Miles 26-38 | “Refuge/Retreat” by Jeff Chelf
In refuge/retreat I invite you to explore the feeling of shelter. When I moved to Fort Collins I was immediately awakened to the unstable comfort the Poudre canyon provides. While in one way claustrophobic the high walls and trees provide an enveloping sense of safety. I’m struck by the number of ways humans interact with this space that is perceived as wild (hiking, cabins, hunting, fishing, etc.). I constructed this small structure as a place to consider our relationship to the canyon and to recreate the feeling of being lost in the trees. My section of the river is near the Big South Trailhead, not far past Rustic.
Jeff Chelf is an artist, musician, and tinkerer. He is interested in the tension that exists between labor and the environment. Particularly, the edge created where structure meets the natural world. Jeff is originally from the upper midwest, and has worked as a boat builder, blacksmith, and museum educator before moving to Fort Collins to explore new curiosities.
Find Jeff at jeffchelf.com or on instagram @jeffchelf
