steamboat magazine spring 2012

Oil & Gas

Avalanche!When, where and why

5 Beauties& Local Products They LOVE

Is it a boom?

Includes Complete Visitors’ Guide Established 1978

Spring 2012

$5.95 Volume 34, No.1Display through May 10, 2012

SPRING 2012

SNOWBIKing!

You Can Too!

For all your Ski and Snowboard gear —

The Best Prices on the Mountain!

Bad knees? Sore back? Bored with sitting in the room? Get back on the mountain and

ride all day every day without fatigue!

Street level at The Steamboat Grand Hotel(Directly across from the gondola transit center)

Steamboat’s Only

Rental, Sales and Service CenterSnowbike™

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Karen Garner & Perry Imboden visited Steamboat from Wynne, Arkansas for the Holidays. Neither had been on skis in years and in less than an hour they were riding the Gondola and Snowbiking down the mountain.

The most fun you can have on the Mountain for $29.99**Lift ticket required.

Winter’s Fastest Growing Sport

Allows Everyone to Enjoy the Mountain

Ages 9 to 99

Best Prices On The Mountain For Ski & Snowboard Rental Gear

STEAMBOAT MAGAZINE | SPRING 2012 | 1

P.O. Box 771865, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477

For more information or a color brochure: phone or fax 970-879-3031

[email protected] • www.montanaloghomesofco.com

Craftsmanship To some it’s just a word … for us it’s a passion.

2 | ONLINE AT WWW.STEAMBOATMAGAZINE.COM

Eric VErploEg, M.D. | MichaEl SiSk, M.D. | anDrEaS SauErbrEy, M.D. | hEnry Fabian, M.D.

970.879.6663 940 Central Park Drive, Suite 280, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 | 785 Russell, Craig CO 81625

PhOtO: Corey Kopischke | SKieR: Chad Fleischer | LOCatiOn: Steamboat

We are here to keep

you out there...

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Share your community with a mature elk herd, bald eagles, foxes and others who have lived here forever. Completed club amenities include an owners’ lodge, guest cabin, equestrian and concierge services unsurpassed. A one-of-a-kindcommunity, only 5 minutes from world-class skiing and historic Steamboat Springs. It’s not only a vision you can embrace, but you can live.

Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club introduces Wednesday Après-Ski. For more information call us at 970.875.1200 or visit us on facebook.

Imagine living at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club, waking up to 360° views of majestic national forest. With only 63 homesites spread over 1,200 acres, 900 of which are wildlife preserve, we offer a lifestyle like no other.

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Share your community with a mature elk herd, bald eagles, foxes and others who have lived here forever. Completed club amenities include an owners’ lodge, guest cabin, equestrian and concierge services unsurpassed. A one-of-a-kindcommunity, only 5 minutes from world-class skiing and historic Steamboat Springs. It’s not only a vision you can embrace, but you can live.

Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club introduces Wednesday Après-Ski. For more information call us at 970.875.1200 or visit us on facebook.

Imagine living at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club, waking up to 360° views of majestic national forest. With only 63 homesites spread over 1,200 acres, 900 of which are wildlife preserve, we offer a lifestyle like no other.

Best Location, Best Views,Best Value...

$4,450,000

Contact your local broker or call 970.875.1200 | alpinemountainranchsteamboat.com

TABlE Of CONTENTS | SPRING 2012


About the Cover: Photographer Mical Hutson

and local mom/business owner Jennifer Tamburrino trekked

down the icy trail to Fish Creek Falls on a cold, clear day in

January to create this stunning image. Jennifer was one of

five women who tested locally produced beauty products

and reported their findings in this edition of “Steamboat

Magazine.” (See p. 60)

Oil & Gas

Avalanche!When, where and why

5 Beauties& Local Products They LOVE

Is it a boom?

Includes Complete Visitors’ Guide Established 1978

Spring 2012

$5.95 Volume 34, No.1Display through May 10, 2012

SPRING 2012

48 Judging Routt County – by Walt Daub In the heart of downtown lies a historic courthouse that

is both an architectural gem and the setting for countless community memories.

54 Know Your Niobrara –by Jennie Lay Renewed interest in oil and gas exploration means

decisions must soon be made at the local level that will have long-term impacts on Routt County’s resources, economy and environment.

60 Scents and Sensibility – by Jennie Lay Five discerning women put Steamboat’s homegrown bath

and beauty products to the test. 68 Avalanche: The Slippery Slope Argument

– by Kelly Bastone In a season of notoriously unreliable snowpack, avalanche

danger throughout the West is at an unusually high level. But does that apply to Steamboat too?

fEATURES

12 Contributors14 Letters to the Editor16 Genuine Steamboat26 People

Luther Berntson, Kelsey Ketterlin

30 Sport

Winter mountain biking, snowbiking, Nelson Carmichael’s column, tai chi

36 Healthy Living

Home-cooked favorites with a healthy twist

38 Wildlife

No Grousing Around: Northwest Colorado – the last stand for the greater sage grouse

40 Home & Garden

Will and Beth Bashan’s distinctive dwelling with lively art and cool lighting

44 The Arts

Jasmir Belly Dance Troupe, Steamboat Dance Theatre’s 40th anniversary and the Bennett School of Irish Dance

76 Book Reviews

Featuring new works by Daniel Tyler, J.R. Hamil and Kathleen Cunningham Guler

78 Essay

A brief history of Routt County oil exploration

80 Valley View

Stars at Night Gala and Dancing with the Stars

DEPARTMENTS

Ary

eh C

opa

Avalanche: The Slippery Slope Argument

VISITORS’ GUIDE 2 Welcome Letter 8 History & Trivia 10 Map of Steamboat Springs 12 Must-See Stops 14 Historic Walking Tour 16 Family Fun 18 Winter Traditions 21 Spring Celebrations 22 Ski & Snowboard 24 Nordic Skiing 26 Howelsen Hill 28 Off-Piste Adventures 30 Nightlife 33 Nightlife for Families 34 Rejuvenate 35 Hot Springs 36 On Exhibit 38 On Stage & Screen 40 Calendar of Events 83 Where to Worship 88 Parting Shot

Eight Guides to Our Town 49 Activities 74 Real Estate 55 Dining 78 Services 63 Lodging 82 Weddings & Reunions 70 Outdoors 84 Shopping

p. 68

402 lincoln avenue • 970.879.8366 • www.romicksintothewest.com

Home Furnishings

interior Design

men’s & women’s Clothing

Accessories & Jewelry

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Life on the EdgeLuxury slopeside residences –

TRUE ski-in/ski-out at a REAL discount.

Move in now | 1-5 bedroom model suites open daily - call to schedule your tour

Arlene ZopfSteamboat Village Brokers [email protected]

70-846-5310

Eliese PivarnikColorado Group Realty [email protected]

970-819-6372

Dave IrishSteamboat Ski & Resort [email protected]

970-291-1006

Colleen de JongPrudential Steamboat [email protected]

970-846-5569

Charlie DresenHigh Mountain Sotheby’s

[email protected] 970-846-6435

This is not intended to be an offering or solicitation for sale in any jurisdiction where the project is not registered in accordance with applicable law or where such offering or solicitation would otherwise be prohibited by law. Listed with Edgemont Realty, LLC, Prudential Steamboat Realty, Steamboat Village Brokers, LTD, Steamboat Ski & Resort Realty, Colorado Group Realty, and High Mountain Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc., licensed Colorado brokers.

Four spacious townhomes

just steps from the

slopes.

NOW Announcing PHASE TWO!

Edgemont_StmbMag_Winter_Adv3_2011.indd 1 11/2/11 12:33 PM


S o m e t i m e s e v e n a m o d e s t a d d i t i o n

m a k e s a w o r l d o f d i f f e r e n c e !


“Steamboat Magazine” is published quarterly by Ski Town Publications, Inc. The Summer 2012 edition will be published in May 2012. For advertising rates and subscription information write: Steamboat Magazine, P.O Box 880616, Steamboat Springs, CO 80488. Phone: 970-871-9413. Fax: 970-871-1922. Website: www.steamboatmagazine.com. Single copy mailed first-class $7.50. No portion of the contents of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. © 2012 Ski Town Publications, Inc. All rights reserved – ISSN 2164-4055.

Spring 2012 ~ Volume 34, Number 1

PUBLISHERDeborah Olsen

EDITORSFeatures & “Steamboat Springs Visitors’ Guide”

Jennie Lay

SportCaroline Lalive

SALES EXECUTIVESKarin KaganDave Lawler

ART DIRECTORJulia Hebard

STAff PHOTOGRAPHERCorey Kopischke

OFFICE MANAGERKelly Stahl

WEB EDITORChristina Freeman

BOOKKEEPER & PROOFREADERSandy Lindsay Jacobs

CONTRIBUTORSKelly Bastone

Ellen & Paul BonnifieldNelson Carmichael

Walt DaubGena Fischer

Harriet FreibergerAmy Kopischke

Tamera Manzaneres

PHOTOGRAPHERSAryeh Copa

Amanda DeVosFred Grippa

Mical HutsonMike Kinnecom

Corey KopischkeJessica MaynardHilary Spillane

Kate Znamenacek

7th & Lincoln Howelsen Place Steamboat Springs970.870.6348

New ArrivALSSHoP Now

970-879-5656

remodels

www.shivelyconstruction.com

1495 Pine Grove Road, Suite C • Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

additionscustom homes

There’s no better place to spend your time, than in the infinite satisfaction of a Shively custom-built home.

The Difference

ACCREDITEDBUSINESS

A+RATED

Tracy BarnettMain Street Steamboat

Betsy BlakesleeThe Nature Conservancy

Laura Cusenbary

Wells Fargo Financial

Kyleigh DeMiccoSteamboat Springs

Chamber Resort Association

Rick DeVosSteamboat Springs Winter Sports Club

Randall HannawayOwner/ Broker

Colorado Group Realty

Rosie KernYampa Valley Medical Center

Caroline LaliveU.S. Olympian

Larry Mashaw

Mountain Resorts

Irene NelsonIrene Nelson Interiors

Joe Roberts

Retired Educator

Susan ScheisserArtist

Paul UnderwoodCafé Diva

EDITORIALADVISORYBOARD

CONTRIBUTORS

Longtime South Routt residents Paul and Ellen Bonnifield bring their vast knowledge of Routt County history to this issue, writing a short, compelling history of oil and gas exploration for our essay. Paul, who has his doctorate in 19th century American history, loves to tell stories about the colorful characters who left their mark on Steamboat Springs. Ellen, Paul says, is the editor on the team. She loves to write and is an avid reader.

Art Judson also lent his considerable expertise to this edition. A veteran avalanche scientist and founder of Colorado’s Avalanche Warning Program, Art was an enthusiastic contributor to our story on avalanches. “An article like that has been much needed for some time. Steamboat is probably one of the most avalanche unaware population sets on the continent,” he says. Art’s career has taken him from Alaska, where he developed a warning service, to the Canadian Rockies and beyond, but his home is in Steamboat Springs.

Our go-to guy when it comes to dance – which combines sport and style – is Fred Grippa. His career as an electrician is complemented by his hobby as a photographer. Steamboat’s lucky to have such a talented devotee of dance, who can translate this beautiful art into imagery.

People like Grippa, Judson and the Bonnifields, with their incredible knowledge and skill, add diversity and intellect to our remote community.

Art Judson throws sticks of seismograph powder at Berthoud Pass, circa 1964.



i n s p i r e d . i n n o v a t i v e . t i m e l e s s

n o t a b l e w o r k i n . s t e a m b o a t s p r i n g s . a s p e n . v a i l . c o p p e r . t a h o e . y o s e m i t e . c a l g a r y


907 Lincoln Ave., Downtown Steamboat (970) 871-8566 | www.steamboatshoes.com

lETTERS

Dear Amanda (DeVos):I just had the opportunity to read your wonderful

article on our alma mater. (Yampa Valley College, now called Colorado Mountain College). Very special!

So enjoyed chatting over the days of our YVC reunion in August. You really captured the “essence” of what the experience was.

I was very thankful to your photographer, as we got some shots outside of Lucy Bogue Hall. I was also able to get some additional pictures with my WWII 16mm motion picture camera. I’m just getting the film back from the lab – the images were great. Have always enjoyed the look of real film, and what you can get out of it.

Sincerely hope we won’t have to wait another 40 years for another reunion!

Most sincerely,Bob SidesLos Angeles, Calif.

Editor’s note: Amanda DeVos’ feature on Colorado Mountain College’s 50th anniversary

appeared in the Winter 2012 edition. It is online at www.steamboatmagazine.com/articles/357.php

Hi Deb, I just received the magazine and wanted to thank you

so much for a wonderful article. “Steamboat Magazine” is truly an outstanding magazine, and I am very flattered to be a part of it. I want to thank Harriet too.

Thanks again, Jean PerrySteamboat Springs and Tuscon, Ariz.

Editor’s note: A review of “The Art of Jean Perry” appeared in the Winter 2012 edition and is on-line at www.steamboatmagazine.com/the-arts.php

Attendees at CMC’s 50th anniversary celebration

Jenn

ie L

ay

Visit us on the web atsteamboatmagazine.com

www.


We Are...

Genuine Steamboat

Aryeh CopaSTARS (Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports) Program Director Craig Kennedy rips a powder turn on Buffalo Pass during a Steamboat Powdercats trip.

Genuine Steamboat

Steamboat maGaZine | SPRING 2012 | 17


Genuine Steamboat

Aryeh CopaAryeh was shooting the sunbeam in late afternoon,

when a lone skinner stepped into the picture.


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Corey Kopischke“Recess is on” and I’d say this guy is winning! The 25-yard dog dash street event is one of the funniest events to enjoy at the annual Winter Carnival celebration in downtown Steamboat Springs.

Darlinda Maxwell BaldingerCh Loe [email protected]@steamboatvillagebrokers.com970-879-7800 ext. 104800-464-7795 • 970-846-7192 www.steamboatlocalbrokers.com

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kitchen, fire pit adjacent to stream, and flowering gardens• Surrounded by legendary views, golf and world class skiing for $5,096,250


Genuine Steamboat


THE ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT OF CARL HOWELSEN IS OUR INSPIRATION. AND CARL’S TAVERN IS A PLACE FOR ADVENTUROUS SPIRITS TO CALL HOME. THE HOSPITALITY IS GENUINE. THE BEER IS COLD. AND THE FOOD IS MADE FROM SCRATCH. SO RAISE A GLASS TO THE MAN WHO TURNED WINTER INTO A PLAYGROUND, AND SKIS INTO WINGS. THEN GO AHEAD AND RAISE ANOTHER FOR YOURSELF.

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THE ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT OF CARL HOWELSEN IS OUR INSPIRATION. AND CARL’S TAVERN IS A PLACE FOR ADVENTUROUS SPIRITS TO CALL HOME. THE HOSPITALITY IS GENUINE. THE BEER IS COLD. AND THE FOOD IS MADE FROM SCRATCH. SO RAISE A GLASS TO THE MAN WHO TURNED WINTER INTO A PLAYGROUND, AND SKIS INTO WINGS. THEN GO AHEAD AND RAISE ANOTHER FOR YOURSELF. A PLAYGROUND, AND SKIS INTO WINGS. THEN GO AHEAD AND RAISE ANOTHER FOR YOURSELF.

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SteamboatEstates.com

Presenting the DistinctiveProperties of the Yampa Valley

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ChateauSaison.com

Gated Estate on 53 acres. One of Steamboat’s most formidable homes with 7 bdrms, indoor pool, theatre, separate guest cottage and more.

Offered at $9,875,000 #131690

SkiInSteamboat.com

Catamount Ranch Luxury

The ultimate Ski-In/Ski-out property. 10,000 sq ft mtn contemporary home on the edge of ski runs. Extravagant finishes, huge proven rental income.

Offered at $7,995,000 #126992

Luxurious amenities and huge views from this 5 bdrm golf course home. Large deck, soaring ceilings, home office, wet bar; overlooking the 6th green.

Reduced to $3,950,000 #126499

Moonshadow Ranch

Exceptional horse property on 35 gated acres. Luxury home, over-the-top barn & amazing horse facilities; adjacent to 1000’s of acres of open space.

Offered at $7,500,000 #131486

The Acanthus Estate

Exquisite golf Estate on the 11th fairway at Catamount Ranch. Enjoy 9,792 sq ft including wine cellar, theatre, elevator and an infinity spa.

Reduced to $5,950,000 #123272

Perfection Along Fish Creek

Immaculate new home near golf, skiing & Fish Creek. Over 8,000 luxurious sq ft with large workshop, spa, gym and amazing private theatre.

Reduced to $4,600,000 #130503

Creek Front Rustic Elegance

Beautiful 7,742 sq ft home bordering Fish Creek with golf and skate skiing out your door. Great room, wine cellar, bar, patio, main level master.

Just Listed at $3,475,000 #133039

Dakota Ridge Privacy

Unmatched views, total privacy and amazing landscaping, close to town and mountain. 5 bdrms, large decks, office, and luxury finishes.

Reduced to $2,395,000 #132062

Style Meets Function

Sleek mountain home only 10 miles to town. Set on 15 acres with breathtaking views. 5,787 sq ft with 5 bdrms and incredible 5 bay heated garage.

Offered at $2,895,000 #132432

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116AcresElkRiver.com

7,716 sq ft, 5 bdrm, 7 bath home on 116 acres bordering Nat’l Forest. 28-ft rock fireplace, wine room and 2-story glass spa room.

Offered at $4,495,000 #131598

Stately Sanctuary Estate

Fabulous 7 bdrm home with 8,200 luxurious sq ft. Views of the 16th fairway to the Ski Area. Great landscaping, grilling station & guest apt.

Reduced to $3,900,000 #128408

SkiOutLogHome.com

5 bdrm Montana Log Home with views of the Ski Area and access to ski trails. Stone fireplace, home theater and a complete recreation room.

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GreatSki-InHome.com

4 Bdrm (3 Masters!) on Ski Trail Ln. Great views, formal entrance, Blue Bahia granite, game room w/wet bar, entran heat, home office and more.

Offered at $1,895,000 #131400

SlopesideDuplex.com

8 bdrms, 4 living areas, 2 offices, ski lodge finishes and storage space! Great second home or rental. Sides can be sold separately at $749,000.

Offered at $1,498,000 #133158

DazzlingDakotaRidge.com

6 bdrms and almost 5,000 sq ft amongst more than 8 acres of privacy! Grand spiraling staircase, Ski Area views, cathedral ceilings, picture windows.

Offered at $1,950,000 #131703

SkiMountainViews.com

5 bdrms including romantic master ‘getaway’ & 2 suites. Indoor hot tub, travertine baths, steam shower, and kitchen appointed for a chef.

Offered at $1,095,000 #133143

DesignedForEnjoyment.com

5+ bdrms on over an acre. Professional kitchen with 1 of 3 stunning fireplaces. Cathedral ceilings, walnut floors and a caretaker’s unit.

Reduced to $1,650,000 #132427

SanctuaryInTheForest.com

Private and stunning 4 bdrm oasis backed to a greenbelt. Luxurious custom kitchen, private office, game room, commanding Great room.

Offered at $2,795,000 #133031


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Cam Boyd [email protected]

116AcresElkRiver.com

7,716 sq ft, 5 bdrm, 7 bath home on 116 acres bordering Nat’l Forest. 28-ft rock fireplace, wine room and 2-story glass spa room.

Offered at $4,495,000 #131598

Stately Sanctuary Estate

Fabulous 7 bdrm home with 8,200 luxurious sq ft. Views of the 16th fairway to the Ski Area. Great landscaping, grilling station & guest apt.

Reduced to $3,900,000 #128408

SkiOutLogHome.com

5 bdrm Montana Log Home with views of the Ski Area and access to ski trails. Stone fireplace, home theater and a complete recreation room.

Reduced to $2,995,000 #128096

GreatSki-InHome.com

4 Bdrm (3 Masters!) on Ski Trail Ln. Great views, formal entrance, Blue Bahia granite, game room w/wet bar, entran heat, home office and more.

Offered at $1,895,000 #131400

SlopesideDuplex.com

8 bdrms, 4 living areas, 2 offices, ski lodge finishes and storage space! Great second home or rental. Sides can be sold separately at $749,000.

Offered at $1,498,000 #133158

DazzlingDakotaRidge.com

6 bdrms and almost 5,000 sq ft amongst more than 8 acres of privacy! Grand spiraling staircase, Ski Area views, cathedral ceilings, picture windows.

Offered at $1,950,000 #131703

SkiMountainViews.com

5 bdrms including romantic master ‘getaway’ & 2 suites. Indoor hot tub, travertine baths, steam shower, and kitchen appointed for a chef.

Offered at $1,095,000 #133143

DesignedForEnjoyment.com

5+ bdrms on over an acre. Professional kitchen with 1 of 3 stunning fireplaces. Cathedral ceilings, walnut floors and a caretaker’s unit.

Reduced to $1,650,000 #132427

SanctuaryInTheForest.com

Private and stunning 4 bdrm oasis backed to a greenbelt. Luxurious custom kitchen, private office, game room, commanding Great room.

Offered at $2,795,000 #133031

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SteamboatCollection.com | 970.879.8100


Breathtaking In-Town Estate

Distinctive location, impeccable home! 9,400+ sf 5 bdrm/5.5 bath+caretaker, barn, arena, creek & spring-fed trout pond on 35 acres. Custom masterpiece w/new kitchen & master suite. Numerous details, & walk to downtown.

Rare offering at $4,900,000 #133182 Ask for Kathy or Erik Steinberg 970.846.8418SResortRealEstate.com

FalconheadSteamboat.com

Spectacular multi-generational mountain home with panoramic views of the base area and valley. This newly completed luxury home has 5 separate bdrms with ample room for multiple families or executive retreats. Great rental potential.

Offered at $3,750,000 #130944

Colleen de Jong 970.846.5569Pam Vanatta 970.291.8100

New Home & 1,000 ft Elk River

Relocation forces price reduction. New home on 42 acres overlooking meadows, the river corridor and conservation lands. National Forest and State lands within riding distance. Great fishing on private river frontage.

Offered at $899,000 #133036

Christy Belton 970.734.7885SteamboatSpringsRanch.com

Grace Lodge

This 5 bdrm/5.5 bath Townhome is 100 yards from the Mtn. High quality furnishings, linens and accessories give this home the look and feel of pure luxury. Upgrades include plantation shutters, steam shower, glass shower enclosures + more.

Offered at $1,395,000 #132296

Peggy Wolfe 970.846.8804PeggyWolfe.com

Elk River Frontage

One of the finest private river properties available in the Steamboat area, 116 acres with over 3/4 mile of main channel plus 1/3 mile secondary channel and 1/2 mile of the West Fork of the Elk River. Can be divided.

Reduced to $3,100,000 #133027 Christy Belton 970.734.7885SteamboatSpringsRanch.com

Sanctuary Splendor

Mountain elegance in a park-like setting. Newly remodeled, this 5 bdrm, 5.5 bath 3,700+ sq ft home features a master suite on main level, guest suites above, 2 floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, and large open living spaces.

Reduced to $1,695,000 #131744 Ask for Kathy or Erik Steinberg 970.846.8418SResortRealEstate.com

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Breathtaking In-Town Estate

Distinctive location, impeccable home! 9,400+ sf 5 bdrm/5.5 bath+caretaker, barn, arena, creek & spring-fed trout pond on 35 acres. Custom masterpiece w/new kitchen & master suite. Numerous details, & walk to downtown.

Rare offering at $4,900,000 #133182 Ask for Kathy or Erik Steinberg 970.846.8418SResortRealEstate.com

FalconheadSteamboat.com

Spectacular multi-generational mountain home with panoramic views of the base area and valley. This newly completed luxury home has 5 separate bdrms with ample room for multiple families or executive retreats. Great rental potential.

Offered at $3,750,000 #130944

Colleen de Jong 970.846.5569Pam Vanatta 970.291.8100

New Home & 1,000 ft Elk River

Relocation forces price reduction. New home on 42 acres overlooking meadows, the river corridor and conservation lands. National Forest and State lands within riding distance. Great fishing on private river frontage.

Offered at $899,000 #133036

Christy Belton 970.734.7885SteamboatSpringsRanch.com

Grace Lodge

This 5 bdrm/5.5 bath Townhome is 100 yards from the Mtn. High quality furnishings, linens and accessories give this home the look and feel of pure luxury. Upgrades include plantation shutters, steam shower, glass shower enclosures + more.

Offered at $1,395,000 #132296

Peggy Wolfe 970.846.8804PeggyWolfe.com

Elk River Frontage

One of the finest private river properties available in the Steamboat area, 116 acres with over 3/4 mile of main channel plus 1/3 mile secondary channel and 1/2 mile of the West Fork of the Elk River. Can be divided.

Reduced to $3,100,000 #133027 Christy Belton 970.734.7885SteamboatSpringsRanch.com

Sanctuary Splendor

Mountain elegance in a park-like setting. Newly remodeled, this 5 bdrm, 5.5 bath 3,700+ sq ft home features a master suite on main level, guest suites above, 2 floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, and large open living spaces.

Reduced to $1,695,000 #131744 Ask for Kathy or Erik Steinberg 970.846.8418SResortRealEstate.com



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Peaceful Elk River Home

Private home with wide open floorplan just minutes from town. This 4 bdrm home is spacious, comfortable and bright. Large deck, big views, great outdoor living spaces and room for horses. Co-list with Pam Vanatta.

Reduced to $749,500 #130935 Anne Mayberry 970.846.1425SteamboatEstates.com

Lowest Priced Slopeside

Walk to ski or lunch on private short path from your 4+ bdrm 4.5 bath townhome to the slopes or restaurants at the base area. Spacious Townhome with garage – being sold turn-key. Lots of room to spread out for two families.

Offered at $950,000 #130445

Michelle Diehl 970.846.1086SteamboatDream.com

Mountain Gem

Beautiful post & beam 5 bdrm home w/a lodge feel. Dramatic cathedral ceilings, open living/dining/kitchen area. 2-story rock fireplace, pine timber staircase, & finest finishes. Fabulous views from the large wrap-around deck.

Offered at $1,495,000 #132472

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Out the Door – on Ski Run

True ski-in/ski-out! Top floor with views of the ski area. Great amenities including private lounge, pool, hot tubs, concierge, & superb staff. 4 bdrms, office area, & a loft. Direct TV in every room. Elevator & covered parking.

Offered at $850,000 #133238

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LastResortSteamboat.com

Look no more! This is the quintessential mtn retreat with top-of-the-world views of Stagecoach Lake, Mt.Werner and the surrounding vistas. Main home features 5,500+ SF of interior living, 4,000 SF of outdoor living & attention to detail.

Offered at $5,525,000 #132801 Kim Kreissig 970.846.4250KreissigHomes.com

Beautiful Golf Course Home

Luxury 4 bdrm home at end of a cul-de-sac by Golf Course. Open kitchen w/Alder cabinets, hardwoods, fireplace, slab granite. Luxurious master on the main level. Great view of ski area. Great landscaping, golf membership included.

Reduced to $1,495,000 #130719 Marc Small 970.846.88415ForSaleSteamboat.com

PEOPLE | By Tamera Manzanares/Photos by Deborah Olsen


GettinG to know Luther Berntson, especially in a time when optimism seems scarce, is a gift. A friendly fixture in steamboat springs for nearly 20 years, Berntson is known for his warm smile, kind heart and willingness to help others. From forging new farming methods to lending a hand to strangers halfway around the globe, this 80-year-old’s life experiences are rooted in his belief that no matter how big the problem or injustice, anyone can make a difference.

“People need hope,” says Berntson who, with his wife helen, actively volunteers for organizations including relay for Life, Lift-up of routt County and Concordia Lutheran Church. Frequent trips to the slopes, hiking 14ers and celebrating scandinavian foods and traditions with friends also fuel his spirit. “An active lifestyle helps you stay young. these activities keep your mind and spiritual life alive,” he says.

A better wayBerntson is a problem-solver and organizer. he’s not one

to settle for the status quo. in 1960, he took over his family’s north Dakota farm, which

had been homesteaded by his norwegian grandparents. Berntson farmed the land as generations before him had done, battling the dry climate and fervent winds that whipped up soil in the wake of his plow. By the mid-1970s, Berntson believed there was a better way. he joined a small group of like-minded farmers who did away with their plows and left previous crop residue standing to block wind and erosion, capture snow melt and enrich the soil.

there were plenty of skeptics and little research to back up the practice, but Berntson and the other farmers stayed on course, patiently watching their lands regenerate into a more natural state that improved production, required fewer weed-killing chemicals and enhanced wildlife habitat.

“A lot of the things that we believed would happen, happened as the system evolved,” says Berntson, who co-founded the Manitoba-north Dakota Zero tillage Farmer’s Association. Like a scene from “Field of Dreams,” he welcomed busloads of tourists to his farm to learn about the practice. he also garnered awards for conservation and spoke to members of Congress about sustainable farming research.

Luther Berntson Kind heart, helping hand


Finding hopewhen it came time to retire, many of the Berntsons’

neighbors headed to warmer locales in Florida and texas. But that life held little pull for Luther and helen, who set their sights on the rocky Mountains, where they had spent many ski vacations with their two daughters.

“i’d rather ski than play bingo,” Berntson quips. steamboat, with its big ski mountain and close-knit

community, fit the bill. in 1993, the couple built their home, with Berntson doing much of the work himself.

retired life may have been easier than farming, but time presented new challenges. By the end of the decade, both Luther and helen had been diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, helen’s breast cancer and Luther’s prostate cancer were caught early, and treatment was a success. (they had been diligent about getting screened because cancer runs in both sides of their families.)

Grateful for the technology that saved their lives, the Berntsons became interested in the American Cancer society’s relay for Life fundraising walks for cancer research, and volunteered to help with steamboat’s inaugural event in 2006.

that first effort, plagued by rain and overwhelming logistics for the out-of-town organizer, was rocky. recognizing the changes that needed to be made, Berntson and fellow volunteer Marvin Lindsey took over as organizers. By 2008, Berntson was the sponsorship chair, charged with gathering funds to help pay the costs of the overnight event.

“everybody in town knows him, and nobody can say no to Luther,” Lindsey says. it was an overwhelming success: the event raised more than $220,000 and made routt County the top per capita donor in the country that year.

Berntson, who continues to captain a team, says he’ll always be part of relay for Life, which raises important funds but is also an important reflective time for people touched by the disease. “it’s people celebrating lives and celebrating birthdays,” Berntson says, tears welling in his eyes. “that’s an impressive thing.”

Common groundretired life did not spell the end of farming for Berntson,

who, not long after settling into steamboat, volunteered to share his skills with struggling farmers in eastern europe and

parts of the former soviet union. Fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster had made crops in areas such as Belarus and ukraine useless. Berntson taught farmers there how to grow canola, which retains toxins in its stalk but not in the seeds harvested for oils.

in Azerbaijan, he helped farmers adapt new crops to land once covered in grape vineyards that were destroyed by the communist regime. the residents warmly welcomed the volunteers – the first Americans many had seen outside their tV screens – into their homes. Berntson was touched by the peoples’ faith in freedom and democracy, despite the

hardships they faced after the fall of the soviet union. After 70 years of suppression, they were able to rebuild churches and freely practice their traditions.

“the more we get to know each other, the more we are alike,” Berntson reflects. “it’s no different than America. we all want a good life for our children.”

Poverty and injustice, no matter how far away, is no light matter to Berntson. Back in steamboat, he learned about a group of political refugees from Mauritania that were settling in town. he happened to

meet one of them, Mamadou niass, at the old town hot springs, where niass was working at the time. Berntson invited him to thanksgiving dinner, and the two became quick friends.

whether it was finding food, clothing, furniture or work, fixing a car or figuring out paperwork, Berntson was there to help niass and other Mauritanians adjust to their new home. Last year, the two men gathered clothing, bedding, mattresses and other used goods to send to niass’ poor and worn-torn village in Mauritania. By november they had sent four large shipping containers of items to Africa. “he is a very, very good man,” niass says. “he loves everybody. he’s like a dad to me.”

helping comes naturally to Berntson, but the relationships and rich experiences he receives in return benefit him just as much as those he helps, he says: “that, to me, is not an obligation. i’m the one who’s rewarded.”

“ I’d rather ski than play bingo,” says Luther at home with his wife, Helen.


PEOPLE | Story and photo by Kate Znamenacek

At 7:35 A.M., with A BAGeL in one hAnD and a mug of tea in the other, 18-year-old lift operator kelsey ketterlin boards the free bus to start her atypical work day.

she arrives at the locker room still in her pajamas, then switches to several layers of clothing: a hooded jacket, wool hat, goggles, heavy boots and heated gloves. she and her magic carpet coworkers make their way to the tool shed to collect shovels and brooms and head to their outdoor office on the slopes.

sometimes ketterlin is outside by 8 a.m. At this early hour, she is witness to the awakening of the resort, watching ski patrol and crew on snowmobiles buzzing about, setting up nets and opening the area.

“it’s wonderful. i get to see amazing sunrises and everybody is working toward the same goal – opening the mountain. it makes you feel like part of a team,” says ketterlin, a Denver native and non-skier who migrated to steamboat springs with her raft guide friends. “i had no clue what being a lift op meant, but i figured if i did it and was in this environment, i may finally learn to snowboard. By watching the lessons taking place on the carpet, i’m getting tips and i should be able to figure it out on my own.”

Getting ready for an eight-hour day in fluctuating weather conditions takes planning and trial-and-error practice that can leave you prey to the elements if you forget something. ketterlin’s secrets are dressing in layers and bringing plenty of food.

“it’s so cool, our jackets have so many pockets, we call it the ‘lunch box jacket’ and we shove mounds of food into the pockets – like granola bars and Liftie sandwiches from GoJo’s.” ketterlin’s crew has a half-hour lunch break and two 15-minute breaks in the morning and afternoon. to making ends meet, employee discounts help, leftovers are key, and many lifties know the secret of saving $1 breakfast sandwiches for lunch.

so is it boring? on the outset it seems like monotony and frozen toes, especially on the magic carpet. “i don’t get

Outdoor Office on the Slopes Lift op routine is one of friendship, teamwork – and $1 lunches

bored, i enjoy my job and there’s always someone to talk to,” says ketterlin. “People say ‘oh you work on the carpet,’ but i love the carpet, i don’t know what they’re talking about.

“the friendships are great. we all cover each other during work and we have each other’s backs. we share stories and laughs in the locker room and hang out together after work,” says ketterlin, adding that getting a firsthand view of concerts and Gondola square activities are pluses, too.

And as for next season, she says, “i’ll probably definitely be back!” n

Lift operator Kelsey Ketterlin helps Finn Chapman, 3, of Steamboat Springs, at the top of the magic carpet at the Steamboat Ski Area.

SPORT | By Amy Kopischke/Photos by Corey Kopischke


Winter Single-TrackSport moves beyond novelty

As I round the corner to start up Larry’s trail on emerald Mountain, I have a feeling of exhilaration at the start of some of my favorite single-track riding. I experience it every time I ride my bike on emerald Mountain, but am usually only able to ride there through late october - possibly into early november - due to snow.

this year something different happened: snow bikes. snow bikes have been around for a number of years as more of a boutique item, but have recently experienced a huge surge in popularity. “nationally, we’re seeing quite a bit of interest and industry growth in snow bikes. surly and salsa have done a nice job offering affordable snow bike models,” says rob Mitchell, president of Moots cycles, “and even though we’ve been building them for our employees for many years, last year was

the first time we offered a snow bike (the Frosti) for sale to our customers.”

With the noticeable rise in traffic on the snow-packed trails on emerald Mountain, devotees of this new outdoor phenomenon are here to stay. they ride rigid mountain bikes running 4-inch wide tires with very low pressure and have transformed the typically bumpy hiker/snowshoer trails into a smooth single-track experience. the most surprising aspect I found is that the surface of the snow has great traction and can even be enjoyed on a standard mountain bike.

there are more than seven miles of single-track with this fun and friendly surface, and it seems like every local wants to get in on the action.

Want to give one a spin? orange Peel Bikes offers rentals right at the base of the emerald trail system.

Lisa Marno and Shannon Casson, on the “fat-tired” snow bike, stop at the quarry overlook on Emerald Mountain.


SnowbikesDownhill thrills without wheels

WhILe there hAs Been A Lot oF tALk LAteLy about people snow biking on emerald Mountain, the term ‘snowbike’ actually refers to a bike that has skis instead of wheels. they are used on downhill trails, and steamboat ski Area allows them on all chairlifts and the gondola.

I have noticed the yellow bikes around the base area and finally gave in to my curiosity to try them. one easy call to steamboat snowbikes and ricky and kay arranged to take us out on our maiden voyage. A lesson is required for a first-time rider, but it seems like most of the critical instruction is around getting on and off the chairlifts.

once on the hill, sitting on the bike feels natural. Besides the two skis on the bike, small skis are also worn on the rider’s feet for another element of control. Gliding downhill is a combination of steering and leaning, although the back ski is where the turn really happens. our instructors have a lot

of patience helping new riders, and the learning curve can be surprisingly fast. some people, like my husband, pick it up on their first run. others, like me, take a few runs before feeling that kind of confidence.

remember to keep your weight on that back ski and you can be drift-turning down the mountain in no time! As the sun softened the snow, I could feel the ski edges bite in and really carve a line into the hill. It gives me an exciting new perspective on the mountain I know so well.

We spent our day on groomed runs, but apparently the powder experience is more than divine. our guides spend their powder days riding in the trees – I look forward to my next snowbike ride being on powder!

Amy Kopischke is an avid outdoorswoman, accomplished mountain biker and a writer for the ski area’s Straight Talk report.

Amy Kopischke tests out a snowbike on a bluebird day at the Steamboat Ski Area.

SPORT | By Tamera Manzanares/Photos by Corey Kopischke


Meditation in MotionTai chi students practice to find wellbeing

tAI chI chuAn Is oFten descrIBed As MedItAtIon In MotIon: Graceful, rhythmic movements captivating the bystander’s eye.

But only with practice (and more practice) can a person grasp the physical and spiritually-centering nature of the health exercise. “then you can really feel it sink in,” explains Larry stroman, a tai chi instructor at colorado Mountain college. stroman, senior instructor John Flegal and their students at cMc are part of Master kai ying tung Academy of t’ai chi ch’uan, an international program with deep roots in ancient china, where tai chi originated as a

John Flegal

Timeless men’s AppArelHowelsen Place | 7TH and lincoln | sTeamboaT sPrings, co | (970) 871-1137 | www. ZirkelTrading.com


form of self-defense. the martial art or “hard” side of tai chi is intriguing, but the

“soft” form practiced for health benefits is what attracts many people to the exercise.

tai chi can be surprisingly intense, testing a person’s balance, posture, strength, endurance and flexibility, and encouraging blood circulation and healing. dedicated practitioners report relief from injuries, arthritis, asthma, chronic stress and a host of other health problems. Movements can, eventually, be applied to self-defense or softened to accommodate individuals of all ages and health backgrounds.

“It’s very individual,” Flegal says. “It’s noncompetitive. you proceed at your own pace.” typically, the mental focus in tai chi presents the biggest challenge to Western students who are easily frustrated by infinite cycles of learning and practice. Patience helps overcome mental roadblocks, allowing energy to freely circulate throughout the body, facilitating relaxation, clarity and wellbeing. known as “chi” or life force, some people describe this powerful feeling as a warming sensation throughout the body. “It’s internal, everything is happening inside of you,” stroman says.

With practice, tai chi can evolve from exercise to a way of life, promoting mental and physical balance and spiritual contentment in the face of everyday trials. “the whole idea is that you’re doing tai chi 24-7,” Flegal says. “that’s the ultimate goal.”

Instructors Larry Froman and John Flegal demonstrate a tai chi move at Bud Werner Memorial Library.

Timeless men’s AppArelHowelsen Place | 7TH and lincoln | sTeamboaT sPrings, co | (970) 871-1137 | www. ZirkelTrading.com

SPORT | By Nelson Carmichael


Snow Many Memories

WhILe sPendInG 10 Months of the year skiing and competing all over the world, the tendency is to remember what the snow was like. even though we’re all just gliding on frozen water vapor that falls from the sky, copious terms are used to describe bad snow, mediocre snow and great snow. When it comes to

detailing the minutiae of snow conditions, these are some of my most memorable.

Greasy. Grassy. dirty. heavy. Boney. twiggy. rocky. crusty. chunky. sticky. Avy. Icy. Loud. Abrasive. hollow. Wet. Blasted. cement. Blue-ice. Mirror-ice. rock-hard. Bullet-proof. death-cookies. And literally rotten. sure, we would like to avoid this list, but it’s humbling reality sometimes that makes the sensational days that much better.

slushy. sugary. sandy. Grippy. crunchy. clumpy.

choppy. corduroy. slipped. scraped. Groomed. sun-cupped. Windblown. corn. hard. slick. coarse. slow. thick. Man-made. Frozen-granular. Mashed-potatoes. Ball-bearing. And perhaps the most questionable term: Machine-worked. Japan, Australia, Finland, Italy, california, Quebec, and every other region around the globe will have at least a few of these conditions much of the time.

smooth. creamy. deep. cold. soft. Light. dry. Blower. And clearly champagne Powder®. surprisingly, these conditions can be experienced almost anywhere if you’re lucky. It’s the type of snow most of us patiently wait for, and aspire to encounter again. high alpine areas of the world with direct exposure to consistently cold winter storms deliver the goods. Places like British columbia, France, switzerland, utah and colorado.

now when you’re asked what the conditions are like on the mountain, perhaps you can offer a couple of new responses. hopefully you won’t have to report the worst one of all: no-snow.

I realize I didn’t mention Bumpy. that’s another story all together. n

-- Nelson Carmichael is a World Cup mogul champion who won a bronze medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics. Meet him for free mogul clinics at 1 p.m. outside the Four Points Hut.

In need of a Powder Day?View our website for daily availability/updates/images/video postings: www.steamboatpowdercats.com

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HEAlTHy lIvING | By Caroline Lalive/Photos by Corey Kopischke


Home-Cooked RecipesOld favorites with a healthy twistCooking has always been one of my favorite hobbies. When I was a kid, my mom always made elaborate, incredible meals with bold flavors. I credit her and those childhood dinners for my love affair with food.

Three friends and I get together once a week and share our lives, laughs and libations over a home-cooked meal. I’ve asked them to share their favorite recipes with a healthy twist. Each lady brings something different to the table, which makes this so enticing. Bon appetit!

Homemade Granola BarsHealthy Snack for People on the Go

2 cups rolled oats½ cup wheat germ1 cup sliced almonds or other nuts½ cup dried cranberries or cherries½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks1 can (14 oz.) fat free sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 325°.Grease a 9”x9” pan with cooking spray.Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add the sweetened condensed milk, reserving about a tablespoon.Press the mix into the prepared pan, packing down firmly. Drizzle remaining milk over granola and spread evenly.Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.Cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until firm.Makes up to 16 1”x4” inch bars.

“I love this granola bar recipe because it’s a quick, easy snack and I can customize it with whatever I have on hand. It’s nice for work or on the trail. Even my 2-year-old daughter asks for more!” — Laura Soard

Laura loves spending time in and around steamboat with her husband, evan, and daughter, sydney. Working in sales at smartWool keeps her busy, but she often sneaks in time for a run with her chocolate lab, Baxter, or a bike ride with her husband.

Spinach Salad with Roasted TurkeyFood to Boost Your Mood

1 1/2 cups spinach 1 1/2 cups arugula 1 cup chopped, roasted, turkey breast (the deli sec-tion has roasted turkey breast and whole chickens made fresh daily)1 pomegranate (seeds only)1/3 cup walnuts1 apple thinly sliced (red or green)

Dressing:1/4 cup olive oil2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp. maple syrup dash of truffle oil salt and pepper to taste Whisk together, and dress the salad.

“I find myself getting a little grumpy at times due to a lack of vitamin D. This salad brings key mood-boosting ingredients together for a gorgeous mix of flavors and color. Spinach, nuts, turkey and olive oil can improve your mood!” — Caroline Lalive

caroline has lived in steamboat since ’95. she loves cooking, skiing, biking and most anything involving laughter. she is often seen with her best buddy, Puppy.


Bourbon-Glazed SalmonEye and Skin Health

3 tbsp. brown sugar3 tbsp. bourbon 2 tbsp. soy sauce1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated1 tbsp. fresh lime juice3 garlic cloves, minced1/4 tsp. ground black pepper4 (6 oz.) skinless salmon fillets1 tsp. olive oil1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions1 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Combine the first seven ingredients in a zip-lock bag. Add fish, seal and marinate in the refrigerator 1 1/2 hours, turning occasionally. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the pan and cook three to four minutes. Flip each piece of fish over and add the remaining marinade to the pan. Cook four minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Plate the fish with a few spoonfuls of sauce on each fillet. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with steamed green beans, asparagus or salad.

“Several studies show that the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon can be helpful in prevention of age-related macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome. I tell my patients to incorporate more fatty fish, flax seed, fruits and green leafy vegetables into their diet.” — Sara Bradt

sara is originally from upstate new york and has been a physician assistant at helm eye center in steamboat springs for more than 10 years. her hobbies include loving people, entertaining, cooking, travel adventures, skiing and biking.

Green Thai CurryBoost Your Metabolism

Curry Base:3 tbsp. green curry paste (mae ploy or other)1 1/2 cups organic chicken stock3 cans coconut milk1/4 cup brown sugar3 tbsp. fish/squid sauce3 stocks lemongrass, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1 tsp. ginger, grated

In Soup: 1 lb. organic/natural chicken or tofu 4 peppers, julienned (seasonal – green, red, Anaheim, etc.)1 onion, julienned (white or red) 1 lb. mushrooms sliced (seasonal)1/2 lb. Thai eggplant sliced in strips2 cans bamboo shoots 2 cans sliced water chestnutsOther seasonal vegetablesJasmine rice or glass/udon/rice noodlesBasil and ginger for garnish

In a large stockpot, sauté onion, peppers, mushrooms and chicken in olive oil. Add eggplant and sauté until soft. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Add coconut milk, chicken stock and other curry-base ingredients. Bring soup to simmer, and reduce by 1/3. Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with ginger and chopped basil.

“This recipe is one of my favorites during the colder months. Not only can curry boost your metabolism, but it can help increase circulation, keeping you warmer. My favorite thing about this dish is that you can cram/hide a ton of veggies and get a healthy serving in one delicious meal.” — Gretchen Coleman

Gretchen has been a steamboat resident for 10 years. she works as a graphic artist for Prudential steamboat realty. she can often be seen teleing in award-winning costumes, including Wonder Woman. n

Wildlife | By Jennie Lay


No Grousing AroundNorthwest Colorado: last sustainable stand for iconic birds

Early spring’s sun has yet to rise over the vast open range north of Craig. The intoxicating smell of sage is heady, even with a giant wool scarf wound around my head and a puffy down jacket eeking over the tip of my nose. using pre-dawn stealth, my compadres and i slink toward a white trailer on the edge of the snowy sagebrush. no one dares disturb any of the grouse we know are burrowed in nearby. laden with cameras, blankets and binoculars, we’re sneaking in at the height of mating season, prepared to spend the next few hours spying on their master bedroom.

This is a lek – the dancing ground where male sage grouse demonstrate, with substantial pomp, their ability to procreate. ninety percent of all the birds’ breeding occurs within a 5.3 mile radius around each lek. The ritual proves mesmerizing.

at first light, odd plinking sounds rise out of the grass. it sounds like african water drums popping and thumping on indiscriminate beats. a scattered group of 25 sage grouse, a mix of flashy males and dowdy females, comes into focus. prancing

ensues. Feisty combat erupts. “it’s like bars everywhere,” veteran sage grouse

conservationist and Wyoming audubon society Director Brian rutledge told a crowd gathered at the Bud Werner Memorial library last spring. “Everyone shows up to dance but only one male does the breeding.”

at the turn of the last century, the sage grouse population was estimated at 19 to 30 million birds. in such abundance, these plump, ground-dwelling birds with long, spiky feathers fed the eastern migration of native americans and the western migration of Europeans. grouse can be up to 30 inches long, two feet tall, and weigh up to seven pounds. Turkeys are the only larger birds in north america.

grouse were once an icon of the West, but the u.s. Fish and Wildlife service estimates the population has decreased between 69 and 99 percent from historic levels across 13 states. The birds have dwindled into a smaller and smaller range (and a reduced gene pool), leaving northwest Colorado as ground

Two iconic species of the West: Pronghorn and greater sage grouse interact during a 2011 lek visit north of Craig. Biologists note that these are some of the first photos of such species interactions.

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STeAMBOAT MAGAZiNe | SPRING 2012 | 39

zero for the survival of this 40 million year-old species. The world’s largest and most sustainable population of greater sage grouse now extends from northwest Colorado through southwest Wyoming, rutledge says. unfortunately, “change is not their forte,” he says.

in 2010, seven years after a petition was filed, the usFWs concluded that the greater sage grouse warrants protection under the Endangered species act. But it remains “precluded” on a candidate species list, as species with more immediate and severe threats of extinction take priority.

While other sagebrush-dwelling species like pronghorn and mule deer have declined as well, grouse have emerged as an indicator species for the West’s fractured sagebrush habitat. The birds are wholly dependent upon the sagebrush for food, shelter and mating rituals. “They stand up in the spring and say, ‘count me.’ They give us great science,” rutledge says. scientists have nearly three decades of lek counts.

Once upon a time, the pervading mentality was “good sagebrush is dead sagebrush.” But with the threat of grouse hitting the endangered species list, there is suddenly a lot more interest in how to restore sagebrush. it’s a big task, since sagebrush has been divided by everything from farms and ranches to oil and gas wells, coal mines, off road vehicle trails and subdivisions, for over a century. also, no one really knows

how to reclaim it yet. Damaged sagebrush ecosystems can take 25 to 100 years to recover. and sage rehabilitation is not like wetlands – alternate mitigation sites are not allowed.

grouse were built without gizzards to live solely off the sage. Old stands of big, mature sage offer their best chance of survival. Conservation efforts to keep greater sage grouse off the endangered species list have been multi-disciplinary – but have involved some intense head-butting. The birds’ drumming and thumping is about vibration, not sound. in other words, an oil or gas compressor can kill a lek. This is why new oil and gas permits generally restrict development between March and July.

“Human activity is anathema to these birds,” rutledge says. “and sage grouse taste terrible. unfortunately we’re not going to get a gourmet sage grouse program going to draw extra attention to them.” n

Want to see the greater sage grouse dance? Colorado Environmental Coalition and Colorado Parks and Wildlife offer opportunities to watch the greater sage grouse courtship at an undisclosed lek in late March and early April. Trips leave from Craig around 4:30 a.m., driving roughly an hour north of town, and return mid to late morning after the birds have finished. Viewings take place within the confines of a trailer. Specific dates and sign-up information at www.ourcolorado.org.

HOMe & GArdeN | By Gena Fischer/Photos by Corey Kopischke

Distinctive DwellingLively art and cool lighting

pEOplE MigHT aDMirE Will and Beth Bashan’s contemporary mountain home for its sleek exterior lines, vertical cedar siding and curved modern roofs, or for the fact that it dares to stray from the typical mountain style home. But the interior, with its lively art, cool lighting and a modern yet livable design, is what truly distinguishes this home.

perhaps because it belongs to the former owners of steamboat art Company, the Bashans’ home has a bit more pop than average. Their passion for art is obvious. Huge Cappiello vintage posters, distinctive oil paintings and whimsical folk art furniture are displayed throughout the home. “We like to keep things kind of fun,” says Beth. “Our art collection has been evolving through the years from living in new york to new England and then out West.”

The Bashans had just sold their business when construction began in 2010, so Beth was able to devote

Unusual angles and curves distinguish the exterior of the Bashan home.


Vintage posters add a little “pop.”


herself to the project, and her influence is evident. One example is the ultra-sleek kitchen, with its Thermador commercial appliances, reflective of Beth’s passion for cooking.

The most striking element of the Bashans’ home is its lighting, which looks and functions both as art and illumination. in the sophisticated great room with views from Howelsen Hill to Mount Werner, the handcrafted, wrought iron, spiral chandelier hanging 18 feet overhead is the real showstopper. Visitors can’t help but gawk at the huge light in awe. “you should see it at night,” says Beth. “it really gives off a warm glow and changes the feel of the room; it’s really a total ambience thing.”

separated from the living area by a flagstone fireplace, the dining room is just as impressive, with its super-sized, sparkling, chrome-and-crystal chandelier. “it looks like a giant snowflake, and it’s just gorgeous at night,” says Beth. Three walls of windows surround the dining area, with its distinctive outward leaning wall. “This wall was in line with the contemporary feel we wanted,” says Tim stone of Kelly & stone architects, who designed the home. “We wanted to do something a little different from the vernacular of the neighborhood.”

From the living area, a short staircase leads up to the master suite, where Will’s office is located, along with the couple’s bedroom and master bath – complete with its own chandelier. The bathroom features limestone tile walls, floor, countertops and

An outward leaning wall is the dining room’s focal point.

&ValerieBruce

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walk-in shower, each cut differently, creating continuity and interest. The suite offers spectacular views of the surrounding vistas and plenty of sunshine. “That’s one of the best things about our house,” says Beth. “We basically get sunshine here the entire day.”

a staircase leads from the great room to a guest suite and to the domain of the Bashan’s daughter, Hannah. a

Will and Beth Bashan

The master suite, which also encompasses Will’s office


junior at steamboat springs High school, she’s an avid hockey and soccer player. Her room is painted bright blue, a color that has followed her in all her childhood bedrooms. But the white marble bath and huge walk-in closet are her favorites.

The lower-level family room has quickly turned into what Beth refers to as “the man cave.” son alex, who attends northeastern university in Boston, loves to hang out there with friends when he’s home. There’s also a media room and gym, where both Beth and Will work out on rainy days. The family room opens out onto one of many patios and outdoor decks. in the summer, perennial gardens and rock pathways extend the home’s livability. “This home has great solar access,” stone says. “so we took advantage of that. We designed the living space, both indoor and outdoor, to take advantage of the south and west solar access, and to engage in the views as well.”

“There’s no wasted space here,” Beth says. “But it’s comfortable enough so everyone can have their own place. We were a bit concerned about privacy when we built here since this lot is smaller (than their previous residence) but it’s not an issue at all. We are halfway between town and the mountain, we have hiking trails right outside our door, tons of light and absolutely beautiful views. and besides that, we have a lot less driveway to plow, which makes this the perfect house,” she says with a smile. and on a snowy day, that’s something we can all envy. n

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Dance Through the DecadesSteamboat Dance Theatre celebrates 40 years

The old red and blue gondola cars were still swaying 100s of feet above the steamboat ski area and mountain biking was yet to be “discovered,” but dance already flourished in steamboat springs in 1972. originally called the “new dance group,” then “depot dance Theatre,” the organization was later renamed steamboat dance Theatre and a community mainstay was born.

during the past 40 years, sdT has developed into a year-round organization, offering classes and dance scholarships, hosting visiting professional troupes and outreach programs. Plus, of course, its always sold-out annual dance concert.

“looking back, it’s the funny things you remember, the mistakes made or the people you laughed with. It’s mainly the people more than the dancing,” says dancer Jean labaree. For her, the 1980s were the most memorable – a time of tap, jazz and building lifelong friendships.

This year she’s dusting off the tap shoes and choreographing a piece for the 40th anniversary concert, “dancing Through the decades,” with newfound friends and those she laughed with decades ago…like gina Toothaker, who also choreographed a piece for this year’s annual

concert, Thursday-saturday, March 15-17. Their pieces are two of 16 in the performances. In honor of its big

anniversary, the 2012 event is showcasing a range of dancers. “We have people who danced 30 years ago and brand new dancers. It’s a nice blend of past and present,” says Toothaker.

The volunteer dance crew of 150-plus began rehearsals in november, practicing pieces ranging from country to african.

“The annual concert is what we’re most well-known for. but it’s the lifeblood to everything else we do year-round,” says six-year sdT president Traci smith. The annual concert is the main source of revenue, which allows sdT to “get the word out, to promote dance in our community all year.”

The group funds a scholarship program, which will award more than $7,000 in 2012 for dance students of all ages with financial need, smith says. sdT would also like to build on last year’s successes and ramp up its school outreach program this year. and community events like last year’s free library series will continue. For more information, call 819-1710 or visit www.steamboatdancetheatre.org.

The Steamboat African Dance & Drum Ensemble performs at the 2011 Steamboat Dance Theatre concert.

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Sisterhood beyond the DanceBelly Dance

a MIddle easTern cusToM has charmed its way into the Yampa Valley and changed the lives of eight women who now share a spiritual connection beyond the flowing chiffon and bare-midriff attire of belly dancing.

during the life of Jasmir belly dance Troupe, monumental events have changed the lives of many dancers: two women married, three had their first child and others have suffered the loss of loved ones, just to name a few.

“We’ve been through a lot together. I’ve developed real relationships with these women,” says dancer dawn cook. “It’s more like a sisterhood.”

The foundation of belly dance is isolation, cook explains. Move one body part at a time, then begin layering movements on top of the other. The end result is a goddess-like performance that moves the audience as well as the dancer. Jasmir Troupe director and choreographer carrie laPlante says this is “my own personal outlet in creativity.”

The Jasmir belly dance Troupe is part of this year’s steamboat dance Theatre annual performance, Thursday-saturday, March 15-17. laPlante chose a ‘90s alternative metal song as their tribute to “dancing through the decades,” sdT’s theme for the 40th anniversary concert. “This is not your typical belly dance music,” she admits. It is “dark and powerful, but full of grace and beauty.”

The origin of belly dance is highly debatable. For the past few centuries, many saw belly dance as an exotic/erotic performance, but the women who dance it today say it helps them connect spiritually and to feel good in their own skin.

Jasmir Troupe practices tribal fusion belly dance but isn’t confined to one style. “We are always growing and evolving,” laPlante says. differences in style come from a combination of costume, music and stylization.

Weekly dance rehearsals and year-round workshops create an opportunity for improvement. but strengthening the bond that flows among these women seems to be what drives them. “Traveling to workshops is a good excuse for a girls’ getaway,” laPlante says. “but it’s about the sisterhood, the celebration of being a woman.” For more information on Jasmir Belly Dance Troupe, call 970-291-9232 or visit www.danceinsteamboat.com.

The Jasmir Belly Dance Troupe performs at the Steamboat Dance Theatre concert.

Carrie LaPlante, Melissa Gray and Courtney Anderson dance at Steamboat All Arts Festival.

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The ARTS | By Kelly Stahl


Gettin’ Jig-gyBennett School of Irish Dance

noT eVen oPen sIx MonThs and the steamboat springs branch of bennett school of Irish dance has 25 students who rigorously practice weekly in hopes of being the next riverdance legends, or maybe just to be inspired.

“sometimes Irish heritage drives students’ interest, but most have seen it and are just fascinated by it,” says the school’s owner, nora Parker. “I was raised overseas and grew up with ballet, but what I like about Irish dance is that it has much more variety.”

student McKendrey Mcgown’s interest in Irish dance comes from her strong scottish/Irish heritage and a longtime interest in dance. “I’ve been dancing forever – my whole life,” she says. Inevitably, with a name like hers and annual trips to the long’s Peak scottish/Irish Festival, Mcgown relates to this celtic custom.

“I really want to go to Worlds,” Mcgown says of the

McKendrey McGown and Chad McGown dance “The Titanic” at the 2011 Steamboat Dance Theatre concert.

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Gettin’ Jig-gyBennett School of Irish Dance

art form’s top-level competition. With dance practice three times a week and monthly competitions, this steamboat freshman is one focused teenager.

Mcgown and her fellow dancers compete in solo and group (ceili) performances against seven other Irish dance schools in colorado. Mcgown’s favorite social aspect of Irish dance is the ceili parties throughout the year. This potluck-style celebration allows young and old to connect with their Irish heritage and “just dance.”

Irish dance involves a still upper body, arms held at the side and rhythmic footwork. The four styles of soft shoe and three styles of hard shoe dances help create the characteristic timing. “The music is the most important thing; there’s no room for interpretation. If you’re competing and your timing is off – you’re toast!” Parker explains.

along with coaching, Parker travels to denver once a week to the original bennett school of Irish dance for her own four-hour practice. she has worked hard for her title of preliminary champion; Parker now competes against adults and teens all over the country. “What they do at Worlds is much harder than what I’m teaching here.”

The denver-based school started in 2002 after Molly bennett and partners turned their passion into a business. The philosophy of bennett schools is to provide instruction for all ages and all abilities. having danced for 15 years in steamboat, Parker had a strong following that enrolled in the steamboat branch of the bennett school. classes are held at excel gymnastics. nFor more information on the Bennett School of Irish Dance, call 970-879-2205.

Dancer Nora Parker at Oktoberfeis 2010

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Steamboat SpringS native bob Wither, who died in 2001, used to tell the story of the day in the early 1920s that he went wandering behind the county courthouse. he was admiring this new architectural marvel.

his reverie was broken by a familiar voice: “hey, kid! hey, Wither kid!” it was the sheriff in distress, having locked himself in the courthouse jail. most likely, he’d locked himself in the “bear cage” – the jail cell that was relocated from the former county seat in hahn’s peak. having served as the county jail from 1879 to 1912, this was also the infamous cage from which harry tracy, a member of butch Cassidy’s Wild bunch gang, escaped in 1898.

Wither’s story is one of many that shape the living character of the historic routt County courthouse. it’s an architectural gem in the heart of downtown Steamboat. it’s also the local site of an unprecedented number of quirky stories, legal battles, community banter, marriage and divorce, divided politics, epic collaborations and agonizing local decisions.

Shaping juSticeUltimately the people who flowed through routt County’s

courthouse gave it its character. Local historian and Steamboat native Jim Stanko tells of bootlegging, kidnapping and murder trials that happened there. he recalls his weekly boy Scout meetings there in the 1950s, and later, meetings held by both political parties, including their respective local caucuses.

For decades, the courthouse was the practical heart and social center of the community, Stanko says. each week during the winter, eight or nine country schools came to the courthouse to join in a spelling bee, and Stanko remembers his Southside schoolhouse making a field trip there every spring. he reminisces about the sheriff locking young visiting students in the jail, just for the experience.

there was a time, Stanko adds, when low-numbered routt County license plates were so highly valued that a line of hopefuls would weave out the front door the day they became available.

Local historian george tolles recalls decades of political and committee meetings at the courthouse. almost everything that happened there in the late 1900s had a civic element, he recalls, from paying taxes, licensing, auto and voter registration, to a broad variety of community activities. even the trials had a community flavor, he recalls, the hallway during recess like a bus station with lawyers, clients, jurors, observers and friends. Whatever the occasion, the building offered a strong, comforting sense of community, tolles recalls.

Finding itS placeSteamboat’s first courthouse was located in a two-story

structure known as the J. W. hugus & Co. building on Lincoln avenue, between ninth and 10th streets. today, it’s called the Lorenz building. the county leased the space for three years

Judging Routt CountyhiStoric courthouSe in the heart oF old town

january 29, 1877 governor routt and the first state assembly create routt County: “Law and orderly government in northwest Colorado were, except for rare visits by the Federal marshall, affairs of conscience.” in those early years, “it was one man against another, and often the decision rested on strength,” Dee richards writes in “Steamboat round the bend.” hayden is the county seat.

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By Walt DaubPhotos Courtesy of Tread of Pioneers Museum & Deborah Olsen

SteaMBoat MagaZine | SPRING 2012 | 49

1879 the routt County seat moves to the bustling mining town of hahn’s peak.

1912 Steamboat Springs becomes the routt County seat and the J. W. hugus & Co. building (a.k.a. the Lorenz building) is leased as Steamboat’s first county courthouse.

1915 routt County purchases J. W. hugus & Co. building for $7,000.

before purchasing it for $7,000 in 1915. the county clerk, treasurer and jail shared the ground floor. the courtroom was upstairs.

in 1920, anticipating the construction of a new courthouse, routt County’s commissioners purchased land on Lincoln avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets for $10,500. they hired robert Kenneth Fuller of Denver to design the facility.

of course, controversy ensued. not unlike the raging debate at the turn of this century over the judicial center that now resides west of downtown, in 1920 some folks recognized an overwhelming practical necessity for a new courthouse and others opposed it on the grounds of any new tax expenditure.

on oct. 22, 1920, the “routt County Sentinel” headline read, “all County records now in Danger of Destruction.” in the subsequent article, County Judge Charles a. morning addressed the construction financing debate and a dire need to preserve county records – including the only official record of the region’s water rights.

“there is a considerable lack of information,” morning stated. responding to one vociferous citizen, he said, “Just the other day i heard a man ‘kick’ about the bond proposition because it would so greatly increase his taxes.” Confirming the valuation of the gentleman’s property at $820, morning reported that for that particular citizen, the bond would result in “the horrible imposition” of 16 cents a year in increased taxes.

a courthouse financing proposition went to the voters,

and bond authorization passed narrowly – 806 in favor and 733 against. Ultimately, morning’s concerns were prescient. the a & g mercantile building, the second floor of which had served as the courthouse annex since the late 1920s, burned to the ground in spring 1961.

getting it oFF the groundWhile studying historic building preservation, local

designer ellen Ladley delved deep into the architectural underpinnings of routt County’s courthouse. “Why was it designed the way it was designed, such a long time ago?” she wondered. “in the 1920s there was not a lot of formal-looking design in Steamboat. We were still mining. in fact, there was not a lot of anything. You can find a picture of it in almost every book on Steamboat. it seems to be the largest building standing….it seems odd compared to the red brick and log structures surrounding it….almost too formal.”

routt County’s courthouse was built to impress. it was an enormous leap from the dirt floor and sod roof structure that hayden commissioned albert h. Smart to build for $100 when that town was the county seat in 1877. the new courthouse cost $122,000 and took more than a year to build.

“our historic courthouse followed a similar evolution to the story of the ‘three Little pigs.’ First, it was sticks and stones with a dirt roof and floor, then we moved on to a solid wood structure in the middle of nowhere; evolving to a brick structure on a

B.

A. Routt County Courthouse, 1924.

B. Harry Tracy, a member of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch gang, who escaped from the old jail.

C. The Old Diebold Safe is at the courthouse today.

C.


main street; and, finally graduating to the solid stone structure of permanence it is today – something to last forever,” Ladley explains.

Soon after the bond passed, Fuller presented his design for a 6,844-square-foot, three-story courthouse. he set it 80 feet back from Lincoln avenue, with a gracious front lawn. it reflects a simplified renaissance revival façade with beaux arts influences, built of steel and reinforced concrete – fireproof throughout.

While the design reflects sophisticated turn-of-the-20th century sensibilities, much of the material is local, or at least from Colorado. rough sandstone was quarried from emerald mountain to create the building’s rusticated base – a strong textural element that gives the building visual weight and contrasts with the smoothly finished, squared block surfaces above.

the façade’s blond bricks came from golden and were laid in a symmetrical design with squared pilasters that delineate the building into nine vertical bays transected by two horizontal terra cotta rings that clearly mark the individual floors. terra cotta adds the classical details, including the tapered cornice, a series of decorative cartouche and garland friezes.

the masonry walls are 18 inches thick. Large open spaces allow good air circulation to conserve heat and tall windows bring in natural light. the flat roof was engineered for routt County’s 300-plus-inch snow loads. hallways are finished in terrazzo. the first floor was designed as the sheriff’s office, including accommodations for 50 inmates, with separate sections for juveniles and women. the original courthouse floor plan also included the latest design to prevent jail breaks – a far cry from the “bear cage.” Set a few feet below ground level, the first floor provided three large storage vaults for county records.

a vault door from the old hahn’s peak county building provides entrance to one of the main repositories to this day.

the main floor accommodated county officials and the third floor housed a 200-square-foot county courtroom and a 2,400-square-foot district courtroom, two judges’ chambers, a jury suite with overnight lodgings for men and women jurors, a witness waiting room, an attorney consulting room and public restrooms. a pamphlet distributed at the building’s dedication ceremony in December 1923 proclaims the District Court chamber as “the most beautiful room in northwestern Colorado.”

a grand openingthe courthouse is a typical beaux arts architectural style.

two 1.5-story Doric columns flank the front door. above the main double oak doors “routt County” is clearly engraved. inside, four steps lead up from street level with a roman-arched transom embellished by a band of art deco geometric diamonds.

“it exemplifies the height of the eclectic classical architectural movement in the United States,” says tom Davis of Kelly and Stone architects.

in September 1922, the cornerstone was laid with a sealed copper box of memorabilia that is scheduled to be opened in 2023. the treasures include a 1921 linen map of routt County, a 1922 victory silver dollar, editions of Steamboat and Denver newspapers, lists of county and school officials, rosters from local organizations and a signed statement from Steamboat founders James and margaret Crawford concerning the building’s site.

John D. Crawford, son of Steamboat’s founder, was the county clerk and recorder at the time. (he was the longest-serving clerk in the state of Colorado when he retired in 1944.)

1920 routt County commissioners purchase land on Lincoln between Fifth and Sixth streets for $10,500 in anticipation of building a new courthouse.

deceMBer 1923 Dedication ceremony for architect robert Kenneth Fuller’s new $122,000 courthouse.

1961 the a & g mercantile building burns. the second floor had served as the courthouse annex since the late 1920s.

D. Arched ceilings represent Beaux Arts architectural style.

E. Authentic clock above the main entrance

D. E.


2007 routt County completes a new, modern judicial center west of downtown to accommodate services that had overburdened the historic Lincoln avenue building.

2008 $3.5 million in historic renovations and remodeling are completed on the historic routt County Courthouse.

2023 the copper memory box under the cornerstone to be ceremoniously opened.

the cornerstone celebration was a grand affair with grand marshall a.C. moulton presiding and Judge morning as the grand orator. more than 60 local masons, who took great pride in all phases of the stone and brick construction, proudly marched to the courthouse grounds in a parade.

today, there aren’t many visible changes to the historic building. it’s still home to the routt County commissioners’ and district judicial offices. Financing from the State historic Fund helped complete renovations in 2008. the old district courtroom kept its historic look and feel as it morphed into the county commissioners’ hearing room. the county courtroom was remodeled as a conference room and kitchen area. the whole structure got green upgrades to conserve energy, a new roof and window rehabilitation.

“i imagine this courthouse will be standing for years to come, and will age like fine buildings of its kind in european nations. right here in the middle of Steamboat,” Ladley says. n

F. Routt County Courthouse as it stands today.

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n emerging oil play in Routt County’s front yard has roused local consciousness. The arrival of exploratory wells initiated an elevated level of discourse between

industry and the community, and between local government and state officials.

Drilling operations have the potential for significant effects on the Yampa Valley’s water, air, soil, wildlife and recreational opportunities. Decisions that will be made soon in Routt County have long-term impacts – on land, communities, the economy and maybe even our legacy.

The arrival of drilling rigs, flaring wells and fracking was foreseeable. The oil and gas industry has been prospering in neighboring areas for years – including record-setting drilling paces throughout the mid-2000s in Garfield and Rio Blanco counties.

Oil exploration is not foreign in Steamboat Springs’ local headlines either. As early as 1900, a “Steamboat Pilot” headline read “Crude Petroleum Flows from the Ground.” (See related story on p. 78).

For nearly two years, landmen have been acquiring potentially lucrative severed mineral rights in Routt County. These are sub-surface property rights below homes and ranches – ones that surface owners around the West rarely control. Landmen have spent millions of dollars with the State Land Board and Bureau of Land Management during public auctions – and bought multi-million-dollar ranches in South Routt, often sight unseen.

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Last summer, Shell Oil and Quicksilver Resources filed for drilling permits at the county planning department. Local Division of Parks and Wildlife employees began working with energy companies to assess impacts on wildlife at proposed drill sites. A flare from a Quicksilver well on Wolf Mountain Ranch lit up the horizon near the Hayden airport.

By fall, community information gatherings from Hayden to Steamboat overflowed with inquisitive citizens. People crowded into county commissioner work sessions and planning commission meetings, returning week after week, while planning staff studied oil and gas regulations from other counties to learn from their experiences.

Opening November’s packed oil and gas work session with the Routt County Planning Commission, planning director Chad Phillips noted that he was grateful that the pace allowed the issue to generate and build public interest.

At stake are new oil wells in the 6,000-feet-deep Niobrara Shale Formation, a complex rock formation created 90 million years ago by an inland sea spanning several geological basins from Colorado’s eastern plains west into Utah, and from New Mexico to Wyoming. The layered shale and limestone typically ranges from 200 to 400 feet thick. In “Geology Profiles of the Steamboat Springs Area,” Newell P. Campbell describes the Niobrara Shale Formation as “bluish gray to dark gray; shale platy with white specks; abundant marine fossils; highly fractured limestone at base; weakly to moderately resistant” with a maximum thickness of 1,100 feet.

The Niobrara has been a hotbed of activity since Houston-based EOG Resources sprang a gusher at a Weld County well named “Jake” in 2009. Initially, the Front Range well yielded 1,558 barrels of

In 2011, new Jackson County oil wells went in along the North Platte River in North Park, near Walden.

A 24/7 flare burned at Quicksilver’s Pirtlaw Well, a butane gas frack on Wolf Mountain Ranch, near Hayden.

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oil a day, compared to an average 300 barrels a month from an average onshore U.S. oil well.

A combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is the pivotal technology making recovery of oil and gas accessible. Water, sand and a mixture of chemicals are shot under pressure into the rock to create hairline fractures and release oil and gas from newly opened fissures. The chemicals are designed to keep sand suspended, reduce friction and disinfect tiny new spaces.

The composition of fracking fluids varies from well to well, depending on individual geologic characteristics. Over the years, the industry resisted disclosing the makeup of their fracking fluid mixtures, arguing that they’re proprietary – and harmless. It has also opposed federal legislation to regulate fracking under the Clean Water Act.

Colorado now requires disclosure of types and concentrations of fracking chemicals, which will be available in a searchable database within a year. Trade secret claims must be justified and certified by companies, and can be disputed. Data is posted on FracFocus.org.

Fracking generally involves water – as many as 5 million gallons for a single horizontally drilled well – and each well can be fracked multiple times. Some of the water mixed with fracking chemicals comes back up with the oil and some stays in the earth. What comes up must be cleaned and disposed of. But GasFrac Energy Services, a Canadian company, uses propane or butane gel instead of water. Once injected, it turns into a gas and exits the well with the oil or gas. While this may be a good solution in the drought-weary West, the hitch is that it’s flammable. This is the system Quicksilver used to frack its first well on Wolf Mountain Ranch, near Hayden, last summer.

With nearly 100,000 acres in conservation easements in Routt County, Wolf Mountain Ranch’s Pirtlaw Well is the county’s first on a conserved property. A proposed well on the Camilletti Ranch is on a conservation easement that the Routt County Purchase of

In June 2008, North Park’s first oil wells were drilled in a hay meadow along Highway 14 near Walden, with Buffalo Pass and the Zirkels in the background.

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Development Rights funded in December.So far, only a half-dozen drilling permits are in the pipe

locally, but things move fast in this industry. In the past year, all permits approved at the state level have yet to transform into local planning requests for permits to drill. As of press time, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has issued 10 Niobrara drilling permits in Routt County, 18 in Jackson County to the east, and 50 in Moffat County to the west. In early January, barely two years after Jake, Halliburton committed to building a $20 million sand terminal to support its fracking in the area.

Routt County commissioners have delved into a concerted process of creating regulations that reward companies that do things right. They have received hundreds of public comments and are actively considering recommendations from an oil and gas working group. The commissioners specifically asked the group to hold nothing back.

Their recommendations may have additional weight after a January court decision in Gunnison County. The court found that the state has “no express or implied preemption” of local regulations. This “preemption” has been an oft-noted concern by county staff and commissioners, since the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has long contended that their rules trump local ones.

Community sentiment is divided. Some residents express trust that the state is adequately regulating the industry and urge commissioners to move forward with approvals that would usher in new business. Others have expressed distrust of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the state agency that is tasked with both promoting and regulating the state’s oil and gas industry.

Both sides generally agreed that Routt County will have to take on some level of monitoring and enforcement responsibilities. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission employs 15 field inspectors who cover the entire state – including a single inspector based in Northwest

Colorado. Spot checks cannot possibly oversee the long list of resources the county has committed to preserving.

On either side of the argument, fracking has become a household word.

The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission reports that more than 90% of all oil and gas wells are now fracked. Early versions of the technology date back to 1946, and FracFocus reports that fracking has been used on over 1 million wells, and with as many as 35,000 wells of all types currently being fracked each year. Industry contends that water near fracking operations is safe because oil and gas-bearing formations are thousands of feet below aquifers and water wells, with layers of rock in between.

Science has been slow to confirm a connection between health problems and fracking. But in December, the Environmental Protection Agency released a draft scientific report linking underground water contamination near Pavillion, Wyo., with EnCana’s nearby fracking. Residents there suffered an array of health concerns, many of them serious, and their water supplies revealed at least 10 compounds found in frack fluids. The EPA has ongoing long-term fracking studies going on around the country.

Fracking chemicals are not the only concern. Local employment, possible worker shortages, man camps for transient workers on drill sites, and increased pressure on school, social services, fire and police are also issues. Air quality is of import during drilling, development and production – and the Colorado Department of Health and the Environment currently has no active monitoring stations in the Yampa Valley.

Shell’s senior staff geologist, Matt Holman, points out that “not all operators are the same…Spoiling the landscape is a fundamentally poor business practice and you’ll put me out of business quickly. It’s valid to be concerned about these things.”

In mid-January, the Routt County Planning Commission tabled a drilling permit request by Quicksilver on the Camilletti

Oil and gas drilling in Moffat County, west of Steamboat Springs. Left, drill rigs ready for work on the edge of Vermillion Basin, a proposed wilderness area the BLM recently banned from energy exploration. Right, energy development across the sagebrush expanse near Craig.

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ranch. Unconvinced that proposed mitigations for drilling impacts would be adequate, they voted unanimously to wait for decisions on county drilling conditions due to be released in late February.

Among the community requests are mandatory baseline air and water testing, ongoing well site monitoring, comprehensive drilling plans, clustering of wells, pre-screening of drilling contractors, consideration of wildlife overlays, scenic byways, viewsheds and subdivisions, emergency plans and protecting surrounding property owners who aren’t covered by the terms of a lease.

In the Yampa Valley, there has also emerged a tale of two counties: As Routt County officials attempt to tighten regulations before releasing permits, Moffat County strongly supports oil and gas exploration. The “Craig Daily Press,” wrote, “Editorial board members had to shake their heads and smile Tuesday at a new plan afoot in Routt County….These new conditions would go beyond the energy restrictions already in place at the state level. Energy development shouldn’t be allowed to wreck the natural landscape, but this latest push to muzzle progress goes too far. The oil and gas industry is regulated enough.”

Brian Arel, a planning commission member, spoke out as a concerned citizen during a work session. Having visited Quiksilver’s well on Wolf Mountain Ranch, he called it “impressive” with a Texas flag flying high and “workers from seemingly everywhere but here,” he says. He also realized, “I’m a believer in rights, but what I realize is that I’m a believer in surface property rights.”

Routt County is showing commitment to long-range planning, in case Niobrara exploration yields significant results. But since more than 90 percent of Routt County is zoned agricultural, much of the supporting industry impacts for drilling will fall on the City of Steamboat Springs and the towns of Hayden and Oak Creek.

The question is, are we ready for it? n

A gentle mountain that rises above the Yampa Valley

it will always be my favorite area, over France, Utah and Cali.

Groves of spaced aspens and powerful pines

the tree skiing is the best in the world and seemingly all mine.

I know the stashes that this powder-hungry mountain holds,

locals protect their pow making outsiders lucky if they are told.

Surprisingly steep as you enter Fish Creek

this is the dankest turnin’ out of any peak.

Powder days bless Mt. Werner nearly every night

leaving powder junkies in a

state of complete delight.

Ghost trees hide as you

round the top,

their clean white appearance

will make you stop.

For those who love the fluff,

head for The Boat expecting to get enough.

Phat airs are littered throughout the terrain

making a pitch with pow completely insane!

I can’t get enough of carvin’ at this place,

I’d take a day here over a walk in space.

— by Justin DeSorrento February 5, 1977 - July 17, 1997

Please Visit The DeSo Foundation Web Site:www.DeSoFoundation.org


or most of us, remarkable places inevitably evoke locally grown specialties. Maine has lobster. Napa is synonymous with wine. And the Yampa Valley? We boast grass-fed beef, Olympic medalists and now, beauty products.

Throughout the fall and early winter, “Steamboat Magazine” called upon five women to help us explore the local producers who are turning out hundreds of hand-crafted bath and body products – many of which feature organic and locally harvested ingredients. It felt like five mini-spas devoted to locally produced products erupted all around Steamboat Springs. Each woman scrubbed, soaked and doused herself in handcrafted soaps, lotions, bath salts and lip balms. So did many of their kids, moms, sisters – and even a few adventurous husbands.

Right here in the midst of Steamboat’s high altitude, dry air and clean, mineral-rich waters, Jane Bennett, Tawnya Fabian, Sue Chen Davies, Jennifer Tamburrino and Savannah Bongiorno discovered Yampa Valley beauty products guaranteed to make their senses sizzle, and their skin shimmer and shine.

Their secrets are out – read on for the group’s collective “must-have” list for locally made bath

and body products, complete with enlightening “tasting notes.”

Try them for yourself. Buy them for a friend. Give them to your Valentine.

Lather up. Steamboat is making stellar soaps.So many interesting soaps are being created around

here that we could devote an entire story to these products. Producers are going big with organic and all-

natural ingredients, locally harvested botanicals and even goat’s milk. But without a doubt, and with a difference of

opinions on favorite scents, our testers heaped praise on

Scents and Sensibility

Savannah Bongiorno, 26

Owner of Comb Goddess salon and mom to Kietalyn, 4, and Quinten, 2

Born and raised in Steamboat, Savannah is a summer girl. But snow doesn’t slow

her fun. You’ll find her snowmobiling through the winter while waiting for the

return of warm months filled with boating and camping. Favorite spa treatment?

“I love a mani/pedi, for sure,” she says.

5 discerning women put Steamboat’s homegrown bath and body products to the test. By Jennie Lay

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the premium olive oil soaps from Mountain Soap Factory. Get them in a wide variety of beautiful scents – or unscented, a favorite for sensitive skin.

“I like simple, pure ingredients like the ones that Mountain Soap Factory offers… they are absolutely yummy. My very favorite soap is the rose one. The fragrance is amazing! It takes you away to soothing calm and peace, and then the 30% olive oil richness lathers up to the creamiest consistency imaginable. They leave your skin so moisturized after the bath that you need less lotion, and we know that living here makes for the driest of skins and the constant purchasing of creams and lotions to combat it!”– Jane

“I am completely and totally in love with the Coconut Lime Verbena Premium Olive Oil Soap. The fragrance is out of this world, and it lathers up beautifully – rich and creamy. Just perfect! The flyer I picked up indicates that their ‘boutique soaps’ can be made available for wholesale purchase for hotel amenities, private labels, corporate gifts, wedding favors and monogramming. I completely agree that these soaps are worthy of that sort of distribution, and would make Steamboat proud by having recognition beyond our city limits.” – Tawnya

Honorable mentions: “Velvety and moisturizing” herb and lavender botanical bars from Ranch Organics and “clean and yummy” Lemon Goat’s Milk Soap from Rising Sun Ranch.

Bonus pick: Ranch Organics is newly ramping into production and its signature goat’s milk soaps weren’t quite ready for everyone’s trials. As the sole lucky soul who scored a late-breaking chance to sample: they’re divine! Made with real vitamin-rich milk from grass-fed goats, organic shea butter, and coconut oil, the bars last long and feel extra creamy and luxurious. Pick a seasonal blend of essential oils: sweetgrass, rose geranium, lavender or cedarwood. Mmmm….sweetgrass. – Editor

Jennifer Tamburrino, 36Owner of Natures Design Landscape and Garden Center and mom to Colten,7, and Jordan, 4

Jennifer grew up in chilly Chicago and moved to Steamboat in 1998. Any

summer filled with mountain biking remains her favorite season. But in the

landscape business, she finds way more time to enjoy winters filled with

snowboarding. “Whether I am by myself or with friends and family the fresh air

does wonders for my soul,” she says, noting that a cranial sacral aromatherapy

massage always helps too.

Prefer a gel to a bar? Steamboat Soap Company’s rosemary mint body wash runs away with top honors.

“This is the BEST way to wake up sleepy, slumbering eyes in the morning shower, so fresh and invigorating.” – Sue

“It creates an aromatherapy/body cleansing experience that truly fills the room and invigorates the mind and spirit!”– Jane

Soak.Little Moon Essentials reigns over the bath ritual with its bath salt trio: Re-Lease (a golden “solar” mineral purification treatment), Letting Go (ginger infused) and Re-Turn (a “lunar” mineral nourishment with essential oils).

“Each one was equally wonderful….I found them all to be soothing. They’d be great in a themed gift basket.” – Tawnya

“Follow the instructions on the uplifting packaging and let yourself go.” – Sue

Honorable mention: Bubble Creek’s cucumber melon bath salts.

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Scrub.Bubble Creek takes three-way top honors for exfoliation: oatmeal honey, alfalfa and felted wool soaps. The felted wool soaps include wool that the teenage girls who own the company have felted from their own Yampa Valley sheep. After finishing their 4-H sewing projects, they use the scrap fabric to make these home-grown bars.

“The soaps worked for exfoliation as well as basic washing. I used these in the shower. The alfalfa soap would be an excellent, unique gift and smelled so nice.” – Sue

“The felt is an unexpectedly terrific exfoliant with actual wool in it that takes off dead skin, etc., in the most delightful way. I like it so much more than soaps with oatmeal or grain that I have used in the past to scrub my rough spots; it also lathers

up very nicely.” – Jane

Sue Chen Davies, 41

Career at T.I.C., volunteers on Routt County United Way’s board and mom

to Leo, 9, and Stella, 6

“All of these jobs are very rewarding and keep the wrinkles at bay,” Sue says. As

long as it’s sunny, this Hood River, Or., native loves every Colorado season. For

a treat, she likes a trigger point, full-body massage or a hot weekend bath with

Bubble Creek’s alfalfa or oatmeal soap and Little Moon Essential’s soaking salts.

“A real treat to soak and drink a beer at the same time.”Sp

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Keep lips kissable.The big smooch goes to Rising Sun Ranch’s lip balms. Made with local beeswax, they come in six luscious flavors and offer natural sunscreen via coconut and avocado oil.

“This is great for everyday use. There is nothing glossy about it – just nice for keeping your lips from getting chapped. I enjoyed the refreshing lime scent.” – Savannah

“I am definitely a lip balm addict, and quite particular about fragrance and texture. The peppermint lip balm was great!” – Tawnya

Drink it up, dry skin.MJ’s All Natural Body Lotion nourished their skin and won everyone’s hearts. Perhaps it doesn’t hurt that this concoction of aloe, avocado, coffee, mango, shea, olive, coconut and palm oils is even available in chocolate scent?

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“I don’t know how she does it, but for me it totally works for everything, and that is the one lotion product that I have been searching for. She only makes a single item, one lotion, and then adds different scents. This lotion is smooth, not sticky, and moisturizes all day. I use this after my shower or bath in the morning and my skin is soft all day.” – Jane

“A small amount goes a long way. The fragrance is perfect, leaving a light scent on the skin. The texture is also great for Steamboat’s dry air, and rubs in with no remaining greasiness. Great for legs, arms and chest after a bath and before bedtime.”—Tawnya

Honorable mention: Steamboat Soap Company’s whipped lavender cream.

Tawnya Fabian, 50Instructor at Steamboat Pilates, Yoga and Fitness and mom to Hunter, 16Born in Illinois and raised in Cleveland, Tawnya and her husband of 25 years, Henry, moved to Steamboat eight winters ago. She loves fall’s warm days, cool nights and spectacular colors – a season to indulge her passion for “anything aerobic.” “I am a firm believer that beauty comes from the inside and radiates out. Taking care of your mind and soul are equally as important as taking care of and beautifying your body. Exercise, spiritual fulfillment and keeping your mind active are all part of growing older elegantly,” she says.

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Beyond dry: Cures for cracks.Healing herbal salve and hand balm from Rising Sun Ranch swept the votes for favorite products to combat extra parched skin.

“I used the herbal salve for chapped lips, dry patches on face, a rash on my daughter.” – Sue

“Put the hand balm on at night before bed to let it soak in. It’s great for my hands being in chemical and water all day. They definitely get dried out. We all have dry heels and it would be great for that too.” – Savannah

Bug off.Skeeter Juice, a 100% certified organic bug spray made by Ethereal Moons, is loaded with essential oils proven to keep the mosquitoes away.

“I having been using this bug spray since last summer. Remember you have to reapply constantly.”– Jennifer

Inhale.Aromatherapy mists help perk you up or chill you out. For down-time, the ladies loved Quiet Time Mist and Nite Nite from Rising Sun Ranch. To combat a mid-day slump, they loved their Eye Opener spray.

“I sprayed Nite Nite on my pillow for a few nights in a row and had very restful sleep. In my hospice volunteer work, if the client wishes and allows, we use aromatherapy with great success. There are so many different oils and benefits;

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Jane Bennett, 63

Semi-retired antique appraiser, hospice volunteer, former Fair Exchange

consignment shop owner, once-upon-a-time lollipop maker, mom to two grown

kids and grandma to 6-month-old Alexander, aka “Lex”

“Steamboat is everything I ever wanted. I love it all,” says Jane, who

moved here in 1981 after growing up in Salt Lake City, college in Arizona

and a stint in Aspen. She finds her bliss in skiing, hiking and good books.

A massage is her key to feeling good. And she can hardly contain her

excitement at finding all these great bath and body products that are

made locally.

I wholeheartedly support this method of relief and aid.” – Jane

“Eye Opener is a great afternoon office pick-me-up. Lavender, citrus, totally refreshing.” – Sue

Honorable mention: Bubble Creek’s Sweet Pea Moisturizing Mist.

“This is a double bonus. Use it as a body spray to make you smell good but with that you are putting moisture into your skin.” – Savannah

Treat your toes.Cowgirl Peppermint Feet from Rising Sun Ranch is the top pick for a refreshing foot rub right before bed.

“This lotion has a really strong scent, but it truly is nice for your achy feet…. I found this to be a nice mini-treatment after a long day on my feet.”– Savannah

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Feeling under the weather?Forget the Vicks VapoRub. Both Healing Chest Rub from Rising Sun Ranch and Vital Vapor Rub from Little Moon Essentials made more than one ailing product tester feel much better.

“I had a cold/sinus infection and the Healing Chest Rub definitely helped me breathe (and was way less greasy than Vicks VapoRub!).” –Tawnya

Sore? Restore!In a town marked by athletes, sore muscles abound. The women testing these beauty products were no exception. Dream Cream from Little Moon Essentials earned stellar reviews across the board, with Saddle Sore Muscle Rub from Rising Sun Ranch a close second. Both work their magic by heating up muscles, loosening the knots, then leaving a lingering tingling feeling.

“I love the Dream Cream. It’s intense and tingles and creates heat. I use it after a good work out with sore muscles. I use it on my husband’s neck and shoulders and he loves it too.” – Jennifer

“Dream Cream is very good for pain relief….cayenne and ginger in addition to everything else has the best slow burn that hurts so good.”– Jane

“I am recovering from ACL and meniscus surgery on my left knee so these products really helped me out. Saddle Sore Muscle Rub was the best product for a good five-minute massage before bed. It is an oil based salve so it takes some time to rub in but the lingering effects are a nice warm soothing of the aching muscles and tendons. Dream Cream was also great for sore muscles. Quick absorption and you can really feel the cayenne go to work.”–Sue n

Online at www.steamboatmagazine.com: Meet the producers. Get their goods.

The group sampled dozens of products – but they still only had a chance to sample a small fraction of the beauty products made in the Yampa Valley. Seek out some of their favorites – then explore the abundance and pick a few of your own.


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By Kelly Bastone

Avalan che!A

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Nick Herbert triggers a small slide on Little Agnes, in North Routt County. He was able to turn away and escape at the last second.


Avalan che!The Slippery Slope Argument

In the gray light of his bedroom, a low, powerful rumble wakes Dean Pulford. An avid resort and backcountry skier who typically notches 100-plus days a year, Pulford checks the snow report as soon as his eyes open each morning. But from the growl he heard this morning, he already knows it’s going to be a powder day.

In Steamboat Springs, snowplows wake powderhounds with a roar that crescendos and fades like the sound of ocean waves. But at other resorts – such as Alta, Utah – artillery shells and bombs, not plows, signal riders to ready their powder boards. There, dozens of named runs follow known avalanche paths, and mitigating the slide risk often takes patrollers most of a morning. Every year, about 22,400 pounds of explosive hand charges are used to control slides in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, home to Alta, Snowbird and Brighton.

And at Steamboat? “It’s more like 800 pounds a year,” says Kyle Lawton, the avalanche and snow safety team leader for the

Steamboat Ski Corp. “Our avalanche concern is much less than at some other areas.” His 10-person team usually readies Steamboat’s slide-prone zones before the lifts open, even after the biggest storms. Their control work

L ocals think Steamboat and its surrounding peaks are safer than other, more avalanche-prone parts of Colorado. Are they right?


is meticulous and effective, but it can’t guarantee stability on every square foot of the 2,965-acre resort. Beyond the resort’s boundaries, in Fish Creek Canyon, on Buffalo Pass, and at other powdery Park Range slopes that attract skiers and snowmobilers, avalanches regularly occur – and they’re more powerful than most people realize.

Despite the constant reminder that our mountain is named for Buddy Werner, a local Olympian who died in a 1964 avalanche in Switzerland, “people here tend to be overconfident,” says Eric Deering, an avalanche instructor and operations manager for Steamboat Powdercats. Powdercats operates snowcat tours on 6,000 skiable acres atop Buffalo Pass.

Terrain around Steamboat typically looks different from the jagged peaks and huge bowls common across other Colorado mountain ranges. Berthoud Pass, for example, is creased with deep gullies plowed by repeated avalanches, and those huge, above-treeline bowls and obvious slide paths

fill onlookers with respect and awe: It’s easy to imagine the crushing power of snow as it plunges down a 2,000-foot chute.

Skiers do encounter those clear, long slide paths in the Zirkels, Elkhead Mountains and Flat Tops, where steep, treeless faces create avalanche threats on par with the rest of the state. But on Mount Werner and the summits closer to town, the avalanche paths aren’t as obvious, says Deering, a certified American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education instructor: “They’re shorter, and less defined, so people don’t give them the credit they’re due. They think, ‘I can ride it out.’”

The region’s 10 avalanche fatalities – including one within the ski area boundary – suggest otherwise. “They weren’t what you’d call big slides,” Deering says. But avalanches are like lightning bolts: Even little ones can be lethal. Compared to the Alps, which have buried entire villages beneath a tsunami of snow, Steamboat area slides may seem small. Humans, as it turns out, are smaller still.

An avalanche breaks away from the cornice atop Loveland Ski Area.


Anatomy of an avalancheColorado is notorious for avalanches. The relatively shallow snowpack, along with cold

temperatures and high winds above tree line, creates “the worst combo you can get for snow stability,” Deering says.

In the high elevations, snow starts falling as early as September, but it doesn’t pile up – at least, not until later in the season. As the snow loses heat, the flakes are transformed from spiky crystals (which bond as a stable blanket) into poorly bonded facets. Faceted snow is characterized by angular crystals that can be small, but can grow larger with steps and striations on their surfaces, often called depth hoar. When mid-winter storms pile heavy snows onto this sugary layer, the weakly bonded grains fail -- and avalanche.

Steamboat’s scene works a little differently. Because Mount Werner and neighboring summits are lower in elevation, they generally get snow later – and it piles up faster than higher elevations in our zone. With an average annual snowfall of 347 inches, Steamboat receives more snow than most Colorado resorts. The Tower measuring site at 10,500 feet, on the summit of Buffalo Pass averages more than 600 inches per year, making it the snowiest location in Colorado. That thick snowpack insulates the cold air from the warm ground and helps prevent weak, faceted snow layers from forming.

Also, because it sits below treeline, Steamboat typically receives less wind – a key avalanche-producing factor. Fast-falling snow accumulates at one to two inches per hour, but wind-blown snow can pile up 18 inches (or more) per hour, placing a sudden, massive stress on a snowpack that may not be strong enough to support the load. “It’s all about stress and strength,” Deering says.

When stress exceeds the snowpack’s strength – as can happen when a skier or snowmobiler plunges into the snow – the blanket rips away from the slope and surges downhill. That happened on the ski area in 1972, when an avalanche on Steamboat’s Crowtrack run swept away five skiers, fatally burying one. It was more than 30 years before the ski area saw another in-bounds slide. In January 2005, a snowboarder ducked the closure ropes and triggered an avalanche to riders’ left of Chute 3. No one was injured, but the fracture line at the top was reportedly almost three feet deep, carrying all the snow off the rocky exposure 50 to 75 yards to the bottom.

But most accidents happen in the backcountry: In recent years, skiers and snowmobilers have died on Soda Mountain and Chedsey Creek (near Buffalo Pass), on Farwell Mountain (near Hahn’s Peak Village) , Grizzly Park (near Walden), and in the Flat Tops. One fatality occurred at a home on Spruce Street, when the entire winter’s snow cover slid off a roof and buried the man who lived there.

“It doesn’t take a big avalanche to kill you,” says Art Judson, a retired avalanche forecaster who founded Colorado’s warning system back in 1962. A ten-foot snow stake protrudes from the yard of Judson’s Steamboat Springs home and his computer’s screen saver displays a photo of Hahn’s Peak and its most prominent slide paths – including the Milly O, a shiver-inducing chute that he named after his wife. “That’s a beautiful avalanche path,” he says, admiring his dangerous specimens the way an

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We see snow crystals in the air. Once in the snowpack, scientists refer to them as grains. Rounded grains are likely to be well-bonded, vs. any type of faceted grains.


entomologist delights in a scorpion. Judson has studied snowy mountain slopes for 60 years, working as a U.S. Forest Service snow ranger at Berthoud Pass and Arapahoe Basin, then doing research at the Forest Service’s Range and Experiment Station in Fort Collins before moving to Steamboat, where he still contributes weather, snow and avalanche observations to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

Judson loves avalanches, but he hardly romanticizes them. “The forces are much greater than people think,” he says. “One to ten tons per square meter is typical for a medium-sized slide.” That makes getting hit by a bus seem like a gentle nudge. And avalanche rubble is so heavy (think blasted cement, not fluffy powder) that 12 inches is all it takes to paralyze and suffocate a human body.

Keeping it safe and sane

To mitigate avalanche risk on its four slide zones, the Steamboat Ski Area employs Lawton, who begins studying the snow as soon as it starts falling each season; then he keeps a close eye on subsequent weather patterns that influence the snow.

Skier traffic lowers the slide threat somewhat, since riders churn up weak layers and pack down the snow, resulting in more stability than is typical on low-traffic backcountry slopes. But when a big storm dumps a particularly heavy load on that compacted surface, Lawton and his team reach for explosives: By dangling two-pound charges just above the snow or by tossing them directly onto the slope, Lawton checks the snow’s weaknesses before the day’s skiers and snowboarders do. The practice doesn’t eliminate all risk (charges were detonated the day the skier died on Crowtrack) but it comes close.

Lawton also created Beacon Basin, a practice area located at the top of the Sundown lift. Four avalanche transceivers buried there give resort patrollers and guests the opportunity to hone their search skills: By switching their avalanche beacon from “send” to “receive,”

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Avalanche instructor Eric Deering cuts a cross-section in the snow at Buffalo Pass to demonstrate its various layers.

Following a late January storm, Buffalo Pass saw a string of avalanches.


searchers can track the signals to their sources – just as they would if a member of their group were buried in an avalanche.

Deering emphasizes that education can help keep people safe in the backcountry, and avalanche courses teach participants how to recognize risk factors and choose safer routes. “Out there with Powdercats, we see some crazy stuff,” says Deering, who routinely encounters people skiing alone (with no one around to notice or dig them out should they become buried) or groups skiing without avalanche safety equipment (such as a beacon, shovel and probe). Overall, he says, Buffalo Pass skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers tend to discount the danger – even after they’ve been caught in a slide. Case in point: When a cat operator encountered a man struggling to pull himself out of some debris, the skier insisted, “It wasn’t an avalanche, I just got covered up with some snow.”

Education is worthwhile, says Judson, a former avalanche scientist and national avalanche lead instructor. But after 60 years of snow study and forecasting, he feels sure of just one thing: It’s impossible to predict the behavior of any snow slope. “You can estimate trends and make predictions for groups of slide paths in certain zones,” he says. “But you’ll never know for sure whether a slope is safe or not.”

That’s Pulford’s motto too. Although he regularly skis beyond Steamboat’s boundary gates and reaches backcountry pitches via snowmobile, he’s conservative about assessing slope stability. “There’s nothing like Steamboat powder,” he says. “But no run is good enough to be the last hurrah.”

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A backcountry skier exits the Steamboat Ski Area through a well-marked gate.


Know Before You Go

Two proS weiGh in on

AvALAnChe SAfeTY“It is very foolish to think that the snow in Steamboat is

safer than other places. The laws that govern snow here are the same as Alta. The physics are the same.” – Art Judson, veteran avalanche scientist and founder of Colorado’s Avalanche Warning Program

“We are all apprentices in a craft that has no masters. It’s still a young science, evolving almost daily.” – Eric Deering, certified American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education instructor

how LonG hAve SCienTiSTS Been STudYinG AvALAnCheS?

Nearly a century, says Judson. The Swiss have had teams of avalanche researchers studying all facets of the phenomenon in and above Davos since about 1930. The U.S. Forest Service started avalanche studies at Alta, Utah, in the 1940s, then at Berthoud Pass in 1950. Artillery control of avalanches was perfected at Alta by 1957. In 1961 the Forest Service’s research branch began year-round work at the Rocky Mountain Station in Fort Collins. This continued until 1985, when the project shut down due to lack of federal support. The Berthoud Pass studies ceased in the early 1960s, although the research group in Fort Collins had a field station there until 1984. Snow studies at Alta were discontinued in the mid 1970s.

hAS Snow SCienCe ChAnGed – Do we know more today than we used to?

“No and no,” says Judson. “We know less today about avalanches than in the 1980s because of the loss of the avalanche scientists who worked at Alta, Berthoud Pass and Fort Collins. The primary loss occurred in blowing snow research and avalanche modeling, none of which continued after 1985. Work in the avalanche warning and forecasting centers in Colorado, Utah and elsewhere in the U.S. survived the closure of the research centers…although financing for the centers outside Colorado is thin.”

It’s all relative, says Deering: “In Colorado, our awareness came from miners working up high and getting killed by

avalanches. It seemed like a fluke. They thought sound waves triggered them when the railroad or ore cart went by, which led to the myth of ‘don’t yell in the backcountry.’ Now there are full degree programs in snow science and hydrology.”

whAT doeS STeAmBoAT’S Snow pACK LooK LiKe ThiS YeAr?

Speaking in the midst of an ongoing dry-spell in mid-January, Deering warns, “The snow that we do have on the ground is so rotten. The few strong layers we have were created by wind and sun. Real appreciable snow means we need to be really alert. It’s a horribly weak snowpack down low and the layers aren’t going to fix themselves and go away. You can expect avalanche danger to rise appreciably as soon as we see new snow load.”

in AddiTion To unSTABLe LAYerS, whAT Are Some fACTorS ThAT rAiSe AvALAnChe riSK?

Snow load: As a heavy layer of new snow piles up on a deep layer of depth hoar (sugar snow), danger rapidly increases. “Any time a new load is added to the snowpack, whether it’s precipitation or wind-transported snow, backcountry users should look at it as a potential red flag,” Deering says.

Rain: Heavy rain on cold powder snow can cause loose wet slides and wet slab avalanches which may go clear to the ground and run long distances on low slope gradients.

Temperature: Warm temperatures break down the bonds between grains. The first deep warm-up of winter tends to form deep slabs. These are difficult to forecast and very dangerous.

how do You deTermine The LiKeLihood of An AvALAnChe?

Any snow cover that emits a “whumph” is dangerous and prone to avalanche.

“In the final analysis, it is almost impossible to determine how snow on a steep slope will react to the weight of human beings on foot, skis, snowboards or snowmobiles,” Judson says. If fresh avalanches are present in the vicinity of a slope you plan to descend, assume it’s unstable and avoid it.

“Digging a pit and trying to identify different snow grains only gives you so much information. We get the most information by watching the history of the weather. Knowing how the snow came down, and how it has changed on the ground, gives us great clues about the snowpack and its relative stability,” Deering says.whAT Are The muST-hAveS for BACKCounTrY TrAveL pACK?

“A beacon, probe and shovel. Without one, the others


aren’t as effective. Digging with a ski is near impossible in avalanche debris,” Deering says. It wouldn’t hurt to have a slope meter either, since avalanches tend to occur within a distinct slope angle range of 30 to 45 degrees. “37 to 38 degrees is the magic number where most avalanches are triggered. A meter will help train your eyeballs, especially around here where we have many more subtle, undefined avalanche paths.”

whAT preCAuTionS ShouLd BACKCounTrY TrAveLerS TAKe?

“Traveling in avalanche areas is risky business at best….People should not go anywhere with a beacon that they would not go without one because over 60% of those buried with properly working beacons are recovered dead,” Judson says.

Key safety precautions: Cross avalanche slopes one at a time. Ski from safe point to safe point (i.e., don’t stop at the bottom of the slope, but in trees off to the side). Keep constant visual and auditory contact so everyone knows if something does move. Be aware of terrain traps like rocks, outcrops, boulder fields, or creek beds and depressions.

where CAn You GeT AvALAnChe TrAininG in STeAmBoAT?

Take a course, then practice. “Time out in the snow is critical. You have to be out there in it and interact with the weather and the slope. Get the education, then get out and use it,” Deering says.

Steamboat Powdercats offers American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education Level I avalanche courses each January. There may be an additional one in March this year. This is a 24-hour introductory course on Buffalo Pass for those planning on traveling and recreating in avalanche terrain, focusing on the basic skills necessary to manage your risk. www.steamboatpowdercats.com/avalanche-training-courses/

Ski Haus hosts an avalanche information clinic in partnership with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center in January each year, with a field session on Rabbit Ears Pass. www.skihaussteamboat.com — Jennie Lay n

More from the expert: Read Art Judson’s entire response to our avalanche safety inquiries online at www.steamboatmagazine.com


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Book Reviews | By Harriet Freiberger


Creativity aboundsin the valley—a professor, an artist, a novelist.

W D FARRCOWBOY IN THE BOARDROOMBy Daniel TylerUniversity of Oklahoma Press, 2011Hard cover 292 pages $29.95

In this biography of W D Farr, Tyler relates a history of northern Colorado as well as the lasting ideals of the American West. Farr lived through most of the 20th century. Four months prior to his death, in 2007 at age 97, he was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

In Greeley, Farr’s father and grandfather established a successful sheep-feeding operation. However, two summers of working for the Carey Ranch in Routt County introduced the youngster to the cattle business. With Warren Monfort, Farr conceived the idea that feeding cattle would be profitable if they had fat animals ready for market at times when the supply of grass-fed beef was depleted. Thus was born the idea of feedlots.

The forward-looking Westerner recognized the importance of water and, subsequently, irrigation. The first Colorado River water flowed through the transmountain Adams Tunnel in June 1947. In 1955, 45-year-old Farr was appointed to the board of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. He held the position for more than 40 years. A proponent of water storage, he came up against the widespread effort to protect nature. But a long friendship with environmentalist Andy Russell, helped him gain an appreciation of wilderness and wildlife from a scientific point of view. He recognized the need for moderation, patience, and compromise. In the Four Party Agreement of 1986, he succeeded in achieving consensus among representatives of the Front Range and the Western Slope, allowing completion of the Windy Gap Water Project.

His was a lifetime of change. When he began in the world of business, “all bookkeeping was with a pen dipped in a bottle of ink.” Some 40 years later, in 1974, the $4 million Farr Feeders facility featured an efficient, computerized system.

Professor Tyler’s chapters offer a look at those years during which Farr’s knowledge, integrity and ability to listen to others combined with hard work and self-reliance. He became a new part of the old West.

Daniel Tyler, Steamboat Springs resident, is professor emeritus of history at Colorado State University.

sTeAMBoAT MAGAZiNe | SPRING 2012 | 77

COLORADO TREASURESWatercolors by J.R. HamilText by Sharon and Jim HamilThe Lowell Press, Kansas CitySoft cover, 103 pages $37.50

Jim and Sharon Hamil live in Kansas, but, as visitors during several months a year since the 1970s, have always felt part of Steamboat Springs. Jim, a former artist for Hallmark Cards, opened his own studio and gallery in 1973 to paint full-time. In Steamboat, he conducted workshops and while painting, captured on canvas his affection for the Yampa Valley.

Hamil’s watercolors on finely textured paper transport the reader beyond the physical aspect of a flat surface and into a feeling of being within multi-dimensional spaces and places.

Steamboat scenes awaken special memories. In the painting of a fallen tree below a waterfall, one almost hears the familiar sound of water crashing over large boulders. In the brownish colors of a windswept ranch in winter, anyone who has driven south from Yampa to I-70 will recall the seeming emptiness that stretches westward. An unusual perspective from the Yampa

River, below the railroad tracks, looks northwest toward the old train depot and brings into focus the sleeping giant.The Hamils’ accompanying commentary reveals their very personal connection with the Yampa Valley. “His and Hers” is the

title of a painting that has two saddles in the foreground, with explanatory text that speaks to friendship with Steamboat’s old-timers Vernon and Edith Summers. “Torian’s Plum” returns to a warm place on a cold day, especially reminiscent for those who shared the early years of the ski area.

Whether the glimmer of gold in a painting of the Capitol or the rainy street below General Palmer’s statue in Colorado Springs, artist Jim Hamil’s brush makes Colorado real, and lasting.

INTO THE PATH OF GODSBy Kathleen Cunningham Guler

Bardsong Press, 2011Soft cover 381 pages $14

Kathleen Cunningham Guler has lived in Steamboat Springs since 1990. Widely recognized for her multi-award winning “Macsen’s Treasure” series, she reintroduces readers to its beginnings.

Combining legend and actual history of fifth century Britain, Guler brings to life the pre-Arthurian time of 459 A.D. With every chapter, an awakening sense of place, time and culture engages the reader, and the emotional wholeness of the story’s characters achieve a convincing reality.

Marcus ap Iorwerth spies for a clandestine alliance that will depose Vortigern, the man whose hired mercenaries have killed and displaced the old landholders. With the Romans long gone and lands divided among 29 warlords, Britain lies open to invasion, from Picts in the north, Irish from the west, and Germanic tribes from the continent. Marcus, while on a mission to identify those who would prevent the rightful King Ambrosius from ascending to the throne, meets the young woman Claerwen. Her clan has been victimized by Vortigern’s men.

Claerwen’s gift of visions, known as “fire in the head,” adds a mystical quality to the ongoing battle for power. When word comes of Marcus’s death, she refuses to accept what the world around her would have her believe and embarks alone to find the “other half of my soul.” As they journey into the path of gods, Marcus and Claerwen come to understand where destiny is leading them, and the name she has been hearing in visions.

Guler’s historical fiction gives the reader more than a well-told, captivating story of adventure and love. In a time when lawlessness and suspicion pervaded among the ruling powers, an unquenchable desire for something better remained strong. This book leaves the reader with that hopefulness, a welcome feeling in today’s world of apparent disarray. n

essAy | By Paul and Ellen Bonnifield


Crude Petroleum Flows from the Ground

Facts About Routt County: The undeveloped Empire50,000 head of cattle…10,000 horses… 1,200,000 acres of coal land…Comprises 5,250,000 acres…Crude petroleum flowing from the ground in springs . . .Without doubt it will be a great petroleum and natural gas field.

– “Steamboat Pilot” April 11, 1900

In the 21st century, Routt and Moffat counties are a frenzy of energy-related activities, from the natural gas fields of the Green River Formation to the low-sulfur coal mines in South Routt County. In the commissioners’ hearing room of the Routt County Courthouse, on the desolate road between Craig and Baggs, Wyo., at the historic Wolf Mountain Ranch between Milner and Hayden, energy is a hot topic.

This isn’t the first time Northwest Colorado’s vast energy reserves have attracted attention. A quarter-century before Steamboat Springs was incorporated in 1900, the vast resources of this largely unsettled region were documented.

In 1875, when Porter Smart founded Hayden, he published a detailed study of the resources. “Excellent coal beds have been discovered in Routt County on the Bear River, and there is every evidence that petroleum exists and is as abundant as coal,” he reported.

That same year, on a small stream east of Hayden, John Tow built a hunting cabin near two oil springs. The oil was heavy and later homesteaders collected it to grease their wagons and equipment. The flow from one spring was fairly strong, allowing a person to collect a gallon in a short time.

The incorporation papers for the Rollinsville & Western Railroad Company (1881) commented on the union of coal and petroleum. At the time, it was believed that the two were in some way connected. Thus, the first oil companies were also coal companies.

Anthracite coal was discovered near Pilot Knob and on Elkhead Creek. In 1893, the seams were core-drilled to determine their quality. After the drills were gone, oil rose to the surface.

To get a better understanding of oil prospects in the early 1890s, Denver businessmen hired respected geologist Arthur Lakes to examine northwestern Colorado. He reported “an oil basin 50 x 150 miles in extent. Except for a few upheavals and

intrusive dikes of igneous rock in places, the formation of this basin is very favorable to oil. . . . There are numerous points at which the rocks are discharging dark, heavy petroleum. At other points they are saturated with it when they come to the surface.”

David H. Moffat and his friends were ready to begin construction of their railroad from Denver to Salt Lake City by 1900, and they wanted investors, so they opened copper mines near McCoy and exploited Copper Ridge at Steamboat. Gold and silver mining was renewed in north Routt County. The various coal seams were checked and promoted and an electric light plant was built in Steamboat Springs – fired by local coal. The big push, however, came in oil development.

The first entry in the oil game was a mining engineer at Hahn’s Peak, Dan Stukey. He and B. Clark Wheeler organized the Colorado Oil and Fuel Company, the first to begin drilling near Elk River.

In May 1900, Arthur Willett, I. F. Dawson, N. P. Hill, E. G. Kindred, and C. R. Barnard incorporated Routt County Investment Company. Charles Leckenby soon became associated with it. They began leasing oil land on lower Elk River.

Two weeks later, I. F.’s brother B. (Bruce) X. Dawson, Nathan Oakes and J. T. Zaring began leasing land for the Northwest Oil and Coal Company. They soon were drilling on Milner Ranch.

The Colorado and California Company leased land near the Tow Creek springs; however, they were more active farther west in present Moffat County. In the 1920s, they hit big. Following them in quick order were five more oil companies.

Northwestern Investment Company was first to strike oil at their well near the Elk River Bridge on the old Harwig Ranch. The well was quickly capped. The second well to reach oil was on the Milner Ranch, but an explosion destroyed it. The Tow Creek well soon struck oil but was capped because the owner didn’t have a way to store the oil or ship it. Tow Creek is still producing oil, although from a different well.

Expecting an oil boom, a town site was laid out at the post office at Trull near the center of the oilfield, which was estimated to be 10 miles wide and 20-30 miles long. In the end, the railroad failed to attract investors, and the oil boom waited until the 1920s. When it came, it was south of Craig.

Since then, energy boom-bust cycles, related land scams, disputed mineral rights and fleeting fortunes have been a regular part of Routt County history. n

Routt County oil well, from the Carl Bashor Collection

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Before we set the table, we set the stage.A nighttime ride up the gondola tells you this is not going to be an ordinary night out. An exceptional wine list, stunning views out 20’ windows of the Yampa Valley 2,000 feet below, and a dazzling menu of New American cuisine confirm the fact that this night is indeed, anything but typical. Welcome to Hazie’s. For reservations, call 800.922.2722.

©2011 Steamboat Ski & Resor t Corp.

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