Mircea Oprea and Christopher Wheatley recording Roaring Fork Mountain Air in Basalt Regional Library
Roaring Fork Mountain Air with Christopher & Mircea
S:1 E:3Date: Dec 26, 2025
Please join Mircea Oprea and Christopher Wheatley on Roaring Fork Mountain Air as they discuss where we talk about Christmas and Holiday happenings, local history and entertainment 'goings on' in the Roaring Fork Valley such as at the Wheeler Opera House, ConsensualImprov, TACAW, Belly Up, Aspen as well as playing disc golf, enjoying the local hot springs, Wheatley's holiday memories, the Unpopular Idea of the Week (hint it is about banning Christmas as a federal holiday) and finally a message of hope about old leaching minds in the Valley and surrounding area.
Listen On the Following Podcasting Links
Roaring Fork Mountain Air - Third Episode 103 (text version)
Roaring Fork Mountain Air - with Christopher Wheatley and Mircea Oprea
AIR DATE: Dec 26, 2025
[MUSIC: INTRO]
CHRISTOPHER: Hello, this is Christopher Wheatley
MIRCEA: . . . and Mircea Oprea,
CHRISTOPHER: . . . hosts of Roaring Fort Mountain Air, a positive, forward-thinking podcast for the good people of the Roaring Fort River Valley in Colorado
MIRCEA: . . . and beyond.
CHRISTOPHER: We have a great show in store for you today. We're going to talk about Christmas and holiday happenings, History and entertainment in the Roaring Fork Valley, disc golf and hot springs, Wheatley's holiday memories, unpopular idea of the week, banning Christmas as a federal holiday, and a message of hope about old leaching minds.
MIRCEA: So, sit back and join us as we present to you our third episode of Roaring Fork Mountain Air with Christopher and Mircea.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And welcome back. Christopher, did you have a good week? Anything interesting like local event that you went to or dining out experience that you'd like to share with the audience?
CHRISTOPHER: Well, yes. In fact, I did. My wife Debbie and I had a wonderful Friday dinner and a show date night. We started at Mezzaluna at Willett's where we enjoyed a wood-fired handmade pizza and "Frutti di Mare", which is probably a horribly pronounced Italian phrase, fruit of the sea, which was a whole bunch of different seafood on some great pasta. Then we plugged our Chevrolet Bolt 2020. We've named it Usain, plugged it into for the evening, and then entered the Arts Center at Willets or TACAW for a sold-out performance from the Consensual Improvisation Company. We laughed throughout their skits, their videos, the improv games, It was a wonderful evening of comedy, and it was, it seemed like it lasted like 20 minutes, but apparently it was 2 hours. And we even got to leave with a t-shirt. How about you, Mircea, what'd you get up to?
MIRCEA: Just really quick. So, you just, did you walk from the restaurant to the TACAW or did you?
CHRISTOPHER: Well, no.
MIRCEA: Because it's close, right?
CHRISTOPHER: It's very close and we could have, but we pulled out of the restaurant and drove the car pretty much around the block to a couple of charge stations. Oh, nice. They're right behind The Art Center at Willets. And so, it was also really nice to come out after a wonderful night of comedy and have your car fully charged.
MIRCEA: Wow, that's great. So, dinner, movie and a car charge. Oh, dinner and a theater.
CHRISTOPHER: Dinner in a theater. Yes. Very nice.
MIRCEA: So, I had a great week. This past week I had the lucky opportunity to attend two performances. Yes, I said two at the Wheeler Opera House. The first performance was RY X concert on December 19th at the Wheeler Opera House. The performance was presented by Buckhorn Public Arts. If you haven't heard of Buckhorn Public Arts, they are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to making art happen. They're located on Mill Street and Aspen near the Roaring Fork River, as I understand it.
I have to admit, I was unaware of who RY X was and what style of music he was playing, so I watched a few of his music videos before going to the concert and wow, am I ever grateful for having the chance to see him live at the Wheeler and apparently one of the last few live concerts before he takes a year off touring to spend more time with his family.
For our listeners who don't know who Ry X is, His real name is Ry Cuming. He is an Australian singer-songwriter and producer known for his, and I quote, "ethereal voice and blend of folk and electronic music." Apparently, he first released his music under his given name, then later adopted the RY X moniker for his acclaimed EPs like Berlin and albums such as Dawn.
For the solo concert at the Wheeler Opera House, he said that he had just flown 36 hours from South Africa, only to get to Aspen a couple of days before. Despite any exhaustion he might have been experiencing, however, he put on a great solo concert accompanied with pre-recorded looping synth tracks and real orchestra tracks backing up his guitar playing, both electric and acoustic. The Wheeler Opera House website describes his playing accurately when they said, "RY X's music is best described as hauntingly beautiful, ethereal, and an intimate, blending of ambient folk, indie-folk, and subtle electronic elements, characterized by his distinctive, falsetto vocals, sparse acoustic arrangements (guitar/piano), and deep, introspective lyrics exploring nature, connection, and the human condition." That’s a mouthful huh. "It's often compared to Bon Iver or Jeff Buckley, creating spacious, emotionally charged soundscapes that feel both vast and deeply personal."
It was a great performance. He even stopped in the middle to answer some questions from the audience for about twenty minutes. It was an experience that I haven't had in a concert like that. It was very good, very, very personal.
And then the second performance that I had the opportunity to attend was a wonderfully fun Aspen for the Holidays, a Wheeler original on Sunday, December 21st from 5 to 7 PM. This was the first of hopefully many Wheeler Opera House productions and featured so many short performances by groups and soloists that I was surprised it didn't go over 2 hours and included a 15-minute intermission, about 23 different acts and performers from solo artists to groups.
The Consensual Improv group started it all off with their funny and apparently accurate spoof song about Aspen living called Aspeniva. They were then followed up by William H. Macy "call me Bill" playing ukulele and singing his funny song about Basalt that was also called "Basalt". He was accompanied by singers Peg O'Brien and Dana Underwood. Other artists included James Horowitz, piano, Jimmy Bolden, vocals, and Jonathan Ballou, bass. Did I say that right, Chris?
CHRISTOPHER: I think it's close.
MIRCEA: Playing and singing "Almost Like Being in Love" and "Winter Wonderland".
There was also a performance from the Crystal Palace Players of "Text Me Merry Christmas", David Dyer on piano, and the rest Nina Gabianelli, David Ledingham, Jeff Bestic, Jeff Schlepp, Mike Monroney, Travis McDiffett, Jeannie Walla, Cathy Markle, Kathy Pelowski, Maureen Jackson, Jennifer Hughes, Janetta Howell, Beth Malone, and Wendy Perkins all singing.
Much more singing and playing by other local performers. Too many to name here, but I'll put the program up on the website with links to their profiles. Finally, towards the end of the production, John Oates, John Michelle, and Mike Facey, with Sophia and Georgia Macy, Bill Macy's daughters, as backup vocals, played a few Christmas songs, then were joined by Bill Macy, Peg O'Brien, and Dana Underwood. And for the last song, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, everyone was on stage singing and playing, including the Wheeler Opera House executive director and organizer, Mike Harrington. It was a lot of fun, a lot of laughter, and a lot of singing.
CHRISTOPHER: Sounds like a very full evening of entertainment.
MIRCEA: Yeah, it was. I was still amazed that it was under two hours, just given how many acts there were. But it was a lot of fun. Had a good time.
CHRISTOPHER: Wonderful.
MIRCEA: And we'll be right back.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And welcome back. Christopher is going to give us an update of the outdoor activities 'goings on' that are going on in the Roaring Fork Valley.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. Yes, in fact, there are a lot of ‘goings on’ that are going on in the Roaring Fork Valley. I'd like to start with our, what we call this the outdoor activities segment. And this week, I'm focusing on some generally not winter activities, but given that you know, I would give a ski report and tell you that we have at least 7- or 8-inch base out there, I'm not going there. So, here's an activity that many, many people are enjoying throughout the nation. In fact, it's one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It is disc golf. Some people you know call it frisbee golf, but that's sort of like Hoovering the rug or Xeroxing a copy or something like that. Yes, disc golf is the actual name of the activity, and it's a wonderful game if you play. Stick golf, as I might call it, the traditional game of golf, you can spend an entire day out there whacking that little ball around. Whereas in a disc golf, you could probably play 18 holes in just right around an hour. And so, it's much faster and frankly, a lot more exercise because you walk, there are no carts. So, a lot more exercise out there. And there are two courses here in the Roaring Fork Valley that are virtually snow-free and still, when it's 60 degrees outside in the afternoon, make for a wonderful activity outside.
The courses I want to plug, the first one is in Carbondale, and it's at a place called Gianinetti Park, but if you look it up, it's a nine-hole kind of a pitch and putt shorter course. And we call it affectionately Bert and Ernie Park, or I guess I should say "Bert and Ernie" Park. Yes. And it's great and it's a wonderful place to learn how to play and just to get nine holes in after a day at school or work or whatever.
And the other course is at Colorado Mountain College up at Spring Valley. It's an 18-hole course, and it is very, very challenging. In fact, the professional tour stops up there, and it's beautiful. The views of Mount Sopris and just of the surrounding area are astounding. And it's a great walk. Sometimes you can even have a good round. I hear I've never had one of those, but it's a lot of fun. It's great exercise. And if you're looking for directions, check out pdga.com. And they have a very easy to use course directory that not only describes the course but gives you very precise directions to the course. It usually comes with a map of the course as well.
And if you're feeling adventurous and you want to go outside of the Roaring Fork River Valley, go to New Castle. And there's an 18-hole course there called Fire Mountain Disc Golf Course. It's right along the river. I've sent dozens of discs down the river to Junction in Arizona. I think ultimately, I probably have a disc in Mexico by now. But that's my check-in on disc golf courses that you can play right now outside without being impeded by snow and ice so much.
MIRCEA: So, I haven't played. What's it called?
CHRISTOPHER: Disc golf.
MIRCEA: Disc golf. Yeah. Do you have a set of discs, like different discs for different holes?
CHRISTOPHER: Absolutely. They have drivers and mid-ranges and approaches and putters. And yes, you have a bag and you can fill it up with all kinds of specialty discs, ones that break left to right, discs that break right to left.
MIRCEA: And you can use the different discs per... What is it, a hole?
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, you can use as many as you bring. You just have to market.
MIRCEA: But I mean like you can use a driver for the driving and then you swap that out for...
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, just like in stick golf, as we like to call it. A different club would be a different disc.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And I've seen people with two bags full of different discs for different situations, but they're much, much better than I am.
MIRCEA: Sounds fun.
CHRISTOPHER: Any players. It's a ton of fun and I picked it up as a starving college student because virtually every course out there is free.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And it's really good exercise. And in the summer, oh my goodness, you have two courses, 18 hole courses at Snowmass, and you have the highest disc golf course in the world on top of Aspen Mountain.
MIRCEA: Wow. And do you have to go in the order of the holes like you do in golf?
CHRISTOPHER: You're supposed to.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: I mean, I know there are afternoons, for instance, in the summer, if I go up and play on Aspen Mountain, If there are some folks that are from, say, zero elevation, and they get up there and they're wheezing and crawling and panting, sometimes I'll skip around them and play later.
MIRCEA: Play through.
CHRISTOPHER: Play through, I guess is the correct term there.
The other outdoor activity I want to plug right now is hot springs. Our valley is rich in these wonderful natural resources. We have geothermal pockets In Aspen, I mean, literally you could probably punch a hole and run our power system off of geothermal at some point. There's so much hot water down there and all the way to Glenwood Springs, which kind of tips off that there might be springs at Glenwood Springs. So there you go. And that's the first one I want to talk about is our most famous one, is the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool which was originally part of with the Hotel Colorado right there as a luxury resort for East Coast tourists to come out around the turn of the last century. In fact, President Theodore Roosevelt was at the original inauguration of the Hot Springs Pool and Hotel.
MIRCEA: Oh, wow.
CHRISTOPHER: Back in 1880 something or other. And it is a natural geothermal hot springs. It's heavy on the sulfur. So, if the smell of sulfur gets to you, that's probably not the best thing for you. Also there in Glenwood is the Iron Mountain Hot Springs, which is a new arrival in Glenwood. They started since I've been in the valley. They have done a wonderful job of trying to recreate hot spring pool experiences from around the world.
MIRCEA: Okay
CHRISTOPHER: They will add different mineral metal compositions. to the water and temperature to recreate thermal springs in Japan and Russia.
MIRCEA: Wow
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, it's quite a nice experience. They also have an adult-only section of the hot springs. If you don't like little kids splashing you in the face while you're trying to get your Zen moment on, that's always a nice feature.
A little more up valley, If you head to Carbondale and then turn and head up Colorado Highway 133, there's a couple of hot springs that I'd love to plug here. The first is private with many pools, man-made pools, swimming, soaking ponds and pools. And that is the Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs. Also comes with lodging. They have both cabins and what's especially quaint, you can rent a sheep trailer for the evening to sleep in, which they don't come with sheep, but it is in fact a trailer. And you get.
MIRCEA: That's extra.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, you have to pay extra to get the bunk up with the sheep that night. But I know that we enjoyed, they have at least two of the cabins that are pet friendly. In fact, one is dog themed.
MIRCEA: Right, because you have dogs.
CHRISTOPHER: We do. They had a great, great experience, except, early, early in the morning when the big horn sheep got a little close to the deck of the cabin. And one of the dogs was very, very irate about that.
MIRCEA: I bet.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: Not my space.
CHRISTOPHER: But it's a beautiful view when you soak in those springs in the ponds and pools there. You're facing Chair Mountain and a bunch of the Elk Range, the jagged peaks of the Elk Range there.
MIRCEA: Nice.
CHRISTOPHER: And it's a wonderful experience.
MIRCEA: Is it open year-round?
CHRISTOPHER: I believe it is open year-round. I do, I know they close for a couple of weeks a year for cleaning, et cetera, but for most of the time. They also have yoga classes there.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And yeah, it's a wonderful place to check out.
MIRCEA: Is this up by the winery? Is there a winery up there?
CHRISTOPHER: I wish I knew if there was.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: There is, I believe.
MIRCEA: Yeah.
CHRISTOPHER: I saw a sign, but I don't know where that sign was taking me to or anything. Right.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: If you continue on 133 past Avalanche, you'll come to a natural hot spring, not developed at all. Literally, you have to look for the pull-off parking area on the side of the highway, and it's Penny Hot Springs. And it is, like I said, very primitive. It's on the west side of Aloha Meadows, and it is always open, 24-7, 365. Now, the caveat is you essentially will be making your own pool, building rocks and things, and getting enough of the hot water in with the cold water, and getting your optimal temperature level set. And it's, but it's great, and it's open, like I said, all the time. It's, if you have a car full, bring them out. You can build your own little community pool, a pond there at the water. And I believe now there is actually a restroom and plans for a changing area there.
MIRCEA: Wow.
CHRISTOPHER: It's getting fancy on us. It is.
MIRCEA: It's definitely a snack bar, right?
CHRISTOPHER: I'm sure there will be a bar and grill soon. Who knows?
MIRCEA: This is on the way up to Marble, right?
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, if you were. Or before, actually, right before you get to Redstone.
MIRCEA: Oh, okay.
CHRISTOPHER: So it's not even that far.
MIRCEA: All right, nice.
CHRISTOPHER: And yes, those are the hot springs that I would encourage you to take a nice long soak in.
MIRCEA: Yeah, it sounds good.
CHRISTOPHER: And enjoy. The therapeutic values are almost indisputable. And so check it out as soon as possible.
MIRCEA: Well, that leads us into our Climate update, right?
CHRISTOPHER: That is correct. Today's climate update, I'm going to go right across the Crystal River at the Penny Hot Springs.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: Because on the east side of the Crystal River is this amazing area called Filoha Meadows. And the Roaring Fork Valley is incredibly lucky to have one of the most rare and precious biomes you could imagine. And it's what we would call a geothermal wetland. It's almost steamy in some places. And as a result, it's a very long-standing elk breeding area, a bighorn sheep breeding area, and habitat, they just kind of hang out there because they don't have to worry about much there. There are four to five types of black bears that occupy that area.
MIRCEA: Nice.
CHRISTOPHER: Beautiful. And Townsend's Big eared bats, which is a very rare species of mammal. Yes, the bigger bats. And they are in fact on the federal endangered species list.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: I believe it's the only place in Colorado you can actually still see them in the wild.
MIRCEA: Wow.
CHRISTOPHER: And they are the Townsend's big-eared bats.
MIRCEA: How big are they? How's the wingspan? Do you know?
CHRISTOPHER: I do not know. Again, I have no idea.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: I think, well, I mean, when I saw a picture, they were holding them up and it kind of went almost shoulder to shoulder as they extended their wings. I might mention there are also nineteen Colorado unique bird species that are only found there at the Filoha Meadows. Wow. And it's a migratory stopover fly spot and only native lightning bugs in Colorado. I remember those. They're the only place you'll find them in the state is in Filoha Meadows. And they have orchids that grow as you go back towards, there's like a geothermal vent that goes into a waterfall where the water is pretty cold. And so those hit each other and creates almost like a steam room back in a kind of a box canyon. And you will find the most delicate, beautiful orchids. growing back there.
MIRCEA: Did they introduce the wolves back there at all? Or is that a different area?
CHRISTOPHER: Not, I believe that's a little further in towards central Colorado.
MIRCEA: Yeah.
CHRISTOPHER: You would have to go, actually, if you went over Sopris and into the Snowmass Maroon wilderness, that's where you would encounter. I hope not, but that's a, you theoretically would encounter wolves there.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, absolutely. I might mention that it is a seasonal access from October 1st through June 30th. The Filoha Meadows, sadly, is closed.
MIRCEA: Oh.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah. So winter, you really just have to wave at it while you're soaking in the Penny Hot Springs. And you could look over and see those six different species of bears sizing you up, right, to see if you would make better lunch or dinner. But On July 1st, Filoha Meadows opens until September 30th. And I should remind people that there are no dogs or bikes allowed in Filoha Meadows.
MIRCEA: That's good.
CHRISTOPHER: But it's an incredibly special place. And as far as a climate update, if you want to see what a pristine ecosystem looks like and why we need to be able to adapt to climate change. Here's a really wonderful example.
MIRCEA: Do you need a park pass or anything like that?
CHRISTOPHER: No, it's just an open space.
MIRCEA: Is it managed at all by?
CHRISTOPHER: It is. Pitkin County Trails and Open Spaces.
MIRCEA: Okay, good.
CHRISTOPHER: Manages it. Just a beautiful, almost magical place.
MIRCEA: If you were to go there and hike, let's say, back in that area, how long? Is it a long hike or is it a short hike?
CHRISTOPHER: Oh, you can spend an hour or you can spend a day.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: It's really up to you. Just keep track of how long you've been out and how far away you've gone from your car. And so you don't find yourself in one of those bear habitats with the sun going down. Yeah.
MIRCEA: Great. Well, thank you very much. We'll be right back.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And welcome back. In honor of the holiday spirit, Christopher is going to give us his weekly story of the week as told by himself. Yes, I'm talking about the master of storytelling. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Christopher Wheatley.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea the story of the week is very Christmas-focused today. I'm going to begin with the most recent, which was when I came to Aspen in the Roaring Fork Valley. I always enjoyed getting up early on Christmas morning and going to Buttermilk Mountain and enjoying all those green runs. And the thing I always found wonderful was it was like going to the United Nations when I would go at 8.30 in the morning to the Buttermilk Lift, because it would be me and some Orthodox Jews and some Chinese and Japanese tourists. And yes, it was wonderful. I was like the only one speaking English, really. It was a very international sensation for me. And you also pretty much had all of the trails to yourself because it was early.
MIRCEA: Oooo that's nice.
CHRISTOPHER: First lift and some of the times we had just had a nice powder storm the night before. So, you got a little powder to cruise through and shred those green runs and, you know, cruise down the Oregon Trail and yeah, wayward ho. It's a lot of fun. And I realized that about 11 o'clock, all of a sudden, I was looking around because people would be flying by me because I'm not a fast skier. In fact, I'm just not really fast, period. So, I was make my way down to the bottom of buttermilk and right around noon, and I would call it half a day. And so, we would pack it up at noon and go back and I'd do my gift exchange or meet friends and family. But it was always a wonderful, very kind of personal experience to spend Christmas morning from sunrise, getting up and getting the gear in the car, to watching the hordes as they came out of their Christmas brunch and buffets and hit the slopes. And I knew it was time for me to go then.
And if I move back a little further, there are a lot of holiday memories that make me think of my own mother and my own father. And I miss mom and dad even today, even though they've been gone for quite a while now. Christmas was memories were full of mom's frenetic activity in the kitchen. She made five or six different kinds of cookies and peanut brittle was like really good one for her.
MIRCEA: What about frosted?
CHRISTOPHER: Oh, well, she had those, what they called them, I think, thumbprint cookies.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And so, you put the press and then you put the frosting in the thumbprint. Oh. And that was pretty special. She made one of those loaves, fruit nut bread.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And you know, you would kind of have to have a taste.
MIRCEA: Not fruitcake?
CHRISTOPHER: No, it was fruitcake. There we go. And it was terrible, frankly. It was dry. All the fruit was stale, pretty much, right? Dried out, chewy, dried stuff. And it was just kind of basically nasty. But you had to have life. Mom worked so hard making that for you. So, you gagged it down, you know, enough eggnog and it went okay. Yeah, I miss mom. And dad was always the comic. If I have a sense of humor today, And uh it's because of him. He was a very funny man. And he was a federal government bank examiner. And so, in his official capacity, you would never know he was funny. But as soon as he got home, the joke started. It was pretty hysterical. And one of the highlights, seriously, for me growing up was my father would always have his own joke tree. And my all-time favorite will be one year I came home from college, and there's the beautiful ornate tree with all the family ornaments from the last twenty years. And then there was this stick, I guess you would say. It was a dead branch that he had painted white and put on a stand. And then he had one empty rifle, a shell that hung from it. And that was, are you ready for this?
MIRCEA: No.
CHRISTOPHER: A cartridge and a bear tree.
MIRCEA: Yes.
CHRISTOPHER: And that was my dad. And I miss, I miss his humor, and Christmas really hasn't been Christmas since he left, since he's been gone, because he found the joy and the humor and the love for all of us.
MIRCEA: Did you do a lot of family things over Christmas, or was it?
CHRISTOPHER: No, it was mostly hanging out, watching bowl games, football bowl games on television. And sometimes we had our own snowbowl where we would take the football in the backyard.
MIRCEA: You have to do that.
CHRISTOPHER: Pound each other out. Yeah, we enjoyed that. But it was, you know, there were family members. Sometimes they would come from out of town and we would find ways to entertain them. I remember, no, I guess it was the summer was the first time I saw the first Star Wars with my cousin.
MIRCEA: Wow.
CHRISTOPHER: Who was in from far from Europe, actually, at the time. And it was mostly time around the house. And sometimes we would go to the sledding hill or do the friendly things.
MIRCEA: Come back all exhausted and tired and cold.
CHRISTOPHER: There was always supposed to be hot chocolate, but it was generally like dark water, hot water.
MIRCEA: Nestle.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, pretty much. So, I just want to finish by raising and making a toast to all of those departed loved ones that we still hold very close in our hearts.
MIRCEA: Thank you very much. That's very nice. I just, I'd like to add the smells that came out of the kitchen, of the stuff cooking and how nice it was. And it was always warm in the house, right? And everybody was hanging out together. It was good memories.
CHRISTOPHER: Except for the occasional explosion.
MIRCEA: Yeah. That's right.
CHRISTOPHER: What was that? Don't worry.
MIRCEA: But yes, definitely. Raise your glass of eggnog and thank you, Christopher. Okay, we'll be right back.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And we're back with our Roaring Fork Valley local entertainment updates and calendar. So, let's dive in.
This is what's going on at the Wheeler Opera House. On Friday, December 26th, Mountain Film on Tour, family-friendly matinee, a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed, and inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountain Film Festival held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado. Saturday, December 27th, an evening with Kate Hudson, a special performance with her band celebrating her debut album, Glorious. With 12 original songs that blend cinematic pop, modern rock, and raw vulnerability, Hudson's voice is both powerful and intimate, inviting listeners into her world.
On Sunday, December 28th, Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band, a Springsteen celebration. Acclaimed actor and voice artist, Azaria is perhaps the best known for his decades of work on The Simpsons, now using his voice in a new and different way, entertaining people in a live concert setting, singing vocal impressions of Bruce Springsteen. On Monday, December 29th, arival from Sweden, the Music of ABBA. The Music of ABBA was founded by ABBA original musician Rutger Gunner. and Swedish artist Vicki Zetterberg in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and very soon to become one of the world's most popular and most-selling ABBA show bands. On Wednesday, December 31st, Jen Kramer's Magical New Year. Two shows to end the month, named Best Magician in 2024, Best of Vegas Awards, and Female Magician of the Year by the International Magician Society, brings her signature charm and mind-blowing sleight of hand to the stage. Friday and Saturday, January 2nd and 3rd, it's John Mulaney, Mr. Whatever. John Mulaney is a three-time Emmy Award, Critics' Choice Award, and WGA Award-winning writer, comedian, and actor, currently on the first leg of his newest stand-up tour, John Mulaney, Mr. Whatever, performing across North America.
And now I hand it over to Christopher Wheatley.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. At the Arts Center at Willets, or this holiday period, we have on Friday, December 26th, Boom-bassador, which brings you dance electronica from Poland. And that will be followed by on Wednesday, 1231, yes, you called it, the New Year's Eve Bash with Cool, Cool, Cool. That's a funk band that has opened multiple times for the Talking Heads. I think I mentioned earlier that I'm a big fan of funk music. I used to play music myself in the 80s and was a particular fan of an Austin, Texas funk band called Bad Mother Goose and the Brothers Grimm. that featured a front man in a diaper wearing a goose swimming pool toy and a backup group, the Brothers Grimm, were wearing men in black suits with the sunglasses and fedora hat and the briefcase chained or, yeah, padlocked to their wrists. And that was always fun. So, I'm always on the lookout for a great funk act. And it sounds like Cool, Cool, Cool, at the TACAW on New Year's Eve might be just the ticket for me.
After that, I have on Saturday, January 3rd, a band called The Other Brothers, self-described rock band for genre. And it features a lineup of artists from the Derek Trucks Band and the John Oates Band. So, you know, this is going to be some classic rock'n'roll. One of the reviews indicated that they do some wonderful Allman Brothers tunes, which I always enjoy. And then not to be missed on January 8th at TACAW, we have the Whiffenpoofs of Yale University . This is true acapella excellence. Founded in 1909, the Whiffenpoofs were, and yet there is not an original member with them from that 1909 tour. But I'm sure the new lineup is outstanding. And go out to the Art Center at Willets on Thursday, January 8th, and see those Whiffenpoofs sing their little hearts out. I'm going to move away from music, and into the Aspen Historical Society, which is also entertainment, right? History is entertainment.
All through this holiday week, the Aspen Historical Society will be providing holiday downtown history tours on December 27th at 1.30 P.m., and on December 30th, they happen at 10.30 A.m. There is a $25 for adult, 20 for students or kids, or I think old people too, like myself. Registration is required.
On January 2nd, the Wheeler Opera House tour. happens from the Aspen Historical Society. And I also really want to plug during the holiday season, why not try to make a tour of Smuggler Mine? I have a number for you. It's (970) 456-6287. And you can go into the mine, literally thousands of feet into the mine, and you can see where they took out the largest pure silver nugget in the history of the planet. You can still see this nugget in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. I asked the curator if I could take it back home. And I was denied. They're like, no, it has to stay here in Washington so everyone can see it at the Smithsonian.
Also, the last thing I would mention, for historical value and tours, is the Basalt tour. A walking tour is outstanding and pay particular attention to the Arbaney Park Coke ovens. They were built in 1884 and they've been restored. And if you want to see what powered the smelter plant from the Mines in the production of silver, it was the coke ovens that gave the fuel for the mines. And it's right out there and you can go inside and take a look. So that then concludes our Roaring Fork Valley local entertainment updates and calendar.
MIRCEA: We have to still do Belly Up.
CHRISTOPHER: We haven't done belly up. No. Oh, well, scratch that. I bet you know what's going on at The Belly Up.
MIRCEA: That's right.
CHRISTOPHER: Well, tell me, what's going on at the Belly Up.
MIRCEA: I'm glad you asked, Christopher.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: On Friday and Saturday, December 26 and 27, it's the Sophie Tucker Group, and that consists of Sophie Holly Weld and Tucker Halpern, and they play house and electronic dance music, which Christopher has told me is called EDM. On Sunday, December 28th is a very special acoustic evening with Mumford and Sons. I'm going to guess that the tickets are probably sold out for that already.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, there is a waiting list.
MIRCEA: Yes, there is a waiting list, but still try, right?
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: You never know. And on Monday, December 29th is Marshmallow, which is a DJ?
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: That's a DJ. And on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 30th and 31st is LCD sound system. Now you can close off.
CHRISTOPHER: And that concludes our Roaring Fork Valley local entertainment updates and calendars. If your business or venue has an event coming up, you can let us know by sending the event and your contact information to roaringforkmountainair at gmail.com (roaringforkmountainair@gmail.com). That's 'roaringforkmountainair' at 'gmail.com', and we'll do our best to include it in our updates.
MIRCEA: Thank you very much, Christopher. We'll be right back. [MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And we're back with our segment called Unpopular Idea of the Week. Take it away, Christopher.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. I have to confess that I have a lot of unpopular ideas, but this may in fact be THE most unpopular idea I have ever proposed. Now, I have to preface my remarks with, I am a firm advocate of the separation of church and state. And I think our nation was founded on that principle. We seem to be losing it, but we can talk about that later. But I will say that of all the federal holidays that we have out there, is only one that is a religious holiday, and that is Christmas. So today's unpopular idea of the week is to ban Christmas as a federal holiday, right? If your employer wants to give you the day off, or if they're Ebenezer Scrooge and wants you to work all the way to midnight, that's, you know, their business because it's their business. And I believe that there are lots of employers that would, in fact, honor Christmas in their heart, as I believe Dickens says. But should it be a federal government holiday, since it's a celebration of the birth of Christ in the Christian religion? I have some real problems with that, and I would recommend perhaps eliminating Christmas as a federal holiday and have in fact, voting day as a federal holiday.
MIRCEA: All right, as Forrest Gump would say, "that's all I've got to say about that".
CHRISTOPHER: It's true. I have to, when I would teach, I taught civics and government for courses for many, many years. And I would always save this for like the last bit before I did our winter break. And they're always sort of like "you want to kill Christmas?" I'm like, "yes, I do".
MIRCEA: All right. Well that's going to take us into our next segment. And final segment in closing, a moment of hope.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. Our moment of hope is originally was going to be part of our climate report. But it was such a profound issue and story. And the conclusion, I think you will find inspiring, which is why we put it here in our moment of hope. Climate change has caused mines that were started in the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s up and down the continental divide. And they were frozen mines, essentially, in the ground until recently. And climate change has started a thawing of these ruptures in the earth that are up and down the divide. And we find minerals and heavy metals and other metals leaching from these abandoned mines throughout the continental divide in North America. And here in the top of our watershed in Pitkin County, there is a mine north of just above Grizzly Reservoir called Ruby Mine, and residents in the Roaring Fork Valley noted some discoloration. in the water that was coming down from the Grizzly Reservoir. And as it turned out, there was leaching of aluminum and copper. I believe also a little arsenic, to be honest. And above Grizzly Reservoir, there's a turn on if you're going over Independence Pass, a Lincoln Creek Road. If you follow this to the very end, you will find yourself at the Grizzly Reservoir. And that is where a culvert system has collected water from the New York Creek, Grizzly Creek, the Roaring Fork River, sadly also the leaching of that Ruby mine. And so, as I said earlier, we are experiencing leaking copper, arsenic, cadmium, and other heavy metals into the Roaring Fork River. Now, how is this a moment of hope, you're asking?
MIRCEA: I was going to ask that.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, that's an excellent question. And it would not be a moment of hope if I stopped here. But in a moment of hope, we have mobilized every resource available to us here in Pitkin County, the state of Colorado, and even the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington has been monitoring this site since it was first reported, I believe, two years ago. And we here in our Roaring Fork River Valley watershed have done more to mobilize monitoring and testing results and data that can be used and replicated when we study leaching mines throughout the continental divide in North America.
So, the moment of hope to pull out of this is we should be very proud to be on the forefront of monitoring, detection, and testing for the nation and perhaps the world at some point. And it's our scientists that are going to be helping to provide the recommendations and the data to help preserve and protect our waterways.
MIRCEA: First step to solving a problem is admitting that there is a problem.
CHRISTOPHER: Admitting there's a problem and figuring out how much of what type of evidence there is to collect to solve that problem.
MIRCEA: That concludes our third show, but before we go, we would like to give a big shout out to the Basalt Regional Library that has generously provided this space for taping our show. The Basalt Regional Library is more than just your average library, where your library card opens more than just books, eBooks, audiobooks, online magazines, streaming video, arts and crafts classes, language learning, lectures, concerts, and so much more. Located just over the bridge in downtown Basalt, the Basalt Regional Library hours are as follows. Monday through Thursday, 10 A.m. to 7 P.m., Friday through Saturday, 10 A.m. to 5 P.m., and Sunday, 12 P.m. to 5 P.m., the Basalt Regional Library.
We'd also like to give a shout out and a big thanks to the Zuma Lounge Productions, our producer. Zuma Lounge Productions brings fun audio and video productions to an internet near you. Through podcasts such as this one or ZLP Presents and Zuma Cafe Show, you can listen to short stories, podcasts, dramas, radio and internet shows, interviews, and much, much more. Visit Zuma Lounge Productions for more information on this show and upcoming shows at zumalounge.com. And one more time, Christopher and I would like to say, Thanks for listening.
[MUSIC CLOSE]
This energy is positive. Don't be negative. This energy is positive. Come on, don't be negative.
Roaring Fork Mountain Air - with Christopher Wheatley and Mircea Oprea
AIR DATE: Dec 26, 2025
[MUSIC: INTRO]
CHRISTOPHER: Hello, this is Christopher Wheatley
MIRCEA: . . . and Mircea Oprea,
CHRISTOPHER: . . . hosts of Roaring Fort Mountain Air, a positive, forward-thinking podcast for the good people of the Roaring Fort River Valley in Colorado
MIRCEA: . . . and beyond.
CHRISTOPHER: We have a great show in store for you today. We're going to talk about Christmas and holiday happenings, History and entertainment in the Roaring Fork Valley, disc golf and hot springs, Wheatley's holiday memories, unpopular idea of the week, banning Christmas as a federal holiday, and a message of hope about old leaching minds.
MIRCEA: So, sit back and join us as we present to you our third episode of Roaring Fork Mountain Air with Christopher and Mircea.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And welcome back. Christopher, did you have a good week? Anything interesting like local event that you went to or dining out experience that you'd like to share with the audience?
CHRISTOPHER: Well, yes. In fact, I did. My wife Debbie and I had a wonderful Friday dinner and a show date night. We started at Mezzaluna at Willett's where we enjoyed a wood-fired handmade pizza and "Frutti di Mare", which is probably a horribly pronounced Italian phrase, fruit of the sea, which was a whole bunch of different seafood on some great pasta. Then we plugged our Chevrolet Bolt 2020. We've named it Usain, plugged it into for the evening, and then entered the Arts Center at Willets or TACAW for a sold-out performance from the Consensual Improvisation Company. We laughed throughout their skits, their videos, the improv games, It was a wonderful evening of comedy, and it was, it seemed like it lasted like 20 minutes, but apparently it was 2 hours. And we even got to leave with a t-shirt. How about you, Mircea, what'd you get up to?
MIRCEA: Just really quick. So, you just, did you walk from the restaurant to the TACAW or did you?
CHRISTOPHER: Well, no.
MIRCEA: Because it's close, right?
CHRISTOPHER: It's very close and we could have, but we pulled out of the restaurant and drove the car pretty much around the block to a couple of charge stations. Oh, nice. They're right behind The Art Center at Willets. And so, it was also really nice to come out after a wonderful night of comedy and have your car fully charged.
MIRCEA: Wow, that's great. So, dinner, movie and a car charge. Oh, dinner and a theater.
CHRISTOPHER: Dinner in a theater. Yes. Very nice.
MIRCEA: So, I had a great week. This past week I had the lucky opportunity to attend two performances. Yes, I said two at the Wheeler Opera House. The first performance was RY X concert on December 19th at the Wheeler Opera House. The performance was presented by Buckhorn Public Arts. If you haven't heard of Buckhorn Public Arts, they are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to making art happen. They're located on Mill Street and Aspen near the Roaring Fork River, as I understand it.
I have to admit, I was unaware of who RY X was and what style of music he was playing, so I watched a few of his music videos before going to the concert and wow, am I ever grateful for having the chance to see him live at the Wheeler and apparently one of the last few live concerts before he takes a year off touring to spend more time with his family.
For our listeners who don't know who Ry X is, His real name is Ry Cuming. He is an Australian singer-songwriter and producer known for his, and I quote, "ethereal voice and blend of folk and electronic music." Apparently, he first released his music under his given name, then later adopted the RY X moniker for his acclaimed EPs like Berlin and albums such as Dawn.
For the solo concert at the Wheeler Opera House, he said that he had just flown 36 hours from South Africa, only to get to Aspen a couple of days before. Despite any exhaustion he might have been experiencing, however, he put on a great solo concert accompanied with pre-recorded looping synth tracks and real orchestra tracks backing up his guitar playing, both electric and acoustic. The Wheeler Opera House website describes his playing accurately when they said, "RY X's music is best described as hauntingly beautiful, ethereal, and an intimate, blending of ambient folk, indie-folk, and subtle electronic elements, characterized by his distinctive, falsetto vocals, sparse acoustic arrangements (guitar/piano), and deep, introspective lyrics exploring nature, connection, and the human condition." That’s a mouthful huh. "It's often compared to Bon Iver or Jeff Buckley, creating spacious, emotionally charged soundscapes that feel both vast and deeply personal."
It was a great performance. He even stopped in the middle to answer some questions from the audience for about twenty minutes. It was an experience that I haven't had in a concert like that. It was very good, very, very personal.
And then the second performance that I had the opportunity to attend was a wonderfully fun Aspen for the Holidays, a Wheeler original on Sunday, December 21st from 5 to 7 PM. This was the first of hopefully many Wheeler Opera House productions and featured so many short performances by groups and soloists that I was surprised it didn't go over 2 hours and included a 15-minute intermission, about 23 different acts and performers from solo artists to groups.
The Consensual Improv group started it all off with their funny and apparently accurate spoof song about Aspen living called Aspeniva. They were then followed up by William H. Macy "call me Bill" playing ukulele and singing his funny song about Basalt that was also called "Basalt". He was accompanied by singers Peg O'Brien and Dana Underwood. Other artists included James Horowitz, piano, Jimmy Bolden, vocals, and Jonathan Ballou, bass. Did I say that right, Chris?
CHRISTOPHER: I think it's close.
MIRCEA: Playing and singing "Almost Like Being in Love" and "Winter Wonderland".
There was also a performance from the Crystal Palace Players of "Text Me Merry Christmas", David Dyer on piano, and the rest Nina Gabianelli, David Ledingham, Jeff Bestic, Jeff Schlepp, Mike Monroney, Travis McDiffett, Jeannie Walla, Cathy Markle, Kathy Pelowski, Maureen Jackson, Jennifer Hughes, Janetta Howell, Beth Malone, and Wendy Perkins all singing.
Much more singing and playing by other local performers. Too many to name here, but I'll put the program up on the website with links to their profiles. Finally, towards the end of the production, John Oates, John Michelle, and Mike Facey, with Sophia and Georgia Macy, Bill Macy's daughters, as backup vocals, played a few Christmas songs, then were joined by Bill Macy, Peg O'Brien, and Dana Underwood. And for the last song, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, everyone was on stage singing and playing, including the Wheeler Opera House executive director and organizer, Mike Harrington. It was a lot of fun, a lot of laughter, and a lot of singing.
CHRISTOPHER: Sounds like a very full evening of entertainment.
MIRCEA: Yeah, it was. I was still amazed that it was under two hours, just given how many acts there were. But it was a lot of fun. Had a good time.
CHRISTOPHER: Wonderful.
MIRCEA: And we'll be right back.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And welcome back. Christopher is going to give us an update of the outdoor activities 'goings on' that are going on in the Roaring Fork Valley.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. Yes, in fact, there are a lot of ‘goings on’ that are going on in the Roaring Fork Valley. I'd like to start with our, what we call this the outdoor activities segment. And this week, I'm focusing on some generally not winter activities, but given that you know, I would give a ski report and tell you that we have at least 7- or 8-inch base out there, I'm not going there. So, here's an activity that many, many people are enjoying throughout the nation. In fact, it's one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It is disc golf. Some people you know call it frisbee golf, but that's sort of like Hoovering the rug or Xeroxing a copy or something like that. Yes, disc golf is the actual name of the activity, and it's a wonderful game if you play. Stick golf, as I might call it, the traditional game of golf, you can spend an entire day out there whacking that little ball around. Whereas in a disc golf, you could probably play 18 holes in just right around an hour. And so, it's much faster and frankly, a lot more exercise because you walk, there are no carts. So, a lot more exercise out there. And there are two courses here in the Roaring Fork Valley that are virtually snow-free and still, when it's 60 degrees outside in the afternoon, make for a wonderful activity outside.
The courses I want to plug, the first one is in Carbondale, and it's at a place called Gianinetti Park, but if you look it up, it's a nine-hole kind of a pitch and putt shorter course. And we call it affectionately Bert and Ernie Park, or I guess I should say "Bert and Ernie" Park. Yes. And it's great and it's a wonderful place to learn how to play and just to get nine holes in after a day at school or work or whatever.
And the other course is at Colorado Mountain College up at Spring Valley. It's an 18-hole course, and it is very, very challenging. In fact, the professional tour stops up there, and it's beautiful. The views of Mount Sopris and just of the surrounding area are astounding. And it's a great walk. Sometimes you can even have a good round. I hear I've never had one of those, but it's a lot of fun. It's great exercise. And if you're looking for directions, check out pdga.com. And they have a very easy to use course directory that not only describes the course but gives you very precise directions to the course. It usually comes with a map of the course as well.
And if you're feeling adventurous and you want to go outside of the Roaring Fork River Valley, go to New Castle. And there's an 18-hole course there called Fire Mountain Disc Golf Course. It's right along the river. I've sent dozens of discs down the river to Junction in Arizona. I think ultimately, I probably have a disc in Mexico by now. But that's my check-in on disc golf courses that you can play right now outside without being impeded by snow and ice so much.
MIRCEA: So, I haven't played. What's it called?
CHRISTOPHER: Disc golf.
MIRCEA: Disc golf. Yeah. Do you have a set of discs, like different discs for different holes?
CHRISTOPHER: Absolutely. They have drivers and mid-ranges and approaches and putters. And yes, you have a bag and you can fill it up with all kinds of specialty discs, ones that break left to right, discs that break right to left.
MIRCEA: And you can use the different discs per... What is it, a hole?
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, you can use as many as you bring. You just have to market.
MIRCEA: But I mean like you can use a driver for the driving and then you swap that out for...
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, just like in stick golf, as we like to call it. A different club would be a different disc.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And I've seen people with two bags full of different discs for different situations, but they're much, much better than I am.
MIRCEA: Sounds fun.
CHRISTOPHER: Any players. It's a ton of fun and I picked it up as a starving college student because virtually every course out there is free.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And it's really good exercise. And in the summer, oh my goodness, you have two courses, 18 hole courses at Snowmass, and you have the highest disc golf course in the world on top of Aspen Mountain.
MIRCEA: Wow. And do you have to go in the order of the holes like you do in golf?
CHRISTOPHER: You're supposed to.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: I mean, I know there are afternoons, for instance, in the summer, if I go up and play on Aspen Mountain, If there are some folks that are from, say, zero elevation, and they get up there and they're wheezing and crawling and panting, sometimes I'll skip around them and play later.
MIRCEA: Play through.
CHRISTOPHER: Play through, I guess is the correct term there.
The other outdoor activity I want to plug right now is hot springs. Our valley is rich in these wonderful natural resources. We have geothermal pockets In Aspen, I mean, literally you could probably punch a hole and run our power system off of geothermal at some point. There's so much hot water down there and all the way to Glenwood Springs, which kind of tips off that there might be springs at Glenwood Springs. So there you go. And that's the first one I want to talk about is our most famous one, is the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool which was originally part of with the Hotel Colorado right there as a luxury resort for East Coast tourists to come out around the turn of the last century. In fact, President Theodore Roosevelt was at the original inauguration of the Hot Springs Pool and Hotel.
MIRCEA: Oh, wow.
CHRISTOPHER: Back in 1880 something or other. And it is a natural geothermal hot springs. It's heavy on the sulfur. So, if the smell of sulfur gets to you, that's probably not the best thing for you. Also there in Glenwood is the Iron Mountain Hot Springs, which is a new arrival in Glenwood. They started since I've been in the valley. They have done a wonderful job of trying to recreate hot spring pool experiences from around the world.
MIRCEA: Okay
CHRISTOPHER: They will add different mineral metal compositions. to the water and temperature to recreate thermal springs in Japan and Russia.
MIRCEA: Wow
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, it's quite a nice experience. They also have an adult-only section of the hot springs. If you don't like little kids splashing you in the face while you're trying to get your Zen moment on, that's always a nice feature.
A little more up valley, If you head to Carbondale and then turn and head up Colorado Highway 133, there's a couple of hot springs that I'd love to plug here. The first is private with many pools, man-made pools, swimming, soaking ponds and pools. And that is the Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs. Also comes with lodging. They have both cabins and what's especially quaint, you can rent a sheep trailer for the evening to sleep in, which they don't come with sheep, but it is in fact a trailer. And you get.
MIRCEA: That's extra.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, you have to pay extra to get the bunk up with the sheep that night. But I know that we enjoyed, they have at least two of the cabins that are pet friendly. In fact, one is dog themed.
MIRCEA: Right, because you have dogs.
CHRISTOPHER: We do. They had a great, great experience, except, early, early in the morning when the big horn sheep got a little close to the deck of the cabin. And one of the dogs was very, very irate about that.
MIRCEA: I bet.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: Not my space.
CHRISTOPHER: But it's a beautiful view when you soak in those springs in the ponds and pools there. You're facing Chair Mountain and a bunch of the Elk Range, the jagged peaks of the Elk Range there.
MIRCEA: Nice.
CHRISTOPHER: And it's a wonderful experience.
MIRCEA: Is it open year-round?
CHRISTOPHER: I believe it is open year-round. I do, I know they close for a couple of weeks a year for cleaning, et cetera, but for most of the time. They also have yoga classes there.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And yeah, it's a wonderful place to check out.
MIRCEA: Is this up by the winery? Is there a winery up there?
CHRISTOPHER: I wish I knew if there was.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: There is, I believe.
MIRCEA: Yeah.
CHRISTOPHER: I saw a sign, but I don't know where that sign was taking me to or anything. Right.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: If you continue on 133 past Avalanche, you'll come to a natural hot spring, not developed at all. Literally, you have to look for the pull-off parking area on the side of the highway, and it's Penny Hot Springs. And it is, like I said, very primitive. It's on the west side of Aloha Meadows, and it is always open, 24-7, 365. Now, the caveat is you essentially will be making your own pool, building rocks and things, and getting enough of the hot water in with the cold water, and getting your optimal temperature level set. And it's, but it's great, and it's open, like I said, all the time. It's, if you have a car full, bring them out. You can build your own little community pool, a pond there at the water. And I believe now there is actually a restroom and plans for a changing area there.
MIRCEA: Wow.
CHRISTOPHER: It's getting fancy on us. It is.
MIRCEA: It's definitely a snack bar, right?
CHRISTOPHER: I'm sure there will be a bar and grill soon. Who knows?
MIRCEA: This is on the way up to Marble, right?
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, if you were. Or before, actually, right before you get to Redstone.
MIRCEA: Oh, okay.
CHRISTOPHER: So it's not even that far.
MIRCEA: All right, nice.
CHRISTOPHER: And yes, those are the hot springs that I would encourage you to take a nice long soak in.
MIRCEA: Yeah, it sounds good.
CHRISTOPHER: And enjoy. The therapeutic values are almost indisputable. And so check it out as soon as possible.
MIRCEA: Well, that leads us into our Climate update, right?
CHRISTOPHER: That is correct. Today's climate update, I'm going to go right across the Crystal River at the Penny Hot Springs.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: Because on the east side of the Crystal River is this amazing area called Filoha Meadows. And the Roaring Fork Valley is incredibly lucky to have one of the most rare and precious biomes you could imagine. And it's what we would call a geothermal wetland. It's almost steamy in some places. And as a result, it's a very long-standing elk breeding area, a bighorn sheep breeding area, and habitat, they just kind of hang out there because they don't have to worry about much there. There are four to five types of black bears that occupy that area.
MIRCEA: Nice.
CHRISTOPHER: Beautiful. And Townsend's Big eared bats, which is a very rare species of mammal. Yes, the bigger bats. And they are in fact on the federal endangered species list.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: I believe it's the only place in Colorado you can actually still see them in the wild.
MIRCEA: Wow.
CHRISTOPHER: And they are the Townsend's big-eared bats.
MIRCEA: How big are they? How's the wingspan? Do you know?
CHRISTOPHER: I do not know. Again, I have no idea.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: I think, well, I mean, when I saw a picture, they were holding them up and it kind of went almost shoulder to shoulder as they extended their wings. I might mention there are also nineteen Colorado unique bird species that are only found there at the Filoha Meadows. Wow. And it's a migratory stopover fly spot and only native lightning bugs in Colorado. I remember those. They're the only place you'll find them in the state is in Filoha Meadows. And they have orchids that grow as you go back towards, there's like a geothermal vent that goes into a waterfall where the water is pretty cold. And so those hit each other and creates almost like a steam room back in a kind of a box canyon. And you will find the most delicate, beautiful orchids. growing back there.
MIRCEA: Did they introduce the wolves back there at all? Or is that a different area?
CHRISTOPHER: Not, I believe that's a little further in towards central Colorado.
MIRCEA: Yeah.
CHRISTOPHER: You would have to go, actually, if you went over Sopris and into the Snowmass Maroon wilderness, that's where you would encounter. I hope not, but that's a, you theoretically would encounter wolves there.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, absolutely. I might mention that it is a seasonal access from October 1st through June 30th. The Filoha Meadows, sadly, is closed.
MIRCEA: Oh.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah. So winter, you really just have to wave at it while you're soaking in the Penny Hot Springs. And you could look over and see those six different species of bears sizing you up, right, to see if you would make better lunch or dinner. But On July 1st, Filoha Meadows opens until September 30th. And I should remind people that there are no dogs or bikes allowed in Filoha Meadows.
MIRCEA: That's good.
CHRISTOPHER: But it's an incredibly special place. And as far as a climate update, if you want to see what a pristine ecosystem looks like and why we need to be able to adapt to climate change. Here's a really wonderful example.
MIRCEA: Do you need a park pass or anything like that?
CHRISTOPHER: No, it's just an open space.
MIRCEA: Is it managed at all by?
CHRISTOPHER: It is. Pitkin County Trails and Open Spaces.
MIRCEA: Okay, good.
CHRISTOPHER: Manages it. Just a beautiful, almost magical place.
MIRCEA: If you were to go there and hike, let's say, back in that area, how long? Is it a long hike or is it a short hike?
CHRISTOPHER: Oh, you can spend an hour or you can spend a day.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: It's really up to you. Just keep track of how long you've been out and how far away you've gone from your car. And so you don't find yourself in one of those bear habitats with the sun going down. Yeah.
MIRCEA: Great. Well, thank you very much. We'll be right back.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And welcome back. In honor of the holiday spirit, Christopher is going to give us his weekly story of the week as told by himself. Yes, I'm talking about the master of storytelling. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Christopher Wheatley.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea the story of the week is very Christmas-focused today. I'm going to begin with the most recent, which was when I came to Aspen in the Roaring Fork Valley. I always enjoyed getting up early on Christmas morning and going to Buttermilk Mountain and enjoying all those green runs. And the thing I always found wonderful was it was like going to the United Nations when I would go at 8.30 in the morning to the Buttermilk Lift, because it would be me and some Orthodox Jews and some Chinese and Japanese tourists. And yes, it was wonderful. I was like the only one speaking English, really. It was a very international sensation for me. And you also pretty much had all of the trails to yourself because it was early.
MIRCEA: Oooo that's nice.
CHRISTOPHER: First lift and some of the times we had just had a nice powder storm the night before. So, you got a little powder to cruise through and shred those green runs and, you know, cruise down the Oregon Trail and yeah, wayward ho. It's a lot of fun. And I realized that about 11 o'clock, all of a sudden, I was looking around because people would be flying by me because I'm not a fast skier. In fact, I'm just not really fast, period. So, I was make my way down to the bottom of buttermilk and right around noon, and I would call it half a day. And so, we would pack it up at noon and go back and I'd do my gift exchange or meet friends and family. But it was always a wonderful, very kind of personal experience to spend Christmas morning from sunrise, getting up and getting the gear in the car, to watching the hordes as they came out of their Christmas brunch and buffets and hit the slopes. And I knew it was time for me to go then.
And if I move back a little further, there are a lot of holiday memories that make me think of my own mother and my own father. And I miss mom and dad even today, even though they've been gone for quite a while now. Christmas was memories were full of mom's frenetic activity in the kitchen. She made five or six different kinds of cookies and peanut brittle was like really good one for her.
MIRCEA: What about frosted?
CHRISTOPHER: Oh, well, she had those, what they called them, I think, thumbprint cookies.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And so, you put the press and then you put the frosting in the thumbprint. Oh. And that was pretty special. She made one of those loaves, fruit nut bread.
MIRCEA: Okay.
CHRISTOPHER: And you know, you would kind of have to have a taste.
MIRCEA: Not fruitcake?
CHRISTOPHER: No, it was fruitcake. There we go. And it was terrible, frankly. It was dry. All the fruit was stale, pretty much, right? Dried out, chewy, dried stuff. And it was just kind of basically nasty. But you had to have life. Mom worked so hard making that for you. So, you gagged it down, you know, enough eggnog and it went okay. Yeah, I miss mom. And dad was always the comic. If I have a sense of humor today, And uh it's because of him. He was a very funny man. And he was a federal government bank examiner. And so, in his official capacity, you would never know he was funny. But as soon as he got home, the joke started. It was pretty hysterical. And one of the highlights, seriously, for me growing up was my father would always have his own joke tree. And my all-time favorite will be one year I came home from college, and there's the beautiful ornate tree with all the family ornaments from the last twenty years. And then there was this stick, I guess you would say. It was a dead branch that he had painted white and put on a stand. And then he had one empty rifle, a shell that hung from it. And that was, are you ready for this?
MIRCEA: No.
CHRISTOPHER: A cartridge and a bear tree.
MIRCEA: Yes.
CHRISTOPHER: And that was my dad. And I miss, I miss his humor, and Christmas really hasn't been Christmas since he left, since he's been gone, because he found the joy and the humor and the love for all of us.
MIRCEA: Did you do a lot of family things over Christmas, or was it?
CHRISTOPHER: No, it was mostly hanging out, watching bowl games, football bowl games on television. And sometimes we had our own snowbowl where we would take the football in the backyard.
MIRCEA: You have to do that.
CHRISTOPHER: Pound each other out. Yeah, we enjoyed that. But it was, you know, there were family members. Sometimes they would come from out of town and we would find ways to entertain them. I remember, no, I guess it was the summer was the first time I saw the first Star Wars with my cousin.
MIRCEA: Wow.
CHRISTOPHER: Who was in from far from Europe, actually, at the time. And it was mostly time around the house. And sometimes we would go to the sledding hill or do the friendly things.
MIRCEA: Come back all exhausted and tired and cold.
CHRISTOPHER: There was always supposed to be hot chocolate, but it was generally like dark water, hot water.
MIRCEA: Nestle.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, pretty much. So, I just want to finish by raising and making a toast to all of those departed loved ones that we still hold very close in our hearts.
MIRCEA: Thank you very much. That's very nice. I just, I'd like to add the smells that came out of the kitchen, of the stuff cooking and how nice it was. And it was always warm in the house, right? And everybody was hanging out together. It was good memories.
CHRISTOPHER: Except for the occasional explosion.
MIRCEA: Yeah. That's right.
CHRISTOPHER: What was that? Don't worry.
MIRCEA: But yes, definitely. Raise your glass of eggnog and thank you, Christopher. Okay, we'll be right back.
[MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And we're back with our Roaring Fork Valley local entertainment updates and calendar. So, let's dive in.
This is what's going on at the Wheeler Opera House. On Friday, December 26th, Mountain Film on Tour, family-friendly matinee, a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed, and inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountain Film Festival held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado. Saturday, December 27th, an evening with Kate Hudson, a special performance with her band celebrating her debut album, Glorious. With 12 original songs that blend cinematic pop, modern rock, and raw vulnerability, Hudson's voice is both powerful and intimate, inviting listeners into her world.
On Sunday, December 28th, Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band, a Springsteen celebration. Acclaimed actor and voice artist, Azaria is perhaps the best known for his decades of work on The Simpsons, now using his voice in a new and different way, entertaining people in a live concert setting, singing vocal impressions of Bruce Springsteen. On Monday, December 29th, arival from Sweden, the Music of ABBA. The Music of ABBA was founded by ABBA original musician Rutger Gunner. and Swedish artist Vicki Zetterberg in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and very soon to become one of the world's most popular and most-selling ABBA show bands. On Wednesday, December 31st, Jen Kramer's Magical New Year. Two shows to end the month, named Best Magician in 2024, Best of Vegas Awards, and Female Magician of the Year by the International Magician Society, brings her signature charm and mind-blowing sleight of hand to the stage. Friday and Saturday, January 2nd and 3rd, it's John Mulaney, Mr. Whatever. John Mulaney is a three-time Emmy Award, Critics' Choice Award, and WGA Award-winning writer, comedian, and actor, currently on the first leg of his newest stand-up tour, John Mulaney, Mr. Whatever, performing across North America.
And now I hand it over to Christopher Wheatley.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. At the Arts Center at Willets, or this holiday period, we have on Friday, December 26th, Boom-bassador, which brings you dance electronica from Poland. And that will be followed by on Wednesday, 1231, yes, you called it, the New Year's Eve Bash with Cool, Cool, Cool. That's a funk band that has opened multiple times for the Talking Heads. I think I mentioned earlier that I'm a big fan of funk music. I used to play music myself in the 80s and was a particular fan of an Austin, Texas funk band called Bad Mother Goose and the Brothers Grimm. that featured a front man in a diaper wearing a goose swimming pool toy and a backup group, the Brothers Grimm, were wearing men in black suits with the sunglasses and fedora hat and the briefcase chained or, yeah, padlocked to their wrists. And that was always fun. So, I'm always on the lookout for a great funk act. And it sounds like Cool, Cool, Cool, at the TACAW on New Year's Eve might be just the ticket for me.
After that, I have on Saturday, January 3rd, a band called The Other Brothers, self-described rock band for genre. And it features a lineup of artists from the Derek Trucks Band and the John Oates Band. So, you know, this is going to be some classic rock'n'roll. One of the reviews indicated that they do some wonderful Allman Brothers tunes, which I always enjoy. And then not to be missed on January 8th at TACAW, we have the Whiffenpoofs of Yale University . This is true acapella excellence. Founded in 1909, the Whiffenpoofs were, and yet there is not an original member with them from that 1909 tour. But I'm sure the new lineup is outstanding. And go out to the Art Center at Willets on Thursday, January 8th, and see those Whiffenpoofs sing their little hearts out. I'm going to move away from music, and into the Aspen Historical Society, which is also entertainment, right? History is entertainment.
All through this holiday week, the Aspen Historical Society will be providing holiday downtown history tours on December 27th at 1.30 P.m., and on December 30th, they happen at 10.30 A.m. There is a $25 for adult, 20 for students or kids, or I think old people too, like myself. Registration is required.
On January 2nd, the Wheeler Opera House tour. happens from the Aspen Historical Society. And I also really want to plug during the holiday season, why not try to make a tour of Smuggler Mine? I have a number for you. It's (970) 456-6287. And you can go into the mine, literally thousands of feet into the mine, and you can see where they took out the largest pure silver nugget in the history of the planet. You can still see this nugget in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. I asked the curator if I could take it back home. And I was denied. They're like, no, it has to stay here in Washington so everyone can see it at the Smithsonian.
Also, the last thing I would mention, for historical value and tours, is the Basalt tour. A walking tour is outstanding and pay particular attention to the Arbaney Park Coke ovens. They were built in 1884 and they've been restored. And if you want to see what powered the smelter plant from the Mines in the production of silver, it was the coke ovens that gave the fuel for the mines. And it's right out there and you can go inside and take a look. So that then concludes our Roaring Fork Valley local entertainment updates and calendar.
MIRCEA: We have to still do Belly Up.
CHRISTOPHER: We haven't done belly up. No. Oh, well, scratch that. I bet you know what's going on at The Belly Up.
MIRCEA: That's right.
CHRISTOPHER: Well, tell me, what's going on at the Belly Up.
MIRCEA: I'm glad you asked, Christopher.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: On Friday and Saturday, December 26 and 27, it's the Sophie Tucker Group, and that consists of Sophie Holly Weld and Tucker Halpern, and they play house and electronic dance music, which Christopher has told me is called EDM. On Sunday, December 28th is a very special acoustic evening with Mumford and Sons. I'm going to guess that the tickets are probably sold out for that already.
CHRISTOPHER: Yeah, there is a waiting list.
MIRCEA: Yes, there is a waiting list, but still try, right?
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: You never know. And on Monday, December 29th is Marshmallow, which is a DJ?
CHRISTOPHER: Yes.
MIRCEA: That's a DJ. And on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 30th and 31st is LCD sound system. Now you can close off.
CHRISTOPHER: And that concludes our Roaring Fork Valley local entertainment updates and calendars. If your business or venue has an event coming up, you can let us know by sending the event and your contact information to roaringforkmountainair at gmail.com (roaringforkmountainair@gmail.com). That's 'roaringforkmountainair' at 'gmail.com', and we'll do our best to include it in our updates.
MIRCEA: Thank you very much, Christopher. We'll be right back. [MUSIC BREAK]
MIRCEA: And we're back with our segment called Unpopular Idea of the Week. Take it away, Christopher.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. I have to confess that I have a lot of unpopular ideas, but this may in fact be THE most unpopular idea I have ever proposed. Now, I have to preface my remarks with, I am a firm advocate of the separation of church and state. And I think our nation was founded on that principle. We seem to be losing it, but we can talk about that later. But I will say that of all the federal holidays that we have out there, is only one that is a religious holiday, and that is Christmas. So today's unpopular idea of the week is to ban Christmas as a federal holiday, right? If your employer wants to give you the day off, or if they're Ebenezer Scrooge and wants you to work all the way to midnight, that's, you know, their business because it's their business. And I believe that there are lots of employers that would, in fact, honor Christmas in their heart, as I believe Dickens says. But should it be a federal government holiday, since it's a celebration of the birth of Christ in the Christian religion? I have some real problems with that, and I would recommend perhaps eliminating Christmas as a federal holiday and have in fact, voting day as a federal holiday.
MIRCEA: All right, as Forrest Gump would say, "that's all I've got to say about that".
CHRISTOPHER: It's true. I have to, when I would teach, I taught civics and government for courses for many, many years. And I would always save this for like the last bit before I did our winter break. And they're always sort of like "you want to kill Christmas?" I'm like, "yes, I do".
MIRCEA: All right. Well that's going to take us into our next segment. And final segment in closing, a moment of hope.
CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Mircea. Our moment of hope is originally was going to be part of our climate report. But it was such a profound issue and story. And the conclusion, I think you will find inspiring, which is why we put it here in our moment of hope. Climate change has caused mines that were started in the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s up and down the continental divide. And they were frozen mines, essentially, in the ground until recently. And climate change has started a thawing of these ruptures in the earth that are up and down the divide. And we find minerals and heavy metals and other metals leaching from these abandoned mines throughout the continental divide in North America. And here in the top of our watershed in Pitkin County, there is a mine north of just above Grizzly Reservoir called Ruby Mine, and residents in the Roaring Fork Valley noted some discoloration. in the water that was coming down from the Grizzly Reservoir. And as it turned out, there was leaching of aluminum and copper. I believe also a little arsenic, to be honest. And above Grizzly Reservoir, there's a turn on if you're going over Independence Pass, a Lincoln Creek Road. If you follow this to the very end, you will find yourself at the Grizzly Reservoir. And that is where a culvert system has collected water from the New York Creek, Grizzly Creek, the Roaring Fork River, sadly also the leaching of that Ruby mine. And so, as I said earlier, we are experiencing leaking copper, arsenic, cadmium, and other heavy metals into the Roaring Fork River. Now, how is this a moment of hope, you're asking?
MIRCEA: I was going to ask that.
CHRISTOPHER: Yes, that's an excellent question. And it would not be a moment of hope if I stopped here. But in a moment of hope, we have mobilized every resource available to us here in Pitkin County, the state of Colorado, and even the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington has been monitoring this site since it was first reported, I believe, two years ago. And we here in our Roaring Fork River Valley watershed have done more to mobilize monitoring and testing results and data that can be used and replicated when we study leaching mines throughout the continental divide in North America.
So, the moment of hope to pull out of this is we should be very proud to be on the forefront of monitoring, detection, and testing for the nation and perhaps the world at some point. And it's our scientists that are going to be helping to provide the recommendations and the data to help preserve and protect our waterways.
MIRCEA: First step to solving a problem is admitting that there is a problem.
CHRISTOPHER: Admitting there's a problem and figuring out how much of what type of evidence there is to collect to solve that problem.
MIRCEA: That concludes our third show, but before we go, we would like to give a big shout out to the Basalt Regional Library that has generously provided this space for taping our show. The Basalt Regional Library is more than just your average library, where your library card opens more than just books, eBooks, audiobooks, online magazines, streaming video, arts and crafts classes, language learning, lectures, concerts, and so much more. Located just over the bridge in downtown Basalt, the Basalt Regional Library hours are as follows. Monday through Thursday, 10 A.m. to 7 P.m., Friday through Saturday, 10 A.m. to 5 P.m., and Sunday, 12 P.m. to 5 P.m., the Basalt Regional Library.
We'd also like to give a shout out and a big thanks to the Zuma Lounge Productions, our producer. Zuma Lounge Productions brings fun audio and video productions to an internet near you. Through podcasts such as this one or ZLP Presents and Zuma Cafe Show, you can listen to short stories, podcasts, dramas, radio and internet shows, interviews, and much, much more. Visit Zuma Lounge Productions for more information on this show and upcoming shows at zumalounge.com. And one more time, Christopher and I would like to say, Thanks for listening.
[MUSIC CLOSE]
This energy is positive. Don't be negative. This energy is positive. Come on, don't be negative.
