The Pole

Colorado seems to be winning the fight against the zebra mussel – for now. Recent water sampling shows no signs of the highly invasive species as of Nov. 1. The mussels and offspring (known as “veligers”) were first found in Highline Lake at Highline State Park Lake near Fruita in September 2022. They later were found to have migrated to the nearby Colorado River and Government Highline Canal. 

Feel like you want to take a risk or stir up a little trouble on the big stage in front of thousands of your possibly inebriated neighbors? Then don’t forget to checker out the 2025 Snowdown Follies auditions.

There’s going to be a big, new rabbit on the trails of Vallecito this winter. That is if fundraising efforts for a new Favero Snow Rabbit 3X grooming machine succeed. The Vallecito Nordic Club recently launched a fundraiser for the new compact snowcat with blade and tiller, which would greatly enhance the club’s grooming efforts on the 15k of trails northeast of Durango.

Looking for a good winter’s night read? The independent National Outdoor Book Awards just announced its 15 2024 winners, covering topics from finding one’s way in the depths of the Grand Canyon to working with researchers as they unlock the secrets of plants.

At a loss for words right now? Well, you’re in luck. This Sat., Nov. 9, dozens of local poets will be filling the intellectual and literary void as they face off (as much as poets can) in Durango’s first Poetry Contest at 7 p.m. at the Durango Arts Center.

Here’s a little bit of good news in a week where it seems like the world is going to, well, garbage. An iconic headwaters in the San Juan Mountains has been saved from getting trashed in perpetuity.

We’ve all heard of “Who let the dogs out?” But what about the kangaroo?

And speaking of biking, there’s good news for those who are, shall we say, vertically averse. The City of Durango announced this week it is adding a new connector trail in the Twin Buttes system.  The new trail, roughly a half mile long, will provide a more user-friendly connection between the Cliffrock Loop downhill and the Upper Twin Buttes uphill, aka “switchbacks of death.”