We got SNOW!!

The first significant snow of the season falls on Clear Creek County and is gone just as quickly.

The March snowfall covered rooftops, cars, streets and sidewalks with at least eight-inches of wet white flakes here in Idaho Springs.

Watching the sunset from the front porch, an hour earlier (daylight saving time), the air was filled with a scent that hasn’t saturated our neighborhood for quite a while.

That familiar smell of smoke from fireplaces and wood-burning stoves wafting through our snow-covered homes conjured images of a winter’s night in the mountains, like something pictured in a Hallmark card.

Of course, the reality was that temperatures were in the 50’s the day before and after the snow day.

Yeah, it’s pretty much gone now.

Nonetheless, it was a difficult week for drivers of a FedEx tractor-trailer who drove into Clear Creek and for the Idaho Springs Post Office, which was driven into.

That and more in this week’s edition of Mountain Life.

Thanks!

The Colorado State Patrol continues to investigate why the FedEx semi-truck lost control while eastbound on I-70, ending up in Clear Creek.

The crash happened in the early morning hours on March 5 near the Fall River Road exit (237) in Idaho Springs. According to a CSP crash report.

At one point, eastbound traffic on I-70 was backed up for 12 miles from Idaho Springs to Silver Plume as crews and heavy-duty tow-trucks methodically dragged the tractor and trailers from the creek, according to CSP.

Stanley Rd (CR 312) was also closed in both directions at Fall River Road for at least 12 hours before the second trailer was pulled from the creek.

A driver and passenger in the semi were treated for non-life-threatening injuries following the crash.

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A single vehicle apparently jumped the curb before slamming into the building, shattering exterior bricks and interior wood structure.

The Idaho Springs Post Office was unexpectedly closed to customers on March 8 after a car crashed through the exterior brick facade earlier in the morning.

The 76-year-old driver and her dog weren’t injured in the crash, according to Idaho Springs Police.

Police Chief Nate Buseck said the driver told officers, “She wasn’t sure exactly what happened.”

Buseck said the driver was ticketed for careless driving.

The post office reopened to patrons on Monday.

As many as six million cars pass through the town of Empire on Colorado Highway 40 every year, according to Mayor Wendy Koch, who said the road was in need of serious repair.

The Colorado Department of Transportation, in tandem with Empire, began work last year to repave, restripe and realign the section of Hwy 40 through the town, according to CDOT.

Additional improvements included replacing two traffic signals, upgrading crosswalks to improve safety, upgrading curb ramps, constructing bulb-outs and adding drainage improvements.

Wikipedia defines a bulb-out as “A traffic calming measure which widens the sidewalk for a short distance. This reduces the crossing distance and allows pedestrians and drivers to see each other when parked vehicles would otherwise block visibility.”

These small concrete islands are a key part of the improvement project, according to Koch. “These bulb-outs allow pedestrians to be closer to the actual edge of traffic so they’re visually obvious, so it’s less likely to run over people.”

Clear Creek Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) hosted its 3rd Annual Regional Resilience Economic Development Mixer in Idaho Springs, bringing together community leaders, business owners, and partners to discuss regional economic resilience efforts.

CCEDC President & CEO Lindsey Valdez emphasized that the goal of the conference is to bring together a diverse group to share ideas and strategies moving forward in tight economic times.

“We talk through everything. Narrow it down to something that we can actually accomplish with our capacity and get things done,” Valdez told the Courant. “So, we're trying to just, again, check things off the list that have been sitting on a shelf for a long time.”

Valdez explained that Clear Creek and Gilpin counties face ongoing economic challenges, including limited land, reduced mining activity, and vulnerability from reliance on single industries — such as Gilpin’s dependence on gaming.

Tuesday:

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