Shows
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 987: Skiing 14ers & Public Lands Access - Revisited - Brittany & Frank KonsellaReturning Guests Frank and Brittany Konsella join us today to share some of their experiences skiing 14ers and also to visit about something that should be really dear to every adventure sport enthusiast; public lands access. The US Forest Service has a tough job managing our public lands with such a diversity of opinions about how the public lands should be used by enthusiasts today and by future generations. Frank and Brittany are running point in this discussion for access decisions pending near their home in Crested Butte, Colorado. If you love adventure, then it is critical to have...2023-11-3057 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 70 Caleb and Morgan Weinberg | ROMP SkisIf you spend any time skiing Crested Butte Mountain Resort at all, you've almost certainly seen ROMP skis, and probably a lot of them, in the lift lines. Brothers Morgan and Caleb Weinberg grew up in the mountains of New Hampshire doing all the things we love to do here in the Gunnison valley, like mountain biking and skiing. Both of them attended Western Colorado University, and like many Western alum, decided to stay and make a home in Crested Butte. During and shortly after the 2008 recession, they found themselves with a bit more time on their...2022-03-1445 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 69 Aaron Blunck | 2X Olympics, Gold Medal X GamesAaron Blunck was born to ski. His grandfather started the ski school here in Crested Butte, his mom was a longtime instructor, his dad loves to ski, and Aaron had to keep up with his big brother somehow, too. By 8 he and his brother were skiing on their own, equipped with cheap radios to call home in case they needed to. Aaron was always into jumps and he pretty quickly started to excel at it, especially in the halfpipe discipline. Before he knew it he was competing in the X Games and Olympics before he'd even gotten out...2021-01-2748 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 68 Corey Tibljas | Film Production and FirefightingCorey Tibljas spent most of his childhood growing up right here in Crested Butte, as one of the first graduating classes at what was then the new Community School. It was there, at the school, that he and his friend Ben Somrak decided to make a ski movie and start their company, Two Plank Productions. Thanks to the help of local film makers Matchstick Productions (see episode 26 Murray Wais), and the local TV station (see episode 46 Noah Wight), they were able to release their film to a packed house at the Center For the Arts. The duo rel...2021-01-0747 min
Crested Butte Is HomeJoe and Shamai Buckel | High Country Wine MakingShamai Buckel grew up in Southern Colorado as well as Santa Fe, New Mexico and went to Western Colorado University after a powder-filled ski trip to Crested Butte convinced her that this was the place to be. Joe Buckel's journey to the Gunnison valley from Indiana took a little longer, with a short stint in Denver. But they found each other and eventually moved to California wine country to learn more about wine making. There, they discovered "warehouse wineries", and decided that they could do the same thing here. They get their grapes in Palisade (near Grand Jun...2020-11-2654 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 66 Lucille Lucas | Dali, Art, Moroccan Craziness and moreLucille Lucas grew up in New York City, with parents that were deeply immersed in the art world. That meant that she was able to meet artists like Salvador Dali and others, and Lucille began practicing her own art at a young age as well. But a trip across the country proved to her that NYC wasn't her place- the smaller and slower life in the rural West was more her speed. She learned how to ski and backcountry ski when few people were doing it, and also lived in a teepee above Aspen, CO for a wint...2020-11-1148 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 65 Craig Hall | Crested Butte Heliskiing and Flying to Fight Forest FiresCraig Hall grew up in the Southeast Colorado town of La Junta, but often visited the Gunnison and Crested Butte area to ski and fish. After graduating with a forestry degree from Colorado State University, Craig headed to Crested Butte to ski. He was part of a small group of skiers that were heading out into the backcountry and started to learn the newly re-discovered telemark turn as the best way to access the mountains surrounding Crested Butte with the gear that was available at the time. A heliskiing company was starting, and Craig was recommended as so...2020-10-2850 min
Crested Butte Is HomeJay Prentiss | Mountaineering, Mentoring, and Long-haul CovidJay Prentiss grew up on the East coast, and like many of the other people I've interviewed, his first visit to the Gunnison Valley was as a freshman at Western Colorado University. Already an outdoor athlete, he's taken advantage of all the Crested Butte area offers- climbing, kayaking, skiing, mountain biking and more. One of those passions is mountaineering, which included a trip to North America's highest peak, Denali. It didn't get off to a particularly auspicious start, with the pilot saying "sorry" seconds before hitting the glacier. Another mountaineering trip was cut short by bad weather high on Peru...2020-10-1437 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 63 Jake O'Connor | Building a Better HandcycleJake O Connor grew up in Colorado, enjoying the outdoor lifestyle and building houses as he grew older. In his final year at CSU in Fort Collins, Jake suffered a spinal cord injury at a jobsite, but mere months later, he returned and earned his construction management degree. He went on to a successful career, even building a "floating casino" in Kansas City, which we talk about in this episode. Eventually he decided to move to Crested Butte, and not only that, he thought he could improve upon the handcycle designs of the time and build something bett...2020-09-1039 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 62 Stevie Kremer | Trailrunning Champion Across the WorldStevie Kremer was born in Germany, but moved to Connecticut with her family before she was 1 year old. Her life on the CT shore, not far from New York City, was typical- golf, tennis, etc, before heading to Colorado College in Colorado Springs. It was while attending CC that she was introduced to Crested Butte and fell in love with the place, as so many of us do. Once she arrived in Crested Butte after college, she began hiking and realized she could run instead of hiking half the time, so why not run? So she kept ru...2020-07-2333 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 61 Kyleena Falzone | Secret Stash, Travel, PhilanthropyKyleena Falzone is originally from Buffalo, New York. From a young age, she knew she wanted to work in the restaurant business, and that only intensified after a visit with relatives in Sicily, Italy, who owned a restaurant there. For several years, Kyleena would work in restaurants from Vail to the Hamptons, learning as much as she could about the business, and spending off seasons pursuing her other love- traveling to far-off locales like India. So far, she's visited roughly 90 countries across the world. When the time was right, she opened a coffee shop in Western New Yor...2020-07-0155 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 60 Derrick Nehrenberg | Mapping Brains, Mapping TrailsDerrick Nehrenberg grew up in 30 different places, although most of them were in the Southeast. After high school, he attended college for a year and sold books in the summer. He was known to drive a bit fast at his summer job, however, and therefore a judge suggested a stint in the military (and yes, it's as good of a story as it sounds). So the military it was- for 5 years. After the military, Derrick went back to college to become a behavioral neuroscientist/geneticist. He was studying mice and traits within those mice, with an ultimate goal...2020-06-1741 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 59 Jenny Stillo | Honduran Olympic Nordic Skier, and Journey of the CaminoJenny Stillo grew up in warm sunny Honduras, playing on the beach and studying in both English and Spanish at the American school. For college, she ended up at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, which was trying to attract more international students at the time. Despite the cold weather and cultural shock, Jenny liked the area and stayed after graduation as so many others do, eventually starting a family and working in Crested Butte. She began nordic skiing and it turned out she was good at it, too- placing highly in a regional race series. That's when thi...2020-06-0351 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 58 Scott Williams | Olympic Field HockeyScott Williams grew up in a number of places, including Reno, Nevada, where he used to ski. But it was when he was in Southern California during the 1984 summer Olympic games that he was introduced to field hockey, a moment that would change his life. Scott took to the sport quickly and was able to train with some of the best Americans in the sport. Field hockey, for those of you who don't know, is perhaps a bit more like soccer with a stick, than it is to ice hockey. After high school, he went to the Oly...2020-05-2046 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 57 Alan Bernholtz | LA Surf Bum - Mountain Guide - Crested Butte MayorAlan Bernholtz grew up in sunny Los Angeles, California and unsurprisingly took to surfing. Certain aspects of the surf scene didn't appeal to him however, so at 18 he packed up moved to Aspen. But Aspen never felt like the friendly community he was looking for, and a chance visit to Crested Butte convinced Alan to move here. After a few other jobs, Alan eventually began working for Jean Pavillard and Adventures to the Edge guide service. He began guiding on his own in the summer and eventually bought the guide service which was renamed Crested Butte Mountain Gui...2020-05-0654 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 56 Arvin Ramgoolam | From Miami to Townie Books owner and writerArvin Ramgoolam was born in Trinidad and Tobago- I was fairly certain that those islands are just off the coast of Venezuela, but it took a Google search to confirm it. From there, he emigrated to Miami and yet somehow, he still found his way to Crested Butte (don't worry, it's a good story that you'll hear). An opportunity to open a coffee shop with his then-girlfriend (now wife) Danica led to Rumors Coffee and Tea House. Just a couple of years later, another opportunity arrived and they took over the adjoining bookstore space and named it To...2020-04-2152 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 55 John Norton | CBMR History and TourismGunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association Executive Director John Norton grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where he played the "typical" ball sports like football. At Dartmouth College, he met his future wife, an accomplished and avid skier, so he knew he better learn how if he wanted to stick with her. Today, it's one of his favorite things to do, but he's also a jack-of-all-trades, enjoying kayaking, fishing, mountain biking and everything else we enjoy in Crested Butte. After college, John began climbing the corporate ladder in the marketing department at Proctor and Gamble. He may have stayed on tha...2020-04-0232 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 54 Andy Sovick | Ski Guidebook Publisher, Family Traveler, Green BuilderAndy Sovick grew up in the foothills West of Fort Collins, CO. He had dreams of becoming a "mountain man" when he was growing up, but instead attended Fort Lewis college in Durango, where he met his wife. After graduation, he decided to walk back to Fort Collins with skis on his back. His wife was offered a job at the old Crested Butte Academy, which is when he found (and fell in love with) Crested Butte. He worked on a number of green building projects. The green homes that he's describing are something special- if you've been...2020-03-1852 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 53 Kent Viles | Making Music and Creating the DobratoKent Viles hails from Muncie, Indiana (amazingly, my second guest from there). He grew up with an ability I've never had- the ability to play musical instruments. Like many of my guests, Kent had a love of skiing and the outdoors despite being far from mountains in the midwest. So when it came time to choose a college, he found Western Colorado University and has been in Gunnison ever since. Kent has been involved with many aspects of the music industry, as former owner of Wildwood Music, a composer for television and film, as well as wiring hou...2020-02-2641 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 52 Ian Billick | Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryIan Billick grew up in Kansas, but he was also lucky enough to be exposed to the mountains as well. While pursuing a degree in math and science, he received some great career advice and that led him to a profession that would help him spend time outside. And thanks to that, he found Gothic and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), where he is the executive director. Ian tells a great story about how RMBL started (you'd never guess the KKK was indirectly involved), and talks about some of the science that is currently happening in Go...2020-02-1240 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 51 Yon Iacchio | Sargents: An Overlooked Destination in the Gunnison ValleyYon Iacchio grew up on the East Coast like so many other residents of the Gunnison Valley. After a little bit of time at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Yon stayed and skied and climbed up and down the front range- even putting up a new climbing route in Venezuela. Recently, Yon and his wife purchased the Tomichi Creek Trading Post in Sargents. Sargents is located on the West side of Monarch Pass. One of the great things about the Gunnison valley is our access to outdoor recreation in three major mountain ranges. Crested Butte is in t...2020-01-2931 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 50 Than Acuff | Soccer Coach, Sports Reporter, and the CBACThan Acuff grew up on the East coast, skiing and playing soccer before heading West to attend Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He began visiting Crested Butte and like so many of us, knew it was the place for him. As soon as he graduated, he found himself in Crested Butte, working the typical ski bum jobs that so many of us here in Crested Butte started off with. Eventually, however, other opportunities began to present themselves. He was asked to be the soccer coach for the high school team, and was able to lead the Titans to...2020-01-1549 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 49 Ben Breslauer | The Busiest Person in the World?OK, Ben Breslauer probably isn't the busiest person in the world, but for those of us looking in, it might seem like it. Ben started and continues to run the Crested Butte Burger Company, at the base of the ski area. Additionally, he's the facilities manager for the Club at Crested Butte, with locations in both Mount Crested Butte as well as the golf course in Skyland. For most people, that would be enough. But Ben is also highly involved with local non-profits and public lands committees. He is the president of the G.O.A.T.S (G...2020-01-0142 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 48 Danny Hartigan | Skateboarding, Kayaking, Rock and Roll and RoofsGrowing up in Boston, Danny Hartigan developed a love of skateboarding as well as snowboarding. He recalls the early days of snowboarding when he had to take a test to prove he should be allowed to snowboard at "ski" areas. Snowboarding brought him west, to Western Colorado University in Gunnison. He continued to skateboard during the summer and perhaps surprisingly, Colorado is home to a thriving skating scene thanks to parks like the ones found in Crested Butte and Gunnison. It's even possible that the Big Mine park (one of the earliest in CO) in Crested Butte will...2019-12-1853 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 47 Debra Callihan | Saving Animals in the Gunnison ValleyDebra Callihan has deep roots here in the Gunnison Valley. She was born here while her father was at Western Colorado University, which Debra also attended. Even when her husband was Colorado's Lieutenant Governor, they tried to spend as much time as they could here, rather than in Denver. Don't worry- we don't talk about politics too much, though we did discuss it a little bit. Debra is perhaps most well known for her involvement with local animal rescue groups. She helped keep what is now know as the Gunnison Valley Animal Welfare League (GVAWL) going back in t...2019-12-0443 min
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 590: Skiing ALL the Colorado 14ers - Part 2 - Brittany & Frank KonsellaOriginally aired October 30, 2015 And you thought that climbing all the Colorado 14ers was crazy! Brittany and Frank Konsella actually climbed and SKIED all the Colorado 14ers. Yes, it is just as radical and fun as it sounds. Mountaineering. Extreme skiing. Winter at its very best! The snow is starting to pile up on the peaks! It is time to think about snow! www.14erskiers.com Facebook: @14erskierscom Try CS Instant Coffee for 50% off your first order for the months of September and October only! Go to csinstant.coffee and use the code "ADVEN...2019-11-2139 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 46 Noah Wight | Crested Butte TelevisionNoah Wight is my guest on this episode of the Crested Butte is Home podcast. Noah spent some of his youth at the hippy hamlet of Ward, located west of Boulder, Colorado, before moving to the East coast. He eventually made his way back to the University of Colorado and eventually Crested Butte. Noah has been the owner of Crested Butte's television station, CBTV10, for many years. Many people will recognize him from his daily weather forecasts for the Gunnison and Crested Butte area. We talk about the logistics of running a TV station, as well as the...2019-11-2044 min
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 588: Skiing ALL the Colorado 14ers - Part 1 - Brittany & Frank KonsellaOriginally aired October 28, 2015 And you thought that climbing all the Colorado 14ers was crazy! Brittany and Frank Konsella actually climbed and SKIED all the Colorado 14ers. Yes, it is just as radical and fun as it sounds. Mountaineering. Extreme skiing. Winter at its very best! The snow is starting to pile up on the peaks! It is time to think about snow! www.14erskiers.com Facebook: @14erskierscom Photo credit here Try CS Instant Coffee for 50% off your first order for the months of September and October only! Go to csinstant...2019-11-1438 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 45 Frank Konsella | The Host Is Interviewed The tables are turned on this week's episode, with Frank Konsella becoming the interviewee rather than the interviewer. We start off talking about where I grew up, in the foothills above Golden, CO. Like many of my guests, I grew up ski racing at Winter Park, so when it came time to find a place to live, I naturally chose somewhere with great skiing- Crested Butte. Skiing has always been a big part of my life, so of course we talk about all the layers of skiing that I've been involved with- from competing in Big Mountain eve...2019-11-0844 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 44 Stephanie Ballard | Interiors you can CovetGrowing up in the midwest, Stephanie Ballard jokingly described her favorite pastime as "picking tar out of potholes with sticks". All kidding aside, she actually had a talent for volleyball and went to school in Charleston, South Carolina. Her dream of being an interior designer was on hold for a little while after college, while she successfully followed other career options. Eventually she made her way to southern California, took a pay cut, and began what she calls an apprenticeship in interior design. Her career got a boost when Hollywood called and she appeared on interior design sho...2019-10-2336 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 43 Tanith Martinez | Born to Fly Tanith Martinez grew up at the Orvis Hot Springs between Ridgway and Ouray, Colorado. On a trip to Alaska, she watched a pilot land a bushplane nearby and decided that's what she wanted to do. After high school, she immediately started working towards getting her pilot's license at Northwest Colorado Community College. By the time she was finishing her undergraduate education at Metro State College of Denver, she was already teaching other aspiring pilots how to fly. After teaching for several years up and down the front range, Tanith and her family made the move to w...2019-10-0934 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 42 Eric Larsen | North Pole, South Pole, and Exploring Eric Larsen grew up in Wisconsin, where he loved to be outside and come up with his own adventures in his backyard. That desire to be outside and explore has continued to this day. Eric is a professional explorer, and has led trips to the North Pole, South Pole, Mount Everest, Greenland and more. Eric continues to come up with new ways of exploring. As one example, he's been doing mini "state adventures", where he comes up with a cool adventure in each state. We talk about what goes into planning these big expeditions, as well...2019-09-2540 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 41 Wendy Fisher | Big Mountain Freeskier and Olympian Wendy Fisher grew up skiing in Northern California with her family and quickly learned to love the sport. She began racing and excelled at it- so much so that she ended up at Burke Mountain Ski Academy in Vermont and the U.S. Ski Team. In 1991 she won the overall title at the U.S National Alpine Championships right here in Crested Butte. The following year, she qualified for the Olympics in Albertville France, though a training run crash kept her from competing. In this episode, we talk about all of those accomplishments, followed by what...2019-09-111h 02
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 40 Brittany Konsella | 14er Skiing, Mountain Biking Every Trail, Surviving Severe Injuries Brittany Konsella is one of the Crested Butte area's most accomplished athletes, and I probably could have done multiple episodes with her, rather than jamming it all into one episode. She's also a big fan of setting goals, and we talk about many of them in this interview. She is one of just two women to climb and ski all of Colorado's 14,000' peaks, aka the 14ers. She accomplished this several years ago, and even today only twenty people or so have skied all the fourteeners. On the bike, she became the first person male or fem...2019-08-2839 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 39 Randy Felix | Search and Rescue, Firefighting, Rigging Ropes in High PlacesRandy Felix has held a number of fascinating jobs over the years. An interest in climbing led to several years of "rigging" ropes. One example of rigging would be safely placing chainlink fence over a cliff that threatens a highway below. He also traveled the world setting up the ropes for adventure races, connecting desert towers with ropes for the racers, or a rappel next to /Telluride's famous Bridal Veil falls, as two examples. He also began fighting wildfires in Oregon after seeing a help wanted sign. That led to a career as a firefighter including many years...2019-08-1451 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 38 Brian Riepe | Mountain Flyer MTB Magazine Brian Riepe starting racing mountain bikes professionally back in the early days of MTB racing. Once his career in MTB racing started to end in the late 1990's, he managed Colorado Boomerangs, which produced boomerangs in Gunnison. There aren't a lot of manufacturing jobs in this area, but that was one of them. He also competed in endurance horse racing- backcountry horse racing events with required pit stops that frequently lasted 6 hours or more. But mountain biking remained a passion. With some knowledge of the printing business, he began publishing Mountain Flyer magazine. Mountain Flyer covere...2019-07-311h 07
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 37 Gary Pierson | Western Colorado University Gary Pierson grew up in the Southeast corner of Colorado in the town of Lamar. Lamar isn't in the mountains, so Gary grew up doing the things that kids in that part of the state (along with neighboring Kansas and Oklahoma) do, like football. It wasn't until college, at Adams State in Alamosa, that he began participating in mountain sports like mountain biking and skiing, but he quickly fell in love with the freedom of those sports. His career in college administration took him to several college towns including the midwest, so when the opportunity to...2019-07-0347 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 36 Deadhead Ed | The Original Grateful Dead Ski Bum With a name like "Deadhead Ed", it should come as no surprise that Ed Boardman is a big fan of the Grateful Dead. He saw literally 100's of shows when the Grateful Dead were still touring prior to Jerry Garcia's passing. And he continues to see shows that "spun off" from the band, such as "Dead and Company", "Phil and Friends", etc. He also became a "taper", meaning he would record the shows that he was attending in the audience. Grateful Dead fans the world over eagerly trade live tape recordings of the shows. This experience had a prac...2019-06-1946 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 35 David Scheefer | All the mountain things David Scheefer grew up in the shadows of the Olympic venues of Lake Placid, New York. Not surprisingly, that meant that he participated in all types of winter sports, including nordic skiing, alpine skiing, skating, bobsled, and if you were a kid in Lake Placed and had the guts, you could even do the Nordic ski jump. David attended Western State College (as it was then known) in Gunnison, and never left. He spent much of his time living in the Quartz creek town of Ohio City, which had a famous high-end restaurant at one ti...2019-06-0552 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 34 Will Shoemaker | Gunnison Country TimesWill Shoemaker grew up in the midwest, but despite that, his parents were avid skiers so he grew up with a passion for skiing and the outdoors, like so many of us here in Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley. Thanks to that passion, Will chose to attend Western Colorado University and became interested in journalism. Following an internship at the Gunnison Country Times, he eventually stayed on and is now the editor of Gunnison's local newspaper. In this episode, Will and I discussed the challenges of journalism in today's digital age. While large metro newspapers struggle to...2019-05-2248 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 33 Ciera Freson | Ski Racing and Wedding Planning Ciera Freson was recruited out of her home state of Washington to ski race at Western State College (at is was then known). While she hadn't even visited Gunnison before arriving for her first fall semester, she quickly fell in love with the school and the area. After graduation, Ciera stayed on at Western State in the admissions department, recruiting other students to her alma mater. Ski racing remained in her blood, however, so today she is the coach of the alpine racing program at Western Colorado University (as it is now known). After she marr...2019-05-0839 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 32 Renee "Crash" Newton | Fireweed Fermented FoodsRenee "Crash" Newton grew up in the Southeast and arrived in the Gunnison Valley as a mountain neophyte. Like so many others, however, she quickly found her place here and took up all the mountain sports- while also bringing a piece of home with her: roller derby, where she got her nickname "Crash". With her college background in both biology and chemistry, Renee stumbled into a perfect job that used that knowledge, distilling rum at Montanya Distillers (see episode 20 of the Crested Butte is Home Podcast). Recently, Renee went off on her own to start her company F...2019-04-2438 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 31 Deuce Wynes | Life of a Hockey PlayerDeuce Wynes grew up in the "state of hockey", Minnesota. Like so many other Minnesota kids, that meant that Deuce began playing hockey at an early age. High school games were attended by thousands of spectators. Deuce didn't end his hockey career there, however, and instead took his talents to Division 1 schools including Illinois-Chicago and Lake Superior State, which was just coming off a national championship season. Post college, Deuce got an invite to tryout for the pro hockey team in El Paso Texas- not exactly the same hockey hotbed that Minnesota is, but with passionate fans non...2019-04-1049 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 30 Turner Petersen | Growing up Crested Buttian Turner Petersen is one of those few lucky souls who actually grew up right here in Crested Butte. While other guests on the podcast can say the same, Turner is the first guest that graduated from the Crested Butte Community School- just last year. (Prior to the late 90's, Crested Butte kids had to go to Gunnison for high school). Now going to college in Utah, Turner talks about growing up in Crested Butte, and what it means to him now that he is no longer here. While many of Turner's peers needed to leave Cre...2019-03-2741 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 29 Ben Morello | Building Ski Lifts and Ski InstructionLike many locals, Ben Morello grew up skiing in the East coast- in this case, the Poconos of Pennsylvania. He started teaching skiing as a teenager- something he's continued to do for the past 25 years here in Crested Butte. He also picked up telemark skiing, the freeheel form of skiing that may not be as popular as it once was, but still has diehard fans, including Ben. In fact, Ben won the 2008 US Telemark Freeskiing Championships. Ben's life still revolves around skiing in the summer, just in a different way. Come summertime, he builds lifts throughout the west...2019-03-1343 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 28 Sean Crossen | Skiing and Surviving an Avalanche AccidentSean Crossen grew up on the East Coast as a ski racer. After graduating from Green Mountain Valley School in Vermont, Sean made his way to Gunnison to attend Western State College (as it was then known). Sean quit racing, but continued to ski and entered some of the first US Extreme Skiing Championships in the early 90's. By the early 2000's, Sean became an early pioneer of skiing Colorado's "Fourteeners", the 54 peaks that stand over 14,000' tall. Sean used his art degree and had an art studio for a short time, though the majority of his incom...2019-02-2045 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 27 Ali Fuchs | Fat Biking and Bicycle HeavenAli Fuchs grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where she was lucky enough to have a friend who regularly visited Crested Butte with family. Those early trips gave Ali an early appreciation of Crested Butte, and after college and a few years chasing a career in California, she came home to Crested Butte. Ali spent the next few years learning how to mountain bike while working in typical ski town jobs, like painting houses and working in restaurant kitchens. As the years passed, she dreamed of opening her own bike shop and eventually did- Big Al's Bicycle Heaven, now located on...2019-02-0651 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 26 Murray Wais | Matchstick Productions The year was 1993, and the movie was "Soul Sessions and Epic Impressions". Thus began the career of Murray Wais and his business partner Steve Winter and their fledgling company, Matchstick Productions (MSP). Every year since then, the Crested Butte based film company wows crowds across North America and beyond, and has grown into one of the most popular action sports film producers in the world. Crested Butte is often shown prominently in their films- from a then unknown Seth Morrison jumping all of the Edge in their first film, to Crested Butte native and two tim...2019-01-2350 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 25 Pat O'Neill | Every Grand Traverse | Teaching in CB Over twenty five years ago, Pat O'Neill got the call he was hoping for and began his career as a teacher in Crested Butte. Over that time, he's been able to watch the school grow from the small location where the town offices are now located, to the much larger K-12 school on the edge of town. Not only has the school grown, it's also become one of the highest rated schools in Colorado, public or private. We discuss the reasons for that success, as well as some of his favorite books from his English classes. Wh...2019-01-0946 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 24 Ben Eaton | Paragliding and BlacksmithingLike many other Crested Buttians, Ben Eaton is an East coast transplant, originally from the small ski town of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Ben grew up ski racing before attending St. Lawrence University in upstate New York to study art. After college, he found his way to Vail, both to coach ski racing and to further his knowledge of working with metal, aka blacksmithing. One thing led to another and he found himself in Crested Butte, and working as a full-time Blacksmith making decorative door handles, fireplaces, etc, as well as his own artwork. Later, while spending tim...2018-12-2746 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 23 | Carrie Jo Chernoff | Synergy Athlete Carrie Jo Chernoff Hicks has a great story to tell, and I'm so glad she was able to join me for this episode. Originally from Maryland, Carrie Jo grew up loving karate, but then she didn't... Instead of giving it up, she stuck with it, however, eventually earning a black belt. That experience taught her many life lessons that stayed with her, even today. Once Carrie Jo moved to the Crested Butte area, she took up outdoor sports like so many of us have. In Mountain Biking, she took on the Montezuma's Revenge race- a 24 hour...2018-12-1242 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 22 | Krista Powers | Vermont Sticky and ICELabKrista Powers moved from Vermont to Crested Butte in the late 90's- but that doesn't mean she forgot her Vermont roots. Those roots include maple syrup production starting back with "Grandpa Archie" back in 1959. Recently, Krista has taken that small business to new levels with her company Vermont Sticky, that can be found in many local establishments throughout the Gunnison Valley. During a Grand Traverse Ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen, Krista also started to think about making energy gels and energy powdered drinks with maple syrup. She talks about those products and even lets us in on a pr...2018-11-2838 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 21 | Andy Eflin | Ski Area Founding FamilyAndy Eflin was born in Crested Butte the same year the ski area started- 1961. His dad, Dick Eflin, started the resort, along with Fred Rice. Class sizes were just a bit smaller back then- Andy had only one other kid his age and eventually he attended school in Gunnison, as kids did through the 1990's. After time in Durango and Steamboat, Andy returned and opened Eflin sports which he ran along with his father. Eflin Sports was eventually purchased and renamed Peak Sports- a Vail-owned business. Quite literally, Andy was able to share his thoughts on Crested Butte transitioning from...2018-11-1449 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 20 | Karen Hoskin | Montanya RumKaren Hoskin can be described as a serial entrepreneur, having started a number of businesses over the years. She is perhaps best known for Montanya Distillers, however, which produces craft rum right here in Crested Butte. The tasting room, located in the heart of Crested Butte across the street from the post office, has become one of Crested Butte's go-to visits for small plates and a delicious rum cocktail. In this podcast episode, Karen and I discussed her business endeavors, the process of making rum in the Colorado mountains, and making the move from Silverton, where Montanya's originally started. We a...2018-10-3144 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 19 | Johnny Biggers- From Oz to CB in the 70's Johnny Biggers moved to Gunnison to attend Western State College in 1979. (The college has since been renamed Western Colorado University) What makes his story unique is that he grew up halfway across the world in Australia, but his love of skiing, along with a magazine article, brought him to the mountains of Colorado. After his plane landed, the first thing he did was hitchhike up to Crested Butte to see the ski area, which he has now called home for nearly 40 years. Johnny quickly realized that the ski patrol got to ski a lot- so he started patro...2018-10-1748 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 18 | Ben Pritchett Avalanche ForecastingBen Pritchett grew up, well, everywhere. Somehow, he still developed a love of outdorr sports like mountain biking and skiing. Eventually finding himself in the Gunnison Valley, Ben attended Western State College (now known as Western Colorado University). One day, he decided he should stay home and study rather than go backcountry skiing with his friends. Sadly, his friends had a fatal avalanche accident that day, which sent Ben down a path of learning as much as he could about avalanches. Ben began working with the local Crested Butte Avalanche Center (CBAC), then switched to the statewide Co...2018-10-0441 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 17 | Tim Poppe Mountain Town PhysioTim Poppe originally hails from Houston Texas, as do so many of our residents and visitors. After a move to Denver further shaped his love of outdoor sports, Tim was able to relocate to Crested Butte. Tim is a physical therapist, so on the one hand you hope you'll never meet him. If you do need physical therapy, however, you'll probably get to know him well, and thankfully he's a pretty good guy. We discuss his own [long!] laundry list of personal injuries, and his favorite activities in Crested Butte, which has grown to include sports that are...2018-09-1940 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 16 Maddie Rehn | Gunnison Public Lands Maddie Rehn is a rarity in Crested Butte- she grew up in the mountains of Colorado. Spending time in the Colorado Outdoors gave Maddie a love for our public lands, and now she works to protect our public lands. 78% of Gunnison County is public land, and it's the reason why so many of us live here- to ski, bike, hike, snowmobile, hunt and more. Public lands are literally our backyard, and it's important that we protect it, while also continuing to enjoy it. The Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI), which Maddie coordinates, is a coalition of d...2018-09-0540 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 15 Tim Kugler | Gunnison Trails Tim Kugler grew up in Northern Virginia and developed a love for mountains and mountainbiking in college there. After some time in California and elsewhere, a roadtrip led Tim to Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley. Tim furthered his education here at Western State Colorado University, with a Master's degree, and landed what many would consider a dream job as executive director of Gunnison Trails. Gunnison Trails is the Gunnison equivalent of the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association, so their mission is to maintain and build new trails in the Gunnison area, especially at Hartman Rocks...2018-08-2241 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 14 "Big Air Barb" Peters | Early "Extreme" Comps and the RendezvousBarb Peters grew up in 1980's Crested Butte- a place far different than the Crested Butte of today. And yet in some ways, it wasn't that different- the kids of those times grew up as athletes just as many do today. Because of that, Barb competed in the first US Extreme Skiing Championships and quickly earned her nickname- Big Air Barb. In one of the most memorable moments of that competition that still exists today, Barb dislodged a huge car-sized chunk of snow which tumbled down the slope behind her towards the spectators at the bottom of the "Big Hou...2018-08-0840 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 13 Cooper Ott| Enduro Mountain Bike RacingAnother midwesterner now calling Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley home, Cooper Ott has been dominating the professional Enduro mountain bike racing circuit for the past couple of years. Enduro racing requires the stamina to make it up to the top of the trails, but the timing doesn't really start until the downhill- so in some ways it's a mix of downhill racing and cross country racing. Cooper is also a coach with the local Devo team, teaching the next generation of riders the skills that she's picked up and have helped her excel at racing. Just to top it...2018-07-2734 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 12 Tara Tafi | Mine ReclamationHailing from Pennsylvania, Tara Tafi moved west for college and eventually put down roots in Crested Butte. Today, she works for the state of Colorado, travelling to mines across the western half of the state, developing plans for their reclamation. Colorado is a state born from mining, and Crested Butte is a former coal mining town (not a hard rock mining town like Telluride or Aspen, which is why we've always been different). So many of the roads and trails that we all hike, bike, and drive on owe their existence to the old mining days. Those mines, however, wer...2018-07-1245 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 11 Mary Boddington | Talk of the TownChances are, you've run into Mary Boddington somewhere in Crested Butte. Perhaps you've seen her snowboarding down Crested Butte Mountain Resort, or maybe she's poured you a drink at her bar, the Talk of The Town. In episode 11, Mary and I talk about her childhood in Colorado Springs, riding horses, skateboarding, and learning to snowboard. Her competitive snowboarding career took her from victories in Crested Butte to biggest mountains of Europe. Today, however, she is the new owner of the Talk of the Town bar in Crested Butte, a fixture in town that everyone's been to at least once- and...2018-06-2734 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 10 Dave Nornes | Irwin BrewingWhat could be better than an episode about beer! Dave Nornes has been brewing for over twenty years, and his talents have taken him to Crested Butte's Irwin Brewing company, which opened in early 2017. We talk about Dave's start as a brewmaster in Colorado Springs, a brewing hiatus in British Columbia, and his return to Crested Butte. We recorded this episode onsite, and the new brewery is a beautiful facility, but more importantly it's brewing some great beer. I'd recommend the stout, among others. We discuss the brewing process, some of Dave's favorite styles, and some of the new brews...2018-06-2134 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 9 JC Leacock | Landscape PhotographyJ.C. Leacock is one of the most well-known landscape photographers in Crested Butte. With a career that began in 1988, J.C. built a business and a following by capturing some of the most well-known scenes from Crested Butte. In this episode, we talked a lot about the changes in professional photography thanks to the digital revolution. The barriers to entry may be smaller today, but it's harder to become recognized with so much quality imagery in the marketplace. Moving beyond photography, JC and I discuss another hobby of his- building guitars from scratch. If you have an interest in ph...2018-06-1434 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 8 Steve Banks | Mountain GuideSteve Banks is an IFMGA mountain guide based right here in Crested Butte, CO. Steve's IFMGA certification means he can (and does!) guide across the globe, and he guides all the different disciplines including ski mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, and more. Learn more about Steve's childhood growing up in an active outdoors family (indeed, his brother is also a guide) that led him to becoming a guide. Wondering about skiing in Iceland? Japan? Chamonix? What it takes to become a guide? - then listen up, this is one episode you won't want to miss. You...2018-06-0842 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 7 Pat Rauch | Shed Hunting and Combat TuningPat Rauch grew up at the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, between Crested Butte and Gunnison. We discuss what it was like growing up there, and how things have changed over his lifetime. Pat's passion is shed hunting, which is searching for deer and elk antlers for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term. We spend a lot of time discussing that topic, as well as the new rules which limit when you can search for antlers in Colorado. Finally, we discuss ski and bike tuning- Pat has worked as a ski and bike tech for over 25 years at C...2018-06-0136 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 6 Bart Laemmel | Forensic CarpenterBart Laemmel has a lifetime of experience in the science of building homes and businesses. Years of seeing buildings fail took him to where he is now- a "forensic carpenter" hired to fix buildings that have moisture, energy, and other problems. Bart works with builders throughout the Crested Butte and Gunnison area, consulting them on proper building techniques, in addition to working with homeowners. If your home seems particularly drafty, or you're worried you might have a problem with mold or another health concern, Bart is the person you should give a call. We spend a lot of time in t...2018-05-2945 minCrested Butte Is HomeEp. 5 Danielle Riesz Gutter | Pastry Chef ExtraordinaireDanielle Riesz Gutter leads a sweet life- literally. As the owner and head pastry chef at Wildflour Sweets, her days are spent making the most delicious treats you'll ever experience. And her wedding cakes- they are as beautiful as they are delectable. In this podcast episode, Danielle describes her lifelong career as a pastry chef, as she traveled from upstate New York to Jackson Hole, Dallas, and Aspen before finally hitting the sweet spot of Crested Butte. Has a bear ever broken into her car and eaten an important wedding cake? You'll have to listen to find out. 2018-05-2424 minCrested Butte Is HomeEp. 4 Ben Furimsky | Fly Fishing the WorldBen Furimsky lives and breathes fly fishing. From his home in Crested Butte, he organizes several fly fishing conventions from coast to coast. He's traveled the world, casting his flies for exotic fish on almost every continent, but he still comes home to his local streams and rivers in the Crested Butte and Gunnison area. In this episode we talk about the ones that got away, why he loves to tie his own flies, his favorite places to fish in the Gunnison Valley, and what it's like to run big conventions from Crested Butte. Crested Butte Real Est...2018-05-2125 minCrested Butte Is HomeEp. 3 Dave Ochs | Crested Butte Mountain Bike AssociationDave Ochs is the executive director of the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association (CBMBA), the "oldest mountain bike club on the planet". His infectious energy and passion for all things mountain biking are a tremendous asset for our community. We talk about CBMBA's plans for this summer, but more importantly their long term goals and involvement with the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative. One unique aspect of CBMBA is their stewardship of our public lands, particularly with the Crested Butte Conservation Corps, which not only works on the trails but also hauls trash and sadly, a whole lot of poop, out...2018-05-1634 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 2 Mike Arbaney | Structural Engineering and Restoring Old CarsMike Arbaney is a Crested Butte fixture. Chances are, you've seen him out on the slopes, or out on the trails. At the very least, you've probably been in a home or a hotel that he had a hand in engineering. When he isn't busy at work as a structural engineer, he's probably taking apart an old car, trying to make it work again- or driving it on the streets of Crested Butte now that it's running again. Finally, if you've seen a skiing cookie monster or a box of Franzia wine skiing down the North Face, you've almost...2018-05-1427 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 1 Neil Beltchenko | Bikepacking and long-distance MTB racingNeil Beltchenko started mountain biking and quickly realized he had both an aptitude and a passion for bikepacking and long distance mountain bike races, such as the Colorado trail race, the Arizona trail race, the Highland Trail 550 in Scotland, the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350 in Alaska (in winter!) and the granddaddy of them all, the Tour Divide from Banff to Mexico along the Continental Divide. Learn more about bikepacking, Neil's favorite trails and routes in Crested Butte, and what he loves most about living in Crested Butte. Crested Butte Real Estate: In this episodes C...2018-05-1031 min
Crested Butte Is HomeEp. 0: Welcome to Crested Butte is Home with Frank KonsellaWelcome to Crested Butte is Home. This episode is a brief intro to the podcast, introducing the host, Frank Konsella, who I'm looking forward to interviewing, and why I'm so excited to be starting the Crested Butte is Home podcast. Stay tuned for more episodes exploring the mountain lifestyle and amazing community of Crested Butte, CO. For more information visit crestedbutterealestateagent.com2018-05-0802 min
Totally Deep Backcountry Skiing PodcastEpisode 40: Brittany and Frank Konsella.On Episode 40 of Totally Deep Podcast, Doug Stenclik and Randy Young of www.cripplecreekbc.com bring you the lowdown on the world of uphill and backcountry skiing and boarding. Gear, technique, fashion, jargon, guests, and assorted spray from two guys who know how to earn it in the backcountry. The world's best backcountry skiing podcast. More info about TDP at Totally Deep Podcast Blog on Cripplecreekbc.com On Episode 40 of Totally Deep Podcast: 1. The Crested Butte/Aspen Connection. 2. Brittany and Frank Konsella of 14erskiers.com. 3. Skiing Capitol Peak. 2017-12-081h 05
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 326: Backcountry Skiing & Access - Brittany and Frank KonsellaFrank and Brittany Konsella are back to share their new book with us and talk about skiing the high peaks of the backcountry. Get ready for some more winter adventure inspiration! Book: Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: Colorado https://14erskiers.com/blog/backcountry-ski-snowboard-routes-colorado https://www.facebook.com/pg/14erskiers Be sure to take advantage of your ASP discount of 15% at http://www.Action-Heat.com/adventure ActionHeat makes battery-operated heated clothing that will keep you warm and toasty! Coupon Code: adventureSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donations...2017-11-271h 00
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 310: The Adventures of Mountain Biking - Brittany & Frank KonsellaBrittany and Frank Konsella are back to talk about the beauty of mountain biking. If you are into mountain biking or have had the desire to pick it up as your next adventure sport, you won't want to miss this one. So sit back, relax and enjoy some MTB! www.14erskiers.com/blog/crested-butte-mountain-bike-guide CBG Trail Quest App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.gomaps.cbgtrailsmap Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPriva...2017-10-0256 min
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 248: Skiing 14ers & Public Lands Access - Frank & Brittany KonsellaReturning Guests Frank and Brittany Konsella join us today to share some of their experiences skiing 14ers and also to visit about something that should be really dear to every adventure sport enthusiast; public lands access. The US Forest Service has a tough job managing our public lands with such a diversity of opinions about how the public lands should be used by enthusiasts today and by future generations. Frank and Brittany are running point in this discussion for access decisions pending near their home in Crested Butte, Colorado. If you love adventure, then it is critical to have...2017-02-2754 min
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 107: Skiing ALL the Colorado 14ers - Brittany & Frank Konsella Part 2Part 2 of Skiing the Colorado 14ers. Brittany and Frank Konsella climbed and SKIED all the Colorado 14ers. Yes, it is just as radical and fun as it sounds. Mountaineering. Extreme skiing. Be sure to listen to Part 1 and then dive into this one. Big mountain skiing. Right on!
Please help us get the word out by telling your friends.
www.14erskiers.comwww.facebook.com/14erskierscom-340696806539/
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/pr2015-10-3040 min
Adventure Sports PodcastEp. 106: Skiing ALL the Colorado 14ers - Brittany & Frank KonsellaAnd you thought that climbing all the Colorado 14ers was fun! Check this out. Brittany and Frank Konsella climbed and SKIED all the Colorado 14ers. Yes, it is just as radical and fun as it sounds. Mountaineering. Extreme skiing. Winter at its very best! The snow is starting to pile up on the peaks! It is time to think snow!
www.14erskiers.comwww.facebook.com/14erskierscom-340696806539/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy2015-10-2838 min