Jan Einboden

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Jan Einboden, Jan’s Auto

Story and photos by Kathryn R. Burke

Jan's AutoJan's AutoJan's AutoJan's AutoJan's AutoJan's AutoJan's AutoJan's AutoJan's AutoJan's Auto

[Montrose, Colo. April 16, 2013]  She’s almost a household word in the Montrose area. Wherever you go, you see Jan’s Auto plates on more than half the cars you pass on the road. And a whole bunch more parked in neighborhoods or slipped into a slot downtown or in any of the local big box store parking lots. Seems like everybody’s got one of Jan’s cars.

The author (left) with Jan when new car arrived. (James Burke)

Selling cars runs in the family blood; her brother owns seven dealerships in the Phoenix, Ariz area. When I ordered my car from her, she had it shipped up here from Ariz.  When a squirrel got in the car I was driving, and basically ate it, Jan and her team  picked it up, got rid of the squirrel, parted out what was left, and provided me with a loaner until my new car arrived. When it did, they checked it over, made sure it was squirreless, and off I went, one happy camper.

Jan and her husband, Ernie, had 21 years in the automotive repair business, as E’s Automotive. When they sold it, a neighbor, Paul Dow, with a forklift business, suggested Jan go into used car sales. “I started out with just three cars,” she says, “across from Denny’s )vacant lot now) next to the Forklift guy. It was a great location. We didn’t even have to advertise till I moved to the present location. We found it in just one day!”

The lot now has 20-25 cars, with new ones arriving every day, and “it’s the perfect size for me,” Jan says. “I can work with anyone who comes in. I get a lot of women, who like working with a woman instead of a sales’man.'”  Jan’s husband checks out every car before it leaves the lot…complete with a 3000 mile warranty.

All photos by Kathryn R. Burke, except the one with author and Jan, taken by James Burke. PPT slideshow presentation, Kathryn R. Burke.

Jan’s Auto
60 S. Hillcrest Dr.
Montrose CO 81401
970-240-4165

Website: jansauto.net

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke

Connie Hunt

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Connie Hunt, Ouray County Administrator

By Kathryn R. Burke

A Balancing Act.  [Ouray Colo., April 21. 2015] Connie Hunt comes from a family of eight, so learning to balance people, tasks, and time comes naturally. And with a background of nine years in banking, 25 consecutive years in county administration, and a masters degree in public administration, Hunt understands how to balance people and politics.

When you work for a small county, like Ouray, you wear a lot of hats,” she explains. “Larger counties have a separate department to manage most of the things I do, but here, I do it all: finance, budgeting, grant writing, policy administration, long-range planning, and supervision of nine different departments.”

What does she like best about her job? “All of it!” she says. “I like to create new ways of doing things. I like the challenge and I like to help people. My background in banking gave me financial skills at the upper end, and the years in public administration have helped hone my organizational skills and human resource management.”

Hunt believes teamwork is the backbone of a good, solid organization. “The right people will do the right things and deliver the best results.

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke

Colleen Hollenbeck Coroner

Colleen Hollenbeck

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Colleen Hollenbeck, Ouray County Coroner

Courage and Compassion

 

Story by Kathryn R. Burke

Colleen Hollenbeck Coroner[Ouray, Colo. March 15,2016] Collen Hollenbeck is now on her second term as elected coroner and has held that position since 2011. Before that, she served as deputy coroner under Gary Miller, who suggested she run when he retired from the position.

“I hadn’t really thought of it before,” she said. “But Gary said to me: ‘It’s killin’ me.’ We had 14 deaths that year. He made me one of two deputy coroners and later asked me if I would run for the office.”

During most of her tenure, Hollenbeck, a registered nurse with a Masters Degree in Community Health and Administration, did double duty as nurse with hospice out of their Montrose facility. “I was their first nurse here,” she said, “and the Clinical Coordinator. “ Since then the organization, now called Hope West, has expanded to a staff of 300 caring for more than 2,500 patients in a five-county area, including Ouray.

Ouray CO plane crash

Ouray County and Federal officials survey the damage of a small aircraft Thursday March 27, 2014, at the Ridgway Reservoir near Ridgway, Colo., The plane crashed last Saturday March 22, 2014 killing five people. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)

Her nursing and administrative background make her a particularly effective coroner. The job requires compassion in dealing with the families of the deceased and a good dose of curiosity to undertake investigations, where appropriate or necessary, into the manner of death. Hollenbeck certainly possesses both qualities. She also completed the course, within a couple months of her election, to obtain death investigator certification through an accredited program.

What exactly does she do? Hollenbeck explained several key components of her job.

• By statute, the coroner must determine cause and manner of all deaths that occur in Ouray County.
• Another part of the job is to work with other agencies and entities, such as Emergency Medical services, Public Health, and the Sheriff’s Department to evaluate what we can do for preventable deaths. Ouray County is dangerous. We have mountains and cliffs and unmarked areas where people can explore. So we partner with other agencies to caution people who come to visit here about things like altitude sickness, the need for hydration, and care in participating in physical activities that could be detrimental to their health.
• It is the Coroner’s job to notify next of kin when a death occurs. Sometimes, when it involves an automobile accident, we to it through proxy with local law enforcement, or with the Colorado State Patrol Victim Advocate.
• Another function of this position is to decrease risk to Ouray County. Attending to the needs of grieving family and loved ones can be time consuming but reflects who we are as a county.
• The Coroner may pronounce death.

Hollenbeck has participated in several particularly newsworthy cases in Ouray County. In one, a local resident, who insisted on feeding the bears, wound up having the bears feed on her. “I was present at the autopsy,” she said. “We don’t have to be, but it sure helps to put the details together with the pathologist autopsy.”

In the aftermath of a recent tragic plane crash, in which the pilot, a passenger, and two children perished, at the request of the family, Hollenbeck personally participated in the extraction of the victim. “The family wanted a woman, a compassionate retrieval, and, with the help of Ruth Stewart, Colette Miller (both EMS) and Kirsten Copeland, State Park Director, we were able to do that for them.”

Following the recent mine accident where men were killed, when the family wanted to be there when the victims were brought out, “I said yes,” Hollenbeck said. “We all strive for th spiritual connection, but sometimes we have to let family view the person who died, for some kind of proof it is really true. They are in shock, I want to help them as much as I can to understand what happened to their loved one.

So yes, compassion—when dealing with the dying and the newly bereaved, and helping them find closure, especially when an investigation (characterized by a healthy sense of curiosity) is called for—are certainly descriptive of Colleen Hollenbeck, Ouray County Corner. I would also add Courage, for to juggle all the aspects of a job in a unique county like this one, takes a particular kind of courage.

Related Stories
“Plane crash victims recovered from Ridgway Reservoir.” The Denver Post.

“5 bodies found inside plane crash wreckage in Colorado reservoir: authorities” NY Daily News.

“Man found in Ouray County ditch died of exposure” By Associated Press/Montrose Daily Press

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.

Sue Hirshman

Sue Hirshman

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Sue Hirshman, expert on the Black Swift

 

Story by Kathryn R. Burke

Sue Hirshman[Ouray, Colo. March 17, 2015] “The Black Swift could be called the most elusive bird on earth,” Hirshman believes. “The birds don’t make it easy to find or observe them.” They like to nest in caves, near waterfalls, where rocky ledges and inhospitable terrain protect them from predators.

One of the more accessible locations for these mysterious birds right Box Canyon in Ouray, Colorado. Hirshman has been watching the Black Swift and recording their activities here nearly 20 years. “I hope I can study this bird until I’m 90,” she told Samantha Tisdel Wright for an article in the ‘2014 Adventure Summer Guide’ (1) “As long as I am able to walk, I am going to go over there” and watch those birds.

But she does more than just ‘watch.’ Using a Nikon D-90 with an AF-S Nikkor 70-300 mm lens for close-ups, she gets some outstanding photographs. Hirshman has helped team members band birds. Although Hirshman did not directly help the team to attach geo-locators, many birds were also fitted with that device to track their annual migration – all the way to Brazil and back!

Hirshman’s observations and photographs have been reported in numerous publications and scientific studies. Google ‘Sue Hirshman Black Swift’ and you get several pages of ‘hits,’ including links to articles she writes for the local Ouray County Newspaper. (2) Hirshman relates results of a detailed study of 11 years of Black Swift breeding phenology and success at Box Canyon.(5) “Box Canyon is known as Colorado’s largest nesting colony and the most accessible viewing opportunity, which has gained world attention as an important Birding Area,” Hirshman explains. Hirshman and Carolyn Gunn are updating that study to include another nine years.

To learn more about Box Canyon and the Black Swift, please join us Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at the Ouray Community Center, for a power point presentation followed by question and answer period. Hirshman will share historical photographs of the Box Canyon, which celebrates its 100-year anniversary as a park in 2020. Her detailed photographs follow a nesting pair of Swifts and their chick from hatching until it leaves the nest. Hirshman will also explain the geolocator and how it helps track and record birds migrations.

Sue Hirshman lives in Montrose, Colorado.

Photographs
Top: Black Swift on Nest. Sue E. Hirshman
Center: Black Swift Migration Map
Bottom: Mom feeding chick 38-42 days old. Sue E. Hirshman

Related Links.
(1)‘The Coolest Bird.’ Samantha Tisdel Wright. 2014 Adventure Summer Guide.
(2) ‘Birds of Ouray County: The Black Swift | Ouray.’ Ouray County News. Sue Hirshman.
(3) Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory Science: Special Species: Black Swift.
(4) Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory Bird Population Monitoring › Specialized Programs.
(5) ‘Breeding Phenology and Success of Black Swifts in Box Canyon’. Sue E. Hirshman, Carolyn Gunn, Richard G. Levad. Sue Hirshman’s detailed study of 11 years of Black Swift breeding phenology and success at Box Canyon in Ouray, Colorado.
(6) Box Canyon Park. Summer Hours 8 am-8 pm or until dark. Visitor Center open May through mid-October. Trails open year round.

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.

Susan Hale & Ann Mellick

Susan Hale & Ann Mellick

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Susan Hale & Ann Mellick, CAIC Avalanche Forecasters

 

Story by Kathryn R. Burke

Susan Hale & Ann MellickSusan Hale and Ann Mellick are avalanche forecasters for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). They work on the Highway 550 and 145 corridors in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to keep the highways safe for winter travelers. Both have been employees of the CAIC since 2006, with previous backgrounds in snow and avalanche work in the Colorado Rockies.

Hale & Mellick avalancheSusan. A love for the mountains and back-country adventure lured Susan to the Colorado Rockies 28 years ago. Innumerable ski mountaineering escapades and a few encounters with avalanches left her with both respect and curiosity for avalanche phenomena. This interest was piqued during her ten years with the Snowmass Ski Patrol’s Snow Safety Team where she also oversaw the Avalanche Rescue Dog program. In 2004 an irresistible opportunity came along to work as an intern forecaster for the San Juan CAIC office. Here she learned the intricacies of local highway forecasting. Two years later, Susan was on board as a full time forecaster in the Silverton CAIC office.

Ann. Has spent much of her avalanche career in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. She began under the wing of a longtime forecaster in the late 90’s and worked for a decade as an avalanche educator and mountain guide. She learned the intricacies of highway forecasting as an intern for the CAIC’s Silverton office and honed her weather forecasting and multi-tasking skills while working as a forecaster in the Boulder office. Ann then took over as the Northern San Juan backcountry forecaster before turning her focus back to highway forecasting. She now devotes her energy to keeping the Highway 550 and 145 corridors safe in the wintertime.

While they enjoy the challenge of their winter work, Susan and Ann always look forward to the summer months, when they can enjoy the simplicity of flip flops and relative serenity of gardening.

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.

Beth Goralski ice climber

Beth Goralski

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Beth Goralski, ice and rock climber

Story by Kathryn R. Burke

Beth Goralski[Ouray, Colo. October 20, 2015]  Beth Goralski has been ice climbing since 2001. During a holiday vacation from Colorado State University, where she was a student, Beth took an ice climbing class. “I fell in love immediately” she said. “I had been rock climbing for quite a few years, so the transition was pretty easy for me.”

Although she has primarily climbed in Colorado, Beth went to Iceland in February of 2014. Kitty Calhoun, the famous U.S. alpinist, was her climbing partner in Iceland. Together they did multiple first ascents. Beth also has first ascents in the Ouray area, primarily mixed lines with Jason Nelson.

This year will be Beth’s third to compete in the Ouray Icefest. Last year, she also competed at the Bozeman Ice Festival in Bozeman Montana, which is now a World Cup event. This year she will return to compete in Bozeman, which is “where the world’s best mixed climbers come together to compete. There are six other world cup comps held in Europe and South Korea but Bozeman is the only one held in the Americas.”

Mixed climbing is using ice tools to climb up rocks, or in competitions, artificial plastic walls.” You have to climb on rock in between the ice caches, ‘dry tooling’ the rock climb with ice axes and crampons.” She explained.

Mixed climbing is Beth’s specialty. It’s a fringe sport, even in the climbing community – climbing both ice and rock in the same climb. “It’s primarily a winter sport,” Beth said, “although there are some places you can go in summer and just climb rock.”

What kind of equipment do they need for mixed climbing? Ice axes and a ‘fruit boots,’ which are a hybrid between a climbing boot and climbing shoe, with a crampon attached to the front plate. Climbers use ropes, gear, and helmets used in regular climbing. “I wear a harness, and someone has to belay me,“ she said, “so I always go with a partner. I have multiple partners that I dry tool and climb with.”

What does she like best about climbing? “It’s awesome. Exhilarating. Exciting. It’s lots of fun, and it’s mentally and physically challenging.”

Related articles:
Gripped: Climbing News: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Rock: New Multi-Pitch M11 Mixed-Route Goes Up in Ouray, Colorado
Patagonia: Climbing in Iceland with Loki the Deceiver
Climbing: Bozeman Ice World Cup Results

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.

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Lorraine Coyle

Lorraine Coyle

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Lorraine Coyle, Evergreen Crystal

 

Story and photos by Kathryn R. Burke

Lorraine Coyle[Montrose, Colo. November 18 2014] Thirty-five years ago Lorraine Coyle and her then-husband had a glass-etching business in Lake Arrowhead, California. A lot of their products were architectural – windows and doors primarily. “I also did smaller pieces, selling them at arts and craft shows,” she says. “Which is easy to do in California, because they have a lot of them.”

But it was Colorado that called. They returned frequently. As their customers and inventory grew, they soon outgrew the show circuit. And California. They moved to Montrose. Somewhere along the line, Lorraine bought out her husband, and became the sole owner of Evergreen Crystal, Inc. Montrose has been her home base for over 15 years, and her customer list now include impressive names like Sea World, Toyota, the National Press Foundation – she fashioned a piece for Barbara Walters, and even the White House! Lorraine’s designs, sand-blasted onto blank glassware like vases and wine glasses, are a familiar sight in stores and gift shops around the country. The shows she does now, are the big gift shows in key cities across the country for wholesale buyers.

Coyle Crystal

Photo courtesy Mountain Fever, Ouray, Colo.

It wasn’t always that way. “We started small, with 6 designs and 5 shapes sold directly at those craft shows,” Lorraine explains. Most of our blanks (the glassware to be etched) came from America.” Now, most of those companies are gone, so she buys stock from around the world (vases from Poland, wine glasses from Italy). Lorraine does the designs, which include over 80 North American animals, 30 African animals, a wide variety of floral and seasonal themes, and corporate artistic work and logos converted to line-drawings that will etch well. She and her employees do the work to complete the finished pieces. Clients now include Dole Pineapple, Exon, Cabellas, Rio Carnival, even the US Senate. Sea World recently commissioned her to do five dolphin designs for their new Disney Cove Hotel. She even did a crystal cowboy hat cooler with a stallion for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. (Mountain Fever in Ouray carries a similar piece.)

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The process is fascinating and labor-intensive. Lorraine makes templates of a vinyl material, each for a one-time use, that are stored in plastic bags (to keep them moist) until use. When an order comes in, the template is attached to the glassware, which is then totally covered (all but the template). “We use a lot of masking tape, “ she laughs. Each piece is then sandblasted, following a chart that is color-coded to show dimension. “Our paint by the numbers system,” she says. The darker the color, the deeper the etching. The sand blasting machines actually uses a very fine aluminum oxide, not sand. Two machines are used – one for the deeper cuts, another for the finer finishing work. The piece is then put in a cooler – like you use for a picnic! Once cooled, the tape is easy to remove. The finished piece is racked with the order form, ready to be shipped.

Limited editions are hand-cut, with each layer then individually carved. Each piece can have over 20 individual layers.

Orders come in all year long, but Evergreen’s busiest season is the last quarter of the year, rolling over into January. “People buy for the holidays,” she says, “then stock up again in January.” Other times, people send in a picture or original design, maybe of a pet or a business logo. A recent order is for a neurology vet clinic in Denver that ordered shot glasses for the holiday season. Lorraine does several regional gift shows where she sells to stores, usually twice a year: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, New York.

“I’m blessed to work at something I really love doing,” Lorraine says. There is not doubt of that when you talk to her. She is vivacious and excited about her work, which will be very evident when you join us for her presentation on November 18th.

More information: Visit Evergreen Crystal webpage.

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.

Joan Chismire

Joan Chismire

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Joan Chismire, Ouray County Ranch History Museum

Ouray County Ranch History Museum

Story by Kathryn R. Burke

Joan Chismire

Joan Chismire

[Ridgway Colo., January 20, 2015]With optimism that an opportunity would eventually present itself in finding a more permanent home for the Ouray County Ranch History Museum, Chismire and the board worked tirelessly toward that goal. It took ten years.  The museum started out in the historic old Colona School Building, where it had two rooms for exhibits, but she they always hoped for more space.  “We had been exhibiting our collection, or what we could of it, there from 2007-2017, over ten years,” Chismire explained.

And then it happened.  The museum was able, with the help of doner-secured financing, to purchase to help facilitate the purchase of the old 1893-railroad depot in Ridgway, Colorado.  The Mitchell family, which owned the building, offered to sell the building to the museum.  When the building became a private residence in the 1960s, it had been moved from it’s original location (where the Mountain Market stands today)on the west side of Railroad Street near the Town Park gazebo to it’s present location.  The musem’s purchase of the depot was completed in September, 2016.  Moving the museum’s collection began in January, took over four months, and was completed in  January May 2017.

“We started our quest for a new location in 2015,” Chismire said. “We had advertised in the local newspaper that we needed land, needed space, for showcasing some of the pieces we had acquired.”  The museum collection had long-since outgrown it’s space, and had been storing exhibits in various locations. Following the call for space, donors the Mitchell family contacted the museum, and Chismire was able to put the deal together. with help from donors, the building was purchased and became the ranch museum.

The museum now has 10 rooms instead of two and plenty of room for outdoor exhibits that had previously been stored at various locations.  Chismire and her all-volunteer staff The OCRHM board, all volunteers, worked through the winter to set up the exhibits and get the museum ready for its opening in July last June.  The results are outstanding.

The ranch museum is open from Memorial Day through mid-September, Friday & Saturday 10 am – 3 pm. Sunday noon – 3 pm. Monday 10 am – 3 pm,  and by appointment. Museum admission is $3 per person or $10 for family. “We have heat now, and ADA-compliant public restroom facilities, so we can open to visitors any time of the year for the first time since the museum opened,” Chismire said.  Please come visit our community’s historic beginnings and sign up for a membership so you can visit often and help support the museum.

Website: ocrhm.org  (designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke)
This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.

Jen Brock beekeeper

Jen Brock

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Busy Bees with Jen Brock

 

Story by Kathryn R. Burke

Jen Brock beekeeper[Ouray, Colo., January 16, 2018] Bees are our friends. Bees produce honey, the only food source that never goes bad. Bees pollinate, a process that can produce a healthy garden with a bountiful crop.

Bees have an enviable communication system with the plants they pollinate and are proof that the animal kingdom communicates with the plant kingdom. Through a form of electromagnetic information transfer, bees know when a plant is loaded with pollen—and when it isn’t. They will fly up to six miles to partake of your garden, if it’s pollen-ready. Or visit someone else’s when yours is light on pollen.

Bees practice climate control, and did that before we ever even heard of the term. (Although how they do it could be considered a bit radical.) In hot weather, rapidly fanning wings can cool the hive. In the dead of winter, they bundle up, and a few selfless insects self-combust to keep the hive warm.

Jen Brock beekeeperBees have a social structure and business organization that we could all take lessons from. A typical, healthy hive has 50-60 thousand honey bees in residence, with one Queen Bee, and a harem of worker bees holding various roles from warrior to nurse. Architects make the comb and comb cleaners keep it clean. Undertakers remove the dead.

Bees don’t need unemployment insurance or care for the aged. Worker bees, which comprise the bulk of the bee population, live about six weeks, not surprising when you consider how busy they are keeping the hive alive and highly productive. They are truly ‘busy bees.’

Bees also practice an interesting form of birth control. The Queen Bee mates 5-30 times with drones (from other hives) that hangout together, waiting for their big opportunity. Alas, once their semen is ejected, the process rips their innards out and they die. The Queen Bee gathers up the sperm from her sperm donors, stores it in her semen pouch, and after her one venture into the mating game, turns celibate and lays eggs, to the tune of 1,500-2,000 a day. Queens live two to five years; that’s a lot of eggs. Nurse worker bees take care of the eggs, which morph into larvae before a bee is born, fully grown—99.9% of them are female. Even with that many eggs, the Bee population is shrinking. Why?

Bees are vulnerable. Due to chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, bees are dying off at catastrophic levels: 30 to 40 percent a year. Today’s bee population is half of what it was in 1945. Continue killing honey bees with chemicals, and they will be gone, taking some of our most important food sources with them: honey, and produce—as in fruits and vegetables. Picture the world without strawberries. Or apples. They’ll go when the bees go.

All this information, and more, comes courtesy of Jen Brock of Ouray, Colorado. Brock is a hobbyist Bee Keeper. She has two hives in her home state of Texas, and those hives produce enough honey to keep her family supplied. “Bees don’t need a lot of care,” she explains, “so I only visit them a few times a year to check on them. A couple times a year is pretty intense—fall and spring. Think of it as being like the time period for gardening. Plant in the spring, harvest in the fall.”  And all the while between checks and during checks, the bees are busy.

 

Photographs, courtesy Jen Brock.

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.

Marian Austin Colo. firefighter

Marian Austin

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Marian Austin, Colorado firefighter

Story by Kathryn R. Burke

Marian Austin Colo. firefighter[Ridgway Colo., January 20, 2015] Log Hill Firefighter, Marian Austin retired from the Army at the end of June of 2001. Her last assignment had been at the Pentagon, “Where I worked was next to section that got hit on 9-11,” she says. “I wanted to help.” And that’s what got her thinking about community service.

When she and her husband, Tom, also retired Army, moved here in 2003, they both joined the Log Hill Volunteer Fire Department (LHVFD). Tom is now Assistant Fire Chief. They’ve since gone through a lot of training and earned their “Red Card” which designates them as trained wildfire fighters.

Speaking about the Log Hill Volunteers, Marian notes: “We’re a bit older, we reflect the population up here. Most of us are doing this after retirement. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to do it. Right now, I’m in good physical condition, and I enjoy it. “

Marian Austin Colo. firefighter

Marian Austin and fellow LHVFD firefighter, Steve Wolff.

Marian’s most memorable wildland fire, and the biggest she helped fight, was her first — the Tappan fire in 2004. She and her husband had just completed training and obtained their ‘Red Cards’ designating them as certified Wildland Fire Fighters. They passed tests in fire fighting and physical fitness. “If you show up for a wildland fire on federal lands and don’t have a Red Card, the Feds (Federal Fire Fighters) will remove you,” she explains.

But she got to stay, and it was a great experience. “We saw it all happening in that fire,” she says. It lasted five days, and we experienced everything we had learned about how Feds work on a fire. We got to see them bring in teams and equipment. The first night they had us digging lines. That’s really hard work. They let us go home at night, but it was a very short break. We had to take the truck back, get it ready, be ready to start again really early the next morning.”

Structure fires can sometimes be a sad experience. When a fire is too far along, the structure can be lost. The fires that are too advanced are often because the homeowners aren’t at home. On Log Hill, many of our homes are spread out and so it is not always noticeable until the smoke or flames begin to grow and neighbors call 911. But sometimes they beat the fire. (For which, I am very grateful – LHVFD responded to a huge fire at my home. . . and saved it! I can personally attest to their professionalism and quick response! –ed.)

LHVFD has agreements with Montrose, Ridgway, Ouray, and Telluride. So, they can depend on someone if they need to call for help. If it’s a structure fire, Montrose, under an “Automatic Aid’ agreement automatically comes. Ridgway, Ourayand Telluride respond as ‘Mutual Aid partners’, when requested.

Marian is not the only woman to serve with LHVFD, and presently, she is one of two women in the firefighter group. Like the men, though, Marian carries her gear in the trunk of her car. “Because we’re volunteers, wherever we happen to be, we drop everything and go!” Because she and her compatriots are always ready with a quick response, they are very much appreciated on Log Hill.

Photographs, courtesy Marian Austin. Both photographs were taken at a wildfire that occurred June 15, 2013 on McKenzie Butte. Marian explains” “I am doing a commo check in the [bottom] picture. With me is fellow LHVFD firefighter, Steve Wolff. The second picture is while we were still locating the fire. We were looking eastward for a good way to get our fire engines and people in to the fire. This fire was called in from motorists who spotted the smoke and flames on the escarpment from highway 550. We were called out and located the three-acre fire and determined that it was on BLM land. We actually accessed the fire through private property after getting landowners permission. When BLM arrived, those of us who were red-carded were able to stay and help the BLM until the fire was in the mop-up stage.”

Related Links.
Log Hill Fire Department
Colorado State Forest Service Video Highlights Log Hill Mesa Mitigation Efforts
‘Tree work to protect Log Hill evacuation route.‘ Ouray County Plaindealer by Bill Tiedje, November 6, 2014
History of Log Hill Fire Department, Jack Rairdan, Log Hill Mesa History.

 

This article also appears on website for the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. Designed and maintained by Kathryn R. Burke.