Big Snowstorm
Here in the Rocky Mountains, a big snowstorm happens occasionally, and we had one on March 13, 2024. Over 5 feet at our place, snowing over two days. The Cabin at Pickle Gulch was hosting 4 college boys who were expecting a ski vacay, but instead, with roads and ski resorts closed, they were holed up for 2 days in the cabin.
By digging continuously with hand shovels and parking strategically down the driveway near the county road, they avoided getting stuck for longer than their rental agreement. It took some folks a week to emerge. Gilpin County declared a disaster. Sheriff Armstrong’s Office and county personnel provided “shelter, assistance, support, rescue and comfort to residents and visitors alike,” putting a friendly face to our mountain rural community where folks help each other in need, so the story goes.
But we know the two kinds of people traditionally living in the gulches: those grubbing for gold, and those avoiding the law. Translates today into those out to keep what they’ve got, no sharing or changing, and those layin’ low or just hidin’ from child support or their own selves, wanting to drink without scrutiny. Oh, and the new addition of those do-gooders wanting to help everyone (give them free food, can you imagine?), and bring us together in picnics, pale ale and new taxes.
Dan’s story about the snow of 2003
Dan remembers that it was also March, of ought 3, St Patrick’s day, when it started to snow. Drivers in town were slippin’ off the road, reporting near accidents in whiteouts, but Bill of Complete Containers was not a boss who gave early layoffs; he contracted a full day’s work from his drivers and expected just that, no excuses. At quittin’ time Dan went to the Golden Corral Buffet for steaks and gravy after which he headed up towards home, usually an hour commute to his place in the Hills (Lincoln), but on 88th it was obvious that the roads were tightening with snow and plows weren’t going to co-operate (with emphasis on the ‘operate’). So, it’s Mark and Deb’s couch for the night. Blood-brother friends from when Arvada was treeless dusty housing plots used-to-be farms or prairie, and schools taught nothin’ with no rules no-one understood anyways.
Day 2 no go, still snow.
Day 3 the plows had been through, but when he got to Pinecliffe hill a plow was stuck there so back to Mark and Debs.
Day 4, got to the bottom of Emory Road, dug out a spot for his car to park. Then SWAM through the snow up the hill to his shop: upper body twist, left leg back and kick for the next step, right & left arms butterfly to push snow to the back and out of his face, and repeat. Took 45 minutes to reach the front door, exhausted, and dug the door open. Starts the fire. But immediately smokes up the place, the flue is crushed under the snow. So he sleeps with the moving pads, shivering cold all night, wondering how he can unbury the ladder to get on the roof to fix the chimney, but come daylight that was not a problem, the snow allowed him to walk right up on the roof and un-collapse the chimney. Heat! Coffee. Then he started to shovel the road back down to his car, about ½ a mile of 9 ft snow. A neighbor, slender sturdy girl renter from Jeff, came out to help (her boyfriend less helpful, maybe he liked the enforced isolation more than she). After the day was nearly done they had broken through to Emory, waited for a neighbor with a plow to come open the road to the Beaver bottom. And from there 72.
We never did get a review of the cabin stay from the college boys. Good boys, excited to arrive early before the storm, heading into a cabin fever Disaster. They didn’t leave a mess, grateful to say.
https://www.gilpincountysheriff.com/sheriff-armstrong
https://www.themtnear.com/articles/a-personal-thank-you-from-sheriff-armstrong/