The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
The analogy that the strength of Crested Butte is like a three-legged stool is one used for many years here. Locals, tourists and second homeowners make up the three legs and all contribute to the stability of the community. To damage one, impairs the integrity of the stool. The stool (and CB) works best when the three legs are in balance but that hasn’t always been the case and that can cause the stool to wobble at times.
It is July and not surprisingly all three legs of the stools are at times shaky. Each leg has recently had what could be termed either an eyebrow raising event or something that blows your mind. For example…
I was sent a few photos from Saturday of the absolute chaos up Gothic Road near the Rustler’s Gulch turn where many people start 401. It blew my mind. Gridlock on Gothic Road. The photos showed one long lane open for traffic. I could see the issue if two cars met each other in a spot where vehicles lined both sides of the road. It looked like mayhem. Mind blowing. And I heard a similar traffic situation was up at Irwin on Saturday as well. Rumor has it that could result in paid parking up there from the Forest Service. We’ll try to track that down but as with all of Donald’s departments, employees are not allowed to say much right now.
My gut instinct this summer has been to avoid popular backcountry areas, so I haven’t been up to the upper Gothic corridor or over to Lake Irwin. Based on the photos, it’s been a good choice. I’d make a bet that no one caught in the Gothic Road gridlock sat there hoping TAPP is increasing efforts to get more people here in the summer. While I know there were locals in the traffic jam, it is obvious the horror movie titled Gothic Gridlock comes under the tourism leg of the stool. Sheer numbers overwhelm.
On the bright side —after dealing with gridlock in the middle of nowhere, I’d guess that some stuck in the jam needed a drink — or a piece of art or a t-shirt after that experience and bought something from a local business owner. Anyway, for that, here’s a public thank you to the tourism leg of the stool. Remember that the tourism pain of July allows us the treasure of the other 11 months here in the valley. But let’s admit that that a major backcountry traffic jam is a sign that this leg of the stool is loose and off kilter.
Moving over to the second homeowner leg…that group is stepping up to support a ton of local nonprofits. Hearing how much money is being raised at all the recent local “galas” this summer and last is a mind blower, especially when compared to say, 10 or 15 years ago. Literally millions and millions of dollars are being donated for a variety of causes, all good and most that benefit the whole community stool.
I could be wrong, but I’ll guess those who come here for summer and part of the winter have more means than most of the people I see at Kochevar’s on Friday afternoon. These part-timers love this place and want to donate to causes they like and that they feel make the place better. Those benefitting organizations make it better for everyone, including locals and tourists. Many second homeowners have the means and philanthropic ethic to give away some of their wealth for things that help the valley in general. Thank you.
Not to say some locals don’t have a nest egg and contribute financially to good causes, but the second homeowner leg seems to have ponied up the big bucks for things like open space, art centers, adaptive programs and so much more. Lord knows I can’t afford even the starting bids I saw being introduced this past week, but we all benefit from the results of the contributions that help make this place special.
While I hear scuttlebutt that some donors perceive a lack of gratitude from locals, that’s just part of the deal of Crested Butte. Not everyone appreciates change, good or bad. There’s also a certain Western stoicism about this place. It’s part of the wood grain in all three legs. So, while there’s a tip of the hat to those who help good projects happen, no one gets a parade for doing something good. The good is in the doing.
Most people understand this is all part of how we choose to shape our future and not just let the future happen to us. One traditional trait of Crested Butte has been that the community in general didn’t care how much money you had or what you did with it, it mattered how you acted within the community. The one overriding community rule of ‘don’t be a jerk’ is what trumps all, including giving millions of dollars to a good cause. Just sayin’.
The amount of volunteerism and the consistent attitude of stepping up when needed, is one that captures the local leg of the stool. While not mind blowing given its regularity, it could be given the state of the world. People here might grate on one another, but they try and support one another first.
It’s tribe or family or community or whatever you want to call it but in general, there is a feeling from those living here that we are stewards of a special place in the world. That’s a big contribution toward keeping this a place others like to visit, and we want to live in.
When I see how the local community debates with itself and tries time after time to make good decisions, I really appreciate the local leg of the stool. We don’t always get it right but it’s not for fear of trying. We don’t just complain about situations, we actively try to make decisions to shape situations.
It could be over funding the conservation corps to help manage that backcountry chaos. It might be trying to figure out how best to slow drivers down in the summer (yelling can be effective), it could be figuring out how to make sure different kinds of people feel comfortable here, or taking actions to try and make sure workers and not just those with big portfolios can live in this place of million-dollar views. Placement of a trail? There will be a debate. Parking permits? Let’s argue about it. That too is part of the wood grain in the local leg. All of these things make me raise an eyebrow but upon further reflection, it should, and does, blow my mind.
There are so many things connected to the three legs that can raise an eyebrow or blow my mind right now.
—Overflowing garbage on Elk Avenue trash cans and the community debate about it all — check.
—Entitlement attitude emanating from all three legs of the CB stool? Unfortunate check.
—Getting several emails about one of the town’s primary commercial financiers Mark Walter having investments in things like surveillance platforms and private prison companies that operate ICE detention centers — while also denying ICE access to Dodger Stadium parking lots and committing $1 million towards assistance for families of immigrants impacted by recent events in the LA region — check. But I will say the inside of the old Princess with its exposed stone walls (that the Walter group is renovating) is sort of mind blowing.
—Local groups hauling out literally dozens of piles of human poop? Yuck, but check.
—Smoke in the air, dust on the trails? We need the summer monsoons to kick in or we will all have our minds blown if we get more of those raucous thunderstorms with no real rain.
—Frankly, just being able to hop on a bike from my home or office and get out to places that after decades of being here, are still mind-blowingly beautiful. Double check.
And then of course it all comes together for a few hours at something like a Monday evening Alpenglow when the local band is entertaining literally thousands of locals, tourists and second homeowners. The dust blowing in might have chased a few people away but the red ball sinking into Red Lady brought a sense of awe to everyone. The moment was met as all three legs of the stool felt a common love for this place that has a piece of their heart…Thanks.
July will end soon. Breathe…don’t be a jerk — and be appreciative for all three legs of that community stool.
—Mark Reaman
