Author - News

Columns, Feature

Chimney Rock stands as sentinel in smoke

If you look east from Ridgway, the view of the Cimarron Range is usually a masterpiece of sharp, clear angles. At the center of it all stands the unmi...

July 15, 2026

Columns, Feature

Anniversaries a reminder of power of this place

The "power of place" is the theory that physical locations shape our lives, identities and ultimate destinies. This concept suggests that a geographic...

June 17, 2026

Columns, Opinion

War to peace: rebranding the San Juans

For decades, the San Juans were valued primarily for what could be pulled out of them. These mountains were a brutal, dangerous locale defined by the ...

May 13, 2026

Columns, Feature

A valley of broken promises and bitter water

For anyone driving the lonely stretch of Colorado Highway 141 through the West End of Montrose County, the sign for “Disappointment Valley” usually pr...

April 8, 2026

Columns, Opinion

Wyatt Earp’s brief, quiet chapter in the San Juans

Wyatt Earp wasn’t born a legend. He was an opportunist, a man with a keen eye for the next horizon and a knack for finding — or perhaps stirring up — ...

March 11, 2026

Columns, Feature

How science fiction, silver built Mount Sneffels

For those of us lucky enough to step onto our decks or open our front doors to a view of the northern San Juans, one silhouette dominates the horizon:...

February 11, 2026

Main, News...

Several homes damaged, 17 people rescued from flooding

By Mike Wiggins

July 30, 2026

At least 17 people were rescued from flooding and debris flows in the Cutler Creek area between Ridgway and Ouray on Wednesday night, authorities said this morning. At least three homes in Ponderosa V...

Main, News...

Evacuations ordered near Cutler Creek as rain pummels burn scar

Oak Street closed due to mud, flooding

By Mike

July 29, 2026

UPDATE, 9:45 p.m. U.S. Highway 550 reopened between Ridgway and Ouray Wednesday night, authorities announced at 9:15 p.m. Emergency officials encouraged motorists to be cautions when driving through a...

Main, News...

Rain on burn scar triggers flooding, evacuation

Hydrologist: Above-average rain forecast through September

By Chart Riggall

July 29, 2026

Heavy rainfall over scorched soil sent flash floods raging down Cutler Creek on Sunday night, spilling mud down through Ponderosa Village and briefly shuttering U.S. Highway 550. The torrent of water ...

Main, News...

Fire scorches bottom lines

Reliant on summer tourism, reeling businesses running out of time to claw back lost revenue

By Mike Wiggins, Chart Riggall and Erin McIntyre

July 29, 2026

It didn’t take but a spark and a stiff breeze to turn Justin Mitchell’s summer upside down. During the first few hours of the Gold Mountain Fire, Mitchell — who runs a horseback guiding outfit in the ...

News

Governments team up on flood mitigation

City, nonprofits pitch in $165,000, while financially pinched county searches for more funding

By Mike Wiggins and Erin McIntyre mike@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com

July 29, 2026

Government agencies and nonprofit organizations have begun stepping up to help Ouray County pay to protect homes and roads from flooding and mudslides in the aftermath of the Gold Mountain Fire. The O...

Carolyn Snowbarger

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines