More Photos of Fun at the Kids Night Climb

Deb Folsom shared some pictures of the Kids Climb December 28th. The kids had a blast!! Deb also included a picture of a buck grabbing a bit of a snack from her Christmas Garland on Christmas day.

Bring in the New Year in Ouray

AT THE OURAY ELKS LODGE #492
December 31, 2008
~Bar opens at 6PM~
~Karaoke starts at 8PM~
~Free Appetizers!~
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
421 Main Street ~ Ouray, CO970-325-4510
Fireworks at midnight

Kids Night Climb, December 27

I'm sorry to report that we didn't make it up to the Kids Climbing Wall for the kids night climb yesterday. We were lured of by the warmth of our home and just couldn't get it together to bundle up to join in the fun.

We understand that there were a ton of folks out for the climb! Here are a couple of pix of the Roxby children climbing routes with local guides Chris and Clint.

Ouray for Santa

The Denver Post writer Nancy Lofholm was in town last night and wrote a great article about the Ouray Elks Lodge Santa Delivers program. Here is the story:
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11307152

Weehawken dance is sponsoring dance-a-grams that can be purchased as a fundraiser for $20. The girls are trying to raise money for a trip to Denver for a dance convention! We have 5 senior company members and 5 junior company members from Ouray, Ridgway and Montrose. Senior company Santas are Abby Purcell, Sydnee Kimmel, Natasha Hill, Conor Keenan. Junior company reindeer are Hunter Clapsadl, Mackenzie Gibbsm, Jordan Leo, Abigail Link, Nisha Sprowls. They dance their way around town to local businesses and restaurants. Dance-a-gram can be purchased for any occasion.
Steve and I were lucky enough to have our local dancers stop by and show off their talents. I must admit that I was a bit late in grabbing the camera and only captured a bit of the High Schoolers….

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxv2yHp-SyQ

Festivus Fun

We had an outdoor solstice celebration last night with warm drinks, burn barrel, carolers, and stick to your bones kinda food including smores. Folks really enjoyed themselves. Here are some pics to prove it!

Ouray Ice Park Opens!!

News from the Ouray Ice Park!!

*** OPENING DAY ANNOUNCED: SATURDAY DECEMBER 20! ***
Attention climbers: Our time has come. The wait is over. The Ouray Ice Park will officially open the 2008/2009 season on Saturday December 20. Please note that some areas in the Park may remain closed while we fatten up the ice. These areas will be posted and climbing will be strictly prohibited where marked.

FESTIVUS Local Holiday Block Party

Events this Sunday, December 21^st.

 

"A CHRISTMAS STORY" Bulow's Bistro at the Beaumont Hotel presents a special brunch buffet with an afternoon matinee. Two seatings: 11am-2pm and 3-5pm.  Call 325-7050 for more information.

 

Come on down and build a snow man while munching on s'mores and enjoying your favorite hot seasonal beverage at the 6th Ave Festivus  for the rest of us.... Street Party! Warm your self by a nice fire and listen to some eclectic holiday tunes and a little special something from the Ouray Choir (performances will be held at 5:00 and 6:00).

 
 

FESTIVUS Local Holiday Block Party  Sun., 4-7pm on 6th Ave, Ouray.  Seasonal food and drink available for purchase, "hobo" fires along 6th Ave., cool carols by the Ouray High School Chorus at 5pm and 6pm, and plenty of good cheer as we celebrate the season: Dec. 21 marks the Winter Solstice and the beginning of Hanukkah. >From the Ouray Chamber 325-4746.

 

 

Yule Night In Ouray, CO

You gotta love a small town parade.

The Twelve Days of Christmas never looked to good!
(might want to turn down the volume as the sirens on those big red trucks are pretty loud ;-))

Blue Lakes Wildflowers

Photos by Eric Funk

These shots of the meadow and columbine were captured on August 1st at the upper of the two Blue Lakes (map). It's not too late to view spectacular wildflowers on the Blue Lakes Trail (trail guide).

Another Great Picture

As you can see the ability to capture fantastic pictures is here as the wildflowers are everywhere. This picture was captured by Jennifer Loshaw, the chamber director... Kinda fun to get the bumble bee...

The latest report from the alpine area said that the peak wasn't quite here yet, but the buds on the delphinium should pop open in the next couple of days. There are many many flowers open, but, there are many many more to come.

Karen

Yankee Boy Basin Wildflower Update

Yankee Boy Basin Wildflowers are blooming like crazy..... and to think that next weekend is thought to be the peak... The reds, blues, yellows, pinks, white dots in the field are spectacular and my photography skills just don't do it any justice... Anyway, here goes...




One remaining FJ climbs through more fields of green grasses and beautiful flowers...

Lovely times with family strolling in nature. What a time to connect!

A nice hike to Wrights Lake yielded this afternoon shot:









Many columbine were out, but, there are soooo many more to come in the next couple of weeks.

There are still many streams and small waterfalls coming out of the snow melt on high...

Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge

Bicycle Tour of Colorado Comes to Ouray

Today, the Bicycle Tour of Colorado descended on the town of Ouray. What a great group of people and what a fun filled event. Here are a couple of pictures of the outdoor campers at the Fellin Park in lovely Ouray Colorado. A quick tour of town found many folks walking around but choosing for an early dinner and lots of ice cream!

Many merchants hope that they come back again, including myself!

Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge

San Juan Odyssey Returns!!!

With much excitement and anticipation, The Fries Family and Main Street Theater has brought back the famed San Juan Odyssey. Last Night was opening night to a great crowd. The Odyssey will be shown nightly at 7:30 pm at Main Street Restuarant.

Peter Pan Comes to Ouray

On May 17 & 18, Peter Pan came looking for his shadow in Ouray! Performed by Ouray County Dance, with over 70 students from Montose, Ouray & Ridgway.

Natasha did a fabulous job!!! THANK YOU Natasha!!!

Check out some of the pictures that Jim Opdahl so graciously took and posted online.

http://peterpaninouray.site.shutterfly.com/

Wow! What a great evening

The Backstreet Bagel did it again! What a fun evening event. It was promoted as the "African Percussion Band" and it was fun.

The members of the band were from Zimbabwe and the place was rockin'. The evening had a nice crowd, a fun group of performers, and some local flair.

At one point, everyone was standing and dancing with these guys singing and playing their drums. When they took a break, local kids and adults jumped in for some fun. Enjoy the photos.

Karen@ BCL

Middle Aged "Chicks with Picks"

On Saturday, March 29th, Clint Cook of San Juan Mountain Guides graciously took four ladies ice climbing for the first time. We may have been on the kids hill, but, we are excited for more! See, Ice Climbing, it's not just for twenty five year old men anymore...

This great blurb showcases the following spirited and lovely gals (if I do say so myself):

• Sandra Boles, longtime Ouray resident, avid swimmer, and owner of Northmoon Gallery
• Dianne Correll, back from Indiana, big time community volunteer, & mother of Jackie Genuit--one of the owners of Ouray Liquors.
• Susie Egyhazi, brand new Ouray resident, down from Minneapolis and trying her hand at all Ouray has to offer.
• Me (Karen Avery), co-owner of the Box Canyon Lodge

All were very successful and we all had a great time! We experienced great camaraderie and a sense of accomplishment. All it took was an experienced guide and some simple "can do" spirit.

Why, you may ask, did these ladies give it a go? Well, you know what they say ---- When in Ouray .....

Ourayale House Night of Amusement

Here is a clip of some interesting things happening in Ouray at the Ourayale House. Hutch, the proprietor, opened up in January 2008 and his place is gaining in popularity.

He makes a great beer and it is quite entertaining. He is opened nightly at 6pm but if you knock at his door and he is around, he typically just lets you in anytime...




Karen@ Box Canyon Lodge

Ourayale House Brewery Tour

One of Ouray's newest establishments is the Ourayale House, which serves a great beer. This installment brings you a nice brewery tour by the master brewer, Hutch.




The Ourayale House is located on 7th Avenue in Ouray Colorado and opened in January 2008.

Enjoy: Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge

Even Later on Saturday Night -- O'Briens Pub

Just a small glimpse into the late night crowd in Ouray.




From the girl on the scene: Karen

All's Well @ Ouray Chalet Inn on Saturday Night!

Checking out the town, here is Lora Slaw... at the Chalet. It is quiet here, but, that is because of all the hooting and hollering out and about.




Karen @Box Canyon

Backstreet Bagel March 15th

Later in the evening, we stumbled in and found some fun at Backstreet Bagel on Main Street! The band that was playing is the Hillbilly Hotel and the drummer is Ducket's own Kevin!

Enjoy...




Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge

March 15th at the Elks Lodge

Here is a great little video of fun & excitement at Elks Lodge #492 in Ouray as they celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Ouray Polar Bears

In Ouray, the Hot Springs Pool is a welcome relief after a long snow. The pool is open year round and is a great place to get some much needed exercise. There are lap lanes (ranging in temperatures from 65 - 76 Fahrenheit in the winter -- Today it was a balmy 68.).

A second pool contains water that is about 96 degrees and many people come Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for a little water aerobic workout and finish up with a little social hour

Yesterday we received about 12 inches of snow so today with the BlueBird Skies, it was stunningly beautiful.

I hope you enjoy the show!





Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge

Rocky Mountain Treasures & Gifts

Rocky Mountain Treasures and Gifts is located in Ouray Colorado. They sell unique gifts and novelties in their store on Main Street. The shop is owned by Bruce & Tamara Gulde.

Take a tour of their store and tell us what you think.




Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge

Denim of Antiquity

Nancy Wolkin, the proprietor of Denim of Antiquity invited me into her store today so that I could get a feel for her shop.

She sells one of a kind denim jackets. She purchases denim jackets of all kinds and then uses antique fabrics to dress them up and they are really cool.

Her shop is at 450 Main Street in Ouray Colorado. Take the tour. It is really very interesting.




Karen @ http://www.boxcanyonouray.com

Dance Classes

Weehawken Creative Arts has been sponsoring various dance classes for the youth in Ouray County. Natasha teaches numerous classes such as tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. There are 75 kids enrolled in these classes that take place at the Wright Opera House just about every day.

In the spring, there will be a Peter Pan production and Natasha told me that all the kids will be able to be in the production.

Here are a few images from the classes from Debbie Clapsadyl. Her daughter, Hunter, is enrolled.







Karen
Box Canyon Lodge

Grab your skates!

Today, Kimerra and Jessi were skating at Rotary Park. These two gals live in Ridgway but came up for the afternoon for some fun outdoors. The ice is in the best shape that it has been in for years. The surface is well plowed and the ice is very smooth. Will Clapsadl is the official "Ice Man" at Rotary Park and we are so grateful that he is taking such care. Thanks Will!






Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge

Saturday Morning, Ouray Ice Fest

It is Saturday Morning at the Ouray Ice Festival. On the lower bridge, you can see there are numerous vendors and climbers from around the world. People can demo all the latest in equipment.


Here is a gal, climbing on the Kids Wall, just learning how to do it.


Spectators watch as the competition heats up


New at the Ice Park this year is the Kids climbing wall. It is easily accessible from the road, has a great pitch, beautiful ice and you can come and test drive the sport before you commit to loving it.


See all the people on the kids wall. In fact, it isn't just for kids anymore! Adults of all ages are learning to climb.

This lady is descending into the gorge before she starts up.


We have competitors from around the world that come to Ouray to compete.
More spectators watching the early morning competition

Jodi from La Papillion Bakery cooks up some warm food for the spectators and participants. He makes a fantastic gumbo.


Just another perfect blue sky day in Ouray. We received about 4 inches of snow last night and it left the landscape with a brilliant white sheen. The red building is our beautiful county courthouse.


Getting ready for the gorge.


Vendor tents along the road in the ice park.


Participants watch from viewing stands funded by gifts from Asolo, one of the main sponsors of the event.



Climbing clinics abound during the festival. There are over 80 different clinics sponsored by the various vendors. There is also a bunch of gear that can be demoed for free.

The Ouray Elks Lodge made breakfast this morning for those that wanted to eat pancakes, sausage, bacon and biscuits and gravy. This is Phil Martinez. He is one of the Trustees and loves to cook. He also works at the Ruby Trust Mine.

Manette Steele is the District Deputy for the Western Slope. She also loves to cook and loves early morning gigs.
The Ouray French Team was also part of the fun. They are raising money for a trip to Paris this coming March and worked to serve the ice fest participants a hearty breakfast.


This is Tom Tyler performing cleanup. He was there early but refused pictures until the coffee had been built up in his system. He is not a morning person :-)


All in all, another great day in Ouray!

Karen @ Box Canyon Lodge