Steamboat Springs – The $19.4 million sale of the More Family Ranch on the Yampa River late last year has brought the equivalent of a trout fishing country club to Routt County.

“That’s pretty much the business model, it’s pretty much like a golf club,” Steamboat Springs businessman Jarett Duty said. “There will be nonequity members and annual dues.”

He and his brother, John, own Bucking Rainbow Outfitters, an Orvis-affiliated shop in Steamboat. They have become equity partners in the Alpine River Ranch fishing club with a Pennsylvania man, Donny Beavers. The three men solicited the investment of existing club members to become equity partners and facilitate the multi-million dollar purchase.

Bucking Rainbow remains an independent business owned by Jarett and John Duty.

As of March 15, even members of the public who have several hundred dollars to spend on a guided fishing trip no longer have access to Tailwaters Preserve. It’s open to club members only.

Take me to the river

Members at Tailwaters Preserve, part of Alpine River Ranch, will pay an initial fee of $85,000 and annual dues currently set at $7,700. The majority of the members also can be expected to pay for a fishing guide to accompany them and members of their family on angling outings. The Duty brothers say they can be expected to help keep members of Steamboat’s guiding profession well employed.

Beavers established Alpine River Ranch in the Vail Valley in 2007. He already had established the successful Spring Ridge Club near College Station, Pa., an area that contains his home waters.

Beavers also acquired the well-established, Vail-area guide service, Gorsuch Outfitters and six miles of private access trout streams last year. He began attracting founding members in the Alpine River Club from among Gorsuch clients.

Alpine River Club is a separate business from Spring Ridge Club, John Duty said. But members of both clubs will enjoy reciprocal access. A 2004 article in The New York Times described members of Spring Ridge Club who value it because it is only a four-hour drive from Manhattan.

Steamboat fly shops have been sending guides and clients to the trout-rich waters below Lake Catamount on the More Family Ranch for years under the terms of a lease. Naturally reproducing trout there put on pounds year-round because the water coming out of Stagecoach Dam is cold enough in summer, and warm enough in winter, to spur metabolism of the fish.

Ski vacationers frequently have mixed in a day of guided fishing on the More Ranch and left with pictures of themselves holding a trophy that was promptly returned to the water.

The 1.75 miles of the Yampa on the ranch produced an 11-pound rainbow this past winter, and 26-inch fish are not rare.

“John and I think it’s one of the top five fishing destinations in the states,” Jarett said. “And it’s just seven miles from a major ski area.”

There is natural reproduction of rainbow trout in the river, Duty said. Other fish migrate to the rich feeding grounds below the dam in winter. They do not plant trophy trout in the river, he said.

“We don’t stock trout there, and we will never stock trout there,” Duty said.

When they learned that Beavers was looking at purchasing More Family Ranch, they approached him about joining the club for their own use.

Instead, the men became partners.

“The idea is to preserve these fishing waters. We typically don’t want to develop,” the land, John said.

However, the brothers said they can’t rule out a limited housing development on the preserve in the future to help offset the purchase price.

Floaters welcome

They also are actively pursuing land purchases or long-term leases that would bring more miles of streams and rivers into Alpine River Ranch. But they’re trying to do that with an eye to balance their own need for private water on which to guide private clients of their own, as well as the needs of the other fly shops.

“The ranchers who previously) said ‘never’ are opening their minds to the idea of leasing to a single club on a long-term basis,” Jarett said. “We added two significant pieces, two seven-mile stretches in the last month that are within an hour of town. But we’re trying to be very careful about stepping on toes and other peoples’ leases.”

Beavers was embroiled in a controversy in Pen­nsylvania when he sought to bar public boaters from a stretch of the Little Juniata River that runs through club property. He was unsuccessful in that effort.

John Duty, who has spoken out about protecting the right of commercial floaters to use rivers in Routt County, said they told their new partner they were on opposite sides of the debate and would not be a party to barring floaters from rivers here.

Beavers has engaged his club members in Pennsylvania in stream conservation, and the Duty brothers say that will be a big part of the Alpine River Ranch’s efforts here. They also intend to contract for hay production on the ranch.

As Beavers has done in Pennsylvania at the Spring Ridge Club, the Duty brothers said they look forward to a couple of occasions annually when local anglers will be invited to put their names in a hat for some fishing access at Tailwaters Preserve. Beyond that, membership in the club is the only option.

The brothers intend to join Beavers in expanding the model of Alpine River Ranch across the Rocky Mountain West to destinations such as Telluride and Jackson Hole, Wyo.

www.steamboatpilot.com

It seems that the Colorado water crisis is holding off for the time being this summer (or should I say what should be summer). There is an abundance of water in our little neck of the woods up here in Steamboat Springs with the Yampa and the Elk River at flood stages right now.  The bike path along the Yampa has been closed for at least a few weeks now and the Elk is in the process of making those lucky few who live on its banks more than quite a bit nervous.

There are a number of locals and tourists alike that are welcoming the water right now because it makes for really good boating!! I am an avid kayaker and have loved our luck with the water here in Steamboat as well as the rest of this gorgeous state!! Truthfully, the Yampa is quite high right now and it is more than a little unnerving to have to flip over and float under the two bridges that span the river between the put in and the take out. As much as I love it, I may be spending my weekends driving to a few other rivers that are way fun and where you don’t have to worry about man made obstacles that may wreck havoc on a supposed mellow day of kayaking.

Who knows what this summer will bring with our water and the usual crisis that we encounter but for now we love this excitement and can’t wait to get back on the river. However, please note that if you go you MUST wear a life vest!!! That’s my speech for today

Steamboat Springs – Some started fast, and some slow. Some ran every step, and some walked most. Some talked with friends along the way, and some broke out and ran alone.

On a bluebird, early summer day Sunday, 1,656 finished, helping the 27th annual Steamboat Marathon go off without a problem.

“It was a perfect day and everything went awesome,” marathon director Paul Sachs said. “It’s gone well every year, but this was a good year.”

Plenty of locals and visitors used the warm morning to walk the 10-kilometer race. Many took their time and enjoyed the scenery in the 13-mile half marathon, as well.

Even Jason Saitta, the sensational marathoner from Parker, slowed to a walk for his last couple steps, grabbing his 7-week-old son, Torin, from his wife before he crossed the finish line for his eighth Steamboat Marathon title.

Saitta, who had a time of 2 hours, 36 minutes and 2 seconds, bested his nearest competitors by six minutes.

“They all feel bad,” Saitta said of his eight wins, laughing minutes after finishing the race. “I felt heavy at the beginning. My legs just didn’t feel good turning over. I finally relaxed and felt better when I hit the hill coming up toward the airport at about mile 21.”

Spectators dotted the 26.2-mile course from its start at Hahn’s Peak Village, down along the Elk River and toward the west end of Steamboat Springs. Finally, the path led runners down Lincoln Avenue, where the crowds thickened with every block. Saitta stole the show, finishing with baby in arms and hundreds of fans pushing to get near the finish line to catch a glimpse.

Plenty of other racers were thrilled with their performances.

Holly Meyer, the women’s marathon champion, was nearly too successful. She finished at 3:29:03, 90 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor despite running in just the second marathon of her life.

Meyer, who traveled from Albuquerque, N.M., for the race, said initially she made one of the most common mistakes associated with the Steamboat Marathon. She roared down the slopes from the starting line, expecting all 26.2 miles to be downhill.

That’s not the case, despite what the overall change in elevation might suggest. A background in trail running helped Meyer make up the late inclines, and she was able to overcome the gaff and fight for the lead.

“I felt great. It’s such a gorgeous course and such friendly people,” Meyer said. “I went out pretty fast, but I had great people around me the whole time. They were super chatty and had watches and were able to keep me paced.”

When she finally came cruising down Lincoln toward the finish line in front of the Routt County Courthouse, she was well ahead of the four hours she had guessed she’d take to finish.

“I was worried my mom wouldn’t be there for it,” Meyer said. “I told her she didn’t have to be watching until four hours.

“I was here for Christmas too, and we got that huge dump of snow on Christmas Day, so I’m loving Steamboat. It’s a great town.”

There was plenty of local success in the men’s marathon. Moffat County High School cross-country coach Todd Trapp followed Saitta into town, finishing in second place in 2:41:56. Ian Mallams, an 18-year-old Steamboat resident, was next, in third at 2:45:03.

“In the first half of the race, there were four of us out there, and I just tried to stay in contact with them,” Trapp said. “I was in fourth through the first half, then (one runner) dropped out and I caught up with (Mallams) around the 18th mile.”

Tim Hola of Littleton took the men’s half marathon in 1:16:57, while Amy Schneider of Denver took the women’s in 1:33:10.

Danielle Korb of Fort Collins won the women’s 10-kilometer run in 37:13, while Tito Downer of Indianapolis took the men’s title in 36:08.

For many, the day was about more than a time and a place, however. Dozens of runners associated with Team in Training, a marathon training organization that raises money for leukemia and lymphoma research, covered the course, many running in support of sick family members.

There was one marriage proposal at the finish line – she said “yes” – and there were no serious injuries. One 10K runner who collapsed near the finish line and was whisked anyway in an ambulance was reported to be doing fine in the afternoon.

www.steamboatpilot.com

June 1, 2008 By ALINA TUGENDGETTING a mortgage used to be as easy as choosing the right color paint for a new home. Don’t have stellar credit? No problem. No verified income? Step right over here. High debt-to-income ratio? Sign on the dotted line anyway.
“Two years ago, we had a meeting where a mortgage broker [...]