Editorials - The Journal

VALLECITO – Residents evacuated from the Vallecito Reservoir area were given the green light to return home Thursday morning. Beginning about 8 a.m., they slowly trickled back into the community they had fled days earlier as floodwaters rose.Many of those checking in at the reentry tent, staffed by La Plata County Search and Rescue, expressed gratitude for being “lucky ones” whose homes avoided the brunt of the damage.The Vallecito area was among the hardest hit by last weekend’s heavy rain, which forced the evacuation of nearly 400 homes as creeks and rivers across La Plata County overflowed.With the worst of the weather over, roads and lawns have dried significantly, and the water level in Vallecito Creek has dropped rapidly. On Thursday, the creek dropped from 6 feet to less than 3 feet. The flow, which peaked at 6,920 cubic feet per second, had fallen to 894 cfs. The area remains under a boil-water advisory, and officials warn floodwaters may have carried E. coli from compromised septic systems. Internet service remains down across much of the area.American Red Cross volunteers arrived early to distribute cleaning kits, personal protective gear, rakes, shovels, prepacked meals, snacks and water – “a lot of water,” one volunteer said. La Plata County delivered 100 water-testing kits to the aid station to help residents assess the safety of their well and tap water.

At the Mountain River 2 Co-op, lower-elevation properties bore the worst of the flooding. One home on a cul-de-sac still sat in ankle-deep water Thursday morning.Shovel in hand, Brandon Faulkenburg waded through the standing water, digging trenches to redirect runoff and slow erosion. The home wasn’t his – Faulkenburg, who lives in Boulder with his wife, owns a property across the street.“I’m trying to be a friendly neighbor, especially since I don’t have any damage to my own property,” he said. “I’d want someone to do the same for me if I was in that position.”

Others shared that sentiment. Trey Sweet, whose home narrowly escaped damage, spent Thursday driving through the neighborhood looking for ways to help.Small groups of neighbors walked the area, assessing damage, taking photos and helping on properties surrounded by water. “Recovery has to be a community effort,” Sweet said.What that will entail, however, remains uncertain. Many of the neighborhoods in the path of the flood are privately owned, meaning damaged roads – many of them pitted and covered in debris – are not the responsibility of the county or the state. “It’s hard to say what the cleanup efforts will take, or what kind of help we’ll be eligible to get right now,” said John Sylvester, another full-time resident. Some steps and the bank on his property were swept away by the water, but other than that there was no significant damage.

La Plata County building assessors in blue safety vests and rubber boots waded through areas, inspecting homes for structural damage. Early assessments suggest most structures are still sound, though many sustained varying levels of water damage.For homeowners who sustained serious damage, the rebuild process will likely be lengthy and costly, Faulkenburg said. One of his neighbors, whose home was one of the two demolished, had been unable to secure flood insurance. “You just can’t get insurance on a lot of these places,” he said. “And insurance agencies these days will drop you for having bad breath.” Despite the lingering aftermath of an event that upended hundreds of lives for days – and for some, likely weeks – Vallecito’s full-time residents aren’t second-guessing where they live.If anything, the flooding seemed to reaffirm their decision to live in this remote, largely undeveloped corner of the county, surrounded by steep, forested hills now glowing with the yellows and oranges of fall colors.“This hasn’t changed my mind at all,” said Sylvester, standing outside his home Thursday morning. “Right now, it looks like I live in a national park.” For him, the natural beauty outweighs the risk.Many others shared the sentiment.

David Kontje, who stayed through the storm with his wife and 2-year-old son, said the experience has only deepened his appreciation for the area – not just for the scenery and the closeness to nature, but also for the people who call Vallecito home.Kontje’s neighborhood had the good luck of high elevation, putting him and many of his neighbors who stayed out of harm’s way. “Our little pocket of the world is fantastic,” he said. “Our neighbors are people we can depend on for anything. It (the flood) just shows the importance of having self-sufficient communities and relying on your neighbors.” jbowman@durangoherald.com

Residents return home after record floods

2 to 4 more inches of rain expected across Southwest ColoradoRivers could reach or exceed peak flows, cause more flooding

After being pummeled by Tropical Storm Priscilla’s remnants over the weekend, Southwest Colorado is in for another round of heavy rain Monday as Tropical Storm Raymond arrives. Weekend rains prompted the evacuation of about 390 homes in northern Vallecito after up to 5.2 inches of rain fell locally within a 2½-day period, according to a Facebook post from the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. That pushed Vallecito Creek to 7,200 cubic feet per second and triggering widespread flooding in the area. Officials are bracing for the next round of heavy rainfall as Tropical Storm Raymond arrives Monday, La Plata County spokeswoman Sarah Jacobson said. “We are right in the bull's-eye again from this new tropical storm,” said La Plata County spokeswoman Sarah Jacobson.

On Monday, Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency for western Colorado to bolster response and recovery efforts. According to the governor’s release, the declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and authorizes the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to take necessary actions – up to an initial $1 million in costs. “The Governor has been monitoring the situation closely and State public safety leaders have been in close contact with local emergency management about this unprecedented weather event,” the statement said. Jacobson said the flooding in Vallecito damaged many homes that had been evacuated. She said residential propane tanks, septic systems, water supplies, roadways and trees were likely affected – creating a highly hazardous environment. Jacobson said residents will receive reentry kits and bottled water once they are allowed to return home. She also announced that a briefing will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at Bayfield Intermediate School cafeteria, 720 E. Oak Drive, to inform evacuees what to expect during reentry.

La Plata County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Burke urged drivers to remain alert for flooding and debris on roads. With the rainstorm approaching, Burke said the department expects more flash-flooding.“We ask that you don’t try to drive through any debris, standing water or any water flow,” Burke said.Roads that may be experiencing flooding include:

East Animas Road (County Road 250)

County Road 203

La Posta Road (County Road 213)

Buck Highway (County Road 521)

County Road 501

“We have a lot of roads in that evacuated area that are just impassable because the streams have jumped their normal route,” Jacobson said. “Roads that were a road on Friday – now you can't even tell it’s a road. It looks like a stream, with rapids and everything.”According to a Monday news release from La Plata County, these roads include: Ponderosa Homes Road, Ponderosa Homes Drive, West Grimes Road, West Vallecito Creek Road and River Bed Road.

Road and Bridge crews are working to repair county infrastructure, Jacobson said. Major repairs are underway along County Road 501, and culvert work is planned on Grimes Creek.A hole on the County Road 501 bridge over Vallecito Creek – between Tucker Lane and Mushroom Lane – was caused by high-water turbulence behind the headwall wingwall. The scouring from the turbulence created a void beneath the bridge about 8 feet deep and 7 feet wide, extending 16 feet back toward the center line of the road.Repairs on the damaged section of the bridge began Monday morning, and crews hope it will set overnight to allow one-lane traffic to resume Tuesday.

In addition, Road and Bridge crews have completed concrete work on County Road 500, where Grimes Creek began cutting beneath the pavement.County Road 124 is closed as a result of flooding related issues with a cattle guard about 4 miles up the road, Jacobson said. Operations at the Durango-La Plata County Airport have continued largely as normal, with only a few minor delays, said Tony Vicari, director of aviation. The only notable delays have been linked to congestion at Phoenix Sky Harbor, where weather conditions have slowed some flights, he said. Officials expect only minor delays, if any, over the next two days. Rivers rise quickly

According to NWS meteorologist Kate Abbott, 2 inches of rain are expected over much of the region, with some localized areas seeing up to 4 inches. “Over the next 24 hours here, we’re expecting widespread rainfall totals of 2 inches, with local peaks up to 4 inches,” Abbott said. “The southern San Juans is where we’ll see the highest rainfall totals and the biggest impacts from the rain.”

Abbott said weather systems like Priscilla and Raymond are rare in this region and at this time of year. They are both tropical storms that came in warm and carried lots of moisture, producing massive amounts of rain.“Conditions have to be just right in order to get some of that tropical moisture up into the Four Corners,” he said. “A month later, and this could have been mostly snow, but we’ve had warm enough air to have most of this fall as rain here.”The rain falls outside of the typical monsoonal pattern, he said.The incoming wave of precipitation follows a major storm from last weekend that caused river levels to peak and triggered flooding. In addition to Vallecito Creek’s heightened flows, other rivers in the area experienced record water levels, according to National Weather Service flow data. The Animas River surged from 581 cfs at 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 4,820 cfs at 1 a.m. on Sunday. In Pagosa Springs, the San Juan River went from The next precipitation event is expected to exceed those levels, according to Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. The Animas is forecast to top out at 5,450 cfs at 11 a.m. Tuesday while the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs could reach 6,810 cfs.

Vallecito Creek and a section of the Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir could jump to above 3,000 cfs, according to the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. NWS meteorologist Gillian Felton said the agency is keeping a close eye on those two creeks.“The evacuation area on Saturday was primarily north of the reservoir,” Felton said. “But now it’s expanded so it’s that area to the northeast-ish part of the reservoir.” Abbott said as Tropical Storm Raymond passes over the San Juans on Monday and into Tuesday, residents should watch for flooding, especially if thunderstorms or intense rain develop.The ground throughout the county is already so saturated from recent rains that it is unable to absorb any more water, meaning that flooding is more likely, Abbott said.“All of that heavy rain that fell over Friday, Saturday and into Sunday morning produced flooding because the soils got saturated, and all of the rainfall on top of that saturated soil ended up flowing into the creeks and streams and rivers and culverts,” Abbott said.Abbott said that with this incoming wave of moisture, overnight flooding could become an especially dangerous issue. “The biggest concern is that these streams and rivers are going to rise overnight (Monday night),” Abbott said. “We’re more concerned about nighttime flooding, which can be a little bit more dangerous than daytime flooding because you just can’t see what’s happening at night.”Abbott said if residents are located near low-lying streams or rivers, they should take extra precaution and get themselves to higher ground before nighttime. “Expect those peaks to happen early (Tuesday) morning before the sun comes up,” she said. Pagosa Springs

The town of Pagosa Springs lifted the emergency evacuation orders Sunday for Pagosa Springs residents on Hermosa Street and San Juan Street east of Hot Springs Boulevard on Saturday, according to a news release. U.S. Highway 160 through downtown Pagosa, at the San Juan River bridge, was declared safe and reopened to regular traffic. Town officials declared the flooding a local disaster on Saturday, as swelling of the San Juan River caused widespread damage to roads, bridges, culverts and other public infrastructure. The declaration will remain in place through the rest of the week. Pagosa emergency response officials could not be immediately reached for comment Monday. The number of homes and residents evacuated remain unclear, but according to Jacobson, the Archuleta County emergency shelter was closed to conserve American Red Cross Resources. Two response workers were sent to assist at the Bayfield emergency shelter. This article has been made available free of charge to all readers in the interest of public safety.sedmondson@durangoherald.comjbowman@durangoherald.com

Rivers could reach or exceed peak flows, cause more flooding

Vallecito evacuation orders remain in place Sunday'We may need to find somewhere to stay tonight,’ evacuee says

Unprecedented flooding in northern Vallecito on Saturday forced the evacuation of over 390 homes, damaged an estimated 100 homes, and damaged bridges and evacuation routes.Despite the scale of the flooding, no deaths or serious injuries were reported, according to La Plata County.“Nobody died today,” Upper Pine Fire Protection District posted Saturday evening on Facebook.The county said in a news release Sunday afternoon multiple agencies, including Upper Pine fire, La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, and the county assessor’s and building offices are evaluating the flooded area to find hazards and assess damage to homes before residents are allowed to return.No new updates were available as of Sunday morning, and attempts to reach Upper Pine fire and La Plata County officials were not immediately successful.Upper Pine fire and the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office conducted 11 successful high-water rescues on Saturday, according to a county news release. Most of the rescues were necessary after a levee breach on the east side of Vallecito Creek flooded Tucker Lane.La Plata County Emergency Management issued another evacuation notice Saturday evening for residents of Middle Mountain Road, citing the closures of East Vallecito Creek Bridge on County Road 501 and restricted access to 5 Branches Bridge due to road damage.Three evacuation zones now cover much of northeast Vallecito, including the original zones north of Vallecito Reservoir. An evacuation map is available at ReadyLaPlata.org.

Upper Pine fire announced Saturday that the evacuation route on County Road 501A from Elkhorn to 5 Branches “is now impassable” due to damage that made it unsafe for vehicles.“The only open evacuation route is down County Road 501 and County Road 500 leading to Bayfield High School,” the fire district said.La Plata County advised evacuees to use County Road 501 west of Vallecito Lake and exit south, noting there is no access via the east side of the lake.A number of road and bridge closures are in effect as well, including:

The intersection of County Roads 500 and 501, which is open to exiting traffic only.

County Road 501A.

East of Vallecito Creek Drive.

Tucker Lane.

Mountain View Drive.

Scenic Drive.

West Vallecito Creek Drive.

Ponderosa Drive.

Faith Lane.

The 5 Branches Bridge is closed at 4762 County Road 501 A.

The East County Road 501 Bridge is closed at Vallecito Creek Drive.

The Mountain River Road Bridge is closed.

Abutment work on impacted county bridges and the Vallecito Creek Bridge on County Road 501 is scheduled for Monday.With helicopters scheduled to fly over the impacted area to assess damage, drones are prohibited to fly in the area from Vallecito Lake dam to the north, according to the county.La Plata County issued a local disaster declaration Saturday afternoon to obtain state resources and increased access to funding for response and recovery.The American Red Cross announced Sunday that the overnight shelter established Saturday at Bayfield High School has been relocated to the Bayfield Recreation Center at 110 East South St.

“Anyone who has been affected is welcome to stop by for a hot meal, to charge their phone and get other support. We don’t ask for identification, and you don’t have to stay overnight,” the Red Cross said.Evacuees must have RapidTag credentials to return to evacuation zones once they are deemed safe, according to the county.Credentials can be obtained at the Pine River Shares building at 658 S. East Street in Bayfield. Credentials can be obtained at 110 East South Street in Bayfield from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday.Christy Korinko, who evacuated with her husband from their home near County Road 501 and Vallecito Creek, said that as of 11:48 a.m. Sunday, residents were not being allowed past county roads 500 and 501 to return.“We may need to find somewhere to stay tonight,” she said in a text message.Upper Pine fire described the flooding on Saturday as significantly worse than the 2006 Vallecito flood, which inundated at least 18 homes.

The National Weather Service attributed the flooding to Tropical Storm Priscilla, which tracked north off the Baja California coast in Mexico.Meteorologist Brianna Beato with the NWS Grand Junction office said Priscilla contributed to precipitable moisture values 300% to 400% above normal for mid-October in the Durango area. Rainfall from Thursday through Saturday exceeded double the historical 48-hour record totals in Vallecito, she said.That led to unprecedented flooding along Vallecito and Grimes creeks, which wind through northern Vallecito. A record-breaking 7,200 cubic feet per second was captured for Vallecito Creek on Saturday ‒ more than double a typical spring runoff, said La Plata County Administrative Analyst Sarah Jacobson on Saturday.Although peak water flows subsided Saturday, more rain is forecast Monday and Tuesday, and the emergency flooding event continues, she said.cburney@durangoherald.com

'We may need to find somewhere to stay tonight,’ evacuee says

Vallecito residents seek shelter from floodwaters: ‘We decided it was time to get out’More than 380 homes evacuated; La Plata County declares local disaster

More than 380 homes in northern Vallecito were evacuated Saturday after floodwaters breached the levees along Grimes Creek and the west side of Vallecito Creek.Vallecito received more than double any previous amount of precipitation ever recorded for Oct. 9-11, according to the National Weather Service office in Grand Junction.Meteorologist Brianna Bealo said a Vallecito SNOTEL site recorded 4.8 inches of precipitation from Thursday through Saturday afternoon. Previous records for October showed precipitation up to about 2 inches.The stream gauge for Vallecito Creek showed 6,130 cubic feet per second Saturday afternoon – an apparent record, said Sarah Jacobson, La Plata County administrative analyst.

She said Tucker Lane, Mushroom View Drive and Vallecito Creek Drive had been closed.As of 2:45 p.m. Saturday, 383 homes were evacuated.Upper Pine River Fire Protection District led the evacuation and emergency response, under the direction of Fire Chief Bruce Evans, with assistance from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.La Plata County Road and Bridge crews were also mobilized to clear debris from bridges and deliver sandbags to Upper Pine fire Station No. 1.A footbridge was lost along Vallecito Creek, Jacobson said. That debris could pile up downstream.

“That’s what gets scary,” she said. “… If they go out, then they’ll start stacking up on the larger bridges that we absolutely need to save.”Jacobson said the county emergency call center was accepting calls for information and assistance at (970) 385-8700.Evacuation zones were located north of Vallecito Reservoir, according to La Plata County’s North Vallecito flood evacuation map on ReadyLaPlata.org.Bayfield High School, located at 800 County Road 501, was serving as a check-in and shelter for evacuees.Jacobson said 57 residents checked in at BHS on Saturday and 12 were staying the night.“We would really like for them to check in so we can give them information and be able to find evacuees if necessary,” she said.

Christy and Joe Korinko, who live in northern Vallecito, said they chose to evacuate shortly after noon after watching Vallecito Creek steadily rise. Their home is about 100 yards from the creek.“The water was rising and we decided it was time to get out,” Christy Korinko said.Joe Korinko said the speed and intensity of the rising waters were “exponential.” They monitored the creek all morning, and around 11 a.m. it “just started shooting up very quickly.”They and their dog were on their way to Bayfield High School to check in before staying with a friend in Bayfield.

Christy Korinko said the creek was “running hard and fast” with “a lot of debris coming down,” and echoed the county’s concerns about debris blocking bridges.“Lots of earth-moving equipment was heading up the mountain while we were coming down,” Joe Korinko said.The Korinkos have owned their Vallecito home since 2002. It is located in a 100-year flood plain, and they said they’ve never seen flooding like this.Flooding along Vallecito Creek in October 2006 prompted evacuations and destroyed flood-control structures. At least 18 houses were inundated, according to Upper Pine fire.The Korinkos’ home, which they owned but did not live in at the time, was unaffected, Joe Korinko said.Christy Korinko said the forecast for additional rain over the next several was enough to convince them to leave.

Joe Korinko said he isn’t worried about the home.“Everything’s insured, but life isn’t,” he said.The National Weather Service was forecasting 1 to 2 more inches of rain from Saturday afternoon through Monday.La Plata County urged motorists to drive slowly and cautiously, as debris and mud could appear on county roads.“Mud is much denser than water, and even small amounts can cause any vehicle to slide or get stuck,” the release said. “Motorists should not drive into areas where the water covers the roadway. The water depth may be too great to allow a safe crossing.”

In a Facebook post published at 6:50 p.m. Friday, Upper Pine fire said Vallecito Creek stream gauges triggered a High Spring Runoff alert detecting 1,040 cfs.“If you are in the North End of Vallecito you need to heighten your situational awareness,” the post said.Upper Pine Fire said stream banks and creeks are highly susceptible to rapid erosion and advised residents to use extreme caution.In an update, Upper Pine fire said residents in northern Vallecito must evacuate, and that the creek’s flow rate was expected to peak by 8 p.m. Saturday.

Vallecito received the most precipitation in the greater Durango area since Thursday, Beato said. But Durango also received about 2½ inches of precipitation from Thursday through Saturday afternoon. The previous highest recorded amount of precipitation for Oct. 11 was just 0.23 inches.“This is definitely a pretty significant, pretty unusual precipitation event for this time of the year,” she said. “October is not typically this wet. Our wettest month is actually September.”She said the region owes its almost unrealistically high moisture since Thursday to Tropical Storm Priscilla.Rains are expected to relent on Sunday, but a pool of moisture is forecast to sneak into Southwestern Colorado from the south on Monday and linger into Tuesday, she said.The second bout of stormy weather will deliver more moisture to the area than normal, but it won’t be directly fueled by a tropical storm and won’t resemble the intensity of rains experienced since Thursday.Bealo said it isn’t clear if more rain means more flooding for Vallecito. That will depend on saturated soils Monday and Tuesday.“Many who refused to evacuate are now in need of rescue,” Upper Pine said Saturday. “Important to get out now to Bayfield High School. This water is fast-moving filled with debris and hazardous materials.” Jacobson said a couple refused to evacuate. After their driveway was flooded, they asked to be rescued.Responders were working to prevent debris from damaging a bridge at Grimes and Vallecito creeks, while crews stacked sandbags at Blue Spruce RV Park & Cabins.Kevin Hall, interim La Plata County manager, issued a declaration of local disaster which allows the county to access state resources and additional funding for response and recovery efforts. cburney@durangoherald.com

More than 380 homes evacuated; La Plata County declares local disaster

Western history celebrated on Main Avenue during Durango Cowboy GatheringSeveral thousand spectators gather to watch motorless parade

Horseback riders on Main Avenue, the scrumptious scent of sizzling bacon and eggs, and the sound of prop pistols firing into the air were telltale signs the Durango Cowboy Gathering was back in town on Saturday.After a night of rain, thunder and lightning, the skies over Durango began to clear just in time for the Horseback Social, a newer feature of the Cowboy Gathering first introduced last year that returned on Saturday.Equestrians on the backs of horses, mules and burros moseyed up and down Main Avenue, which was gated off to motor traffic, offering rides to eager youngsters.The Cowboy Gathering was held Wednesday through Saturday this year.Staples of the Cowboy Gathering such as the chuckwagon breakfast, the Wild West shootout and the Cowboy Parade were held Saturday.Several thousand spectators lined the sidewalks on Main Avenue to watch the Cowboy Parade. The Bayfield Belles, the Victorians and Durango Cowboy Church proceeded up Main Avenue along with groups such as Salt of the Earth Ranch and Bears Ranch.

The parade was completely motorless, in line with old Western themes. Participants walked, rode their horses or were pulled in wagons.“I just love bringing history to life. Like, it’s so cool. There's so much culture and history just in Durango,” Jessica Sugar Wolf, a member of the Victorians, said.Dan Walstad, who played the outlaw in the Wild West shootout on Main Avenue, said he enjoys playing cowboys as seen in old Western films, and he has fun performing shootouts.He performs shootouts at the Georgetown Loop Railroad and reenacts four train robberies per year.“Die every time,” he said of the Durango shootout, which is a reenactment of a real shootout that occurred in Durango in 1906.“And I cry every time,” Sugar Wolf chimed.Chari Perce was brushing her burro Charlie beside her horse trailer on East Second Avenue as the stormy weather cleared. “We’re going to be miners,” she said with a smile.She reached into her trailer and produced a puppet miner that had a gray, long and a bedraggled beard. The miner will ride Charlie, she said.

Perce enjoys entertaining children at the Cowboy Gathering and other events like the Mancos BurroFest.The Cowboy Gathering represents fellowship with family, friends and community, she said. And, of course, Durango’s history.She said she has plans to portray a prominent figure from Durango’s history for next year’s Cowboy Gathering, but the details are a secret.Charlie, she said, is a 7-year-old “BLM” burro – a wild burro that was rescued by the Bureau of Land Management and auctioned off to Perce.

Charlie leaned his head against Perce as she talked. He was nervous and hard to approach at first, she said. But after a lot of time and dedication, he came around. “You’d better have a lot of patience,” she said. “If you don’t have patience, you’re not going to make it. Burros and mules have an amazing memory. They’re different from horses. If you hurt them once, that’s it, they’ll hold a grudge forever.”Charlie is enthusiastic when it comes to giving kids rides, she said. She held a children’s program at Durango Cowboy Church over the summer, and Charlie was having as much fun as the kids.“How cool is that, for a kid to get to experience riding a burro? I never got to do that. This is passing on to the next generation just an understanding of history,” she said.

It’s important Durango’s history and how tough the mining life was is not forgotten, she said.Saturday was packed full of events, including a Western Dance scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Wild Horse Saloon. Poets and musicians were scheduled to perform at Toh-Atin Gallery, where artist Clark Kelley Price will sign posters of his work. Singer Dave Stamey was scheduled to perform at the DoubleTree Hotel at 7:30 p.m.A full event list is available online at durangocowboygathering.org/schedule/cburney@durangoherald.com

Several thousand spectators gather to watch motorless parade

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Fort Lewis College Skydiving ClubProgram aims to teach students how to dive safely – while competing

MOAB – Rain turned the sandy flats adjacent to the Canyonlands Field Airport – where die-hard skydivers camp out before jumping with Skydive Moab – to a slick of mud that stuck to the bottoms of shoes and made cars slip and slide as they drove along. The Saturday rains created a slight sense of worry. If the clouds failed to clear by Sunday morning, it would be unlikely that Fort Lewis College students Michaela Ferris, Roman Speegle and Jack Schuba – three members of the reincarnated FLC Skydiving Club – could make their first dives before heading back to school on Monday. Ben Iverson, a licensed skydiver, FLC graduate and the club’s faculty adviser, tried to appear unbothered as he made turkey sandwiches by campfire light for dinner. But he was worried: Skydiving is his passion, and for years his dream had been to share it with other people, which is why he started the club in 2025. This trip was the first realization of that dream, and the rain clouds threatened this outing. But for Speegle, a senior studying accounting and engineering at FLC, the prospect of having to delay his first jump did not seem to bother him that much. He was just excited to be out there and to be in a college club that would help him learn to skydive. More time on the ground meant more time to prepare.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I’ve been trying to run through most of the drills and the whole sequence from plane to ground in my head. I’m kind of glad we have time to try and practice, but hopefully the weather lets us jump. I have really high hopes that it’ll go great.” The cold autumn wind blew in from the La Sal Mountains to the southeast, carrying rain. So, the club members climbed into their sleeping bags, curled up and went to sleep. In the morning, they hoped they would jump out of an airplane.

Return of the Skydiving ClubCollegiate skydiving has been around since the 1960s, according to the U.S. Parachute Association’s website, evolving from a means of transporting soldiers into combat zones in World War II to an organized D1 college sport, with national championships being held in Florida every year. When Iverson learned that fact, he knew he had to start a club at FLC. “What drew me to the sport was the human desire to fly,” he said. “Everybody thinks about it. I just wanted to chase that natural instinct of wanting to fly through the clouds.”This is actually the second incarnation of the FLC Skydiving Club, he said. Back in 2017, the club was started by Taylor Webb, but fell off because they were unable to find enough people with enough interest in skydiving to make the commitment, said FLC graduate Connor Bevel.

“We tried to start it, but people graduated out,” Bevel said. “We had like 150 students come out for some jump courses. Then Ben said that e’re going to do it again. There’s only a handful of collegiate clubs out in the country, so it’s awesome to let them start to get into it.” After being introduced to and falling in love with skydiving at FLC, Bevel went on to become an instructor at Skydive Moab, where he met Iverson. Bevel soon became one of Iverson’s mentors, and told him about the old club.

“It kind of died out because there weren’t any jumpers,” Iverson said. “And now we have a perfect opportunity to restart the club.”So, he got to work. He proposed the club to the school, which enthusiastically agreed to its formation and helped fund it. If he could prove there was interest and get students to get their skydiving licenses, the school would secure him more funding and help empower members to start competing against schools like Georgia Tech and the Air Force Academy. “I got hired up at the college, and I’m a regulated coach under the USPA,” Iverson said.“Fort Lewis is awesome. They empowered me to start this club,” Iverson said. “I feel like a lot of colleges would be quick to say, ‘Nope, that’s too dangerous, it’s not happening.’ But Fort Lewis was like, ‘Let’s make this happen.’ And they gave me the resources to be successful in restarting the club.” Statistically safer than driving a car

The next challenge would be convincing students to invest time and money – 25 jumps and $3,090 to get fully licensed, before buying helmets and parachutes, which can tack on another $5,000. Asking people to jump out of a plane flying 13,000 feet above the ground can be a tall order, Iverson said. “It’s a super-intimidating sport,” he said. “You’re jumping out of an airplane. Enough said.”But, as Iverson pointed out in the club’s first informational meeting on Sept. 8, skydiving is statistically safer than driving a car. According to the USPA, which collects data on skydiving fatalities, there were only nine deaths out of 3.88 million jumps in 2024, averaging out to 0.23 deaths per 100,000 jumps.

While skydiving is in no way completely risk-free, safety standards have improved since it became a widely available sport, and deaths continue to decrease. The USPA is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, and prospective skydivers must pass a series of rigorous written and physical tests to ensure they have what it takes to do it safely. As for cost, Iverson said, becoming a licensed skydiver is quite achievable. Skydive Moab’s certification program is pay-as-you-go, meaning the $3,090 cost can be spread out over time. With Iverson being a licensed coach, students can get qualified instruction without leaving Durango. Additionally, parachutes are available for rent at Skydive Moab. “I was a student, and every paycheck I would put $50 into a savings account,” he said. “When I finally had the funds, I booked my ground school and did my very first solo jump the next day.”Iverson hopes he can offer students not only advice and technical instruction, but also provide them with an encouraging, friendly face to help make the process a little easier. “When I was a student, I spent a lot of weeks camping by myself, doing the entire thing alone,” Iverson said. “It was a there's a little hard sometimes, just dealing with that loneliness. And so I wanted to give them a different experience, and just have friendly, familiar face to go get them excited, to debrief, and support them in any way that I can.”He needed to prove the club was viable by having students make successful jumps. That way, he said, he would get more funding to hire other coaches, buy parachutes for the club, and pay for food, gas and lodging when they eventually went to compete against other schools. The first meeting concluded with notable interest in the club. About 10 students stuck around after Iverson’s presentation. By the second meeting on Sept. 24, when he ran through how a parachute works and how to deploy the it, four students came and signed up for their first jumps the next weekend. to add their name and email to his rosterSkyhawks take flight, and a club is reborn

The morning of Sept. 28 did not bode well for skydiving. Gray clouds hovered over the Utah desert, and it had rained through the night. Speegle, Ferris and Schuba were cheery, and Iverson said a weather window was in the forecast. Bagels and coffee were served over a Coleman stove, camp was broken, and the four hopefuls slipped and slid in their cars over the muddy ground.

The three fell in with a group of other students to go over more safety protocols. To everyone’s relief, the clouds rolled away revealing blue skies and minimal wind.Speegle and Schuba were scheduled to jump on the third flight of the day, followed by Ferris. Each of them had completed their tandem jump – in which they were harnessed to a professional skydiver. This time, they would have two instructors to make sure they safely pulled their chutes, but they were expected to jump, free fall and land on their own volition. “I’m a little nervous” Ferris, a freshman studying business administration and to become a licensed pilot, said. “'But I have two people with me, so it can’t be that bad. I’m studying to be a pilot, and we’re taught to never abandon our planes. So this is a little different, but I’m excited!”

Finally, Speegle and Schuba loaded into the plane with 15 other instructors and students. The engine roared, and as they headed for the clouds, Iverson, smiling with relief that his students were able to do their jumps, drove to the landing zone. The two would jump with their instructors from 18,000 feet in elevation, and in their 55-second free fall, they would accelerate to a terminal velocity of 120 mph. All the while, they would monitor their wrist-worn altimeters, watching for 6,000 feet above the ground, where they would pull their chutes. Iverson shaded his eyes to watch the sky. Seconds went by, and suddenly the first chutes popped open and began making sweeping, graceful arcs through the clouds. Slowly, Speegle and Schuba descended and gracefully landed, grinning from ear to ear.

“It is just absolute sensory overload when you’re free falling,” Schuba said after his jump. “Next thing you know, the canopy goes up and it’s just pure bliss. You actually kind of get a chance to look around.”“I was scared, so I was trying to go fast,” Speegle said. “I just had to relax, and then just let muscle memory take over. We practiced this for almost 24 straight hours, and so much of what I was doing was just based off that. I was doing it to get over my fear.”For Iverson, seeing Speegle and Schuba land was watching a dream come true. Now that their first jumps had been completed successfully, it was on to earning the rest of their licenses.

“All the hard work I’ve been putting in the last few months – planning and marketing and insurance and all the liability – everything fell together perfectly for this weekend,” he said. “It’s heartwarming. I went through this exact same thing three years ago, and so to see them now go through – but supported by the school they attend – is pretty cool.”The clouds returned soon after Speegle’s and Schuba’s jumps, grounding further flights for the day. But, Iverson said, Ferris was joined by Hayes and Kramer on Monday morning, when the three did their first solo jumps. And with that, the Fort Lewis College Skydiving Club rose from the ashes. sedmondson@durangoherald.com

Program aims to teach students how to dive safely – while competing

Photos: High County Cattle Auction

Update: Street racing crash injures two in Farmington; police release videoCar flees scene of arrest, hits vehicle at grocery storeFARMINGTON – An alleged late-night street race ended in a fiery crash Friday night that injured two men and led to criminal charges, underscoring long-standing concerns by Farmington police about illegal racing and reckless driving.According to a news release Saturday from police spokesperson Shanice Gonzales, a police officer spotted two cars racing on 20th Street near Knudsen Avenue about 11:40 p.m. When the officer tried to stop the vehicles, the driver of a white passenger car sped away. It then collided with a vehicle in front of a Smith’s grocery store, veered off the road, hit a parked car and caught fire.

The car’s driver, a 27-year-old man, and his 20-year-old passenger, were injured and taken to San Juan Regional Medical Center, Gonzales said. There was no immediate word about the condition of the vehicle hit near Smith’s grocery store.The second car, a red Toyota Supra, stopped at the scene. Its driver, 22-year-old Kalynn Kenworthy, was arrested and charged with racing on highways.Kenworthy has an extensive history of traffic offenses, Gonzales said. Kenworthy was cited with racing in August 2025 and in 2023, and has received more than seven speeding tickets in the past four years – each for driving more than 15 mph over the limit. Additional charges are pending against the driver of the white car, whose name was not released.

The Police Department on Oct. released video of the crash, it was “being provided to highlight the dangers of reckless and illegal driving that put lives at risk in our community.”Street racing has long been a concern in Farmington.Police Chief Steve Hebbe has called the activity “kind of in the fabric of Farmington” and a “20-year problem.” At a community meeting in 2023, Hebbe said he didn’t expect to stop street racing entirely, but planned to “subdue it.”“We’re never going to stop crashes, but we can reduce the seriousness of those crashes by reducing the speeds,” Hebbe said in a February 2025 interview with the Tri-City Record.

Crackdown in 2023 yields 83 citationsFarmington police have stepped up enforcement to combat illegal street racing and other dangerous driving. Over two weekends in September 2023, officers issued 83 citations and made seven arrests as part of a targeted crackdown, according to a department news release.The operation began Sept. 15-16, with officers patrolling known racing hot spots. That weekend, police issued 41 citations. During the second weekend, Sept. 22-23, police issued 42 citations and made four additional arrests, Hebbe said.Those efforts come amid a broader push to improve traffic safety. Farmington police responded to 2,672 crashes in 2024, with 463 people injured and seven killed, according to police in 2025. The department also issued 4,725 speeding citations and made 589 drunken-driving arrests last year.“Street racing is dangerous, illegal, and puts lives at risk,” the department said Saturday in its news release, urging anyone who witnesses reckless or suspicious driving to report it immediately to authorities.Tri-City Record staff Debra Mayeux and Trent Stephens contributed to this article.

Car flees scene of arrest, hits vehicle at grocery store

Catskills Mountains’ Caswyn Moon and Faith Kelly to perform in DoloresThe pair are on the road for their 10th tourCaswyn Moon and Faith Kelly, a high-energy duo blending American rock, old country, spacey folk and Appalachian influences, will perform at the Dolores River Brewery at 6 p.m. on Oct. 28. The show marks their debut in Southwest Colorado.The performance is part of their 10th national tour.They booked the Dolores show after reaching out to venues along their route.“It'll be our first time ever in Southwest Colorado and we're really excited to check it out,” Kelly told The Journal. “We play to anyone, anywhere and we love checking out the nooks and crannies of the country and enjoying the smaller towns. When we were booking this tour we had to connect Minot, North Dakota to Bisbee, Arizona, so I reached out to a bunch of places in between and Dolores got back to us first.”Moon and Kelly met four years ago at an open mic in the Catskill Mountains in New York, where their shared passion for music sparked an immediate connection.

“It’s a pretty wild ride. We're two solo musicians who play original music,” Kelly said. “Caswyn usually starts off the night with his American rock music with old country undertones, then he steps away and I play my spacey folk rock ’n’ roll with Appalachian mountain twists. There are washboard and kazoo occurrences with the sounds of our guitars and my Moog Sub 37. Folks may witness dancing, kicking and moments of loud howls and deep singing.”Both musicians incorporate kazoos into their set, which Kelly said they offer at their merchandise table for free or a $3 donation.When not touring, they host open mics and perform at festivals and community events.“I just hope to encourage folks to go check out their local music scenes wherever they are,” Kelly said. “I believe open mics save lives and if you got a song in your soul, go sing it.”They also document their adventures on their YouTube channel, “Couple of Wanderers,” where they post daily tour vlogs highlighting life on the road, local music scenes and small businesses. Kelly has also recently released new music videos on her Faith Kelly Art YouTube channel.For more information, contact the brewery at (970) 882-4677 or visit www.doloresriverbrewery.com.

The pair are on the road for their 10th tour

Bears, Panthers volleyball primed for homecoming weekThe Dolores High School volleyball team is in the midst of one of the best seasons in program history. The Bears (11-1, 6-1 2A/1A SJBL) will host Mancos (7-7, 4-2 SJBL) on Thursday, Oct. 2, in one of the headlining events of homecoming week.Montezuma-Cortez (9-7, 1-3 3A IML), meanwhile, has earned its highest win total since 2021. Their large senior class hopes to continue a memorable season with a home match against Monument Valley (Utah) on Friday night in The Jungle.

The Dolores High School volleyball team is in the midst of one of the best seasons in program histor...

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