Southern Colorado saw some big news that extended beyond the region in 2024.
There was the discovery of the human plague in Pueblo back in July and the passing of the creator of the iconic Bishop Castle in November. And there was the fatal accident involving a tour guide who lost his life during an elevation malfunction at the Cripple Creek Gold Mine in October.
Despite these grim headlines, KRCC reporters also set out to find the joy in the region — whether that was spending a day with burros and alligators or answering reader curiosities about the landscape and its current and former inhabitants.
Here are a few of our favorite stories from the year that was:
We attended the 29th annual Gatorfest in Mosca… and it was a formal affair. The competition is held annually at the Colorado Gators and Reptile Park near the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Gator wrestlers run into a pond armed with only a lasso-like rope to loop the gator’s neck hoping to come away a winner… and without injury.
We discovered there are turquoise mines in Colorado. A Cripple Creek turquoise miner and jeweler gave us the scoop on these blue and green gemstones including how to process raw turquoise and what to know about the fake or treated types.
The San Luis Peoples Market has been around for 167 years. We spoke to its new owners who are looking for 167 more. Using millions in grant dollars, the owners are hoping to transform the market’s mission and help reignite practices older than the structure itself: a community food co-op.
A fossil found near Colorado Springs was identified as a new species of mammal. Skull and jaw fragments were unearthed in 2019 and 2021 in Corral Bluffs Open Space. A new study said the small, chinchilla-sized omnivore belonged to a group of mammals that eventually gave rise to all hoofed mammals, known as ungulates.
We traveled to Fairplay to witness its 75th annual “Burro Days.” On this summer day, we heard brays, bleats and the cheers of about 3,000 spectators on the streets for the start of the World Championship Pack Burro Race. This story also just has some amazing photos.
We were told the Spanish Peaks in Southern Colorado are a piece of the geological puzzle of why the High Plains are so… high. Geographically the two distinctive summits known as the Spanish Peaks on the horizon west of Walsenburg are part of the Rocky Mountains. But geologically, they’re different. They weren’t created by movement of the earth’s crust. Instead, they were formed by volcanic activity deep underground around 24 million years ago.
We explore the history and the future of Colorado Springs’ old scar on the mountain, the Pikeview Quarry. This team effort led to some interesting historical discoveries and encounters with visionaries who had grand plans for the space like a mountain bike park. Explore the series’ part one here and part two here, which includes old photos, aerial shots and videos.
