The Mountain-Ear Podcast

Send a textIn this week's Music of the Mountains, we're featuring country singer-songwriter Alma Russ, traveling from her home state of North Carolina to perform at the Gold Hill General Store on Friday, March 6th, at 7:30 p.m.! Narratives are the most compelling part of music to Alma Russ. The Florida-born musician spent summers with her family on her greatgrandmother's property in Sylva, North Carolina, and Appalachian folk music inspired her most.“When I was, like, 12, I got into singing Scotch-Irish murder ballads,” Russ recalls about her musical upbringing. “In high school, I got more into country music, the great songwriters like John Prine and Townes Van Zandt and people like that, and I decided I wanted to write songs.” Stay tuned to learn more! Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send a textIn the 20th century, segregation in Colorado prevented many Black artists and families from staying at hotels, eating in restaurants and finding respite. A little known plot of land in Gilpin County called Lincoln Hills was the only place many African Americans could go for this.At the time, Lincoln Hills was the only leisure destination west of the Mississippi owned by and made for Black Americans. Artists like Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston spent time communing and creating here to get away from segregation and find peace in the Colorado Mountains.For Black History month, Mountain-Ear reporter Mindy Leary is writing a series of profiles covering the time these artists spent at the Gilpin County refuge. Today, she joins us on the podcast to tell us about Gilpin's forgotten Black History.AlsoAsbestos testing to finally begin at the Caribou Village Shopping Center fire wreckageNed BOT pursues $1 million in funding for local improvementsVery Nice Brewing Gilpin hosts annual crawfish boilRead the first story in Mindy's Lincoln Hills series about Langston Hughes here.Her Feb. 19 piece will feature jazz artist Duke Ellington, followed by a feature on actress and activist Lena Horne on Feb. 26. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send a textIn this week's double feature of Music of the Mountains, we're bringing in Kimmerjae Macarus and Morgan McHugh to talk about their upcoming show at Ned General!The Colorado journey of folk-rock guitarist Morgan McHugh came from expanding his performing reach. Branching from projects he'd been a part of, the Bellingham-born musician brought his original songs and acoustic guitar stylings to perform solo.McHugh began performing in small bars and house concerts, touring throughout Washington, California, and Colorado. The first show he played in Colorado was as part of a house concert series hosted by artist Kimmerjae Macarus, beginning their close musical connection. The two enthusiastically share their mutual admiration. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send a textIn our Valentine's Day special, we're bring you an episode stuffed with love. We read Valentine's submitted by you, our readers and listeners, to the Mountain-Ear, followed by a dive into the holiday's somewhat twisted origins.Valentine's Day wasn't always chocolate, roses and romance. The cute cards and candy hearts we know today can trace their origins back to a pagan holiday, Chaucer, and of course, early Christianity, our history correspondent Maryann Rosen says. In today's episode, she reveals the true story of Valentine's Day. From everyone at The Mountain-Ear, happy Valentine's Day! Show your love for local journalism by sharing today's episode with your special someone. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send a textIn this week's episode of Music of the Mountains, we feature Christopher Morse, acoustic singer-songwriting with the stylings of John Mayer and Jason Mraz!Have you ever heard of a boarding school for musicians? Even this column's author had no idea a school like that existed. For those who actually attended, though, it became some of their first experiences touring.Christopher Morse attended his middle school years at the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey. Though he shifted from his classical upbringing to acoustic indie pop-folk tendencies by high school, the Boychoir is where he first honed his musical skills.“The easiest way to describe it is, it was Hogwarts for singing,” explains Morse. “It was a boarding school where we sang three to four hours a day, having rehearsals, and then we would go on tour, have school on the bus while we were on tour, sing every night, and drive to a new city the next night.” Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send a textIt's finally here. The first issue of Caribou Current, our new, free arts and culture monthly hits news racks across Boulder and Gilpin County today, Feb. 5. In honor of our first issue, we're bringing you an episode packed with Caribou Current content: An exclusive interview with the prolific Boulder-based horror author Stephen Graham Jones, an editorial preview of this month's issue, and handpicked events and concerts you won't want to miss.Freelance reporter Toni Tresca sat down with Stephen Graham Jones to talk horror writing, industry labels and how becoming a household name has changed his career.You'll be able to read all of these stories in our print product, or at cariboucurrent.com for free. LinksParanormal activity 2 in theater audience reactions The Only Good Indians: Book Talk with Yvette Benavides on Texas Public RadioFollow on @Cariboucurrent on Instagram and FacebookStay tuned for more Caribou Current exclusives at the start of each month. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this week's Music of the Mountains, we feature Emma Sky Quarterman, a Colorado singer-songwriter working on booking more gigs in the Front Range. She's got two performances on Valentine's Day weekend, so be sure to stay tuned to learn more about those shows!Emma Sky Quarterman is, in many ways, a woman of the mountains. Not only is the country, pop, and R&B-inspired artist one of many in the lineup of the 2026 Women of the Mountain Festival, she is also a lifelong Colorado resident—born in Leadville, growing up in Nederland, and moving to Boulder in 2010.She grew up interested in being a musician, ultimately performing in the school choir at Nederland MiddleSenior High and helping to host an open mic at TEENS, Inc. In her college years, she attended Naropa University to study music. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textToday, we're joined by a trio of CU Boulder student journalists who dug up a story in Gold Hill, where failing backup batteries cut emergency services for residents during power outages.The systems, supplied by Lumen Technologies, are supposed to keep land lines operational when the power's out. But some of those batteries are over 20 years old and failing, turning power outages into potentially life-threatening situations.Sydney Schrader, Corey Neumeier and Sophia Collins tell us what's going on in Gold Hill, and mountain towns across the county, and what the residents are doing about it.Their story was originally published by the Colorado Sun. Read it here.AlsoStructure fire in AllensparkNederland ice rink still not frozenGolden Gate Canyon OKs Community Wildfire Protection Plan. View it here. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThis week on Music of the Mountains, The Mountain-Ear Podcast invites Tom Knowlton, lead singer and guitarist of The Fretliners, to talk about his weekly open jams at MainStage Brewing in Lyons! Be sure to stay tuned to learn more about his background!Year-round, musicians play unique lineups as part of the MainGrass event, created by MainStage Brewing and Emma Rose in 2021. Musicians and lineups are combined based on their individual and complementary strengths, and oftentimes, the lineups have never previously played together. You kinda get called up by random, like, ‘Can you do it?'” says Tom Knowlton, lead guitar player of The Fretliners. “It's pretty cool because you never know who you're gonna play with.”Along with changing lineups every show, MainGrass also plays in different venues. With the opening of its new Gunbarrel location, MainStage hosts the event in Lyons from May to September and in Gunbarrel from October to May. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textOn today's show, Maryann Rosen tells us how a couple teachers, a bluebird, and a love for the Colorado outdoors revitalized the spirits of Chicago's working women in the early 20th century. This episode received contributions from a 2021 History Colorado article written by Dr. Kayann Short. You can read her piece here.Also, in this week's newsFederal funding freeze slashes Nederland's TEENS Inc. budgetBlack Hawk Swears in new city aldermenNederland secures Caribou Village Fire demolition permitsBoard of Trustees approve financing structure for Eldora PurchaseBoulder Falls trail could be closed for good Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textJoey Palermino finds a special connectivity through the art of music. From sharing music with his parents to finding a community of musicians to perform with, building connections and friendships through music inspires him the most. Palermino's instrument of choice has always been the guitar. A selftaught player, he especially embraced the instrument after college, living in Memphis and playing live and among friends.“Once I moved to Colorado, I found the music scene here, and especially the bluegrass picking scene,” says eightyear resident Palermino. “I really made some awesome friends and connections that really pushed me to go to the next level, if you will." Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThis week, reporter and editor Shay Castle met with local organizers from Big Tent BoCo, a group that's petitioning to increase the number of county commissioners from three to five.Organizers Masyn Moyer and Rachel Friend are pushing for better representation for the county - especially for the the more rural, western half of BoCo. Though it's not uncommon for a county of this size to only have three commissioner seats, they make an interesting case to add two members.Listen in to hear their story, and how you can get involved.For more information, head to BigTentBoCo.orgAlso:State to review the 2025 death of CU student Meghan TrussellNederland group names Senior of the Year Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe Gold Hill Inn is shut down for the season and will reopen in May 2026. To celebrate the venue and its incredible repertoire of performers, we're flashing back to a 2021 interview with Gold Hill Inn performer Finn O'Sullivan! Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn today's show, Maryann Rosen recounts the historic blizzards of the Peak to Peak that buried the region under snow that reached second-story windows. What was it like to live through a storm without access to your snowblower, or without plows clearing the streets?It wasn't easy. These storms could decimate towns, and they could strand settlers for weeks with nowhere to go. Listen to today's show to hear true stories of these legendary storms.Plus:Nederland approves Eldora purchaseDeath of Gilpin County man brings renewed attention to one of the most troubling accounts of racial injustice in county historyBoCo awards $2 million in funding for fire protection districts, emergency service agenciesA taste of Black Hawk's newest pizza joint, Copper Kitchen Pizzeria Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn the first 2026 episode of Music of the Mountains, The Mountain-Ear Podcast hears from Andre LaMotte, a Spanish guitar instrumentalist who brings an acoustic twist to modern rock and pop. The physical and digital music column will be out in the January 8th issue of the newspaper, a day before LaMotte's performance at Monarch Casino in Black Hawk. Listen to the episode for more details -- and if you're listening before January 9th, please spread the word however you can! Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textHappy New Year, and Happy Birthday to the Mountain-Ear Podcast!Today marks our fifth anniversary of being on the airwaves. We've come a long way, and we have a lot to be proud of - plus a lot to look forward to.To ring in the New Year, we have our first "Sounds of the Town" submission from Eldora resident David Hallock, a bird lover and conservationist who says the song of the American Dipper is what defines the quiet, natural ambience of the historic mountain village. Listen in to hear David's explanation of the near indescribable beauty of the song. Also:Wild Turkey Trail fire triggers evacuations in Fourmile CanyonGilpin County childcare center opens for enrollmentYour local government's year-in-reviewThanks to Xeno-Canto for providing the American Dipper's songs and calls used in today's episode. Recordings used were submitted by Ted Floyd, Seth Beaudreault, Paul Driver and Denise Wright. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textRoger and Lori Drienka have lived together in the Colorado mountain community for nearly 50 years, with Lori's connections to the state reaching back generations. In 1936, her grandfather built a teepee near his family's property in the town of Pinecliffe.Lori was born in Denver, where she lived until around the age of ten. She moved to Southern California, where she met Roger in a high school construction class. As the only girl in the class, other guys would often make themselves known to her.At one point, annoyed with a guy in her group “subtly” vying for her attention, she asked the teacher for a different class project foreman. The professor reassigned her with a new foreman: Roger. The rest, as they say, is history. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textMusicians don't build their legacies overnight. They learn, they tour, they perform, and they sometimes stumble into their defining moments. Rhythm and blues musician Chris Daniels and soul musician Freddi Gowdy have built their legacies over decades.In 2025's final episode of Music of the Mountains, prepare for the end of the year by bringing Daniels and Gowdy on to talk about their upcoming New Year's Eve Show at Oskar Blues Grill and Brew in Lyons. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textDid miners in the Peak to Peak get Christmas day off in the 1800's? In this week's episode, our guest host Maryann Rosen digs into the history of Christmas, and what the holiday meant for early settlers in Nederland. Winters were long and the holidays in the Colorado mountains weren't always merry and bright - especially for the laborers who worked year-round in the historical mines. But the spirit of Christmas always had a way of brightening the harsh lifestyle that came with living in Rockies. Listen in for a window into Christmas day, circa 1890.Also:High winds and no power up and down the Front RangeHundred-year-old shoe shop says goodbyeLakeview Fire cleanup delays continueThe Mountain-Ear Pet of the Year Award goes to...Read these stories and more at themtnear.com. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chef, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, podcast host, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThere's a special joy that comes when people play music together. Richard Shine, who has primarily performed acoustic solo sets over the last few years, is now experiencing that joy with fellow guitarist Steve Scheidker.“I met Steve playing pickleball,” Shine recalls. “We had him over one night, and he said he played some guitar and did some singing, so we started fiddling around, and next thing you know, I've invited him to a gig of mine.”Both performing acoustic guitar, with Shine singing lead and Scheidker on harmony, the two recognized their connection and started playing together more frequently. They have since cemented themselves as Beyond Comprehension, performing a mix of classic rock, country, and blues. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textWe are excited to announce an endeavor that has been months in the making: Caribou Current, our new, free arts and culture monthly coming in February 2026.A cast of former Boulder Weekly staffers, who lost their jobs when the Alternative Weekly newspaper ceased publishing this past summer, are teaming up with The Mountain-Ear to bring you stories about music, arts, entertainment, food and more, spanning the Peak to Peak, Boulder County and Golden.We sat down with Jezy Gray, Caribou Current's managing editor and former Boulder Weekly arts and culture editor, to find out what we can expect from this new monthly.We have big plans in the works, so this is just the start. Stay tuned for more updates and teasers coming early ion 2026.If you have any editorial tips, you can email Jezy at jezy@themountainear.com. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textOn Friday, December 12, 2025, the Nederland Community Library hosted a reception for its current art exhibit, A Plague of Parody, with its artist, Brent Warren.Community members mingled and drank amongst the artwork in the library's community room, with the filmmaker, musician, magician, and multimedia artist providing guitar accompaniment.Warren also discussed the meanings of his artwork, digital graphic photos that he creates with the help of Photoshop. The photos, often accompanied by captions, poke fun at the “things we take for granted in our lives,” as Warren writes. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textGospel music has the power to bring people together, no matter where they're from or what they believe. The emerging lineup Chapel Mountain Rounders embrace the style for that exact reason.Longmont resident Elijah Donovan, Nederland resident Matt Thomas, Rollinsville resident Courtlyn Bills, and Steamboat resident Kay McKenzie have consistently drawn hope from gospel music.While Christian messages build the foundation of the style, the bluegrass musicians emphasize the joy that gospel brings outside of its religious themes. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textOn today's show, we're bringing you a segment from our guest host Maryann Rosen, who paints a beautiful picture of a winter drive down the Peak to Peak highway. Bundle up, watch out for moose, and try not to let the breathtaking scenery distract you while you make your way from Blackhawk to Estes Park on one of the prettiest drives in the state of Colorado.AlsoReindeer games (literally) in Blackhawk on Sunday, December 14thNederland Cross Country coaches nab regional awardOld Town Ned lights up for the holiday season Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textWilliam Nicholson has passed down the idea of Tortesia for years. The legend began at a previous job, where he frequently talked to “a guy named Cole,” who constantly showed up hungover.When Nicholson asked Cole where he had been the night before, he said he was down in Tortesia. Nicholson asked where Tortesia was, and Cole pointed in one direction and responded, “It's down the road about 10 or 12 beers.”“I just kept it as kind of a funny thing,” Nicholson says. “When someone was acting goofy, I'd be like, ‘You're just Tortesian. Quit acting Tortesian, bro.'” Now, a lineup of four musicians (with an occasional fifth member on saxophone) has embraced the inside joke by adopting the moniker of The Tortesians. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textEver wanted to learn how to sharpen your knives like a professional chef? Or dip your toes into music theory? Try asking your neighbor.In this week's episode, editor and reporter Shay Castle sits down with Fourmile Canyon local Anna Stifter to talk about a community skill share she's been organizing for the past few months.Anna details the steps you can take to start a skill share in your own community, and takes us behind the curtains of the exciting workshops she has planned for Fourmile locals looking to learn something new. Listen in to hear their conversation.Here's a link to Shay's story from last week.And a link to Anna Stifter's skill share starter kit for your own community.Also:Nederland approves a slimmed down 2026 town budgetTrash talk - literally - at Central City CouncilDonation information for the Nederland Food Pantry's upcoming Holidy Donation DriveAnd a teaser of all the tasty visuals in in this week's paper from Thanksgiving events in the Peak to Peak. Support the showThank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textDanny Shafer opens up through music. The Americana singer-songwriter pours his heart into every song he writes and performs, hoping to make honest connectionswith his listeners.“I don't have to hide anything when I'm on stage,” he says. “There's no spot in my personality that I can't show.”Tune into this week's Music of the Mountains episode to hear from and learn more about longtime Colorado performers Danny Shafer and Wendy Woo. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIt's not often that students, parents and teachers get to share a meal with each other. But once a year, on the Friday before Thanksgiving, the whole Nederland Middle-Senior High School community get's together for the Harvest Feast, a traditional more than a decade old.Media specialist Jamie Lammers stopped in to the potluck lunch to chat with the hungry cafeteria patrons to see what it's like to sit down and have a meal with people they seldom eat with. We pulled some of the most interesting responses into an episode for you.If there's one thing everyone agrees on, it's the value of community events like this in a small town. Listen in to what people had to say here.Also:Caribou Village Fire benefit concerts continue to help Nederland healBoulder County abandons plans to increase minimum wageStart your holiday season in Central City and celebrate Tommyknocker HolidaysCast your vote for Peak to Peak Pet of the Year here! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textWe've all been told the story of the first Thanksgiving - but what actually happened?As with much of colonial American history, the real story is much darker. In Maryann Rosen's annual retelling of the story, she dives into the facts, giving us a true recounting of what colonial and indigenous relationships were like when pilgrims first began colonizing New England. Listen today, and keep these stories in mind while you celebrate and give thanks with your families this week. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textNed's got history - a lot of it. From the glacier carved valleys walked by indigenous peoples, to it's early mining settlements, to the vibrant music scene that evolved at Caribou Ranch, the town has been through countless ebbs and flows of time.History changes though, and in early October the Caribou Village fire that destroyed 20 storefronts and the livelihoods of many locals signified a seismic shift in the town's timeline. But the people of Nederland have been through it all, and this hasn't slowed them down.To honor the toughness, resilience and creativity of this town, Maryann brings us an homage to Ned, traveling through time from land's first inhabitants to bustling mountain town it is today. Listen in to hear more. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textTwo things tie together Arn Current's musical life: family and community. The longtime local musician worked his first job at the Caribou Ranch under founder James William Guercio, and he graduated from Nederland High in 1989.Now, Current is returning to his hometown for a show at Busey Brews as part of the Ripple Effect Benefit Series. The concert series has been scheduled through November, raising funds for the Nederland Fire Department in the aftermath of the Lakeview Fire that destroyed 20 local businesses at the Caribou Village Shopping Center on October 9. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textOn today's show, we're launching a new joint segment with Boulder Valley Frequency we're calling “Sounds of the Town”.  The Mountain-Ear wants to know: What does home sound like to you? We are accepting submissions for Sounds of the Town, a new podcast series that seeks to highlight the sonic signatures of our area: from Allenspark to Idaho Springs, and all the canyons and communities in between.Tell us what the sound is, where you hear it and what it means to you. We'll gather the best ideas from each town, then send our audio experts out to record them. A different town and sound will be featured each week on The Mountain-Ear podcast. Tune in every Thursday to hear the latest.When we've got the entire Peak to Peak, Gilpin and Boulder County and beyond covered, we'll pull them all together into a story for readers in the regular, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.No idea is wrong. If you hear it and it evokes home, we want to know about it.You can send submissions to tyler@themountainear.com.Video of Pearl Street performer Ibashi-I, "The Man in the Box" (Courtesy: Boulder Daily Camera)Also in today's show:Eldora is open for the seasonBlack Hawk city council honors the late Alderman Gregory G. MoatesNed-are orgs nab county climate fundingPeak-to-peak Auroras light up Colorado skyPick up this week's paper to read these stories and so much more! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com or our podcast hosts: Tyler Hickman, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, at media@themountainear.com Head to our website for all of the latest news. Subscribe online and use the coupon code PODCAST for a 10% discount for all new subscribers. Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear Listen and watch on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout.Thank you for listening!

Send us a textPatrick Dethlefs has always let his instincts guide him. While he found early inspiration as a young musician everywhere from Jimmy Page to The Allman Brothers, the Colorado native put most of his energy into original material.“I don't think I was a big learner of other people's songs, even in the beginning,” Dethlefs says. “First getting the guitar, I think I just learned chords and put them together in a different way.”The current chapter of Joel Van Horne's story begins with a family cabin in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest. The Lakewood native grew up in a musical household, but the memories and moniker of that special retreat, built and named by his grandfather, inspired the defining stage of his artistic journey as Covenhoven.“It's a very meaningful place to me and my family,” Van Horne says. “I wanted to make a record to say thank you to my grandfather.” Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textEarlier this summer, Salto Coffee owners Karina and Marcus Luscher struck a deal to sell their shop to the ownership group at Gold Hill Inn, bringing a slice of the iconic Peak to Peak hangout to Old Town Nederland. That's where the story of Ned General, Nederland's newest coffee shop, bar and community space begins.This episode features a conversation from the archives between Mountain-Ear managing editor Barbara Hardt and the new team at Ned General. They've spent the last few months slowly curating a new, yet familiar, aesthetic, and they have big plans for the future.Also:Last week, the Town of Nederland inched closer to acquiring Eldora Ski Resort after its first public discussion of the purchase since July. The deal is expected to be finalized at its Nov. 18 meeting. You can read the full story from reporter Chris Kelley in this week's paper, or on our website, themtnear.com Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textGuy Frydenlund formed a band through connections, meeting the band's original drummer at an open jam and the bass and guitar players through CU Denver's music program.Eight years on, guitarist Frydenlund, current drummer Zach Bulgarelli, keys player Jack Marty, and bass player Caden Kramer play together as Sqwerv.Frydenlund describes the group as an indie-jam band, with each member bringing their own influences to the table. He comes from an indie-folk singer-songwriter background, Bulgarelli and Kramer come from rock and metal backgrounds, and Marty comes from jam, bluegrass, and country backgrounds.Together, the group performs original jam songs rooted in their mutual love of Phish and The Grateful Dead. From two-minute psych songs to twelve-minute Prague songs, the band is always willing to take musical risks together.The tribute act BreadBox calls itself more than a cover band. Their admiration for the Jerry Garcia Band and their arrangements of the band's songs make the group a lover band.Much like Garcia in his projects, BreadBox focuses on improvisational jam performances, expanding each song beyond its original performances. The group consists of Zac Flynn on bass, Heather Olson and Miranda Rosalie on vocals, Kirk Larson on drums, Pat Harvey on guitar, Phil Cenedella on vocals and guitar, and Tyler Adams on organ. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThis week, we're featuring an episode of Boulder Valley Frequency, a show from longtime Boulder journalist Shay Castle covering news across the county.In this episode of BVHz, Shay sits down with our very own senior reporter for The Mountain-Ear, Chris Kelley, for an update on Nederland's progress toward acquiring Eldora Ski Resort. Chris gives us a bit of perspective on the potential purchase, and while he's hopeful it will do a lot of good for the town, he reminds us to stay wary of the private group, 303 Ski, who helped structure the bond deal -- and who Nederland will be indebted to after the purchase is finalized.One small note: this episode of BVHz was recorded and published before the Nederland Board of Trustees Nov. 5 meeting, which provided an update and opportunity for public comment on the potential deal. For a complete update, you can read Chris Kelley's story in the Nov. 13 issue of The Mountain-Ear. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this episode, the host reads Some Words for the Week, poems written throughout the month of October 2025 by Alexander Shalom Joseph. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textDenver-based folk-grass musician Mark May first picked up a guitar at nine years old. Since then, he's developed his performance and songwriting, graduating from Fort Lewis College in 2016 with a music business degree.Playing music has helped May personally throughout his life, allowing him to express himself and find solace in his and others' music. He was born hard of hearing in his left ear, but that has never dampened his enthusiasm for music as an art form. He hopes his music can bring comfort to listeners in the same way it brings comfort to him. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textShey is a years-long labor of love.She's a 4-3/4 ton lion sculpture crafted by hand from Lyons Pink sandstone. What better place for her to settle than Bohn Park in Lyons?Sculptor Kimmerjae Macarus found the original 8-ton sandstone block in a stoneyard where she worked during her time in landscape design. The block has been in her life for over a decade, ever since she discovered it before the 2013 Front Range floods.She fell in love with the rock, looking at it and climbing it for years. The block had many significant vertical fissures, or “dry cracks,” and, combined with the enormous cost of purchasing the block, she felt it would be insane to try to bring the stone to her studio in Lafayette to carve it.Her connection to the stone did not break, though. The Front Range floods moved many of the pieces in the stoneyard, and when she initially struggled to find this stone, she panicked and grieved for it.When she finally found the stone again, she knew she had to try to carve something from it, even if the result wasn't successful. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn a brand-new segment format for The Mountain-Ear Podcast, new team member Tyler Hickman brings us a conversation between Mountain Man's John Thompson and The Mountain-Ear's Chris Kelly about the aftermath of the Lakeview Fire. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textWhen he first bought a house in Colorado, Jim Heekin built a studio in his new basement. Having played in various bands while living in Brooklyn, he wanted to build musical momentum in his new home.From there, he made connections with other musicians in the area. Slowly, a lineup of people developed, and by 2013, the group had cemented itself as the lineup of a new project, Sun Jr.Heekin provides guitar and sings vocals with banjo player Matt Kubis. Nod Norkus provides drums, Jeremiah Streets plays keys and bass, and Jon Schimek performs on pedal steel and guitar.The group frequently jams together, connecting as players but also as friends. For them, playing music and hanging out go hand in hand, and because of how much time they spent playing, the band grew organically. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textA second-generation Boulderite and a resident of Gold Hill for over 40 years, Leslie Finn has a strong connection to Colorado. Her husband, Christopher, owns the Gold Hill Inn with his family, who bought the property in 1962.Christopher serves as the chief of the Gold Hill Fire Department, for which Leslie has volunteered for the Gold Hill Fire Department for over 36 years, and she works as a cleaner for the inn's Bluebird Lodge, which she considers her “little house.”Leslie Finn has written since elementary school, and the history and beauty of Colorado informs her writing. In 2024, she published her novel Oh Them Days on Blue Hoss Mountain, the first novel in what quickly turned into a series.Now, Finn has released the second book, When The Skies Wuz Fair and Blue, which develops the world and characters further. She is currently working on the third book in the series.You can purchase the books at their official website. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe nonprofit Advocates for Recovery Colorado has been serving as a Recovery Community Organization since 2001, focusing on recovery solutions rather than addiction challenges.For the last year, they've been developing their latest program for Colorado.In January 2025, Sean Hedden was hired as the regional manager of the new Foothills program, which focuses on Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Jefferson Counties. The organization currently hosts programs in Denver, Boulder, Durango, Sterling, Aurora, and other Colorado communities.The program is heading into its second year of funding, and the organization has brought on Lindsay Gianola as Gilpin's Peer Recovery Coach. As a resident with lived experience in active and sustained recovery, she will meet participants in the program, share her experience, and guide and support them. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textTyler Ballantyne has always loved music, but he didn't start playing seriously until his college years. Around that time, he became obsessed with Dave Matthews, particularly his right hand—the way he played rhythm guitar.Ballentyne bought a guitar, and he says that at the time, he learned about half of one of Matthews' songs and otherwise strummed it to play songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Ring of Fire.”Once he arrived in Colorado, he fell in love with bluegrass and folk.A few months into the COVID pandemic, he decided to take guitar more seriously, inspired by acts such as The Grateful Dead, Phish, and Billy Strings. He bought a Martin D-18 and signed up to take lessons from Bryan Sutton. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this Audio Library segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, journalist Christopher Kelley reads the fourth and final part of his account of the mining history of Nederland, Colorado! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this Audio Library segment of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, journalist Christopher Kelley reads the third part of his account of the mining history of Nederland, Colorado! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textThe Two Tracks has developed its sound as a band for nearly ten years now. The band recorded their self-titled debut in 2016 and is set to release their fifth album in 2026.Julie Huebner, singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist, formed the band with drummer Fernando “Fred” Serna in 2013. The band cycled through many players before recording their first album, with Julie's husband Dave joining the group during recording. The husband-and-wife duo now serve as the lead singers and songwriters of the band.Laurie Dameron has been playing music professionally and writing songs for over 35 years. Lorrie Baum has been playing bass since 1967 and trombone for longer. Together, they make up the duo Laurie and Lorrie.The two first met in 1987 as performers in the Moodswing big band. In 1990, they started the all-women's group Sister Swing, and they continued performing in jazz festivals and local breweries. Around this time, Baum also founded Raw Honey, the largest all-women's group in Colorado at the time. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this episode, the host reads Some Words for the Week, poems written throughout the month of September 2025 by Alexander Shalom Joseph. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textIn this special segment, regular correspondent Maryann Rosen takes us through the Peak to Peak region to find activities for the month of October to take full advantage of the spooky season! Also included is a mini-segment with Daisza Caldwell, market manager of the Nederland Farmers Market, talking about the upcoming Harvest Festival! Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textAlex Mackenzie-Low first put a band together in 2013, near the end of his time studying music business and recording arts at CU Denver. He put the band together in order to create an album of original songs, and the group grew from there.The group was originally named A-Mac DZ, a nickname Alex received in high school. Ultimately, the band rebranded to A-Mac and The Height, a name more representative of the collaboration of the group and the “elevating, empowering, positive music” they perform.Alex has been writing songs since around the age of six, and has performed in at least ten bands throughout his life. He's performed many different styles of music, from hardcore metal to hip-hop to emo, ultimately landing in reggae rock with A-Mac and The Height. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!

Send us a textFor many, music is a way of coping with difficult feelings. The joy and comfort that music brings is generational, and Jeremy Garrett knows that intimately. That's mainly thanks to his father, Glen, the first president of the Idaho Bluegrass Association.Around the age of 12, Glen's parents bought him a guitar after their dog passed away. He found solace in this guitar, embracing bluegrass music and establishing a reputation on his block for his guitar playing.Later, Glen received an instrument from another grieving neighbor: an older man who lost his wife to cancer. Having played in the local symphony, she owned a violin made in 1914, and her husband simply couldn't get rid of it when she passed.However, as time passed, the older man found it harder to look at the violin without experiencing feelings of grief. He decided to give the fiddle to Glen, telling him that he would know what to do with it.Glen stuck with the guitar and never learned to play fiddle. When he passed it on to his son, Jeremy embraced it.That is the instrument he has played for his entire life. Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below!If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact our editor at info@themountainear.com and/or our podcast host at media@themountainear.com! Head to our website for all of the latest news from peak to peak! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE and use the coupon code PODCAST for A 10% DISCOUNT for ALL NEW SUBSCRIBERS! Submit local events to promote them in the paper and on our website! Find us on Facebook @mtnear and Instagram @mtn.ear! Listen and watch on YouTube today! Share this podcast around by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout!Thank you for listening!