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POP SOME COLORADO BUBBLES 16 BEAT THE WINTER BLUES 38 TWO AMIGOS ON ICE 46 GRAND MESA STAYCATION 58 WINTER 2020-21 / ISSUE 14
Y O U I N V E S T I N A L L T H E R I G H T E Q U I P M E N T.
Don’t forget about the most important piece of gear...
YOU.
The time to value your health is now. Keep your most precious investment performing at its prime.
Jay Rook, DO MPH Intergrative, Osteopathic and Regenerative Sports Medicine
At Spine and Injury Center of Grand Junction 2646 Patterson Road / Suite A Grand Junction, CO 81506 970.248.9833 | sicentergj.com
CO N T lifestyle
what’s up in the west
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VOICES OF WESTERN COLORADO Locals Weigh in on Resilience
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST Quick Guide to Western Colorado Ski Resorts in the Age of Social Distancing
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WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST Timberline Bank Rolls Out New Building
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BLOSSOM Resilence for Your Green Thumb: How to Engage with Nature in the Colder Months
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BOOK + BEVERAGE Dwell, Gather, Be by Alexandra Gove Cimarron Coffee Roasters
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OUR FAVORITE INSTAGRAMS
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STYLE Shop Local + Affordable: Wild Heart in Edwards
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ART Steamboat Art Museum: Oberg, Smith, Whitcomb, Young
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MAKER Baklava by Linda
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MUSIC Erth Studios
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DRINK The Rum Reviver
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DRINK Pop Some Colorado Bubbles: Ring in the Holidays with Sparkling Wine from Sauvage Spectrum
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FOOD Q+A with Josh Niernberg: The Future of Regional Cuisine in a Pandemic Winter
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EAT Recipes from Readers: Peppernuts (Pfeffernüsse)
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FOOD A Bite of Boulder: Cookbook Serves Local Restaurants
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EAT New Market Blooms in Mesa
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WELLNESS + FITNESS Beat the Winter Blues
E N TS adventure
features + events
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S+B SPECIAL SECTION Winter Gift Guide
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORES Indie Book Shops are Rich Cultural Hubs Throughout Western Colorado
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SPOKE Gear Profile: Kora Yak Wool Activewear
PARCOUR ON THE WESTERN SLOPE Crested Butte’s Adaptive Sports Center
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SPOKE Athlete Profile: Jesse Selwyn
DRIVEN TO DUTY First Responders Face Additional Risks During Pandemic
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GRAND OUTDOORS Earn Your Powder Turns at Bluebird Backcountry
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RESOLVING TO START ANEW How to Bounce Back After a Difficult Year
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TAKE A HIKE Serpents Trail
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EVENTS Winter 2020-21
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FAMILY EUREKA! Environmental Institute
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WHO WE ARE Q+A with Gabi Reitz and Laura Meinzen, Palisade High School Equity Council
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STAY + PLAY A Winter Staycation on the Grand Mesa
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GETAWAY Garden of the Gods
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SPOKE Gear for the Season
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SPOKE+BLOSSOM
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
RESILIENCE We may be able to find some silver linings when we reflect back on 2020, but overall it has kind of felt like a cluster of confusion and disorder. This was a year of extremes — ups and downs and rights and lefts, fear and hope, struggle and resilience. Join me now to flip this magazine back to look at the front cover, a stunning photograph by Travis Anderson of Jesse Selwyn. I can’t think of a better time to adapt in the face of adversity than hanging from a sheet of ice; well actually, it’s been equally impressive to see how the Spoke+Blossom community of readers and businesses have shown so much resilience while life as they have known it seems to be dangling by a thread, ready to release them for a hard fall at any moment. Any definition of resilience alludes to what we all needed to do this year: to recover quickly from difficulties, or snap back after being bent, stretched or pressed. We know now more than ever that we need to adapt, shift, learn and grow every day, even when we’re just hanging on. As S+B assistant editor and contributing writer Lauren Farrauto wrote in her feature, “Resolving to Start Anew,” on page 76, “… embarking on your own journey is the best way to figure out what works for you personally. So, take a breath, make a plan and have a great new year.” Now is not the time to stall or fall, now is the time to keep climbing. Relish in the moments you do have with friends, family and nature this season. Let in the light, even during the darkest days, and create a nice cozy space to take in the pages of this Spoke+Blossom. Learn how to embrace “hygge,” the art of being comfortable and content, in our Book + Beverage spread this issue, and on page 38, Lexi Reich reminds us how to stay positive, productive and active this winter. As usual, we’ve brought you information and inspiration from across western Colorado and beyond. Join us in celebrating the grace and strength of you, your family, your adventure buddies and your neighbors, and together, let’s stay resilient.
Publisher + Co-Owner
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Keep in touch with us between issues! Check out our website, spokeandblossom.com, for updates and events, and follow us on social media.
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Editor-In-Chief Kim Fuller Managing Editor Lexi Reich Assistant Editor Lauren Farrauto Art Director Kitty Nicholason Staff Photographer Cat Mayer Advertising Bobby L’Heureux Interns Naomi Allen Kaitlin Emig Contributors Naomi Allen Travis Anderson Matt Brooks Lauren Farrauto Steve Grisier Jayme Henderson Justin Jolley Nick Junker Ella Kindall Kristen Lummis Shaina Maytum Miss Moxie Photography Lexi Reich Carrington Schaeffer Jennifer Seal Sharon Sullivan Dan Tille Melanie Wiseman
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contributors
TRAVIS ANDERSON Travis is an optometrist by trade and an outdoor adventurer by heart. He enjoys climbing, mountain biking with his red heeler, Olivia, photography and spending time with his four unruly nephews. He currently resides in Grand Junction, Colorado, but will always be a Wyoming boy through and through.
ELLA KINDALL Ella is a sophomore at Palisade High School and is headed towards the Diploma Program there. She loves to bake and ski and enjoys playing viola in her free time.
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.
JUSTIN JOLLEY Justin is a full-time student at Colorado Mesa University and a part-time photographer for his own small business in the Grand Valley. Justin is working towards a business degree and hopes to pursue a career in fashion photography in the future. Justin is passionate about the arts, coffee and skateboarding.
CARRINGTON SCHAEFFER Carrington is a freelance writer based in Grand Junction. She also owns and operates Apostrophe Life Coaching and co-owns Hoptocopter Films at which she is the copywriter, editor and resident voiceover artist.
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SHAINA MAYTUM Shaina is a Colorado native who enjoys nothing more than eating a giant slice of pizza after a long day of adventuring. She strives — through writing, education and advocacy — to make sure future generations of humans and animals will be able to enjoy Colorado’s outdoors for years to come.
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