Boulder: zen and now

BOULDER — An unlikely pairing of cultures has created a unique community here in what has been called the most remote location in the lower 48 United States.

A growing Buddhist "sangha" — the Sanskrit word for "association" or "community" — is now interwoven with generations of longtime Boulder residents deeply rooted in ranching, farming and Mormon pioneer history.

Though Boulder could be seen as the old Mormon pioneers vs. the "new agers," there is a shared underlying philosophy of living quietly and simply in concert with the land and the landscape, says Lisa Vargas, a Boulder business owner.

"That's why the original settlers stay and why the new people come," Vargas said. "There are a lot easier places to live, but none quite as beautiful."

Boulder, Utah — not to be confused with Boulder, Colo. — was named after the spectacular mountain nearby of the same name and rests at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet at the top of Garfield County in south-central Utah. Drive down state Routes 28 and 24 through Salina, Loa and Torrey toward Capitol Reef National Park, turn right on S.R. 12 and an hour later, you'll hit Boulder at its intersection with the Burr Trail.

"It's a beautiful place," says Scott A. Gutting, president and founder of Energy Strategies LLC and a Boulder property owner.

Ranchers first brought cattle to graze here in 1879, and the area was formally settled 10 years later. It remained isolated until 1935, when the federal Civilian Conservation Corps built a road from Escalante. Still, Boulder did not get electric power until 1947.

The community is built on farming and ranching, but many residents say the heart of the place has evolved in the past several years since Blake Spalding, her business partner Jen Castle and Spalding's sister Lavinia opened the Hell's Backbone Grill in the center of town.

The business has become renowned for its wholesome food and lovely setting and has drawn workers and tourists to the town.

The three women are also committed practitioners of Buddhism and are strongly networked into the national Buddhist community. Monks make regular visits to the area, and many of the area homes fly the colorful prayer flags traditional to the culture.

With dozens of employees, Hell's Backbone Grill is one of the area's largest employers, and many workers are members of the Buddhist community.

As of the last census, the town population was 180, an increase over the 1990 figure of 126.

This is a community that in recent years has evolved from a small Mormon ranching town into a very different place, says Gutting, who bought property on the Black Boulder Mesa with a partner and is developing the land.