Ian Billick grew up in Kansas, but he was also lucky enough to be exposed to the mountains as well. While pursuing a degree in math and science, he received some great career advice and that led him to a profession that would help him spend time outside. And thanks to that, he found Gothic and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), where he is the executive director.
Ian tells a great story about how RMBL started (you'd never guess the KKK was indirectly involved), and talks about some of the science that is currently happening in Gothic. Another question I asked is "How does RMBL fit in with competing interests like recreation as Crested Butte grows?" His answer makes complete sense. We also talked about the potential involvement that RMBL may have with the "North Parcel", a large plot of land near the Snodgrass trailhead- how it's developed may shape Crested Butte for decades to come.
Crested Butte Real Estate Minute:
Mount Crested Butte recently enacted new rules and taxes for short term rentals. Interested in knowing more about them? Contact me here.
Learn More:
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
Quotes:
...And then all of the miners started swarming in the 1870s, so Gothic incorporated as a mining town in 1879. And it filled up to five or 10,000 people, it was one of the main ways in and out of Aspen. Aspen didn't have a train and so they would send mill trains up over East Maroon Pass.
[John Johnson] remembered all of these old abandoned mining structures, buildings and cabins up in Gothic. And so he moved the Field Station up [there], just taking over the buildings and he got several other scientists to join with him and setting up the field station 1928. So we're sitting on all of this housing, and it's bad for us financially because it's empty for half the year. All these people would love to have housing. So we're like, well, if we need to do more housing, why not do it in Mount Crested Butte, and then we could work with the ski resort or other employers and then they could use that housing in the winter