ML - Aspen Peak

Aspen Peak - 2015 - Issue 2 - Winter - Lift Off

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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John McBride 162 ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM T H E G R E E N G U A R D I A N S THE MCBR IDES "He's a pretty good wingman," Pete McBride says with pride of his father, John ( PICTURED), a pilot. The McBrides, both avid conservation- ists, have spent many hours together surveying the changing West in a slow-f lying, twin-seat, single-engine Piper Super Cub, as Pete takes photos to chronicle both the beauty of the area and the ravages that have been inf licted on it. John, 77, came to the valley in 1966 to be a part of the development of the Snowmass Ski area. In 1969, sensing a community need for a place to foster business, he developed the Aspen Business Center (ABC), which gives many entrepreneurs and innovators com- paratively affordable places to thrive in a town long devoid of affordability. He followed the ABC with the creation of the North Forty, a place where locals could buy and build a piece of the Aspen dream in a community designed for families. All the while he and his wife, Laurie, raised their own family, kids John, Katie, and Pete, on a ranch in the Capital Creek Valley. Inf luenced by the efforts of local conserva- tionists, John took a seat on the board of the Wildlife Conservation Trust. Along with daughter Katie, he also created the Sopris Foundation. John passed the conservationist gene along to all of his children, but it is Pete, 44, who has made a life of following the fate of the world's greatest rivers. Using both still photography and film, he documents the growing trauma faced by the great global arteries, including the Ganges, the Nile, and our own Colorado River. On countless trips, he has seen the slow death of rivers caused by drought and misuse of water. He tells his tales in books and publications like National Geographic, and during personal appearances. Over a 20-year career Pete has become a de facto "Paul Revere of the Rivers," heralding a call for action. "We are watching a locomotive, a drought train, coming our way," he says with conviction, "and nobody is getting off the tracks." As for John, Pete has nothing but respect. "I wish I could do half the things that he has done for this community," he says. "As both a developer and a conservationist, he has unique balance." Cashmere jacket, Doriani ($1,495). Pitkin County Dry Goods, 520 E. Cooper Ave., 970-925-1681; pitkincountydrygoods.com. Shirt, sweater, pants, socks, and shoes, McBride's own WAR DRO B E - M U ST: "Some old Stein Eriksen sweaters." FAVO R ITE N IG HTS P OT: "Rustique Bistro (216 S. Monarch St., 970-920-2555; rustiquebistro.com), 'cause Steve [Smith] from Liverpool is our favorite bartender." G U I LT Y PLE A SU R E : "I love going into town, but I sometimes hate to admit it." FAVO R ITE APR È S -S KI LOC ATIO N : "The Red Onion (420 E. Cooper Ave., 970-925-9955; redonion aspen.com)."

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