Skip to main content

Riverside Bluegrass

Upon receiving my new amazing Therm-A- Rest Sleep System, I used it on the banks of the Colorado River at Riverbend Park in Palisade Colorado at the Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival. I know this was not a backcountry experience, however sleeping on a brand new super comfortable sleep system made all difference while volunteering on the Green Team and enjoying this summer music festival for three days. My Green Team role involved working with a large volunteer team to divert all compostable and recyclable materials from the landfill while ultimately doing good for the planet and also enjoying some incredible bluegrass music in a spectacular desert riverside setting with friends.

Hanging out in the huge Riverbend Park on the banks of the Colorado River was a treat. It was fantastic to be able to take a dip in the river four to five times a day as the June desert days are so hot and dry.  After long hot days on my feet both working and dancing, retiring to my most comfortable therm-a-rest mattress and perfect weight sleeping bag listing to distant fiddle and banjo jam sessions throughout the park was glorious. Sleeping out in a walk-in campsite, distant from my car, by the Colorado River under the shade of these huge old cottonwood trees made for a fantastic way to enjoy the Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival. Even though we were only a bike ride from downtown, it felt a bit remote and removed from the daily grind of town and work; a much needed respite. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Raising Up a Fire: Stoked on Conservation?

Published 8/17/18 by Aldo Leopold Foundation   Like most environmental educators and park interpreters, I have a strong commitment to sharing wild places with others. The beauty and wonder of our public lands create the perfect setting to share and nurture a land ethic with learners from all walks of life. For me, it is more than just a vocation, though—care for people, land, and communities infuse every part of my life. Every day, I work to foster intimate relationships between people and their landscape both in my professional and civic life. During 2014, I was fortunate to learn from and become one of the Land Ethic Leaders during a special session of the Aldo Leopold Foundation ’s program hosted in Grand Teton National Park at the Murie Center. The experience stoked the fierce green fire within me to keep the land ethic alive and give voice to the Murie’s ecological wilderness values. Stoke, passion, adrenaline, enthusiasm are driving the desire for bigger, higher, an...

April 4, 2013 Letter to Editor

Letter to the Editor - Wilderness

Dear friends, Wilderness (with a capitol ‘w’) proposals have been brought to our attention during the past few weeks here in the Valley.  I hope you are educating yourselves and understand the opportunity that is present for us to make an incredible impact on our environment, our culture and our selves by encouraging Congress to pass the Hidden Gems Wilderness bill.  We are defined by our landscapes – it’s our clean water, clean air, recreation opportunities, our wildlife, our mountains, and our rivers who make us who we are -  we are all part of our ecological  and land community.  As members of the land community we are charged with being stewards of it and protecting it from future degradation. People in our valley appreciate having public land to play in more than most people in the country.  Hikers, bikers, para gliders, skiers (alpine, Nordic, backcountry, etc.), river runners, fishermen, hunters, snowmobilers, dirt bikers, ATV drivers, horse...