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DESERT BLOOMS 14 HOT SPRINGS ARE IN SEASON 46 SPRING HARMONY IN PAONIA 64 HATS OFF TO FEMALE CHEFS 70

SPRING 2022 / ISSUE 19

Filing 1 is Now Available!

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The Glorious Fig | Grand Junction’s Newest Boutique Event Venue Celebrates A Successful First Year Words by Purposeful Co | Photos by Time Flies Photography

rand Junction’s newest boutique event venue, The Glorious Fig, recently celebrated its one-year anniversary since opening its full-service space for curated dinners, private events and micro weddings. “This has been a lot of work but we are thrilled to share this

beautiful space with friends, family and the community,”

states The Fig’s co-founder

Gary Dietmeyer. “The support from everyone this past year has been awesome.”

The Fig’s founders, Deb and Gary Dietmeyer, acquired the property located near Main Street known today as The Glorious Fig in 2017. Over the past few years, they have worked tirelessly to transform the building and its premises to what it is today. In 2021, they opened their doors to guests for intimate events. Deb reflects: “My heart behind this dream was to create a

beautiful space for friends

and family to gather while interacting with the chef

and mixologist, where celebrations are held, where cooking classes can be taught and where

memories steeped in laughter are made. I wanted to create an experience completely

centered around the heart of home, the kitchen.”

The Glorious Fig is made up of three individual, classic spaces, which can be used separate of one another or reserved in-whole based upon your vision and event needs. The back homestead offers 1260 square feet of boutique, classic entertaining space. Boasting of a dining room seated immediately off a state-of-the-art, yet beautiful show kitchen, it is the perfect space to host an intimate event,

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From The Gathering Hall through the patio to the original, boutique event space, The Glorious Fig can entertain parties up to 135 and offers an all-inclusive experience for its guests to “eat, drink, and be glorious.” The Glorious Fig is a tribute to the heart of home and the intimacy and sense of belonging it brings through gathering. By offering classic, hand-crafted food and drink, and recreating the hospitality and comfort of home, guests are invited to let their guard down and enjoy flavors and food they won’t soon forget among friends and family they love.

enjoy our private curated dinners, or take a cooking class. The cocktail and coffee bar greet guests as they enter. Effortlessly executed and meticulously designed, every detail is thought of in this gorgeous entry. It is the perfect space to enjoy a classic drink before dinner or a cup of espresso at the end of your meal. The Gathering Hall, which serves as the venue’s dance floor or banquet dining room, pays tribute to its turn-of-the-century architecture with 12-feet tall ceilings, oak flooring, and original brick walls. It incorporates modern elements as well, including six modern chandeliers on dimmers, air conditioning and wireless internet. The Gathering Hall and The Fig’s entertaining spaces are connected by the 960-square-foot patio covered in a shade pergola — which includes “misters” for hot summer days and features stained glass etched with the venue’s name. The patio is the essential spot to mix and mingle with a chilled beer or a specialty craft cocktail in hand enjoying small bites. During Colorado’s colder months, heaters and cozy blankets are close at hand coupled with warm drinks, inviting guests to linger and connect.

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To learn more or reserve your experience at The Glorious Fig, visit our website at thegloriousfig.com or follow us on IG @thegloriousfig. Eat, Drink, and Be Glorious.

CO N T what’s up in the west

lifestyle

22 8

VOICES OF WESTERN COLORADO Locals Weigh in on Discover

WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST Historic Minturn Saloon Stays Local with New Owners Elevate Kids Fun Run Inaugural Fundraising Event

WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST The Ordinary Fellow Winery + Tasting Room

BLOSSOM Desert Blooms

HOME + GARDEN A New Way to Go Green

HOME + GARDEN Let Spring In: Refresh Your Home for the Season

WEDDINGS Special Advertising Section

DRINK Spring in Your Step

EAT Fresh Spring Recipes

30 28

BOOK + BEVERAGE The Guide by Peter Heller Tabernash Sour

S+B’S INSTAGRAM + PODCAST PICKS

STYLE Desert Dog Pressing On

MAKER Local Candle Companies

ART Cori Ward

MUSIC Zolopht: Finding a Way Forward

MUSIC Stunning Keepsake Awards

FOOD Sundae’s Sweet Success

WELLNESS + FITNESS Take a Soak: Western Colorado is Hot Springs Country

E N TS adventure

features + events

ADVENTURE Soar Above Your Own Backyard: Hot Air Ballooning in Western Colorado

HATS OFF TO FEMALE CHEFS IN WESTERN COLORADO These Women Are Bringing Home the Bacon

SPOKE Gear Profile: Steamboat’s Town Hall

ROICE-HURST HUMANE SOCIETY More Than a Shelter

SPOKE Gear for the Season

SPOKE Athlete Profile: Karen Hoskin

FROM NATURAL HISTORY TO MUDSLIDES How Glenwood Canyon Became a Modern Traffic Way Over the Past 100 Years

GRAND OUTDOORS Under a Pristine, Star-Filled Sky

EVENTS Spring 2022

FAMILY Hiking Etiquette for Kids Today

WHO WE ARE Doug Simons of Enstrom Candies

TAKE A HIKE Rifle Arch Trail

STAY + PLAY Paonia: Spring Harmony

STAY + PLAY Silverthorne, Colorado

GETAWAY Rockies to the Red Rocks: Ride the Rails with the Rocky Mountaineer

SPOKE+BLOSSOM

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

DISCOVER Every issue of Spoke+Blossom invites readers to discover. And now, especially after two years of unknowns and extremes, this new year and spring season invites the space for newfound excitement and curiosity. If you’ve forgotten how there’s always something in your world worth learning about, finding or unearthing, we’re here to remind you. On a Colorado National Monument hike, for instance, S+B contributor Melanie Wiseman counted 36 desert bloom species. Read more about some on page 14, and don’t forget to always stop and smell the flowers. Spring means fresh and bright recipes, and we’re delighted to have Jayme Henderson (of The Storm Cellar winery and @hollyandflora) gracing our pages again with a stunning seasonal cocktail. The refresh is real in this issue, with tips on reinvigorating your home, along with an article featuring Colorado candle companies that keep it lit. We are constantly inspired by the artists and the makers who continue to shine light on creativity throughout Western Colorado. In this issue, photographer Cassie Fortman captured a striking visual essay of Desert Dog Press, while local music aficionado shares the most recent evolution of Zolopht, a longtime Grand Valley band. We’re especially proud of the nod we give to female chefs in the feature section of this issue — hats off to all of you! And when it comes to discovering the grand outdoors of our incredible region, there is everywhere to begin and everywhere to go. Writer Kaitlin Emig took extra care in profiling Glenwood Canyon and its history, paired with some incredible visuals from back in the day. So yes, there’s always something to discover. Thank you for coming along on the journey with us!

Kim Fuller

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.

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 Relationships Coordinator Laura Mills Contributors Townsend Bessent Lisa Blake MacKennea Broyles Kaitlin Emig Bruno Emmanuelle Lauren Farrauto Cassie Fortman Jayme Henderson Heidi Howard Jenna Kretschman Micah Ling Kristen Lummis Olivia Lyda Jordan Martindell Cat Mayer Doug McCaw Melinda McCaw Maureen McGuire Laura Mills Kimberly Nicoletti Jeremy Poland Lexi Reich Jeffrey Steele Sharon Sullivan Melanie Wiseman @lil.jules Cover Photograph Kim Fuller

Publisher + Co-Owner

facebook.com/ spokeandblossom

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 © 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.

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contributors

CASSIE FORTMAN Cassie, of {Sassy Creative}, is a designer and photographer from Cedaredge, Colorado. She has been crafting moments in her classic photojournalistic style for 15 years. Her company creates visual designs for businesses looking to tell their story with authenticity and timelessness. Follow @sassycreative.co and oink @ hennythehog.

MICAH LING Micah is a freelance writer based in Salida, Colorado. Find more of her work at micahelizabethling.com.

KIMBERLY NICOLETTI Kimberly is an award-winning freelance journalist, editor and writing coach. She has taught yoga, Nia, Zumba and tai chi throughout Summit County, Colorado and earned a master’s degree in Somatic Psychology and Dance Therapy from Naropa University. She loves the simple things in life, like stargazing and eating ice cream.

KAITLIN EMIG Kaitlin seeks adventure through mindful travel and outdoor pursuits. She never clicked her heels to return home to Kansas and has lived in western North America and overseas for the past 10 years. Residing in the Vail Valley, she is an outdoor educator, yogi and writer. Follow her adventures on IG @sunflower_lion and mywildwomandiary.com.

LEXI REICH

S+B MANAGING EDITOR

JORDAN MARTINDELL

Lexi’s love for the mountains led her to plant roots in Denver, Colorado. You’ll often find her waking up with the sun and burying herself in a computer, glasses on. Outside of writing and editing, she likes to read, hike and lead yoga classes. lexireich.com

After growing up in California and years of East Coast city living, Jordan moved to Boulder, Colorado where she discovered a natural connection to the Rocky Mountain lifestyle. She blends her love of aesthetics and the outdoors, documenting adventures that are delicious, comfortable, exciting and sometimes unexpected.

voices of western colorado

DISCOVER We Asked These Western Slope Locals to Weigh in on This Topic Compiled by Lauren Farrauto

KRYSTA COSSITT

TIMBER

NICOLE RUIZ

Krysta is the owner of Elevation Weddings and Events, a wedding and event planning company that services Western Colorado.

Timber is the mascot of local small business Timberline Bank, a Member FDIC, Equal Housing lender.

Nicole is the co-owner of Alta Home Builders with her husband, Carlos, and a realtor and assistant broker at Robinson and Co. Realty.

“This past year I have been

“Discover: to find someone

discovering just how much I can

unexpectedly during the course

take on both professionally and

of a search. That is how I

personally. It’s amazing how full

found my home here in Grand

our plates can become but the

Junction. The co-owners of

question is, ‘Is it sustainable?’

Timberline Bank wanted to build

The wedding industry along

a business that focused on our

Colorado’s Western Slope

local community. Throughout

is seeing a huge boom — a

the planning process for

welcomed scenario especially

the headquarters, the team

after the uncertainty COVID

discovered that the best way to

presented two years ago and

do this was to add something

continues to present. Last year

unexpected. Over the last year,

I took on more weddings than

I have discovered so much joy

I ever had before. I discovered

and met many new people! One

that I could handle it, but I

of my favorite activities is to

also discovered that it wasn’t a

greet guests at the Timberline

sustainable business model, nor

Community Coffee Bar. If you

was it good for my personal life.

haven’t met me yet, stop by

This discovery has shifted the

during my Paw-ffice hours:

way I work and play, resulting in

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. –

a more positive experience with

12 p.m. Bring the whole pack!”

clients, family and friends.”

“A hidden blessing of the past two years is that a simplified schedule has allowed for more time together in the outdoors as a family. We have discovered that hanging out at our rural home and bottle-feeding goats is just as valuable as overscheduling our boys in demanding extracurriculars. We are learning to live in the present, to enjoy a mountain bike ride together in the desert or a simple hike through the sandstone. So much in our culture is a means to an end, but we are trying to enjoy the ride as an end itself, focusing on the present.” :

The Incubator Intensive Program

himself, Long provides the perfect balance of enthusiasm and caution when working with the Incubator Intensive clients. Offering more than 35,000 square feet of mixed-use space including light manufacturing, production and office space, spread over the 46-acre campus, the Incubator Intensive Program provides the foundation and literal room to grow. Leased spaces can be modified to accommodate the needs of a new business, whether this is power upgrades or taking down walls. Additionally, businesses are sharing the campus with 25 to 30 other businesses in various stages of growth, offering the supportive network that is lacking when working alone. “There is a strong sense of community on our campus,” Mercier shares. “Businesses grow together here and that makes all the difference. Our businesses range from custom wood working to dog training to kombucha brewing. It is the diversity in the type of businesses onsite that creates the energetic atmosphere needed for entrepreneurs to thrive.” The Incubator Intensive Program is located at the Business Incubator Center, a nonprofit organization that has invested in the long-term success of Mesa County businesses for more than a quarter century. In 2020, it created or retained 198 jobs and had $2.27 million in funding to put towards the development of local small businesses. There are six other programs available at the Business Incubator Center, some of which include the Grand Junction Small Business Development Center, the Business Loan Fund of Mesa County and the Mesa County Enterprise Zone, providing clients with direct access to additional resources such as capital, tax incentives and ongoing training.

T’S NO SECRET that Grand Junction is a hub of economic development, but starting a small business is not an easy feat. It can often be a lonely and isolating experience. The Incubator Intensive Program was established for just this reason — to guide entrepreneurs through the often confusing and overwhelming journey of business ownership. The Incubator Intensive Program is a three-to-five-year residency program that helps accelerate the successful launch and development of start-ups and earlystage companies through a structured curriculum of weekly consulting, financial reviews and specific strategic planning in all areas of business development. According to Laura Mercier, director of the Incubator Intensive Program, 90% of businesses that graduate the program are still in business 10 years later. “Our role is to help establish a solid foundation for these businesses to ensure longevity. The program covers everything from financial management and business planning to branding, marketing and sales,” Mercier says. “We meet each business where they are; some require assistance identifying operational inefficiencies while others need guidance in basic HR practices. Every business arrives with its own enormous potential and its own challenges.” The Incubator Intensive Program hosts an onsite Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR), Jonathan Long. At the age of 20, Long started, operated and grew his own business into a multi-million-dollar company which he ran for over 15 years. His entrepreneurial mindset makes him an expert in business consulting. He meets with Incubator Intensive Program clients on a weekly basis to provide business guidance and accountability. The EIR serves as both business consultant and entrepreneurial therapist. Having been through the extreme highs and lows

Seeds Trust Julia Coffey & Alisha Wenger, Owners

Confluence Woodcraft Dave Grossman, Owner

JT Cranes Jeff Thornton, Owner

Grand Jun Fermentation Sarah Wood, Owner

“

Being a part of this program is like extending your team with C-Suite experience. Jonathan (Long) and Laura (Mercier) bring experience from diverse professional backgrounds — something we highly value as we grow our business.” — Sarah Wood, founder, Grand Jun Fermentation

2591 LEGACY WAY GRAND JUNCTION, CO 81503

970.243.5242 / gjincubator.org P A

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