Author: Jason Blevins
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Colorado farmers hurt by drought worry it could get worse
OLATHE — John Harold charges his Chevy through chest-high stalks of sweet corn. He’s talking on his phone, scribbling notes. He’s got corn-harvesting crews spread across the Uncompahgre Valley, picking more than 100,000 ears a day of his trademarked Olathe Sweet. The fields of onions need weeding. His beans, too. More than 100 fields of…
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Colorado halfpipe sculptors lauded for building “the very best pipe” at the Olympics
BONGPYEONG, South Korea — The PyeongChang Olympic halfpipe hatched historic contests with best-ever runs and first-ever trickery that harvested six American medals, three of them gold. After each contest, athlete accolades rained on the pipe builders, a three-man team that includes Copper Mountain snow sculptors Mark Pevny and Jake Ingle. Shaun White, Chloe Kim and David Wise all heralded…
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Kingsbury Pitcher, ski area pioneer and beloved owner of Wolf Creek, dies at age 98
Ski resort pioneer Kingsbury Pitcher, whose family owns southwestern Colorado’s Wolf Creek ski area, died in his sleep on Dec. 29, 2017, at his home in Santa Fe. He was 98. They called him Pitch. Born in 1919 in southern California, he spent his youthful summers in Silverton with his grandfather, Otto Mears, the “Pathfinder of…
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Rural postman in Colorado’s North Fork Valley for 60 years, has died
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When Molly galloped through the headlights in the driveway, Patricia Shaffer knew something was wrong. The spaniel didn’t jump into her car but turned and ran back to the dark house. There in the backyard, collapsed by the woodsplitter and the backhoe, was Schaffer’s dad, Emory Townsend. He was 94. “I kept saying ‘Oh no,…
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New owner of Cielo Vista Ranch, home of Culebra Peak, says there are no plans to change public access to 14er
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William Bruce Harrison, scion to one of Texas’ original oil fortunes, has purchased the storied 83,000-acre Cielo Vista Ranch in the San Luis Valley, according to Costilla County property records. The property sold last month after listing for $105 million, but the buyer and sales price were not disclosed at that time. The address of the new…
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11 deaths on Colorado fourteeners this summer prompt conversation around mountain safety, preparedness
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ASPEN — With 11 people dead on Colorado’s highest peaks so far this summer — including seven on the treacherous fourteeners around Aspen — rescuers and climbers are scrambling for a plan to prod the swarming masses to make better decisions in dangerous terrain. Luckily, they have a route already mapped out. Avalanche-awareness workshops —…
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Colorado’s busiest search and rescue teams seeing increasing calls for help
El Paso County Search and Rescue members evacuate an injured person at the Barr Trail cut-off after he was injured while on the Manitou Incline Monday afternoon. Gazette file photo. Carol Lawrence, The Gazette Photo courtesy of the Colorado Springs Fire Department.
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Colorado 14er sold for $105 million
The storied Cielo Vista Ranch in the San Luis Valley has sold after listing for $105 million. The sale of the 83,000-acre ranch to an unnamed marks the largest U.S. ranch sale in 2017. The details of the sale and the identity of the buyer were not disclosed. Listing broker Jeff Hubbard, who has guided elk…
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How outdoor retailers are positioned as a political, economic and social force for change
As the heavyweight Outdoor Retailer trade shows decamp for Colorado, the outdoor industry is wielding a newfound power. Last month, as the trade show’s attendees wrapped their final stand in Salt Lake City after 20 years, thousands marched supporting public lands. Utah’s position on those lands — urging the federal government to downsize national monuments…
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Denver lands coveted Outdoor Retailer summer and winter trade shows, sources confirm
All the players are saving the official news for a press conference with the governor and mayor on Thursday, but it’s clear Denver has landed the coveted Outdoor Retailer trade show. After nearly 18 months of intensive and harried negotiations, Visit Denver has booked the twice-a-year trade show in the city’s Colorado Convention Center for…