Building World-Class Fun
Dramatic changes underway at Purgatory's ski village-
by Indiana Reed

Durango freelance writer Reed, who frequently covers economic development issues for area media, summarizes the changes up at the ski area and Durango Mountain Resort. Cathy Craig, broker with DMR realty, says what's going on is no less than the "renovation of the entire base village…" With a variety of villages taking shape in the resort area, numerous homes in Engineer Village and Black Bear are under construction or already complete. Further north, Boyce Lake Village, which will include a full Nordic ski center, is underway. Alpenglow condominiums and Peregrine Point-the first whole-share condominium project to be built at DMR in 20 years--are visibly well underway in the village area. And even closer to the slopes is the massive project called Purgatory Lodge, a multi-storied, mixed-use structure which will include retail, restaurant and club amenities as well as two new and different residential offerings from furnished fractionals to private penthouses.

San Juan Symphony
The Evolution of an Orchestra
by Judith L. Reynolds

Durango's San Juan Symphony is an ensemble orchestra that started out as two very small enterprises. Now a regional group serving Farmington, New Mexico as well as Durango, the San Juan Symphony has a full-time roster of 65 musicians performing under a conductor with first-rate credentials. Arthur Post arrived in Durango in 2002, a graduate of Yale University and the Juilliard School of Music. His resume is packed with high-profile positions, such as assistant conductor to Lorin Maazel (Pittsburgh Symphony, 1994-97) and associate conductor under Zubin Mehta (Israel Philharmonic, 1997-99.) Presenting four pairs of concerts this year, the symphony also mounts family and youth programs, scheduling guest soloists to visit area schools, and in the last two years, has added a series of piano recitals. This year's season is under the umbrella title Song and Dance. The season began in September, 2007, with an all-opera program that featured four local and international soloists. The winter 2008 concerts feature Gershwin and in spring, an evening of symphonic dance.

Champions:
Sven Brunso Renowned Free Skier Retires from Radical Career
By Chris Bettin

In the category of sports stars, there is none quite like Sven Brunso, as profiled by writer and friend Chris Bettin. At 37, Sven has reached the end of his career as a world-class free skier and one of the most photographed skiers in the world. He has appeared in some 2,000 published photographic images, including more than 50 magazine covers (including quite a few for Durango Magazine!). As an extreme skier, Brunso has skied "everywhere you've heard of, as well as many places you haven't" says Bettin, including Chamonix, France; Stubai, Austria; Cortina, Italy, Zermatt, Switzerland, and Portillo, Chile. Sven says he and wife Beth have chosen Durango as the best place to raise their children, Stowe and Aspen, because "Durango is a real town with a good ski mountain and some of the best backcountry in North America."

Durango-the Napa Valley of Beer
A Town of Brewerly Love
by Indiana Reed

Four award-winning and community-minded breweries are producing more than 15,000 barrels of beer in Durango each year. That's about 31 gallons (one barrel) for every man, woman and child in Durango, a city with a population of about 15,000 people. Not surprisingly, Durango's per-capita beer production is reportedly the highest in the country! The four breweries-Carver Brewing Company, Durango Brewing Company (DBC), Ska Brewing Company and Steamworks Brewing Company are called "craft" brewers, manufacturing on a smaller scale but with the emphasis on using traditional methods and ingredients to produce handcrafted, uncompromised beer, methods that have lead to numerous national and international awards for all the brewers. Says Michael Hurst, a partner at Carver's: "It's incredible that a place this small can support as many breweries as it does…we live in a community that appreciates quality craft beer."

Excursions: The Durango & Silverton train to Cascade Canyon offers a wonderland of winter, with breathtaking scenery and towering pines loaded with armloads of snow. Another winter option is the holiday Polar Express train that recreates the popular children's storybook tale written and illustrated in 1985 by Chris Van Allsburg. Other special trains include the annual New Yea's Eve Presidential, a party train offering food, drink, music and merriment.

Destinations: One backcountry skiing excursion is to Porphyry Gulch, offering virgin powder in a roadside location near the summit of Red Mountain pass. Skier, writer, and photographer Sven Brunso says experienced, well-equipped backcountry skiers will enjoy the "yo-yo" option of multiple laps in the beautiful basin.

Getaways: Day trips, adventures from your Durango base, may include visits to Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Wolf Creek or Mesa Verde. These are just a few of the destinations within 120 miles of Durango. With the entrance only 30 miles west of Durango, a stop at Mesa Verde National Park is almost a "must-do" for visitors to the area. Included in the recent bestselling book 1000 Places to See Before You Die, the national park offers winter tours of Spruce Tree House (one of the best-preserved of the 600-some cliff dwellings at the park) as well as a self-directed drive to other sites.

Top Picks: Among best bets for this upcoming winter of recommended things to see and do, are the third annual Durango Independent Film Festival in March and the Snowdown Light Parade in February.

Photography: Featuring the quiet beauty of barns, these stunning photos of winter barns by various photographers symbolize a disappearing way of life in Durango.

La Plata Local: Davin Montoya, Rancher and Renaissance Man, is profiled by writer Indiana Reed as a multi-generation rancher with a heritage that dates back to the era of Spain's explorations of the New World. Montoya was born in Durango and grew up in the area, spending much of his life on the family ranch west of Hesperus that was established by his grandfather in the early 1900s. The Montoya family includes Davin's wife of 32, years Theresa, as well as four grown sons, Michael, Ted, Cody and Jesse.

History: The No. 315 has been restored. Born in Philadelphia in 1895, the Baldwin Locomotive class 72 engine was built for the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad. The engine ran down the rails recently for the first time since 1949. George F. Niederauer, who is president of the Durango Railroad Historical Society, is writing a book on the history and restoration of the No. 315 and has summarized in this piece the devoted efforts of the people who are making it all happen.

Art: Fine Art Auction Benefits the La Plata Open Space Conservancy. An upcoming event offering an auction of donated original artwork supports efforts to preserve open space in the rural areas around Durango. The 14th annual Snowdown Wine Tasting and Fine Art Exhibit is a benefit held January 31, 2008 at the Bank of Colorado.

Dream Home: Luxury Log Home on Two Dogs Trail On a secluded, four-acre parcel in the spectacular subdivision of Two Dogs, this San Juan Structures-built log home features views of Castle Rock and the Hermosa cliffs. A single-level home with about 4,000 square feet, the especially comfortable log residence was designed by Rick Roberts and Don Ford.

Giving in Style: Spotlight to Stardom. The Concert Hall Talent Competition in May of 2007 raised funds for the concert hall. With photos of contestants, featured performers, judges, volunteers and the show's producer Indiana Reed, the department honors those who help fund the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

Giving in Style: Harvest Gala Featuring a dinner to benefit the Adaptive Sports Association, Ken & Sue's Restaurant was the site for a gala auction. Founded in 1983, ASA seeks to increase the self-esteem and well-being of people with disabilities by making outdoor activities more accessible. The group is headquartered at Durango Mountain Resort in the winter.

		Durango Magazine's Visitor & Relocation Guide for Winter/Spring 2007-08, sponsored by Durango Mountain Realty, brings you all you need to know if you are visiting this summer or if you decide to pack up and move to Durango some day. Special thanks to Jack Llewellyn the Durango Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, who invites you to explore the Durango area further on their website: www.laplatacountycolorado.org Overprinted by 10,000 copies, the special 48-page section is available through local real estate professionals as well as free in racks around town and at the ski area. The guide further offers a phone directory, an area map, a calendar of events and a complete listing of Durango's restaurants. This issue's profiled restaurant is the Mutu's Italian Kitchen, featuring works of food art by chef Rustin Newton.