September 12, 2024
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Coffins plan to rebuild fire-ravaged family home, express gratitudefor outpouring of support. By Chris Dickey Mere days removed from experiencing the devastating loss of the home that has housed generations of family get-togethers, holidays, birthday celebrations, funerals and a wedding reception, Tracy Nichols-Coffin is remarkably determined about what comes next.“Heck yes, we’re rebuilding,” she said when asked about such plans by the Silver World this week. “Red House 2.0.”To Lake City historians, the structure at 521 Gunnison Avenue, which dates to 1876, was known as the Beam-Nichols house. To the family that has occupied it since John and Mary Ann Nichols purchased it in 1969, it’s forever been known as “The Red House” because of the signature (and unchanging) color adorning its log and clapboard siding.The house was engulfed in flames late Sunday afternoon, Sept. 1, after a barbecue grill caught fire and quickly spread to the house. No one was injured, including pets, and local firefighters’ quick response prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes.“The scary part happened to us,” Nichols-Coffin said, “but the death of that home is being felt by all of us who have loved it for so long.”John Hatley Nichols grew up frequenting Lake City from the Texas Panhandle on family fishing trips in the 1940s and ‘50s — before there were any paved roads here. When he and Mary Ann married, they decided they wanted to make Lake City a more permanent part of their family experience, so they purchased the Gunnison Avenue home.Their three children — Jack, Tracy and Dawson — all grew up with the Red House being a mainstay in their lives.“We moved around a lot as a family,” Nichols- Coffin explained, noting that her father was an “ad man” from Chicago. “But we spent every summer and Christmas at the Red House. It really is like a family member. It’s been our anchor our whole life.”The Red House has served as a home to the Nichols’ children as well — fourth generation family members with such connections.Tracy and her husband Mike Coffin have three grown kids (Tyler Coffin, 30, who lives in New York City; Army Captain Justin Coffin, 28, who is currently stationed at Ft. Liberty in North Carolina; and Mary Hatley Coffin, 19, who recently enrolled at Lake Forest College in Illinois).Jack Nichols, who died in an ice climbing accident in 2018, and his wife Leslie had two boys (Johnny and Thomas) who grew up in Lake City, spending “tons and tons of time at the Red House,” according to Leslie.Dawson, his wife Jenny and their two daughters, Hannah and Rosie, live in the Northwest but are also frequent Lake City visitors.In 2006, Tracy and Mike purchased the home from Mary Ann. For years it served as their family summer retreat, but the couple, who both work remotely, moved into it full time this past June.And the first Sunday in September was progressing quite normally, until fate intervened. “We were having guests over for dinner,” Nichols- Coffin explained. “We lit the grill like we always do. Mike was walking in the side door to come grab the chicken. He was maybe three steps away from the grill when I looked out the window and saw the house was on fire.”The speed with which the flames grew amazed the couple. Mike tried to turn the control knobs to the grill off, but they’d already become inoperable. He was dragging the grill away from the house, but the flames became too intense.They even had a fire blanket in the home, which Tracy attempted to smother the building flames with. She likened it to “putting a napkin on a fourteener.”Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Deputy Denim Starnes happened to be patrolling by at the time and was the first official on the scene. Firefighters arrived a reported eight minutes after the call went out. But it was too late.The Coffins lost most of their possessions to the blaze — clothes, family photos, phones, wallets, computers. But they remain thankful that some items were spared — including Tracy’s wedding ring and Mike’s flyfishing rod and flies.Mostly, though, they are overwhelmed with gratitude for the “many miracles” of support the community has bestowed upon them in light of the tragedy.They’ve been housed in town with friends Liz and Kenny Howard. They’ve already received a lead on a potential rental home. Strangers have handed them money. Local businesses — including Climb, The Breakfast Hangout, Packers and Inklings — have offered free food and household necessities.Jason Santos of the local presbyterian church was on scene and immediately started a food train, eliminating all need of the Coffins doing any cooking or grocery shopping for more than a week now.“I can’t tell you how many people who have hugged us and prayed for us,” Nichols-Coffin said. “Everybody has been so kind. It’s overwhelming.” The house at 521 Gunnison Avenue before the fire, left photo, and after, right photo. Mike Coffin reflects on the incident with gratitude: That wind, which could have spread the flames to other structures, was not blowing; that their kids were not home; that all the firefighters remained safe; that their dogs, Boo the Black Lab and Jack the Corgi, were retrieved from the burning building.Mostly, though, he’s grateful for the love and support of the Lake City community.“It’s just an honor to be welcomed here,” he said, “and have these people wrap their arms around us.”The process of what to do with the charred remains of the home has already begun. An insurance adjuster and forensic fire expert have begun their investigations. A search for potential asbestos comes next, then salvage work will commence.Gunnison-based architect Jody Reeser and contractor Ken Bodine have already visited the site, with wheels turning on how to rebuild. There is hope that some of the original log structure is salvageable.“We really value the historic integrity of this community,” Nichols-Coffin said, “so we really want to recreate the facade if we can and the historic nature of the
Extremely variable weather — clear and sunny conditions one minute, followed by pounding rain and sleet at other times — failed to deter out-of-town and local mountain bike riders participating in last weekend’s sixth Annual Alpine 50.Sponsored as a fundraiser for Lake Fork Conservancy, this year’s Alpine drew a total of 109 bike racers who registered. A total of 99 men and women bike racers were at the starting gate Saturday morning, of whom 82 finished, according to organizer Mike Fleishman. Top place men’s and women’s finishers departed the town park starting line in Lake City at 6:30 a.m. August 24, proceeding up valley to maneuver past Lake San Cristobal and then the upper Lake Fork.The rain-soaked and muddy course took racers through descending clouds of mist on the Shelf Road above Sherman as they braced for the grueling, steep climb up 12,620’ Cinnamon Pass, then a brief respite after the summit as they dropped down into San Juan County near Animas Forks before the vertically-challenging climb back into Hinsdale County at 12,800’ Engineer Pass. Engineer Pass, which was cited by nearly every bicyclist in the race as the most demanding in the race, was followed by the speedy generally downhill descent on Henson Creek and back to the town park finish line.Commenting on the challenging 16 percent gradient up and out of the upper Animas Valley, first place men’s finisher Brian Elander caught his breath, saying it was perhaps the most challenging race of his entire life.The reward after summiting both Cinnamon and Engineer Passes, according to Elander, was the scenery, “above treeline,” he said, “you can see forever.”Elander, age 22 and a native of Evergreen, Colorado, who now lives in Moab, Utah, finished the mountainous 50-miler with a time of three hours, 34.11 minutes — compared to last year’s first place finisher Olympian Todd Wells who completed the race in three hours, 24.49 minutes.Following in Elander’s muddy bike tracks were second and place men’s finishers, Nathaniel Schneider, Wheat Ride, Colorado, time three hours, 43.18 minutes, and Anthony Iannacito, Denver, three hours, 53.43.Also exhausted but ecstatic at race end was first place women’s bike race finisher Liv Geer, from Salt Lake City. A first-timer in the race, Geer was barely breathless at her five-hour, 11:53-minute finish, describing the race as “fantastic” while noting that the most difficult section of the route was the last “couple of miles… I was tired.”Following in close pursuit of first place finisher Geer were Denver racer Maura McGovern, in second place among women at five hours, 18.58 minutes, and Katie Branham, third place, five hours, 25.52 minutes.Unprecedented in this year’s race were a total of 11 Lake City area bike athletes, including several with Lake City ties.Tops among locals was 6th place male finisher Jaden McNeese, piloting a Kona Raijin for four-hour, 11.06-minute finish in his fourth Alpine 50. McNeese said he experienced low energy levels — “my legs fell apart” — after starting out too fast up Cinnamon Pass.McNeese was re-energized after downing a combination of pickle juice and peanut butter at the Cinnamon Pass aid station, further stimulation being cold temperatures and “grippy rocks” over which he and bike rattled.McNeese’s mother, Lake City School special education instructor Lydia McNeese, was once again a competitor in this year’s race, riding a Niner mountain bike and finishing ninth among women, time six hours, 28.32 minutes. Challenges in this year’s run, according to Lydia McNeese, were excessive moisture and “mud everywhere.”At age 12, Lake City 7th Grader Landon Rhodes was the youngest participant in the six-year history of the bike race, finishing the 50-mile circuit with his father, Lake City GCEA lineman Logan Rhodes, finish times respectively seven hours, 4.52, for Landon and Logan’s time seven hours, 4.54.Also unprecedented was the fact three generations of the Rhodes family competed in Saturday’s bike race, Landon’s father, Logan, and grandfather, Trinidad, Colorado, resident Lonny Rhodes, seven hours, 36.02.A fourth member of the Rhodes family competing on Saturday was Landon Rhodes’ uncle, Cameron MacDonald, from Castle Rock, Colorado.Close family connections also included the two Hartman brothers, repeat Alpine 50 participant Silas Hartman, who characteristically finished the race by riding his bicycle backwards across the finish line, time six hours, 37.23 minutes, and his Lake City 10th Grade brother Levi Hartman, who completed his inaugural entry in the Lake City 50, time seven hours, 27.18, on his Yeti mountain bike.In the Lake City father and son category, Hinsdale Commissioner Greg Levine crossed the finish line on a Guerilla Gravity after eight hours, 13.46 minutes’ strenuous pedaling. At the finish line, Levine reflected on just two prior practice sessions, calmly observing “one should have a little more training before the race.”Levine’s son, Lake City School Alum Bennett Levine, 27th among Alpine 50 men, time five hours, 21.51 minutes riding a full suspension Yeti. Succinctly commenting that the race was “nice,” Levine sustained energy by happily feasting on Cheerios, rice crispy treats, Take 5 candy, and potato chips – best part of the race summiting Cinnamon Pass, most difficult the steep climb up Engineer.In addition to multiple members of the Hartman, Rhodes, McNeese, and Levine families, other Lake Citians competing in Saturday’s bike race included Dan File, and Brant Cunningham.The Sheldon Little Fastest Time Award — appropriately consisting of a curved chunk of rubber bicycle tire — was presented for fasted cumulative finish times by bikers from a specific town. This year, both Little Awards went to teams from Colorado Springs — for the women, Branham and Galgano, Balliett, Juneau, and Abbas for the men — prompting announcer John Coy to note, “all that Olympic training is really paying off.”Other awards which were presented on a slightly more light hearted note were: Best Finish Line Display to Silas Hartman; So-Far-Away Award, Tom Cosgrove from Naples, Florida; Best Beard to Joe Miller; Telluride’s Pete Dahle, Most Enthusiastic; Best Dressed to Jennie Gerard; Stasha Sockwell garnering the All Smiles Award.Landon Rhodes, Youngest Rider Award; 71-year-old Sam Voorhies has the distinction of being
The atmosphere was festive and town was lively on August 1 for the Celebrate Lake City event, celebrating the County’s founding 150 years ago in the year 1874.From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., folks were free to explore the upstairs courtroom at the County Courthouse where cannibal Alferd Packer was tried, and from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., a community picnic was held, catered by CLIMB Elevated Eatery, serenaded by the musical stylings of Tim Mallory and blessed by Pastor Jason Santos.While everyone ate, County Commissioner Kristie Borchers gave a speech detailing the history of the area, beginning with the collapse of the Mesa Seco plateau into the Lake Fork Valley 700 years ago, when the Slumgullion Earthflow dammed the river, creating Lake San Cristobal.Borchers explained, “The lake was a favorite camping spot when Native American tribes used this land as summer hunting grounds. The Ute Territory was subsequently reduced under several different agreements, driven by gold and silver exploration in the San Juan Mountains. The state of Colorado created Hinsdale County on February 10, 1874.”Borchers thanked the crowd for coming to the “summer party,” explaining that the actual birthday of the county was in February, when Lake Citians celebrated out on the ice at Lake San Cristobal.“We spent some time this winter gathering up a timeline of 150 years of work improving our county,” she said, directing people to the Visitor’s Center for a full timeline.The abbreviated timeline Borchers recited, which she deemed ‘snapshots in time,’ is as follows: 1877, construction of the Hinsdale County Courthouse, which remains largely unchanged, where Susan B. Anthony spoke and Alferd Packer was tried for murder; 1881, telephone service reached Lake City; 1889, the first passenger train arrived; 1907, the first automobile arrived; 1915, the first tourists from Texas arrived; 1921, women won the right to vote, and the Town Trustees were an all-female board, also, a big flood washed out the train depot, tracks and roundhouse; 1937, construction of several auto courts began and there were individual cabins available for rent; 1950, the first Jeep tours began, using Otto Mear’s constructed backcountry roads for recreational sightseeing and not just as supply routes; 1954, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored construction of Deer Lakes; 1956, reliable electricity was established in Hinsdale County; 1968, water and sewer systems were established, the same year the Lake City Ski Hill opened; 1975, the Lake City Medical Center was opened downtown; 1978, National Register for Historic Places designated Lake City a Historic District, which remains one of the largest historic districts in the nation; 1985, Highway 149 paving over Slumgullion Pass was completed; 2013, Ute Ulay stabilization project began, along with the Papoose Fire, impacting Upper Rio Grande; 2019, more than 100 + significant avalanches impacted Hinsdale County; 2020, Hinsdale County purchased Peninsula Park.Borchers concluded her speech saying, “Thank you to those of you serving Hinsdale County, living in Hinsdale County or partnering with Hinsdale County. We appreciate all the work you do.”
If possible, I would like to submit a letter to the editor.My name is Dana and I am from Huntsville, Alabama. I would like to share my experience and thoughts of your lovely Lake City.I had the opportunity to start the San Juan Solstice 50 (SJS50) for the third time this year AND this year was my first finish! WHEW!!I have been running ultras and volunteering as well, for the past 24 years. I have experienced many race atmospheres in many places over those years. I would like to ensure that the SJS50 race organizers and volunteers confidently know that their sense of community and family is lovingly forecasted upon the SJS50 runners.Please know that your lovely townspeople, merchants, and SJS50 race volunteers are the best of the best! The race atmosphere is very welcoming and I love the “old school” vibe of the run. The race organizers and volunteers each go above and beyond to ensure that every runner is very well-taken care of. The post-race breakfast event was phenomenal!I was blessed to spend two weeks in Lake City prior to the race. I am from Alabama and know, very well, what southern hospitality consists of. The town of Lake City is top-notch and “we southerners” do not have anything on you all. Thank you for your kindness!Dana OvertonHuntsville, Alabama
“Cadence” in reference to the steady rhythm with which work is progressing, was repeatedly cited at Tuesday evening’s virtual meeting hosted by Colorado Dept. of Transportation as an update to ongoing bridge repairs at Blue Mesa Reservor.CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew opened Tuesday’s session noting “less news to report” despite the “steady cadence of construction.”Gunnison Assistant County Manager Martin Schmidt also referred to cadence with the steady tempo of work which will begin on the lower Sapinero Bridge “as work sets in and we continue to look out for everybody as best we can.”Good news at the update meeting was CDOT engineer Rob Beck’s report that the Little Blue Canyon Project “is now wrapping up with only minimal work…………… Pick up a copy of this week’s edition or subscribe to read the full story! Want to view the Lake City Silver World Newspaper, weekly? Click below to subscribe and receive the paper at your door or in your email!
Hinsdale County appropriately celebrates the sesquicentennial of the county’s creation during a day-long celebration on Colorado Day, next Thursday, August 1. Hinsdale County and Town of Lake City’s first cabin, now at venerable 150 years age, both predate creation of the State of Colorado, 148 years ago, which is celebrated on August 1. In recognition of Hinsdale County’s formation on February 10, 1874, self-guided tours of offices in the 1877 Hinsdale County Courthouse, together with the equally historic Hinsdale County Courtroom upstairs, will be thrown open to the public from 1 to 3 p.m. on August 1. Staff in the County courthouse’s ground floor offices — Assessor Sherry Boyce, County Clerk Joan Roberts, and Treasurer Lori Lawrence — will be on hand to explain the significance of their individual offices, with the added incentive of snacks and light refreshments which will be served up in the Hinsdale County Assessor’s Office. This is followed by a free-of-charge Community Picnic catered by Climb Elevated Eatery which will be held beneath and adjacent to the Town Park pavillion from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday. In addition to the picnic — exact particulars of menu remaining a surprise — Lake City/Hinsdale County Chamber of Commerce will host a cash bar. Jacob McDonald — no relation to the county’s revered judge, County Court Judge James McDonald — from State Historic Fund will be on hand to highlight preservation projects in the county which have been partially funded through the State Historic Fund. The fund is responsible for preservation projects on a number of historic landmarks, most recently the Getz family’s Lost Trail Barn on the upper Rio Grande, restoration of the County courthouse building in 2017, Lake City Arts’ acquisition of the historic Hough Block, and renovations of Hinsdale County Museum in the Finley Block 1999-2000, to name a few. Built in 1877 and Colorado’s oldest continually operating County courthouse, the two-story frame building in Italianate Revival architecture with paired cornice brackets is intentionally symmetrical with sash windows on either side of doorways leading to a central ground floor hallway. On both the back, west facing portion of the building overlooking Veterans’ Park, and east-facing front of the building on Henson Street, three equally proportioned double-hung windows light the upstairs courtroom and offices of Hinsdale Country Judge and Clerk of the Court. The overriding sense of symmetry on the front portion of the building carried through to the centered front door which is balanced on either side by the trim of equal-proportioned double-hung, six-pane windows. At $4,450, local contractor Jonathan Ogden was successful bidder to build the 30×60’ two-story frame courthouse in 1877. The courthouse was built on lots donated by local businessman J.W. Brockett and members of the Lake City Bar Association were so confident that the building would be completed on time that they named a committee which sent out invitations to a Grand Celebration Ball to be held on June 8, 1877. Unfortunately, windows for the edifice failed to arrive in time for the grand celebration and a string orchestra provided music for the somewhat breezy ball in the upstairs courtroom without the benefit of windows. Italianate Revival architecture was already outdated and considered somewhat old fashioned by the time the building was completed in 1877 but reflects an architecture style with which early pioneers of Lake City were familiar. Notable events in the building’s history were two successive evenings when noted Suffragate Susan B. Anthony spoke on the courthouse’s front steps in September, 1877, and the first manslaughter conviction of Alferd Packer and his sentence to be hanged by the neck, as pronounced by District Court Judge M. B. Gerry, “until you are dead, dead, dead, and may God have mercy upon your soul” in 1883. The courthouse narrowly averted being burned to the ground by an unknown arsonist in 1879 when kerosene-soaked gunnysacks were ignited in the hallway in front of the doorway to the County Clerk’s office. The building was successively remodeled — sometimes with sensitivity, sometimes otherwise — starting in the 1950s when ceilings were lowered, indoor toilets installed for the first time, and linoleum in carpet design used to cover the original floorboards on which Susan B. Anthony walked on in 1877. Wrought iron kerosene chandeliers were removed from the courtroom but safely stored during a remodeling in 1954. The chandeliers were rehung and remain to this day thanks to the efforts of newly-formed Hinsdale County Historical Society in 1974. Most significant in the building’s preservation was a multi-year $750,000 renovation ending in 2017 which leveraged local funding with donations and significant grant funding from the State Historic Fund and Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs’ Energy and Mineral Impact Fund. Sensitive rehabilitation of the courthouse building 2016-2017 included foundation repair, new electric wiring and heating, removal of the courtroom’s linoleum flooring to reveal the original floorboards, and — perhaps most significant — returning ceilings in ground floor offices to near their original 12’ height. In addition to Hinsdale County at the 150-year-mark, 2024 is notable as a preamble to Town of Lake City’s 150th anniversary which actually occurs in 2025. In terms of municipal history, 2024 is significant as the 150th anniversary of Town Founder Enos T. Hotchkiss constructing the town’s first habitation in August, 1874. Hotchkiss was supervisor on the crew of men building the Saguache & San Juan Toll Road from Saguache, 96 miles to the present site of Lake City via Los Pinos Indian Agency, across the Powderhorn Valley by way of Beaver Creek and then up the Lake Fork Valley. Hotchkiss tarried at the forks of the Lake Fork at what was then known as Godman’s Creek — now Henson Creek — to build the first habitation in what was to become the Town of Lake City. The single room cabin, windowless, and with dirt roof and floor, was located at the northwest corner of what was to become Gunnison Avenue and 2nd Street, now the location of Dan Murphy’s M4 Realty.
On Friday and Saturday July 12-13, volunteers from Lake City, Georgia, Wyoming, Utah and Durango supported 146 Hardrock 100 runners in accomplishing their 100-mile trek across the beautiful San Juans: Silverton, Lake City, Ouray, Telluride and back to Silverton.I would like to thank Troy Strayer, Robert Hudgeons, Laurel Darren, Amanda Hartman, Mike Ralph, Harry MacKendrick, Wade Wandry, Brant Cunningham, Bill Reinhardt, Leslie Nichols, Morris Coile, James Walsh, Matt Carling, Anna Kuznetsova, Siqi Wu, Eric Hodgson, Erik Henderson, Michele Frank, Alex Belisle, David Herring, Maurice Rodriguez, Eric Krohn, Rachel Krohn, and Daniel Krohn. Lake City Community School students, staff, and alumni volunteers for 2024: Rebecca Hall, Lily Virden, Caitlin Rhodes, Bennett Levine, Forrest Swift, Priya Hartman, Silas Hartman, Elliot Hartman, Levi Hartman and Rowan McNeese.Additionally, I would like to graciously thank Greg Collins (water tank); Utah’s Sanitation and Joe Hearn (dumpster); Lake City Community School (suburban and grill); San Juan Solstice (all the things); R.E. Hall (generator); and Dan Scroggins (trailer).The trail community is full of incredible people. I was humbled to spend my weekend in the presence of such grit, perseverance, uplifting human spirit and kindness. It is always a great day at the HRH Sherman aid station. Thanks to all of you! Thank you,Martha Reinhardt:HRH Sherman Aid Station Captain
The first of the summer’s big-time events, the 28th running of the San Juan Solstice, takes off on a literal sprint from Lake City Park at 5 a.m. this Saturday, June 22, with the last stragglers crossing the town park finish line by mandatory cut-off 16 hours later.The 50-mile mountain ultra race is coordinated by a vast corps of volunteers who routinely receive high marks from the runners and public-at-large for conducting one of the friendliest ultra runs with most helpful volunteers to be found in Colorado.Jerry Gray heads the board of directors of San Juan Solstice, Inc., overseeing the race and tells inquiring journalists that the popularity of the ultra-run continues to expand.The race is Federally permitted by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management for a maximum of 300 runners who are allowed to traverse the route on public lands. For the first time in its history, a number of those on the waiting list with hopes to be able to run will in fact not be among the 300 fleet-of-foot starting on Saturday morning.In addition to 300 runners registered to take part in this Saturday’s Solstice, as of Tuesday this week the waiting list numbered a total of 92 and “almost certainly,” according to Gray, “some of those will be disappointed.” Optimistically, Gray refers to those who will inevitably be disappointed and helpfully suggests for those on the waiting list who are not allowed to run that there “are plenty of other attractions in Hinsdale County,” among them the five 14,000’ peaks and innumerable, less-traversed 13,000’ peaks, for those wishing to burn off a little energy.The list of registered and waiting list runners is fluid, according to Gray, with four registered runners dropping on just Tuesday morning alone as the result of schedule conflicts or, more probable as Gray suspects, injuries which result from over-training.Prior to trotting off from the town park starting line at 5 a.m. on Saturday, three briefing sessions are planned for the lucky 300 registered runners, families, friends and admiring public at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 6 p.m. on Friday, June 21, during which runners will be advised on current trail conditions, bountiful aid station locations and drop-off protocol for the individual runners and, of course, the dreaded “grim sweeper” cut-off times for laggers at individual aid stations and the 16-hour, 9 p.m. mandatory finish in town park.A highlight of the Friday afternoon briefing sessions will be Mark Wing and his wife, Rita, of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe who will reference the terrain through which the Solstice runners are about to run as traditional Ute lands.Like last year, Mark and Rita Wing will also be up pre-dawn on Saturday conducting a smudge ceremony prayer at the 5 a.m. starting gate.This year’s 50-mile San Juan Solstice route is identical to prior years despite earlier concerns expressed just last month about expansive snowfields along the Continental Divide portion of the race route. Those snowfields, according to Gray, have now greatly diminished owing to warm temperatures in the high country.Far from smooth sailing, however, the adaptive corps of runners may still expect a succession of bracing stream crossings on the dash up Alpine Gulch, together with snowfields at the upper portion of Alpine and stretching down into higher elevations of Williams Creek.Runners are also advised of several snowfields which they will traverse along the Continental Divide.Trail conditions on portions of both Alpine Gulch up from Henson Creek and Williams Creek leading down into the upper Lake Fork Valley were complicated by windblown deadfall which would have made it necessary for runners to hop across or detour around fallen trees. As timely improvements just days prior to Saturday’s ultra run, a Bureau of Land Management axe and saw crew was out on both Monday and Tuesday this week segmenting and removing sections of fallen timber blocking the running trail.San Juan Solstice is revered for its empathy toward runners who are competing in the annual race and inteegral to the run are bountiful aid stations which are set up at key locations along the route.After leaving Lake City and trotting up Henson Creek, the first significant climb is up Alpine Gulch and up and over a grassy ridge before dropping down into Williams Creek.After leaving town park and the preliminary route up Henson Creek, a watering station is located on CR 20 at the turn off to Alpine Gulch.The trail up Alpine Gulch is challenging with a total of seven creek crossings. Water depth this year is described as “normal” — in other words, “challenging,” this year.The first runners’ aid station — an ideal location, perhaps, to change sopping wet sock and/or running shoes carried by the runners — is located at the upper end of Alpine Gulch captained by a crew led by Craig Blakemore.Due to this first station’s remote, high elevation location, water is not available, although runners can graze on energy-producing snacks. Cut-off time for runners to reach the Alpine aid station is 7:30 a.m.Subsequent aid stations — all equally well equipped with sustenance, water, the energy drink Tailwind and the energy gel Embark Maple Energy — are Williams Creek Campground, David Maxwell and team in charge of operations and cut-off time for runners 10 a.m.; the aid station on upper Wager Gulch near Carson is once again being coordinated by Lily Virden, cut-off time noon.Next up for replenishment is the Continental Divide aid station captained by Susie Arnold, cut-off time 3:45 p.m., followed by Mary Kay Jergens and crew with an aid station adjacent to Highway 149 at the base of the Sawmill Park Road, cut-off time 6 p.m.The final two aid stations respectively captained by Peggy Vickers and high-energy crew, and multi-generational Malinda McDonald and her mother, Bobbi Vickers McDonald, are respectively located amid aspen groves at upper Vickers Ranch and, finally, at the finish line in Lake City Park. Respective cut-off times are 8:15 p.m. at Vickers and 9 p.m. town park.For runners trudging along and at
Lake City news items of the past 140 Years AgoLake City MINING REGISTER, January 19, 1884 – Our lakes and rivers afford good skating, and the lads and lassies are enjoying it.Hinsdale 1883 output in dollars, paid for ore, was $390,000. An average of $60 a ton, this would equal one hundred and twenty-five tons a week.It is so cold up at Silverton that the solitary dairyman carries his milk in a gunnysack and chops it off with an ax for his customers.On Friday, January 11, the thermometer registered 18-degrees below zero at 7 a.m. Clear and pleasant all day. At 2 p.m. 40-degrees above zero; 10-degrees above at 6 p.m.The Henson Creek road is open for teams as far as Capitol City. Beyond that point the traveler must use snow-shoes. Snow slides cover the road; but the snow-shoeing is good.A dispatch from Weiser, Idaho, tells the story of the brutal lynching of Charles Deitard who in 1876-77 was a resident of this city. According to dispatch, a masked mob took Deitard, the murderer of Buck Bozie, from his cell in the jail, and shot and beat him. They then dragged him a mile to the slaughter house and hanged him to the windlass, which is used by the butchers.John Murphy, an employee of Mendenhall & Pride, butchers, was severely wounded last Friday evening by a ferocious boar. Mr. Murphy encountered the animal in the yard attached to the slaughter house, when he turned on him and showed fight. Instead of taking refuge in flight, the gentleman stood his ground. The boar struck him in the thigh, cut him and knocked him down and then made a dash at his head. John threw up his arm as a guard, when the animal seized his hand and inflicted a severe wound, and then attacked his foot, driving his sharp tusks through his boot. Murphy kicked at the savage hog, scrambled, scratched and rolled, and finally got away.130 Years AgoLake City TIMES, January 18, 1894 – Thirty-one degrees below zero Saturday morning.Very few cars of ore from the Golden Fleece Mine are shipped that bring less than $5,000 each.Everybody was out last Sunday afternoon, either sleighing or skating on the ice south of town.Never before in the history of Lake City were the schools of this place in a more flourishing condition than now. The corps of teachers now employed are certainly doing all in their power to advance the pupils in their studies.A number of horses, burros and cows are reported to be in a starving condition on the flat just across the river from town. The owners should be made to care for the stock or sell them to someone who will see to it that they don’t want for something to eat.The Lake City Drum Corps are expecting their new uniforms to arrive this week. The suits will consist of coat, pants, and cap, and a heavy plume in the cap. The coats are nicely trimmed with braid and heavy brass buttons, and altogether make very pretty uniforms.110 Years AgoLake City TIMES, January 22, 1914 – Stanley and Lee Williams have been busy with a crew of men on Oscar McCreary’s lake at the north end of town the past week getting out Lake City’s summer supply of agua fria and which is being stored in the Williams’ ice house.A dangerous incident in a two-seat cutter occurred near Hobo Spring on Henson Creek last Friday morning when the sleigh overturned on ice throwing its occupants into icy Henson Creek. The party consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Henrie, with their infant, Walden, along with Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith, and Lon Bryson. After the overturn, baby Walden was completely submerged in the water, Mr. Henrie and his sister, Mrs. Beckwith, both partly under water. With rare presence of mind, the men extricated themselves and quickly got the others out. Aside from a thorough soaking and numerous bumps, no one seriously injured.
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