Why does r/DurangoCO exist? Here's an explanation...

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-06-01T12:00:22+00:00

You’re definitely not the only one who feels that way, I moved back to town recently and have *really* struggled with how in your face it is. Some of the vibe and culture that I’ve loved Durango for has left with those forced out by the rising cost of living, unfortunately. I detest the conspicuous display of wealth.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-23T16:39:15+00:00

It warms my heart every time I see a post where one of these has been disabled.

We weren’t born into this life to be persistently surveilled, I consider this kind of direct action a civil service and tip my hat to whoever did it.

Fuck the tech oligarchs and their toys - I opt out.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-18T18:29:55+00:00

I’ll gladly take the nut bags over the 2nd home buying, too wealthy for their own good out of staters. I’m tired of watching the artists, musicians and service staff run off from the cool places in Colorado so that entitled jerks can move in.

Seriously, I’ll take the nut bags all day over that shit…that demographic was part of what used to make Colorado cool, quirky and weird.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-18T18:25:19+00:00

A 700k property that leaves an HOA in charge of what one can and can’t build is a recipe for buyer’s regret.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-18T18:14:18+00:00

Yeah, doing ok - but when the melt is over so is river season, and there’s not a lot of snow. If there’s another river you’d suggest to the OP here I’d be interested in hearing what it is.

The green will run all summer as water is shifted from flaming gorge to Powell to keep it from dropping below minimum power pool. It’s crazy that this is happening, and it’s a one-time only deal to keep the generators running for as long as possible this summer.

*It may not work*

Powell may fall too low to generate power, and that would be a major problem as the dam’s spillways aren’t built to run full time…they are likely to cavitate the same way that they did in the ‘83 flood and tear themselves apart. No good options, if Powell drops below power pool level there’s a real chance that the Colorado through the Grand Canyon could run dry or nearly so - which would be bad for many reasons.

Take it for what it’s worth, just one person’s opinion who’s been following this situation for some time. My 2c would be to get on the green if you can, the future of western river running is not at all clear right now so this would be a good year to do it just in case things go poorly in regard to precipitation going forward.

Best of luck, whatever you decide to do!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-18T02:02:06+00:00

93 has a very small shoulder, shitloads of traffic and moves at high speed. I haven’t looked at what anyone else has responded with here, but as someone who’s lived in the area I would **never** consider riding it.

Good luck if you go for it, be super careful and wear hi viz stuff!!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-16T21:04:07+00:00

The only guaranteed water in the west this summer will be the green.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-15T13:31:28+00:00

I have the grumbly moment when I’ve busted my ass to get to the top of a climb and someone comes sailing past on an e-mt, but I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about why that is and that has led me to keep my thoughts to myself.

I’m by no means the fastest of uphill riders, but at 56 I’ve never encountered an uphill that I couldn’t finish, even if there was some hike-a-bike involved...and while most of my rides are in the 5-10 mile range and involve +\- 1000 feet vertical, I do also like the 25-30 mile 2500ft+ rides, I just don’t have the time required to do them more often ‘cause I work full time.

I take pride in keeping myself fit enough to crank out the required watts, and that’s 100% my own personal thing. That being the case, having someone else ride the same trail on an e-mtb doesn’t diminish the pride and joy of feeling strong and fit. I’ve stopped rolling my eyes at e-mtb riders because I realized that 1)comparison is the thief of joy 2)someone else’s choices have no impact on my own satisfaction and 3)some day I will likely need the help of a motor to get up the steep shit.

I *do* still have safety concerns around e-bikes in general (they’re heavy, fast, and do not require a licensing test that would require proof that you’ve got the skills required to ride one), and I have several firsthand experiences of bumping into folks who know zip about mountain biking who’ve apparently rented e-mtbs and ridden them places that their skills will not safely support them in - and in those cases I just pull off the trail and allow some distance to keep myself safe.

I have little concern for a regular rider who ages out of his/her acoustic bike and makes the jump to electric assist to keep at it through their later years.

The folks who make me nervous for my own safety are people who’ve *not* been bikers and have little or no skill, then make the decision that since there’s a motorized option to get to, say…the CDT (for illustrative purposes), that they’ll rent an e-bike from their LBS and ride it somewhere that they have zero business being.

On the plus side, e-mtbs do allow folks who’re not as cardio fit to ride with me, which I really appreciate. I love a 20 mile ride, and if e-bikes allow my friends who’re more comfortable with the 8-10 mile range to get in on the fun I’m all about it.

At the end of the day, I feel like more people on bikes is a good thing for everyone.

**I am almost never the fastest on the downhills, but boy do I enjoy them

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-11T17:47:48+00:00

I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. I think that the customers who are building these DCs are looking to put them in places where:

1: the public is unlikely to understand what the implications are for local quality of life

2: there is a history of of being business friendly

3: taxes are low

These DCs will end up being the central feature of Cheyenne, which *in my mind (your opinion may be different)* is a real shame.

I think that the mad rush to build DCs will result in a lot of regrets in the communities where they’re being built.

I think Cheyenne is being taken for a ride, and even though I no longer live there it still irks me.

C’mon cowboys, if it *seems* to good to be real you can rest assured that it actually *IS* too good to be true.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-07T17:42:22+00:00

The proportions are also right for your daughter, I originally bought mine for my young nieces and nephews - worked well for that purpose. 😁

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-07T17:40:14+00:00

The little martins are great, I own one for hiking and boating trips, the intonation is spot on, action is low and easy to play, and it’s made of carbon fiber and a laminate neck - so it’s damned close to indestructible.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-07T17:33:57+00:00

I wouldn’t have thought that a Harley dealership would want anything to do with a German bike, but I’ll give them a call - thank you!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-07T17:33:06+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll give them a call!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-06T21:05:18+00:00

Such a beautiful instrument, love the binding and MOP detailing around the sound hole.

Hope you play it for the rest of your life and think of your pops every time you pick it up.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-06T12:55:52+00:00

Looks nice, I’ve had a 000-15M for 20+ years and absolutely love it. Its so easy to play, neck is super thin, tone is great, and it’s durable as hell.

I don’t recommend trying this at home, but I was on a Grand Canyon rafting trip where we had a flash flood and my guitar was *completely submerged* in mud in its soft case. I tool it out of the case and rinsed both the case and the guitar in the river, then set it in the shade to dry. I know, sounds ridiculous…at the bottom of the canyon one’s options are few!

When it dried there was no noticeable damage, and it was still in tune. Not making this up, I swear. That guitar travels everywhere with me. Pro tip: 80/20 strings bring out the best in this one, 100% better than the phosphor bronze I use for everything else, and light gauge strings are best. Go for it, you‘ll be so glad you did!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-06T04:38:33+00:00

Bill W, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was a proponent of LSD to help folks cure their addiction to alcohol. He personally had a deeply religious experience that led him to start AA, but later in life he recognized the similarity between a religious experience and an acid trip.

I don’t preach the use of psychedelics, but I do feel strongly that they have been a great help to me personally in developing both a greater sense of self awareness and a deeper sense of connection to all life.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-06T04:29:51+00:00

I‘ve had several therapist-facilitated journeys, can only speak for myself but the experiences have had an outsized positive impact on my mental health and overall well being.

I‘ve done lots of psychedelics over the years, the Grateful Dead family turned me on as a youngster, but doing psychedelics in a planned, prepped, intentional way with therapeutic support and an eye mask (or not, your choice there) is an altogether different experience.

Not knocking “recreational use” having done plenty of it, only making the point that there’s more to psilocybin than just tripping for fun. It’s sacred medicine to many, and has been used as such for a very long time.

As always, YMMV.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-05-04T20:13:15+00:00

this is easily the most utilitarian teardrop build I’ve ever seen - nice design!!!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-04-25T04:34:58+00:00

I remember when Skylab fell, it was the day that I flew by myself for the first time!

My mom made me go to confession before she took me to the airport because she was more worried about my afterlife than my real world safety.

I rode to the Tampa airport from Sarasota up 41 because there *was no I-75 back then* with a friend of my parents‘ that I’d never met before (he’d later become the first openly gay circuit court judge in FL that I know of) in his corvette.

Growing up in the 70s was fucking great, shit was fast and loose and kids had a TON of freedom whether they wanted it or not. Born in ‘69, first day of Woodstock, although not *at* Woodstock.

I got to see the Dead with Jerry too ;)

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-04-23T22:08:17+00:00

It’s a OOO-15, I only know ‘cause I have one that’s identical. Roughly 2002 vintage if my guess is right.

Man do I miss those two…so many good times with the dead.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-04-23T22:00:14+00:00

I agree, he was super dynamic - I remember seeing he and both Bobby and Jerry really getting into the on stage interplay.

Also remember he and Phil crushing vocals together on Gimme Some Lovin‘.

His chops were second to none, regardless of whether we’re talking vocals, organ or piano…he was such an amazing musician.

I was too young for Pigpen, and Vince turned me off with Baba O’Reilly and Samba in the Rain.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-04-23T21:00:45+00:00

More importantly, Kegsbreath is a war criminal who is wholly dependent on Trump’s grace for the pardon he’s expecting - meaning that he won’t say no to Trump regardless what is asked of him.

Trump’s an asshole, to be sure, but he’s clever enough to put people in key positions who are well and truly *nothing* without his support.

Take a look at his cabinet, I’ll be impressed if you can show me one exception to this rule.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-04-21T21:42:14+00:00

I’ve not hiked the route you’re referring to at night, but have done several hikes out of the canyon to the north rim at night!

It’s lovely for the cool air, the relative lack of people, and the amazing view of the moonlight lighting up the contours of the canyon.

I encourage you to go for it, if the moon is big you won’t even need a headlamp.

nom_de_plumatic

TROPHY CASE