Steamboat Magazine Fall 2012

Includes Complete Visitors’ Guide Established 1978

Fall 2012

How We Won the Lottery

$5.95 Volume 34, No.3Display through November 10, 2012

FALL 2012

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TABlE Of CONTENTS | FALL 2012


50 Women Who Rock — by Amanda DeVos, Gena Fischer, Kiersten Henry, Jennie Lay and Deborah Olsen

Meet a dynamic dozen local women rocking the ‘Boat with their passionate hearts, sharp minds and generous, gregarious spirits.

60 How We Hit the Lottery — by Jennie Lay As Great Outdoors Colorado turns 20, photographer and

life-long conservation crusader John Fielder shows us how everyone wins.

68 The River Runs ‘Round It — by Jennie Lay The Yampa River entices a California water expert and almond farmer to its banks. Marvin Meyers shares insights into water rights and provides a glimpse inside his riverside home.

72 Building Community Through Conversation — by Deborah Olsen and Nate Brothers

Join the conversation as “Steamboat Magazine” sets out to build the main street of the 21st century.

fEATURES

12 Publisher’s Note14 Contributors

16 Genuine Steamboat — by Amanda DeVos The long-awaited Promenade at the ski area base is unveiled.

24 Sports Olympic rowing coach Anne Kakela New downhill bike trails — by Aryeh Copa BMX trails — by Aryeh Copa

28 Town Quirks A light-hearted look at Steamboat Springs

30 Profile Spinal implant developer Dr. Henry Fabian — by Amanda DeVos Wildfire fighter Sam Duerksen — by Deborah Olsen

38 Wildlife Greater sandhill cranes — by Jennie Lay

42 The Arts Literary Sojourn — by Amanda DeVos Tribute to photographer Rex Gill — by Kiersten Henry

46 Home & Garden An unlikely ReSource — by Amanda DeVos and Kiersten Henry Building a greenhouse — by Amanda DeVos and Kiersten Henry

48 Cuisine Saturday at the Farmer’s Market

76 Book Reviews — by Harriet Freiberger Poetry, history and mystery by local authors

78 Essay — by Amanda DeVos The other 99% — Athletes Who Don’t Become Olympians

80 Valley View Parties and people

DEPARTMENTS

Women Rocking The ‘Boat

VISITORS’ GUIDE 2 Welcome Letter 6 History & Trivia 8 Map of Steamboat Springs 10 Must-See Stops 12 Historic Walking Tour 14 On The Water 15 One Perfect Week 16 Hit The Trail 17 Hot Springs 18 Out West 21 Parks & Picnics 22 Run, Ride, Race 24 Adrenaline Shots 25 Golf 26 Local Businesses 30 Art & Music 31 Stage & Screen 32 Nightlife 34 Calendar of Events 71 Where to Worship 80 Parting Shot

Eight Guides to Our Town 43 Activities 68 Real Estate 51 Dining 71 Reunions & Weddings 57 Lodging 72 Services 64 Outdoors 76 Shopping


Photography by Corey KopischkeMakeup by Cassandra Kaleikini

p. 50

About the Cover: “Branching Out,” a photo

illustration by Nate Brothers, inspired by “Untracked,” the

new tablet magazine from the publishers of “Steamboat

Magazine,” slated to debut in January 2013. To participate in

this fan-funded project, visit www.kickstarter.com and search

for “Untracked.”

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This is not intended to be an offering or solicitation for sale in any jurisdiction where the project is not registered in accordance with applicable law or where such offering or solicitation would otherwise be prohibited by law. Listed with Edgemont Realty, LLC, Prudential Steamboat Realty, Steamboat Village Brokers, LTD, Steamboat Ski & Resort Realty, Colorado Group Realty, and High Mountain Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc., licensed Colorado brokers.

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Dave IrishSteamboat Ski & Resort [email protected]

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Colleen de JongPrudential Steamboat [email protected]

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This is not intended to be an offering or solicitation for sale in any jurisdiction where the project is not registered in accordance with applicable law or where such offering or solicitation would otherwise be prohibited by law. Listed with Edgemont Realty, LLC, Prudential Steamboat Realty, Steamboat Village Brokers, LTD, Steamboat Ski & Resort Realty, Colorado Group Realty, and High Mountain Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc., licensed Colorado brokers.

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“Steamboat Magazine” is published quarterly by Ski Town Media, Inc. The Winter 2013 edition will be published in November 2012. For advertising rates and subscription information write: Steamboat Magazine, P.O. Box 880616, Steamboat Springs, CO 80488. Phone: 970-871-9413. Fax: 970-871-1922. Website: www.steamboatmagazine.com. Single copy mailed first-class $7.50. No portion of the contents of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. © 2012 Ski Town Media, Inc. All rights reserved – ISSN 2164-4055.

Fall 2012 ~ Volume 34, Number 3

EDITOR/PUBLISHERDeborah Olsen

EDITOR“Steamboat Springs Visitors’ Guide”

Jennie Lay

SALES EXECUTIVEKarin Kagan

ART DIRECTORJulia Hebard

DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTORNate Brothers

STAff PHOTOGRAPHERCorey Kopischke

STAff WRITERSAmanda DeVosKiersten Henry

Jennie Lay

WEB EDITORChristina Freeman

BOOKKEEPER & PROOFREADERSandy Lindsay Jacobs

CONTRIBUTORSGina Fischer

Harriet Freiberger

PHOTOGRAPHERSAryeh Copa

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Tracy BarnettMain Street Steamboat

Betsy BlakesleeThe Nature Conservancy

Laura Cusenbary

Wells Fargo Financial

Kyleigh DeMiccoSteamboat Springs

Chamber Resort Association

Rick DeVosSteamboat Springs Winter Sports Club

Randall HannawayOwner/ Broker

Colorado Group Realty

Rosie KernYampa Valley Medical Center

Caroline LaliveU.S. Olympian

Larry Mashaw

Mountain Resorts

Irene NelsonIrene Nelson Interiors

Joe Roberts

Retired Educator

Susan ScheisserArtist

Paul UnderwoodCafé Diva

EDITORIALADVISORYBOARD


Publisher’s Note

WHy REVISIT “Women Who Rock the ‘Boat,” 2011’s theme for “Steamboat Magazine’s Locals’ Edition?”

I’ve heard that question more than once, so here are the top 12 reasons:

1. Marsha Daughenbaugh2. Gretchen Van de Carr3. Michelle Petix4. Mary Brown5. Nancy Stahoviak6. Kelly Boniface7. Kelly Landers8. Dr. Gannet Hallar9. Dr. Sheila Fountain10. Sarah Jones11. Susan Larson12. Barb Shipley

Seriously.But there is more to the

story. In my memory, no edition (except possibly the oil and gas fracking article we ran last spring) has sparked more discussion than our 2011 “Women Who Rock the ‘Boat.” Sometimes contentious, sometimes enthusiastic, sometimes nominative, everyone had an opinion.

Among the people who joined the conversation was a group of professional women from Steamboat Springs and throughout the West. They were looking for a forum to network and inspire one another in both career and lifestyle. They enfolded “Steamboat Magazine” into their plans to launch an annual fall conference with renowned speakers, breakout sessions and a culminating luncheon in which the “Women Rocking the ‘Boat” would be honored.

Current plans call for launching the “big” event in September 2013, with a smaller, local gathering in the works for this fall.

One of the group’s first tasks was to select the 2012 honorees for the title of “Women Rocking the ‘Boat.” The WRB (unfortunate acronym, I know) executive committee met early this summer to nominate women who inspire others, both through their chosen careers and their community service.

Thank you to executive committee members Lisa Brown, Jennifer Shea, Kara Givnish, Karen Schneider, Jill Brabec, Jennie Lay, Laura Cusenbary and Heather Martyn for choosing this group of truly wonderful women!

“Steamboat Magazine” is honored to be a part of this enthusiastic endeavor! Enjoy,


i n s p i r e d . i n n o v a t i v e . t i m e l e s s

n o t a b l e w o r k i n . s t e a m b o a t s p r i n g s . a s p e n . v a i l . c o p p e r . b o u l d e r . y o s e m i t e .

. p o r t l a n d . b i g b e a r l a k e . s a n t a f e . t a h o e . c a l g a r y .


CONTRIBUTORS

Contagious energy infused “Steamboat Magazine’s” office this summer, emanating from three recent additions to the staff.

We looked forward all winter to the return of Amanda DeVos, who started working here as an intern in 2010. An English major, DeVos’ command of the written language belies her youth. We learned from her occasional posts on our facebook page that she’s also a talented photographer. Check out her photo essay on the ski area’s new promenade in Genuine Steamboat, p. 16. DeVos returns to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., this fall for her senior year. She’s going to edit the college’s literary magazine, so we’ve worked her extra hard this summer to get her ready.

Publishers see their job as pushing interns to the brink during their tenure on the staff; it’s the intern’s job to survive. Fortunately for “Steamboat Magazine,” Kiersten Henry thrives under pressure. Lured to the magazine by her friend, DeVos, Henry is also an English major. They were momentarily taken aback by their assignment to go to the Milner Mall, aka the landfill (see story p. 46), but rallied to produce a compelling piece about this one-of-a-kind resource center. Henry returns to Boston College this fall.

Surrounded by all of these women is our new digital media director, Nate Brothers, who is transforming our old print-based business into Ski Town Media, Inc. A creative visionary, Nate is a commercial videographer who brings tech skills, a design background and inexhaustible energy to his role. Part techie, part guru and full-time teacher, Nate is leading us into the digital world.

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GENUINE STEAMBOAT | Photography By Amanda DeVos

AFTER FIVE yEARS of wondering what “daylighting” means and why all those bulldozers are kicking up dust at the base of the ski area, the new Promenade is open from Ski Time Square to One Steamboat Place.

The Grand Staircase, the cascading Burgess Creek (dug out from under the culvert in which it had been buried for decades — hence the term daylighting), public art and pedestrian signage and lighting invite people to linger, stroll, shop and dine at the base of the Steamboat Ski Area all summer long.

What once was a confusing hodgepodge of pathways from one mountain neighborhood to another has become a masterpiece of landscape architecture, hydrology and design. n

Ta Da!

Testing the waters: A young girl plants her feet in the cool water on a hot afternoon.

Tickets to the “Gunshow”: Two boys compete to see who’s arm can throw a rock the farthest.

Picturesque Promenade: The beautiful sound and design of the cascading waterfall adds to an already stunning view of the base area.


Bridge over peaceful waters: A man and his best friend cross the rock bridge at the end of the Promenade.

Biking by the blue: Bikers complete an early morning loop around the Promenade.


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The Steamboat Springs Redevelopment Authority funded the Promenade. Duckels Construction, a Steamboat-based business, served as general contractor. Neighboring businesses, including the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp., Torian Plum, Thunderhead Lodge and Gondola Square businesses, dovetailed with the public project to make additional improvements.

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DIGITAl MEDIA | By Deborah Olsen

Olympic UpdatesSteamboat Springs may be better known for its winter Olympians,

but two local athletes are at the London Games. Blake Worsley, a veteran of Team Lightning, the swim team headquartered at Old Town Hot Springs, is representing Canada in the 200 freestyle and 800 free relay. Anne Kakela (see p. 24) is coaching the women’s U.S. Rowing Team in two events. Although it’s not her first time in London, it’s her first time as an Olympic coach. Find out their schedules, follow their progress and see their teams’ results online.

Join the Conversationonline at SteamboatMagazine.com

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Blake Worsley is representing Canada in the 200 freestyle and the 800 free relay.

Genuine Steamboat Story ContestTired of keeping up a blog that only has a few followers? Or

wish you had a forum to tell your Steamboat story without having to maintain a blog? “Steamboat Magazine” launches its new website with a chance to share your original material, and win $100 in this contest. Website members will pick the winners, so enroll today.

Women Rocking the ‘Boat: the QuizWhat’s your dream job? Where do you go when you just need to get

away? Take the quiz and find out how your answers compare to the 12 community members who are our 2012 Women Who Rock the ‘Boat.

Behind the ScenesWhat does it take to orchestrate

a photo shoot for 12 busy women? An intern, an executive assistant, a caterer, makeup artist, studio and of course, a super-talented – and patient – photographer. Go behind the scenes with makeup artist Cassandra Kaleikini and photog Corey Kopischke as they share tips and stories.

Kelly Landers Sheila Fountain

Corey Kopischke Twins Brittney & Cassandra Kaleikini

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Stately Sanctuary Estate

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SportS

Steamboat SpringS boaStS 96 olympic athleteS, 79 from the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports club. only one will be coaching at the 2012 olympic games in london: olympian anne Kakela.

a Steamboat native, Kakela is assistant coach of the U.S. olympic Women’s rowing team.

She will be coaching the women’s pairs team and helping with the 8+ team (eight rowers plus a coxswain).

the team headed to london two weeks prior to the games; before that, it trained at Dartmouth, which happens to be where Kakela began her rowing career.

Kakela initially took up the sport as a means of training for ski season, but eventually, it became her main interest. after graduating from the lowell Whiteman School, she started rowing competitively as a freshman at Dartmouth college. She competed on the U.S. national rowing team for four years, winning four medals at the 1993 and 1994 World championships. She finished fourth at the 1996 olympics in atlanta.

the former world champion (women’s 8+, 1995) has been coaching for the U.S. team since 2008. She coached the women’s

four to a bronze medal at the 2010 World championships and the women’s quad sculls to a silver medal a year later.

“but there’s something about the olympics that makes it different,” Kakela says. “all the countries step it up.”

the U.S. Women’s eight team came into the olympics ranked number one. the team has five veteran rowers, plus the coxswain; only three team members are new. “the fact that they have that much experience is great,” Kakela says.

For the women competing in the pairs competition, the olympics will be their debut as a team. “they both have international racing experience, but as a pair, they are completely new. it will be interesting to see the athletes go through this experience. Since it’s my first time coaching at the olympics, i’ll be figuring it out, along with them.”

Following the games, Kakela returns to Steamboat Springs for a visit with her family at her childhood home in Strawberry park, where there’s a small stream and a duck pond, but not a flat-water river in sight. — Deborah Olsen

Anne Kakela Ninety-six Olympians, One Rowing Coach

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SteaMBoat MaGaZine | FALL 2012 | 25

the Sign reaDS: “rustler ridge is for Downhill biking only. no hiking, no exceptions.”

riding past that sign feels like a ticket to freedom – the freedom to go as fast as you like, to launch off rollers and dive into blind turns without worry of uphill traffic, dogs, runners or horses. these trails provide a place for gravity riders to push themselves in safer conditions than are afforded by multi-use trails.

as more people take up mountain biking and the equipment improves, user separation contributes to everyone’s positive trail experience. in many mountain towns, bikers have become the dominant trail users, and the high speeds they attain don’t

always mix well with other users. these user-specific trails therefore serve all trail users, not just bikers, by reducing pressure on other trails.

although the Steamboat Ski area has offered lift-service mountain biking for years, this is its first full summer with downhill-only trails. new machine and hand-built trails are being constructed from thunderhead to the base area, with more planned for the future. “We’re pleased with the response so far and have had lots of positive feedback,” says Jim Schneider of the Steamboat Ski and resort corp. “the goal is to keep building as long as there is demand.”

trails designed specifically for biking have a flow that is unmatched on multi-use trails. With large berms and numerous rollers and jumps, the new rustler ridge trail is fairly smooth, wide and free of large rocks and roots. When ridden fast, the trail offers g-forces in every turn and dip. the feeling resembles riding a roller coaster, only you have to steer to keep on track.

the new Steamboat trails are an ideal introduction to directional trails. locals and visitors alike will have a chance to grow with the mountain as the ski area constructs more challenging trails and features in the years to come.

So drop in, let go of the brakes and hold on. but beware, you may find yourself in need of another bike for the quiver and a summer lift pass to accompany the winter one. — Aryeh Copa

Downhill Ticket To Ride

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Billy Grimes rail’s a berm on lower Rustler Ridge.

Join the converSation...Want More?


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Ned Kajko races down Bucking Bronco during the 2011 downhill race at the Steamboat Ski Area.


SportS | By Aryeh Copa

FOUR-yeAR-OlD HeNRy GeeSliN is pedaling his heart out around giant berms and over manicured jumps that dwarf him. He’s racing on a sanctioned BMX track but, really, he’s having fun and learning valuable riding skills. He seems to ride better and faster with every heat. He’s doing all this at an age when many riders still have training wheels.

bmX, a sport that saw its heyday in the ‘80s, is enjoying a resurgence. it made its second appearance as an olympic sport in london this summer and that is giving the sport a big boost. in addition to the USa bmX olympic training center in chula Vista, calif., there are 370 sanctioned tracks in the U.S., including 17 in colorado.

one of them is in Steamboat Springs. the bmX track, located in the back northwest corner of

howelsen hill, is open to all, and is smooth and free of rocks, roots, trees and obstacles.

gina grether and brian Deem have been donating their time for more than 10 years to get the track where it is today. in 2010, when brian and gina made a three-year commitment to run a sanctioned race series, national bicycle league (now USa bmX) track designer eric bress helped lay out and build the

sanctioned track. other supporters donated labor, equipment and dirt.

grether and Deem both have professional cycling backgrounds. Deem started racing bmX at age 7 and in 1977, at 9 years old, he helped his dad build a sanctioned track in marietta, ohio. at 12, he became the ohio state champion. eighteen years later Deem was living in Steamboat and racing downhill. he achieved pro status in 2005.

grether and Deem traveled together, racing downhill and mountain-cross from 1998 to 2005. grether achieved pro status in 2000 and went on to become three-time national trials champion.

Since retiring from racing, the two have focused their energy on bringing bmX to the local community, where they coach the Winter Sports club’s bmX athletes. “i want to give back to a sport that helped me so much to achieve my dreams,” she says.

Steamboat Springs bmX and team Flying Wheels are hosting 10 events at the track this summer. thirty or more people show up for the thursday night races, which attract racers from surrounding communities.

Some competitors are there for fun and skill-building, others come to win. bmX is not just about berms and jumps. it’s about

Howelsen BMX Track Sanctioned, safe and built for fun

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Chip ellis and Frank Cutler take on the new BMX track at Howelsen Hill.


P.O. Box 772418Steamboat Springs, CO 80477

www.thomaswoodloghomes.com

970-879-3935

Unique handcrafted log homes,

using the finest Northern Colorado Englemann Spruce& Lodgepole Pine.

endurance, too. if you’re not anaerobic, out of breath, and wanting to puke at the end of the 35-second heat, then you probably didn’t win.

With categories for every age, no one has to feel out-gunned. Fathers and sons both race, but in different categories. at the start gate, parents assist the youngest racers, holding the back wheel so the kiddos can stand on both pedals, waiting for the hydraulic gate to drop. races include the potential for a Strider class for competitors five and under. So far, though, even racers as young as 3 have opted to compete on pedal bikes.

“it’s as family friendly and spectator friendly as bike racing gets,” grether says. “the track is professionally designed so all skill levels can ride safely and have fun.”

that’s apparent when watching little henry successfully complete run after run while having the time of his life. n

To race or donate to the BMX track or help with labor or materials, contact Team Flying Wheels at: www.ihigh.com/steamboatspringsbmx or call 970-879-9500.



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Henry Geeslin rides the new BMX track at Howelsen Hill.


town QUirkS

Ceiling of SillinessSince shortly after Amazin’ Steamboat opened its miniature golf course and Family Fun Park, employees have been tacking Sticky Notes to the walls and ceilings. On them, some of the more amazin’ questions visitors have asked. Aside from the obvious, “how many balls can I have,” “can I have blue balls?” the notes immortalize a few infamous visits.

Man talking about his wife:

“I don’t know how she’s

going to find her way out

of there, she can’t even

find her way home from

the grocery store!”

During Maze Speech:

“Inside the maze you are

looking for 4 stamps…

M-A-Z-E”

Kid: “So what are we

looking for?”

Guy #1 : “Yeah, I think the

McDonalds guy in Spain was

making fun of me trying to

speak Spanish.

Guy #2: “Well why were you

trying to speak Spanish?”

Guy #1: “Are you kidding me?

They don’t speak American.

During conversation about

prizes;“You can get a pig key

chain or

a squirt gun”Mom: “ Did you hear that, you

can get a PINK keychain or a

squirt gun”Boy: “Are the squirt guns filled

with water?”

Subaru Town USAThis picture was not taken at the Subaru dealership. This all-Subaru lineup was parked at Old Town Hot Springs lot one day in July.


Top 10 MUST (not) SEE THINGS IN STEAMBOAT

1. The bottom of the lap pool after the Pooch Paddle.

2. The horse apples on Lincoln Avenue after the Fourth of July Parade.

3. Your neighbor’s water bill for his lush, green lawn.

4. The lift line at the bottom of Thunderhead when the gondola shuts down due to high winds.

5. The locker room at Howelsen Hill after a Nordic Combined race.

6. Pedestrians dressed in dark clothes darting across main street – which is, after all, a U.S. highway, in the middle of the block at night.

7. Buffalo Pass on foot during hunting season, especially if you’re not wearing orange.

8. A local bar under bright lights at 2:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

9. The empty plastic water bottles under the lift lines when the snow melts in spring.

10. The car in front of you making a U-turn on Lincoln Avenue.

The Steamboat CodeUnabashedly adapted from the viral email "The Florida Code”

Colorado 131 to Oak Creek will always be under construction ... that’s the law and there is nothing anyone can do about it, period!.

If you travel more than 5-10 miles on any road in any part of Routt County without seeing a law enforcement vehicle, you’re lost! Once the light turns green at Third and Lincoln, only three cars can go through the intersection; eight more go through on yellow, and four more on red.

Snow boots, fleece and Gore-tex are also known as business casual.

Your turn indicator no longer works once you cross the county line.

When a blizzard is headed our way, when you have advanced warning and are told to be prepared, you’re not a true Coloradan unless you interpret that to mean get your skis/snowboards waxed and ready and make sure your shift at work is covered.

True Coloradans do NOT own a snowmobile or a boat. They make friends with someone who already has one. That way you don’t have to deal with any of the headaches.

If you live in Steamboat, you weren’t born here. If you were, you’re angry that everyone else has moved here.

When following a skier into the backcountry, always check first to see if they know where they’re going.

Locals have to do their errands on weekdays ... not weeknights or weekends … those are for tourists.

No matter what they decide in Denver, you will never, ever be able to figure out your property taxes.

This would be even funnier if it weren’t so true.

profile | By Amanda DeVos


Spinal SUrgery USeD to inVolVe inserting bulky rods and screws. now spinal implants are no bigger than cuff links.

Dr. henry F. Fabian, Jr., a local orthopedic spinal surgeon, invented one of the world’s first truly minimally invasive spinal implants. this titanium alloy implant, called Xycor, provides a fusion of two vertebrae.

Fusions are not a new concept; about 200,000 fusions are performed each year in the United States. but Fabian’s innovative design is changing the way they are done.

the Xycor, launched in 2007, is smaller than a bullet and measures only half the width of other implants – which makes surgery easier and safer. a small incision is made in the back, and the implant is inserted through an inch-wide tube that sneaks around the spinal cord. once in place between the vertebrae, an internal cabling system unfolds the implant to approximately the size of a quarter. the larger surface area

Dr. Henry F. Fabian, Jr.Spinal implant developer

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Out with the old, in with the new: Dr. Fabian holds up prosthetics, comparing spinal implant technology. On the left is his new Xycor implant. On the right is the old way of doing things.


stimulates bone growth around the implant, which takes away movement – and hence, pain – from the diseased segment.

patients at the Spine center of Steamboat Springs and the yampa Valley medical center were the first in the world to receive this implant. Since 2008, Fabian has performed 69 fusions and hasn’t had any complications, failures or infections.

ann mcarthur, one of Fabian’s former patients, had a herniated disk that made even sitting uncomfortable. Within days of her surgery in 2009, the familiar numbness and pain disappeared and hasn’t returned.

“the implant is awesome,” mcarthur says. “it was a godsend, really. i’d 100 percent recommend henry to anyone.”

marcus orr received an implant in 2011, and for the first time in his 19 years as a miner, he can work without pain shooting down his legs – which was caused by breaking his back as a child.

“one of the biggest joys is seeing a concept drawn on a piece of scrap paper come to fruition in a satisfied patient,” Fabian says. “it’s worth more than gold to see them pain-free and off narcotics and enjoying life again.”

the most common candidates for this treatment are those with degenerative disk disease, arthritis or herniated disks. nevertheless, Fabian recommends at least six months of non-surgical methods of healing first, and only if those fail to relieve pain and if the patient has become narcotic dependent will he recommend surgery.

“people who have back pain come looking for a magic silver

bullet that will solve all their problems, but we are first going to emphasize physical therapy, posture and pilates,” Fabian explains.

Fabian has devoted more than 25 years to developing better surgical techniques. in 1985, he completed his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and immediately started a graduate program in biomedical engineering, while working to develop spinal implants at Danninger medical technologies, inc. after one year of the program, he decided to obtain his doctor of medicine degree from the medical college of ohio, after which he completed a general surgery internship, a residency in orthopedic surgery and spine fellowships in colorado and germany.

he served as the medical director of the ohio Spine institute from 1996-2004. between 2002-2004, Fabian earned an executive master’s of business administration, and teamed up with four fellow students to create Vertebration, inc. with a mission to develop better spinal implant systems. in 2004, Vertebration earned the $89,000 top prize in Fisher college’s business plan competition and won “Fortune” magazine’s small business competition.

around this time, Fabian happened to notice an ad yVmc ran in “the Spine Journal” looking for a spinal surgeon. Fabian made the call, and in 2004, he moved his practice to Steamboat

with his wife, tawnya, and their daughter, hunter grace.“i have been very, very pleased with yVmc,”

F a b i a n says. “this is a better environment than almost any around the world. plus, the patients

i treat here are athletic and motivated to get better.”

Fabian’s expertise is

“One of the biggest joys is seeing a concept drawn on a piece

of scrap paper come to fruition in a satisfied patient,” Fabian

says. “It’s worth more than gold to see them pain-free and off

narcotics and enjoying life again.” - Dr. Henry F. Fabian, Jr.

X marks the spot: The Xycor implant is placed between

vertebrae. Bone grows around it to fuse the

injured segment.


constantly called upon in his roles as a spinal practitioner, the ceo of Vertebration, and the medical director of the Spine center of Steamboat Springs and of yVmc’s new mobility Spine program. but he says this is the work he has wanted to do since he was five years old.

although Fabian is based in Steamboat, he trains spinal surgeons from around the world. in 2011, he spoke at an international scientific conference in berlin, germany. currently, there are doctors in texas and chicago using his new implant, and he hopes it will soon be available across asia and europe.

meanwhile, he enjoys life in Steamboat and continues to dream of ways to make spinal surgery the best it can be.

“intellectual integrity is very important to me in this whole process,” said Fabian. “the ultimate goal is to make the process even less invasive, less painful and require less recovery time.”



Please call for your appointment.James WW McCreight DDS, Wendy M McCreight DDS

970.879.4703 | www.mccreightsmiles.com

Phot

o by

Jack

ie O

wen

What makesyou smile?

Offering our clients a new Mobile App for your

convenience, makes us smile!

• Bookappointments

• Receivenotificationsonspecials

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• Educateourclientsaboutproductsandservices

Yampa Valley Medical Center took top Colorado honors in the August 2012 “Consumer Reports” survey of hospital safety.

The magazine used data from government and independent sources. “Consumer Reports” also interviewed patients, physicians, hospital administrators and safety experts, reviewed hospital inspections and investigations.

YVMC received particularly high scores in the infections and scanning categories. Hospitals reporting low numbers of infections received high rankings.

The scanning rating is based on the percentage of chest and/or abdominal CT scans that are ordered twice for the same patient, once with contrast and once without. Contrast agents, sometimes referred to as “dyes,” are used to highlight specific areas so that the organs, blood vessels, or tissues are more visible.

For more information, visit www.yvmc.org.

Medical Center First in Safety

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profile | By Deborah Olsen


SUmmer 2012 was not an easy one in water-starved colorado. in late June, the skies over Steamboat Springs were tinted green-gray, even on cloudless days, as smoke from wildfires throughout the state drifted over the yampa Valley.

in the wake of devastating fires in colorado Springs, mesa county and Wyoming, everyone had their eyes on the skies; no one more so than Sam Duerksen, acting zone fire management officer of the routt national Forest.

“We were right on the cusp of having the potential for some large events, but that last little band of rain helped a lot for the time being,” Duerksen said in July. Wildfire season typically lasts until snow falls in routt county, so firefighting crews remain on alert.

as the point man for the routt national Forest’s firefighting

resources, Duerksen coordinates with crews from the Forest Service, the bureau of land management, Fish & Wildlife, the park Service, and city/county fire departments. all together, a significant number of people in the area are professional wildfire fighters.

in Steamboat, most people know at least one or two of these men and women. they are friends, neighbors and family members. they travel throughout the nation, wherever assistance is needed. primarily, though, they are assigned close to home.

the hours are long – Duerksen estimates crews work 14-16 hours per day during an incident, sometimes for 14 days straight. the pay is not going to make anyone rich, the work is physical, and the conditions are extreme: heat, smoke, wind

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Sam Duerksen

Sam DuerksenHot Town, Summer in Steamboat


and lightning. So what is the incentive? For Duerksen, it’s

the challenge, the chance to learn new skills and to see results from his crews’ efforts. he acknowledges an increased level of excitement during an incident, but says that’s not the reason he has chosen this career.

“it’s not so much the fire part,” he says. “i like the people i work with. and there’s always something to learn. there’s always development. you broaden your horizons every day when you come to work. you develop friendships throughout the country. it’s a really rewarding thing.”

Duerksen has worked in forestry since 1993. in his current position, it’s more about the paperwork and the people skills than it is about manning a fire line, but for the personnel who are on the scene of a fire, the work is grueling.

one of the training requirements is to work out for at least one hour a day, and therein lies the pay-off. “Firefighters tend to live long, healthy lives,” Duerksen says.

basic training is a one-week course, covering everything from weather and equipment to water-handling and safety. “it’s fairly intense,” Duerksen says.

but that’s only the beginning. “there are hundreds of classes available,” he says. “there‘s a lot of advanced training. it can take many years to learn to run a fire.”

Duerksen shares his profession with his wife lee, who is also a firefighter. thirty-five percent of the forest crews are female, and two women are on the routt’s primary team.

beyond his family, Duerksen and the area’s firefighters need – and get – support from the community. he is grateful to live in a place where “most people are pretty aware of their environment. they’re very conscientious,” he says.

“Stay informed, look at the weather. consider how dry it has been. regardless of whether formal fire restrictions have been established, set your own personal fire restrictions when you feel the grass crackle under your feet. ask yourself if you really need that campfire. that’s the biggest thing people can do.” n

A gentle mountain that rises above the Yampa Valley

it will always be my favorite area, over France, Utah and Cali.

Groves of spaced aspens and powerful pines

the tree skiing is the best in the world and seemingly all mine.

I know the stashes that this powder-hungry mountain holds,

locals protect their pow making outsiders lucky if they are told.

Surprisingly steep as you enter Fish Creek

this is the dankest turnin’ out of any peak.

Powder days bless Mt. Werner nearly every night

leaving powder junkies in a

state of complete delight.

Ghost trees hide as you

round the top,

their clean white appearance

will make you stop.

For those who love the fluff,

head for The Boat expecting to get enough.

Phat airs are littered throughout the terrain

making a pitch with pow completely insane!

I can’t get enough of carvin’ at this place,

I’d take a day here over a walk in space.

— by Justin DeSorrento February 5, 1977 - July 17, 1997

Please Visit The DeSo Foundation Web Site:www.DeSoFoundation.org

Join the converSation...Speak up about campfires

visit us online

wildlife | By Jennie Lay/Photography Courtesy of Images Of Nature ©Tom Mangelsen


When the immeDiate Fate of the yampa Valley’s greater sandhill cranes was up for debate last spring, one fact remained clear: the crimson-headed birds’ lifespan may extend to 20 years, but its legacy is prehistoric.

Scientists point to a 10 million-year-old miocene epoch fossil found in nebraska that is structurally identical to the modern sandhill crane. that makes sandhill cranes the oldest known bird species alive, but it doesn’t spare them the predicaments of 21st century wildlife management.

after surveying three years of population estimates, colorado parks and Wildlife proposed creating a limited fall hunting season for greater sandhill cranes in northwest colorado. colorado listed the migrating birds as endangered in 1973 but de-listed them in 1998. the state currently ranks them as a “species of special concern” – although the colorado natural heritage program deems them “under-conserved” with immediate threats.

Greater Sandhill CranesOut of the crosshairs, in sight of a festival

“Morning Symphony”


prospects of hunting the tall, elegant birds that are a mainstay on the local landscape caught many people off guard, including members of the yampa Valley birding club. by contrast, a group of hunters hailed the idea. Jim haskins, cpW’s area wildlife manager, stood behind the agency’s recommendation and was the first to sign a pro-hunting petition, followed by another 150 fans of the plan.

but more than 2,000 opponents signed an anti-hunting petition – and their outspoken efforts prevailed. cpW bagged their proposal on thursday, June 7, more than a month before a final decision was slated to be made by a newly appointed parks and Wildlife commission.

“We were amazed at the outpouring,” says nancy merrill, a member of the yampa Valley birding club who helped spearhead the anti-hunting petition. She has since started the nonprofit colorado crane conservation coalition to help sustain public focus on protecting the birds. “Sandhill cranes

are a real iconic, charismatic mega fauna. they’re part of what makes this part of the world special,” she says.

this fall, Steamboat Springs and hayden are hosting a celebration of cranes instead of a crane-hunting season. it kicks off what organizers hope will be an annual festival on the cusp of the birds’ staging time in the yampa Valley. the four-day festival (Sunday-Wednesday, Sept. 16-19) includes school programs, nauturalist talks, films, crane watching near the nature conservancy’s carpenter ranch, an art show, photography workshops with Judy Jones and a community talk by Dr. george archibald, an internationally revered ornithologist and conservationist and a cofounder of the international crane Foundation.

internationally renowned wildlife photographer thomas mangelsen’s sandhill crane images will be on display at his Steamboat gallery, images of nature.

the greater sandhill crane has struck a protective chord


A sandhill crane chick wonders through the flowers.

across western colorado. in the San luis Valley, where the monte Vista national Wildlife refuge is a stopover for up to 20,000 cranes each spring and fall (and draws about 10,000 annual visitors), a similar crane hunting proposal died in 2005.

“people feel really connected to the cranes. they’ve been watching pairs on their property for years,” says a coalition cofounder barbara hughes. She surmises that their size, their elaborate dance, vocalization and their habit of mating for life “evoke a personal, emotional response.”

in a letter to the parks and Wildlife commission, Stagecoach resident bob Woodmansee, a retired cSU professor of ecology and ecosystem science, summed up the crux of the local debate: “i can passionately and rigorously apply scientific scrutiny to complicated data sets and question, challenge or defend their validity. but, i cannot pretend to be emotionally detached from the idea of hunting these long-lived, iconic birds that give us a glimpse of our past and a sense of place in northwest colorado….i am proud of living in routt county where i can see and hear these birds and enjoy them again in their unthreatened state.” n

Crane Festival events and activities will be based at The Carpenter Ranch and Bud Werner Memorial library. Mangelsen’s images Of Nature will show-case sandhill cranes.


Greater Sandhill Cranes: Grus canadensis tabida The largest subspecies of sandhill cranesAverage height: 4.5-5 feet Average weight: 10-14 poundsEggs laid per year: 2Days on the nest: 29-32, male and female take turns Chicks fledge: 67-75 days Diet: OmniverousCPW’s fall 2011 census of cranes in Routt County: 1,280

Join the converSation...Want The Festival Schedule?

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Arts | By Kiersten Henry/Photography Courtesy of Tread of Pioneers Museum

PhotograPher reginald “rex” gill’s depictions of the majestic Colorado backcountry offered early residents a momentary distraction from the images of an era that was dominated by two world wars and a punishing economy.

But the new Zealand native was not one to be isolated by the staggering rockies that he called home from 1918-1988. after the onset of World War ii, gill joined the seabees, a battalion for naval base construction in war zones.

Upon returning from his duties, gill revisited his passions, which ranged from writing poetry to painting, from building the emerald Mountain ski lift to mountaineering. gill expressed his love for the outdoors through a variety of media. his drawings and photographs of the famously

Rex Gill’s Vision From the Rockies to Rockwell

Skiing On Mount Agnes

Rex Gill


stEAMBOAt MAGAZINE | FALL 2012 | 43

Iceberg Lake On Mount Agnes

beautiful Mount Zirkel hint at his enthusiasm for Colorado’s Park range.

gill’s photographs contain few people but those who are depicted serve to add perspective to the vast, looming rockies. gill was able to capture these images by daring to adventure into the backcountry—often alone since his mountaineering abilities were hard to match.

in his own words, gill describes what drew him to the West and kept him there for the majority of his life: “lucky for me, i came to the West just a few short years before the last of the real, old, romantic, hospitable and carefree West. the West of story and song disappeared before the onslaught of cars and radios…People rode 40 miles to a dance and the old-fashioned country store was a true life model for a norman rockwell cover.”

Many of his Northwest Colorado pieces are featured in the Tread of Pioneers Museum exhibit, “The Man, The Mountains, The Desert.” The exhibit is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Eighth and Oak streets. For more information, call 970-879-2214.

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Arts | By Amanda DeVos

every fall sinCe 1993, the literary sojourn has turned the leaves of books and colored imaginations.

this annual festival reaches back to a group of library patrons who approached Chris Painter, the director of the Bud Werner Memorial library, about enhancing readers’ relationships to books by hosting a handful of distinguished authors. at the time, no event like it existed in Colorado.

the first literary sojourn featured six prominent female writers. Painter says organizers hoped for an audience of 50; 150 people came. in the following years, the festival grew to incorporate authors of both genders, representing fiction, nonfiction and poetry. its history now boasts more than 80 recipients and nominees of prestigious literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Man Booker and the national Book award.

Mic

hael

Ep

stei

n

Clockwise from top:Andrew Sean Greer

Hillary JordanJohnathan Lethem

Literary Sojourn turns 20Celebrating big-name authors in a small town

Fred

Ben

enso

n

Timeless men’s AppArelHowelsen Place | 7TH and lincoln | sTeamboaT sPrings, co | (970) 871-1137 | www. ZirkelTrading.com


“We always focus on nationally-recognized authors with a rich body of work who have established themselves in the literary world,” explains Painter. “the goal is to get people excited about books and reading, and nothing excites them more than to hear a famous author talk.”

this nonprofit event, presented by the Bud Werner Memorial library, remains the product of a volunteer planning committee. in one full day at the steamboat sheraton, authors share personal stories behind their latest written stories, often discussing their writing process or the inspiration behind a character. afterwards, guests attend a book signing, sponsored by off the Beaten Path bookstore.

“every year after the event, i can’t wait to go home and read,” Painter says. “you leave feeling a much stronger connection to the books and literature in general.”

in the time that other literary festivals across the nation have formed and faded, this event remains as brilliant as ever, with the 500 tickets regularly selling out more than a month in advance. the literary sojourn celebrates its 20th anniversary on saturday, oct. 6, with authors Kathryn harrison, hillary Jordan, Jonathan lethem, laura lippman, tom Perrotta and andrew sean greer. n

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Timeless men’s AppArelHowelsen Place | 7TH and lincoln | sTeamboaT sPrings, co | (970) 871-1137 | www. ZirkelTrading.com


hOME & GArdEN | By Kiersten Henry and Amanda DeVos

at the end of road, past a landfill, is one of routt County’s most revolutionary nonprofits.

steamboat home resource Center, established in 2004, limits the amount of waste deposited in the adjacent Milner landfill by providing a site where builders and routt County

Building a Backyard Greenhouse

A butterfly made out of keys is on display at the Home ReSource Center in Milner.

CoMBing throUgh hoMe resoUrCe’s yard of salvaged materials enables greenhouse enthusiasts to be inventive, without breaking the bank.

health-conscious consumers frequently find themselves in the produce section of the grocery store, wincing at lofty price tags after inspecting the products for pesticide residue. one alternative to this grocery store anxiety is to build your own

backyard greenhouse.homemade greenhouses are often slightly elevated by

using a few inches of plywood at the base. this foundation supports the glass exterior of the structure, which is commonly made of recycled shower doors.

these salvaged doors make for relatively uncomplicated assembly, while their translucent glass effectively filters sunlight. Merely propping the doors open makes these gardens accessible. some elect to ventilate their structures with recycled air conditioning vents, although this is not always necessary.

the greenhouse’s controlled environment allows for an extended growing season, along with the possibility to grow just about any fruit or vegetable.

While home resource has built several small-scale greenhouses, including its own on-site model, the organization primarily supplies the materials. “it’s mostly the material that we sell because most people that come out here want to do it on their own. it’s the whole pioneer spirit of wanting to create your own garden,” says manager Mike Williams.

With the leeway to be creative, greenhouse enthusiasts have built some unprecedented structures. one man used his children’s old wooden swing set as the frame for his greenhouse while another utilized three of home resource’s recycled bathtubs to house fish, collecting their droppings for fertilizer.

More commonly, those looking for rich soil to complete their home garden venture up the road to twin enviro services’ industrial-sized compost facility. the soil’s rich nutrients are bi-products of a nine-month natural breakdown period of leftover food and yard clippings from local businesses and restaurants.

Williams estimates that by using materials from home resource, the cost of constructing a greenhouse can be less than $200.

Shopping at the “Milner Mall” Home ReSource resells building materials

Greenhouses at the Milner Home ReSource Center

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residents can donate or purchase recyclable appliances and building materials.

“the project started out as a way for people to spend less,” says manager Mike Williams. “i think people do it now because they feel socially responsible. We’re incredibly unique. We’re the only nonprofit salvage yard in Colorado.”

the rotating inventory of building materials includes lumber, doors, window frames, glass panes, furniture, roofing shingles, insulation and hardwood flooring. the staff stockpiles kitchen and bathroom appliances, including sinks, toilets, cabinetry, bathtubs and light fixtures, and have collections of mountain bikes, skis and golf clubs. each item is evaluated, organized and priced low for resale.

Customers range from low-income families to those looking for quirky items to incorporate into art, but most everyone is a “do it yourself-er” who is willing improvise, says Williams.

home resource’s yard of recycled goods frequently spawns practical projects with creative twists. such projects include greenhouses built with shower doors, an antique washtub converted into a beer cooler, a bathtub turned fish tank, fences made of skis, old windows used to frame photos and paintings, and coat racks constructed of doorknobs and wood panels. some people design virtually their whole living spaces using materials from Milner.

the annual Creative Community art Project at home resource attracts local artists to generate decorative items, like last year’s towering 20-foot tipi of skis made by randy salky and cleverly entitled, “ski-pee,” and Paul Potyen’s large butterfly sculpture made of brass keys from thunderhead lodge.

Minimizing home project expenses while helping the environment, home resource inspires new beginnings out of the old. Make a list of needed items and take exact measurements before visiting. home resource is open year-round and located 12 miles west of steamboat. n

For more information, visit www.salvageit.org or call 970-879-6985.

&ValerieBruce

DESIGN + REDESIGN



cuIsINE | By Deborah Olsen


taKe the Challenge: visit Mainstreet steamboat farmers Market on saturday morning – arrive early for the best selection of fresh foods. then plan your family’s dinner around your purchases.

White pizzas, stuffed zucchini balls, bison burgers, smoked salmon, heirloom tomato salad – Colorado farmers offer meat, fruit, produce and dairy products that inspire even amateur chefs. and you don’t have to make everything by hand. a variety of booths offer premade sauces and spice mixes that simplify the cooking. the shopping only gets better as fruit and vegetables ripen for harvest in late summer.

SAtuRDAy NiGHt DiNNER MENu

lemon Chive angel hair Pasta with tomato vodka sauce

grilled lime shrimp

roasted Beets with Basil

rhubarb-strawberry Pie and strawberry ice Cream

Saturday Night DinnerFollows morning visit to Farmers Market

Grilled Shrimp & Artisanal Pasta

1 lb. large wild-caught Key West shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice¼ c. extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. red pepper flakes3 cloves garlic, minced (grant family farms)salt & pepper to taste1/2 pkg. lemon chive angel hair pasta

(Pappardelle’s)1 pint tomato vodka sauce (the Pasta girl)Mix the olive oil with the garlic, red pepper

flakes and limejuice, season with salt & pepper to taste. Marinate the shrimp in the oil for about 15-20 minutes while the grill heats up.

grill shrimp over direct heat until opaque and slightly firm. (skewering shrimp first makes grilling easier.)

Bring salted water to boil. add pasta and return to boil. Cook until al dente. (angel hair pasta cooks quickly: 5-7 minutes, even at altitude.)

heat tomato/vodka sauce and pour over cooked pasta. top with grilled shrimp and garnish with lime slices.

serves 3-4

Roasted Beets3 fresh beets, trimmed and peeled (grant family farms)2 tbsp. basil, finely chopped (sweet Pea Produce)1/3 c. olive oil salt & pepper to tasteParboil beets approx. 10 minutes. Cool and cut into ½-inch thick

slices. drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. sprinkle chopped basil on top. grill over direct heat until tender, (about 15 minutes), turning once. garnish with basil sprigs.

serves 3-4


Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie2 8-inch deep-dish piecrusts2 ½ c. rhubarb, chopped but not skinned (grant family

farms)2 ½ c. strawberries, sliced1 c. sugar (adjust to taste)¼ c. all-purpose flour3 tbsp. butter½ pint handmade strawberry ice cream (yepello Chocolates

& Confections)Mix rhubarb, berries, sugar and flour in a bowl. let stand for

15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°.Melt 2 tbsp. butter and coat bottom piecrust (to prevent

berry juice from leaking).roll out second piecrust on wax paper. Cut into 1/2-

inch strips.turn the fruit mixture into bottom piecrust. dot with 1

tbsp. butter. Weave piecrust strips into lattice, pinching ends.Bake the pie at 450° for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°

and continue cooking until golden brown (35-40 minutes). Cool and serve with homemade strawberry ice cream,

garnished with fresh strawberries. n



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When Marsha Daughenbaugh was a junior at Steamboat Springs High School, she signed up for auto mechanics. Being a third-generation rancher, the enterprising cowgirl from the Rocking C Bar Ranch was blind to gender limitations. But to Daughenbaugh’s surprise, she was branded a rabble-rouser and denied admittance to the class.

Today Daughenbaugh and her husband, Doc, run the family cattle ranch. She grew up in 4-H, where animals and leadership programs were her forte, but sewing was not. After high school, she spent a year as a state 4-H officer, then 19 years as Routt County’s club leader. Twenty-five years at the USDA’s Farm Service Agency sent her mingling with Congress to influence federal farm policies.

Since Daughenbaugh became executive director of the Community Agriculture Alliance in 2003, those early 4-H experiences and immersion in government policy, process and compromise, have bolstered local ag.

“I grew up knowing that to make a community work, you have to give back. You have to provide leadership if you want it to be the way you want it to be,” Daughenbaugh says. “I’m passionate about agriculture and I don’t want to see us lose any producers, locally or in the world.” She is the voice at public meetings consistently asking, “How does this affect agriculture?”

Ag is different now because everyone also has to work “off the place,” she says, leaving scarce time with neighbors. The Ag Alliance provides opportunities to socialize and learn while focusing on mutual concerns like land stewardship, drought management, energy extraction and water.

“I don’t have a lot of patience for people that are negative. Let’s make something good happen,” Daughenbaugh says. Under her guidance, the Ag Alliance offers input ranging from water plans and local food to Vision 2030. She fosters partnerships bridging from ranch tours to oil and gas symposiums.

“I don’t think there’s another organization like this in the country,” she says, noting incessant calls from hopeful imitators. “Town is good to us. I just hope I gave something back.” — Jennie Lay

Marsha DaughenbaughMaking Ag Work


Twelve faces; 12 inspirational stories. Meet a dynamic dozen of local women rocking the ‘Boat with their passionate hearts, sharp minds and generous, gregarious spirits. Chosen for their uncompromising character and fearless leadership in the workplaces and in the community, by the executive committee of the newly formed professional organization, Women Rocking the ‘Boat, these 12 women have earned their moment in the Steamboat Springs’ spotlight.


Dr. Sheila Fountain has never met a kid she didn’t like. And in her nine years at Pediatrics of Steamboat Springs, Fountain has seen thousands of patients, ranging in age from just a couple weeks old to 21.

She has a profound capacity for empathy, which while instrumental in her success as a doctor often complicates the job. “The hardest thing for me is watching kids suffer…delivering that news to their parents. You just can’t help

but feel what they’re feeling,” Fountain says. Her empathy for her clients and their families likely has its roots in her own family, including husband, Wes,

son, Jonah, and daughter, Olivia. Fountain’s faint southern accent is a subtle indicator of her origins. The South Carolinian was educated in

her native state and went on to instruct residents at Emory University in Atlanta.Fountain entered college as a chemistry major and didn’t decide to pursue a career in medicine until her

junior year. During her pediatric rotation at medical school, she gained insight into the child’s mind and subsequently found her niche. “Children bounce back much faster than adults. I’m also allowed to be silly with them, which makes my job more fun,” Fountain says.

With that genial attitude in mind, the 39-year-old Fountain mentors University of Colorado medical students at her office in Yampa Valley Medical Center. She also volunteers at the Steamboat Christian Center and the Pregnancy Resource Center, and devotes much of her time educating parents and children on how to live a healthier lifestyle.

Having minored in psychology, one of her leading areas of interest within pediatrics is working with children with behavioral problems. But her most difficult patients? The answer probably won’t surprise parents. “Teenagers are the most challenging, but the struggles that they face are really difficult,” she says.

Fountain says one of her greatest privileges as a pediatrician is “watching kids grow with their families.” But there are always two sides of the same coin. For a community that largely defines itself by active kids and supportive families, Dr. Fountain’s dose of playfulness and positivity is just the right

prescription. — Kiersten Henry

Dr. Sheila Fountain Serious, silly and compassionate

Former Dell Vice President Susan Larson is unfazed by her minority status in the male-dominated technology industry.

She doesn’t sensationalize her rise to power, insisting instead, “It was easy to get a job and get trained because as a burgeoning industry, they were desperate.”

Larson’s debut in the computer world at IBM marked her emergence from a tough period in her life. “I was divorced and needed to go back and find a job. It was the early ‘80s when IBM and Apple had just introduced their first computers,” Larson says.

The industry’s early success resulted in fierce competition and a lot of consolidation, which ultimately landed Larson a job with Dell. Despite her relatively seamless rise within the industry, Larson acknowledges skepticism surrounding women in technology. “There were biases that women didn’t know as much as they thought they did…turns out men didn’t know as much about women as they thought,” Larson laughs.

That unflinching attitude was necessary when working for a company that was hiring a staggering 100 employees per week. As Larson explains, “Dell hit the sweet spot at just the right time.”

After running Dell UK/Ireland, Larson wrapped up her 12-year-tenure and refocused her attention on her husband and four sons. “Anybody who says you can do it all and not have any guilt or personal conflict, I think, is crazy,” Larson says.

Since retiring to Steamboat in 1998, Larson has gotten involved with philanthropic work. She helped kick-start the annual Girls to Women Conference and has served on the boards of the VNA, Hospice, Boys and Girls Club, Yampa Valley Community Foundation and the Casey’s Pond Project. Her interests in children and supporting the underinsured are common threads among her projects.

After a demanding career, it’s only suitable that Larson would choose to retire in a town that allows her to revisit the fond memories of family ski vacations. “You have an opportunity to make a difference and impact and see that impact in a small town,” she says.

But a woman like Susan Larson doesn’t necessarily need a small venue to stake her presence. — Kiersten Henry

Susan Larson Unflinching attitude


Kelly Landers greets customers at her restaurant with a big smile and an outgoing personality. She and her husband, Jason, have owned Creekside Café since 2002.

Since then, she has made it her goal to treat every customer as a friend. “It’s been a mission of mine since we bought Creekside,” Landers says. “Customer relations are just as important as the food you serve. Both should be top notch.”

This combination of an appealing menu and a helpful attitude has contributed to Creekside’s success, and it has also allowed Landers to give back to the community. The café regularly sponsors events like the Town Challenge, Steamboat Youth Soccer, Firefighter’s Ball and Tour de Steamboat, among others.

Landers also serves on the board of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, MainStreet Steamboat’s promotional committee and the city’s arts allocation committee. Plus she’s a member of Rotary International. “I’m pretty busy, but I like it that way,” she says.

Lander’s passion for restaurants and Steamboat both began at an early age. “When I was a little kid, I had this strange obsession with having tea parties,” says Landers. “I’m pretty sure I drove my mom crazy. I was born to be in this business.”

After a visit to Steamboat at age 12, Landers announced to her family that she would someday make it her home. “They acted surprised when I loaded up my car the day after I graduated from college to move here,” she laughs. “I figured I had given them plenty of warning.”

An avid mountain biker and tele skier and the mom of two kids, Caroline, 7, and Timmy, 5, Landers says she is always juggling, but tries to keep things balanced. “I love being involved in the community and in what I’m doing here at Creekside. It’s just a lot of fun.” — Gena Fischer

Kelly LandersFrom tea parties to top-notch service


Being around Sarah Jones makes you squirm a little at the thought of the empty pizza box that went into the trash instead of the recycling bin last night. That’s not really fair because Jones is not judgmental. She says people should do what they can for the environment, and be aware.

It’s just that Jones does so much. The new executive director of Yampa Valley Sustainability Council has only been in Steamboat

Springs for two years. In that time, she has been involved with recycling through the schools, the Zero Waste Initiative and Re-Tree Colorado.

“The key is to have recycling become part of the culture and the schools,” says Jones, who earned her master’s degree in environmental geochemistry at CU-Boulder. She has two school-age sons, which may be why so much of her attention has been focused on education.

She developed a team of “energy ninjas” last school year – students who left anonymous sticky notes reminding people of the need to conserve resources. Even teachers weren’t exempt; an empty classroom with the lights on likely warranted a “you could be doing better” note on the light switch.

The school’s “dream team” works with the principal to reward energy efficiency. This summer, Jones is developing guides for teachers, and she is helping plan the annual sustainability assembly in schools during the fall.

Her husband is on the same page, she says, when it comes to recycling, but it’s their children who have most sincerely taken her conservation message to heart. “The kids are super-aware,” she says. “They’re perhaps the most outspoken of all of us.”

Under Jones’ auspices, the sustainability council is working on a countywide economic development initiative related to energy efficiency upgrades. The hope is to develop a program using local contractors to follow projects from home audit to completion – whether that’s installation of an alternative heating system or building a new house. “If everybody reduces their energy use, then that’s the best thing,” she says. “I would love for sustainability to become something that’s accessible to everybody.” — Deb Olsen

Sarah Jones Doin’ so much

Dr. Gannet Hallar stands at the top of her profession, so it seems only natural that she works at the peak of Mount Werner.

In 2006, she took over as director of Storm Peak Laboratory, a world-renowned educational and research facility for atmospheric science.

Hallar, who has participated in more than 70 science conferences and 25 peer-reviewed journal articles, achieved a doctorate in atmospheric and oceanic sciences in 2003. Immediately after graduating, she conducted research at the NASA Ames Research Center in California. While working there, she heard about the position at SPL.

“Taking over SPL was a challenge, but I am fortunate my husband and I could take it on together,” she says. Her husband, Ian McCubbin, is the site manager.

Because SPL combines research and education, Hallar regularly teaches and hosts college students. Her personal research focuses on the measurements of trace gases, aerosol properties and cloud microphysics. An infrastructure grant from the National Science Foundation in 2010 allowed her to double the size of the lab. “The overall goal is to improve the accuracy of global climate models, and in order to do that you need a lot of data,” she explains.

Hallar also leads two programs for the National Science Foundation. Geoscience Research at Storm Peak provides mentoring for undergraduate, minority students; they come to SPL for research training,

and Hallar works alongside them for months. Atmospheric Science Collaborations and Enriching Networks exists to support female faculty members in atmospheric science and meteorology.

“Having so many scientists and students involved in SPL – bringing people from all over the country – is what I love the most,” she says.

Even local fifth-graders take field trips up to SPL, as Hallar volunteers time to teach them the basics of measuring weather changes and plotting data.

This July, however, Hallar entered the first sabbatical of her career, and after more than 10 years of intensive research, it’s a well-earned break. — Amanda DeVos

Dr. Gannet Hallar Eyes on the atmosphere


Barb Shipley will look at you straight on and share exactly what’s in her heart and on her mind; she hopes you’ll do the same. For her, work – and life – is about connecting with people. “I’m totally a relational person,” she says.

Her energetic, straightforward personality and love for helping people have guided her career in property management in Steamboat Springs for more than 30 years; she is currently an associate broker with MR Realty.

Shipley built a close relationship with Hazie Werner – a local legend known for her devotion to the Yampa Valley – who taught her how to better care for people. “Hazie was one of the most remarkable human beings I’ve known because she treated everybody equally,” she says.

A few years ago, Shipley founded the Hazie Werner Hospitality Fund and hosted benefits with the goal of raising $10,000 annually for local nonprofits like Lift-Up, the VNA, Hospice and Partners of Routt County. “The best way I could honor Hazie was to find a way to support causes that were important to her,” says Shipley, her blue eyes pooling with tears. “That’s truly my passion. But I’ve had to back off lately to let people recover from the economic troubles.”

For 16 years, Shipley has also organized local clinics for Buck Brannaman, a renowned “horse-whisperer” who trains horses through the natural horsemanship style. “It’s not about power and force,” she explains. “It’s about developing a better relationship with the horse based on positive results.” She believes this approach can help people to improve their own relationships.

And after 40 years in Steamboat, that is Shipley’s own goal, too. “What’s important is making better relationships – not how much money you make, not about the house you own or the kind of college you went to,” she says. “The reality is, life is about how you treat people. Hopefully every day we are trying to be better at that. But you have to be open to change.” — Amanda DeVos

Barb ShipleyMaking people her priority

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Routt County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak was recovering from a partial leg amputation at the Doak Walker Center in 2005. She asked to borrow a quiet room – which happened to be in the ICU – to set up a conference call so she could participate in a commissioners’ meeting.

“The county has to go on,” Stahoviak explains, as if anyone would have phoned in from the ICU rather than miss a meeting. “Besides, it was a gravel pit hearing,” she says, half-jokingly.

In her 20 years as a commissioner, gravel pit hearings have been among the most contentious. Stahoviak hypothesizes that is because they pit neighbor against neighbor. “When both sides care deeply – that’s the most difficult.”

“Caring deeply” personifies Stahoviak’s career as a public servant, first as volunteer, then as an Oak Creek town board member and finally as a county commissioner since 1993.

“We take the interests of all of our citizens to heart. We talk about the issues, looking at them from all sides. Then we come to a consensus and move on. I’ve seen some truly good things happen that way.”

Stahoviak points to the improvements at Yampa Valley Regional Airport as an example. “What has happened out there is phenomenal.”

The new justice center in west Steamboat is another success story, although a failed election and confusion about the future of the historic courthouse presented obstacles. “We

came up with a great solution, a beautiful building that we can all be proud of.” She also cites the groundbreaking Purchase of Development Rights initiative that has

resulted in preserving thousands of acres of agricultural land in Routt County. Stahoviak hopes guidelines for oil and gas drilling will be shaping up by the end

of her final term. In 2013, an all-new board could be seated. “We’ve solved all the ‘easy problems’ for them,” Stahoviak quips. Now for the big

ones: a holistic transportation system, affordable housing, early childhood education…“Community service has been my life. Now I’m just ready to be home,”

Stahoviak sighs. — Deb Olsen

Nancy Stahoviak The county has to go on

For Kelly Boniface, a typical day at work involves tracing the outline of Emerald Mountain’s warm morning glow as she barrels up and down its trails on her bike. Her goal? To make her profession as much fun as possible. Natural talent, coupled with a sizable community of adept mountain bikers with whom she often trains, has allowed her to do just that.

Boniface participates in about 20 professional mountain bike races per year and she consistently finishes at the top. The races she chooses vary from one to seven hours; she often competes in one as preparation for another one, although, she admits, “I don’t like to pick one race that is the end-all-be-all.”

Growing up in Attleboro, Mass., Boniface was an avid horseback rider and runner. After a brief running career at Cornell, Boniface pursued marathons, including the Boston Marathon, which she has run three times. Injuries compelled her to ease up on the running, so when she moved to Steamboat in 1998, she turned to mountain biking. Compared to running, she says, “Descending on a mountain bike is a lot more fun.”

Besides her obvious athletic ability, Boniface’s talent as a mountain biker is derived from her tireless determination. “I’m very strong-willed and stubborn,” Boniface says.

Her success has attracted a multitude of sponsors. In addition to her biggest sponsor, Moots Cycles, Boniface is backed by Honey Stinger, Smart Wool, Smith, Steamboat Pilates, CarboRocket, Aspire Wellness and Backcountry Provisions, which is owned by her husband.

With some of the most physically and mentally taxing races, including the Gunnison Growler, and Park City Point To Point, under her belt, it’s a wonder Boniface doesn’t consider herself a daredevil. “I just don’t let myself get out of control,” she says. “There are a lot of variables in mountain bike racing.”

But transcending all other variables is Boniface’s desire to simply have fun. — Kiersten Henry

Kelly Boniface Transcending all other variables


The Steamboat Springs chapter of Mary Brown’s story started in 1969, when the 19-year-old Montana girl arrived in town fresh out of college to help her new husband manage his family’s farm.

Over the next 44 years, her journey would take her from farmer to state lobbyist to working in healthcare technology. Along the way, she has chaired the Steamboat Springs City Council, worked for the Department of Public Health and Environment, raised and trained horses, and served on nonprofit boards, both state and local.

Some of Steamboat’s best attractions, including the core trail, tennis center and Haymaker golf course, were created in part thanks to Brown, who sat on city council from 1987 to 1995, four of those years as president.

She was also part of the Friends of Perry Mansfield, while they financially rescued the performing arts camp, and served on the boards of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association (where her daughter Lisa Brown now serves as chief executive officer) and the Strings in the Mountains (now Strings Music Festival).

Her most recent project was helping to create the Boys and Girls Club of Steamboat, “which is my favorite thing I’ve done,” she says.

The director of external affairs for Quality Health Network, based out of Grand Junction, Brown helps healthcare professionals access medical records electronically. “This will save money and lives,” she says.

Married to John Tomasini, Brown loves that both of her daughters and her five grandchildren live in Steamboat. (Daughter Kristin Wilson is a physician, also working for Quality Health Network.)

“I am so fortunate to have my family here. And I’m also fortunate to have challenging and meaningful work. It’s nice to do something that improves people’s lives, both volunteer and job,” Brown says. — By Gena Fischer

Mary BrownFeelin’ good, like we knew she would

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Michelle Petix was raised by a single-father and remembers seeking out strong, female role models.

Her own childhood may have provided impetus for her involvement in youth services in Steamboat Springs. As the new executive director of Partners of Routt County, Petix works to facilitate effective one-on-one mentorship matches.

“I was that kid that needed these services,” she reflects.Petix helped establish Partners locally in 1996 and served on its board until 2001

before taking a hiatus to devote more time to raising her daughters, Kelly and Corey. But she has recently made her “comeback,” returning to Partners this summer.

Adult mentors can make a positive difference for youth because they create unique support systems for children and make them feel valued, Petix says.

The timing for her transition was perfect, as Petix recently wrapped up almost three years at the district attorney’s office as the juvenile diversion coordinator. Her job there involved working with teens to provide an alternative to court for first-time offenders. Petix helped them to improve their decision-making skills and sense of personal responsibility.

“I am very passionate about all youth services, and there are so many ways to support the development of a child,” she says. “It seems like no matter the event, I end up getting involved.”

Among her many other roles, this summer Petix was the assistant director of the Steamboat Mountain Soccer Tournament, coordinating a record 120 teams. Even though she continually finds herself saying ‘yes’ to helping with various projects, Petix says she doesn’t get burnt out.

“My friend says I must like the adrenaline of taking on a lot because I do it all the time!” she says with a laugh. “My husband hucks himself off cliffs skiing, and I volunteer for 18 things.” — Amanda DeVos n

Michelle Petix Matching mentors with kids

Gretchen Van De Carr’s heart beats for youth and the outdoors. She had her first experience combining these two passions in 1989 as the crew supervisor for the Northwest Youth Corps in Oregon.

“I had no idea that was going to be my life,” she says.Van De Carr is the executive director of Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Steamboat Springs, overseeing its operations since its birth in 2003 and helping it mature into a $1 million nonprofit organization that engages

youth with the environment. RMYC teens and young adults spend the summer building trails and working on service projects in the backcountry.

“You’ll see these shy, clean-cut youth come in June, and they come out at the end confident and healthy, with dirt under their fingernails,” Van De Carr says with a smile.

Furthermore, since her arrival in Steamboat in 1990, Van De Carr has been involved in founding local youth organizations like Partners in Routt County, Grand Futures Prevention Coalition, the Steamboat Springs Teen Recreation Center, the city’s teen programs and the Routt County Family and Adolescent Resource Council.

“There were few youth programs when I got here 22 years ago, so anytime there’s been an opportunity to start something that’s needed, it’s been fun to help,” she says.

After receiving the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s “Livingston Fellowship” award in 2009, Van De Carr created the Routt County Youth Services Coalition for the purpose of uniting community organizations to best meet the needs of youth.

Van De Carr enjoys sharing what she loves with her two young sons, Otis and Oliver. “I have poured so much energy into how to find a balance between my work and my family and myself,” she says. “The conclusion I’ve come to is you’ve got to integrate them. I try to give back to the community and instill that

instinct in my own kids.” — Amanda DeVos

Gretchen Van De Carr Keeping the young at heart

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onservation-Minded landscape and wildlife photographer John fielder marvels at the cohesive role the Yampa river plays among disparate interests in northwest

colorado. it bonds everyone from ranchers to recreationists – and even steamboat springs and craig. the river basin’s environmental health has been “conspicuous in preserving the culture of this valley,” he says. “it has set a standard and an example for other river basins around the state, if not the west.”

a substantial portion of the financial resources behind the preservation and expansion of public lands along the Yampa river comes from an unusual source: proceeds from the sale of lottery tickets.

in colorado, the act of purchasing a lottery ticket is sweetened by the knowledge that even when you don’t hit the jackpot, the long-term payoff is huge for the state’s open spaces, parks and wildlife. proceeds go to great outdoors colorado, the quasi-governmental trust that is dedicated to preserving, protecting and enhancing the state’s parks, wildlife, trails, rivers and open space.

C

By Jennie LayPhotography by John Fielder ©

Iva Mae Ranch, North Park, Jackson County


fielder was a member of the citizens’ committee that put the goco initiative on the 1992 ballot, famously spending a year carting his photographs around the state to showcase all the recreation, wildlife and open space that colorado lottery funds would stand to protect – and ensuring the measure would pass.

since its inception, goco has committed more than $715 million from lottery tickets for nearly 3,500 projects around the state, including $56 million last year. routt county projects alone have been the recipient of $35,710,422 of goco funds over the past two decades, which helped protect 29,675 acres of public and private open landscapes, extend the Yampa river core trail, acquire high priority wildlife habitat, build trails on howelsen hill, create a master plan for emerald Mountain, establish ice rinks and skateboard parks, expand park facilities and so much more.

last June, goco awarded the Yampa valley land trust and the city of steamboat springs $2.4 million toward acquiring a conservation easement on 500 acres about 10 miles south of steamboat that is surrounded by private and public lands. the proposed project includes 1.5 miles of Yampa river

As GreAt OutdOOrs COlOrAdO turns 20 , phOtOGrApher

And life-lOnG COnservAtiOn CrusAder JOhn fielder

shOws us hOw everyOne wins.

Yampa River Core Trail, Steamboat Springs


nOw, As GOCO turns 20, fielder is mAkinG sure

nOne Of COlOrAdO’s five milliOn residents

tAke the vAst ArrAy Of prOJeCts, Or their

fundinG sOurCe, fOr GrAnted.

Steamboat Lake State Park, Routt County

Little Snake River, Focus Ranch, Routt County


frontage, providing significant wildlife habitat and opportunities for public access. it would allow for both a trail along the river and across the property, linking stagecoach state park to sarvis creek state wildlife area, and also allow for fishing access. the grant also makes access improvements to a piece of riverfront public land known as the fournier open space, next to the snow Bowl, and the Yampa river through town.

now, as goco turns 20, fielder is making sure none of colorado’s five million residents take the vast array of projects, or their funding source, for granted. colorado is the only state in the nation that commits virtually all of its lottery profits to protecting its natural heritage. goco, he says, needed help celebrating its own success.

over 18 months, fielder traversed 35,000 miles through colorado’s 64 counties to visit the lottery-funded projects that have made a mark on nearly every city and town and the rural expanses in between. he marveled at how many goco signs he saw at trailheads from the front range to the Yampa river. “the extent of goco’s

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influence is everywhere to be seen,” he says. fielder compiled his explorations into two new books honoring

20 years of goco accomplishments and investments – one a coffee-table collection of photography and the other a field guide.

“goco is not political and not self-promoting. i wanted to remind people and show them graphically what we’ve done,” fielder says. he constantly worries about threats to the program as the economy continues to suffer and the state legislature searches harder for funding sources for everything from veterans to education. “i could see that goco was always looking over its shoulder.”

fielder’s large format picture book, “colorado’s great outdoors, celebrating 20 Years of lottery-funded lands,” showcases 150 new photographs capturing some of the state’s most spectacular landscapes that have been protected with the help of lottery dollars. images from the northwest region highlight everything from the colorado state forest in Jackson county to the nature conservancy’s carpenter ranch in hayden and cedar Mountain trail in Moffat county. the pages are brimming with vistas of working ranches, wildlife habitat and stunning river corridors.

the traveling companion, “John fielder’s guide to colorado’s great outdoors,” is a guide to the state’s lottery-funded outdoor

Yampa River State Park, Routt County.

Elk, Wolf Mountain Ranch, Routt County


THE ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT OF CARL HOWELSEN IS OUR INSPIRATION. AND CARL’S TAVERN IS A PLACE FOR ADVENTUROUS SPIRITS TO CALL HOME. THE HOSPITALITY IS GENUINE. THE BEER IS COLD. AND THE FOOD IS MADE FROM SCRATCH. SO RAISE A GLASS TO THE MAN WHO TURNED WINTER INTO A PLAYGROUND, AND SKIS INTO WINGS. THEN GO AHEAD AND RAISE ANOTHER FOR YOURSELF.

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THE ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT OF CARL HOWELSEN IS OUR INSPIRATION. AND CARL’S TAVERN IS A PLACE FOR ADVENTUROUS SPIRITS TO CALL HOME. THE HOSPITALITY IS GENUINE. THE BEER IS COLD. AND THE FOOD IS MADE FROM SCRATCH. SO RAISE A GLASS TO THE MAN WHO TURNED WINTER INTO A PLAYGROUND, AND SKIS INTO WINGS. THEN GO AHEAD AND RAISE ANOTHER FOR YOURSELF. A PLAYGROUND, AND SKIS INTO WINGS. THEN GO AHEAD AND RAISE ANOTHER FOR YOURSELF.

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fielder hAs mAde it his missiOn tO keep COlOrAdO’s Open

lAndsCApes, whether they Are wOrkinG rAnChes Or

wilderness, ever-present in the publiC COnsCiOusness.

resources, including more than 500 parks, trails, wildlife areas and open spaces, plus ball fields, skate parks and playgrounds. the field guide also includes more than 400 of fielder’s photographs, maps, driving directions and web sites for more information. along with your “gazetteer,” it’s a prime resource for a road trip.

fielder divided the state into eight regions; routt county falls in with five other northwest colorado counties extending east to larimer and south to rio Blanco and grand counties. logistically, fielder says this is the hardest project he’s ever done. the most scenic spots made the cut – and many of those were along the Yampa river.

over his three decades as a photographer, fielder has made it his mission to keep colorado’s open landscapes, whether they are working ranches or wilderness, ever-present in the public consciousness. he has long carried the torch for land protection as the ultimate way to promote bio-diversity, and goco has helped do that by leveraging the purchases of natural areas and conservation easements on farms and

ranches with wildlife values. open and natural spaces are “what cooks our economy,” he says, upping the ante for protecting the state’s mountain valleys and urban edges.

“the thing that’s impressive is the consolidation of so many funding sources,” fielder says. notably, goco never fully funds a project, but requires each park or trail or conservation easement to acquire matching dollars from other sources. this leverage has given colorado recreation and conservation a leg up in competing for all varieties of funding sources from federal farm and ranch protection programs to foundations. “it has been a catalyst for all those open space projects,” fielder says. “goco saw a way to close the deals and get them done.”

Fielder visits Steamboat Springs on Sunday, Nov. 4, for a community talk and slideshow in Library Hall at the Bud Werner Memorial Library. Both of the GOCO books will be available on site and part of the book sale proceeds will benefit the Yampa Valley Land Trust, which also celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. n


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Learn more about Fielder’s tour around the state and his work.

by the numbersRacking up GOCO’s grants through 2011

stAtewide715 Millions of dollars granted

64 Counties where GOCO has funded projects

3,500 Total funded projects

837,000 Acres of open space protected

1,172 Community parks and outdoor recreation areas (including skate parks, ball fields and playgrounds) created or enhanced

720 Miles of trail built

nOrthwest COlOrAdO35,710,422 Millions of dollars granted in Routt County

29,675 Acres of open space protected in Routt County

196 Individual grants made in Routt County, including multi-county grants

3,686,489 Millions of dollars granted in Moffat County

3,184 Acres of open space protected in Moffat County

7,115,838 Millions of dollars granted in Rio Blanco County

12,711 Acres of open space protected in Rio Blanco County

6,168,48 7 Millions of dollars granted in Jackson County

8,689 Acres of open space protected in Jackson County

748,970 Dollars in multi-county grants awarded across the region

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CalCutta SunriSeBy John Grassby

Nebbadoon Press, Santa Barbara, Calif. 2012Soft cover $23.95, 397 pages

John Grassby has been part of the Steamboat Springs community for 40 years. Born in Calcutta and having grown up in Mexico City, he brings to his first novel the “underworld below the underworld” of faraway India in the postwar 1940s.

With intrigue introduced through wealthy businessman James Trescott and his family, the author draws his readers into the shadows of a multinational plot involving piracy on the high seas. When a freighter is hijacked in the Indian Ocean, the power struggle over its contents enjoins not only the Englishman Trescott, but also the Singapore and United States navies.

In Calcutta, Trescott, his strikingly beautiful wife and their teenage son live within a walled compound, separated at an ”oblivious distance” from the city’s teeming population. Sahib Miles Henderson, Trescott’s successful lawyer, confidante and co-conspirator, drives a Jaguar that is almost as high-powered as its owner. Neither man is what he seems to be.

As each character winds through the twists and turns of this story, nothing is as it appears. Hooded figures that pass in and out of secret doorways baffle the reader. Servants keep their clearly defined place in the age-old traditions of their country; Yogi Mahesh teaches with words from the Buddha; a Catholic nun befriends an “untouchable.”

Trescott’s son John, along with native-born Sathya, Henderson’s investigator, bring them all together. A startling prologue goes back in time to a face-to-face meeting between eight-year-old John and an “outcast among outcasts.” When boy and leper meet each other, the reader catches a glimpse of what will be revealed as “the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

An old, old world meets changes that cannot be avoided. Each character represents part of what happens when new thoughts jeopardize traditions. The reader will find he cannot turn the pages quickly enough.

Book Reviews By Harriet Freiberger

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steaMBoat MaGaZine | FALL 2012 | 77

troubled trailSThe Meeker Affair and the Expulsion of Utes from ColoradoBy Robert SilbernagelSoft cover $24.95, 253 pages

Robert Silbernagel has been writing for Colorado newspapers since 1975. He is currently editorial page editor at the “Daily Sentinel” in Grand Junction.

On an 1879 map of Northwest Colorado, the White River Agency marks the last presence of the Utes in the lands their ancestors had occupied for centuries. It was home for the Yampatikas, who summered near the “medicine springs” along the Bear (Yampa) River.

Silbernagel portrays the events of September 1879 before and after what became known as “The Meeker Massacre,” centering attention upon tribal leader Nicaagat, also known as “Captain Jack.”

Ten years earlier, in 1868, Nicaagat had been chosen along with other tribal representatives to travel to Washington, D.C., with Chief Ouray. Meeting with President Andrew Johnson, they participated in the negotiation of a treaty that defined reservation boundaries, set provisions to keep whites off their lands, created annual annuities, and created three Indian agencies.

By 1879, Nicaagat had served as a scout with General George Crook in the campaign against Sioux and Cheyenne, and had been “a friend of the white man for more than a decade.” Frustrated with Agent Nathan Meeker’s demands on the tribe, Nicaagat tried to accomplish a change of agents. Even with able use of the English language and memorized words from the 1868 treaty, the warrior failed to persuade Governor Frederick Pitkin of the need to remove Meeker.

Consequences of that failure included the Utes’ murder of Meeker and eight employees of the White River Agency; the kidnapping of Meeker’s wife and daughter, along with one other woman and her two children, all held prisoner for 23 days; and the White River Utes’ removal to Utah.

Within three years, Nicaagat was dead, shot by “the same army he had once served and trusted . . . died because he refused to live where others told him he must.”

WindoW on the riverBy Ann Anderson StranahanAntrim House, Connecticut 2011Soft cover $19, 94 pages

Ann Stranahan lives in Ohio, but she and her husband spend much of the year in the Elk River Valley north of Steamboat Springs. In 1980, they built The Home Ranch, a guest ranch and ski lodge in Clark.

Rivers and writing have been part of Stranahan’s life for as long as she can remember. The water’s rhythm she has come to know reverberates in her writing. In the flow of those words, the reader senses a passage through time, a personal current.

In poetry and poetic prose, layers of a lifetime unfold. Stranahan grew up in Virginia alongside the James River. In her middle-age years, a time of raising children during the country’s turbulent ‘70s, Stranahan watched Ohio’s Maumee River as it moved through the seasons. In its changes, she saw her own, both she and the river carrying waters of the past. “Fruit nurtured in sandy soil salted by / the York, Pamunkey, Rappahannock rivers always flowing, running to the Chesapeake, reaching to the ocean . . .”

Then land along the Elk River brought yet another perspective to Stranahan’s window, captured in a poem, “Inspecting the Property.”

“Our skis as thin as the legs of deer as fleet / as elusive – we were graceful and foolish / by turns: gliding, sweating, racing the sun / or falling in desperate splashes, freezing . . .”

For Stranahan a poem is two things, the initial creative impulse and the craft that molds that beginning into finalized thought. A continuum becomes apparent in the cover of the book, a bookplate designed by her parents, picturing the river she knew as a child.

This writer’s window opens to a reality in which the reader will also find a beginning that flows into its ending, which is at the same time a new beginning. n

essay | By Amanda DeVos


GROWING UP IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, becoming an Olympian was more than just a pipe dream. Incentives were everywhere: living next door to an Olympic alpine ski racer; staring at the flurry of flags in Olympian Hall signifying Steamboat’s 78 Olympians; watching World Cup events (and slipping into the VIP tents, sitting by the heater eating rolls and thawing my ski boots). I wanted to be on the U.S. Ski Team some day – or, at least, that’s what I thought I should want.

I was born in Steamboat 21 years ago and spent the majority of my childhood playing sports. I started skiing at age two and playing soccer at four, and I pursued both with equal intensity until I was 17.

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club was my second home – I skied after school under the lights with a couple hundred kids. In summer and fall, soccer fields were my happy place.

By high school, competitive sports had become year-round commitments. For three years, soccer and skiing overlapped. I kept a regimented schedule, not uncommon for Steamboat youth. School in the mornings, ski training in the afternoons, soccer practice in the evenings, then dinner, homework, sleep. Repeat.

I am thankful that my parents expected my brother and me for dinner every night and that we visited relatives each summer because I learned how essential healthy family relationships are. I’m thankful I had a few close friends who didn’t play sports because I learned that friendships require time.

After my junior year, ski training six days a week began feeling burdensome. I realized my passion had shifted elsewhere, and I saw danger in continuing to do something only because I had always done it. I quit racing, and I followed my love for soccer.

However, after one year of collegiate soccer, I quit. I wanted to refocus my priorities, particularly on being more intentional with relationships, exploring my passion for writing and maximizing my education by studying abroad.

Moving on from skiing and soccer were painful decisions, but I do not regret them. One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was not making these choices for me. They stood on the sidelines cheering me on, and they stood by me when I changed paths.

Some kids aren’t so fortunate. They feel pressured to succeed because they’re afraid to disappoint their parents. I’ve seen parents make the mistake of comparing their kids to their peers. Others try to live vicariously through their children’s accomplishments, becoming so fixated on results that they

forget to ask if their children enjoy their sport or if they’d rather be doing something else. Some believe their child is – or must become – the next Olympian. Maybe he will. (It’s a perfectly good dream if it’s the kid’s dream.) But, probably, he won’t.

Less than 1% of Steamboat’s athletes make the Olympics or the U.S. Ski Team. So what about the 99% who don’t? What was the point of years of time, money, energy, injuries and stressful competition?

That question frequently came to mind, especially after I’d tell my college friends I was an alpine ski racer. The most common replies were:

“An alpine…what?” “So you were in the Olympics? Did you wear those funny

spandex suits?” “I’ve skied before!”I used to shake my head in shock – not at their ignorance

but at how my entire past was marginalized, as if those 10-plus years were a waste.

My identity was (wrongly) defined by being a successful athlete. I finally realized what people care most about is who I am, not what I have done. No one really cares how many soccer goals I scored or how many FIS points I earned.

Then I found the answer: sports shaped me as a person. Being an athlete taught me invaluable lessons about hard work, focus, time management, responsibility, self-discipline, leadership, respect, humility, patience, a positive attitude, independence, endurance and teamwork. I learned to face fear and disappointment; to celebrate the success of others; to listen; to encourage; to know when to ignore pain and when to heed it; to build mental and emotional resilience; to identify my strengths and weaknesses; to make changes and try again; to adapt to circumstances; to perform under pressure; to set high goals.

The sports culture in Steamboat gave me an opportunity to pursue my passions and develop life skills, good character and an active lifestyle. I wouldn’t have wanted to be raised anywhere else.

When the 99% of youth that pursue dreams outside of sports reflect on their time as athletes in Ski Town USA, I hope above all else they see the intangible, permanent value of sports. Because this foundation will lift them higher than any podium can. n

The other 99%: Athletes who don’t become Olympians in Ski Town USA. A Steamboat native’s reflection on sports as a child.

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©2012 Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp.

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valley view

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Dean Vogelaar of Mountain Valley Bank rides his horse in the annual Fourth of July parade in downtown Steamboat Springs.

Julia

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Trampled by Turtles at Howelsen Hill.

SSWSC Nordic athletes Jasper Good, Cliff Field, Alec Gantick Ben Berend and Nick Madden at the Summer Jump & Wine Soiree.

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Dancy Gould St. John, Bonnie McGee and Denise Bohart Brown show their work during First Friday Art Walk.

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Colin Kagan, 8, enjoying Fetcher Pond after the Steamboat Flyfisher learn-to-fly-fish clinic.

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Brian and Kathy Elliott after the half marathon.

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Dave Lawler and his daughther, Julia, on the fourth of July.

Deb

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Dark Star Orchestra plays a concert at the base of the ski area during the free summer concert series.

Julia

Heb

ard

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steaMBoat MaGaZine | FALL 2012 | 3

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Steamboat Magazine Fall 2012