On Durango Mountain...

08/30/10. Wing. When cousins call it's best to get out of the house as quick as you can. The Irish Embassy down in Durango provides a convenient diversion. On Sundays they are reputed to host a jam session with up to 15 musicians playing traditional Irish music. We got there a little too late for the jam and were left with hearing the sound of family voices.  Nice music that, especially if you've have a chance to throw down a few Smithwicks. Slainte.

08/29/10. Wing. Every wedding at the Lodge is a little bit different from the others. The guests come from different places and do different things for work and pleasure. Often they have the character of a family reunion and there are lots of children and old folks about. Other times they're like frat parties only everybody's dressed up in costume. But in every case there's a smile on the face of the father of the bride.

08/27/10. Wing. You never know what you'll find in the parking lot at 2am after a full moon hike to the base of Engineer. Mercedes may be sporty but she doesn't offer much in the way of a roomy back seat. Nice to know that Drew feels safe here. The walk through the dark timber was a blast but not entirely stumble free. No not underestimate the value of leather gloves when approaching the ground at what seems like terminal velocity.

08/26/10. Wing. Some day's are sadder than others but as I read once somewhere, 'tis Heaven to be here with the ones you love.  We are lucky here at the Lodge. We host church groups, family reunions and weddings, folks who generally like each other and come up to the mountain to celebrate life and have a good time. Even the bureaucrats down at the Courthouse seem happy with their boxes jammed full of papers. Carpe diem.

 

08/25/10. Wing. Full moon and planet convergence makes sleeping difficult. Missed the morning walk but am going to make a quick loop on the Naked Lady for penance. Lots of workers but not so many guests till the Knippel/Trujillo wedding this weekend. Eddy's putting up the trim in the office hallway, Steve is replacing siding and waiting for lumber to finish the deck repair and Hanson is planting grass at the entrance. I'm meeting with an architect after lunch to discuss drainage for the condo courtyard then it's back to town to meet with County Planning.

 

 

08/24/10. Wing. It never ends. The work, I mean. But first there's the morning walk and ceps to pick. Afterwards there's drywall to spray, weeds to pull, windows to wash, grass to plant and decks to rebuild. Finger pointing can wear a guy out! Today we spice it up with a town trip to see the accountant, send out a bunch of certified mail and buy paint. Not exactly earth shaking work but it fills the day nicely.  

 

 

08/23/10. Wing. Rainy morning and my hiking companion kept me waiting so she could watch a couple of deer frolic in her backyard. Got pretty wet on the way up to the cabin and companion says the vegetation is starting to die back. Well maybe it is but summer's got a ways to go yet. Then there's Native American summer before the autumn comes. We're going to go back up and gather seeds from this flower patch to plant around the Lodge next spring.

 

 

08/22/10. Wing. Kathy Hodges died last winter and her husband, Tom, held the wake last night. He brought a "Grateful Dead" cover band down from Denver and invited everyone she knew over to the house. It was good to see all the mountain folk together in one backyard and good to dance a little. First funeral I ever danced at. 

 

 

08/21/10. Wing.  Happy Birthday Mother! Many, many more. Your son has just returned from a short walk on the Crater Lake Trail at Andrew's Lake up on Molas Pass. We began at dawn as the mist was rising and walked to the top of the first ridge below the thousand foot cliffs on Snowden Peak. On the way back we picked  a bunch of mushrooms to dry for a lamb stew sometime next winter. Finished it off with corned beef hash at the Brown Bear in Silverton. A pleasant way to begin the workday here at the Silverpick Lodge.

 

 

08/20/10. Wing.  JOHN ANDERSON, my jo, John, When we were first acquent, Your locks were like the raven, Your bonnie brow was brent; But now your brow is beld, John, Your locks are like the snow; But blessings on your frosty pow John Anderson, my jo! John Anderson, my jo, John, We clamb the hill thegither; And monie a canty day, John, We've had wi' ane anither: Now we maun totter down, John, But hand in hand we'll go, And sleep thegither at the foot, John Anderson, my jo.

 

 

08/19/10. Wing. The illegals are at it again and I've had to call in some hired guns to fight back.  Victor's been pulling thistles all morning and with any luck we'll be weed free in a year or two.  He's going to burn them in the fire pit. May their souls rot in whatever hell is reserved for the nasty plants.

 

 

08/18/10. Wing. The mushrooms are blooming like crazy making the forest floor a little more intriguing.  The old guys are glad for an excuse to slow down a bit and their wives are happy when they come home laden with good things to eat. The Lodge is empty and I'm grateful for the rest.

 

 

08/15/10. Wing. Everybody's leaving and taking their time about it. Two nights of festivities will wear anyone out.  I know I'm beat! Dana and Paul seem pretty happy and there were no fistfights that I'm aware of so I'll call it a success.  Long life, happiness and good health to Mr. and Mrs. Leneveu!

 

 

08/14/10. Wing. Wine and mushrooms. Well, I gave it a try. The mushrooms didn't seem to absorb any of the alcohol. DMR (the ski area) threw a $65 a plate fungus bash last night and a wood nymph paid my way.  Excellent grub well mated to fine wines and served with flair.   Stopped by the Sow's for a nightcap and to watch them clean up and make it shine.

 

 

08/13/10 Wing. This week the Lodge played host to a group of bad ass middle age mountain bike riders. They'd ride 20 miles on a trail at 11,000 feet then come back to the Lodge for a catered dinner and gabfest around the campfire. Lisa and Wilson from Hermosa Tours did the cooking, driving and guiding. Helped with the beer drinking as well.

 

 

08/12/10. Wing. Mike Kaplan and his bro Cory stopped by to have a glass and talk about old times. Mike worked at the Sow's Ear in an earlier life and has metamorphosed into a Cincinnati banker. Cory sells higher ed and says business is booming. They came west to watch Phish rock Telluride so there's maybe some hope for them yet.

 

 

08/11/10. Wing. Pleasant hike with the old guys. Fred is back from the brink and Carl came up and schooled us on noxious weeds. Yes, marajuana can grow legally in Laplata County but the sulfur cinquefoil and oxeye daisy can not. Wild mushrooms are legal as well and we scored a whole lot of chanterelles and one big boletus. Went up the Sow's Ear and ordered up a steak to go with. Good eats for a mountain man.

 

 

08/09/10. Wing. The rains keep coming and the earthworms are playing chicken with oncoming traffic to keep from drowning.  They stand a better chance on the pavement at Silverpick than out on 550. Then again Hanson might pick them up to use for fish bait and they'll end up drowning anyway. But only after they've been skewered with a hook.  

 

 

8/7/10. Wing.  Big beautiful wedding in the park yesterday afternoon and a good thing they got married when they did. It's overcast today and everyone's enjoying the excuse to hang in bed for a while.  I've been up since dawn and made a short hike to Lake Penelope on the flanks of Engineer. Some of the flowers are starting to seed and we picked a few stems to try'n start a patch at the Lodge.

 

 

08/04/10. Wing. Got the computer working and a great picture of the Terbush Family courtesy of Delyn Cronk. I hope they all made it home safely and a little happier for the experiences here at the Lodge.  The Ukrainians pulled up stakes at dawn heading west and leaving us a couple of days to get ready for the wedding Friday night. Sent Joe Barnes to town for parts but the rest of us are plenty busy where we're at.

 

 

08/02/10. Wing. Rainy days in the mountains. Looks like it's going to last all week. The New Jersey branch of the Ukrainian family got in last night and are wondering what are they going to do? They're making breakfast and talking about it now. Pretty sure they'll figure it out.

 

 

08/01/10.Wing. The party never ends. Katie and Matt  "I do'ed" at Andrews Lake at 1 pm just beating the rain drops and leaving plenty of time to take pictures before the reception, bogey down and hot tub. One more night to go before the Cougars limp back to their dens and start licking their 50 year old wounds. And Music in the Mountains concludes their month of music making tonight with a grand concert featuring vignettes from famous Opera and French Horn. Oh boy!

 

 

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.

 

 

07/28/10. 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.

 

 

07/17/10. 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.

 

 

07/15/10. 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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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. 

06/05/10. 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.