Thursday, January 10, 2008

Storm pummels Pagosa Country

By Chuck McGuire
Staff Writer

A major winter storm wreaked havoc in the San Juan mountains last weekend, resulting in highway closures, widespread power outages, and lost backcountry travelers.

When all was said and done, nearly five feet of snow had fallen in the high country, with accumulations of more than two feet reported in western Pagosa Springs.

Clouds rolled in late Friday afternoon, and snow showers developed over the high country during the night. By daybreak Saturday, amid relatively mild temperatures, the snowfall intensified and began piling up across the region.

Through Saturday, 14 inches fell on the Pagosa Lakes area, with nearly three feet blanketing the Wolf Creek Ski Area east of town. Given high winds and wet heavy snow, the avalanche danger quickly increased to “high” on all mountain aspects and elevations. By evening, an unstable snowpack brought numerous slides across U.S. 160 on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass, closing it to both directions of traffic until 2 p.m. yesterday. The east side of the pass, between South Fork and the ski area, remained open throughout.

By Monday morning, according to the Colorado Avalanche Control Center in Boulder, Colo., “Early observations from Wolf Creek Pass indicate all (slide) paths with names have crossed Highway 160,” with most of the activity involving new snow.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reported 50 slides on the pass in three days, with 32 of them reaching the highway. At one point, officials said, slide debris covered as much as 2,250 lineal feet of roadway at depths of up to 16 feet.

In respect to the storm, Nancy Shanks of CDOT Public Relations said, “This storm has not, thus far, brought as much snow as the big storm of 2005 that closed five passes — the difference is, it has been very wet. The wet, heavy snow was not bonding with the wet and dry layers from the past two storms, plus wind has been high — this is a perfect formula for avalanches.”

While Shanks could not say how many crew members worked to clear the slide debris, she suggested individual workers clocked 12-hour shifts, as crews labored nonstop, 24 hours a day, throughout the ordeal. CDOT’s Alamosa Maintenance Section, which includes Archuleta County and neighboring communities, employs 97 maintenance workers and about 117 pieces of snow removal and avalanche equipment.

Yesterday, La Plata Electric Association Manager of Operations Steve Gregg said approximately 1,800 Archuleta County customers suffered power outages as a result of the storm, with roughly 10,000 losing power in the entire service area. By press time, service had been restored to all but six Archuleta County customers.

Gregg said warm wet snow brought trees and branches down throughout the region, and many fell on wires, snapped poles and cross-arms, and disabled electrical equipment. Broken poles caused outages along U.S. 160 east of Pagosa Springs, where lines crossing the highway slowed repairs. Faults along Four Mile Road, Snowball Road and Colo. 151 blacked out homes in those areas.

To rest personnel and maintain safety while repairing damaged electrical equipment, crews from New Mexico and surrounding counties assisted 40 local LPEA employees round the clock. In all, 98 people worked to restore power to affected areas.

During the brunt of the storm on Saturday, two New Mexico families failed to return home from a snowmobile outing near Cumbres Pass, after becoming lost and running out of fuel. Apparently, six people survived two-and-a-half days on popcorn and gravy mix, while holing up in the historic Osier Station, a small wooden hut near the pass summit that serves as a summertime stop for railroad line sightseers. The families were rescued Monday afternoon.

In the meantime, concern mounts over the well-being of two lost snowboarders reported missing from the Wolf Creek Ski Area, Saturday. Searchers and Mineral County officials believe the two Albuquerque men may have become disoriented and inadvertently wandered beyond ski area boundaries sometime Friday afternoon. The automobile they were apparently driving remained in the ski area parking lot, Saturday morning, but by press time yesterday, Michael George and Kyle Kerschen, both 27, had not been found.

NEWS

COUNTY

No articles this week.

TOWN

Town council says no to rec center ballot measure

The Town of Pagosa Springs Town Council voted Wednesday, Jan. 2, not to place a recreation center question on the April ballot and to continue exploring feasibility and financing options.

Although some council members were on the fence, each remained firm in their stances, creating the 4-3 decision.

Council members voting for the recreation center ballot proposal were Angela Atkinson, John Middendorf and Tony Simmons. Council members opposed were Stan Holt, Darrel Cotton, Mayor Ross Aragon and John Steinert.

Some members of the council indicated they may consider a plan for a smaller recreation center and expressed interest in forming an ad hoc committee to assist planning staff with such a proposal.

“Fairplay did a nice recreation center. It is small and they did it modular,” said Simmons. “I urge this council to create a recreation center (that is the right size for Pagosa).”

Council members also considered the amount of subsidy required for a recreation center as they deliberated the question of a ballot measure.

“Recreation centers require high subsidies. Carbondale’s recreation center and swimming pool are separate operations,” said council member Stan Holt. “The pool costs $130,000 to operate and subsidy was $80,000. Their recreation center was subsidized at a total operation cost of $453,935. Their revenue is around $200,000. Durango was the most efficient in percentages with a deficit of 19 percent.”

Simmons brought the example of the existing Pagosa Springs community center to the attention of council. The community center’s subsidy is around $360,000 a year, Simmons said.

Councilwoman Angela Atkinson voiced her thoughts on the idea that a recreation center brings families to, and keeps them in Pagosa Springs.

“I feel that the way we keep families here is through jobs. It is like any investment in our infrastructure — it has subsidies,” said Atkinson. “We are one of the few communities in Colorado that do not have a regulation size pool. I would like us to come together and say ‘yes we can.’ That intergenerational dialogue, that is where it happens is in this community.”

Other council members expressed differing opinions.

“I do not have a problem with the recreation center, when it is reasonable,” said council member Darrel Cotton. “Cortez spends over $200,000 a year in utilities. I think it will come, but it is just too early.”

Mayor Ross Aragon held a similar sentiment, indicating “It is not a priority at this time.”

Council member John Middendorf, the strongest proponent, pushed for a decision that would take the question to the voters, but council decided to continue discussions, without a timetable.