Chris Brandt first started mountain biking the rugged single-track trails on Carbondale’s Red Hill in 2009 and immediately noticed something both aesthetically beautiful and ecologically fragile about it.“I was blown away by how awesome it was, and how it encompassed everything I loved about mountain biking, with its natural challenges and the scenery,” Brandt said.At […]
Environment
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Tying the knot: Iron Fly Competition in photos
Photos by Max Chadwick The Eighth Annual Iron Fly Competition was hosted at the Tipsy Trout in Basalt on Saturday, Feb. 10. The yearly event, organized by the Roaring Fork Valley Fly Fishing Club and Roaring Fork Conservancy, has become a staple for fishing enthusiasts in the Valley. Ultimately, three people placed in the youth […]
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Lou Dawson: A tale in four skis — and a romance
Lou Dawson has had a storied, outdoors-oriented life; much of it adventure-filled and exciting but also with great challenges.A pioneer of ski mountaineering and alpine touring (AT) in this country, Dawson is probably best known as the first person to ski all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains (fourteeners) — a feat for which he was […]
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Carbondale resident files complaint alleging USFS fence blocks public right-of-way
Longtime Carbondale resident and former trustee Pam Zentmyer filed a complaint with the Town of Carbondale Wednesday, listing Town Clerk Jessica Markham and Carbondale Police Chief Kirk Wilson as recipients, regarding the fence surrounding the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District construction zone near the corner of Main Street and Weant Boulevard. Dare-Case Contracting Services LLC erected the […]
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The Animal is approaching
The Sopris Sun is excited to announce that a once-familiar Animal is about to emerge from a lengthy hibernation. This Animal was thought to be extinct but, much to animal-lovers’ delight, it has surprised experts with its remarkable capacity to evolve and resurrect itself. It was last seen roaming the streets of the Roaring Fork […]
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Hunter Creek preservation project chugs along
Nestled just a hop and a skip from Aspen lies Hunter Creek Valley, a 60-acre site rich with history. Although its history had been deteriorating over several decades, locals, along with some help from the state and a national nonprofit, have changed that tune. In 2021, Roaring Fork Valley locals founded the Hunter Creek Historical […]
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Climate film series provides opportunity to learn and take action
A local activist group confronting climate change, 350 Roaring Fork, invites members of the community to attend its Winter Film Series, designed to educate and facilitate conversation and action. The series kicked off on Jan. 11 at the Carbondale Library with the movie “Bidder 70,” and is scheduled to run through March 27 when the […]
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Uinta Basin Railway: When is a railroad not a railroad?
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) earlier this month dealt another blow to the beleaguered Uinta Basin Railway (UBR), an 88-mile line proposed to connect oil fields in the Uinta Basin to the national rail network near Price, Utah, in order to access Gulf Coast refineries. The trains coming out of Price would have increased the […]
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Crystal River Caucus weighs in on Redstone Castle
The evening of Jan. 11, the Crystal River Caucus convened for a lengthy discussion concerning the Redstone Castle, Filoha Meadows and the Crystal River’s potential Wild and Scenic designation.The meeting opened with a presentation concerning the latest developments with the Redstone Castle, led by private Land Use Planner Glenn Horn. The Redstone Castle, included in […]
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Vigil sets somber scene at USFS office in Carbondale
A vigil for the trees in front of the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District office in Carbondale on First Friday set a somber tone. Close to 20 people formed a circle in the front yard to honor the iconic evergreen trees that may be lost when the 1930s-era buildings are demolished.Carbondale resident Richard Vottero, a vigil organizer, […]