The first whites in the Crystal Valley traveled on the Ute Trail, as well documented by the Hayden surveys in 1873. Whites brought with them the wheel, and no sooner than the first homesteads were staked, petitions began flowing into the nascent Pitkin County clerk’s office requesting a wagon road. The 1886 petitioners included Myron […]
Pitkin county
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Redstone braces for flooding and fires
Redstone’s community gathered on a rainy night at the fire station north of the Boulevard to discuss flooding preparedness, and a bit about wildfire season too. Pitkin County Emergency Manager Valerie Macdonald presented along with members of the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD). Accelerated snow melt this spring is possible due to rain […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Redstone to McClure Pass Trail winds toward implementation
On Jan. 27, a year after receiving comments on a draft environmental assessment, the White River National Forest (WRNF) published its final environmental assessment and draft decision notice for the Redstone to McClure Pass Trail. This seven-mile section of the 83-mile Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail Plan, adopted by Pitkin County in 2018, was determined […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Food hub feasibility study to wrap up by Spring 2023
Up and down the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys, farmers and ranchers raise local produce — from meats to fresh vegetables — yet there are still many residents who are regularly concerned about keeping enough food on their family’s table. Several entities, both governmental and nongovernmental, from Parachute to Aspen, are interested in the […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Redstone Park renovation poised to start
After a nearly two-year planning process, Redstone Park is set for an extensive renovation and restoration project. The work, budgeted at some $536,000, is scheduled to begin on June 1. The park lies between the Crystal River and Redstone Boulevard and is popular with both residents and visitors. It is managed by Pitkin County Open […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Proposed Forest Service conveyance advances
Perhaps you’re familiar, perhaps not, but the Forest Service administrative site on Valley Road, east of El Jebel and Crown Mountain Park, is bracing for change. Thirty acres of the 70-acre site, which has been used for Forest Service employee housing for decades, is slated for conveyance and its future use is yet to be […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Omicron surges through the Valley
Omicron, the prevailing COVID-19 variant of concern, was first identified in South Africa in late November. Within weeks, it was detected in Colorado and by Dec. 15 had arrived in Garfield County. Days later, on Dec. 20, Pitkin County reported its first case of Omicron, with a vaccinated individual testing positive. The precipitous spread of […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
A responsibility to participate
When it comes to balancing public service with a growing community whilst preserving what that place has to offer, it takes a lot of grit and an exuberant amount of dedication. Dorothea Farris is an authentic example of someone who strives to meet that balance. Farris believes wholeheartedly that “if you participate, and participate sincerely, […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
A toast to open space ag lands
Pat Scanlon, co-founder of Woody Creek Distillers (WCD), would trial nine potato varieties in search of the perfect vodka potato. In so doing, WCD became the first lessees to grow vegetables on Pitkin County Open Space and Trails ag lands. “Of course it would be a Colorado potato,” Scanlon chuckles, describing the venerable Rio Grande […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Lease appeal dismissed by Pitkin County Manager
At the end of January, a competitive lease application process for Pitkin County-owned agricultural land at the Glassier Open Space property in Basalt selected its winner, the Marigold Livestock Co. On Feb. 1, 2021, José Miranda, one of the other applicants and founder of Rocking TT Bar, filed a formal appeal contesting the lease award […]