The popular outdoors and travel lecture series “Winter Tales” will return to the Dolores Public Library Jan. 11 with a presentation about traveling near the disputed borders of Pakistan, China, India and Afghanistan.
The semimonthly presentations are scheduled for twice a month, Jan. 11 through March 22, according to a news release from library assistant Jessica Gonzalez. Each one will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s public meeting room.
“K2 and Northern Pakistan Back in the Day,” presented by Carolyn Gunn of Dolores, will highlight cultural aspects of traveling in the northern Pakistan province of Baltistan. In 1987, Gunn was a basecamp manager and first-aid specialist for a 1987 climbing expedition on K2, the second-highest mountain in the world.
Other local presenters will talk about teaching and studying abroad in Chile and Costa Rica, backpacking in Tanzania, cycling through Italy and distance-hiking in coastal Wales.
Winter Tales closes March 22 with a special presentation from local river-runners Kate Thompson and Andy Hutchinson titled “An Evening on the River.” Thompson and Hutchison plan to share colorful stories about river-runner culture through photos and live music.
This will be the library’s third year hosting the lecture series. In 2016, Gonzalez said most of the events filled up the public meeting space, which seats about 45 people. She expects a similar turnout this year.
“For a small town, we have a lot of well-traveled people in Dolores with a lot of interesting stories to tell,” she said.
The library’s annual series of foreign films will also begin this month, starting Jan. 16 with a 2014 Russian movie. Gonzalez said the library’s movie license doesn’t allow it to advertise much information about the series online, but fliers are available upon request. All the movies in the series are rated R, so Gonzalez said these events will be geared toward adults.
Both Winter Tales and Foreign Films are free and open to the public.
Winter Tales lecture seriesThursday, Jan. 11: Carolyn Gunn, “K2 and Northern Pakistan Back in the Day.” In 1987, Carolyn Gunn of Dolores was basecamp manager and first aid specialist for a climbing expedition to K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. This presentation shows many cultural aspects of traveling in the northern province of Baltistan near the disputed borders with China, India and Afghanistan. Thursday, Jan. 25: Janneli Miller, “Living and Studying in Chile and Costa Rica.” Janneli F. Miller, Ph.D., is a medical anthropologist who taught environmental studies and anthropology at Fort Lewis College and is involved with the United Study Abroad Consortium. She will provide information about the USAC program as well as a travelogue about her experiences teaching in Heredia, Costa Rica, in 2016 and Santiago, Chile, in 2017.Thursday, Feb. 8: Kelly Gregory and Bill Johnson, “Trip to Tanzania.” In September 2017, Bill Johnson and Kelly Gregory of Dolores set off on a “bucket list” adventure to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and safari in Serengeti National Park. Their Tanzanian adventure included a seven-day hike to the 19,341-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and three days viewing wildlife on the Serengeti plains and within Ngorongoro Crater.Thursday, Feb. 22: Belinda Platts, “Art, History & Food from Pompeii, Rome and Tuscany.” Dolores resident and avid cyclist Belinda Platts will give a presentation on her 2016 cycling trip through Italy, giving attendees a glimpse into the rich artist heritage, history and food of Pompeii, Rome and Tuscany.Thursday, March 1: Keith and Janine Fox, “Walking through Wales.” Keith and Janine Fox, experienced distance hikers, will share stories and photos from their two-week walking trip on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in Wales, U.K.They will share a slideshow and talk logistics, culture, people and setting for the hike. The coast path is a 186-mile National Trail on the west end of Wales.
Thursday, March 22: Kate Thompson & Andy Hutchinson, “An Evening on the River.” Join Kate Thompson and Andy Hutchinson, two people who have created a living on Western rivers, will share the river-runner culture. Come celebrate with live music, a visual presentation and a few colorful stories.Foreign Film NightsForeign Film Nights are returning this winter on five Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., starting Jan. 16. The library plans to screen five award-winning foreign language films from Russia, France, Israel and Argentina. Scheduled dates are Jan. 16, Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and Feb. 20. For film titles and ratings, call the library at 970-882-4127 or visit DoloresLibrary.org.