Stephen Johnson/Photo courtesy
The stories on this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com from August 4-10.
1. The Floyd Hill project on Interstate 70 is scheduled to enter the next phase this fall. Drivers should know this.
A major, multi-year infrastructure project on Interstate 70 is entering its next phase this fall – and motorists can expect further traffic disruptions that have continued since work began last year.
The so-called Floyd Hill ProjectThe initiative, led by the Colorado Department of Transportation, targets an 8-mile stretch of highway between Evergreen and Idaho Springs that has long been a problem area for traffic congestion and safety.
The plan, which could be completed by the end of 2028, calls for adding a new westbound toll lane, building an extended ramp from U.S. Highway 6 to eastbound I-70, and realigning a roughly one-mile stretch of eastbound and westbound highway with an entirely new section of road. It also calls for straightening existing curves to improve drivers’ visibility, rebuilding damaged bridges, improving wildlife connectivity, and installing two permanent air quality monitors.
— Robert Tann
2. According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the body recovered from the Dillon Reservoir was not wearing a life jacket
According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement officers recovered the body of an adult male, later identified as Jonathan Thomas Wilson of Fairplay, from Dillon Reservoir on Tuesday morning, August 6.
At around 8:30 a.m., a group of kayakers reported seeing the body floating in the water in the Giberson Bay area of the reservoir, the sheriff’s office said in a press release issued Tuesday.
Sheriff’s deputies, rangers and detectives arrived at the scene and recovered the man’s body by boat, the release said. A preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play and no threat to public safety, the sheriff’s office said.
— Summit Daily Staff Report
3. Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort continues to work on its new mountain bike and hiking trail to bypass the existing “harrowing” route to the summit.
Anyone who has ever cycled uphill in the Arapahoe Basin ski area knows how strenuous it is to ride up the Upper Summer Road to reach the summit.
The rocky access road that begins halfway up the Black Mountain Lodge often forces even the fittest mountain bikers to dismount their bikes and slowly make their way on foot to the Snow Plume Refuge at the top of the ski area at 12,456 feet.
After seeing so many hikers and mountain bikers struggle up the road each year during the ski resort’s short summer season, A-Basin has continued work on a new trail to make it easier to get up the mountain.
“It’s a really tough climb for a 58-year-old,” said David Singleton, a member of the Upper Summer Road, Arapahoe Basin hiking crew. “For a 25-year-old, it might not be so bad.”
“We still refer to (Upper Summer Road) as the ‘harrowing summer road,'” said Shayna Silverman, A-Basin communications manager. “We understand why people are so excited about this trail construction.”
—Cody Jones
4. The reintroduction of the wolf has made it much harder to be a Colorado Parks and Wildlife employee
“This is putting a strain on our employees,” said Travis Black, Parks and Wildlife’s Northwest regional director. “They live in these communities. Their children go to school with the ranchers’ children. They shop at the same grocery stores. They see each other at the gas station.”
At least one local Parks and Wildlife employee has taken a leave of absence for mental health reasons, partly due to the stresses associated with the wolf reintroduction, a Parks and Wildlife official confirmed. Parks and Wildlife Commission member Marie Haskett said some employees have told her they want to retire as early as possible — though the agency says there has been no increase in retirements.
“Several great employees have left or are in the process of leaving the company,” Haskett said.
In addition to trying to improve tense relations with ranchers, field staff also have new tasks related to reintroduction, such as investigating wolf attacks on livestock and assisting ranchers in the use of non-lethal deterrents, all in addition to their existing duties.
The added stress and hostility also affects their ability to perform other wildlife-related work, according to interviews with Parks and Wildlife employees.
Black, who has worked at Parks and Wildlife since 1994, said there have been no requests from employees in his region to request relocation because of the wolf reintroduction. Not yet, anyway.
“Is there potential? Probably,” he said. “I wouldn’t blame anyone.”
— Elliott Wenzler
5. “Look at this!” The Perseid meteor shower will bring hundreds of shooting stars to Summit County skies
While many Coloradans enjoy August for its long days of sunshine, Silverthorne resident Mark Laurin has been eagerly awaiting the sunset every night for the past five nights.
Armed with a 115mm APO refractor telescope and camera, Laurin – an amateur astronomer perhaps better known as Astro Mark – has been out every night capturing images of the star-studded sky. As one of the year’s most prolific meteor showers reaches its peak, Laurin said Friday, August 9, that he has seen an average of five meteors or shooting stars per night.
But when the Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend, Aug. 11-13, as many as 140 shooting stars per hour could shine during the peaks, Laurin said. Watching a meteor shower like this, he said, can make people feel connected to the infinity of the universe.
— Ryan Spencer
