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ARTIST GERRY JENSEN 34 NIGHTSCAPES 58 PEDALS, PASTRIES + PINOT 70 RANCHING FAMILIES 80
WINTER 2024-25 / ISSUE 30
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• Homes starting at 1800 square foot • 3-car garage minimum / RV garages allowed • Custom design available • RV parking and storage on site • Stucco exteriors with optional stone accents • Architectural 30-year shingles • Nature’s Composite fencing S • Pressurized irrigation to lot • Parks & walking paths S • LOT SALE from $170,000+ Bring your builder
ON-SITE OFFICE LOCATED AT 2631 Tiger Eye Lane Grand Junction, CO 81506 (North, off H Road & 26 1/2 Road)
emeraldridgegj.com CALL JANET TO SET AN APPOINTMENT
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UNMARKED LOTS: CALL FOR AVAILABILITY
U = Under Contract L = Vacant Lot Available
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 Be sure to check out our website: emeraldridgegj.com
C O L O R A D O
D E S I G N E R
444 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501 970-245-1617 www.mesajewelers.com Full Service Jeweler • Custom Design • Open 7-Days a Week Now in store - Our new John Atencio Collection
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coveredbridgevail.com | spokeandblossom.com | yogalifelive.com | wellmagco.com
MIGHTY GOOD TOFFEE. A MIGHTY GIFT INDEED. Shop now at enstrom.com
CO N T what’s up in the west
lifestyle
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COMMUNITY STYLE From Pollutant to Wellness Sanctuary: Steamboat’s Original Sawdust Incinerator Ultimately Transforms
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MAKER Crystal Clear: Grand Valley Ice Makes High Quality Cocktail Ice for Bars + Restaurants
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BLOSSOM CAVE Helps Winemakers Make the Leap from Amateur to Commercial
ART Gerry Jensen: Painting With a New Perspective
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ART The Poetry of Winter
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HOME + GARDEN Breathe in the Season: Simmer Pot Recipes
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DRINK Charred Lemon + Rosemary Sour
MUSIC Pea Green Saturday Nights: Reviving the Golden Age of Radio in a Tiny Farming Town
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FOOD Local Collaboration Success: Enhancing Agricultural Sustainability in Mesa County
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WELLNESS + FITNESS The Jet Lag Juggle: Tips for Arriving at New Time Zones Feeling Refreshed Instead of Fatigued
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VOICES OF WESTERN COLORADO Locals Weigh in on Continuity WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST • All Day Verdé Wins Gold at 2024 Colorado Governor’s Cup • Demolition Underway at Grand Junction High School
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EAT Winter Cookie Recipes
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EAT Inside Colorado’s Chocolate Makers
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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BOOK + BEVERAGE •A -B-Skis By Libby Ludlow • Clark & Co’s Distilling Spirits + Hot Cocoa
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INSTAGRAM + PODCAST PICKS
E N TS adventure
features + events
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ADVENTURE Gore Range Gravity Alliance
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BEYOND BOOKS ‘The Library is for Everyone.’
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SPOKE Gear Profile: Bishop Telemark
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SPOKE Gear for the Season
LEGACY OF STEWARDSHIP How Colorado Ranching Families are Shaping Sustainable Agriculture + Wildlife Conservation
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SPOKE Athlete Profile: Gretchen Bleiler, Snowboarder
3 LOCAL VENUES THAT ROCK Keeping Western Colorado’s Music Scene Alive
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GRAND OUTDOORS Western Colorado Landscapes at Night
EVENTS Winter 2024-25
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TAKE A HIKE Devils Garden + Primitive Loop Trail
WHO WE ARE Carolyn Huresky, The Creative Garland Company
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FAMILY Slide Into Winter Fun: The Ultimate Guide to Sledding in Western Colorado
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STAY + PLAY The Ramble Hotel: A Chic Centerpiece of Denver’s RiNo (River North) Neighborhood
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GETAWAY Pedals, Pastries + Pinot: A Bike Tour Through Alsace’s Vineyards and Culinary Delights
SPOKE+BLOSSOM
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
CONTINUITY As you hold the 30th edition of Spoke+Blossom in your hands, we celebrate not just a milestone but a continuity — a shared journey, unfolding over the years, strengthened by the time and support you’ve given us. By reading, subscribing and engaging, you become a part of what we do. Your presence and interest give back to S+B, fueling our dedication to bring you meaningful stories and perspectives with each new edition. We are always grateful. Each issue of S+B sheds light on how we stay connected, committed and inspired through our ongoing relationships with each other and our communities. Inside #30 here, you’ll find stories that highlight steadfast contributions, from features on local libraries, family ranch roots and impressive music venues in Western Colorado, to details of top sledding hills, winter recipes and what it takes to create the season’s most delicious confections. As you turn these pages, we hope you find pieces that resonate, stories that remind you of the strength in lasting connections and the beauty in shared histories. Whether this is your first time reading a fresh issue of S+B or your 30th, your role in our community is valued beyond measure. We are here because of you, inspired by the conversations you spark and the lives you lead. Thank you for your support and for believing in what Spoke+Blossom represents. Here’s to many more shared stories, miles traveled, moments cherished and magazines made, together.
(+ Pepper and our new baby boy)
Join the Spoke+Blossom Community twitter.com/ spokeandblossom
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This magazine is shareable and recyclable. Please don’t throw it in the trash.
Editor-In-Chief Kim Fuller Managing Editor Lexi Reich Assistant Editor Kristen Grace Art Director Kitty Nicholason Community Engagement Laura Mills + Chloe Wasserstrom Partnerships Bobby L’Heureux Contributors Julie Bielenberg Lisa Blake Chris Bonds Roschelle Bulda Carly Finke Kim Fuller Jayme Henderson Courtney Holden Kate Holstein Mitch Korolev Jocelyn Laferriere Kristen Lummis Patric Matysiewski Cat Mayer
Chloe Mayer Maureen McGuire Laura Mills Kitty Nicholason Kimberly Nicoletti Nickolas Paullus Lexi Reich Dominique Taylor Wendy Videlock Chloe Wasserstrom Jennifer Weintraub Melanie Wiseman William Woody
Spoke+Blossom Magazine Jaunt Media Collective 2077 N. Frontage Road / D Vail, CO 81657
Publishers of Spoke+Blossom Founders of Jaunt Media Collective
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Cover Photograph Gerry Jensen’s Palette By Roschelle Bulda
Kim Fuller with Bobby L’Heureux
facebook.com/ spokeandblossom
Founder Robin Brown
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 © 2024 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.
> SCRATCH MADE > BREAKFAST > LUNCH > CATERING
This Season With 100+ locally owned retail shops and restaurants located in Downtown Grand Junction, there’s something for everyone on your list this season!
420 Main St, Downtown Grand Junction Cafesolgj.com 970.986.3474
at Ridgway
A beautiful space rich with Western heritage serves as a warm backdrop to some of the Western Slope’s finest dining & special event experiences.
970.626.8801 TheOldFirehouse.com events@theoldfirehouse.com
contributors
NICKOLAS PAULLUS Nickolas has been knee-deep in the food and beverage world for over 20 years. His passion for yummies for the tummy is unbridled. When he’s not cooking, eating or thinking about food, he’s spending time with his family. He writes for various magazines and published his first novel, Wormwood, in spring of 2024.
LISA BLAKE JAYME HENDERSON
Lisa is a freelance writer in Breckenridge, specializing in dining, outdoors, ski resorts and wellness. She is happiest on her mountain bike or in a raft with her husband, son and pug. Her work has been featured in Aspen Modern Luxury and Purist. Find her at lisablakecreative.com.
Jayme is a writer, photographer and co-owner and winemaker for The Storm Cellar, a vineyard and winery in Hotchkiss. 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.
MITCH KOROLEV Mitch is a nature photographer and environmental scientist based out of Grand Junction. He seeks to bridge science and art through his engaging imagery of landscapes, wildlife and scientific research. His previous work includes documenting climate change research in the Amazon rainforest.
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KIMBERLY NICOLETTI
WENDY VIDELOCK
Kimberly is an awardwinning freelance journalist, editor and writing coach. She regularly writes about home renovations, but the historic building she wrote about in this issue stands out as the weirdest — and coolest — one she’s ever covered.
Wendy is the poet laureate of Western Colorado. She lives in Palisade. Her poems and essays appear in O Magazine, The New York Times, The Hudson Review and The Best American Poetry. Her books are available wherever books are sold. Videlock is also a visual artist. Learn more at wendyvidelock.com.