Description
Crested Butte Stories . . . Through My Lens is Sandra Cortner’s historical narrative that weaves her personal experiences of 40 years in the isolated Rocky Mountain town of Crested Butte, Colorado with the poignant stories of those whose parents and grandparents emigrated from Europe to work the coal mines and the land.
Chronicling Crested Butte’s struggle from near ghost town existence to the bustling ski resort it is today, “Crested Butte Stories—Through My Lens” is rich with biographical sketches and historical vignettes of local characters, such as Tony Mihelich, who for 50 years owned and operated the local hardware (now the town museum); Rudy Sedmak, coal miner turned ski lift operator, who crafted his wooden skis from sawmill scraps; and long-time Mayor Lyle McNeill, who was a water dowser.
Join her at raucous Vinotok and Flauschink celebrations. Experience a wild mushroom hunt, the blossoming community theater, birthing a newspaper, taming a Defiant woodstove, the Ms. Grubstake beauty contest, and other small town adventures. You’ll even tour the local cemetery.
Her book, illustrated with 159 candid black and white photographs, captures the essence of the Crested Butte locals from the 1960s through the ‘80s, and is a tribute to the unique lifestyle of the people of Crested Butte.
