In Brief: Backcountry hiker dies in fall; top organist to perform Sunday
Hiker dies from fall near Pierre Lakes Basin
A hiker between Heckart Pass and Pierre Lakes Basin died on Saturday morning in a fall into a gully and over a cliff, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office reported. The hiker, a male from out of the area, was not identified.
The Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received a Garmin inReach SOS activation at 10:57 a.m., and Mountain Rescue Aspen exchanged messages with a friend of the hiker via Garmin inReach.
Pierre Lakes Basin is 12 miles west of Aspen, and the hike into Pierre Lakes Basin is nine miles from the nearest trailhead.
Careflight of the Rockies from Rifle was used to insert two Mountain Rescue members near the site at 11:40 a.m. to search for the injured hiker. They used a drone to find the hiker, according to the report.
Based on the location of the search, Mountain Rescue requested help from the High Altitude Aviation Training Site (HAATS) of the Colorado Army National Guard out of Eagle, which sent a helicopter.
HAATS and Mountain Rescue personnel recovered the body of the hiker who fell; they extracted the deceased hiker using a hoist and took the body to Aspen before returning to retrieve Mountain Rescue members and the friend of the hiker from the site.
A total of 23 MRA members participated in the mission, as well as an ambulance crew from the Aspen Ambulance District. The Aspen Hope Center also provided crisis support.
Top organist to play Sunday at Aspen Community Church
The Bach Trio Sonatas for Organ with Paul Jacobs, called by The Economist as “America’s leading organ performer,” will play at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Aspen Community Church, 200 E. Bleeker.
Hailed as “one of the major musicians of our time” by Alex Ross of The New Yorker, internationally Jacobs is the only organist ever to have won a Grammy Award. He has performed on five continents and in each U.S. state.
He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with organist John Weaver and harpsichordist Lionel Party, as well as at Yale University with Thomas Murray. He joined the faculty of The Juilliard School in 2003. He received Juilliard’s prestigious William Schuman Scholar’s Chair in 2007. In 2021, The American Guild of Organists named him International Performer of the Year.
The program will take the audience on an all-encompassing tour of Bach’s “Organ Trio Sonatas Nos. 1–6.” As a collection, the sonatas are generally considered to be the composer’s greatest works for the organ and among the most difficult for the instrument.
Admission is free.
Aspen Words Literary Prize winner Jamil Jan Kochai to speak at library
Aspen Words Literary Prize winner Jamil Jan Kochai will speak Tuesday evening at the Pitkin County Library in a discussion moderated by Aspen Public Radio Executive Director Breeze Richardson.
A reception will follow featuring charcuterie and dips from Meat & Cheese, vegetable platters, and treats from Paradise Bakery. Wine and beer will be available to guests 21 years of age and older.
This event is free and open to all; registration is requested.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the conversation is scheduled for 6-7 p.m.; reception 7-7:45 p.m.
Express lane warnings to become citations next
Drivers who’ve been using the I-70 express lanes in the mountains as their own personal passing lanes — or who’ve been driving in the lanes when they’re closed — have had 30 days to stop, state transportation officials said.
Starting Friday, motorists who drive unsafely in the express lanes on the I-70 Mountain Corridor will be issued fines known as “civil assessment penalties,” officials said. For the past month, drivers have received mailed warnings for violations such as using the express lanes when they’re closed, weaving across the solid yellow line and driving in the lanes with an oversized vehicle. Drivers will be mailed fines starting at $75 and increasing to $150 if not paid within 20 days of issuance, officials said.
Since the month-long grace period started on June 21, 5,640 warnings have been mailed to drivers in violation of these rules.
“The number of warnings issued during the grace period is extremely concerning,” said Tim Hoover, a CDOT spokesman. “We don’t want to see so many people get fines — we just want roadway users to follow the Express Lane rules, so everybody can get to their destinations safely.”
Carbondale Business Confluence scheduled for September
The Carbondale Chamber has announced the Carbondale Business Confluence will come together on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The Confluence will be hosted at a new location, Thunder River Theatre Company in Carbondale, from 8-11 a.m. Then, from 4-6 p.m., there will be an evening of networking, information, small bites and more hosted by Homestead Bar & Grill.
This year’s theme, “Currents in Carbondale,” will feature trends and updates on the from State Demography Economist Greg Totten, Garfield County with Commissioner Tom Jankovsky and County Manager Fred Jarman as well as updates on the town of Carbondale with Mayor Ben Bohmfalk and Town Manager Lauren Gister. In addition, there will be updates and a panel discussion with industry leaders on key issues facing Carbondale, including topics of Construction, Education, Healthcare, Financial, and Real Estate.
Pricing for Carbondale Chamber members is $50 prior to Aug. 31 and $60 after Aug. 31, and $60 for non-chamber members. The price includes the confluence, breakfast, and evening networking.
All net proceeds from the Carbondale Business Confluence benefit the chamber’s service to the community and its 450+ member businesses.
For tickets, updated information and membership options, visit Carbondale.com or call the Carbondale Chamber office at (970) 963-1890.
Realtor joins Engel & Völkers Aspen
Agi Vermes Smith, private office adviser and realtor with Engel & Völkers Northern California, has joined Engel & Völkers Aspen, under the leadership of local broker and licensed partner, Summer Berg, who manages five offices throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
Under the leadership of Paul Benson, Aspen is part of the Gestalt Group, the largest Engel & Völkers franchise ownership group in the world, which operates in more than 40 locations across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Washington.
“Engel & Völkers is the leader in supporting clients on a global level through exceptional service” says Benson. “Agi has been servicing clients at the very highest level throughout her career. Now, as she adds Aspen to her area of expertise, I believe her clients will greatly benefit from the reach that will be added in this move.”
Having earned a business degree from USC with an emphasis in marketing, Smith’s real-estate career spans three decades, starting in Beverly Hills then moving onto Napa Valley and now in Aspen.
“I am so excited to share with you the expansion of my Real Estate Business to Aspen, Colorado,” says Smith. “I have a home in Aspen, and I have had an affection for the Roaring Fork Valley for decades. The Aspen mountains are the love language to my soul.”
