The Community Trail

I have been living in Gunnison for a month now and I have fell love with just about everything there is to do here whether it’s hiking, biking, boating, skiing, and the list goes on forever. One of the first things I discovered here was a running/biking trail starting right behind the apartment complex I am living in. 

At first, I just used the trail for running because of its scenery and peacefulness. It didn’t take me long to discover that the trail had a lot more to offer. The trail is cut between several farms and runs along creeks and rivers.  Across the water you can see old rusty 1950's cars, herds of cattle and horses, and even an elk farm.  As you look into the distance all you can see is trees, mountains, and blue sky. Along the trail are work out stations put up and maintained by the Gunnison Community Schools. They range from helping you in stretching to doing chin-ups on a pull-up bar. This trail also includes a disc golf course and a mini dirt bike course as well. As awesome as this trail sounds you might have guessed that this is a busy trail, it is, but in a good way. Everyone that I have met on the trail is extremely friendly; at the very least you get a smile and a hello or good morning/afternoon. You might even get lucky and see people flying kite and model planes.

An exploration of Gunnison

Andrew Cosgrove

                After a short exploration of Gunnison and the surrounding area I found a valley that wasn’t all that different from my home in northern Colorado. Many species of animals from my hometown live in the valley, and the human population seems to be supported by similar industries to my home town.

The human community in Gunnison seems to be supported primarily by three different sources of income. The first source of income for the town seems to be ranching and farming. The town appears to act as sort of a center for surrounding ranches and farms. There also appears to be more ranches than farms.  The second strongest industry appears to tourists lured to the town by hunting and the skiing in Cresta Butte. This would account for unusually large airport for a town of the size of Gunnison. The last source of support appears to the collage. Many of the local business seem to by trying to target students and their parents. For instance many of the local apartments and houses for rent place their ads along common routs to, and are built close to, the collage. Also the location of restaurants and stores seems to be purposefully placed near the campus. This makes sense if such a large percentage of the town’s population live or works on the campus (I was told Gunnison had a population is about six thousand and the number of students is about two thousand).

                The natural community seems to be fairly different from the one I have grown accustom to back home in northern Colorado. Back home there are tall craggy peaks surrounded by pine and aspen trees. While here there are low rolling hills of sage brush. The large elk that I use to see on my early mooring drive to school back home have been replaced by smaller, faster, antelope. I also got the chance to see a large orange and pink spider that was larger than any spider I seen at home.

My Walk

Brett Nielsen

MY WALK TO THE CAFETERIA 

                                                            

While walking through an incredibly wet august morning, I notice little gooey creatures resting on concrete blocks. The smell of dew raced through my nose like a NASCAR driver at Daytona. The taste of mountain air relaxed and relieved my soul. I took two more steps and realized all the buildings look the same. Then I was lost. I noticed an ice cream cone in the clouds which drew my hunger to extreme levels. I then became relaxed and relieved until I heard the sounds of my tummy. So I looked around and realized I am still lost. But only for a second and I then read the wet signs and found the cafeteria. The grass is green and so are the trees. The air smells good and I don’t miss the city smog air. This is a small mountain town but I don’t mind it. Waiting to see how the snow is up here. I wonder about the endless adventures that I can explore. The night sky was a beautiful site when there are hardly any lights. Hikes and bike rides sound amazing but school and athletics are my first objectives. This is a perfect college town where you can experience every aspect of life. I was told it is always sunny in gunny but yet since I been up here the clouds continue to cry. 

WSCU Campus

I took a walk through the WSCU campus. If I am going to spend the next four years of my life here, I might as well make myself familiar with it, right? I closed my Facebook, put on a jacket and headed out. Unlike the majority of our walks, mine was not as beautiful as the rest. Or at least, not at first glance. There were loud, rowdy boys playing games in the grass. Music could be heard from a dorm off in the distance. And every step I took, I was nearly run over by a bike or board. As I kept walking, I caught myself thinking, "Why am I here?" That question really intrigued me. Here I am in such an amazing place and I am question why? It made no sense. I decided to continue my walk and try to find out why exactly I came here. Of course, as my walk went on, it started to rain. My first reaction was to run back to my warm, dry dorm. But something made me stop. I stood there in the rain and suddenly, all of my worries had disappeared. Soon enough, the campus was a ghost town. In the blink of an eye, it became an entirely different world, but why? What is it about a storm that could clear everyone out so quickly? Personally, I think the rain is so very beautiful. The smell is sweet and fresh, the boom of the thunder is so incredibly powerful and the flashes of lightning are just... Breathtaking. A storm can be so strong and loud but so amazingly peaceful at the same time. When we look at where we are, we need to find that peaceful place. Whether we take a walk around campus or through the city, hike a mountain or simply stroll through the rain, if you just stop for a moment and take a look around, you can see the beauty in anything. And once you find it.. the feeling is indescribable.

The Gunnison River State Wildlife Area

 I’ve been visiting Gunnison since I was just a little kid so making the decision to go to college here was only natural. I knew there were a hundred different things to do, a hundred beautiful places to be, and a hundred different things to see. It’s amazing to me that you can find them right in your backyard, too. The Gunnison River State Wildlife Area is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the University and somewhere I’ve been plenty of times, but it never ceases to amaze me. It’s definitely not hidden; it’s located right inside Char Mar Park.  Once you’re over the bridge you can choose to go one of three ways, or come back again later and do them all. To the left is a lane that lets out to the road, to the right is the beginning/end of a loop trail, and straight leads straight to the river. Half way down the straight path the trail diverges again, the trail to the right being to one that connects the loop. One of my friends and I took a walk out to the river where the sun was shining like nothing else and the wild flowers dotted the fields on either side of the trail. Telephone wires swung over our heads as bulls grazed next to the fences. It felt like a “real adventure” after we drug our feet through mud and sludge, jumping over ditches, and occasionally tripping. It’d be putting it mildly to say we shoes were soaked. The river water was cool and beautiful, one raft went by. The trail wasn’t busy but for a few fishers and the occasional runner. It’s different to see culture and nature touching on each other so closely. But beautiful to see it side by side. 

Beauty in perfection

 

 

The beauty of the mountain even as you drive up to Crested Butte from Gunnison is indescribable. Some friends and I went up on a hike up behind Crested Butte and Gothic mountain. The views and scenery that I witnessed was beyond amazing and breathtaking. As you drive up the narrow and bumpy dirt path through the mountain you can't help but stop and stare at all you see. A winding river in the valley below you and the sheer cliff face above you consume your attention. Once you get far enough up the road the car will no longer do you any good, so we park and start the hike. The air is so fresh and crisp, cleaner than anything you've ever breathed before. The same dirt road continues on through the valley, through a gorgeous glacier, and brings you up to Emerald Lake. Beautiful colorful wildflowers line the sides of the path, nothing like you’ve ever seen before. The colors that surround you just pop out from the rest of the scene and take your eye by surprise because of how bright and defined they are. No one would know that something so perfect and peaceful was hidden just between the mountains. The lake is pure and still, no need for words because no words would do it justice. It’s incredible how someone could go their whole life without seeing something like this! I can’t imagine it. My home is and will forever be Colorado and I live for the moments such as that one. There is no feeling like it, you feel so at peace and so content in that single moment. I believe the nature of Colorado is one of the most unique in the world, I mean where else can you find such beauty and perfection?

 

 

Emerald Lake

Nature and Culture in Gunnison

Nature and Culture in Gunnison

                                                                                                            Rebekah Corah

The crisp summer breeze brushed against my cheeks as I walked along the paths of the University.  Last year was the first time I had been exposed to the community of Gunnison.  On that long drive it took to get to the school I never thought Gunnison would indeed be where I would call my home.  It was just another college visit, just another tour.  I soon realized that it was much more than that.  Gunnison had charm and heart unlike any other school I looked at.

As I continued to walk along the paths I noticed a group of kids playing on a slack line in one of the many grassy fields of Western.  Other students whizzed past me on their long boards and roller skates. The sun started to tingle on my skin and the bright rays danced on the purple mountain tops.  Gunnison.  “Coldest place in Colorado”.  “Small town with nothing to do”.  I had heard these things from just about everybody I talked to at home.  Those people clearly had never spent time in Gunnison.  Those labels disguised the real treasure that Gunnison beholds.  Even in the short time that I have been in Gunnison I have experienced the amazing community and charm of the town.  I can be anywhere on campus and see the Rocky Mountains.  The enchantment of these stunning mountains set Gunnison apart from anywhere else. The knowledge of being just a few short minutes from wilderness gives me excitement and happiness. The smiling faces that continued to greet me along my walk set a positive atmosphere.  These friendly people, quaint, town, and breath taking mountains are what make Gunnison such a special place.  This town has depth and soul.  Gunnison possesses a unique feel that everyone should have the opportunity to experience.  Even just a short walk can reveal the charm and heart of the town.