Feature: Oil & Gas
by Jennie Lay

Know Your Niobrara Will oil in Routt County boom or bust?   An emerging oil play in Routt County’s front yard has roused local consciousness. The arrival of exploratory wells initiated an elevated level of discourse between industry and the community, and between local government and state officials. Drilling operations have the potential for significant effects on the Yampa Valley’s water, air, soil, wildlife and recreational opportunities. Decisions that will be made soon in Routt County have long-term impacts – on land, communities, the economy and maybe even our legacy. The arrival of drilling rigs, flaring wells and fracking was foreseeable. ... Full Article

Feature: Scents & Sensibility
by Jennie Lay

  Scents and  Sensibility 5 discerning women put Steamboat’s homegrown bath and body products to the test. (See the end of the article to meet the producers and find out where to get their goods!) For most of us, remarkable places inevitably evoke locally grown specialties. Maine has lobster. Napa is synonymous with wine. And the Yampa Valley? We boast grass-fed beef, Olympic medalists and now, beauty products. Throughout the fall and early winter, “Steamboat Magazine” called upon five women to help us explore the local producers who are turning out hundreds of hand-crafted bath and body products – many of which feature organic ... Full Article

Feature: Judging Routt County
by Walt Daub

JUDGING ROUTT COUNTY Historic Courthouse in the Heart of Old Town   Steamboat Springs native Bob Wither, who died in 2001, used to tell the story of the day in the early 1920s that he went  wandering behind the county courthouse. He was admiring this new architectural marvel. His reverie was broken by a familiar voice: “Hey, kid! Hey, Wither kid!” It was the sheriff in distress, having locked himself in the courthouse jail. Most likely, he’d locked himself in the “bear cage” – the jail cell that was relocated from the former county ... Full Article