Four Days In The Mountains With Oxygen

We finally tested my ability to travel to cooler climes and tested my need for oxygen at higher elevations

Ranch along Van Tuyl Trail in Gunnison, Colorado. Photo by the author.

It’s been almost two years since I’ve written here. There’s a reason for that. I was diagnosed with lung cancer shortly after we returned from Barcelona in the Fall of 2024. Three months after surgery, my body attacked me with pericarditis, keeping me homebound for eight more months.

That story was detailed in other publications. Suffice it to say, we have felt caged.

In February, when the doctor cleared me, we flew to Florida to see my 100-year-old Dad. We walked along Juno Beach, but that was about it for recreation.

Finally, last week, we dusted off our RV trailer and took it to the mountains of Colorado for a few days. It’s more of a trial now than it used to be.

For one thing, we’re 74 years old. Getting the trailer ready is Andy’s domain. Driving the truck is also his baby. Especially given the condition of our roads and the wind gusts, it was challenging getting to the RV park, but we finally made it after six hours of driving.

I figure now that because of multiple bathroom breaks and gas stops, it takes us two additional hours for every four that Google predicts it will take us to get from Point A to Point B…

Lovely Gunnison

I don’t watch morning network TV shows anymore. But when I did, I watched the Today Show. I remember Al Roker calling Gunnison, Colorado, Winter’s coldest spot in the U.S., often. It was right up there with International Falls, Minnesota, the “icebox of the nation.”

We never paid much attention to Gunnison. For us and probably for others, it was just the bland gateway to beautiful Crested Butte, the Wildflower Capital of the country.

Andy’s first home in Colorado was Crested Butte in 1979. He was on his way to California when his truck and homemade camper broke down there. He stayed there for a year, working primarily in restaurants.

There used to be a trailer park there where he was able to park his truck. In winter, it was covered in 10 feet of snow. He says that the old man who owned the park said that they used to get more snow, even back then. But the whole state indeed missed winter entirely this year. It’s dry, dry, dry.

Andy stayed warm with a space heater back in ’79. After all, back then, it could go down to 20 below zero. He’d work the breakfast shift, then go skiing. When you’re in your 20s, you can do that.

So, CB holds a special place in his heart. We visit every couple of years. The last time was in mid-August of 2024, before we went to Barcelona, and my life changed.

That trip in 2024 introduced us to an RV campground in Gunnison (much less expensive a stay than CB). Gunnison is about half an hour from Crested Butte and offers the only major road into the town. There are two other routes that I know of, both over dirt mountain passes.

Staying in Gunnison allowed us to check out this ranching and college town a bit more than we had.

On that trip, we discovered a pretty good barbecue spot up the road, and a 3–1/2-mile-long walking trail on the edge of town. The trail winds a circle around ranches with cows and horses, and butts up against the Gunnison River, with a huge rock face. The trail is called Van Tuyl.

Andy has been hankering to walk that trail again, so that was one goal for this week.

Here are some pictures from that walk we did on Friday. We couldn’t get to one of the access trails to the river; it was flooded.

Trail to the river and rock wall was flooded. Photo by the author.

But we did make it to another, with a rocky shore.

It’s strange to see marshy fields and trails when we are in the middle of probably the worst drought on record in this state. From these pictures, you’d never know.

Some photos along the Van Tuyl Trail in Gunnison, Colorado, including the Gunnison River and tributaries. Photos by the author. Those cows were VERY loud. Lots of talking!

We also wanted to see the town. So, on our first full day, we walked into and by shops, galleries, and resale stores, most in historic old buildings. We were impressed by this little garden and signs.

Gunnison might be an old western town, but it has its liberal elements. Photos by the author.

We raced through an art center because it was ten minutes before closing. No one watched us because everyone there seemed to be getting ready to rehearse for a drag show that was part of the town’s Pride Week. It was sold out, so it wasn’t something we could consider, but it was encouraging that this town in the middle of a Republican district had its own Pride Week!

This is where Lauren Boebert used to be the House Rep. She moved further east in the state, as her opponent was likely to beat her in 2024. That left the door open for another Republican, Jeff Hurd, who at least isn’t as crass as Boebert. There were signs for him all over the valley.

But still, a range of thoughts can be found.

Public Radio in Crested Butte

One of our other goals for this trip was to visit one of our favorite public radio stations, KBUT-FM in Crested Butte. It’s primarily a music station, and they play a lot of old rock and roll. Right up our alley. We stream it online.

Inside one of our favorite public music radio stations, KBUT-FM — you can stream them! Photos by the author.

They are housed in an area of historic buildings that includes the old school. Their building says “Marshall” on it. We wandered in and immediately met their Development Director, Tyler. Nice guy. Gave us a tour. We also met the guy who was on the air, Paul.

Tyler gave us swag just for showing up. He’s a keyboard guy for a Grateful Dead cover band. Unfortunately, they’re playing at a venue in Boulder soon that Andy won’t set foot in because he cleaned their carpets years ago and they didn’t pay him. So, we’ll have to look for another opportunity.

We hadn’t planned on coming back to CB this trip, but Tyler talked us into returning for their annual Fish Fry fundraiser the next day. More on that in a bit.

We walked up and down the main street of CB and did a little shopping. Many restaurants were closed, as this wasn’t high season yet. Construction crews were busy working on the historic houses all over town. It wasn’t as crowded as it will be in a week or so. We hit town just before the out-of-state tourists descend.

Some scenes in Crested Butte, June 2026. The butte in the background. Photos by the author.

There are signs of artists everywhere.

A bench made of car bumpers and decorative city garbage bins. Those remind us of Peter Max art. Photos by the author.

We had a nice conversation with a fellow in a clothing import store. He is the son of the owners. He went to college and studied climate change, but is working with his parents now. He’d just gotten back from Thailand and had unpacked a bunch of clothing that morning. Andy picked out a 100% cotton dress for me that turned out to be a perfect fit.

Outside the import shop. Photo by the author.

Have you noticed how hard it is to find 100% cotton clothing in the States now? And, the guy discounted it for me. I also got an amethyst ring there. It was, frankly, the most interesting store in town. They have a big Buddha head outside and an ice cream vendor. I’m guessing they’ve been able to be there for over 30 years because they probably own the building. Rents are not cheap.

We also stopped into a home decor store that was clearly stocked for the Texans that are soon to arrive for the summer. Andy picked up a book on being a Texan there for his granddaughter in Fort Worth (who was born in Colorado).

There is also a memorial for someone who used to live and work at City Hall in CB. We remember there was a statue of her on the ski lift swing once upon a time, but that appears to be gone now.

Left, the view from the lift/swing. A poem, and memorial lift/swing. Photos by the author.

My ability to travel and how I did on this trip

I need to back up a bit here and explain something. Gunnison is at about 5,500 feet in elevation, and Crested Butte is around 8,300 feet. It’s high above sea level.

Since the cancer surgery, I’ve been on oxygen at night. I’d already had some incidents of nighttime hypoxia before the surgery, but after, it became a necessity, at least up here on the high plains and in the mountains.

When we went to Florida, at sea level, I was OK without the oxygen. But not up here in the Rockies.

I spent weeks researching portable oxygen concentrators that could go that high in altitude, then wrestled with the oxygen company to get one I could rent on my insurance. It’s too heavy to walk around with, so fortunately, I’m still OK when I’m upright.

The portable I found works fine. It’s just loud. I can sleep through it, but Andy struggles, so who knows how long we’ll still be able to go camping.

The Fish Fry

Friday is when we took that great walk. We were exhausted but still gathered our strength and drove back to CB for the fish fry.

Community gathers for the annual KBUT Fish Fry. Sorry, I didn’t think to take a shot of the plate. We were hungry! Photo by the author.

It’s a popular event. We hung out there for a couple of hours. What did we notice?

Crested Butte without the tourists is a community. A tight one. Everyone seems to know everyone else. And, they support their public radio station.

CB is an expensive place to live. It’s remote and hard to get to. It’s a destination, not a way stop. It’s a place that people choose to live. Some of them have been there for generations. Some of them stayed in the 70s and built their lives there in that small mountain town. It was expensive then as it is now compared to other places, but for those who made the right decisions and had the right skills, they did well.

The condos up the hill at the ski area are mostly owned by out-of-staters, often from Texas. One was once owned by my ex-brother-in-law, who lived in Houston. Texas money keeps that tourist town going. Some people hate the Texans. But those who have profited from them say, “Come for a while, but don’t forget to go home.”

We, the Colorado city and suburbanites, are welcomed, but they also want us to leave when we’re done spending money. A few years ago, I took a picture of how some locals think of tourists tramping through town. If you live in an area that depends on tourists, I’m sure you can relate.

I get it. The place gets overrun with tourists all summer, and yes winter. Photo by the author in 2022

A parting picture is from our trip in 2022, when we went during a rainy Wildflower Festival in Crested Butte. It really is beautiful there. If you get the chance, it’s worthwhile to take the extra time to visit.

On a trail during Crested Butte’s Wildflower Festival in 2022. Photo by the author.

Crested Butte is an historic tourist town that is also a community. Gunnison is a gateway, college town, and farming community that also butts up against a recreational area with a reservoir that I understand is very low now. But still, also well worth the trip.

Here is a shot of our rig in the RV park, what used to be called the Tall Texan, now Mountain Time, and some shots of the Gunnison Valley.

Our rig. Photos by the author.

The Gunnison Valley farms, east of Gunnison. Photos by the author.

Sondra Singer - Still Vital is a writer, tourist, storyteller, and musician. She is also a former radio advertising salesperson and manager.