Hartman Rocks Featured on CBS; WSC connections numerous
May 18, 2010 -- Hartman Rocks, the popular recreation area just five minutes from Gunnison, was recently featured on CBS, and the Western State College of Colorado (WSC) connections were numerous.
Climbing at Hartman Rocks photo by Al Smith III
The segment was part of the popular Colorado Getaways show, a half-hour program that airs on Saturday evenings. The show is produced by Doug Whitehead, a WSC alumnus (’76). Whitehead travelled to Gunnison in early May to film the piece, which showcased the hiking, mountain biking, motocross and rock climbing of the area -- some of the best in the nation.
The WSC connections did not stop with Whitehead. Student Alec Solimeo and staff member and alumnus Luke Mehall (’04) were filmed for the climbing footage. Legendary local mountain biker and alumnus Dave Wiens (‘90), famous for his 2008 victory in the Leadville 100 bike race over Lance Armstrong, was featured in the mountain biking segment. Alumna Joellen Fonken (‘93) also was included in the piece, which covered her work with assisting local Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials in trail building and maintenance.
The segment also highlighted the upcoming “Rage in the Sage” Memorial Day weekend events, the Sage Burner trail running race, the Original Growler mountain biking race and the 24 Hours of Gunnison Glory endurance climbing festival. All of those events are also connected to Western in various ways. The Sage Burner is organized by Scott Drum, professor of exercise and sports science. The Original Growler is organized by Wiens and Gunnison Glory is put on by Solimeo. Around 1,000 people are expected to visit Gunnison for the event.
