We had the good fortune of connecting with Phillip Virden and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Phillip, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up in Garland, Texas, a mid-sized town near Dallas. I had great family support from my mom, dad, and two older brothers to pursue my dreams. When I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to serve humanity in some way. I went to Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas and had thoughts of getting a degree in theology and possibly becoming a minister (not an evangelist) who would serve those in need. As it turned out, I instead entered the field of “Communication Arts” and was able to experience many different subjects…journalism, public relations, radio/TV broadcasting, advertising, reader’s theatre, marketing, and film. While in college, I also was an active volunteer helping underprivileged youth in the Dallas area. I also helped out with SMU’s spring film festival (where I got to meet such iconic cinematic figures as Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Dennis Hopper, Howard Morris, movie critics Roger Ebert and Judith Crist, and director Raoul Walsh.
When I graduated in 1973, I thought I’d go to graduate school but an opportunity came up for a temporary job at a sporting goods store (specializing in trout fishing gear and souvenirs for visitors) in Lake City, a small mountain town in Colorado. I had always had a dream of living in the mountains for a brief period. That “temporary job” turned out to be my graduate school! It was a life completely different from my hometown. That year, I fell in love with the surrounding San Juan mountains and its people. The population in Lake City at that time was only 90 – A far cry from living in the heavily populated metropolitan area of Dallas/Fort Worth! There was only one television station, two gas stations, a bar, one year-round church, and only one way in the wintertime – I loved it!
Word got around about me with the locals and somehow they heard I had some experience with movies. The next thing I knew, Chick Mendenhall, a long-time Lake City citizen, presented the idea of buying the Mountaineer Movie Theatre in Gunnison, Colorado to my boss, Bill Hall, his wife Ruthanna, and me. Within a few months, an investment group was put together consisting of the Halls, Jim and Nancy Brooks, Gordon and Betty Peck, and myself to buy the Mountaineer! The price included two 1930s Simplex movie projectors, over 100 seats, a movie screen, a popcorn machine, and a cotton candy machine. All we needed to do was construct a building! Fortunately, a major investor in the project was an incredible person named John Parker who enabled us to proceed with building a movie theatre in a town with a population of 90 people (but grew to over 1000 in the summertime – Lake City’s prime tourist season). I was to be the Mountaineer’s full-time manager.
In 1975, three miraculous things took place – the completed construction of the Mountaineer Theatre in Lake City, the opening of the Mountaineer with its first movie – Young Frankenstein – and marrying Carolyn Armstrong, a beautiful girl from Wichita, Kansas.
So, here I am in 2024 where my wife and the Mountaineer Theatre will be celebrating 49 years in Lake City (the population is now 450). Back in the early 1990s, I became the sole owner of the theatre. To this day, I still pop the popcorn and welcome my customers at the beginning of each movie. This may sound funny but, remember what I said about my interest in theology and possibly becoming a minister? As it turns out, the Mountaineer has become my “church” with my wonderful customers making up my “congregation”. Everyone is welcome at the Mountaineer – no matter their age, their religion, or whatever background they are from.
Along with owning and operating the Mountaineer, I owned Hall Realty, a real estate company, for several years before selling the business in 2001.
Along with my passion for bringing good movies to this small town, I took my love of working with youth in college and transferred it to Lake City. My staff is made up of teenagers getting their first job experience. I have also served on our local school board for nearly thirty years along with being a substitute teacher, basketball coach, and special education aide.
Besides my work with the Mountaineer and with youth and volunteering in Lake City, I have been very active in conducting astronomy programs for the public for forty years as well as helping underprivileged youth in Kenya (where I’ve been five times). I was also able to teach high school students for Teach for America in Mississippi.
And, last and most importantly, is my time with my wife and my two wonderful daughters. Lake City was a wonderful place to nurture our children’s growth.
To say the least, I consider myself one incredibly lucky man to have stumbled upon this exceptional place and have called it my home for fifty years (when I thought I’d be here for just a few months!).
It is very gratifying to see that those seeds that were planted for me in Garland and college have grown into a very rewarding life in this small and beautiful mountain town.
Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
No, I’m not an artist in the traditional sense. I’m not a painter, sculptor, chef, a musician, or a writer. However, there are painters ( such as Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Warhol, Picasso), sculptors (Rodin, Michelangelo, Calder), cooks (Jacques Pepin, Anthony Bourdain, and Julia Child), musicians (Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Cat (Yusuf) Stevens, Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Beethoven), photographers (Russell Lee, Annie Lebovitz), authors (Ray Bradbury, Robert Pirsig, Albert Schweitzer, Harper Lee) whose work inspired me to bring imagination and creativity into my own life.
I certainly had to bring that imagination and creativity to the Mountaineer Theatre. From the very beginning, I hired teenagers to be on my staff. For most, it was their first job where they learned to come to work on time, take pride in their roles, and give outstanding service to our customers.
It took a while to find out what movies my customers liked to see. It was in 1977 when we experienced our first sell-out – the first-ever Star Wars movie! Over the years, some of the most popular movies have been The Empire Strikes Back, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Raiders of the Last Ark, Jaws, The Sting, The Godfather, E.T., Back to the Future, Beverly Hills Cop, Aladdin, Forrest Gump, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dances with the Wolves, Toy Story, The Lion King, Apollo 13, The Green Book, Hidden Figures, Spiderman, Batman, Sully, Ghostbusters, Shrek, Harry Potter films, Jurassic Park, Rocky, Iron Man, Captain America, Top Gun (both the 1986 and 2022 versions), and recently, Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Boys in the Boat.
However, the “magic” at the Mountaineer isn’t solely based on bringing in a good movie. It’s like a chef cooking dinner at a fine restaurant. You can have an incredible menu but if you don’t bring your heart and creativity into your cuisine the results may be discouraging. However, if you bring the positive traits of love, imagination, sincerity, and great service into your cooking (or whatever activity you are doing for others), a certain magic will take place; like witnessing the beauty and magic of viewing Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night painting, listening to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, or seeing Tina Turner do Proud Mary on stage.
No, I can’t call myself an artist in the traditional sense but bringing a creative and heartfelt mind to my work results in a far richer experience for others and myself.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Dear best friend,
I’m so excited for you to visit Lake City this summer! The most important recommendation is to “make it your own” experience. Some things that I have found joyful here are:
* Wake up early and take a breath of fresh mountain air, hear a hummingbird’s wings hum, see a rising Sun’s rays greet a snowy mountain peak, relish your morning cup of coffee or tea, and touch the cold of a mountain stream.
* Take a morning walk to the Lake City Bakery. There will probably be a long line. Don’t be discouraged. Instead, engage in a casual conversation with folks. They may even share their recommendations on their favorites at Lake City Bakery!
*After breakfast, think about your first outing in town. Pay a visit to the many fun shops around town like 38 Degrees North, the San Juan Soda Company, Blue Bird Boutique, and Keep in Touch Salon, or take in the superb Hinsdale County Historical Museum (they have weekly ghost tours at night), or read books about Lake City’s colorful history or about the extraordinary wildlife at the Lake City Library. All are easily accessible by walking from the downtown area.
* Consider getting picnic supplies at the Country Store, our local grocery store. Have a picnic at the Town Park or Memorial Park or maybe venture out to Lake San Cristobal’s Wupperman Campground or Red Mountain day area (where you may be able to view an osprey or bald eagle or even a moose!).
* Lots of dining activities await at such restaurants as Climb, Packers’ Grill, The Wrangler, Sportsman’s BBQ, Southern Vittles, Chillins, or the Lake City Brewery. The historic San Juan Soda Company serves delicious ice cream treats.
* In the evening, The Lake City Arts always has great programs scheduled throughout the summer. Bingo takes place every week. Movies are shown on weekends at the Mountaineer Theatre. A very special activity are public stargazing program at Windy Point on Wednesday evenings. Nothing better than to catch a shooting star or two going over the mountains!
Or maybe build a campfire and roast some yummy S’mores!
* Now that you are acclimatized, there are so many activities to consider for the rest of your week here such as:
Take a hike on one of the numerous trails in our Gunnison, Rio Grande, or Uncompaghre National Forests.
Take a fly fishing lesson from the Sportsman or Dan’s Fly Shop. If you take to the sport, they offer guided trout fly fishing
trips. (Big Blue Creek is my own personal favorite).
And, if you are in good shape, challenge yourself to climb one of the five fourteen-thousand-foot peaks in the area.
Uncompahgre, Handies, Redcloud, and Sunshine can be climbed without using technical equipment while Wetterhorn is a
bit is more challenging for the more experience hiker.
Consider renting a four-wheel drive vehicle to venture around the historic and challenging Alpine Loop, see Whitmore
waterfalls, go to American Basin to see colorful wildflowers, or explore the ghost towns of Carson or Animas Forks.
A regular car can take you to such places as Deer Lakes…you have the possibility of seeing wildlife (moose, elk, deer,
hawks)…go trout fishing at one of the several ponds. Afterward, head over to South Clear Creek Waterfalls. For lunch, you
can picnic or experience a great cheeseburger lunch at Freemon’s Guest Ranch.
And, depending on the time of the year, there are many special events to enjoy such as the San Juan Solstice 50 mile run,
the StarFest astronomy program in June, the Fourth of July, the July Arts and Crafts Fair, the August Stick Horse Rodeo and
Alpine 50 bike race, the Lake City Arts art exhibits, theater productions, or the Chamber Music
series and the fabulously fun Wine and Music Festival in September. And, there are a variety of places to worship in the
area (including Presbyterian, Catholic, Episcopalian, Grace Fellowship, and Baptist churches).
Of course, if you like Lake City in the summer, the autumn is spectacular for the changing of the aspen leaves from green to
yellow, orange, or red. Rifle and archery hunting seasons run from late September through November.
And, for a completely different mountain experience, come in the winter to enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing,
ice fishing, snowmobiling, or ice climbing at the Lake City Ice Park.
Don’t hesitate to ask a local what their recommendations may be or visit the Lake City Chamber Information Center for
maps and current information on activities and events in town.
And, I’ve arranged a special stargazing session for you and your family at Windy Point Overlook or the Slumgullion Observation Site. Both sites offer “light pollution-free skies” for outstanding viewing of the stars, planets, the Milky Way, and other wonders of our incredible universe.
Regardless of the time of year, Lake City provides a unique and memorable experience for an individual, friends, and
family to enjoy!
Sincerely, Your friend
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate and express my deep gratitude to:
My wife Carolyn and two daughters, Lily and Dasha
My mom, dad, and two brothers.
Bill and Ruthanna Hall
John and Ann Parker
Larry and Dorothey Stuckey
Grant Houston
All of my Mountaineer movie staff
My incredible Lake City friends
The Virden, Capell, and Armstrong families
The students and staff and my fellow school board directors of the Lake City Community School
My devoted movie theatre customers
A countless number of citizens and visitors of Lake City
The loving dogs in my life…Red Baron, Sammy, Angel, Scout, Tundra, and Mora
My good friends in Kenya and the Makindu Children’s Center.
Website: www.mountaineertheatre.com
Instagram: mountaineertheatre
Facebook: Mountaineer Theatre, Lake City Skies
Image Credits
All photos courtesy of Phillip Virden