Ear to the ground:

“Oh. We thought you wanted our container of leftovers.”
– Relieved “Word on the Street” contestants upon learning they were being approached by a disheveled photographer and not a vagrant.

Getting citified

After 6½ years of devoted servitude and helping to debunk the “Spinal Tap drummer” curse as the longest-running photog in Telegraph history, Steve Eginoire is turning the page.

Steve (known by some as “Eggy”) and girlfriend, Page Buono, a regular Telegraph writer, are trading in spruce for saguaros as Page attends grad school at the U. of Arizona in Tucson. This is offically Steve’s last week.

We wish the two the best of luck on their latest adventure and thank Steve for all the adventures he’s vicariously taken us on over the years. From a few now infamous “Word on the Street” participants to his underground caving and backcountry exploits, Steve has left no stone unturned and no turn un ... well, you know.

Through all the uptracks and downhills – including a harrowing brush with the white death last winter – Steve has maintained his humor and easygoing disposition. And still delivered awe-inspiring images. It’s also safe to say, no one had a way with the dreaded black eye box quite like Steve (For all the “Eggheads” out there panicking at the news, rest assured, the Telegraph will not become a boring void of grey. Nor will we resort to snapshots taken from our iphones (although they come out pretty damned good if we don’t say so ourselves.)

After an exhaustive search that brought in an embarrassment of qualified candidates, we are proud to announce our new photographer, Jennaye Derge. A Fort Lewis College grad and Colorado native, Jennaye’s name may be familiar from her other photography stints around town, including an internship at the Durango Herald. We hope you will enjoy Jennaye’s unique eye and style as much as we do (for a sneak peak, go to www.jennayederge.com.)

As for the for Tucson twosome, we hope their journey someday leads back to the Durango bubble (also Page’s hometown), which after two years in the urban desert should seem downright frigid and podunk. And while we’re sure plenty of explorations await Steve’s lens in the Grand Canyon State, we are relieved that the risk of avalanche is practically nil.

And speaking of departures, another Telegraph regular, Maggie Casey, who has entertained us with her hilarious observations in “La Vida Local” for the last three years, will be hitting the high road later this month. Casey, also a Durango native, plans to explore the Pacific Northwest with her significant other. “I need a chance to miss Durango,” she says.

Casey’s last column will run Aug. 28, after which time it is feared Missy Votel will be forced to come out of self-imposed exile.

Thanks for always making deadline, Maggie – even from a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet – and don’t forget to wrtie.