On Durango Mountain... 

 

07/31/10. Wing. The Cronk's have left the building and in very good condition. They stripped the beds and were generally as helpful as can be. Bless their little hearts (as the Texans say!) Matt and Katie are getting married at 1pm so it's a mad scramble to get things ready. We've pressed Joe Barnes into service as a housekeeper and  it's a surprise he's moving at all after the Cougars 50th birthday bash last night.  They're the ones in the skirts.

 

 

07/30/10. Wing. Just one day left before the Cronk's head back from whence they came and Matt and Katie arrive to celebrate a night of nuptials in the mountains. It's been cool enough to hike but between the threatening weather, phone calls and emails I've been office bound the last couple of days. There's plenty to do. Steve's been mowing the lawn and Hanson's working on the entrance and pulling thistles.  Joe Barns arrived from Houston  last night with a box of Oreos. They make a hearty mountain breakfast for Hanson 'n me.

 

 

07/29/10. Wing. The Lodge is located in the upper reaches of a glacial valley left over from the last ice age a few years back. Twenty five miles away, at the lower end, is the town of Durango. In the middle and at the bottom is the beautiful Animas Valley, named for the river that snakes through it like a piece of ribbon candy.  Alongside the river are the broad and fertile flatlands first settled by white man a short hundred and thirty years ago. Today farming and ranching activities are being augmented  by a host of 21st century pursuits, the most adventurous of which occurs in the air above the valley floor. For a paltry $125 you can soar like an eagle above the mountain tops, without a motor and with only the sound of the wind and your accelerated heartbeat  in your ears.

 

 

07/28/10. Wing.  Thirty Seven Years is a long time by human standards. They don't look any worse for the wear. Celebrated with John and June last night and from the looks on their faces it looks as though it has been time well spent. Dinner at the Sow's was agreeable as well. Elk Tenderloin, Quail and Sea Bass washed down with fine Calilfornia Wine and followed by Junemade Brownies in the condo. Yum.

 

 

07/27/10. Wing.  Every table needs chairs. But sticks, who needs sticks.  It's fun to take the balls in your hands and slam them into each other. If you're lucky one'll get into a hole. Then you can take them out and do it again. Sometimes for hours. It can get a little noisy. But that's half the fun.  After all, girls just wanna have fun.  

 

 

07/24/10. Wing. Okies sure know how to have a good time and help each other out. The ATV's, rafts and mountain bikes all got a workout between preparations for the wedding. An afternoon monsoon forced the ceremony inside but by the looks of the lobby you'd have though that it was planned there all along. They left early this morning after the bonfire and hot tubbing last night but left behind kudos and gratuities for the housekeepers.

 

 

07/23/10. Wing. Happy Birthday Abby! Old friend Jon and his son, Ryan, are visiting the high country for a couple of days.  It's a good day for 4 wheeling in Colorado and up we went in a 2 wheel drive Ford. Jon proved to be an unusually gifted driver (if not much of a walker) and we explored the Animas River drainage to it's headwaters at the ghost town of Animas Forks. Passed flocks of sheep and Toyotas and worked on their Texas sized rock collection.

 

 

7/22/10. Wing. The monsoons are here at last and it is cooling down agreeably. They didn't get here in time make berries and the bears are hungry.  Fortunately for them the Sow's Ear puts out pretty good grub and employs dishwashers who sometimes act as though they are under the influence of medical marijuana and occasionally forget to lock the dumpster at night.

 

 

7/21/10. Wing. Happy Birthday Mary Jane! Sure was a nice walk up Mansfield! Been hiking lots here and this morning saw a couple of bucks in velvet and a spotted faun. The ski runs make for lush fields and the wildlife have it all to themselves but for the cattle running on government lease. The only other creatures on the mountain are the mechanics working to get the ski lifts ready for next winter.

 

 

07/20/10. Wing. The mountain abounds with wildlife. Besides the human kind, I mean.
The week's just begun and already we've spotted a herd of elk in the meadow south of the lodge, and several deer on the trails. The early morning love songs of small birds, so very pleasant to hear when you first wake before the dawn, have subsided now and been replaced by the screech of magpies and croaks of the ravens.  The lakes and streams are full of fish and Louis is having loads of fun down at Electra Lake tormenting the helpless creatures. Catch and release, catch and release. Eat 'em, I say! The lack of rain has made for a lack of berries and pushed the bears into the trash and condos. One broke into a kitchen at Needles a mile down the road and now his unlucky cousin sits in a trap awaiting the judgment of the powers that be at the DOW. The biggest threat at Silverpick is the invasion of the chipmunks. They come in and steal bites from the bowl of  apples on the front desk. Children like to chase them back outside.

 

 

07/19/10. Wing. Hot up here but lots hotter in the sagebrush down in Durango. The best place to be hanging is in the wildflowers up in the mountains. And up we went with Oleg at 6:30 this morning. He made it on time after a rough night drinking scotch with ladies in pjs. Ah! the life of a musician! He's in town to play his violin at the music festival up at the ski area. The concert last night was pretty good and featured a soloist Oleg says even he'd pay to hear.

 

 

07/18/10. Wing.  One of the nicest weddings ever at the Lodge. Guests started arriving early in the week and preparations for the ceremony and group outings with family and friends meshed beautifully as the days progressed towards the I dos.  A thunderstorm threatened but the clouds respected the importance of the occasion and cleared up  as the party ate, drank and danced into the early evening hours.

 

 

07/17/10. Wing. It a beautiful day for a wedding. The band pulled in at 6 am and immediately hit the sack just as everyone else was getting up.  Made some coffee and a quick hike up to the base of Engineer. The trail was packed full of hippies and dogs and flowers are everywhere. Pictures can not convey the splendor of the Rocky Mountains in July. So here's the ladies primping for the wedding in the spa.

 

 

07/16/10. Wing. Getting very busy around here as the guests start to arrive for Brian and Erin's wedding tomorrow. Lots of rooms to clean and beds to make. Thanks to Bruce and Mitchell that task has been made just a little easier. Mitch bought a housekeeping cart at auction and Bruce hauled it up from Albuquerque.  The boys are every happy with their new toy and have named it "Heather." Not sure why.

 

 

07/15/10. Wing. Gee it's good to be back home again. Yes it is. Too bad all those Vermont folks just don't pack up and move west. Well they seem very comfortable back there. Not so much last week with temperatures in the 90's and humidity to match, but generally speaking. It's good to get back into a routine and into the Rocky Mountains. Walked up to Lake Penelope on the Pass Creek Trail yesterday and to Castle Rock this morning. Need a shower!

 

 

07/04/10. Wing. Happy Independence Day! The sun is shining in Colorado and everyone is proud to be an American. The lodge is emptying out as the owners and guests head to the lake, the mountains or down to Durango to celebrate. The Muellers are packing up and getting ready to leave the lodge after a week of home cooked meals, campfires, hiking, rafting: the usual mountain stuff.  Three generations met together here for the first time in seven years to look each other over and share a quiet conversation or two. Seemed as though they still like each other.

 

 

07/01/10. Wing. Half gone. And boy it went quick. Lots of good and a little bit no so much. Scurrying from task to task to task. Maybe it will slow down during the second half. Hope so. But there's still lots going on at the Lodge. We got our lines (!) and ended up with 45 spaces. Hanson is mulching plants making the entrance more enticing to passing motorists. Eddie is installing paneling, David is cleaning condos and Neal is off.  Steve has been weed eating the Naked Lady Trail, taming the forest primeval for our guests and making a clear path for Yogi and Boo Boo. Spotted Yogi last night on the Naked Lady beneath Bert's Rest Overlook. A formidable fellow, crimson brown and about 4-500 pounds. We were both headed south when I spotted him but then I remembered I really needed to check out a few things up to the north.

 

 

06/30/10. Wing.  Beautiful hike with the old guys yesterday up to the clear cut behind Castle Rock. The trees were cut 50 years ago to produce more water for LA and points in between. The seedlings planted then have begun to mature into the semblance of a forest and really present a pleasant view of wood and sky.  Looks like the middle of nowhere but when your in familiar company it feels real comfortable and even somewhat splendid.

 

 

06/28/10. Wing. More parking. Now that's something to get excited about. I knew this was the asphalt crew I wanted when I read the slogan on the side of their truck. "Pave paradise, put up a parking lot". We added five feet and about 15 spaces. I'll know how many for sure when Dan comes up tomorrow and  paints lines on the pavement. We never had lines before! Well, I told you this was going to be exciting.  

 

 

06/27/10.  Very quiet in the lobby and it's hard to know what to write about. Megan has just arrived to help the housekeepers but the boys have just called in late. Once again. No one has checked out so I guess there's no hurry except that the Muellers are planning to check in at 4 and every one of the 24 beds needs sheets changed. Kelsi and John had a beautiful wedding in the park yesterday afternoon and the survivors report that the party went till 2 or 3am, which just may account for the lack of activity in the lobby.

 

 

06/24/10. Can't remember ever being busier. The lodge has been full and there's plenty of folks to talk to.  A glass of good cabernet helps, but can't have too many or it gets too hard to get up for the morning walk. We've been at it for six weeks or so and it's really been a joy to watch the summer progress. The columbine are everywhere and I wish I could spell or even pronounce the names of the flowers in bloom. The smell of the aspen grove is potent with the luxurious growth of the underbrush.  Pure fecundity! 

06/13/10. Wing. Nasty weather broke just long enough for the “I do’s” and then it was right back at it again. Snow on the Needles, rain and hail down here in the lowlands at 9000 feet. Clear skies now and the rooms are emptying slowly after a raucous night of dancing. Everyone is headed to the Columbine Room for “Dutch breakfast”.  What’s that you ask? Food prepared in the Dutch manner by the 20 or so Dutch folk who came across the sea, and continent, to party with the bride and groom. 

06/11/10. Wing. It’s another beautiful day in Colorado. No rain for quite some time, but the snow is still blocking the trails in the high country and the rivers are raging. So we’re keeping the walks below 10-11,000 feet and staying out of the water. All the bushes have flowered and nasty worms have found homes on their branches. Walked up to Spud Lake with the Old Guys and the lilies are blooming on the pond below.  The lilies of the fields are blooming as well and it’s a glorious time to be on the mountain. Saw a doe and fawn swim the creek in Purg Flats and then saw a cow elk with the smallest calf on Purg Mountain. Flying things are everywhere and sometimes I wish I could name more than a robin, a crow, a butterfly and a mosquito.  Julie O’Neal is getting married here tomorrow and preparations are in full swing. Andy Ward is cutting down the standing dead in the park, Steve is mowing the lawns and Eddy and Neal are cleaning the Columbine Room. Have to run to town to pick up some grub for their breakfast tomorrow. But first Eddy wants to know where to hang the paper towel dispenser in the ladies room.

06/05/10. Wing. Great weather and it looks like it’s going to hold for a while yet. Went for a walk with the old guys yesterday. We walked across the cliff top and I got a pretty good photo of the Silverpick Lodge. It’s in the middle of the pic and you can see it if you strain your eyes. You do get a feel for our location if nothing else. Fred made it back from Arizona and it was good to listen to his chatter as we walked along. He brought copies of his latest effort chronicling the history of the towns along the San Juan Skyway. It was just published last week and includes a mention of the lodge and the lodge owner. 

05/16/10. Spring is upon us and the wedding season has begun. Genevieve and JT did it up yesterday in the park and are now set for life. Good luck to them! Where the road will lead them no one knows but at least they've got someone to ride shotgun. The mountain is finally starting to come out of hibernation. Just a little snow left on ground around the condos and all the trails in the neighborhood have cleared up to about 10,500 feet. Penny and I have been pushing the limits every morning at 6:30 and have begun our second round on the circuit. In another couple of weeks the forest itself will dry out enough for more random walks under the canopy. Meanwhile it's just great to be back outside and into the woods once again.

02/03/10. Wing. Hazy daze and it could be a lazy one too! Wouldn’t mind taking a few hours to curl up with a book by the fire. Supposed to snow just a little today and a little more tomorrow and it’s hard not to miss the sunshine we got while tromping out a new snowshoe trail yesterday.  Supposed to go back out today and tromp around a little more. But there’s plenty of work to do if you’ve got a mind to do it.  Steve has arrived and is planning to spend lots of time spreading salt and chopping ice. Eddy plans to finish up the tile work in #103.  Neal is back and helping Eddy but I think he may end up down in the laundry folding towels.  We all have our given chores. Given by me, who wants to do nothing but build a fire in the lobby and read about how Iago manages to destroy the pretty world in which he lives.

02/02/10. Wing. Briged and Jorg have returned to the high country for a month of skiing and have come bearing a gift of home made sour cherry jam. Home made with 25% less sugar. Wonder if they just ran out. I’m going to try it on a bagel a little later. It’s always nice to get presents. But I’ve already got everything I need (more or less) and it can be a challenge to figure out what to do with something new. The best presents are those you can give to someone else because you know they want it. That happened to me once when I was bartending. A friend at one end of the bar gave me a ball cap with his company logo on it. His corporation had gone bust in the Savings and Loan debacle and it was his last company hat.  Tom, at the other end of the bar, was a powder man, living on the mountain for the summer. He came up to blow deep holes in the living rock for planting the huge utility poles that follows the highway from Durango to Silverton. As Gene handed me the cap Tom allowed how he admired it.  So I passed it on to him without so much as a pause to see if it fit on my own head. Felt lucky that day.

01/07/10. Wing. No snow yesterday but it’s partly cloudy this morning. Weatherman says don’t get your hopes up.  OK, I won’t.  Too much to do anyway. The Aggies seem to be enjoying themselves and are making full use of all the facilities in the Lodge which is gratifying. Eddy says they must be showering before they get in the hot tubs because they are much cleaner than usual. Chock one up for reading ability and comprehension. For some reason most folks ignore the “Please shower before entering hot tub” sign. Now they are starting to gather out front for the quick trip up to the lifts.  June’s the only other rider today so there’ll be plenty of time left over for paperwork, my favorite thing. NOT. 

01/01/10. Wing. Yes it is VERY quiet in the Lobby and I can’t even believe I’m here.  The restaurant was busy until well past midnight and had their biggest night ever. The food was outstanding and the service was pretty good as well. Our small group sat down at 10 and Richard honored us with his custom brand of service though  we left before we had a chance to hear him sing anything. We of course did our part to liven up the dining room with a chorus of “Lucky Me” and were rewarded with a modest round of applause. Afterwards we hung out around the bonfire and Mitch set off the fireworks Pete and Bruce had sent up from New Mexico.  A most excellent display and great way to draw a line between the old and the new.  But now it's back to the daily routine, running the shuttle back and forth to the ski area then down to Needles to fill it up with gas, cleaning rooms and fixing whatever breaks. Today it's a hot water heater in #308 and a toilet in #103. How will 2010 be any different than 2009? God only knows.