Walking the razor’s edge…

It is the time of year when many here walk a razor’s edge between hope and despair. The uncertain and sometimes brutal weather plays a role as does energy that ranges from the hope that comes with spring and the quiet despair that comes with people moving away or taking trips and leaving voids in the patterns of normal daily life. Those who are struggling can find themselves struggling even more in our off-seasons. 

Organizations like CB State of Mind understand the challenges that come to many of our friends and neighbors this time of year. The green light campaign, the mantra of ‘it is okay to not be okay,’ the reminders that you are not alone, all get amped up now.

The community lost one of our neighbors to the struggle last week. A gentle soul who obviously was struggling, chose to transition to the other side last week and has left many broken hearts in the valley. Now it is up to us to help the family and friends who must deal with the loss. It is up to us to keep a closer eye on others who might be struggling. It is up to us to realize that is okay to not be okay and understand we are all connected, and no one is alone. If you need help, CB State of Mind has valuable resources at its website, cbstateofmind.org.

Two significant actions by government officials on Monday can be viewed as helping the general mental health of the broader community. The ceremonial groundbreaking of the Whetstone community housing project by Brush Creek was held on a windy Monday afternoon at the site. The Gunnison County project now known as Whetstone Village will result in 252 units of housing for working locals. 

I was touched by the remarks of county commissioner Liz Smith who conveyed that as a child she and her family had dealt with housing insecurity and that is something that never goes away. It is part of her make-up, and it is not a pleasant memory. Secure housing is a big need up here in the valley. It can be expensive, it can be hard to find and even when you finally get a place to rent it too often can be uncertain. The stress of housing insecurity can chip away at your mental well-being.

Whetstone was described Monday by some of those involved as being an “audacious” project for a small community such as ours. It is…especially as we watch the political and economic chaos unfold in the bigger world. I would be a bit leery of starting a nine-figure project in the current economic climate, but local leaders are willing to take the risk given the payoff.

Whetstone will no doubt be another change to the upper valley from a size standpoint. It is big. It will no doubt impact the entrance to Crested Butte as it goes up and a roundabout is constructed as part of the project. It is urban. But it will no doubt allow hundreds of working people to finally feel some security in their housing situation in a rapidly changing and increasingly wealthier community where the free market doesn’t always take care of the low- and middle-income residents. It will no doubt help ease some mental health challenges for those struggling with where they and their families can not only have a roof over their head but also make a good life in a chosen community. It is no doubt a risk, but such risks in hindsight often look like genius moves. Hopefully this is one.

The Crested Butte council on Monday pulled it together and agreed to allocate $10,000 to help fund a request from local public land stewards to get more “boots on the ground” in our nearby Gunnison National Forest this summer. Government cutbacks were reducing the number of people who monitor the federal lands that surround us.

The initiative to raise $60,000 throughout the community to pay for four experienced seasonal backcountry rangers to help maintain our literal backyard has been somewhat controversial for some. But I will argue it is a valuable initiative to protect not just the asset that attracts people here to make our economy work, but also protect the backyard so many of us use for recreation — and I would say to help with our mental health. No mental health struggle is the same but the public land that surrounds us is a place any of us can easily get to for free to take that deep breath of nature. It can challenge us with a hike or a bike ride or settle us with the sound of the creek, the smell of the aspen forest or the sight of wildlife. Being in nature can be a salve for many a troubled mind.

So, it makes sense to do what we can to protect that amenity that comes with our choice to live here. It’s smart to have four more people out there not just clearing trails and cleaning campsites and backcountry toilets, but also educating those visiting who are less versed in the etiquette of how to share these public lands. Having four more people monitoring campfires and keeping an eye out for signs of early wildfires is another layer of protection for our home — and I would say a protection for one of our calming paths when the struggle begins to get overwhelming. It is an investment in all our mental health and will be $60,000 well spent.

Again, as sweet a place as this valley is, it can also be really hard. The struggle can be real. It is not always rainbows and unicorns in paradise. So, spending money and taking action to protect things like the nature that surrounds us and providing housing opportunity for people wanting to thrive here in the mountains, is a good thing. 

And for those who are struggling in the deep end of the pool, remember you are not alone. We are all connected. The cbstateofmind.org website is an easy to navigate site with lots of resources. As we again found out last weekend, we will unfortunately lose more friends and neighbors dealing with the struggle, but we as a community should do what we can to limit that. 

—Mark Reaman