Ear to the ground

“His hairline is back as far as the guy I had a date with last night.”

– An audience member commenting on the state of Steven Stills’ scalp at the concert last week

Randonee rally

A first ever is skinning into the San Juan Mountains this Sat., April 18. The San Juans Rando – a ski mountaineering race hosted by Pine Needle Mountaineering and Silverton Powdercats – will be the first event of its kind in North America to be held entirely in the backcountry.  

The course will start and finish on the west side of Molas Pass. Multiple course options have been mapped, and organizers will assess conditions and make a race-day decision.

If conditions are favorable, the Race and Heavy Metal course will include a fixed-line protected, nontechnical boot pack up 5,500 feet of elevation gain. A harness with single via ferrata set-up (sling girth-hitched to harness and single carabiner) will be required. Racers will also be required to carry beacon, shovel, probe and helmet. In the event of high avalanche danger or poor visibility, an alternate, below tree-line course will be used, and no harness will be necessary.

The race’s $40 includes a post-race BBQ, a prize raffle and the honor of partaking in the first annual event. Registration is set fo 4-7 p.m. Fri., April 17, at Pine Needle Mountaineering and 7:30-8:30 a.m. on Sat., April 18, in the Silverton Powdercats parking area on the east side of the highway. For more information, contact Pine Needle at 247-8728.

DAWDLE in Durango  

Durangoans can DAWDLE though downtown next Thursday. The community-wide art walk is being hosted on April 23 by the Durango Youth Coalition as a way of engaging the community in creative ways.

DAWDLE will run from 5 - 10:30 p.m. in locations across Durango including the Lost Dog, Smiley Building, Pure Soul Coffee, Your Flesh Tattoo, Animas Trading Co. and the Durango Arts Center. The free event will highlight local artists, and will include live music, art performances, street art, slam poetry and more. The DYC plans to hold this event annually, and is also working with local artist Crystal Hartman to promote a larger Durango Open Studios event this fall from Sept.18-20.

“We have seen overwhelming interest from local artists, and we will be highlighting dozens of youth artists in our community, and artists of all other ages as well,” said Riley Neugebauer, founder of the Durango Youth Coalition.