Ear to the ground

“I will say that it was the best time I’ve ever had in New Mexico.”

-Local woman commenting on a run-of-the-mill visit to Taos

Farewell to Fowler

One of the world’s preeminent mountaineers and one of Southwest Colorado’s notable residents has passed into thin air. The body of Charlie Fowler, a Norwood resident and renowned climbing guide and alpinist, was found buried beneath an avalanche on the Genyen Massif in China on Dec. 27.

Fowler and his climbing partner, Christine Boskoff, had disappeared several weeks earlier along the Szechuan border with Tibet. Boskoff, a top female alpinist and owner of the company Mountain Madness, and Fowler were reported missing after they failed to show up for their Dec. 4 flight back to the U.S. A search for the missing climbers commenced at that time but was limited because Fowler and Boskoff had not told anyone where they would be climbing. Following a rigorous search, Fowler’s body was found at 17,390 feet on the Genyen Massif.

“The body was identified simply as (wearing a) grey boot, blue gators and modern mountaineering equipment,” David C. Jones, a rescue coordinator with Mountain Madness told the Associated Press. “This would seem to lead to the assumption that it was an avalanche. The likelihood of it being anyone else is very, very low, because very few people go into this area at all.”

As of press time, Boskoff was still missing. Her last correspondence was an e-mail message to her company on Nov. 8. “I am having a great time and love the country, mountains and people here,” she wrote. Fowler and Boskoff were on vacation together and exploring the region for new routes.

Tattooed in Telluride

Tattoos have landed in Telluride. The nearby resort town now boasts a tattoo parlor, called Telluride Tattoo, which is a first-ever for the town. Regardless, the Telluride Daily Planet was not particularly impressed. “Getting tattoos is about as daring as riding your bike one-handed,” noted the reporter.

Still, the opening was deemed an educational opportunity by the Telluride Middle School. The two new business owners spoke to eighth-graders, and the students seemed greatly absorbed in the presentation. Teachers confirmed that they never ask as many questions about, for example, the history of the Crimean War.