THURSDAY 12
• 6-7 a.m. Sunrise Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7-7:45 a.m. Guided Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8 a.m. Ecumenical Meditation at UCC.
• 8:30 a.m. Women’s book discussion group at UCC.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Level 2 at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9 a.m. Historic Walking Tour at the Crested Butte Heritage Museum.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Vinyasa Level 1/2 at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 9-11:30 a.m. In Your Own Backyard: Urban Nature Journaling with the Literary Arts Department of the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wildflower Cut Velvet Silk Scarves with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 10:15-11:30 a.m. Ashtanga Vinyasa / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics Level 1 at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11 a.m. Weekly storytime at Townie Books. 349-7545.
• 11:30 a.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• noon All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Church Community Healing Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Vinyasa Level 1/2 at Yoga for teh Peaceful.
• 12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunchtime Yoga with Leia in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 3-5 p.m. Watercolor & Wine with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044
• 4-5 p.m. RockAsana at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Crested Butte Community Food Bank open at Oh Be Joyful Church. (1st & 3rd Thursday)
• 4:45-6 p.m. Contemporary Dance (ages 12+) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Yin at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:45 p.m. Cardio Dance at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6:10-7:10 p.m. Barre Workout (ages 14+) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 6:30 p.m. AA Open Meditation at UCC.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Restorative Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7 p.m. Women Supporting Women Group Discussion at the Nordic Inn.
• 7:15-8:30 p.m. Adult Contemporary Dance with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.
• 8:15-8:45 p.m. Free Meditation / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:30 p.m. Evening Sadhana / CB Co-op at Town Hall.

FRIDAY 13
• 6-7:15 a.m. Hip Hop Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. Adult Ballet Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 349-6482.
• 8-8:45 a.m. Open Aerial Play with CB School of Dance at the Center for the Arts.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Flexibly Challenged / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Prana Vinyasa Level 2/3 at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Simple Sketch Series: Mountains with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 10 a.m.-noon Glass Bead Making with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 10:15-11:30 a.m. Hatha Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Iyengar at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 12:30-2:30 p.m. Glass Bead Making with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 1 p.m. Art group meets at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 2-5 p.m. Paint Your Own Pottery in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30 p.m. Friday Night Tennis at the CB Town Courts (thru the end of August.)
• 6-7 p.m. Poi Playshop at the Pump Room.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative at Yoga For The Peaceful.

SATURDAY 14
• 7:30 a.m. Open AA at UCC.
• 7:45 a.m. Weights and Indoor Biking Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8-9 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Community Yoga at the Sanctuary Yoga & Pilates Studio, Gunnison.
• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. A Two-Day Art Immersion – Creative Pages: Fold, Sew, Embellish! (thru 7/15) with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 10-11 a.m. Hip Hop Community Dance Class at the Pump Room (above Fire House on 3rd & Maroon). 415-225-5300.
• 10:30 a.m. & 4 p.m. Storytime with Jen Hillebrandt at Townie Books.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Guided Sound Meditation at 405 4th Street.

SUNDAY 15
• 7-8 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 7-8:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8:30 a.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 8:30 a.m. Oh Be Joyful Church Worship Service at the Center for the Arts outdoor field.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Union Congregational Church. 349-6405.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:30-11 a.m. Free Community Class / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10 a.m. Oh Be Joyful Church Worship Service at the Center for the Arts outdoor field.
• 10-11:15 a.m. Vin-Yin at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Crested Butte Farmer’s Market on the 1st block of Elk Ave.
• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Narcotics Anonymous Meeting at UCC, 403 Maroon Ave. Closed meeting for addicts only. (1st & 3rd Sundays)
• 4-5:15 p.m. CBCYC Community Book Club at 405 4th Street.
• 5-6 p.m. All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Eucharist at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• 5-7 p.m. Pick-up Adult Basketball. HS Gym, CBCS.
• 6 p.m. AA meets at UCC.
• 6 p.m. Evening Service at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison.
• 6:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7 p.m. Gamblers Anonymous meets at the Last Resort.
• 7-9 p.m. “Salsa Rueda de Casino” workshop at the Pump Room (3 week, 6 session workshop that runs thru Aug. 1)

MONDAY 16
• 6-7:15 a.m. Hip Hop Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Adult Ballet Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m. Active Isolated Stretching (thru Aug. 22) at Union Congregational Church.
• 8:45 a.m. Mat Mix at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Plein Air Oil Painting with Dawn Cohen with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-0947.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Adult Ballet Technique with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Iyengar at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 10:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m. Ballet Technique (ages 12+) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• noon Adult Children of Alcoholics open meeting at Union Congretional Church.
• noon-1 p.m. Gentle Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 12:30-1:45 p.m. Modern Dance (ages 12+) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 12:45 p.m. Bridge at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 1-3 p.m. ArtHouse Teen Art Camp (ages 13-18) in the Gunnison Arts Center Adult Art Studio.
• 1:30-2:15 p.m. Zumba with Barron Farnell in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 4 p.m. Hard Hat Tours at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Yin Yoga Nidra at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:30-7 p.m. Moms in Motion class at the GVH rehab gym.
• 6-7 p.m. Body Maintenance at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. WellBeing Connection Workshop at the CB/Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Women’s Domestic Violence Support Group at Project Hope. Childcare available upon request. 641-2712.
• 7:30 p.m. Open AA at UCC. 349-5711.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

TUESDAY 17
• 6-7 a.m. Sunrise Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7-7:45 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Open at UCC. 349-5711.
• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Free Co-Working Tuesdays at the ICELab at WSCU.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Level 2 at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9 a.m. Historic Walking Tour at the Crested Butte Heritage Museum.
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Summer Art Workshop: (ages 11 to 14) Oil Painting with Dawn Cohen at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 10:15-11:30 a.m. Hatha Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics Level 1 at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters meeting at 210 W. Spencer in Gunnison.
• noon AA Closed at UCC.
• 1:30-3:30 p.m. Tech Tuesdays at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 2-3:15 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-5 p.m. Family Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 4-6 p.m. Creativity & Cocktails: Cyanotype & Champagne with the Art Studio of the Center of the Arts. 349-7044.
• 4:40-5:40 p.m. Pre-Pointe Conditioning (ages 12+) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 5:45-7:15 p.m. Ballet (ages 12+) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:45 p.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7 p.m. Piyo at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6-8 p.m. Figure Drawing Sessions with live model in Downtown Crested Butte. 349-7228.
• 7 p.m. Alanon meeting at the Last Resort.
• 7-8:30 p.m. Blessing Way Circle support group at Sopris Women’s Clinic. 720-217-3843.
• 7:15-8:30 p.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7:20-7:50 p.m. Pointe Training (ages 12+) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.

WEDNESDAY 18
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7-8:15 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7:30 a.m. The Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary Club breakfast meeting in the Shavano Conference Room at the Elevation Hotel.
• 8 a.m. Active Isolated Stretching (thru Aug. 22) at Union Congregational Church.
• 8 a.m. T’ai Chi for advanced participants in the northeast corner of Rainbow Park.
• 8:30 a.m. Hike with HCCA. Sign up at hccacb.org.
• 8:45 a.m. Pilates at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9 a.m. T’ai Chi for beginner participants in the northeast corner of Rainbow Park.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 9 a.m.-noon Open Wheel Throwing at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Kaiut Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Two Buttes Senior Citizens van transportation. Roundtrip to Gunnison. Weather permitting. Call first for schedule and availability. 275-4768.
• 10:30 a.m.-noon Prana Vinyasa Level 2/3 at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• 12:15-12:45 p.m. Yoga Nidra Relaxtion at Yoga for the Peaceful. ($5 donation)
• 1-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays @ Western: Watercolor @ the Park with the Gunnison Arts Center at Jorgensen Park Gazebo.
• 2-3:15 p.m. Forrest Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 3:30-5 p.m. ICELab tours at Western State College University with Patrick Rowley.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5-10 p.m. Game night at Tassinong Farms, CB South.
• 5:15-6:30 p.m. Jazz Funk with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 5:30 p.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30 p.m. Prenatal Yoga class in Crested Butte South. 349-1209.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vinyasa Level 2/3 at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6:30 p.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back), 4th and Maroon. 349-6482.
• 7-9 p.m. “GriefShare,” a grief recovery seminar and support group, meets at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison. 970-349-7769.
• 7-9 p.m. “Salsa Rueda de Casino” workshop at the Pump Room (3 week, 6 session workshop that runs thru Aug. 1)

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY 12
• 5-7 p.m. Open House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, 403 Second St.
• 5-7 p.m. Robert Burch Opening Reception at the Piper Gallery of the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Indigo + Shibori Workshop fundraiser for the Trailhead on the lawn at Scout’s General Store.
• 6 p.m. Reading and signing with author Joyce Hocker and her memoir Trail to Tincup: Love Stories at Life’s End at Townie Books.
• 7 p.m. Bill Dowell plays at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 7-9 p.m. Cattlemen’s Days #1 Tough Enough to Wear Pink Rodeo.
• 7:30 p.m. CBMF: Fluxus Night: Community Performance Art at the Center for the Arts.
• 7:30 p.m. RMBL’s lecture event with Dr. Monica Geber at the Gothic billy barr community center.
• 8 p.m. Ladies’ Night at the Red Room.
• 9:30 p.m. Classic Colorado: Dale Watson & His Lonestars with Opal Moon at the I Bar Ranch.

FRIDAY 13
• noon Tour de Forks – Luncheon Among the Aspens (with optional hike at 9 a.m.) with the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 3:50 p.m. Crested Butte Writers’ Network Meet-Up with the Literary Arts Department of the Center of the Arts at Townie Books. 349-7487.
• 4-6 p.m. Mountain Roots + Coldharbour Collaborative Ranch Workday at Coldharbour Ranch, 47068 E. Hwy. 50.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Meet & Greet with Democratic Candidates with Roland Mason (District 3 Gunnison County Commissioner), Julie McCluskie (House District 61) and John Gallowich (Gunnison County Sheriff) at Rumors.
FRIDAY 13 cont’d
• 7 p.m. Rachel Van Slyke plays at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. CBMF: Film: The Colorado at the Center for the Arts.
• 8 p.m. Casey Falter plays at Blackstock Bistro.
• 9 p.m. Opal Moon with Johnny Kongo play at Timbers.

SATURDAY 14
• 8 a.m. 35th annual Grin & Bear It Trail Run from Crested Butte to Green Lake and back.
• 11 a.m. Silver Fox Disc Golf Tournament at CBMR.
• 6 p.m. Author event with fiction writers Kevin J. Anderson, Candace Nadon and Richard Wilber at Townie Books.
• 6 p.m. Casey Falter plays at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 6-9 p.m. Jazz Cabin plays at Tully’s.
• 7:30 p.m. CBMF Symphony Orchestra with Charles Yang at the Center for the Arts.
• 9 p.m. Opal Moon with Johnny Kongo play at Wapiti Ridge Saloon.
• 8 p.m. Cycles play at the Public House.

SUNDAY 15
• 3 p.m. Live music on the deck at the Eldo.
• 5:30 p.m. CBMF: Celebration Gala at the Lodge at Mountaineer Square.
• 6-8 p.m. Sundays @ 6: 9 Mile at Legion Park in Gunnison.
• 7 p.m. Eli & Willa Emmitt play at The Princess Wine Bar.

MONDAY 16
• 4-6 p.m. Farce of Nature Auditions at the Mallardi Cabaret.
• 5:30 p.m. Alpenglow: Dragondeer plays on the Center for the Arts Outdoor Stage. 349-7487.
• 6 p.m. Learn about the army plane that crashed in 1943 with no survivors in the Gunnison National Forest, at the Pioneer Museum.
• 7 p.m. Paradise Divide plays at The Princess Wine Bar.

TUESDAY 17
• 9 a.m. Socrates Cafe at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 4-6 p.m. Farce of Nature Auditions at the Mallardi Cabaret.
• 6:30 p.m. Burgers N Brews: Halden Wofford & The Hi Beams play at the I Bar Ranch.
• 7 p.m. Public Policy Forum: Ellen Sweets – The Voting Booth: Be There or Be Square at the Center for the Arts.
• 7 p.m. Movies That Matter: Rising from the Ashes at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 7 p.m. Dwayne Dodson plays at The Princess Wine Bar.

WEDNESDAY 18
WSCU’s Writing the Rockies begins and runs thru July 22.
• 11 a.m. CBMF: Hike-or-Bike to Outdoor Concert: Alex Komodore and Friends, venue to be announced to ticket holders.
• 5:30-9 p.m. Live! from Mt. Crested Butte: Matthew Curry plays on the Red Lady Stage at CBMR.
• 5:45 p.m. Powerade Pinnacle gO Ride Series at Evolution Bike Park at CBMR.
• 7 p.m. Nichole Reycraft & Renee Wright play at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Ladies’ Night at The Talk of the Town.

KID’S CALENDAR

THURSDAY 12
• 9 a.m.-noon Dance Camp! (ages 3-5) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music & Dance Class in the High Altitude Dance Academy in Gunnison.
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Art Babies & Toddler Art (ages 0-4) at The Trailhead. 349-7160.
• 3:30-4:30 p.m. Contemporary Dance (ages 9-11) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.

FRIDAY 13
• 9-9:45 a.m. Art ‘n Dance (ages 2-3 w/ caregiver) at the Gunnison Arts Center Outdoor Courtyard.
• 9 a.m.-noon Aerial Dance Camp! (ages 6-11) with CB School of Dance at the Center for the Arts.
• 10-10:45 a.m. Art ‘n Dance (ages 4-6) at the Gunnison Arts Center Outdoor Courtyard.
• 11 a.m. Big Kids Storytime (ages 3-7) at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 1:30 p.m. Little Minds (ages 3-7) at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 4-5 p.m. Tang Soo Do Martial Arts classes for youth with West Elk Martial Arts, Town Hall Fitness Room. 901-7417.

MONDAY 16
• 3:45-5 p.m. Messy Mondays at the Crested Butte Library. (ages 5-12, kids 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult)
• 4-5 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 8 & under) at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.

TUESDAY 17
• 9 a.m.-noon Dance Camp! (ages 3-5) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.
• 3:30-4:30 p.m. Ballet (ages 9-11) with CB School of Dance in the Pump Room Dance Studio.

WEDNESDAY 18
• 9 a.m.-noon Aerial Dance Camp! (ages 6-11) with CB School of Dance at the Center for the Arts.
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music and Dance Class in the Fitness Room at Town Hall. 349-9639.
• 11 a.m. Baby & Toddler Literacy Time at the Crested Butte Library.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4-5 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 8+) at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 8 and under) at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.

Bryan Wickenhauser is onstage with several of his employees, rigging up lights and gauzy white curtains and tweaking the sound system for a wedding at his I-Bar Ranch. An enormous U.S. Air Force C17 cargo plane roars low overhead. “They like to do take-offs and touchdowns at the Gunnison airport, where they can practice their high-altitude maneuvers because it’s all different at altitude,” he explains and nods toward the plane as it makes a tight turn. “They’ll be back around.”

Tables are organized into rows and a rubberized dance floor is being unfolded in the tall-roofed, open-sided structure that looks like it’s always belonged there in the middle of the verdant Tomichi Creek valley, sitting among long-time ranching meadows and fields.

The 14 acres of I-Bar Ranch were annexed into Gunnison as “Gunnison Rising” by its owner, Dick Bratton, who had the original vision of dinner and music in a gorgeous country setting. “

Dick built this complex in 1992, purposely to be a chuck wagon dinner venue for the I-Bar Wranglers, Bryan says, recalling the house band that twanged up post-dinner dancing music. “It was the standard fare—you got a chuck wagon dinner and you got a show from the Wranglers.” The venue ceased business in 2004 and sat dormant until 2013, when Bryan had his own vision for the place.

Bryan’s story with the I-Bar Ranch starts in 2004 when he got married to Jennifer Michel and the two had their reception at the ranch. He had met Jennifer through the Tune Up bike shop in Gunnison.

“My roommate in Crested Butte South was working there and invited Jennifer’s girlfriend up for a Friday night fish fry,” Bryan says. The fish fry is a popular tradition in his home state of Wisconsin. Jennifer came along with her girlfriend and the rest, as it’s said, is history. They married three years later in 2004 at the I-Bar Ranch.

When Bryan took over the I-Bar in 2013, he changed its concept. “I wanted to predominately book concerts and weddings. We cater the food because I didn’t want to get in to the food aspect, just beverages. The place doesn’t have the kitchen capabilities. I felt that through music and weddings, I could have a viable business out here. I saw a need for both in the lower end of the Gunnison Valley.”

Bryan originally moved to Crested Butte in 1997 as a ski coach for the Crested Butte Academy at the suggestion of his buddies, Kevin Krill and Kevin’s brother Brian. “I was living in Summit County. Vail had just purchased Breckenridge and Keystone. Brian was the athletic director at the Crested Butte Academy so he suggested I apply for the job. I had a place to live and a job and I also brought with me a location-neutral business, Midwest Leasing,” he says. A location-neutral job, he explains, is like a traditional corporate job you would have in the city, except you could work remotely from anywhere since internet and fax were just then being developed. Bryan brokered commercial leases and loans from Crested Butte.

Bryan says, “The light bulb moment for me was going to Lake City in July 2012 to see Asleep at the Wheel. Lake City is way small and they were bringing in performers like Michael Martin Murphy, Dean Dillon and Asleep at the Wheel at Hutch’s Backyard BBQ, a small 200-seat venue that didn’t even have a roof over the crowd. I was impressed because it was packed and they were bringing vitality to this itty bitty town in the summer, giving the people some cool culture.”

Bryan saw an opportunity to both expand the Gunnison culture and make a living. “I saw how the music was taking off at the north end of our valley, and I saw the wedding business flourishing up there and in other similar mountain towns. I realized that tourism was going to keep getting stronger as a staple to our economy. I saw all those factors as opportunities to enhance the cultural vitality of the lower end of the valley because there was a missing element that wasn’t being met. The tourists were all being serviced at the north end of the valley and southern end of the valley was being deprived. The identifiable music venues in Gunnison back then were the Gunnison Arts Center, the Last Chance, the Timbers and the Elks Lodge.”

Before Bryan found himself at the helm of a concert venue smack in the middle of sagebrush hills and lush pastoral hay fields, he originally hailed from outside of Milwaukee, raised with his younger sister, Amy, who at one time also lived in Crested Butte for a while. Bryan was somewhat of an über athlete throughout his childhood and life. “We were into ski racing every winter and in the summers it was lake life, frolicking in the water and skiing,” he recalls.

He was an avid skier and soccer player, which he says were his passions. “We were living three miles north of Alpine Valley, which was a major Midwestern summer concert venue and a ski resort in the winter.” He notes that it’s where the helicopter carrying Stevie Ray Vaughn fatally crashed into a 400-foot-high hill, “I was a 19-year-old lift-op that following winter in 1990 and a lot of the older employees and the community were heavily affected by the incident. I was going into my senior year in high school.” He graduated in 1991.

He enrolled at Carroll College (now Carroll University), studying business with a minor in Spanish because the trade borders were being open, NAFTA was just being formulated and there was plenty of commerce between Mexico and the U.S., “and in my mind, Spanish was the language I thought I needed.”

He graduated from college in 1995 and smiles, “I knew whatever I would do, I was going to do it in Colorado,” and he moved out to Summit County two weeks after grabbing his degree. He was a part-time ski coach and working his corporate, location-neutral business from 1995 through 1997, until he felt, “Vail went Wall Street and started acquiring ski resorts and it wasn’t the community I was desiring. [Summit] was already having those challenges with Denver coming up every weekend. You lost your community every weekend. I was looking more for a ski town with a sense of community.”

Bryan had quit ski coaching in 2002 to pursue being a semi-pro endurance athlete. “The first year I moved here was the first year of the Grand Traverse. I had limited ski touring skills at the time but ended up winning the Grand Traverse in 2010, 2012 and 2014 with my partner, Brian Smith.”

Bryan was co-director for the Grand Traverse from 2010 to 2015, and was also president of the Nordic Center board for four years beginning in 2010. From 2002 through 2009, Bryan was a member of Team Crested Butte, an elite adventure racing team that consists of multi-sports events that often span a 100- to 600-mile course, “You travel as a team of four. We were all based in the Gunnison Valley. The events usually took place in challenging conditions like deserts or mountains and included mountain biking, hiking, climbing, kayaking, and orienteering with map and compass. It was one of those niche sports but we’d do races around the world. I traveled quite a bit and had some success.”

Bryan rattles off the various countries he traveled to—Ecuador, China, Brazil, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Andorra, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, and Abu Dhabi. “Then I got into ski mountaineering, climbing up Crested Butte Resort and racing down and up, like a major Al Johnson race,” he says, expanding that to explain it’s more like six Al Johnson races in one.

He went to three world championships in Switzerland, Italy, and Andorra. “I’m retired from competitive athletics because,” he smiles, “life… kids, family, and the I-Bar, my priorities have shifted. Besides, they turn out new 20-year-old athletes every year and I keep getting older.”

Bryan was also one of three partners who started High Alpine Brewing Company in Gunnison in 2015. “I like beer,” he grins, “and I like the aspect of what a craft brewery represents to community. One of the values is that it embraces the community, it’s a place to go socialize, bar stool conversations, and it can host and sponsor events. I was already engaging the community culturally through I-Bar, and I thought Gunnison needed a craft brewery again since the local breweries had gone out of business. The model of a craft brewery is about locally sourcing ingredients—the beer is produced locally, so it fosters community. We bought a historic building on Main Street, repurposed that building and exposed the interior brick to give it that warm feel. We created the first commercial outdoor downtown deck. It fostered the Old Miners decision to also build a deck. Now it’s given the Gunnison downtown a little more vibrancy.”

He sold his partnership in 2018 to focus more on the I-Bar, which had grown exponentially.

The I-Bar keeps Bryan pretty busy from before its opening for events on May 1 and past its closing for the season on November 1. And there’s the couple’s two children, Eliza, who celebrated her golden birthday, turning five on July 5 by dancing to The Wailers live at the Ranch, and Gianna, who turns eight August 6.

Back at the I-Bar Ranch, Bryan continues his day, juggling multiple tasks, directing guests and employees with his big smile as the humongous C17 screams overhead again in its seemingly endless passes.

He pauses for a moment to say that he’s particularly excited about one of his concerts. “This upcoming week is Cattlemen’s Days and Dale Watson and his Lone Stars are playing Thursday, but Saturday is going to be a fun one that I’m personally excited about—Paradise Kitty, an all-female Guns n Roses tribute band,” he grins.

But today, he’s completely focused on preparing the venue to ensure the perfect wedding event against the beautiful backdrop of a sunny day, with Tomichi Creek sparkling like a rhinestone ribbon weaving through the fields.

For more information and schedules to concerts at I-Bar Ranch visit Ibarranch.com. 

By Dawne Belloise

Kelly Dean was thrilled to leave Ohio in the early 1980s and arrive in Crested Butte through a program created by Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The program sought to enlist young college students as workers for a winter semester, with the promise of ski town fun and a small scholarship to the school they were attending.

Growing up as an “army brat,” Kelly had been used to moving, and she wasn’t happy in the grey, dreary, humid winters of Ohio. Kelly recalls that when she and her bestie since they were four years old, Lisa Santelli, arrived in November, they were housed in the Almont cabins.

“I lived in the Jolly Rancher,” she recalls. “I was paid $3.25 an hour and my rent was deducted from my paycheck so, basically, when I got my paycheck I got a Snickers and Coke. The cabins didn’t have full kitchens, just a hotplate with a dorm-sized refrigerator and we’d wash our dishes in the bathroom sink. We’d hitchhike to Gunnison to get groceries because we didn’t have a car, so you were limited by what you could carry back and by your budget. We lived on ramen and we’d drop chopped broccoli and crack eggs into it for protein. We were so thrilled when we figured out we could actually put stuff in it and it didn’t have to be just the chicken ramen.”

Kelly worked in the kitchen pantry of the now demolished Gothic building making to-go snacks, sandwiches, and cinnamon rolls. “It was a blast. We had so much fun in there. We had the greatest crew. Back in those days, the people you worked with were your family,” she smiles. “We’d have Thanksgiving and Christmas together because no one had family here. I had never skied but I skied that first winter of 1980. It was a very low snow year, and it was icy. I wouldn’t have known the difference anyway because I had never skied, and it was great fun.”

The snow was so scarce that season that she remembers, “Ross Matsumoto would stand at the bottom of Warming House Hill by the ice rink with a hose and spray the mud off of people’s ski boots.” There was so little white stuff that the ski area would pay the workers to catch one of the last chairs up and head into the trees to shovel the snow from there onto the runs. “We’d always take a cafeteria tray up with us so that when we were done we’d slide back down to the base on our trays.”

When the lifts closed that year at the end of season, Kelly headed back to college at Ohio University, but before she left Crested Butte she expressed her interest in summer work to a Gunnison outfitter as a raft and horseback guide job for the summer, “neither of which I had ever done in my life,” she mused. It took exactly two weeks back in Ohio for her to determine she wanted to be in Colorado.

“I called the outfitter and he said, come on out, we have a job for you. They were located across from Safeway with a teepee set up in the parking lot. I had to hang out in the teepee on some days since it was the central reservation spot for rafting and horse riding. Other days I was a raft guide or horseback riding guide over old Monarch Pass. Back in the day, to be a river raft guide, there was no formal training. So, I didn’t need any training like they do today, where they have to have a lot of safety training, skills, and on-the-river experience. For me, I just showed up, they handed me the oars, showed me which way to sit in the raft and I floated from Twin Bridges to Neversink and didn’t have a disaster so they said I was hired,” Kelly laughs. “I look back on those days and think how different they were, so easy without a lot of stress, rules and regulations.”

When she returned that summer, she never left. Kelly continued to work for Crested Butte Mountain Resort both winter and summer in various jobs. “All through the early 1980s. I was working constantly but I would camp a lot and try to explore the area. I couldn’t believe the beauty that surrounded me here. From the time I first got off the bus to work for the mountain, I was floored that this is where I get to be and live. I couldn’t wait to get back here to live forever.”

She married Vic Dean in the early 1980s, and her first daughter, Karleigh, was born at the Gunnison Hospital in 1993, followed by daughter Jessie in 1996. When the couple decided to part ways after 25 years, Kelly kept her last name so she would be associated with her daughters, whom she raised in Crested Butte. Even though the girls no longer live in the valley, Kelly is in constant touch with them. “I talk to them multiple times during the week. Karleigh is in Ft. Collins finishing her master’s in greenhouse gas management at CSU, and Jessie is in Salt Lake City going to nursing school, and she’s getting married August 4,” Kelly smiles proudly.

Like so many Buttians, Kelly always had about three jobs, but one of those usually included gardening, either for a company or a second home owner, so by the time she had her first home in Allen Homesites in Crested Butte South, she had really begun to enjoy the art.

“I was loving the beauty it offered to the house and property. You can see the results of your work and when I see a beautiful garden, it gives me joy and just makes me feel giddy inside.” Kelly re-created the things she saw that she liked and learned much from her hands-on experience, “It’s all about the environment and knowing what will grow in that particular environment. When you’re creating a garden, you have to consider both the environment and the space you have before deciding what to plant there. Is it full sun or is it a really shady area?”

Kelly revels in working with earth, “There’s a joy when you get your hands dirty, you get caught up and lost in the creation, and it’s definitely addictive. Once I get started, even weeding, I can’t quit until I have the garden in order and everything is deadheaded, weeded and beautiful. Then you stand back and admire the beauty and that’s when you get that feeling of serenity and comfort. I love it when the garden wraps around you and you feel snug and safe there.”

Having bought one of the locals-only townhomes in Prospect on the mountain in 2009, Kelly now shares that home with her love and business partner, Holt Loeffler. “He’s a big part of my world,” she says. Holt created the business they now share, Alpine Landscapes, “Reflect Your Nature,” in 2007 (alpinelandscapescrestedbutte.com). She met Holt in 2008 while she was managing the Princess Wine Bar and Western Design. The two hit it off and have been a couple ever since. “Holt had some amazing ideas to create a backyard nook for me that included a tiny water feature and terraced gardens.”

Working together, Kelly defines their gardening roles. “He builds the ‘hardscape’ areas of our business projects, adding trees, boulders, all the heavy loading aspects, while I do the flower gardens and the accounting.” Kelly attended the master gardener course through the CSU Extension office to up her game and knowledge.

“Holt has an amazing eye for landscaping and has the vision. We’re a really great team because we both have an infectious excitement that carries over to the clients. We also have amazing employees who have been with us for quite a few years and we couldn’t run this business without them.”

She laughs though about the reality of aging in such a physically demanding business. “We’re getting older, our bones are getting older but we have these young 20-somethings to help us and they have all the energy, and we love that.”

Having been in Crested Butte for 38 years, Kelly still enjoys some things about the long winters here—snowshoeing and Nordic skiing—however, she confesses, “I’m starting to think about being in a warmer climate for part of the winter… where I can garden,” she says. She and Holt do a lot of adventuring in the off seasons, hitting many tropical climes, islands and destinations. “It’s constantly on-the-go with Holt, he’s a kite boarder and loves the Caribbean. I’ve traveled a lot of the world since I’ve been with Holt and I’m immensely grateful for all the places he’s shown me.” Kelly rattles off a list of some of those places—Philippines, Cook Islands, Indonesia, Bahamas, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Canary Islands, Cuba, Honduras, Madrid.

Even though most who spend a considerable portion of their lives in the long winters of paradise here think about part-time escapes, Kelly shakes her head and considers, “When I think about where else I would go, I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live, where you feel safe and have the comfort of knowing it is home.”

More than 34,000 pounds of food scraps composted in ten months

By Kristy Acuff

What if you could reduce the amount of waste you throw in the landfill by 30 percent and make a valuable soil ingredient in the process simply by using a bucket next to your trash bin?

Thanks to a new valley business, Guerilla Composting, both residents and commercial businesses can easily compost food and yard waste without a lot of hassle. For a small fee, Guerilla Composting will provide a bucket, collect your waste weekly or bi-weekly and turn it into beautiful, rich compost. Then, once or twice a season, they will deliver compost back to your door to use in the garden.

Guerilla Composting founder 29-year old Julie Donohue grew up with a compost pile in her backyard and saw the need in Crested Butte when she moved here in 2014. While compost piles are prohibited in town limits because of wildlife concerns, especially bears, Donohue was able to set up outside town limits and began the business in July 2017.

“I thought people definitely needed the opportunity to put their nutrient-rich food scraps to use, especially in a progressive community that also loves its gardens,” says Donohue.

“Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away and they should be composted instead,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. “Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.”

So far, Donohue has composted more than 34,000 pounds of food scraps and is getting ready to deliver completed compost to customers. Her operation is based outside of Crested Butte South and in Gunnison. She says the primary challenge in the cold climate is “motivation.”

“Everything is outdoors, so it is hard to motivate to get outside and move around literally tons of food. To shovel, rake, mix and turn the compost is a lot of work,” says Donohue. “Once it got well below freezing, I stopped turning the piles and allowed just the centers to stay warm and the outside of the pile to insulate the inside. Over winter, worms and other bacteria and fungi survive in that warm core of the pile and just hang out until spring comes.”

The service has reached 100 residents and more than a dozen commercial businesses, ranging from Crested Butte Mountain Resort to the Old Town Inn, as well as several local restaurants and catering services.

“We really care about sustainability and are happy to pay for this service,” says Dana Zobs, co-owner of Crested Butte’s Personal Chefs and one of Donohue’s customers. “It is totally worth it to support sustainability and the full circle of food and food waste. I love Guerilla Composting.”

“It’s super easy. We have two buckets in our back kitchen and she comes and gets them weekly,” says Old Town Inn employee Stephanie Maltarich. “We were inspired by a film at last year’s film festival that documented food waste. After we watched it, we thought, ‘We have to do this at the hotel.’”

Donohue says the sheer quantity of pre-consumer food scraps she collects from commercial businesses has allowed her to reach out to Gunnison valley livestock producers and provide food scraps for animal feed. In addition, she has started a small hog farm in Gunnison.

“We have actually started a hog farm [called Pangaea] as a direct result of the quantity of food scraps we receive from restaurants,” Donohue says. “I want to follow the food waste hierarchy and use food waste to feed livestock prior to composting it. The hogs will be raised on food scraps plus supplemental feed.”

With hog-breeding on the horizon, Donohue continues to find creative ways to put the valley’s food waste to good use. For more information, visit the website, www.guerillacomposting.com.

By Dawn Belloise

Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance.” —Woodrow Wilson

What better way to kick off the Fourth of July shindig than with an all American Crested Butte tradition—PANCAKES! First things first on this illustrious holiday: To sustain your energy throughout the many events all day, you’ll need to load up the calories. From 7 to 10:30 a.m. on the celebrated day, the Crested Butte Fire and EMS Squad at the Fire Station, 306 Maroon Avenue, will be flipping those pan-cookies, along with sausages and fixins’. It’s advisable to get there early because it gets packed as the crew serves flapjacks to more than 1,200 people. That’s probably more than 2,400 pancakes (who can eat just one?).

Crested Butte is especially known for its community-wide Fourth celebrations and outrageous parades. Throughout its history, Crested Butte’s local population has put on a spectacle of creatively wacky floats and processions that border on the preposterous and always in good humor. In times past, the parade was small enough that it went up Elk Avenue and then reversed for a repeat performance in the opposite direction.

Locals will gather for days before the parade to create their costumes and floats. Some of the more innovative ones in the past included the ski jump packed with snow on the back of a truck, created by former town mayor Alan Bernholtz who bedazzled the crowd by hucking himself down the jump in full disco threads with his wig hat on his head. Then there was Alan’s daring bike jump through a hoop of fire, and his water slide during another parade, all on the back of a truck. Another float that awed the masses was Tucker Roberts doing full back layout on a trampoline while the float was moving. Then there was the time when Burt Rentals would ride snowmobiles in the parade with wheel attachments on the skis. And who can forget Tony Wildman in an American flag g-string on a horse?

In the earlier days of wildness, during the bicentennial parade of 1976, the scandalous Red, White & Blue Girls used only paint as their costumes. Most of them were topless, some were completely naked, and some of the crowd didn’t even realize the infamous troupe had only body paint on for the now-legendary tribute to freedom of speech.

Long-standing floats and groups to watch for are the Red Ladies, the wild sisters who represent the spirit of Red Lady Mountain—aka, Mount Emmons—in the town’s battle to keep a molybdenum mine from desecrating the sentinel, with the High Country Conservation Advocates leading the fight.

There’s the Flauschink Royal Has-Beens who follow the current Flauschink King and Queen in their Royal Chariot.

The hippest of funkiness belongs to the effervescent, groovin’ KBUT float with its disco dancers and mirror ball, hosting the chosen King and Queen of Soul.

The ecologists and biologists at Rocky Mountain Biological Labs (RMBL) in Gothic are brilliant researchers and scientists who work hard and let their hair down for Independence Day. It’s the only day they get off during their intensive summer work.

The RMBL folks in all their greenery have been favorites in the parade for as long as they’ve been marching. They come with spears and pots and pans, whistles and bells and wild primitive faces that tell of being in the sun too much, alone with plants, insects and marmots. They live under the towering cathedral spires of Gothic Mountain until the flora dies and snow threatens, but for one hot summer day in July, they costume up, wearing only corn lily leaves, which they sew together themselves. Marching in their outfits that conjure up images of crazed aboriginal biologists, they proudly chant and stomp their way up the parade route. In past years, after marching through to the end of the Elk, they’d walk backwards down the avenue, but these days, the parade is too big for that.

Current Crested Butte mayor Jim Schmidt—aka “Deli”—has been in town for the celebration every year since 1977. Having served as mayor in the past as well as on Town Council for well over two decades, he says of his 1995 brainstorm, “I decided that what the council should do was scoop up the horse poop in the parade. How could a Town Council be of better service to their community than slinging poop? I thought it was very symbolic.” He laughs about the past tradition that no longer exists since there are no horses in the parade anymore, but he adds that both tourists and locals got the message back in the day.

Deli feels the holiday is so special in the Butte because everybody gets to celebrate it in their own way and as for the parade, “There are no boundaries as to what you can put into the parade as far as floats. It’s freedom of expression and that’s what the Fourth is all about. A few years back, there was a move to ban political statements in the parade but the Fourth is a political holiday. We rebelled… That’s what we’re celebrating. That’s why I think if somebody makes a statement, whatever the statement is, it’s cool that they’re in there even if I don’t agree with it.”

Deli reflected on some of the parade aspects he misses, as times changed and the town grew. “I was disappointed when we stopped running the parade both ways… it was so short.” He remembers the parade getting to the Four-way Stop and turning around to march back up Elk Avenue. “It was like a snake that ate itself because they would take it around the block and suddenly you’d run into the other people coming back up. But it just got too long. Pretty amazing that we’ve never had a real marching band in the parade. There’s been the boom box band from KBUT and RMBL sort of band with their kazoos, chanting, and pots and pans.”

Deli reflects the sentiments of most in this valley when he says, “The whole tradition and people are all so great.”

A procession such as we have needs an interpreter, a liaison between the audience and the crazies marching up Elk Avenue. Than Acuff took the reins of announcer in 2013 from Denis Hall, who had been injecting his own style of emcee for 30 years. “I have no idea why Denis picked me,” Than shrugs and smiles in an interview a year ago. “It was a surprise and an honor. I’ve announced at a bunch of sports events and I’m comfortable with a microphone in my hand. Denis was my Fourth of July emcee sensei and I think because I’m sober, he figured I wouldn’t totally screw things up.”

KBUT deejay Josephine Kellett offered to jump up there and co-emcee with Than and now the duo rocks the parade. “I thought it would be great to have a woman’s energy up there and she provides the necessary sass,” Than says, and describes his favorite thing about announcing. “Being a part of one of the longest standing traditions in Crested Butte and seeing the same people year in and year out, whether they’re visitors or locals cruising down Elk, either in the parade or in crowd.”

And then, there’s the Twinkies. “People throw Twinkies at me… I love Twinkies. I put them in my bike pack and eat them on a big ride,” he laughs.

After the parade, there’s a much anticipated and refreshing water fight at the west end of Elk Avenue where the Crested Butte Fire Department brings in the big guns and revelers bring out their arsenal of semi-automatic super-soaker blasters. There was a time when the water fights took place all over downtown but they’re now limited to the first block of Elk, so if you aren’t a water baby, it is recommended that you stay away from that area or be considered as fair game. If you’re going into Kochevar’s for the traditional high noon tequila shot, you’d better be speedy in getting through the tossed buckets of water, blasters and hoses.

Crested Butte’s parade and celebration are eccentrically different from anywhere else, mostly because of the community of locals who make the town as funky as it still is. It’s always been more of a carnival atmosphere, because we’re just a town inhabited by kids of all ages. It continues yearly, the youthful, rogue energy of a typical Crested Butte Fourth of July parade and rest assured, it’s not likely to go conservative in our lifetime or lose its wild innovative spirit, despite Vail’s purchase of the ski resort. So don your most independent spirit and head out into the streets. Go Fourth and enjoy!

Happy Birthday America!

Believe it or not the Fourth of July is on the horizon. It is a busy week up here at 9,000 feet. Live music, lectures, parades and pancakes are all part of the fun. So get out and enjoy a summer holiday week in Crested Butte! But remember that there is a fire ban in place throughout the county. So no outdoor campfires or even smoking in the backcountry is allowed. It is pretty crispy out there so be careful!

Coburn wins another national title

Former Crested Butte Titan athlete and current New Balance professional runner Emma Coburn just won her seventh national title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the USTAF championships last weekend edging out the win with a time of 9:17.70.

Drag Your Butte to the Fabulous Cabaret

The Crested Butte Mountain Theater, in collaboration with the Crested Butte Library, will host Drag Your Butte to the Fabulous Cabaret on Friday, June 29 at the Mallardi Cabaret Theater. A night of fabulous fun, this event is 21+ and costumes are encouraged.

Your Drag Queens for the evening are Coco Jem Holiday, Donatella Mysecrets, and Nina Symone from Grand Junction. Tickets are available online at www.cbmountaintheater.org, for $18 online presale, $20 cash at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show begins at 9 p.m.

Get black and white this Saturday at the museum

Join the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum for the 16th Annual Black & White Ball on Saturday, June 30, from 6 to 10 p.m. Once again, you will see tents up for this annual block party on the corner of Fourth Street and Elk Avenue. Listen to the New Mexico-based Americana Zydeco band Felix y Los Gatos as you enjoy appetizers provided by Ayla and Ian Scott’s Grease and Glitter Catering. Tickets for members are $25 and non-members $30. You can buy event tickets online at crestedbuttemuseum.com or by calling the museum at 349-1880.

Bookstore happening

Mountain Gazette Author Jane Parnell to read and sign at Townie Books on Saturday June 30th at 4pm. Jane Parnell’s Off Trail: Finding My Way Home in the Colorado Rockies is an inspiring memoir about surmounting challenges, including the highest peaks in the Colorado Rockies. A special Storytime Event is also happening Saturday. BEES will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 30 at Townie Books. To reserve your spot call (970) 349-7545.

GAC Cabaret “Sugar and Spice, Naughty and Nice”

Get yourself a cocktail and settle in for an evening of song and dance—ranging from spicy to sweet, naughty to very nice—in a cabaret setting at the Gunnison Arts Center, for “Sugar and Spice, Naughty and Nice,” June 29 and 30. Doors open at 7:30, and the curtain goes up at 8 p.m. You’ll laugh and love this locally produced talent held in the GAC Dance Studio, cabaret style. Directed by Enid Holden, with accompaniment by Julia Wilson, and MC by William Spicer. Appropriate for ages 18+. Tickets are $20 per person.

Birthdays:

June 28- Kevin Beltz, Alicia Lypps, Pi DuVal, Braillyn Krill, Matthew Holze, Xavier Fane

June 29- Ben Sweitzer

June 30- Jeff Duke, James O’Connor, Thomas Rutherford

July 1- Patricia Dawson, Michael Garren, Eric Ross, Shea Hillman, Amber Orton, Liz Berry

July 2- Jackie Ingham, Glo Cunningham, Anne Campbell, William Johnson, Monica Arias, Caitlin de Compiegne

July 3- Nathan Bilow, Sandy Shea

July 4- Molly Eldridge, America, Michelle Zanga, Jesse Gerber, Samantha Merck, Jeff Westling

Cameos: How are you celebrating independence day?

OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH…MY…GOD!

by Than Acuff

What do we do? One could get on Facebook and comment about how the Vail buyout will affect the cost of living and impending increased lack of affordability or, one could go to work and try and make some money to be able to afford to live here.

But that’s not why we moved here, to work to be able to afford to live here.

Although… I gotta be honest. How sick would it be if they ran a gondola from the East River Valley floor to the peak of Crested Butte Mountain? There would be two stations along the way where you could load/unload. One at the Paradise Warming House and another at a warming house on top of Paradise Cliffs so we can enjoy our Brie and Chardonnay while watching groms launch Paradise Cliffs before continuing up to a rotating restaurant on the summit for 360-degree views. Plus, we could host World Cup races that start on top of the Headwall.

My armchair assessment of the situation is that Vail wanted Okemo and Sunapee because they want a larger presence in the Northeast, an area where more than 55 million people live. They just had to take Crested Butte, an area where 10,000 people live, as part of the deal and we will remain the redheaded stepchild resort, which I’m okay with. Sure, we get ignored while the other kids get more attention but we also get away with more as a result because no one is paying attention. One potential benefit to us: If you follow the trickle-down economic theory made famous during the Reagan era, the gear is going to get that much better at the annual Crested Butte Snowsports Ski Swap and I will benefit.

I put the ass in assessment, though.

One thing I am paying attention to is the local softball leagues, which just opened another season on Tuesday, June 5. It’s the same local softball league that was here when Dick Eflin and Fred Rice started this ski resort. It’s the same softball league that thrived when the Callaways owned the resort. The same softball leagues that remained when the Muellers took over and the same softball leagues that will continue while Vail is in town.

With that, the 2018 season opened Tuesday, June 5 at fields throughout town and what better way to open the summer of softball then catching some single-wall small-ball action at Pitsker Field.

And oh, what an opening it was. Grills were grilling, beer was flowing, tunes were blaring and Alec Lindeman, aka Bobby Digital, nailed the National Anthem on the microphone.

Oh, the rocket’s red glare!

Not to mention Michael Villanueva, proud father of both Koa and newborn son Rio, tossing out the first pitch.

“I guess it was because I almost died.”

Unfortunately, the game didn’t quite live up to the pregame hype as the Avalanche eked out a 5-4 win over the latest addition to the local softball ranks, the Eleven.

The Eleven is a mix of some new faces and old to the league with a core group of linchpin players. Aforementioned linchpin players such as Andrea Schumacher and Ryan Kay, who each connected for base hits to drive in runs for a 2-0 Eleven lead.

Now the Avalanche is the same ol’ same ol’, except for Mark Reaman, who has opted out of the 2018 season. Yet there’s no shortage of talent on that team as Reaman’s kids, Ben and Sam, remain on the team along with their friends, bringing a wealth of youthful talent to the team once again. The Weil family is on for another season as well, as are the Chlipalas, and Jim Schmidt returns to pace the sidelines in what appears to be a war of attrition between Schmidt and Ronco as to who will have the most years of softball seasons in Crested Butte.

Sam Reaman led off the bottom of the first with a double and scored when Adrienne Weil rapped a double through the infield. Nolan Blunck and Maggie Dethloff combined for back-to-back powerbunt singles to load the bases and Mikey Weil scored two, stroking a grounder up the middle for a 3-2 lead.

Billy Watson and Reaman combined for two base hits in the bottom of the second inning and Blunck added a little sauce to his bat to knock a two RBI double for a 5-2 lead.

The Eleven bats showed some more life in the top of the fourth inning when Ryan Kay led off with a triple high off the fence in left and scored on a double by Josh Schumacher. Katy Kay punched a sac hit to advance Schumacher to third, and a single to shallow right by Grant VanHoose pushed Schumacher home to pull the Eleven to within one.

By the fifth inning the excitement of opening day had worn off as neither team could manage any offense the remaining two innings and the Avalanche did just enough to seal the 5-4 win.

By the way, Vail buying Crested Butte is not the end of the world. But, when the end of the world does come, and it will, cockroaches will be playing softball using plastic bags as gloves and plastic bottles as bats while eating Twinkies, and I will be there to cover it.

So much for the plan to write all summer about the change this place is seeing. That went away with the announcement that the granddaddy of all change just happened. When we woke up Monday we weren’t as cool as we were when we fell asleep Sunday. That’s just what happens when world ski resort behemoth Vail Resorts buys our cool, little but extreme CBMR ski resort at the end of the road. It did confirm every “CBMR Just Sold to Vail” rumor headline and April Fool’s story we have written the last 30 years. Told you!

Let’s be honest: Being part of the Vail corporate conglomerate chips away at the patina of funky ski town independence. There was a certain melancholy, if not downright panic, shock and hostility at the news on Monday. Social media went nuts as some of the mid-timers expressed disbelief that they have to sell the Subaru and buy a Lexus under the new Vail rules that go into effect this fall. Some of the oldsters kept parroting the platitude that “change is the only constant” before ducking punches from the kids who grew up here with a unique mountain town pride.

Let’s be honest: Our pointed laccolith is no longer under the management of a mom-and-pop family-owned ski resort. And honestly there is good and bad that come with that change. There will be money for ski area improvements—maybe the torn seats get replaced before November. Maybe the chairlifts run a bit more smoothly. Perhaps the ski patrol has the resources in money, manpower and explosives to get the steeps open earlier. Teo-2 might happen in a year instead of seven. Waffles might not be the biggest draw at the base area that folds up after 6 o’clock and maybe they can figure out how to change the spring scent at the Paradise lift line, but I’m not sure even Vail has that much money.

What Vail bought was a ski business, after all, and they haven’t been afraid to spend money to make the ski experience better for guests. The guests who come here come for the Crested Butte terrain and character, and that means the steeps. That is good for those of us still skiing.

The biggest difference might be speed and money. Vail likes to spend money that makes money and they will apparently do it fast—at least, fast for us where nothing is ever fast. So they’ll throw green into the product and bucks into marketing. The winter crowds that the Muellers and Callaways only dreamed about will likely be enticed here pretty quickly. What would have taken the Muellers a decade to accomplish in terms of skier days will probably take Vail a season or two. Goodbye, midweek private ski area. Hello, better ski mountain.

Let’s be honest: It is business. Vail bought a ski business. They didn’t buy you, so I don’t get some of the panic. To take the Vail executives at their word—as most of us do in this small town until proven otherwise—they like what Crested Butte is. They like the slightly outlaw, individualistic feel and plan to offer that as an alternative to their growing clientele. In business parlance, the corporate ski area wants to capitalize on the value of the Crested Butte brand. It is real, quirky, a bit more duct tape than fresh fur. It is Patagonia instead of Bogner. It is the Grateful Dead instead of Kenny G. It is Body Bag and Funnel instead of the Back Bowls. The Vail VP rightfully pointed out they already own a Vail in the portfolio and don’t need a mini-Vail that is hard to get to. Real is the key. If someone treats you as a prop in this authentic ski town, my guess is they’ll get a harsh dose of authenticity.

On another business note, did I mention that if you own property you probably saw a pop in your value this week? Internet research says prices could rise more than 20 percent following such a deal. The price of free-market houses in the valley ain’t going down. That may be good for homeowners but not so good for those hoping to raise a middle class family somewhere near Crested Butte in the future.

Let’s be honest: We are moving to a land of more. There will be more people coming. It will take more money to own a home here. There could be more need for parking lots. There will be more lift lines and lines in general. But waiters and bartenders should make more money. Businesses should see more bottom-line profit and be able to not sweat the offseason as much. Maybe there will be more and easier flights from Gunni that benefit everyone. Governments might want to soon consider more regs that keep the scale of the valley intact and find an equitable way for big second homes to contribute to small employee housing.

Let’s be honest: This place is about the people, and the people weren’t part of the purchase contract. The Chainless Race will still go on and the Al Johnson shouldn’t go away. How “interesting” do you think the Vinotok fire will be this year? Weed will still waft from the chair in front of you and Mountain Express buses will continue to be rolling pieces of art. You can still be weird and the black sheep of your family. You don’t have to suddenly wear Gucci, and duct tape will still be a regular addition on ski pants and Kincos. The “Gone Skiing” signs can still go up on a powder day and we can all still argue about dog poop bags or snowbanks on Elk Avenue.

Yeah—it will probably be different in a few years. But it’s the new resort executives who will have to adjust to the different as well. They get to see and experience a real, sometimes crusty, independent ski town attitude. They say that’s what they want. They are fortunate to have come into a community with the attitude of a ski town at the end of the road that is still not easy to get to and draws a different breed of character. It attracts refugees, crazed young powder hounds, barflies, poets, dancers, middle-aged bikers, senior-citizen shredders and people who care a little less about what the world thinks of them. Authenticity.

Every time I go to another resort and the workers hear we are from Crested Butte, they get a faraway look in their eye and whisper that they would love to live in Crested Butte. My kids’ college friends from Breckenridge and Summit are blown away by this community and its authentic small-town vibe with no stoplight, no Starbucks, the crazy lost and found on KBUT and trails you can hit 30 seconds from the one main street that is filled with colorful buildings and even more colorful local business owners. And whether the new corporate owners like it or not (and I think they will like it), that is what they get as part of this deal. That is what you will continue to have, a chance to shape and celebrate and share with the new corporate execs who just might suddenly understand what burning a Grump means and have a life-changing moment.

Maybe we are as cool as we were last Sunday. It’s still the end of the road after all.

—Mark Reaman

Vail parade

Just like when the Muellers purchased the ski resort, the town of Crested Butte is planning a champagne welcome parade for the Vail board of directors once the contract closes. Just kidding.

Crested Butte Town Picnic Friday, June 8 at noon 

But the town will be holding a community picnic this Friday at Rainbow Park. Join the town of Crested Butte in a community gathering to celebrate the start of summer. Enjoy free burgers and hot dogs, games and activities, and information about improving your home’s resource efficiency. A community photo will be taken at 1 p.m. Bring a dessert or side to share, and help us keep our environmental footprint small by also bringing your own cups, plates, and silverware.

Summer Mountain Express schedule begins this weekend

The Town Shuttle will begin operating on the 20-minute Summer Schedule on Saturday, June 9. The Summer Schedule will run daily, from 7:35 a.m. until midnight, through Sunday, September 30. The Gothic Bus begins operating on Monday, June 11. Buses depart the Four-way Stop in CB at 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you have any questions, visit the website at www.mtnexp.org, or contact Mountain Express at (970) 349-5616.

Stepping Stones garden party fundraiser

Come out to a Garden Party Fundraiser on Saturday, June 9 at 704 Whiterock Ave, the home of the Verdecchia family, (formerly the Claim Jumper). This event will be held from 3-6 p.m. and proceeds will benefit Stepping Stones Children’s Center. Vegetable and flower plants and starts will be for sale, along with custom garden themed cookies and cakes, mosaic stepping stones, hand painted planters, garden starter kits from Rocky Mountain Trees, hanging baskets, seeds, a lawn care consultation certificate with Keep it Green, cut flowers, and much more!

Go to the museum for free on June 14

The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum invites the Gunnison Valley Community to view our newest exhibits for free on Thursday, June 14th, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The newest exhibits include Crested Butte 1960s Counterculture: Coming Together, The Jokerville Mine, and Exploring the Gunnison Valley: The 1873 Hayden Survey.

Birthdays:

June 7- Hasley Ralph, Jenny Clifford, Kate Mailly, Lori Mannella

June 8- Steve “Popcorn” Shaffer, Ron Chlipala, Lisa Sacco, Melissa Harrington

June 9- Kirk Apt, Brad English, Bobby Gordon, Taylor Zurmuhlen, Taj and Skylar Crawford, Sean Riley

June 10- T.J. Campbell, Shelley Jordi, Ben Preston, Stephen Mabry

June 11- Jill Clair, Peter Bogardus, Lisa Holes, Jay Sunter, Evan Kezsbom

June 12- Hunter Gaither, Jane Thomas, Billy Rankin, Tyler Cappellucci

June 13- Bruce Cozadd, Buddy Ramstetter, Isaac Huxley Sorock, Aaron Tomcak

Cameos: What is and will always be uniquely Crested Butte?

Spencer Lightfoot Opening Art Reception is Friday, June 1

Since moving back to Colorado three years ago Spencer Lightfoot’s focus has been on the plants and animals that surround her. She would have never guessed in a million years that she would be fascinated by painting chickens and fish. But she is. All of this is represented in her watercolor mosaics. Fracturing the images into abstract representations, she delights in finding the right palette that lays somewhere between technicolor and reality. Her show runs through June 4 at the Piper Gallery with the opening reception taking place Friday, June 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The library’s newest monthly program: Community Crafters

If you are a craftaholic, plan to come to the newest monthly program at the Crested Butte Library on Tuesday, June 5 at 7 p.m. for Community Crafters. This event is free and open to the public and to crafters of all flavors—sewing, knitting, drawing, whatever creative outlet you may enjoy. You can work on a community craft project to make Boomerang Bags for Sustainable Crested Butte. There will be sewing machines, fabric, instructions and more. You’re encouraged to bring your own WIP (work in progress) and come work on your own craft, join the community crafting project, or just grab a coloring sheet and converse with other creatives at the library. Call (970) 349-6535 for more information.

Free class for home buyers in early June

The Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority is sponsoring a home-buyer class for those interested in learning the ins and outs of how to buy a home. The class is free to all attendees and will be held the evenings of June 4 and June 5 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Crested Butte Town Hall at 500 Maroon Avenue. You must register by June 1. Registration forms can be found at www.gvrha.org under the “GVRHA Documents” tab. Attendance both nights is necessary to obtain a certificate of completion, which gets you one additional entry into upcoming housing lotteries. Food and drinks will be provided.

Marimba Music Workshop at GAC

Learn the uplifting music of Zimbabwe in a fun summer morning workshop taught by local troupe members from Marimba Mu Gomo and Barbara Haas at the Gunnison Arts Center on Saturday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to noon. The instruction will be tailored to all skill levels. The workshop will be held outside on the GAC courtyard (or inside, depending on weather). Please bring a hat, sunscreen, water and a small snack. The workshop fee is $25 for adults and $20 for those aged 18 and under. Also, see Marimba MuGomo play live at the First Friday ArtWalk & Music at the Courtyard stage on June 1 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

June 2-3 is free-fishing weekend

Fishing is free this weekend and for those who live in southwest Colorado there are literally hundreds of places to drop a worm, cast a spinner or launch a fly. The free-fishing weekend, June 2 and June 3, sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, gives everyone a chance to get out on lakes, reservoirs and rivers to renew their love for the sport. In the Gunnison area go to Spring Creek Reservoir, located on Forest Service Road 744 in the Gunnison-Uncompahgre National Forest; Taylor Park Reservoir, located on Forest Service Road 742, in the Gunnison-Uncompahgre National Forest; or Blue Mesa Reservoir, located on U.S. Highway 50 between Montrose and Gunnison.

Birthdays:

May 31- Nancy Serfas, Ceci Ervin, Robbie Vandervoort, Rayne Gainous, Steve Dobbin, Jim Brenny, Tom Jackson, Tom Rudder, Alice Jennison

June 1- Tim White, Beth Edmiston

June 2- Ted Bosler, Zach Knoll, Edie Shuman-Gibson

June 3- Rosie Gebhart, Jean Bell-Dumas, Anna Aronovic, Elizabeth Bond

June 4- Mark Alling, Gary Sprung, Veronica Walton, Jordan Preston, Ben Barney

June 5- Jim Murry, Karen Saeger, Nathan Schield, Talie Morrison, Adele Bachman, Chris Sharpe, Max Lamb, Robin Cheney, Dave Carbonetti, Patti Kaech, Mary Lass, Rebecca Susan Ofstedahl, Carie O’Neal, Abby Norton

June 6- Paris Lumb, Ellyn Houghton, Toby Rippetoe

Cameos: WHAT HOBBY DO YOU WISH WAS YOUR CAREER?