ML - Aspen Peak

2014 - Issue 1 - Summer

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARL WOLFGANG S tanding below a large elk head trophy in the Hotel Jerome's Antler Bar, Casey Sheahan addresses a sold-out crowd of well-dressed Aspenites about the benefits of "Conscious Capitalism." When the newly retired CEO of Patagonia wraps his talk, the applause is more suit- ing a rock show than a business luncheon. It appears Aspen is glad Sheahan lives full-time in the Roaring Fork Valley. During Sheahan's nine years at Patagonia, sales rocketed from approximately $250 million to $600 mil- lion, capping a wildly successful career in the outdoor industry that also includes stints at Nike, Merrell, and Kelty. Sheahan—who'd long been commuting to Patagonia's SoCal headquar- ters from his adobe house overlooking the Crystal River—was watching a holiday parade in Carbondale a couple years ago when he became intrigued by a certain f loat. "It was a wagon loaded with farmers, hippies, ranchers, and backpackers," he says, "and a banner on the side urged protect Thompson Creek Divide." Sheahan asked about the banner and learned that the Bureau of Land Management had approved fracking through 61 natural-gas drilling pads along Thompson Divide—a 221,500-acre expanse of federal lands west of Highway 13 in the Crystal Valley. The divide stretches from near Sunlight Mountain Resort outside of Glenwood Springs to McClure Pass. Sheahan soon helped secure a Patagonia "Miracle Grant" (so named, says Sheahan, for Grateful Dead fans praying for a "miracle" ticket outside concerts). Since then, he has supported Carbondale-based Thompson Divide Coalition (savethompsondivide.org) and the Wilderness Workshop (wildernessworkshop.org), which Sheahan describes as "more oppo- sitional, with legal experts that hold energy companies' feet to the fire." Natural gas production creates more greenhouse gasses than coal, says Sheahan, because so much methane is released, unburned, during the frack- ing process. And environmental impacts keep multiplying because each well requires 1,000 truck trips and up to eight million gallons of water. A passionate fisherman, Sheahan is concerned enough for the region's water quality that he and his family took an unusual step: They underwent blood testing to see if air pollution from gas drilling in western Garfield County is affecting the health of residents—which could be more ammuni- tion in Sheahan's fight against regional gas drilling. Admitting he retired to Carbondale mainly to "fish, backpack, hike, and kayak," Sheahan didn't plan to fight against dozens of proposed gas-drilling pads in Garfield County. Nonetheless, he's happy to be here, "hands on." After all, he says, watching the Crystal drain toward the Colorado River, this is "the head- waters of the drinking supply for 50 million people!" AP Land Rover FORMER PATAGONIA CEO CASEY SHEAHAN HELMS A NEW POST AS THE OUTSPOKEN CHAMPION OF THE THOMPSON DIVIDE. BY ROB STORY Self-described "trout bum" Casey Sheahan is allowing his blood to be tested to gauge the impact of pollution. 68 ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM VIEWS FROM THE TOP 062-072_AP_SP_VFT_V3_SUM_FALL_14.indd 68 5/7/14 3:23 PM

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