Uncategorized Archives - Red Cliff Guest House

Absentee Ownership is a Bear – But Not at the Red Cliff Guest House

ART — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 17:15:21 +0000

This new Red Cliff Guest House website is now up and running. Deciding on a topic for this first Blog entry was not difficult.

Over the years my wife and I have owned several homes and businesses away from our primary residence. Some of the sagas of absentee ownership we have experienced could be subjects for books and movies. In 2012 when we decided to furnish the Red Cliff Guest House for vacation rental while living several thousand miles away, my first thought was “Oh, no. Here we go again.” My fears have proven to be without cause.

I took some time interviewing several property managers in the area. One of those was John Ryan who owns High Hopes Property Management. I liked the fact that he was only a few miles from the Red Cliff Guest House – just on the other side of the valley. But we also found John very personable, and when I spoke to several friends in Durango their references for John were uniform — “If John says he will do it, it will get done.” We selected John to manage Red Cliff Guest House and have never regretted that decision.

As a 25-year resident in Durango, John knows the area and many vendors in the area well. His recommendations to our guests can be relied upon. Do you want to know from whom to rent gear, who provides our guests discounts on rentals and services, who to raft with, horseback ride with and where to find great golf or a hike – just ask John. If you are looking for a casual dining spot or a nice dinner, John knows where to go. John knows why you cannot find a better spot to vacation than Durango.

Testimony to his dedication to our guests can be found by reading the Guest Comments on this website and seeing how many times he is complimented.

Besides thanking John for his professional and caring expertise, I want to thank his family. John is a very strong family man, and more than once I recognized that his responsible management has taken him away from his wife Michelle and his two children, Sydney and Sadie. We thank the entire Ryan Family for making the Red Cliff Guest House the success it has been.

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History of Durango — Part One 10,000 BC to 1300 AD

ART — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:25:47 +0000

Durango is today a first class tourist destination. But how that came to be is steeped in history. I hope this very brief account will stimulate you to delve into more detailed reviews.

Fertile soil, fresh water, and abundant wildlife made the area an appealing location for man for thousands of years. The earliest known inhabitants appear to be the Paleo-Indian tribes who hunted the area between 8,000-10,000 BC. Later during the Archaic Period (to 1 AD), these migrating hunters started establishing camps and ultimately rock shelters and pithouses.

This trend to “settle” rather than to migrate resulted in the development of agricultural areas and the village concept known as Anasazi Basketmaker II sites. These are defined with small, shallow round or oval pit houses in small groups. Evidence of corn and other domesticated plants and the presence of storage pits were typical findings in this era. Excavations in the Durango area are thought to date from 1-400 AD. This was a period of good rainfall making the area prime for farming. The Basketmaker III Period was from 600-750 AD. During this period the pit houses were larger, but for the first time pottery was found. The Anasazi Pueblo I Period was from 750-900 AD . During these years architecture was introduced in the form of slab lined adobe surface rooms. Pithouses with surface rooms were built both as larger villages and as single units. The appears to be the height of Anasazi occupation as adverse climate changes resulted in the population moving to more favorable areas. The final phases of the Anasazi occupation includes the Pueblo II (900-1100 AD) and the Pueblo III (1100-1300 AD). During this time large aggregated sites of several hundred masonry rooms and kivas such as found at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. A large site at Chimney Rock is thought to possibly been a regional trade center. There have been finding in the San Juan Mountains of the presence of Anasazi possibly as seasonal resource procurement activities or possibly associated with trade with indigenous mountain groups that apparently lived a hunter and gatherer lifestyle similar to the Archaic Period. By the 1300s, Puebloan culture had disappeared.

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History of Durango — Part Two: 1300 AD to the Present

ART — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 19:34:47 +0000

Ute Arrival
After the Puebloan culture had disappeared, the area appears to be relatively unoccupied. The Utes came as early as the 13^th or 14^th Century with a nomadic hunting and gathering lifestyle. During the 17^th and 18^th Centuries the Utes were introduced to the horse. This led to them becoming traders and raiders.

Gold Discovered
In 1860 Charles Baker and a prospecting party found gold in the Mountains around Silverton. Some of these individuals moved south into the Animas Valley. The Utes were confined to reservations in southern Colorado and northern Utah after the Brunot Treaty of 1873. This opened up the mountains for increased mineral prospecting, mining, and settlement. Mining communities were founded in the mountains creating a market for agricultural products, livestock, timber and other goods. Animas City (north Durango area) was settled in the late 1870’s to facilitate this market.

Durango is Born
Rail officials drew up plans to have a city at a railhead to transport goods to the mountain silver and gold mining communities. Durango was founded in 1880. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1881 opened the door for moving goods to and ore from the mining communities. The city immediately became populated and 134 businesses opened. One of these was the Durango Record newspaper. Caroline Romney, who ran the paper, championed the description of Durango as “the new wonder of the Southwest”. When the Durango to Silverton branch was completed in 1882, the area flourished even more. Durango’s original wood buildings were largely destroyed by a fire in 1889. Rebuilding was accomplished using stone and brick. Trimble Hot Springs built its first hotel. The Strater Hotel opened a few years later and it remains sporting the finest of Victorian style appointments.

Metal Markets Shrink
Early in the 20^th Century, the market for silver and gold dwindled as many loads were mined out. Mining dramatically reduced and this shifted the economy of Durango to agriculture, ranching, and logging. Tourism is one of the primary industries of modern day Durango. In fact, it dates back to the turn of the 20^th Century. The San Juan National Forest was created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. In 1888 the cliff palace at Mesa Verde was discovered and in 1906 the creation of the Mesa Verde National Park further stimulated tourism to the area. Scenery in Durango, the Animas Valley, and surrounding areas proved a real draw.

Recovery From The Great Depression and WWII
The Great Depression and WWII slowed growth. By 1950 and years to follow, the town again had an economic boom. Fort Lewis College was founded in Hesperus as a two year agricultural program. In 1956 it was moved to its current location on a mesa overlooking the city and expanded to a four year liberal arts school as it continues today. In 1965 the Purgatory Ski Resort opened making the area a winter sports haven for many.

Today
Durango has become a popular tourist area for those who enjoy the outdoors. The same steam engines that served to supply mining communities in the 19^th Century run today as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The railroad now carries tourists through the back county along the Animas River between the two cities. This is a favorite activity for tourists. In the summer, Durango hosts the annual Music in the Mountains music festival. It features performances by many of the world’s finest classical musicians. Historic Downtown Durango is home to the train station, the Strater Hotel, the General Palmer Hotel, a broad range of quality traditional and ethnic restaurants, specialty shops and stores, many original Victorian homes. Walking down Main Street is a tourist’s dream.

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