Colorado

In Grand Junction, Wine, Tacos, and Trails Await

Published

3 years ago

April 15, 2022

In Grand Junction, Wine, Tacos, and Trails Await

Canyons and mesas encompass western Colorado’s largest metropolis, the place an inflow of outdoorsy transplants is making a thriving artistic scene.

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The first time I ate at Taco Occasion, in downtown Grand Junction, I felt obligated to decide on one of many canvas-shaded out of doors tables lining the sidewalk. My shirt was salt-stained and smelly after my morning hike, and a gritty crust of sunscreen coated my flushed face. I had no enterprise mingling among the many deodorized {couples} within the cherry-red leather-based cubicles inside. However then I bit right into a taco and skilled the type of rejuvenation that no mere bathe can obtain: This was healthful drugs for weary muscle groups.

The tortilla was crafted from native blue corn farmed on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation, 200 miles south of Grand Junction. It cradled delectable bits of slow-roasted native pork dressed with radish salsa and a creamy drizzle of Colorado-grown mayacoba beans. It was scrumptious, sure, but in addition a radical providing in a city that had by no means tried to be cool.

Within the 20-plus years that I’ve been weekending in Grand Junction (or “Junction,” as locals abbreviate it), I’ve observed that the neighborhood has by no means labored onerous to show guests onto its charms—maybe as a result of these attracts appeared too apparent to want boosterism. Colorado Nationwide Monument borders the town to the south and dazzles hikers with red-rock cliffs and spires. Some pockets equal the scenic worth of Arches Nationwide Park, 1.5 hours west—however with a fraction of the crowds (Arches hosted 1.8 million guests final yr, in comparison with 500,000 at Junction’s yard park).

Mountain biking can also be large right here, significantly on Grand Mesa, the huge, flat-topped mountain east of GJ the place the brand new (summer season 2021) Palisade Plunge bike path drops 5,000 vertical toes on a top-to-bottom course spanning 32 miles. Grand Mesa can also be house to Powderhorn Mountain Resort, a charmingly non-corporate ski space.

Past the scenic bounty, there’s the yum-factor of the encompassing vineyards and farms. Grand Junction sits on the confluence of two main rivers (the Gunnison and the Colorado, previously named the Grand) so growers have traditionally loved loads of water for cultivating grapevines and fruit bushes in an arid local weather. In April and Might, these orchards explode with white flowers rising in tidy rows beneath the wrinkled flanks of Mount Garfield, an eroded clay mesa the place wild horses roam.

For years, I searched Grand Junction—in useless—for postadventure refreshment that wasn’t produced by a nationwide fast- or casual-food chain. Then Denver native Josh Niernberg opened Taco Occasion in 2017 (after establishing Bin 707, his fine-dining idea, in 2011) and in the end, explorers with native and distant addresses had a artistic approach to refuel our bodies and imaginations after rambling amongst Junction’s canyons and vineyards.

“There’s nowhere else within the state that has the entry to the outside and to distinctive, recent, native meals that we do,” says Niernberg, who relocated right here along with his spouse, a Grand Junction native. “We actually are this tourism vacation spot that’s at all times been off the radar.”

There are indicators, nevertheless, that GJ’s sleeper standing might not final for much longer. In March 2022, Niernberg earned his second nomination for a James Beard Award, for the Excellent Chef class of nationwide contestants (his earlier nod was for the regional “Finest Chef: Mountains” area of interest). It acknowledges not solely his use of native Colorado produce but in addition his creativity: Niernberg makes use of lacto-fermentation to rework native elephant coronary heart plums into stand-ins for limes, which the valley doesn’t produce. As a member of Zero Foodprint, a corporation that permits cooks to assist soil regeneration, Niernberg can also be creating pathways that might enable native eating places to enhance soil well being at close by farms.

Winemakers and brewers unite

Niernberg isn’t the one artistic to wish to exploit Grand Junction’s seemingly untapped potential. After years of turning grapes grown by Grand Valley native Kaibab Sauvage into wines for Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorem, winemaker Patric Matysiewski partnered with Sauvage in 2019 to create a brand new Grand Valley label, Sauvage Spectrum. The duo is devoted to discovering what Colorado’s wine profile can and must be, and what varietals thrive within the high-altitude vineyards close to Grand Junction and the smaller city of Palisade, situated 12 miles east amid the vines.

“We don’t want one other California chardonnay, and so they don’t significantly match our season,” says Matysiewski. As a substitute, Sauvage (who additionally farms peaches) is experimenting with grüner veltliner (a white varietal from Austria) and teroldego (a purple grape from northern Italy that Matysiewski interprets right into a lambrusco-style glowing purple wine). Each grapes hail from mountainous areas that share commonalities with the Grand Valley’s cooler local weather.

“Over time, individuals have tried to determine what [grape varietal] goes to place Colorado on the map,” says Kevin Webber, cofounder of Denver-based Carboy Vineyard, which started in 2016 by making wine from out-of-state grapes however just lately shifted to utilizing completely Colorado-grown fruit. After buying the previous Garfield Estates vineyard and winery—plus two extra vineyards—Carboy opened a tasting room in Palisade with a grand opening scheduled for April 2022.

“You possibly can sit on our rooftop patio and luxuriate in a panoramic view of Mount Garfield and Grand Mesa,” says Webber, who additionally planted teroldego. Like Sauvage Spectrum, Carboy is betting that Colorado’s future is in glowing wines. “Grand Valley grapes are usually of a better acid profile, and that minerality lends itself rather well to creating Colorado-style prosecco,” Webber explains.

Transplants aren’t the one ones driving Junction’s newfound ingenuity. Ramblebine Brewing Firm, situated across the nook from Taco Occasion in downtown Grand Junction, was based by a local son who realized that there’s no place like house. To enrich its IPAs and flavored stouts, Ramblebine invited a few of Niernberg’s protégés to open Block Occasion, a gourmand kitchen serving bar snacks beside the faucets.

Stroll one block in the other way and also you land at Moody’s, a brand new nightclub launched by Logan Moody, a Junction-born drummer who wished GJ had a cocktail bar with a stage for small ensembles—so he opened one. Craving a correct Outdated-Original? That is your house. Moody’s listing of whiskies and Scotch is well GJ’s broadest, although admittedly, competitors for that title is skinny given the area’s dedication to producing wine and, more and more, cider.

All of it represents an enormous enlargement from 2008, when Niernberg first landed in Grand Junction. “This was an agricultural sizzling spot, however earlier than farm-to-table was a factor,” he remembers. Personally, I’m glad to see Junction supporting craft farming and the treats that may consequence. This is identical admirably unpretentious metropolis amid the canyons and mesas which are so value exploring—solely with a greater après.

The place to remain in Grand Junction

In Palisade, the Spoke and Vine Motel is a Fifties-era motor lodge with a really likeable facelift: High-shelf beds assure a sound night time’s sleep, and the convivial bar and patio present the proper place to get pleasure from breezes off Grand Mesa whilst you sip one thing native.

Guide Now: Spoke and Vine Motel

Hold a watch out for the forthcoming Property Home lodging at Carboy Vineyard, which additionally plans to put in tiny houses across the property so visitors can sleep among the many vines.

>> Subsequent: AFAR’s Information to Colorado

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Colorado

Seeking Revenge Against the Capitals | Colorado Avalanche

Published

4 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Seeking Revenge Against the Capitals | Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche (10-9-0) @ Washington Capitals (13-4-1)

5 p.m. MT | Capital One Arena | Watch: Altitude, 9News, My20, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)

For the second time in six days the Colorado Avalanche will faceoff against the Washington Capitals. Colorado will battle to split the season series after a 5-2 loss at Ball Arena on November 15.

Soaring Past the Flyers

The Avalanche beat the Flyers 3-2 at Wells Fargo Center on Monday. Cale Makar posted his 10th-career multi-goal game and Casey Mittlestadt added a goal. Additionally, Mikko Rantanen recorded two assists and Justus Annunen made 24 saves. Following a scoreless first period, Makar opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the slot at 8:30 of the second period after receiving Nathan MacKinnon’s set-up feed. Makar thought he had his second of the game at 10:44 of the middle frame, but the goal was taken off the board due to a successful Flyers challenge for goaltender interference. However, Makar would eventually double Colorado’s lead on the power play with his eighth tally of the season at 15:08 of the middle frame with a shot from the point that deflected off a Flyers player on its way in. The Burgundy and Blue took a 3-0 lead at 8:34 of the third period when Mittelstadt dispatched the rebound created by Rantanen’s shot into the net for his seventh goal of the season. The Flyers answered with goals from Owen Tippett at 11:48 and Tyson Foerster at 13:32 to cut their deficit to one, but the Avs held on to secure their 10th victory of the season.

Leading the Way

MacKinnon leads the NHL in points (34) and assists (27).

Makar leads NHL blueliners in goals (8), assists (19), and points (27). He’s tied for seventh among NHL skaters in points and tied for fifth in assists.

Rantanen is tied for sixth in the league in goals (12) and tied for seventh in points (27).

History

The Avalanche are 18-20-4 in 42 previous regular-season games against the Capitals. Colorado is 4-1-0 in its last five matchups against Washington dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Winning Out West

The Capitals beat the Utah Hockey Club 6-2 at the Delta Center on Monday. Alex Ovechkin scored twice, and Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves. Utah opened the scoring with a goal by Jack McBain at 3:05 of the first period but the Capitals responded with tallies from Dylan Strome at 7:46, Nic Dowd at 7:56, and Ovechkin at 11:05. Ovechkin extended Washington’s lead to three with a goal at 5:38 of the second period before Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah at 11:44 to make it 4-2 in favor of Washington entering the third period. Ovechkin did leave the game midway through the third period with a lower-body injury and has been placed on injured reserve and ruled week-to-week. The Caps added two more goals in the third period from Brandon Duhaime at 7:30 and Aliaksei Protas at 9:56 to win 6-2.

Putting Up Numbers on the Potomac

MacKinnon has posted 28 points (11g/17a) in 20-career matchups against the Capitals including 11 points (5g/6a) in 10 road matchups against them.

In eight previous meetings with Washington, Makar has recorded six points (2g/4a).

Rantanen has registered 19 points (8g/11a) in 14 previous games against Washington including eight points (4g/4a) on the road.

Capitals’ Contributors

Strome leads the Capitals in points (28) and assists (22).

Connor McMichael is second on the team in goals (12) and third in points (19).

Aliaksei Protas is fourth on the team in points (18), third in goals (7), and tied for third in assists (11).

A Numbers Game

10

Makar became the first defenseman in franchise history to record 10 multi-goal games.

3

The Avalanche have three players (MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen) in the top 10 in points. No other team has more than one.

165

The Avs have registered 165 high-danger shots on goal, which ranks sixth in the NHL.

Quote That Left a Mark

“Juice is great. I think he’s been great all year. [He made] some big saves, especially at the beginning there…So [it was a] heck of a job from Juice for sure.”

— Casey Mittelstadt on Justus Annunen’s performance on Monday

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Colorado

Residents rally to save Colorado Springs library on brink of closure

Published

11 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Residents rally to save Colorado Springs library on brink of closure

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Hundreds of Colorado Springs residents showed up at the Pikes Peak Library District Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday night in a last-ditch effort to save the Rockrimmon Library.

The library is set to close December 1. This comes after the board voted to not renew the library’s lease due to financial issues.

In a statement posted on their website on November 8, the board called the decision to close Rockrimmon a difficult one.

“A library provides access to resources and materials to everyone in the community, so considering a closure goes against the grain of our hopes for PPLD. However, our District provides access to nearly 700,000 people across El Paso County. We must make decisions that sustain the entire District.”

More than 250 community members showed up to Wednesday’s board meeting to show their support for keeping the Rockrimmon location open with another 119 tuning in virtually.

Former Rockrimmon Library manager Steve Abbott said he was glad to see the turnout.

“It shows that the community will not give up and they are going to fight to keep this library open,” he said.

For most of the almost five-hour meeting, 43 speakers took turns pleading with board members to postpone the library’s closure, extend the lease another year, and reconsider their decision to close the library in the first place.

One of those who spoke before the board, Abbott said closing the library will leave a massive gap for the 30,000 people who live in the area.

“It leaves a big library desert in the Rockrimmon area,” he said. “For a child to use a library now, they’ll have to go over I-25, under I-25, over Academy, under Academy to get to a library, and it’s six miles away from where Rockrimmon was.”

Speaker and Rockrimmon resident Jennifer Walker said closing the library would also deprive the area of a much-needed community center.

“There is no YMCA, there’s nothing else,” she said. “This is where we meet other moms when we’re desperate to talk to another human being that’s not a toddler, this is where we go to work when we need a quiet space, this is where the elderly come to use the computer or to check out books.”

The fate of the Rockrimmon Library was not on the board’s agenda and those who left the meeting tell 11 News the meeting ended with no resolution.

Walker said residents are still exploring their legal options.

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Colorado

What’s the latest on the Colorado River negotiations?

Published

19 hours ago

November 20, 2024

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What’s the latest on the Colorado River negotiations?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a breakdown Wednesday of five potential paths forward for the fragile state-to-state negotiations surrounding Colorado River operating guidelines that must be updated by 2026.

The Colorado River, which is Southern Nevada’s primary source of water, holds a precarious future as the basin experiences historic drought and state leaders disagree on how to deal with shortages. The range of alternatives is possibly the last major announcement about negotiations to come from the Bureau of Reclamation under the Biden-Harris administration.

“We have worked tirelessly over the past several years to bring Colorado River Basin stakeholders together for a transparent and inclusive post-2026 process,” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a statement. “Today, we show our collective work. These alternatives represent a responsible range from which to build the best and most robust path forward for the Basin.”

What to know heading into 2025

The breakdown between two coalitions of states, the Upper and Lower Basins, centers around whether the Upper Basin — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — should be required to take cuts to its water allocation past what’s known as the river’s “structural deficit,” or the 1.5 million acre-feet lost to evaporation and transport. The Upper Basin has argued that it takes too many cuts already because of its reliance on snowpack instead of big reservoirs.

The Lower Basin also has called for smaller reservoirs in the Upper Basin states to be included in discussions about cuts in water usage across the system.

Notably, one of the five alternatives is based on proposals from Native American tribes, calling for the government to account for undeveloped tribal water.

The acknowledgement of the ongoing duel between the Upper and Lower Basins is the “Basin Hybrid” alternative, which appears to fall somewhere down the middle of the two coalition’s proposals.

In a statement, Upper Basin Commissioner and Colorado negotiator Becky Mitchell said it’s too early to speak directly about the five alternatives from the Bureau of Reclamation.

“Colorado continues to stand firmly behind the Upper Division States’ Alternative, which performs best according to Reclamation’s own modeling and directly meets the purpose and need of this federal action,” she said.

The Lower Basin states of Nevada, California and Arizona didn’t immediately release a statement when the announcement was released at 1 p.m.

All seven state negotiators will convene in Las Vegas in early December at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference, where experts and officials will discuss what’s to come from negotiations under President-elect Donald Trump.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.

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