100 years ago: “Road conditions: The Bayfield to Pagosa Road is soft and dusty. Between Durango and Mancos, the road is in bad shape. The Durango to Farmington Road is in bad condition.”

75 YEARS AGO: “The Electra Lake 4th of July Dance will be held on the 3rd. Admission is by invitation only, and the dance is from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.”

50 YEARS AGO: “We can expect an influx of visitors from areas less fortunate in climate and surroundings than Southwestern Colorado this weekend. While favored recreation areas like Lake Vallecito may be more crowded than you might like, the San Juans are still big enough to provide places of quiet solitude.”

25 YEARS AGO: “Eric Dungey and Pete Giuliani of Backcountry Experience recently attended a two-day boot-fitting clinic in Prescott, Arizona. They learned innovative custom boot-fitting techniques applicable to hiking, telemark, mountaineering and alpine ski boots.”

Most items in this column are taken from Herald archives, Center of Southwest Studies and The Animas Museum. Their accuracy may not be verified.