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Driving north through the narrow end of Lion Gulch, the red rock walls suddenly open to reveal a sweeping view of the “Slaughterhouse of the West.” This is Paradox, Colorado, a settlement named for the strange, paradoxical course of the Dolores River, which cuts across the valley rather than flowing along it. Unfortunately, the valleys past is not as paradoxical. Its a history marked by violence and lawlessness in the 19th century and into the 20th, like many across the west.

A few weeks ago, I found myself roaming the alpine forests of the La Sal Mountains on a job that promises remote unpredictability. I was out on a fire assignment, one of those long days in a four-wheel-drive engine, chasing wildfires racing across the landscapes of the American West. When the call came, I wasn’t thrilled about the timing. Some of my best friends were in town, and I had been savoring a rare stretch of time off amid a whirlwind summer of work. But the Deer Cree

In the final installment of the series, we follow the life of a woman whose unwavering dedication helped preserve the historic town of Bannack, ensuring its stories and its spirit would endure for generations. Across the street from the Methodist church near the middle of town lies the Ovitt Store. Once home to a saloon, a bustling boarding house, and even a bakery, the building found new life in the 1950s when Mrs. Mabel Ovitt took over and turned it into a shop. Mabel was b