October 10, 2025
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by Jodi Linsey Kaylin Trivisonno and Brennan Pantleo of Elevated Physique and the soon to be opened new gym, Base Wellness at 321 Silver Street, co-hosted the second annual No Fear Powerlifting Meet at Lake City Armory on Saturday, September 27, in conjunction with Devil Dogg Strength and Conditioning Gym from Pueblo West, Colorado.Consisting of three rounds each of three lifts, back squats, bench press, and dead lift, the contestants handled progressively heavier weights, pushing themselves, trying to find the limits they need to push against.The atmosphere in the Armory was one of support and camaraderie, with amateur and professional lifters coming together to not only lift steel but to lift each other.This is a non-sanctioned event, meaning that the results cannot be used to qualify for other tournaments, nor do they support rankings in one of the powerlifting associations.Approximately 75 percent of the competitors attended their first competition, including two from the Lake City area.The two local competitors were Rachel Moore, Lake City Area Medical Center Director, and Sandy Hines, Hinsdale County Administrator.Both athletes displayed grace under pressure, showing grit as they faced challenges of weight and the weight of an audience’s gaze, Hines stating “I did not expect so much support from the other contestants! I’ve never experienced something like this.”Although Moore ended up disqualified because she was unable to nail her bench press, she turned in impressive numbers for both the squat, 171 pounds, and the dead lift, 210 pounds.Don Wero of Gallup, New Mexico, said that he first started lifting as therapy for a case of long COVID that he just could not get past. Training got him back to work on the road, bringing him to Crested Butte for a job. It was while he was training in a Gunnison gym that he saw the poster for the No Fear event, bringing him to Lake City for his first competition.Gabi Robbins attended from the Greeley, Colorado, area with her two girls, all sporting fanciful ponytails and big smiles. Robbins said that she came to Lake City last year for her first competition. She works as a special education teacher and has been weight training for just a year and a half.Trivisonno’s mentor and trainer since she was age 14, Chris Carter of Devil Dogg, co-sponsored the event, bringing in equipment and experienced personnel to run the scoring and recording. Carter competed in his first event since a total right shoulder replacement in January of this year. “Today was outstanding! I could not be prouder of Kaylin,” he said.Stars of the show were a married couple from Gunnison, Molly O’Rourke and Ben Autrey and their four young children, the youngest of whom attended last year’s competition in his mama’s belly.O’Rourke is a past world champion lifter, winning a clutch of medals at the 2013 International Powerlifting Competition (IPF), including an overall Silver Medal. O’Rourke seemed to easily out-lift any possible contenders with a squat of 336 pounds, a bench press of 209 pounds, and a dead lift of 364 pounds. She last competed in 2017 and her oldest child was born in 2019. O’Rourke says that she keeps her edge, and her sanity, because “How I start my day – I lift!”Husband Ben Autrey made the biggest impact of the day with a squat of 507 pounds, a bench press of 342 pounds, and a downright scary dead lift of 600 pounds. Autrey’s gentle touch with his babies was in stark contrast to the sheer power and determination of his lifting. The one thing that he said he really wanted WORLD readers to know: “It’s a pleasure to compete at such a well-run meet.”A complete list of participants: Molly O’Rourke, Rachel Moore, Sandy Hines, Gabi Robbins, Camila Acosta, John Flaming, David Hess, Joshua Leese,Richard Acheson, Don Wero, Joseph Ben-Hayon, Adrian Larson, Ethan Franke, Victor Fernandez, Ben Autrey, Brandon McLeod, Juan Carpenter, Blaine Acheson, Chris Carter, Enrique Baca, and Will Crysler.
A joint meeting between the Town of Lake City Board of Trustees and Hinsdale County Commissioners was held Wednesday, August 13, where agencies Proximity Green, Triple Point Strategic Consulting, Dynamic Planning + Science and Western Spaces, LLC., gave a presentation to show their findings from a housing strategy survey in and around Lake City earlier this year.Jeff Moffat, Principal of Triple Point Strategic Consulting, was in attendance, as was Ethan Mobley, owner and Principal Planner of Dynamic Planning + Science. Leading the meeting was Grant Bennet, real estate consultant and developer with Proximity Green, via Zoom from Denver, who explained that the purpose of the meeting was to help build momentum for collaborative action between the Town and County by understanding the housing crisis reality through data-driven evidence, and to provide direction for the next phase of strategy development.“I have been deep in the trenches,” he said, “with both Town of Lake City and Hinsdale County for the last three months. I have rolled up my sleeves and really gotten to know this community”Bennett began the slide presentation by saying that there were 97 household survey responses received, as well as 21 employer surveys collected.The results of the study solidly confirmed that there is, indeed, a housing crisis in Lake City. Seventy-seven percent of Lake City’s residents said housing availability is a critical problem, and the community’s biggest problem. Twelve percent said they plan to leave Lake City due to housing costs; seventy two percent of housing stock is seasonal or vacant, with a zero percent rental vacancy rate.The survey also showed that the median home price is $563,000, with the average annual salary around $39,000, and while 43 percent of employers provide housing assistance, families, workers andcontinued page 7essential services are being lost because people can’t afford to live where they work.Within Lake City, the survey confirmed that at least 24 jobs remain unfilled due to housing barriers. Bennett also said the response rate of the survey was 25.5 percent of the Lake City community, a statistic that would be literally impossible to achieve in larger communities.“It’s not exactly a shock that there is a housing crisis,” he said, “but this will put up some data points for Trustees and Commissioners to ponder.”Three hundred sixty of the three hundred eighty households surveyed said their residence is in poor condition; 340 said housing is too expensive; 50 renters were blocked from ownership because of cost. These statistics are based on the 97 household surveys, projected to all 380 county households.“So what is causing displacement,” Bennett said. According to the survey statistics, renters have seen a 34 percent rent increase; 28 percent of homes in the community are vacant or used as short term rentals and not used year round; 22 percent of residents have seen lease non-renewals; and 16 percent of renters were displaced by owner move-ins. Fourteen percent of residents live in overcrowded homes, with 20 percent needing more bedrooms, with many unable to afford needed repairs.“Again, this is no shock to Lake City’s residents,” said Bennett, “but there is literally a zero percent rental vacancy rate. There are currently only five homes actually for sale. Families are forced to take whatever is available, and if a rental does come up, it disappears immediately.”Further, Bennett said that 12 percent of households are planning to leave Lake City due to housing, but there is some hope in the fact that fifty-one percent are interested in ‘deed-restricted’ housing, or affordable workforcehousing.The next slide showed why businesses in Lake City can’t function without affordable workforce housing with statistics from the local employer survey response saying they are having problems providing housing just to keep the doors open. Essential workers can’t afford to live here. Showing examples of average earnings, the slide showed teachers salaries are $39-69 thousand per year; nurse salaries are $32-64 thousand per year; and a Sheriff’s deputy, $26-56 per year.This means that affordable housing on a teacher’s salary would cost around $245,000; a nurse, around $200,000; and a deputy, around $165,000. With a median home price in Lake City averaging $563,000, a teacher would be facing a gap of $318,000 between salary and home price, which Bennett called “obviously unsustainable.”Jeff Moffat then took over the meeting, saying“according to these statistics, even the highest paid workers can’t afford basic family life. Construction work is the best paid local job, and even that still falls $24,355 short annually. This isn’t about poverty, it’s about the impossibility of middle-class life in Hinsdale County. These are serious red flags,” Moffatsaid.Moffat went on to show a slide revealing that Hinsdale County has a $92-million a year economy, breaking down to $70.6-million from local economy, $5.4-million in tourism and outdoor recreation, and $16.4-million in the vacation home industry.“This diverse $70.6-million local economy is three times larger than tourism but it all depends on housed workers,” said Moffat.Further, the survey showed that the cost of inaction would be an annual economic loss of $960,000 from unfilled employment positions, service degradation resulting in reduced school quality, healthcare access and public safety response. Also, each family that leaves Lake City makes it harder to recruit the next essential worker.There will be missed funding opportunities as well, as state housing programs require local action within the next 12 to 18 months.Bennett said, “bottom line – this is not just a housing study, it’s a community survival strategy. We have the data, the funding opportunities, and the first project ready to go. What we need is leadership commitment to act.”Bennett went on to say that the four agencies have developed a proposed vision for Lake City and Hinsdale County, which is to provide housing opportunities across all life stages, enabling residents to find appropriate homes as they begin careers, raise families and retire in the community they love. Bennett said, “we want to put both a vision and goals forward that reflect your interest, and we are listening loud and clear to get feedback to understand, and if we
Cool morning temperatures and gently moist track conditions proved ideal for a total of 113 mountain bike athletes competing in last Saturday’s 7th Annual Alpine 50 bike race.Top finishers in this year’s race were two Durango racers in their 40s in first and third place, repeat Alpine 50 winner Todd Wells, 49, crossing the finish line first in just three hours, 29.20 minutes, and, in third position, Nick Gould, 46, 3 hours, 37.58 minutes.Gould finished the race near-tandem with second place finisher, 20-year-old Kip Sevenoff, also from Durango, time 3 hours, 37.56 minutes.Top place women’s racer with finish time 4 hours, 16.51 minutes was Lauren Aggeler from Durango, with Glenwood Springs racer Manessah Franklin, 4 hours, 35.04, and Jenya Berinot, 4 hours, 38.21, respectively in second and third place among women.Aggeler, age 21 and part of the Durango powerhouse team of bicyclists, was an hour faster than last year’s first place finisher, Liv Geer, attributable to sheer athleticism and ideal race conditions neither too wet nor too dry. The all-time fastest time for a women’s finisher in the Alpine 5 was speedy Alexis Skarda, three hours, 55 minutes, in COVID race year 2020.Top place male finisher Wells represented the U.S. in Olympic mountain bike competition in 2004, 2008, and 2012, and is familiar with the Alpine 50 afterVol. 48, No. 22 Friday, August 29, 2025 Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado 81235 U.S.P.S. No. 436-63075¢successive first and second place finishes in multiple years. For this year’s race, he sauntered by bike over Cinnamon Pass from Silverton on August 22 in advance of the race and, immediately following the race, again rode his mountain bike back over the mountain with time out to savor a Dale’s Pale Ale on the pass summit before descending to Silverton.Five Lake City locals competed in Saturday’s 50-miler, first across the finish line and youngest of all racers, Lake City high school freshman Joseph Tubbs, 14, time 5 hours, 48.22 minutes, followed in close pursuit by Todd Schweitzer, 5:58.43, and Bennett Levine, 6:10.16.Rounding out the list of Lake City racers in this year’s Alpine 50 were Dan File, 6:35.22, and County Commissioner Greg Levine who pedaled furiously after starting off from Lake City Park starting gate with his son, Greg Levine, and finished the race after 7 hours, 38.26 minutes.Common and commendable themes in the August 23 50-mile Alpine Loop race were its smooth as clockwork organization, enthusiastic volunteers, and bicyclists who — without exception — cited the Alpine 50 as exceptional in terms of outstanding mountain vistas from the summits of Cinnamon and Engineer Passes.Organized by Michael Fleishman and John Coy of Human Powered Endeavors on behalf of Lake Fork Valley Conservancy, remunerative tops from the weekend bike competition were $1,000 donation to Wee Care and $1,100 to Lake Fork Conservancy as proceeds from a mountain bike raffle.An overriding theme for the 108 mountain bikers — 87 men and 21 women — who completed the mountain circuit beginning and ending in Lake City Park was compassion and an overriding kindness exceeding athletic passion.Silas Bartels from Brooklyn, New York, was among a trio of Bartels brothers in this year’s race. He remained upbeat despite two above-timberline flat tires and a detached gear shifter which he held in place amid cheers as he crossed the finish line.What most impressed the first-time Alpine 50 contestant, however, was the pervasive kindness. He remarked that numerous fellow bicyclists and OHV recreationists stopped to offer assistance as he struggled to repair the flat tires.“Everyone was so helpful,” he said, “there was so much kindness out there.”In spite of mechanical difficulties, the New York resident finished the race in 52nd place among men with an overall time 6 hours, 6.31 minutes covering the 50-mile track. With their father, Lloyd Bartels on the sidelines, Silas Bartels’ two brothers, Liam, from Heidelberg, Germany, and Salida, Colorado bike enthusiast Josef Bartels, also finished the race, Josef in men’s fourth position, time 3 hours, 46.24 minutes.Remarkable race statistics as recited by race co-organizer Mike Fleishman, included both Liam Bartels (finish time 6 hours, 19.29 minutes) and Andres Gamboa (3:57.01), from San Jose, Costa Rica, as traveling the greatest distances to attend this year’s Alpine 50, as well as youngest racer in this year’s event, 14-year-old Lake City racer Joseph Tubbs.Another local racer, 69-year-old Dan File — who has competed and finished every Alpine 50 race since its inception seven years ago — joined Fruita, Colorado, racer Beth Collins, 68, as eldest in this year’s race.Mountain bicyclists from Durango, Colorado, were once again predominate in terms of cumulative speed, first place cyclists Wells, Sevenoff, and Gould ascending the platform to accept the coveted Sheldon Little Fastest Team Award, while two women counterparts — Manesseh Franklin (4:35.04) and Tara Foster (7:05.16) — garnered the Fastest Team Award on behalf of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.Not surprisingly, Michael Underwood Photography’s True Grit Award went to Silas Bartels, while Random Acts of Kindness Accolades went to Colorado Springs mountain bicyclist Brad Priebe (5:50.12) who stopped to assist two different race competitors; Most Enthusiastic Award to seven-time Alpine 50 biker Bryan Balliet (3:56.31); Best Beard, Derek Horejs (6:41.49); and All Smiles Award, Leadville racer Marley Seifert (6:22.25).Following are insights following brief interviews with top finishers, locals, and a smattering of other Alpine 50 race finishers:Leader of the pack was Todd Wells of Durango with a time of 3 hours, 29 minutes, 20 seconds. Although Wells was concerned about the chance of rain, it turned out to be a beautiful, dry day with perfect temperatures. With weather not providing an obstacle, Wells found other challenges to face, not surprisingly at the highest points of the route, where the air is thin and the climbs are steep on Cinnamon and Engineer Passes. Wells said that he wanted to race in the Alpine 50 because “Lake City is a cool town” and the course is, he said, “spectacular.”Reflecting on his second place finish — 3 hours, 29.20 minutes — and inaugural Alpine 50, 20-year-old Kip Sevenoff
During the joint Town and County Meeting August 13, Town of Lake City staff and Hinsdale County Commissioners’ final item on the meeting’s agenda was to begin negotiations for an Inter-departmental Government Agreement (IGA).Mayor Roberts began the conversation explaining that the former IGA between these entities remained unclear in terms of language used because it had been amended and patched together out of old IGAs, and that it was possibly necessary to ‘wipe the slate clean’ and ‘start from scratch.’Town Manager Lex Mulhall said, “that’s really the first question. Why spend the money on the IGA? Is he [Sheriff Denim Starnes] going to sign an IGA?”Mulhall was referencing an article written by correspondent Gianna Morena in the July 25 issue of Silver World that stated:‘Starnes is frank about the lack of manpower putting long-term planning on the back burner behind more immediate concerns. Nevertheless, he points to modernizing operations and reestablishing a presence in the more remote parts of Hinsdale County, which he feels have been neglected, as areas he hopes to address.One way to narrow his office’s focus may be to allow HCSO’s contract for law enforcement services with the Town of Lake City to expire in December. “I’m going to be either lauded or hated for what I decide to do with this contract. But the longer I think about this, the more and more I’m becoming convinced that the Town of Lake City needs to have its own marshal’s office so that the sheriff’s office can actually do its job out in the county.” [said Starnes.]Incorporated towns in Colorado have a statutory duty to provide police service. While many sheriffs provide municipal services under contract, they are not obligated to do so. The administrative and financial costs to the town for standing up its own police force would be substantial.’Starnes was not present at the August 13 meeting,(nor was Commissioner Greg Levine, who had attended the meeting earlier but needed to leave mid-meeting), and Mulhall said, “without the Sheriff being here…we can have our attorneys work on details such as liability language in there, what the costs potentially would be in 2026 and beyond, but what we really need to do is circle back, get the Sheriff in a room in a mutual understanding between all boards, that is really key at first, so maybe we need to wait until that happens before we dig into this.”County Administrator Sandy Hines said, “I think we all know for many years, that idea of the Town potentially looking at another way has come up over and over. I think it’s possible that Sheriff Starnes may have heard those conversations or may have heard over time alternate ideas. But nothing official has happened.”Mayor Roberts said, “why I want to talk about this while we’re all together, there has been some muddy water over this but I want to make it clear, the trustees did not wake up one day and say ‘we’re cancelling the IGA’ or anything like that.”Commissioner Kristie Borchers said, “I think one of the first things we need to hammer out is that there is a difference in legal opinion between the Town and County attorneys regarding what a County is required to provide a town with law enforcement. I think that would be first on our list, because that then drives the money. Also, I wanted to bring up this idea of one person assigned to the Town. The reason that came up was a way to evaluate costs, only. That was Sheriff Kambish, he thought that was the way to figure out costs, but maybe its not. The idea is, how is it equitable to split what the Sheriff is doing within the Town as opposed to what he does in the County. Even though that is how it is written, I think we just tend to think that we have to sign it for three years, and it happens again and again. Now we have a couple months. I think now you have this opportunity where our attorneys can collaborate and we can come up with a better agreement. The IGA has been cobbled together for so long, now it’s time to think about best practice models and come up with something better. ”Town Attorney Dan Krob spoke up, saying, “I just wanted to say a couple of things. You guys are all there doing public service, you’re all there for the community, whether that’s people in unincorporated Hinsdale County, or in the Town of Lake City, you’re all there on the same team. Like Commissioner Borchers said, that IGA has probably been hacked together over longer than I’ve been practicing law. I do think you would all benefit to sit down and figure out what exactly you want and what your priorities are. It might be time to wipe the slate clean and start with a new IGA if you guys want to do that. I’ve seen a lot of collaboration between you [two boards]. which is one of the reasons I enjoy being down there, and we can make this work easy and simple. There’s been enough rumors flying around that I think it would be beneficial to sit down with the Sheriff and find out what is his position, what does he want to do, and go from there.”
Town of Lake City Board of Trustees and Mayor Dave Roberts have been working for months toward a celebration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the founding of Lake City in 1875. On Saturday, August 16, 150 years to the day of the formal founding of Lake City’s Township, a party was held in Town Park under sunny August skies and near-perfect temperatures. The party kicked off with some of Lake City’s favorite visitors, the colorful Ute Mountain Ute dancers, a full account of which can be read in the adjacent story. At noon, three speakers took the stage to give the audience some background on the lifespan of the Town of Lake City. First up was former Town Manager Michelle Pierce, who spoke of the founding of the Lake City Township. Next was Chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, Joe Fox, who talked about the importance of the Historic District. Lastly, Town Trustee Henry Woods spoke about the future of Lake City. In Pierce’s speech, she told the crowd: “many towns and cities in Colorado were first established by Town Companies. Gunnison, Montrose, Grand Junction, Ouray, Buena Vista and Colorado Springs, to name a few. There was even a North Denver Town Company. Lake City was one of them. Throughout my career, I was always a bit confused about the relationship between the Lake City Town Company and the Town of Lake City. I assumed that, at some point, there was a clean break between the dissolution of the Town Company and the establishment of the Town Government.In fact, they were formed at the same time and were two separate entities with completely separate purposes. Articles of Incorporation for the Lake City Town Company were signed on July 21, 1875 by 22 incorporators and filed for record with the Secretary of the Colorado Territory on September 28, 1875. The corporation was established for a period of 20 years.The Articles provided for a 7-member Board of Trustees. The first Board of Trustees was made up of President Henry Finley, Secretary Newton F. Bogue, Treasurer W. F. Ring and Trustees Otto Mears, Isaac Gothelf, H. M. Woods and Enos T. Hotchkiss.The purpose of the Town Company was to take and hold tracts of land for the purpose of establishing and erecting a town and to improve, sell, or otherwise dispose of this land. On August 16, 1875, one hundred and fifty years ago today, and in response to a petition signed by two-thirds of the resident voters and householders of Lake City, the Hinsdale County Board of Commissioners ordered that corporate powers as a town be delegated to Lake City as provided for in Chapter 84 of the Revised Statutes of the Colorado Territory, titled ‘Towns and Cities.’ The commissioners ordered that Lake City be thereafter known as the “Town of Lake City” with full corporate powers and appointed a 5-member Board of Trustees consisting of Henry Finley, F. Newton Bogue, Warren T. Ring, John D. Bartholf, and William C. Lewman.” Joe Fox spoke about the importance of the history of Lake City, saying, “After the nearly ghost town era for Lake City in the 30s and 40s, more and more tourists began to come in the 50s and 60s. By the 1970s locals and habitual summer visitors began to think more about the history of the town. Some Lake City residents got together in 1973 and created the Hinsdale County Historical Society, and established the Museum. We have our well-respected newspaper editor and longtime historical society president, Grant Houston, to thank for maintaining an active interest in these preservation activities from that beginning in the early 1970s. Lake City’s National Historic District was established in 1978, with the strong support of Mayor Bob Hall and developer John Parker, whose effort to rehabilitate several of the town’s old historic buildings was well served by the financial incentives that the district’s creation brought.” Henry Woods said, regarding the future of Lake City, “I don’t have a time machine or a crystal ball, but there are things that I feel certain are going to happen here. One thing I am sure of is that Lake City will continue to be the best place to visit and live in Colorado. I’m sure you have noticed all the dead trees that have been killed by insects. There are only two ways to kill those bugs: extreme cold or fire. We don’t have extreme cold temperatures anymore. The biggest event I can see in our future is the big forest fire. It’s not an issue of ‘if’ our forests will burn, but just ‘when.’ It will be a traumatic event for us, but in the long run it can be a very good thing. I feel certain that our Towns people will succeed in protecting our little village. Many thanks to our residents who volunteer for everything. After the fire, there will be an awesome new beginning that will feature more Ponderosa Pines and Junipers, and other lower elevation dryer climate species.” Birthday Audience in Awe Watching Ute Ceremonial Dances Indigenous people’s reverence for the land was repeatedly referenced by Southern Ute “Red Sky” dancers and applauded by an appreciative audience during Town of Lake City’s 150th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, August 16.Led by Mark and Rita Wing of the southwest-Colorado-based Southern Ute Tribe, traditional Ute dances performed by the “Red Sky Dancers” were rhythmically led by the drumbeat of singer Austin Jacket and included newly-crowned Miss Indian Colorado, Aliyah Jacket, performing the traditional Ute War Dance.Again to wide audience applause, she was followed later in the program by authentically-costumed, eagle-bedecked Pharo Laner and Steven Pensoneau, respectively precisely performing the Northern Man’s Chicken Dance and Southern Man’s Fancy Dance.Also dressed in authentic costume with an array of eagle feathers was leader Mark Wing with the Traditional Northen Men’s Dance, and his wife, co-leader Rita Wing with another traditional Ute dance entitled Women’s Northern Cloth.Comfortably seated in shade and bright sun surrounding the dance performance, Lake City
Exhausted runners in last weekend’s 7th annual High 5 100-mile mountain ultra run were contemplative after a continual multiple day and night slog through the mountains surrounding Lake City.For first place Swiss runner Benjamin “Benji” Wiederkehr, who crossed the town park finish line near dusk on Saturday 37 hours and 51 minutes after start of the run, most memorable and “magical” were shadows cast by a near full moon on the summits of 14,001’ Sunshine and 14,034’ Redcloud Peaks.Utah ultra runner Jared Campbell — second to cross the finish line at 11:07 p.m. Saturday and third overall with a start to finish running time of 41 hours, 7 minutes — stated he enjoyed “experimenting” with his race trajectory. He acknowledged some of the experimental routes, such as ascending 14,015’ Wetterhorn Peak and Matterhorn Peak, at a mere 13,590’, were successful in terms of time efficiency, while other self-determined routes such as bypassing vertically challenging Sunshine Falls near the base of Sunshine Peak in the dark were perhaps less successful and in fact “downright questionable.”A repeat favorite in this year’s High 5 was Gunnison middle school educator Dustin Simoens whose blunt post-race assessment after crossing the town park finish line at 12:06 a.m. Sunday was “I’ll absolutely never do that again’ due in part to the fact the 2025 High 5 was “by far the hardest” because of added checkpoints.Later on Sunday morning, at a celebratory post-race runners’ breakfast, he reconsidered, saying “yeah, I’ll probably do it again.”Due to the fact the Gunnison ultra runner had competed in three prior High 5 runs, he began the race at 9 a.m. Friday, August 8, three hours after the 6 a.m. start for first-time runners. Simoens completed the mountain race route second overall after running 39 hours, 6 minutes.The three top 2025 High 5 runners — Wiederkehr, Simoens, and Campbell — were among 24 ultra runners, including two women and three locals, who took part in this year’s race, six of whom — 25 percent — actually finished the run. All 24 starters were termed winners by race organizer Caitlin Rhodes at Sunday morning’s breakfast, Rhodes determining “it was a success for everyone.”Caitlin’s husband, race co-organizer Logan Rhodes Durango, Colorado, ultra runner Josh Golden, middle photo with pacer Mark Smith, breezed into Camp Trail Trailhead on the final leg of Saturday’s High 5 Run (photo Duane Keprta); left, at an early point in the race, local runner Logan Rhodes with Alexander Beckman and Dustin Simoens on proverbial heels, arrives at Capitol City (photo Jodi Linsey); right, after nearly 40 hours non-stop jogging, Benji Wiederkehr and Jared Campbell are contemplative at the town park finish line. has previously completed the run on two occasions, hence was assigned an 8 a.m. start from the park two hours after a majority of the racers. Rhodes was characteristically upbeat in his remarks at the 6 a.m. start, telling first-timers in the grueling mountain run “you are about to attempt one of the hardest things physically you’ve ever done.”He urged racers to savor the moment, telling them “one day in the distant future we’ll be old, broken down, and unable to do this… we don’t know how much time we have in this life.”In addition to the three top finishers, also successfully completing the run were Ted Schultz, Colorado Springs oil and gas pipeline manager, fourth with total running time 43 hours, 48 minutes; 52-year-old Durango, Colorado ultra runner Josh Golden, 45 hours, 8 minutes; and Brandon Worthington, from Longmont, Colorado, giving his registration address as “Longmonster,” who finished the High 5 at 4:10 a.m. Sunday after continuous 45-hour, 10-minute slog.Worthington drew smiles at his race start, 8 a.m. August 8, in recounting a “nightmarish” dream from which “I woke up screaming” prior to the race start.In the dream, Worthington said he encountered challenging changes to the race route which, on the Continental Divide, included an array of computers which he was mandated to hack before continuing the race.In the dream, Worthington said he thought to himself, “well, I’m not going to finish the race.” He drew laughter on Friday at the race start, telling cheering bystanders, “hopefully I’ve repressed that dream.”Apart from the top six out of the initial 24 who started the race, an additional three runners persevered and finished the 100-miler in Lake City between 8 and 9 a.m. on Sunday and well past the mandatory 6 a.m. cutoff: Lukas Zavorka, from Los Alamos, New Mexico, and fellow runner Joel Kuenning, Silverton, had a slow start, leaving the Camp Trail Trailhead in darkness at 9:55 p.m. Saturday and navigating both Williams Creek ascent and Alpine Gulch descent while omitting mandatory summit of Peak 13811; a third High 5 runner who completed the race in Lake City post cutoff was 35-year-old Alex Beckman, an architect from Salt Lake City.
Town of Lake City’s Mayor Dave Roberts, along with Town Manager Lex Mulhall, Town staff and Town Board of Trustees have been hard at work planning the sesquicentennial anniversary of the founding of the Town of Lake City in 1875.To commemorate the occasion, there will be a celebration in Town Park on August 16 beginning at 10 a.m.The party kicks off with the always highly anticipated and appreciated Ute Mountain Ute Dancers, who have visited and performed in Lake City on several occasions over the years. The performance will begin at 10 a.m. in Town Park, and is classified, according to Town Trustee Henry Woods, as a “land acknowledgment and culturally artistic performance.”At noon, three speakers will be giving lectures about Lake City’s history, present and future. Mayor Roberts will begin with a welcome speech, followed by former Town Manager Michelle Pierce, speaking about the beginnings of Lake City and the origins of the “Lake City Town Company.”Next, historian and owner of the Slumgullion Gift Gallery in the historic Green Garage will be Joe Fox, speaking on the role and importance of the historic district in Lake City. Following him will be Trustee Woods to discuss the future of Lake City.The lectures are slated to take 45 minutes in total, followed by cupcakes from the Lake City Bakery and ice cream. Live music by Evelyn Roper and Opal Moon begins at 12:30 until 5 p.m. Beginning at 1 p.m., beer and margaritas will be served by Downtown Improvement and Renovation Team (DIRT) at the moderate hundred and fifty anniversary cost of just $1.50, along with food from local food trucks – Summit Wing House and Wagon Wheel. There will also be a cornhole tournament overseen by Town Trustee Nathan Wuest and a water slide courtesy of Town of Lake City’s Recreation Department. Next Saturday’s town park gala celebrates 150 years since formation of Town of Lake City as a municipal governmental organization starting with the quasi-public Lake City Town Company which was formally incorporated and recognized by Hinsdale County Commissioners on August 16, 1875. Although the town company was a privately-owned company with 220 $50 shares of stock owned by 22 leading light incorporators, Territorial Law also required a democratic component in which seven of the incorporators — a president, secretary, treasurer, and four trustees — were elected by the town’s registered male voters on an annual basis.Lake City Town Company incorporation documents were signed and filed in successive months July, August, and September, first with the county clerk in Saguache County in July, 1875, followed by incorporation filings with county clerks in Rio Grande and Hinsdale Counties and, finally Territorial Secretary of State in Denver on September 28, 1875. Focus of the town company as specifically cited in the incorporation documents was to take, enter, and hold tracts of land for the purpose of “establishing and erecting a town thereon and to lay off the said tract of land in Blocks, Lots, Streets, and Alleys… the said tract so laid off to be known as Lake City.”Further intent in the incorporation filing was to “improve, sell, or otherwise dispose of said Lots or Blocks and to do and perform all other business pertaining to the said Corporation.”Incorporators of the Lake City Town Company were, nearly without exception, well-connected businessmen, a majority of whom — including well- known toll road financier Otto Mears — were associated with the two principal toll roads servicing Lake City from Saguache and Del Norte in 1875 and 1876, the Saguache & San Juan Wagon Toll Road, and the Del Norte & Antelope Park Toll Road and its extension, the Antelope Park & Lake City Toll Road.Henry Finley and his father-in-law, John Bartholf, were among the Saguache & San Juan toll road building party which in August, 1874, found and interred the bodies of the five men murdered and partially cannibalized by Alferd Packer.The intrepid Finley successfully parlayed a herd of beef cattle brought from Saguache to Lake City which he traded for a stake in the Hotchkiss Lode, and in 1877 built the stone Finley Block, today’s home of Hinsdale County Museum.Also taking part in the grave digging for the Packer victims was another original member of the Lake City Town Company, toll road construction supervisor Enos T. Hotchkiss who, with Finley and others, took time to prospect and lay claim to a fabulously promising tellurium gold and silver claim overlooking the outlet of Lake San Cristobal. The claim was initially known as the Hotchkiss Lode before years later being rechristened by its better known title, the Golden Fleece Mine.Hotchkiss and Finley, with D.P. Church patented the Granite Falls mill site above Lake City, water power from which powered Lake City’s first saw mill.Finley served as President of the Lake City Town Company and, with fellow officers F. Newton Bogue, town company secretary, and Warren T. Ring, treasurer. Finley, Bogue, and Ring, together with trustees Otto Mears, Isaac Gotthelf, H.M. Woods, and Enos Hotchkiss immediately set to work identifying the future townsite on a 260-acre mosquito-infested tract of beaver dams and willows extending north from the juncture of Henson Creek with the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River.Town company officers reported expending $3,548.50 in October, 1875, perfecting title and securing patent to the 260-acre townsite, requisite details including a rudimentary survey by U.S. Deputy Mineral Surveyor W.C. Lewman.Starting at the extreme northeast corner of the 260 townsite plat and working its way southward to the mouth of Henson Creek, Lake City Town Company’s plat consisted of a total of 72 blocks, the majority with 32 25’ x 125’ lots each, divided by alleys, major envisioned thoroughfares — optimistically looking beyond the prevalent mosquitos, beaver ponds, and proliferation of willows — being north-south running Lake Street, Henson Street, Gunnison Avenue, Silver Street, and Bluff Street, with corresponding east-west running cross streets First through Ninth Streets to the west of the Lake Fork River, and Water Hotchkiss and Pine Streets, with cross streets on what
Preparations are in full out running mode — and 25 hardy men and women mountain endurance runners already enrolled — for the 7th Annual “High Five” 100-mile mountain run starting 6 a.m. Friday, August 8, and continuing until mandatory cut-off at 6 a.m. Sunday, August 10.According to organizer Logan Rhodes — who this year happens to again be one of the race entrants — the informal race route starting and ending at Lake City Town Park remains essentially the same, with each of the qualifying runners required to reach checkpoints on the summits of each of the county’s five 14,000’ elevation peaks, 14,309’ Uncompahgre Peak; Wetterhorn, 14,015’; Redcloud, 14,034’; Sunshine, 14,001’; and Handies, 14,048’.Rhodes, who initiated the hardcore endurance run with his wife, Lake City preschool instructor Caitlin Rhodes, in 2019, emphasizes that there is no pre-set route for the 100-mile run and is instead up to the individual runners to set their course which, in addition to the five 14,000’ peaks, also includes mandatory proof of summiting a variety of other lesser elevation 12,000’ and 13,000’ peaks, including 12,933’ elevation Crystal Peak near the race’s start.Among the 25 ultra runners already registered for the High 5 as of Tuesday this week, local runners include both Logan Rhodes and two other well- known mountain runners, Wade Wandrey, who came out of running retirement for this past June’s 50-mile San Juan Solstice, and School Teacher Doug Eby.Both Rhodes and Wandrey finished this year’s Solstice, Rhodes’ first among local runners in 44th place overall with a time of 11 hours, 34.16 minutes for the strenuous 50-miler, and Wandrey 61st overall, time 12 hours, 14 minutes in the Solstice.Also running in June’s San Juan Solstice — and also registered for this month’s 100-mile High Five is Gunnison middle school teacher Dustin Simoens. Simoens is a past High Five winner, taking first place in the inaugural 2019 High Five with time 32 hours, 51 minutes and in this year’s June San Juan Solstice loped a somewhat slower pace for the 50-miler, finishing 74th overall, 12 hours, 35.09 seconds.First time runners for this year’s August 8 High Five will line up on a Silver Street starting line adjacent to Lake City Park at 6 a.m. Friday; experienced runners who have previously competed in the race one time prior begin the race an hour later, at 7 a.m., and for High Five runners with two prior races under proverbial belt, the start time is 8 a.m.As earlier stated, the mandatory cutoff is 6 a.m. Sunday, August 10, with Caitlin Rhodes and other race organizers predictably camped out in the park throughout the night to greet runners crossing the finish line.A preliminary High Five race meeting for runners and volunteers is planned at the Rhodes’ Gunnison Avenue residence starting 6 p.m. Thursday, August 7.
Hinsdale County Commissioners are narrowing their focus on specific ballot language for multiple questions to be put before county voters this November. At their morning workshop Wednesday this week, Commissioners Borchers, Levine, and Hurd discussed at length specifics of a proposed lodging tax increase of up to four percent.During informal discussion, it was repeatedly stated that a three percent lodging tax increase may be more amenable to county voters and thus have a better chance for passage. Hinsdale County currently has a two percent lodging tax for marketing but new state legislation expands the parameters on how the tax may be used — adding medical services, early childcare, and affordable housing to the mix — for a maximum of up to six percent.Although the discussion is ongoing and will be continued at the county board’s Wednesday, August 6, workshop, the three commissioners have apparently reached concensus on seeking voter approval for a one percent lodging tax increase for both Hinsdale County Search & Rescue and Early Childcare.Still up for discussion at the urging of Commissioner Levine is whether ballot language will include either a one or two percent lodging tax increase for Hinsdale County Emergency Medical Services.Based on 2024 lodging tax revenues, one percent equates to $66,343. Earlier in workshop, both Commissioners Hurd and Borchers had indicated support for a one percent lodging tax increase for EMS, although Commissioner Levine was adamant that Hinsdale EMS — which annually receives a substantial financial subsidy from the county — is “financially strained” and, depending on further discussion, may warrant two percent of lodging tax revenues equating to roughly $130,000 on an annual basis.“I worry about EMS a lot,” said Levine, noting on that on consecutive days last month the county’s EMS team received five calls, all before 6 a.m.He emphasized, “a lot is being put on them.”Commissioners Borchers and Hurd reiterated their unequivocal support for “sustainable funding” for all emergency providers, Commissioner Hurd adding his view that in future revenues from the revamped All Hazards Team Program may be able to provide greater financial support to emergency services.A slight modification in Wednesday’s discussion on ballot wording for proposed lodging tax increases — and different from what has previously been reported — is that Lake City Area Medical Center is, at the medical board’s request, now out of the mix in terms of seeking a portion of lodging tax revenues.Medical Center funding through lodging tax was complicated by the fact the health service district is already a taxing district and any portion of lodging tax revenues would necessarily go to the county and be apportioned at the county board’s discretion.In a letter to commissioners from health services board of directors, it is stated that they now wish to be removed from further consideration for lodging tax revenues, commissioners surmising that “most likely,” said Levine, the health services district “will go for a sales tax increase in the near future.”Medical center’s withdrawal from consideration for revenues from an added county lodging tax mirrors Lake City Area Fire Protection District which had initially expressed an interest in lodging tax revenues but later concluded to formulate its own fall, 2025, ballot question seeking a county sales tax increase specifically benefiting the fire district.At the fire district’s meeting Tuesday evening this week, directors finalized plans to seek a 1.25 percent sales tax increase which, with voter approval this fall, would be collected by businesses within the fire district’s boundaries roughly estimated at about $425,000, according to fire district secretary Michelle Pierce. The revenue, in part, Pierce adds, is necessary due to recent determination that the district must hire a fire marshal in order to enforce fire code.Also at Wednesday’s county board workshop and meeting, Lake City resident Ingrid Burnett was formally appointed as the county’s representative on the joint Hinsdale/Mineral County Silver Thread Public Health District. Each county board is allowed two positions on the health board, two Mineral County Commissioners serving on the board and Levine the sole county commissioner from Hinsdale County. Burnett will now represent the county as the second Hinsdale County representative.At start of open discussion prior to start of workshop and regular meeting on Wednesday, Commissioner Borchers uncharacteristically volunteered first in line with a detailed, point by point response to an anonymous letter which has been received critical of the county.Depending on space restrictions, WORLD plans to preprint Borcher’s rebuttal verbatim, although in this abbreviated mention she methodically addressed points in the unsigned letter which included a perceived need for greater financial oversight of the county board, additional details on the now revamped All Hazards Team Program which included Borchers’ acknowledgment that $1.25-million paid by the county as part of the program was ultimately not reimbursed by State of Colorado as the result of unintentional incorrect billing; and the demand in the anonymous letter for greater transparency, including financial and lease/purchase details, on the ongoing construction of the county’s new administration building adjoining Hinsdale County Courthouse on Henson Street.Fellow Commissioners Levine and Hurd concurred with Borchers’ detailed rebuttal of the anonymous letter, Hurd thanking Borchers for compiling the information and emphatically stating “nothing is hidden,” while Commissioner Levine described Borchers’ summation as “very succinct and complete.” Levine continued, noting “the truth is the truth” and inviting and welcoming members of the public to personally attend meetings of the county board — or listen to audio recordings of the board’s meeting — in preference to drafting unsigned letters.Again during open discussion portion of the commissioners’ July 30 meeting, Commissioner Hurd expressed his frustration with ongoing mandatory $8 day use fees required in order to visit Deer Creek Lakes on the Upper Cebolla. Hurd indicated particular outrage at what he termed “aggressive behavior” on the part of the Forest Service facility’s on-site managers which now extends, he said, to placing paper tickets on the windshields of parked vehicles.Commissioners met earlier last month with Forest Service Supervisor Dale Funka who indicated that the decision to impose a charge at the popular fishing and moose-watching