Snowshed on Red Mountain Pass, Colorado, 3-16-19

Rockskipper

Rockskipper

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The canyon there is at least 100 feet deep - if you went off now, you wouldn't go far. This is the Riverside Slide. Historic snow. From the Colo. Dept. of Highways FB site. For those of you not familiar with it, this is normally a two-lane highway.

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North Red Mt Pass UPDATE:
There is light at the end of the tunnel! Crews punched a hole through the snow shed which had been filled with snow from a triggered avalanche. But look what waits for them on the other side!

Yesterday’s mitigation brought down more snow on top of the shed. (Thankfully it did not flow back into the shed.) The entire mountain corridor has been mitigated, crews can now work safely.

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https://www.facebook.com/coloradodot/photos/a.655158477872395/2091622740892621/?type=3&theater
 
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The name of the pass was familiar. I had to GOOGLE the location.
I remember Red Mountain Pass. I crossed it around 1990ish on my bicycle. My twin nephews and I rode the San Juan Skyway.
At one point I remember looking down at the road. There was about 6" of asphalt. Then maybe a foot of gravel. Then air. Lots of air with rocks at the bottom.
It's a lot different now. Thanks for sharing!
Wayne
 
Actually, it's not much different. They can't put guard rails on most of it because then they can't plow it, it's too narrow. Still straight down and very heady, at least on the west side.
 
In another part of Colorado. This a shot of Conundrum Creek near Aspen, the trailhead for Conundrum Hot Springs is to the left.
I was headed up the day before the avalanche to photograph the house at the bottom of the picture, It was snowing too hard for me to get up there so I turned around. The house in the center of the canyon was totaled. It had been there since the 70's I think.

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Also, I always dreaded driving over Red Mountain Pass in the winter.
 
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It was totaled? The report I read said the snow barrier saved it, though it had some minor damage. Pretty crazy spot for a house, regardless. And a good thing you didn't go up there. Wow.
 
Well, I’m certainly not in the loop, was just going by what the paper said. It’s a pretty crazy place for a house, IMO.
 
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