I was deeply saddened by the loss of yet another Crystal Valley icon, a man who spent his career defending wildlife and an ally for the quality of life we all cherish here. The passing of John Seidel last week brings a tear and evokes many precious memories of our dear friend. John worked as the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) officer, or “game warden,” (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife) for the Crystal Valley for decades.
John was smart, articulate and accessible to the community. He conducted himself with a dignity and elan that gained the respect of young and old.
I had been studying Natural Resources Management when I first met John. Being several years older than me, John became not only a good friend but a distinct role model for my career track.
The following excerpt is borrowed from a January 2022 Sopris Sun CVEPA Views column.
One winter morning there came a knock on the door of my frozen Marble cabin. I looked out to see a handsome, young game warden in the badge and full uniform of the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The officer saw the smoke curling up out of the stovepipe and came to introduce himself.
John Seidel was well known in the Valley for his quick wit, the twinkle in his eye and his staunch defense of wildlife. John explained that he was working up on Elk Mountain in Marble gathering data to prove that the hillside where the Marble Ski Area proposed to build condominiums and a school campus was critical winter elk habitat. His project was baiting the elk with alfalfa then retaining them in a large pen after they triggered the trap door shut. He then fitted them with a radio collar while holding them in a cattle squeeze-chute.
Over a pot of coffee, we decided that two of us working the elk trap together was better than one. John fired up his snowmobile and I strapped on my Tenth Mountain Division surplus hickory skis.
He threw me the rope and off we went. John romped on the throttle while I skijored up the mountain behind the snowmobile! There were no helmets, no waivers, just snow flying and two men on a mission. Numerous elk were fitted with telemetry over the winter. John gathered data, attended many meetings and helped battle the ill-conceived plot that would have forever changed the Marble Valley. His work and the work of early Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association founders helped thwart the treachery of the Marble Ski Area.
John could spin a good yarn. I loved the imagery of this one. The winters were deep and cold in the early ‘70s. Elk herds found the ranchers’ hay stacks on East Mesa. Forty-five cold, hungry elk could eat a lot of alfalfa and the ranchers were not happy. Putting his best foot forward, John would camp in the haystack on a frosty winter night and wait till around midnight. When he heard the voracious chewing of the wapiti, John would launch a barrage of cherry-bombs and fireworks! The sky was on fire and the elk were on the run. This hazing had a short-term effect but was not a long-term solution.
One of John’s biggest peeves was the domestic sheep herds in the wilderness area that spread the pasteurella and mycoplasma that was devastating the native bighorn sheep respiratory systems.
Like so many of us, John felt closest to heaven when in the high country of Colorado. Early in his retirement he suffered a motorcycle accident that left his lungs greatly compromised. Unable to hike and enjoy the high altitude, John and his wife, Ingrid, moved to San Luis Obispo where they could remain active.
Those of us who knew him were privileged. We will always remember those eyes that sparkled like Venus while he conjured up his next quip! Those new to this special valley know the present and are encouraged to learn more about the path that brought us to where we are now.
To learn more about the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association, go to www.cvepa.org or follow us on Facebook.