The bird-watcher’s life is an endless succession of surprises. — The Book of a Naturalist A birding friend recently told me she saw an Eastern Kingbird perched at the top of an aspen tree on Dave Wood...

“One coal-black night of a Colorado winter It snowed on Red Mountain Pass We warned ev’rybody that the Slide was runnin’ And 5-5-0h was a mess” These words from the song 'Riverside Slide' were written...

We are given many beautiful things in Nature – Anonymous I had no idea back in 1996 that I would still be going to Box Canyon to see the Black Swifts in 2022, taking pictures, taking notes, talking to...

At age 11, Ridgway resident Dory Wick has carved out her own role in Ouray County’s Pride celebration, with the goal of making sure members of the local LGBTQ+ community know they aren’t alone. This ...

Bernie Pearce has a stopwatch around his neck, a clipboard in hand, and he’s worrying about restaurant reservations. It’s Monday afternoon, and the track team leaves for the state championship in Lake...

In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks – John Muir The month of May brings a mixture of wonderful migrants to our area and I always look forward to getting outdoors with my camera a...

Trees are not only beautiful works of nature, but essentials for life – Anonymous It took me several years after I moved from Indiana to Colorado to locate where I could find the Lewis’s Woodpecker. I...

This week marks the start of National Invasive Species Week. The goal of the week is to promote public education of noxious weeds and their vast and detrimental effects on our landscapes, recreationa...

Though there is no football team in Ouray, three Ouray High School students journey to Montrose every day to do what they love. Sophomores Roman Sackman, Landen Hill and Kortlan Nelson are the three m...

They had the defending champs on the ropes. In Saturday’s Class 2A boys’ soccer semifinal match against Crested Butte, Ridgway senior Cooper Ahern poked home a goal in the first half. Deep into the g...

Ridgway, our little mountain town, is known for many things – our San Juan Mountains, the home of the Grammy, and a vibrant art community. Our town’s history is equally broad – ranching, trains, and m...

Dolgio Nergui came to Colorado with a goal of becoming a ski bum, but she instead joined a community where she found a desire to help others in the outdoors. Dolgio is originally from Mongolia and cam...

After five years working as a principal in Europe, Heidi Hanssen is happy to have landed at her new job – at the helm of Ridgway Elementary School. It's not the first time she's lived in the Colorado ...

The track and field season ended before it even started last year for Ouray, Ridgway and Silverton student-athletes, teasing them with a few practices before COVID-19 yanked it away from them prior t...

Left: Ouray track athletes Paton Edwards (1), Owen Lane (2), Canyon Ishikawa (4) and Corey Thomsen (5) compete at the Pirate Invitational Meet in Olathe on June 17. Right: Kaitlyn Winkelmann takes th...

Last year felt like a loss to Jake Abell. To be certain, the fact that the 2009 Ouray School graduate was able to collaborate with co-founders Terry Kiser and Jared LaCroix to press on with the inaugu...

A secret gem tucked away in the far northwest corner of Ouray County is waking up this spring after nearly a decade of hibernation. Elk Mountain Resort, once a private retreat for celebrities and thos...

The pandemic brought an unexpected opportunity to one of Ouray’s iconic places to stay and soak. Now the Wiesbaden Hot Springs, Spa and Lodge is celebrating a facelift and a reinvigorated atmosphere. ...

Approaching the end of his 42nd year at Ouray School, there’s pretty much no job Bernie Pearce hasn’t done — and done exceptionally well. Teacher of math, Spanish, chemistry and physics. Coach of near...