Noticias

• Brush Fire in Norwood Highlights Community Preparedness
• Mountain School Shifts Emphasis to Lower Grades
• Cresta Alta Highlights Science and Sustainability Across the Globe

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Brush Fire in Norwood Highlights Community Preparedness

On the afternoon of March 11, the Norwood Fire Protection District responded to a brush fire just west of Norwood. While the fire was extinguished within hours, it serves as a further sign that wildfire season is here.

On the afternoon of March 11, a controlled and then uncontrolled burn on private property grew to almost two acres in an area just west of the Town of Norwood off Gregor Lane.

Norwood Fire Protection District Fire Chief John Bockrath shared more about the incident: “We were on scene within 11 minutes, and it had spread to just under 2 acres. One building was involved, a small storage shed, and then a wood shed that had fenceposts burning at that time. It’s in a little subdivision just west of Norwood, and that whole area has a lot of tall grass. It was spreading quickly to the neighboring residences.”

Bockrath said the landowner left the controlled burn to go to town when it reignited shortly after they left. “It was pretty windy, so I found the point of origin, and it was under a tree that was still pretty hot. Some embers had blown and caught the part of the grass that hadn’t burned yet, and it spread very quickly.”

In cooperation with the San Miguel Sheriff’s Office, the Fire Protection District lifted all fire warnings by 5:45 p.m.

“We were there for probably three hours. We got the fire extinguished fairly quickly, but then putting out spot fires because of the wind—it was blowing embers all over the place,” Bockrath said.

This fire is the second wind-fueled wildfire of the year. Just two weeks ago, a small brush fire started from a controlled burn in Norwood.

“It spread to four different yards, and these were groomed lawns, and four lawns and two structures. We got it just before it spread to a neighbor’s house. We got on the scene just before it spread to the neighbor’s house. So that was two weeks ago. In between that, we had another controlled burn that got out of control. No structures were involved, but it involved about a half acre or so,” Bockrath said.

Bockrath said fuel moisture levels in the Norwood area are lower than during the 2002 Burn Canyon fire. With a low snowpack so far this year, wildfire season is already beginning. While there isn’t a ban on fires, Bockrath emphasized that people should be cautious with controlled burns.

“The biggest thing I want to emphasize is to please be cautious doing controlled burns, and if you’re at all nervous about it, contact the fire department, and we’ll be more than happy to stand by with an engine. Please have a water source if you’re going to do a controlled burn, even if it’s a small one, even if it’s a bonfire. All it takes is one gust of wind and one ember—that’s all it takes. Even if you’re having a bonfire, have a water source available, a hose, a five-gallon bucket.”

The Norwood Fire Protection District serves the Town of Norwood, outlying communities on Wright’s Mesa, and over 700 square miles of western San Miguel County. Their wildland fire crew has grown to 11 members.

“I’ve got five new wildland guys who are actually high school kids—17-18-year-olds who went through the wildland academy and are certified. They all responded yesterday. My wildland team is at 11 right now, and they’re going to be here all year. We’ve got multiple engines, and we have mutual aid agreements with Telluride and Nucla/Naturita, and we assist each other all the time. I think that’s how it’s going to go this summer—everybody is going to help everybody. Neighbors helping neighbors right now,” Bockrath said.

While winter weather is expected this weekend, Bockrath said high winds and sun easily dry out the mesas, leading to wildfire conditions quickly.

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Mountain School Shifts Emphasis to Lower Grades

Walk into the Mountain School, and on the wall to your left are names and photos of all its high school graduates.

“Our first graduate was Andrew Hess. He was the class of 2007, when we first had graduating seniors. You’ll see throughout there are larger and smaller classes, from one to zero, to eight being our largest class we’ve ever had. That fluctuation has been both an opportunity and a challenge through the history of the school,” said Andy Shoff, head of school for the Telluride Mountain School.

Earlier this winter, the Mountain School announced it would be closing the high school program at the end of the 2025-2026 school year and shift focus to PreK through eighth grade.

Shoff said the decision came as the school moved from one strategic plan into the process of developing a new one.

“We came to the decision that we could fully meet and maybe better meet our mission by serving a narrower population age,” Shoff said.

Shoff has been working at the Mountain School for 25 years, starting as a math and science teacher and later becoming head of school. With that longevity, he said the decision to suspend the high school program is bittersweet.

“As we considered the decision, it was very hard. It was personal. I’ve taught in the high school, I’ve had my kids in the high school, and I’ve loved every kid we’ve had the opportunity to work with. As we made the decision, it became incredibly freeing. Yes, it’s the end of an era, and it’s the dawning of a new era. It’s clarifying. It provides direction for the school,” Shoff said.

Shoff said there are still things to figure out as the school shifts focus, such as what travel will look like for students and whether the International Baccalaureate (IB) program will move to younger grades. But the fundamentals of the school will remain the same.

“Outdoor education is a huge component of the school; it’s across all grades. This clarifies there, but it’s absolutely a cornerstone in the school. There’s no anticipated shift in the quality; in fact, we may be able to do even more with that with all our resources focused at the narrower range. Experiential learning, for us, that means travel-based trips. Our first graders start with overnight trips as part of school, and that travels all the way through the program. That remains a huge part of the school. Our small class sizes, our personalized instruction, our focus on hands-on learning, those are big pillars in the program,” Shoff said.

Those pillars are on display as you move through the school. Fifth and sixth graders are writing poetry. First and second graders are learning about math and Spanish through a school store (or tienda) — selling treats and works of art. And up in the Montessori, PreK students are working on math and eager to share their voices on the microphone.

All in all, Shoff said he’s looking forward to continuing to do what the Mountain School does best.

“Being able to do what we do really well, and feel a little less stretched, really excites me,” Shoff said.

The Mountain School continues to be committed to providing an innovative learning community based on respect, responsibility, a love of learning, and integrity.

The school is currently working on its new strategic plan. That plan, with a vision for the school for the next few years, will be published in the fall.

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Cresta Alta Highlights Science and Sustainability Across the Globe

Todd Andres Johnson first went to Alaska for music but quickly found himself immersed in the state’s outdoor activities.

“I was touring around the state, and immediately started snowboarding up there. Next thing you know, I was booking summer tours and working with guiding companies to river raft and ice climb,” Johnson recalled.

His conversations with guides and outdoor enthusiasts soon led him to the subject of glaciers.

“I started reaching out to glaciologists doing research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and coordinating some filming,” Johnson said.

That filming resulted in Cresta Alta, a film that explores the impacts of climate change in both the Arctic and the Andes, highlighting the work of communities fighting a changing climate. Johnson, the film’s producer, director, and cinematographer, will be in Telluride this week for a screening and discussion on the film.

The film took Johnson to remote locations, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Alaska.

“We were dropped off with a PhD student, myself, and Dr. [Matt] Nolan on a ten-day backpacking expedition up to his research station on the McCall glacier. It was an amazing trip, very remote. We hiked in for three days and out for three days, gathering data and offloading it from the research station,” Johnson said.

From there, Johnson filmed in Iceland, Chile, and Peru.

“I joined a Danish glaciologist on an expedition in the Andes outside Santiago, and then in the Cordillera Blanca, around Lake Palcacocha,” he said.

“Cresta Alta” is part adventure film and part educational documentary, showcasing the dedication of research scientists gathering critical climate change data in challenging conditions.

“This isn’t just looking at something from a distance; it’s hands-on, going to lengths to gather this data,” Johnson said.

The Cresta Alta screening, with a conversation to follow, will take place at the Palm Theatre on Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the community.

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Mountain Village Talks Sunset Concert Series

The future of the Sunset Concert Series will be discussed at a special Mountain Village Town Council meeting this week. For years, the Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association has held the concert series at Sunset Plaza with permission from landowners Telski.

Last year, the agreement was signed just a week before the concert. A contract for this year has not yet been signed.

The town is considering condemning an easement to continue the concert series. The meeting will take place Thursday, March 13, at 6:20 p.m. at Mountain Village Town Hall and via Zoom. The community is encouraged to participate.

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Tellurando Takes Telluride

The annual Tellurando starts this Saturday, March 15, at 5:30 a.m. outside of Jagged Edge. The Tellurando is Telluride’s only ski mountaineering race. The pro race welcomes individuals and teams to take on more than 10,000 feet of vertical ascent on a challenging course up, down, and around the Telluride Ski Resort. Racers will climb to the top of Lift 9, the base of Lift 10, and finally to the top of Palmyra Peak if conditions allow.

The rec race starts at 7:30 a.m. and features an equally challenging course with about half as much vertical ascent.

Signups are open. Visit cosmicski.com to sign up. A pre-race meeting will take place on Friday, March 14, at 7 p.m. at Jagged Edge.

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Colorado River Water Allocation

Water leaders from California, Arizona, and Nevada sent a letter to new Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month, asking for a fresh look at proposals for sharing the Colorado River in the future. The seven states that use the river can’t agree on how to divide the shrinking water supply going forward.

Michael Cohen, with the research nonprofit Pacific Institute, said there needs to be a clear federal voice calling for all seven states to come to a consensus agreement.

“I think the basin states have been successful in the past when they’ve received that kind of threat; there needs to be this credible threat,” Cohen said.

The letter from the Lower Basin states is asking the federal government to give more consideration to their proposal for sharing water and to make upgrades to the Glen Canyon Dam.

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Rep. Jeff Hurd Tele-Town Hall

Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District answered questions from constituents on topics including the Second Amendment, cuts to Medicaid, and foreign policy at a tele-town hall on Tuesday. Recent cuts to federal land management agencies were also discussed.

Story begins at 14:53.

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Historic Same-Sex Marriage in Boulder 50 Years Later

Fifty years ago this month, in Boulder, David Bruce McCord and David Robert Zamor became the first couple in the nation to be issued a same-sex marriage license. The event marked a significant moment in LGBTQ history and occurred just months after a contentious recall election in Boulder.

Story begins at 16:25.