“I was sweating bullets because he was right behind me and because it was hot as hell.”

by Than Acuff

Bike racing season is in full swing and local riders are all over Colorado and the west making a name for themselves on the circuit. Team Griggs Orthopedics (Team gO) rider Neil Beltchenko is currently in the area and battling it out up front at the annual Tour Divide race from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, N.M. Team gO athlete Brian Smith just won a bike race at FIBArk and Team gO young gun Zach Guy just won the Bailey Hundo over the weekend.

Guy opened the bike riding season checking off ski descents in Alaska for most of May. Once back in the lower 48, he hung up the skis, pulled out the bike and jumped immediately into the fray, placing eighth at the Full Growler on May 24.

“I did one or two rides, maybe an hour total, on my bike,” says Guy.

Since then, Guy logged in some miles in preparation for a busy bike racing season, including a road tour to Aspen and back, and then lined up at 6 a.m. Saturday, June 20 for the Bailey Hundo. The Bailey Hundo opens up 100 miles of racing on some pristine single track in the hills outside of Bailey, Colo.

“It’s really fun, sort of like Hartmans, but really flowy through the trees and burn areas,” says Guy. “No rocks or roots really, just super fun and smooth, fast riding.”

The race typically takes riders on a mix of single track and dirt roads for one long continuous tour but due to recent flooding, race organizers altered the course to make the race two laps of the single track section, finishing just shy of 100 miles total.

Four hundred riders started all at once and Guy was forced to pull himself through the flesh mass and near the front for the opening eight miles. Eventually he settled in with another rider for most of the first lap. As his closest competitor started to fade, Guy pulled ahead and was sitting in second place as the first lap progressed.

“The first lap went by really quick and I didn’t expect it to be as easy,” says Guy. “I kind of rode the first lap conservatively and realized I still had plenty of energy left.”

As he was finishing up the first lap, he noticed a tent and another rider a bit off the course but didn’t think much of it and just kept riding through and feeling good. Soon into the second lap, his girlfriend was out on course and gave him some surprising news.

“I was still thinking I was in second place and just cruising along and Kaitlyn says, ‘What’s going on? I think you’re in first,’” explains Guy.

It turned out the rider and tent he passed was heavily decorated endurance rider Josh Tostado refueling at an aid station, and on lap two Guy went from the hunter to the hunted, with Tostado in pursuit.

Guy kept pushing and when the two riders were climbing up a switchback area in a burn section of the course, he got a glimpse of Tostado.

“He was closing in so fast,” says Guy.

Tostado caught Guy and Guy did everything he could to stick on his rear wheel, stopping at an aid station for one last refuel and restock. That stop made all of the difference as Tostado made his last stop just before one final brutal climb. Guy played through to build a lead, pinning himself in the hot sun on the last climb to build a gap.

“I knew every second counted at that point,” says Guy. “That last climb was the tortuous part. I was sweating bullets because he was right behind me and because it was hot as hell.”

The final climb then turned to one last section of flowy downhill and Guy managed to maintain his gap through the final stretch to win in a time of six hours, 14 minutes and 59 seconds, one minute ahead of Tostado.

Guy, as well as several other local riders, will line up Saturday morning, June 27 for the Fat Tire 40 at Crested Butte Bike Week and then will return to the road to race the Firecracker 50 and the Breck 100 in July, and then the Leadville 100 in August.

A highlight of Crested Butte Bike Week

by Dawne Belloise

Crested Butte Bike Week is upon us and it rightly boasts that it’s the oldest mountain bike festival in the world. Originally dubbed Fat Tire Bike Week before its name change a couple of years ago, it highlights Crested Butte as the legendary home of mountain biking, combining skill and competition with the proper amount of craziness.

Perhaps the most insane and anticipated race is the notorious Chainless World Championship Bike Race, from the top of Kebler Pass down seven miles of dirt and minimal pavement to the heart of town. The chainless race began about 35 years ago when a gaggle of locals decided to pedal their klunkers up Kebler Pass Road, disconnect their chains and fly down the pass to see what would happen.

Dave Ochs, president of the Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce explains, “If you go with a coaster brake bike you don’t have brakes when you take the chain off. In the old days, they were ballsy, using only their feet, they’d wear heavy boots to brake. We use zip ties to tie up the chains now—you can’t pedal but you can use your brakes.”

Ochs says, “We want to bring the race back to its roots, a true celebration of the townie klunker bike, although all bikes are welcome—the handmade bikes, the art bikes, all the crafty sculptures that people take up there.”

He notes that the Chainless was a townie race originally and you should be on the right bike if you’re going for the big win, but again, all bikes are welcome and the spectators go wild over all the fabulous creations of those racers just wanting to show up with their artful klunkers and have an amazingly fun time.

Unlike the old days, you won’t have to pedal your contraption up Kebler because there are bike transports all the way to the top of the pass. Keep in mind though, as the website states, they are piled onto flatbed trailers and strapped down, so the chances of your bike getting scratched is somewhere between 50 percent and guaranteed.

It’s a junker race so find a sturdy one then drop off your bike between 10 a.m. and noon behind the Chamber of Commerce, then go play. The participant shuttle leaves from Elk Avenue and 6th Avenue, next to the Chamber parking lot from 2 to 3 p.m. to haul your bad self up to your bike on the pass. The race starts at 4:20 p.m., of course, and finishes at 1st and Elk.

Ochs says more than 100 chainless racers have registered but not too many locals, who tend to wait until the last moment to log in, but he also warns that they cap the participants at 300, “and it could sell out. We don’t want to turn any locals away so we encourage all of you to sign up now,” Ochs urges.

The race start is pure madness, and Ochs says it’s antsy at the start line, elbows being thrown, bravado being spoken.

“That run is pretty amazing, it’s like playing hopscotch on crack. It’s impossible to find your bike sometimes and you have to jump around everyone’s bikes and wheel frames to find your bike and then get it out.”

He explains that the racers have to run to their wheeled steeds entangled in a knot of 300 bikes when the gun goes off. He also notes that not all 300 racers are vying to win—most are there for the fun, although it’s definitely a competition, and there are discussions of what’s authentic, what’s the right bike, who should be allowed to win—like, should a tandem be able to win?

Most Crested Butte competitions and events involve costuming up and Buttians take their costume creating seriously. “That’s the best,” Ochs says. “What you see in the Chainless Race is nothing shy of Crested Butte’s finest. Over the years the costumes have gotten even better, like last year’s boat bike and the gorilla suits and chicken suits are so perfect.”

Then there are the mechanical feats like Mike Arbaney’s front end, loose pivot point bike named the Gambler that can bend itself in two. And there’s the prestige and the glory and Ochs says, “For the one vying for the victory, it’s absolutely prestigious.”

In fact, Ochs himself covets that fame but the honor eludes him every year. He’s come in second and third multiple times, but never first. “All I want in the world is to win,” he grins and swears he’s going to gain 50 pounds for mass to help gravity accelerate his projectile speed down that mountain road so he can take the title one year.

There are prizes, of course, for the best bike, best costume and an assortment of other funky awards in addition to the more tough first, second and third arriving at the bottom in one piece.

New this year is that all the prizes are donated from Soma Wellness. Ochs says they’re also hoping to bring back the highly desired Green Jacket that went to the first-place winner.

“Whoever won the Chainless got to keep the jacket for a year, but the jacket’s been lost for eight or nine years now,” Ochs says. He says the coat of honor is similar to the one from the Masters Golf Tournament. “It was super cool. You wanted the jacket.”

The no guts-no glory race is, of course, famous for its daring carnage as racers descend the final hill trying to avoid the side-slide turn onto Elk Avenue from old Kebler Road to screaming throngs of fans. Kebler Pass Road will be closed to traffic during the race, making the descent a somewhat safer ride for the death-defying racers.

Just because you aren’t crazy enough to drop the vertical Kebler Road doesn’t mean you don’t get to party. Everyone is welcome to the after-party, where there’ll be music and beer. One of the Crested Butte Bike Week’s sponsors, Oskar Blues Brewery, is onboard with their recipe of “Ride bikes. Drink beer. Repeat.” It’s practically a Crested Butte chant. Ochs says the chamber is “keeping the chainless love going because it’s the best bike race on the planet.”

Registration and a full schedule of events online at cbbikeweek.com. Also check out the full schedule and details of all the weekend’s events on page 27.

THURSDAY 25
• 6-6:45 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 7 a.m. The Whatever Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8 a.m. Ecumenical Meditation at UCC.
• 8:30 a.m. Women’s book discussion group at UCC.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Gunnison County Branch Office is open at the Crested Butte Town Offices.
• 10 a.m. Mothering Support Group at Oh Be Joyful Church. (Last Thursday of every month.)
• 10 a.m. Yoga for Everyone with Yoga for the Peaceful on the Center for the Arts Outdoor Stage. 349-7487.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Lunch Time Yoga – All levels. Town Hall Fitness Room. 303-483-5935.
• noon All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Church Community Healing Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• noon CORE Stability. 970-901-4413.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 12:30 p.m. ACBL Sanctioned Open Bridge Game. 349-5535.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage open, free clothing and bedding. 310 Belleview. 970-275-5285.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Crested Butte Community Food Bank open at Oh Be Joyful Church (First Thursday of every month.)
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Services at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow for Bikers at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga – All levels. Sunset Hall, CB South. 970-596-9826.
• 5:45 p.m. Werk It Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-8 p.m. Adult outdoor pick-up soccer in Town Park. 349-5338.
• 6:30 p.m. AA Open Meditation at UCC.
• 7 p.m. Women Supporting Women Group Discussion at the Nordic Inn.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

FRIDAY 26
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:30 a.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 349-6482.
• 8:30-9:45 a.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga – All levels. Town Hall Fitness Room. 303-483-5935.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 9 a.m. Guided Walking Tour of Crested Butte with the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. 349-1880.
• 9 a.m. Juliette’s Balance Barre at Western Pilates Studio in Crested Butte. 596-1714.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Prana Vinyasa for Bikers at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-noon Open Wheel Throwing at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 10-11:15 a.m. Kundalini Yoga – All levels. Town Hall Fitness Room. 970-275-2767.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Restorative Yoga for Bikers at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon Metabolic Blast at CORE. 970-901-4413.
• 4:30-5:45 p.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Pick-Up adult Karate, Fitness Room at Town Hall.
• 5:30-6:15 p.m. Aerial Conditioning with the Dance Collective at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 6-7 p.m. Poi Playshop at the Pump Room.
• 6:15-7 p.m. Open Aerial Dance with the Dance Collective at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.

SATURDAY 27
• 7:30 a.m. Open AA at UCC.
• 8 a.m. Indoor Biking Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Prana Vinyasa for Bikers at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Community Yoga at the Sanctuary Yoga & Pilates Studio, Gunnison.
• 9:15 a.m. All Levels Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 10 a.m. Crested Butte Mountain Runners trail run at Hartman Rocks. 349-5326.
• 10:30 a.m. Hip Hop dance cardio class at the Pump Room. 415-225-5300.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics for Bikers at Yoga for the Peaceful.

SUNDAY 28
• 7-8 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 8:30 a.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Oh-Be-Joyful Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at UCC Church.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Easy flow for Bikers at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:30-11 a.m. Community Yoga – All levels. Town Hall Fitness Room. 303-483-5935.
• 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.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6 p.m. AA meets at UCC.
• 6:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. Call 349-9296.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation – All levels. By donation. 308 3rd St., CB.
518-423-1414.
• 7 p.m. Gamblers Anonymous meets at the Last Resort.

MONDAY 29
• 6:30 a.m. Strength and Conditioning with Janae or Pip at CORE. 901-4413.
• 7 a.m. Boot Camp Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 8:45 a.m. Mat Mix at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Ashtanga Yoga – All levels. Town Hall Fitness Room. 970-275-2767.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon-1 p.m. Yoga Therapeutics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 12:30 p.m. ACBL Sanctioned Open Bridge Game. 349-5535.
• 4-8 p.m. Soo Bahk Do classes for kids and adults. 349-7752.
• 5 p.m. Mothering Support Group at the GVH Education House, 300 East Denver St. (First Monday of every month.)
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30 p.m. Yin/Yang Circuit with Ginny and Jess at CORE. 901-4413.
• 5:30-7 p.m. Moms in Motion class at the GVH rehab gym.
• 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 30
• 7 a.m. The Whatever Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Open at UCC. 349-5711.
• 8:30-9:15 a.m. Aerial Conditioning with the Dance Collective at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful. 349-2588.
• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Gunnison County branch office is open at the Crested Butte Town Offices, 507 Maroon Ave.
• 9:15-10 a.m. Open Aerial Dance with the Dance Collective at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters meeting at 210 W. Spencer in Gunnison.
• 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Lunch Time Yoga – All levels. Town Hall Fitness Room.
303-483-5935.
• noon AA Closed at UCC.
• 2-4 p.m. Tech Tuesdays at Old Rock Library. 349-6535.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage open, free clothing and bedding. 310 Belleview. 970-275-5285.
• 5:15 p.m. RedCord suspension class at Western Pilates Studio in Crested Butte.
596-1714.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Easy Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga – All levels. CORE Fitness Studio above A Daily Dose. 303-483-5935.
• 5:45 p.m. All Levels Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7 p.m. Community Connection Night at UCC Parlour.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Celebrate Recovery upstairs at Oh Be Joyful Church. 970-596-3846.
• 6-8 p.m. Adult outdoor pick-up soccer in Town Park. 349-5338.
• 7-8 p.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 7-8:30 p.m. Blessing Way Circle support group at Sopris Women’s Clinic. 720-217-3843.
• 7-9 p.m. Pick-up adult Karate, Fitness Room at Town Hall.
• 7:45-9:45 p.m. Drop-In Adult Volleyball, CBCS MS Gym

WEDNESDAY 1
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. Rotary meeting at the Grand Lodge.
• 8:30 a.m. High Country Conservation Advocates day hikes. Sign up at www.hccacb.org.
• 8:45 a.m. Mat Mix at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 9 a.m. Guided Walking Tour of Crested Butte with the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. 349-1880.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Two Buttes Senior Citizens van transportation. Roundtrip to Gunnison. 275-4768.
• 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Plein Air Watercolor Workshop Series at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Metal Etching for Middle School students at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044. (through July 2).
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Easy Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-8 p.m. Soo Bahk Do classes for kids and adults. 349-7752.
• 5 p.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30 p.m. Prenatal Yoga class in Crested Butte South. 349-1209.
• 5:30-7 p.m. Restorative Yin Yoga Nidra – All levels. Town Hall Fitness Room. 303-483-5935.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7:45 p.m. Prana Vinyasa Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 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.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY 25
35th Annual Crested Butte Bike Week June 25-28.
• 9 a.m.-4 p.m. gO Clinic mountain bike clinics for all levels, meet behind Crested Butte/Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce.
• 11 a.m. Guided bike ride in Cement Mountain area. Meet at Handlebar Bike Shop.
• 2 p.m. Novel-Tea discussing Mark Steven’s Trapline at the Old Rock Library.
• 4:30-6 p.m. RMBL Community Center Grand Opening Celebration in Gothic. Mountain Express leaves the 4-way at 4 p.m. and Gothic at 6 p.m. 349-7231.
• 5 p.m. 2015 GVH Foundation Celebrity Golf Cocktails & Dinner.
• 6-9 p.m. RMBL hosts the 2nd annual Science Affair with guest speaker Scott Ferrenberg. 349-7420.
• 6:30 p.m. Fun Run from the Gothic townsite to Mt. Crested Butte. Meet at the main entrance to the ski area parking lot, opposite the Nordic Inn by 6 p.m.
• 7 p.m. Kevin Marquis and Ben Powell play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7 p.m. TIME SPANS – JACK Quartet performance at UCC. 349-0619.
• 7 p.m. Mt. Bike Films & CBMBA Appreciation Night at the Majestic Theater.
• 10 p.m. Karaoke upstairs in the Sky Bar at the Talk of the Town.
• 10 p.m. Chamomile Whiskey plays at the Eldo.

FRIDAY 26
• 9:30 a.m. 2015 Gunnison Valley Health Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament, featuring Basketball Star Randy Foye.
• 10 a.m.-noon Chainless Race bike drop off behind the Chamber of Commerce.
• 11 a.m. TIME SPANS – Composer Talk at the Mallardi Cabaret. 349-0619.
• 2-6 p.m. Living Journeys Yard Sale at 15 Kubler Street, CB South.
• 2:30-3 p.m. Chainless participant shuttle at 6th & Elk.
• 3 p.m. Live music by Ruby Chief at 1st and Elk Ave parking lot.
• 3:45-4:15 p.m. Kids Chainless Race, 1st & Elk, free.
• 4:20 p.m. World Champion Chainless Race, top of Kebler Pass to 1st & Elk.
• 5-7 p.m. Chainless party, awards and live music by Black Ice Drive.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Blair Garth Artist Reception at the Piper Gallery of the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 7 p.m. Dawne Belloise and Chuck Grossman play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7 p.m. TIME SPANS – Talea Ensemble performance at UCC. 349-0619.
• 7-9:30 p.m. Colorado Beer and Country Swing at the Gunnison Arts Center.
• 7:30 p.m. Oskar Blues Brewery Beer Dinner at Coal Creek Grill.
• 10 p.m. Black Ice Drive and Gun Rack plays at the Eldo.

SATURDAY 27
• 7 a.m.-noon Living Journeys Yard Sale at 15 Kubler Street, CB South.
• 8 a.m. Fat Tire 40 Bike Race, start/finish at the Town Park.
• 9-11 a.m. 3rd Annual Splatterdash, Totem Pole Park start & finish. 349-7160.
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Plein Air Watercolor Workshop with instructor Karen Hill, meet at the Visitor Center parking lot at 9:30 a.m. to caravan to Slate River.
• 11 a.m. TIME SPANS – JACK Quartet performance at UCC. 349-0619.
• noon 24 hour Bridges of the Butte Townie Tour.
• noon Kevin Marquis plays on the Coal Creek Grill deck.
• noon-4 p.m. Gunnison River Festival at the Gunnisom County Whitewater Park.
• 4 p.m. Opera Studio at the Mallardi Cabaret Theatre. 349-0619.
• 7 p.m. Craig McLaughlin plays at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7 p.m. TIME SPANS – Talea Ensemble performance at the Center for the Arts. 349-0619.
• 9 p.m. DJ Triple L hosts karaoke at the Red Room.
• 10 p.m. Pete Pidgeon & Arcoda plays at the Eldo.

SUNDAY 28
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Plein Air Watercolor Workshop with instructor Karen Hill, meet at the Visitor Center parking lot at 9:30 a.m. to caravan to Slate River.
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Crested Butte Farmer’s Market on Elk Avenue.
• 11 a.m. Rachael Van Slyke plays on the Coal Creek Grill deck.
• 11:15 a.m. Gravity Slave Downhill Race at Evolution Bike Park.
• 3-7 p.m. Happy Hour Sundays with Chuck Grossman at the Eldo.
• 4 p.m. TIME SPANS – JACK Quartet with Amy Williams at UCC. 349-0619.
• 4-6 p.m. Mountain Roots presents “All About Herbs: Growing a Kitchen Garden” with Diane Bober at the Elk Avenue Garden.
• 6-8 p.m. Sundays @ 6 featuring Chris Coady & Friends at Legion Park in Gunnison.
• 6-9 p.m. Sweetwater String Band at Montanya Distillers.
• 7 p.m. Renee Wright and Nichole Reycraft play at the Princess Wine Bar.

MONDAY 29
• 5:30 p.m. Alpenglow: Quemando on the Center for the Arts Outdoor Stage. 349-7487.
• 6:30 p.m. Deborah Tutnauer is presenting on Social Media for Business at the Old Rock Library.
• 7 p.m. Jackson Melnick plays at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Shannon Stichter hosts Open Mic Night at Pitas in Paradise.

TUESDAY 30
• 9 a.m. Socrates Café discussing Is Ignorance Bliss? at the Old Rock Library. 349-6535.
• 11 a.m. Summer Reading CB-Hometown Heroes: Mountain Root Food Projects at the Old Rock Library. 349-6535.
• 4-6 p.m. Canvases & Cocktails with the Art Studio at Bonez. 349-7044.
• 5:30 p.m. Beading Class at Pema Dawa: Chain Maille Earrings. 349-7563.
• 6:30 p.m. Burgers & Bluegrass featuring Front Country at the IBar Ranch.
• 7 p.m. Author Bill Cooke discusses Shades of Gray, Splashes of Color at the Old Rock Library.
• 7 p.m. Chuck Grossman and Dawne Belloise play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. Cabaret Bleu “What a Swell Night It Is!” at the Studio Theatre, WSCU.
• 8 p.m. Hot Buttered Rum plays at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.

WEDNESDAY 1
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Live! from Mt. Crested Butte on the Red Lady Stage featuring Todo Mundo.
• 5:45 p.m. Pinnacle Race presented by Griggs Orthopedics at Evolution Bike Park. Register by 5:15 p.m.
• 7 p.m. Author Bill Cooke discusses Shades of Gray, Splashes of Color at the Ann Zugelder Library.
• 7 p.m. Kevin Marquis plays at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. Pool Tournament upstairs at the Talk of the Town.
• 7:30 p.m. Emotions – Piano Trio performance at UCC.
• 7:30 p.m. Public Policy Forum opens with speaker Myles Rademan with “Crested Butte vs. The Real World: Resort Towns’ Challenging Future.”

KIDS CALENDAR

THURSDAY 25
• 3-8 p.m. Youth Gymnastics, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall 349-5338.

FRIDAY 26
• 11 a.m. Storytime for ages 3 and up at the Old Rock Library.

SATURDAY 27
• 3 p.m. Storytime for preschoolers at Townie Books.
• 4 p.m. Storytime for kindergarten-third graders at Townie Books.

MONDAY 29
• 4 p.m. Soo Bahk Do classes for kids at Town Hall. 349-7752.
• 4:45 p.m. Soo Bahk Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 349-7752.

TUESDAY 30
• 11 a.m. Kid’s Beatbox Show at the Old Rock Library featuring Neil McIntyre.
• 11 a.m. Summer reading program for ages 3-7 at the Old Rock Library.
• 3-8 p.m. Youth Gymnastics, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall 349-5338.

WEDNESDAY 1
• 11 a.m. Baby/Toddler Storytime at the Old Rock Library.
• 3:30 p.m. Trailhead after school club at CBCS. Ages 5-11.
• 4 p.m. Summer reading program for ages 8-12 at the Old Rock Library.
• 4-8 p.m. Soo Bahk Do classes for kids at Town Hall. 349-7752.

Mother Nature wreaks havoc on Mesa Verde

by Than Acuff

Every year the racing season for the legions of Gunnison Valley bikers opens with the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde just outside of Cortez, Colo. It’s a bit of baptism by fire for most of the local crew, since they just barely started riding at Hartman Rocks, Fruita and/or Salida when they put on the bib and line-up, but the weather and the course venue makes it all worthwhile.

In addition, the area is rich in history, with the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings nearby. The area features numerous ruins of homes and villages built by the Ancestral Puebloans. There are more than 4,000 archaeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings at the site.

The Puebloans inhabited Mesa Verde between 600 to 1300, though there is evidence they left before the start of the 15th century. By the year 750 A.D. the people were building mesa-top villages made of adobe. In the late 1190s they began to build the cliff dwellings for which Mesa Verde is famous.

Speaking of A.D., anyone else hooked on that Sunday television series, A.D. The Bible Continues? I know I am. And it’s just mindless enough to go back and forth between the show and an intense game of Disney Go Fish with my daughter. Although the combination does have its distractions, leading to theological discussions on the living room floor.

“Dad, do you have the Ariel card?”

“No, go fish,”

“Dad, who is that man hanging from a cross?”

“That’s Jesus Christ.”

“He’s bleeding.”

“Yep… do you have the Snow White card?”

“No, go fish. Why is he bleeding?”

“Well, he’s hanging by his hands and feet.”

“Why?”

“Well… that’s how they did things back then, and they wanted to make an example of Jesus Christ because the Romans thought that Jesus claimed he was the Messiah, which was against Roman law. So they hung him by his hands and feet. The Romans felt threatened by him as did the Jewish leaders of the time, who were in cahoots with the Romans.”

“What does cahoots mean?”

“It means cooperates. You know, like when you cooperate and eat your dinner, you get ice cream. When you don’t cooperate, you get nothing. So the Jewish leaders at the time felt if they would cooperate with the Roman leaders, they would get ice cream. If they didn’t, they would probably get killed. And since the Romans didn’t necessarily like Jesus Christ, neither did some of the Jewish leaders.”

“I cooperated and ate my dinner, can I have some ice cream?”

“No, I ate it all.”

“That’s not fair.”

“I know, neither was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Your turn.”

Back to Mesa Verde. The climate is semi-arid, though on Saturday it was anything but “semi-arid.” As it turned out, the race lasted about as long as it took me to research the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings and watch an episode of A.D. The Bible Continues because 30 minutes into the race, the skies unleashed on them. Blizzard conditions blew EZ Up tents, gear and riders across the high desert.

“Epic conditions, three gO tents picked up and blew away and were trashed, and they were weighted. No Tubes’ tent took flight, attached/weighted with two pony kegs,” describes Team gO rider Dave Ochs. “Lucky I got the first lap in and was further up there, didn’t get it too bad. The next lap was mayhem. Bikes, people, egos, spirits—all broken! They canned it.”

“It turned out to be a mud fest,” adds Rock-N-Roll Sports rider Mike McAuley.

The 12 Hours of Mesa Verde turned into the 1.5 Hours of Mesa Verde. Nevertheless, there were awards handed out as riders were recognized for the effort they did put out during the maelstrom and, as always, a number of Gunnison Valley riders brought home some hardware.

McAuley had the best result of the local bunch, taking first place in the men’s solo class, getting in just two laps before they called the race.

“The first lap wasn’t too bad and I was psyched because I’m pretty decent in muddy conditions,” says McAuley. “But the second lap got real muddy. People couldn’t even ride. I was pretty bummed because I was ready for a big one.”

Team Griggs Orthopedics (Team gO) was in full effect with athletes thrown into five different categories. The four-man team of Ochs, Bryan Dillon, Jon Brown and Brian Smith, of which only Ochs and Dillon were able to ride, placed second. Other notable results came from Team gO riders Tina Kempin, Kaitlyn Archambault and Mia Phillips, who finished fourth, as did the Team gO coed single speed team of Jefe Branham, Beth Shaner, Neil Beltchenko and Rachel Alter.

Team Brick Oven, fueled by Avery (Team BOFA), was led on the results sheet by Heather McDowell, who pushed through the slop to take first place in the women’s solo singlespeed class, while Jordan Williford placed fourth in the men’s solo class and Jafar Tabaian, Dodson Harper and Logan Jones placed fifth among men’s teams.

“This was the one time it was worth going out too fast and blowing up as I prefer to, unfortunately bike mechanicals kept me from my M.O.,” says Team BOFA rider Ben Preston.

All fueled up with nowhere to ride, Team BOFA then took their talents elsewhere once the race was cancelled, and hit the Cortez bowling lanes for four hours.

The local contingent of bike racers remains in the valley for their next race when they line up May 23 and May 24 for the Growler at Hartman Rocks. Some will continue racing through June before saddling up again in their own backyard for the Chainless World Championships and the Fat Tire 40 during Crested Butte Bike Week, June 25-28.

Forgetting that I have friends and acquaintances who fall into both the “hippie” and “right wing” categories, I threw out a vaccination quip about hippies and right wingers last week. Genius move. I won’t delve into the vaccination debate with any depth but we should point out that at least two of the people who have been identified having confirmed cases of pertussis in Gunnison County were immunized or had taken some steps in the immunization process.
I got a call from the father who had been diagnosed with the illness. He had caught it from his son. The father had a pertussis booster vaccination a year and a half ago as part of a tetanus shot. The son hadn’t completed the cycle but had most of the pertussis shots. The man’s message was not for or against vaccinations but to remind people, “If you have a nasty cough, get it checked out. I’m a typical healthy Crested Butte guy and I have the vaccination and I caught it. You can still get it so don’t think you are 100 percent protected just because you have been vaccinated.”
Brenda Ryan at Gunnison Public Health said that in last week’s article and reconfirmed that this week. She said because the county is under immunized, the cough could spread a lot easier. “If anything, I want to stress that testing and reporting to Public Health are important so investigation can be done and we can try to protect vulnerable people in our population,” she said.
Ryan noted those with full or partial immunizations tend to be much less ill with the disease.
Fair enough, whether you are a hippie or a redneck or a combo of both like so many here…

The One Valley Prosperity Project held its kick-off meeting last week. About 200 people packed a ballroom at WSCU. That is a good turnout for just about any meeting unless you are trying to get a ski area approved on Snodgrass or throw a blue-tinged party sponsored by Bud Light. One of the organizers, Pam Montgomery, told the crowd to “not be afraid. Go ahead and dream. Break through the bar and radiate possibilities. Work toward elegant simplicity.”
While I might be a bit of a skeptic about the goal of reaching one common vision or dream for the entire county that lasts for years, I am open-minded enough to let those with enthusiasm like Montgomery and Russ Forest and Jonathan Houck try once again to bring new “prosperity” to the people in the county. If they can find a way for us to work half as much and make twice as much money and ski or ride single-track three times as much—I’m all in with that sort of prosperity. I sincerely wish them good luck with this latest endeavor. They seem a passionate team.

After running up against a stone wall with messages left for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to get an explanation or at least a comment on the incident where officers picked up a U.S. citizen who lives in Gunnison and held him for three days without charges, I finally heard something. It was after another email and call to U.S. Senator Michael Bennet’s office. But at least the director of communications for ICE out of Dallas said he is researching the case and hopes to have a response for me. That at least shows some promise in a Big Bother scenario.

And finally: For those who have been in Crested Butte 25 years or more, the events of March 6, 1990 will remain a big part of the community fabric. On that day, the lone bank in town blew up. Three ladies (hence the name of the park) lost their lives that morning in the propane explosion at the brick bank. Many others were injured and traumatized. All of us here at the time were affected.
It is not a day I like to relive. I was living in the northeast side of town at the time, and a phone call to my apartment alerted me to what happened. As I biked up Elk Avenue with my camera, the Four-way Stop was different. There was no building on the corner, just a pile of bricks and the steel vault sticking out of the pile of rubble. The town’s people converged and every effort was made to save those still living but buried. It was not a pretty morning. Hundreds of people pulled the bricks from the pile looking for their family and friends. When someone called for quiet to listen for survivors, the silence was eerie.
But the communal effort was inspiring in the mayhem. It is an experience for those at the scene that won’t be easily forgotten. It is hard to believe it has been a quarter century. I may not like to relive that day but it is a day in this town’s history that should be remembered.

In the key of life

In a tiny unassuming shed-turned-studio on an authentically Crested Butte alley, you might be fortunate to hear the sounds of classical music in its muted journey through the crisp winter air. Fingers deftly floating across her piano keys, Randi Stroh is re-teaching her arm how to play after shoulder surgery. But muscle memory is strong when you’ve played an instrument nearly half a century. “I am going to perform this year, a concert here,” Randi says, smiling with a hint of both victory and defiance. Read More »

Divinely Inspired

With his sometimes wicked sense of humor, mischievous eyes and devilish smile, Ian Wrisley seems an unlikely candidate for a man of the cloth. He swears he was a major dweeb throughout school, making him incredibly lucky to have landed such an awesome wife, and he’s downright humble about being a compelling actor and a compassionate thinker.

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It all makes sense.
The weather.
The political issues arising in town.
The rash of strange actions by locals.

There has been some weird stuff going down around here recently. Can we blame it on Mercury in retrograde? Many believe Mercury’s retrograde periods can cause plans to go awry. Between late January and this past Wednesday, February 11, we have all been in that phase. Has your life been all smooth sailing these last couple of weeks? Really? No breakdowns or computer problems?
Mercury in retrograde tends to make people a little tense. That could explain the formation of a new effort in the valley for a One World Prosperity Project. Secret (or not so secret) meetings have been held while Mercury was retrograding.
Getting 40 or 50 of the “leaders” in the valley to come together and agree on a common vision of valley-wide prosperity sounds like a definite conspiracy theory. Rumors are that they will indoctrinate those visions to the common people through vaccinations made available through free beer at local festivals. Will the “values” include skiing, art and education? Will we have to agree to protect the pristine environment, abundant access to the great outdoors and heritage ranches? Will we all have to agree that we live here for the exact same reasons? Kumbaya, people!

Can we blame the weather weirdness on contrails and atmospheric geoengineering? Who is manipulating the weather and pushing wet weather east and warm weather west? Is it a move to test the breaking points of humans in different geographical locations? We want the feet and feet of snow and Boston doesn’t. Boston wants 50 degrees every day in February and we don’t.
Most people are acutely aware of the current Junuary phenomenon. New temperature records are being set in Gothic every other day. It hit 50 degrees there early this month. There are new records in Crested Butte for not only warm temperatures but for numbers of locals talking about the “bizarre weather.” Unofficially, someone in Crested Butte is using a phrase that includes the words “weather” and “strange,” “bizarre” or “weird” 19 out of every 24 hours. I have been shown documented pictorial evidence of dandelions starting to bloom in Mt. Crested Butte in February. The damn dandelions will take over the world. And then it will start snowing in April and not end until Ride the Rockies. Contrail consequences are killer.

Why do you think there wasn’t even an inkling of a Mardi Gras parade this year until less than a week before Fat Tuesday? You don’t think the New World Order had anything to do with that? Be real. Suddenly a last-second application from the Flauschink Committee (a real cult of local polka-ers who identify themselves through subtle headwear) appears in the Crested Butte town hall. Out of nowhere there is at least a 50-50 chance that at 5 o’clock this Tuesday there will be a hurricane-carrying hippie marching up Elk Avenue with a funny hat. That smells of New World Order, my friends. And Lord knows there is nothing that packs the streets like a Flauschink parade.

And think about this: Art Centers. Two of them. Big ones. Expensive ones. Located three miles apart. Both trying to be The One. Both trying to raise tens of millions of dollars in fiat currency. How many temples can the Illuminati of the valley build to themselves? How many Peter Kater or Tony Furtado concerts can 1,500 people take? Transferring wealth from the valley’s poor and middle class to the already rich through concerts and beer sales is a threat the übers won’t worry about.

And then there’s the VRBO chips. Local worker bees like bartenders, waitresses, lift ops and bus drivers have been lobbying to have chips implanted in those who own homes in Crested Butte. Tracking those who rent rooms and homes to the wanderers who want to come and spend money here? Of course. Implant a VRBO chip to make sure that if the house or room is empty, they will be compelled to rent them to people with a dog and/or post office box.

Throw in the fact that some want to “market” us as some sort of capital. We are already calling ourselves the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, the Nordic Capital of Colorado, the Whatever Capital of the World, and the Weed Capital of Belleview. Now just because we have great single track and a ton of people riding around on two wheels, we want to be the Mountain Bike Capital of summer. Sounds like some sort of false flag operation to get people to come here and raft. What is the new TA thinking? Too much fluoride in the water? Mountain biking is old school. Why not promote telemarking? Go back to the growing demographic of ice fishing.

Don’t even get me started about the conspiracy theory that postulates a four-person cabal in Crested Butte South secretly figured out how to vote in the last Crested Butte town election to sink a tax increase so that subdivision could eventually become the valley hub of everything recreational—and well, of course it’s all true.

And why is it that Presidents’ Day Weekend, Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day all are squeezed together in a weird time continuum? Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. Only the Lizard People living below the Gunnison Airport and underneath the Alpine Express’ buses know for sure.

Now contrary to those that think they can connect the dots between what I wrote last week and what’s in the paper this week…I am not smoking more weed.

Long and lean, sporting an enviably substantial head of hair well past his shoulders, his broad smile beaming out from under a baseball cap, Pete Curvin says, “I’m not a jock.”
Pete runs the parks of the Crested Butte Parks and Recreation Department. “I love every sport that I’ve tried,” he says, despite his disclaimer. “The only thing I don’t like is fishing because I’m too high strung for fishing.” Read More »

The Hagedon Twinkies

The girls sit three feet apart on separate chairs, their hair in braids, wearing similar clothes and with indistinguishable identical features and voices. The only way to tell one from the other is that Lori has a brown knitted hat while Lisa dons the very same in blue. It’s interesting to listen to them speak together, not even having to finish sentences in their conversations with each other, as though they already know what the other is thinking or going to say. Twins can be tricky, but even more so when they’re mischievously oriented.
“Growing up, we pulled a lot of tricks on people, like switching classes on teachers,” Lori smiles. “One time one of my teachers said she could tell us apart, so we swapped classes unbeknownst to the teacher, and she didn’t know at all!” Dared by an aunt to swap classes in kindergarten, the twins exchanged places but this time the teacher realized it because they drew their artwork differently. 

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