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I saw there is currently an extreme avalanche warning in Summit County...wild!

We are heading to Estes Park, Breckenridge, and points south of there.  Any Zoner recommendations, good hot springs (Mount Princeton), restaurants, around there to visit.  We want to see Loveland Pass but it is closed today,  https://www.islovelandpassopen.com/

 

My son is rolling into Denver today and flying out Saturday late afternoon

Hook up with him and go to a dispensary and take him to a buffet.......it will be extremely entertaining

That does sound entertaining but we’re not planning to hang in Denver.  I bet your son gets his money’s worth with any kind of “all you can eat” deal  :-)

Puts a dent in their bottom line for sure

A Basin closed because they couldn't guarantee skier safety. 

I70 has closed for many hours several times this week. I would stay away, especially on the weekend. 

We will be on a section of I70 on Monday, hope they plow it out by then.  Otherwise long detours for us driving back towards Denver and    taking I25 south.

I've heard that this place is popular, south of Steamboat...  http://strawberryhotsprings.com/

 

Yeah, we’ve been to Strawberry Hot Springs, very nice there!  After 8pm they announced that “family time” is over and people get naked  :-)

We are not going there this trip. 

Be careful out there.

One night after bashing bumps all day at Mary Jane/Winter Park and a nice meal I was driving back to Denver over Berthoud Pass at around 11pm when I was hit by a small avalanche. The car got pushed a good 5 ft to the left and if it went any further I would not be writing this. Where I was the drop off was easily a couple hundred feet. I must have sat there at least 20 mins before I could stop shaking and my pulse probably wasn't at resting rate until I was home in Aurora. My pulse still quickens when I think about it...like now. 

Nice! I've never been there.

Even if t I-70 is plowed, it still may be risky to travel on it... sooooo much spring snow out here.... 

Weird, I needed to check something on Facebook and was greeted w/ this article...

https://www.tetongravity.com/story/news/colorados-avalanche-danger-has-r...?

Then found this post on Insta: 

avalanche.PNG

Breckenridge is in that extreme black area!  Good thing I am bringing a hardhat and a snorkel.

It's been a tough week in Telluride, a long time local was lost in a slide on Sunday.

https://www.telluridenews.com/news/article_dcb7bfbe-4139-11e9-b18a-2b57b...

{{{{{ love and vibes to Scott's family }}}}}

Sorry to hear that FOM, all the news reports say it’s a pretty bad year for avalanches in CO.

Have fun.  swim for your life, get a beacon

Sorry to hear that FOM, all the news reports say it’s a pretty bad year for avalanches in CO<<<<

Thanks CR, still in shock.

Another person was killed in an avalanche in Bear Creek / Telluride only about a week prior.

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2019/02/21/telluride-deadly-avalanche/

Can't imagine what the families are going through now.  Actually, it's been a bad couple of years here ... last year another friend died on the mountain and my neighbor's 24 year old son died in an avalanche.

Seeing an avalanche is mind boggling. The power unleashed is unreal. The sound, the wind blast leaves you speechless. Unfortunately I have had a few people in my circle jave died from them and one, my friend Glen, almost died in Nepal. His two skiing partners didn't make it. They were in their tents in the early morning when it hit and Glen's tent wasn't in the slide zone but the wind blast uprooted the tent, with him in it, and launched both him and his tent down slope and ultimately into the slide. It's dangerous stuff and can hit without much notice. A few years ago the top of Sugarloaf Mtn in Maine got a slide where everyone said it could never slide. I guess Mother Nature didn't listen to the experts. 

My heart goes out to everyone that has been affected from these slides. 

We’re at The Stanley in Estes Park, fantastic!

My heart goes out to everyone that has been affected from these slides<<<

Yes, this was about all I could say to Scott's wife yesterday at the community gathering / celebration of his life.

The power is definitely mind boggling.   I have seen several slides recently (control work) and last Tuesday had to park and walk home through a debris field that covered the road about 100 yards in length and was easily 12' deep on average (20' at the deepest) ... resembling cement in consistency with trees and all sorts of crap in the mix.     Unfortunately, it's too easy to forget & become complacent.

53BDB232-91C1-48DC-B819-E30ACA7442A9.jpegMeanwhile in the Sierra. 

Today we hiked around Bear Lake then to the back side of Estes Park and hiked to Gem Lake.  Tired but everyone has huge smiles and making family memories.  Tomorrow will be a drive to Breckenridge and on to Salida. 

Scanga meat in Salida has these cured black olives not found anywhere else. Always grab some when passing through.

Today we hiked around Bear Lake then to the back side of Estes Park and hiked to Gem Lake.  Tired but everyone has huge smiles and making family memories.  Tomorrow will be a drive to Breckenridge and on to Salida<<<<

Are you going to take Hoosier pass?   Alma is a funky little town on the other side of the pass from Breck ... nice stop for coffee.  Salida was the home to one of my favorite columnists, Ed Quillen, who died in 2012.

https://www.denverpost.com/author/ed-quillen/

 

^ Yes, we are going over Hoosier Pass and stopping in Alma where we are seeing good friends that live there.  It’s the highest town in continental US.  Before we get there we are going to Nederland for breakfast and then Hardrock Cafe in Empire.  Then Breck, Alma, Salida.

Check out the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland.

 

South Park Saloon in Alma. 

Laughing Ladies in Salida for dinner. They catered our wedding. 

If you can slip out for an adult swim have a drink at The Vic.

and yes... Mt Princeton is the best hot springs down in the Arkansas Valley. 

Bombogenesis has arrived.

Right now, in a basement somewhere in Colorado, four teenagers who have the day off from school are forming a band called “Bomb Cyclone”, so take note as you plan your 2023 Grammy viewing.

It’s an adventure!  Crazy driving today back over Hoosier Pass to Breckenridge.  We followed a snowplow from Buena Vista to Fairplay which was probably the only way to get through because I didn’t know where the road was, visibility was near zero.  We are hunkered down in a cabin.  There is a good chance either the roads back to Denver will be closed tomorrow or our flight will be cancelled.  More adventure! 

Glad you guys are safely in for the night. Adventure on!

We are hunkered down in a cabin in Bigfoot county<<<<

Yes, glad you made it to a safe place for the night!  Funny how snow plows are an annoyance at times, while at others they're a desperately needed lifeline.   If you do travel back to Denver today, might want to avoid the "return from ski area rush hour" later in the day.  Might be OK, but also could be a log jam.

I'm still trapped in Ophir from an Avalanche that crossed the only road in / out two nights ago.  Hoping they'll get it cleared before ski area closes ... we've had over 3' over past 72hrs.

 

 

 

We left Breckenridge at 7am, now at airport.  Huge line for United check in, the news crews are here. 

Get on the news, China! We need more Zoners in the mainstream media. laugh

Glad you were able to get out of Dodge ... I'm ready to go to Moab to decompress for a few days!

Never made it to the ski area, still stuck.  They sent a helicopter up again to bomb the slide paths.  There were three, but none crossed the road ... although one of the slides has diverted the flow of the river and is now washing out the road.   Hopefully, they'll have fixed the river issue & start plowing in the morning.

Almost home... by chance our delay in Denver was 4 hours 20 min. Got to Chicago but of course missed the connection so spent the night there and rebooked home via Laguardia ... on final leg to Rochester now.

Glad you didn't end up getting stuck in a drift somewhere. Could have been a remake of "Misery". 

The guy that runs the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland is a hoot.  He bangs the gong to start every ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEdatRgtjV4