
Kim Fuller with Bobby L’Heureux
Join the Spoke+Blossom Community Instagram @spokeandblossom
twitter.com/ spokeandblossom
Keep in touch with us between issues! Check out our website, spokeandblossom.com, for updates and events, and follow us on social media. Scan this QR code with your smart phone to be taken directly to our website.
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This magazine is shareable and recyclable. Please don’t throw it in the trash.
Publisher Jaunt Media Collective Editor-In-Chief Kim Fuller Managing Editor Lexi Reich Assistant Editor Lauren Farrauto Art Director Kitty Nicholason Advertising Bobby L’Heureux Judy Shay Interns Sweta Karki Molly Lento Gabriela Reitz Contributors Natalie Binder Honor Blevins Peng Cheng Lauren Farrauto Kim Fuller Kristen Grace Jayme Henderson Gus Jarvis Molly Lento Kamie Long Olivia Lyda Cat Mayer Maureen McGuire Laura Mills Kitty Nicholason Kimberly Nicoletti Greg Osteen Lexi Reich Gabriela Reitz Daniel Roman Harry Sandler Sharon Sullivan Maurizio Torry Melanie Wiseman Cover Photograph Aspens glowing in the afternoon sun along a creek in northern Utah in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Photo by Kamie Long and is the winner of the fall 2022 S+B photo contest.
Publishers of Spoke+Blossom Founders of Jaunt Media Collective
facebook.com/ spokeandblossom
Founder Robin Brown
Spoke+Blossom Magazine Jaunt Media Collective 2077 North Frontage Road / 103D Vail, CO 81657 For advertising, contact ads@spokeandblossom.com 815.414.9642 Get in touch! We would love to hear from you. Please send your comments to letters@spokeandblossom.com Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission. Printed in Colorado.
Memories that last a lifetime.
EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN. Get involved thecycleeffect.org YEAR-ROUND FLIGHTS IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Wildwestballooning.com | 970.879.9191
@thecycleeffect
Western Slope, Colorado
contributors
JAYME HENDERSON Jayme is a writer, photographer and co-owner and winemaker for The Storm Cellar, a vineyard and winery in Hotchkiss, Colorado. When she’s not creating garden-inspired cocktails, you can find her tending grapevines, searching for the perfect bottle of wine for dinner or spending time outside with her husband, Steve, and her two cats.
GUS JARVIS GABRIELA REITZ
Gus is a Montrose-based writer who spends his summers in search of live music, big brown trout and desolate river canyons. A former fishing guide on the Gunnison Gorge, he now works to hone his skills of writing short stories. He lives with his wife, Torie.
Gabi is a Colorado native and adventure enthusiast. When not fulfilling her S+B intern duties, Gabi is most likely hiking, floating the river, hanging out with her cat or reading romance books. Gabi is currently studying communications at Stanford University and hopes to continue her career in journalism.
SHARON SULLIVAN Sharon is a Grand Junction-based freelance writer and editor. She enjoys finding and telling stories about interesting people and events. When she’s not working, you might find her hiking Western Colorado’s public lands or perhaps backpacking in Grand Canyon — the place that brought her out West.
LAURA MILLS Laura is the Community Engagement Manager for Jaunt Media Collective and finds immense joy contributing to our print publication. Whether she’s on the beaches of Maine or adventuring in the mountains, Fern can be found by her side.
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KRISTEN GRACE Kristen is a writer, editor and yogi who ardently loves storytelling. She enjoys writing about all aspects of mental, physical and collective well-being. She finds bliss in nature, especially on picnics, as she is also a foodie and amateur baker. Kristen holds a degree in communication and is passionate about listening and learning.
MESA TRAILS
14' MULTIPURPOSE EASEMENT
40' ROAD RIGHT OF WAY
G Road
40' RIGHT OF WAY
G ROAD
15' IRRIGATION EASEMENT
40' DEDICATED ROW
14' MULTIPURPOSE EASEMENT RECEPTION No. 2636366
14' MULTIPURPOSE EASEMENT RECEPTION No. 2636366
13.1 Acres
UNDER CONTRAC T
2 SOLD 13.1 AC
30' RIGHT OF WAY RECEPTION No. 2636366
15' IRRIGATION EASEMENT
14' MULTIPURPOSE EASEMENT
55' RIGHT OF WAY
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1
1
11.4 AC 11.4 Acres
LSCAPE WALK
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
23 3/4 Road
23 1/2 Road
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10.9 10.9Acres AC
60'
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8
2.33 Acres
7.8 Acres
15' BOOKPSCO
886 EASEM PAGE
ENT 815
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14 2.9 AC
52'
2.9 Acres
10 2.33 AC
2.33 Acres
2.33 Acres
10 10
2.34 AC 2.34 Acres
13 1.74 Acres 12 1.74 AC
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12
11 2.34 AC
2.34 Acres
F 1/2 Road
5.1 Acres
21
20 2.1 AC
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22 2.1 AC
2.1 Acres
13 1.5 AC
14 1.5 Acres ~165'
2.1 Acres
2.1 Acres
42'
15 5.1 AC
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19 2.1 AC
18 2.1 AC
23 1/2 Road
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9 2.33 AC
2.33 Acres
8 2.33 AC
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25
17 2.1 AC
2.1 Acres
6 24 Acres
6 AC UNDER CONTRAC T
20
2.1 Acres
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25 4.2 AC
22
21 2.1 AC
4.2 Acres
2.1 Acres
, R= 5 0 0 .0 0 0 L= 103. 3 2 6
7 2.33 AC
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16 2.1 AC
2.1 Acres
23 3/4 ROAD
2.36 Acres
24
23 2.1 AC
3.5 Acres
2.1 Acres F 1/2 Road
F-1/2 ROAD
31
28 2.4 AC
160'
27
26 3.5 AC
52'
= 4 4 0 .0 0 0 L= 9 0 .9 2 7 , R
10' WATER EASEMENT BOOK 685 PAGE 516
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4 7.8 AC
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6 2.35 AC
2.33 2.34 Acres
23 1/2 ROAD
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5 2.34 AC
60'
FAC TORY
2.4 Acres
31 16.0 AC
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27 19.2 AC
S.
19.2 Acres
H BU IGH SI WA NE Y SS 6 & LO 50 OP /I-7 0
HIG
HW AY 6
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EXISITNG ELECTRIC BOX AND TRANSFORMER
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29 2.4 AC
2.4 Acres
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AC 9.69.6Acres
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