The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Living high in the Rocky Mountains in a town tied to a ski area, it is natural that weather is a normal top of mind discussion point. So it was this week as we finally received some consistent moisture in the upper valley. Luckily for an unusually event-filled weekend, the moisture that was accompanied by rolling thunder and close lightning started in earnest late Sunday afternoon.
Strolling around Monday between raindrops, everyone was stoked about the moisture. The first comments that came when passing pretty much anyone had to do with rain, puddles, the striking misty clouds hanging below the peaks or the start of what is expected to be the three or four peak months of a super El Niño. Bring it. And before some start to go crazy if the rain doesn’t stop, just look at the rivers and creeks that are in desperate need of replenishment and ride out what we hope is an atmospheric cascade.
Heck, it’s not just about the trickling Slate River. How much water does the ski resort have access to, to get a jump on the ski season with its normal snowmaking schedule. It’s all well and good to have the ability to at least throw out an early season ribbon of death to get people on their boards in November, but if there’s isn’t enough water in the East River to keep a few trout alive and get water into the pipes and on Warming House Hill, it could be a lean Skigiving Day that normally starts the season. At the moment, CBMR is not saying much when we ask about water and snowmaking. Fair I guess as they search for a middle manager to sacrifice to Uller.
So, it appears a clerical mistake is keeping Mt. Crested Butte town councilmember and CB Mountain Theatre executive director Alec Lindeman off the ballot in his quest for House District 58. Alec was running as a Democrat in a pretty heavily Republican district that includes places like Cortez and Delta, but in this coming election that could sweep in the Blues over the Reds, he had a chance. But alas, paperwork and missed communication by the Dems resulted in Alec not having to drive to Mancos and Dolores all fall — so we get Larry Don Suckla speaking for us in the state legislature. Alec said he’s bummed but he’s already looking at 2028.
Vinotok is our valley’s keystone fall festival. Rightfully so. It is a community celebration with a broad range of events from the lewd to the staid. While my second born son is a Harvest baby, I personally enjoy the altars as much as anything Vinotok. Chloe Bowman who will be sharing her perspectives more regularly in the paper, nails some insights on the quintessential CB festival on page 22.
At the same time I heard more than a little love flowing from people who pushed their klunkers over Pearl Pass and described the weekend as a true, loose, old-school Crested Butte party; from those who did laps in the Bridges of the Butte; and from others that attended one of the too many recent ‘celebrations of life.’ But they all emanate from love which continues to be the blessing of this place and its people.
I’ll throw big kudos to the Gunnison County sheriff and commissioners for deciding this week to not renew the Flock Camera contract. There are five such surveillance cameras in the county and as I pointed out a few weeks ago, I agreed with Congresswoman Lauren Boebert that those cameras are an intrusion to our rights to privacy. Warrantless monitoring by the state is not something to get comfortable with and I appreciate our elected county representatives listening to their citizens and ridding our community of those Flocks.
And for those worried about the impacts of the proposed Lower Verzuh development and extra tax on second homeowners in Crested Butte, why worry? The people most closely in charge of developing Artificial Intelligence are warning that their project could soon get to the point that AI agents are tired of carbon-based life forms (that’s us!) and will just eliminate them. Of course, AI and deep-thinking science expert Donald J calls it all a hoax since he is heavily invested in the financial AI arena and would just as soon see his husk of a soul put more cash in his bank account before we’re all eliminated by the bots. The ultimate win! Or maybe he believes as the world’s best deal maker he can reason with the AIs and he and Natalie Harp won’t be part of the wave of human extinction the experts say is possible if something isn’t done soon to control the development of artificial superintelligence.
Sigh…
Anyway, enjoy what could be the early peak of the fall colors this weekend. Who knows what will happen with the aspens in this weird year. While it doesn’t appear to be a banner year for the gold, it is still pretty spectacular in spots. Get it now, and enjoy the rain, the altars, the bonfire, the townie takeovers and the people before AI Armageddon.
—Mark Reaman
