Mountain Town News
Spooked bear smacks worker
VAIL, Colo. – Justin Young now has quite a story to tell. The 25-year-old was working on a construction job at a house in Vail when he went behind the house and saw a bear that he estimates weighed 400 pounds. Caught by surprise, the bear reacted defensively, hitting Young on the side of the head and on the side of the body. Young fell down, and was smacked again before he lost consciousness.
Young told the Vail Daily that co-workers might have suspected a tall-tale to conceal a stumble down stairs had it not been for all the bear hair on him. He was left with an exceedingly black eye, some scratches on his arm that kind of look like the bear claws you see on aspen trees, and assorted other bruises and scratches.
As per Colorado policy when a bear physically attacks a person, state wildlife officials set out with hounds to corner and kill the bear.
Randy Hampton, a spokesman for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, said bears attack or charge people several times per year. Hampton also said that people will more likely be attacked by a neighbor’s dog than a bear.
Aspen flashes back to 1970s
ASPEN, Colo. – You just know that this exhibit has some jungle-like shag carpet, as well as macramé plant holders … and a bong. The Wheeler/Stallard House Museum in Aspen now has an exhibit devoted to Aspen in the 1970s.
“Think crimes of fashion, public nudity, and a freewheeling party town where anything went and everyone played on a softball team,” instructs The Aspen Times.
Part of the exhibit documents what the Times called the “not-exactly-accredited Aspen State Teachers College,” which offered classes in Advanced Hustling 401, Sub-Letting 104, and Drinking 205.
“It was irreverent. That was a big part of what we wanted to talk about. There was such a sense of fun,” said curator Lisa Hancock.
Barbecues must compost/recycle
FRISCO, Colo. – The Colorado Barbecue Challenge has been held in Frisco since 1993, but this year will have something new. The town will require all vendors to do without plastic utensils, plastic bowls and plates, and Styrofoam and plastic beer cups.
Those items and others can’t be recycled in Summit County. Instead, vendors must offer knives, forks, plates and cups that can either be recycled or composted.
The Summit Daily News explains that the current requirements have been five years in the making. The municipal government in 2005 began tackling waste at smaller events sponsored by the town. Then, the town began offering reduced registration fees for events who voluntarily adopted waste-reduction strategies. This year, going green has become mandatory.
And getting everything right has not been easy. Last year, for example, participants mistook the composting bin for a trash container. Steps have been taken to prevent such recurrences.
Organizers tell the Daily News that the mandate hasn’t dampened enthusiasm for the Barbecue challenge. This year has a waiting list of 20 teams who want to get in on the ribbing.
Tiny ranches still carry big prices
JACKSON, Wyo. – Two ranch parcels that together total 102 acres will be sold at a live auction in mid-July – provided that the minimum bids of $15 million are received. The Jackson Hole News&Guide says that the asking price just a year ago was $47.4 million.
Why the big drop? Laura Brady, vice president of marketing for Concierge Auctions, told the newspaper that the seller was “not distressed and made a business decision to sell it this way.”
The property includes a 10,000-square-foot main residence described as “castle-like” in promotional material, with materials imported from Europe used throughout its construction.
Cheap housing razed
KETCHUM, Idaho – Easy come, easy go. Bavarian Village in Ketchum was constructed in the early 1970s, and the units served their purpose, says landowner Dennis Hanggi. They always provided inexpensive housing.
Only 4 of the units 17 Hanggi were occupied, and there was a reason why. Sometimes when he’d drive prospective renters for a look-see, they wouldn’t even get out of the car, Hanggi told the Idaho Mountain Express.
Montanans remember 1910 fires
WHITEFISH, Mont. – In August, communities in Montana, Idaho and Washington will remember the great fires from a century ago, what is called the Big Blowup. It leveled forests, towns and homes, killing 85 people.
Writing in the Whitefish Pilot, the local fire-safe council notes that the destruction was not caused by a single-source blaze. Instead, thousands of melded fires resulted from dense forests and underbrush, dry conditions, violent weather and human carelessness.
The council was hosting a wildfire preparedness mixer that was being called “Don’t Burn the Fish.” The wet spring produced an abundant crop of fine fuels that, when cured by heat, could become dangerous sources for wildlife ignition this year.
New Whistler venue
WHISTLER, B.C. – Whistler’s Olympic Plaza, where race winners were celebrated, is to become what municipal officials say will be the most advanced outdoor performance venue west of Toronto. The pavilion is to have two stages and a roof large enough to accommodate 650 people sitting or 3,000 people standing. The budget for the artwork alone has been budgeted at $2 million, notes Pique Newsmagazine.
By definition, extreme = risk
BANFF, Alberta – Last winter, two snowmobilers died while high-marking on the west slope of the Canadian Rockies, near Revelstoke. The high-marking, was done just days after warnings of high avalanche danger.
So, were the snowmobilers engaged in a form of extreme sports? The Rocky Mountain Outlook, reporting on a panel discussion held in Banff, doesn’t say whether that question was addressed. But the panelists agreed that, by definition, extreme sports entail risks.
Will Gadd, an extreme ice climber and X Games gold medalist, says he has counted more than 30 friends who have been lost to extreme pursuits over the years. He said those endeavors are indeed fun, but also risky. But child-bearing itself is also risky, given the high mortality rate of mothers.
Kyle McLaughlin, an emergency room physician, said he was concerned that the term “extreme sports” has been sensationalized. He pointed to ESPN and the X Games as examples. “There is a counter-culture ambiance with this term,” he said.
