By Ty Churchwell No one in Durango nor Silverton, Colo., will ever forget Aug. 5, 2015 — the day of the Gold King mine spill that sent 3 million gallons of ugly, toxic mine water down the Animas River in southwest part of the state. To say the accident was highly visible is an understatement. In today’s digital world, photos of the orange … Read more
Years and years ago, while attending college in western Colorado, I drove up the shoulders of the Sawatch Range between Salida and Gunnison as far as my old VW Beetle would make it on a road it had no business traversing. After reaching a stretch of two-track I could no longer navigate, I pulled the … Read more
Extensive efforts in southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico to restore habitat for the Rio Grande cutthroat trout (RGCT) have been underway since at least 2003. State agencies, tribes, federal agencies and Trout Unlimited have cooperated to bring this species back to more of its historic range, applying expert knowledge and considerable experience to restore this important native species, which is also the state … Read more
As a son of Colorado, I can attest to the wonder and beauty found high in the small waters of the Centennial State’s mountains. Chasing trout in off-the-grid creeks is, to this day, my favorite fly-fishing pastime. Above, Todd Moen of Catch Magazine, teases us with a trailer on a yet-to-be-completed film that focuses on … Read more
With a pump of their fists and a tip of their caps, Colorado sportsmen and women are celebrating another successful step toward protecting some 400,000 acres of prime public lands and commending the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources for advancing the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act out of committee this week. The legislation introduced by Colorado … Read more
I’m in Little Rock, Ark., this week for the Outdoor Writers Association of America conference. Our hotel is situated right on the banks of what looks to be an angry Arkansas River. Years ago, I worked as an editor and reporter for a couple of small newspapers about 1,000 miles away, near the headwaters of … Read more
Call me Kristoff, like the animated ice harvester of Arendelle best known for “riding across the fjord like a valiant, pungent reindeer king” to save the blustery day in the famous final scene of the fictitious film, “Frozen.” The real-world “fjord” on this frosty 24-degree morning in the rustic but comparably quaint hamlet of Minturn, Colo., is actually … Read more
