Wolf Creek Ski Area\u2019s plan to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic was approved by the local health department, Silver Thread Health District. It calls for things such as social distancing, mask wearing and minimizing group size.<\/p>\n
CDOT officials, however, started to notice cars parked along Highway 160, mostly in a pullout on the east side of the highway, between Wolf Creek Ski Area and a snowshed tunnel.<\/p>\n
Schwantes said the concern is twofold: cars parked closely along the highway could present a hazard to passing traffic and people walking along the highway is a dangerous endeavor.<\/p>\n
According to a rough estimate on Google Maps, the pullout is about seven-tenths of a mile from the ski area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re concerned with the amount of vehicles today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
CDOT sent crews to Wolf Creek on Tuesday afternoon to find out more about the situation, Schwantes said, but the main pullout people are using is not a designated area for parking.<\/p>\n
A call to Wolf Creek Ski Area owner Davey Pitcher was not immediately returned Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Schwantes said people parking along mountain roads to recreate has been a problem all over Southwest Colorado, namely Coal Bank, Molas and Red Mountain passes along U.S. Highway 550, north of Durango.<\/p>\n
The problem has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Schwantes said, which is driving more people outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re experiencing more and more people utilizing our public lands,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
CDOT\u2019s first priority is to keep roads open, but when people park in off-limit areas, plow crews are unable to do their job, Schwantes said. She said state law allows CDOT to tow cars and fine drivers if they are obstructing crews from keeping the highway clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur job is to clear the road as quickly and safely as possible, and make sure people can get through,\u201d Schwantes said.<\/p>\n
It was also Purgatory Resort\u2019s busiest day of the season, said general manager Dave Rathbun, though far below a normal year.<\/p>\n
Rathbun declined to say what Purgatory\u2019s max capacity of skiers is under COVID-19 protocols, calling it a proprietary number. But he said the resort was at 80% of its max capacity Tuesday.<\/p>\n Traffic became a little hectic Tuesday, Rathbun said, because the largest rush of people arriving happened within a 90-minute window.<\/p>\n \u201cCOVID is trying to challenge us in ways we\u2019ve never seen before,\u201d he said. \u201cIt felt like a challenge at times. No question.\u201d<\/p>\n