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HOW TO BUILD GARDEN BEDS 16 WESTERN CO WEDDING GUIDE 36 GETAWAY WITH RIM TOURS 56 WORLD OF NATURAL WINE 62
SPRING 2021 / ISSUE 15
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W E S T E R N
C O L O R A D O
CO N T lifestyle
what’s up in the west
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VOICES OF WESTERN COLORADO Locals Weigh in on Groundwork
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST It’s Almost Time to Take The Plunge: New Landmark Trail to Open to the Public Early This Summer
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST Help is Here: Grand Junction Mutual Aid Partners with Multiple Groups to Provide Support During Pandemic
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST The Gondola Shop: Fruita Company Gives New Life to Old Equipment
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BOOK + BEVERAGE Atomic Habits by James Clear Golden Root Turmeric Latte
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S+B’S INSTAGRAM + PODCAST PICKS
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ART The Wellspring Project: Fruita Students Examine Water Use in the West Through an Artistic Lens
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MAKER Solandra: Have a Spa Day Every Day
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MUSIC Local Musicians are Re-Tuning Their Work
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BLOSSOM Life Cycle Celebrant Kathi Roy: Customized Ceremonies for Weddings + Other Significant Events
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FOOD The Hog and The Hen
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BLOSSOM How to Build Your Own Garden Beds
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S+B SPECIAL SECTION Wedding Vendors
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DRINK The Alpine Spritz
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WELLNESS + FITNESS When it Comes to Genetics, Knowledge is Power
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EAT The Rise in Homemade Loaves
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EAT Rocky Mountain Raclette
E N TS adventure
features + events
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SPOKE Gear for the Season
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THE CYCLE EFFECT Teaching Girls Mountain Biking + So Much More
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SPOKE Gear Profile: RockyMounts
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NATURAL WINE Fad or For Real?
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SPOKE Athlete Profile: Christopher Davis
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GRAND OUTDOORS Bighorn Sheep: Colorado’s Best Rock Climber
RESOURCE EXTRACTION ON THE WESTERN SLOPE Laying the Groundwork for Sustainability
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TAKE A HIKE Little Dominguez Canyon
WESTERN COLORADO BUSINESS BOOMS Quality of Life Attracting More Employers + Employees
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FAMILY Building Mental Health Resiliency for the Whole Family
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EVENTS Spring 2021
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WHO WE ARE Q+A with Dr. Michael Neste, Medical Director of the Department of Radiology and Chief of Medical Staff at Family Health West in Fruita
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STAY + PLAY Glenwood Springs
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GETAWAY Rim Tours: White Rim Multi-Day Mountain Bike Adventure
SPOKE+BLOSSOM
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
GROUNDWORK “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” — Anne Bradstreet In a welcome shift of seasons, we begin to shake off winter’s heavy and weathered boughs to receive the gifts of spring renewal. With the March thaw every year, nature reminds us of the constant possibilities to start fresh. What better time than now to turn over a new leaf or plant a young tree? With many recent challenges behind us and inevitably more challenges to come, the foundation we lay today can help us survive and thrive in the future. Use this period of transformation to dig deeply beneath the surface and enrich the layers of your community and your purpose within it. Now is the time to put in the work — sow the soil, plant new seeds and nurture new growth. As is conveyed in many of the stories we share, solid ground is cultivated from passion rooted in meaningful existence. There is so much inspiration to be found in the resilient people and land of Western Colorado. We hope this issue helps every Spoke+Blossom reader feel more connected to that fact. From articles on traumatic brain injuries and mental health support, to how-tos on building garden beds and baking bread, this issue is here to highlight how good groundwork can help you embrace all of life’s seasons and cycles. Don’t just skim the surface, as the feature well in the back of the book is full of rich journalism on a dynamic range of topics (it begins on page 58). Sharon Sullivan writes on The Cycle Effect, a local nonprofit on a mission to empower young women through mountain biking, while Becca Saulsberry put words and illustrations behind the fascinating world of natural wine. Lexi Reich digs into a follow-up on natural resource extraction on the Western Slope, and Kristen Lummis highlights how many businesses in the area are booming. This is a robust issue full of hope and authenticity — it’s what we know the world needs now. May it bring you strength and inspiration where you and yours need it most.
Publisher + Co-Owner
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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 Interns Olivia Lyda Claire Kiewatt Contributors Naomi Allen Chloe Besson Jim Cox Devoted and Wild Photography Kaitlin Emig Lauren Farrauto Kim Fuller Dylan Hardy Jayme Henderson Claire Kiewatt Maya Kraushaar Bobby L’Heureux Kristen Lummis Olivia Lyda Megan McMullen Lexi Reich Becca Saulsberry Scott DW Smith Jeffrey Steele Sharon Sullivan Kyle Webb Melanie Wiseman Cover Photograph Cover photo courtesy of Petals of Provence. Photo by Biance McCarty Photography with model Delphine.Style.
Kim Fuller
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Founder Robin Brown
Spoke+Blossom Magazine Jaunt Media Collective 2077 North Frontage Road / 103A 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 © 2021 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.
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contributors
OLIVIA LYDA Olivia is an editorial intern for Spoke+Blossom and YOGA + Life magazines. She is a graduating senior at the University of Colorado Boulder. Olivia is passionate about the Colorado lifestyle and works to convey this in her studies and publications.
CLAIRE KIEWATT Claire is an editorial intern for Spoke+Blossom and YOGA + Life magazines and a graduating senior at the University of Colorado Boulder. Claire enjoys working with all things creative and artistic, and spends free time drawing and writing.
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.
BECCA SAULSBERRY Becca coins herself as an art, design and words nerd and outdoor enthusiast due to her multifaceted creativity and spirit. Becca earned a B.S. from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a project manager in the tech industry, a freelance designer, illustrator and writer. Catch her in the mountains on afternoon runs or weekend backpacking trips!
JEFFREY STEELE Jeffrey is the drummer and manager of Union Of None as well as a graphic artist and print broker. He has been a professional musician for more than 20 years and has spent 35 years in the design and printing industries.
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LAUREN FARRAUTO A lifelong, avid reader and writer, Lauren has always loved the power of the written word. As assistant editor for Spoke+Blossom and CO YOGA + Life magazines, her dream of creating her own story is finally a reality. When she’s not curled up with a good book, Lauren can be found adventuring in the Colorado wilderness.
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