Spring is definitely in the air, and that smell of rain on the plants, sidewalks and dripping from the trees is one of my favorite smells in the world.

I was talking to my daughter the other day, she lives in the Kansas City area and is a vet tech.

Kathryn told me something I found hard to believe, despite the fact she’s usually right.

The human nose is significantly more sensitive to the smell of rain than sharks are to the scent of blood in the water.

Yup, she was right.

According to the American Council on Science and Health, it’s a compound called geosmin, and humans can detect it in as little as 5 to 10 parts per trillion, making us over 200,000 times more sensitive to rain than sharks are to blood.

Think about that next time someone says, “I love the smell of rain.”

There’s a lot going on in the mountains this week, and we as a community are as busy as ever, especially with taxes due Wednesday and the daily grind of work.

However, this week, take some time to step outside in the rain, take another look at the mountains and remind yourself — we live here.

Guanella Pass in Clear Creek County is set to open at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 16 for the summer season – significantly earlier than the typical Memorial Day Weekend opening. The lack of snowpack on the pass this season allowed plows and crews to start clearing the road earlier with less snow to remove, according to Clear Creek Public Information Officer Megan Hiler-Wilson.

While conditions currently allow for travel, people heading up the pass should be aware that it remains subject to temporary closures if spring snowstorms create hazardous driving conditions, Hiler-Wilson warned.

“This early opening is a testament to the seamless partnership between Clear Creek County,Park County, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service," Clear Creek County Public Works Director Stoy Streepey said. 

Parking along the 24 miles of the Byway will be enforced by the sheriff’s department again this year, according to the county.

A Colorado Department of Transportation Plow Truck Driver faces a May 25 court date for a January 29 crash that killed one and seriously injured several others on Interstate 70 in Clear Creek County.

Colton Wiedman, 29, has been charged with careless driving causing death, four counts of careless driving causing serious bodily injury, three counts of careless driving causing bodily injury, and failure to drive in a designated lane.

All eight of the charges are considered misdemeanors under Colorado Law.

Wiedman is set to appear in Clear Creek County Court at 9 a.m. May 25 for an Arraignment on the charges. 

According to the Colorado State Patrol, on Jan 29, Wiedman was traveling westbound on a snowy I-70 when he lost control of the snowplow near milepost 218 in Clear Creek County.

The plow truck went through the median, broke through the cable rail, and went into the eastbound lanes of I-70, according to the crash report.

Local rafting outfitters say they’re ‘optimistic and realistic’ about the upcoming season with record low snow pack feeding white water into the creek.

Clear Creek rafting owners and state agencies say this year’s season on Clear Creek might be challenging with extremely low snowpack, but it will happen, and new rafts drawing shallow water will help extend a limited season.

The rafting season across Colorado and specifically in Clear Creek County is a multi-million dollar industry with exponential monetary advantages to local economies, considering local restaurants, shopping and lodging.

Colorado River Outfitters Association Executive Director Dave Coslow reinforced the challenges rafting outfitters will face in this dry season.

“I think the season will be fine. Now, how long it will go, I don’t know. But we won’t have the high water that we do in some years, that’s almost guaranteed,” Coslow said.

Nonetheless, owners of two major rafting outfitters on Clear Creek remain defiantly optimistic about this season of rafting on the creek.

Stories inspired by family businesses, Doyle Disposal and Construction Service, with family as characters

The Adventures of Pop Pop the Garbage Truck was first conceived while the author, Lisa Doyle, a graduate of Clear Creek High, was waiting for her oldest grandson, Liam, to be born.

Pop Pop Breaks Down – Was the first story created for grandson Liam, Doyle told the Courant.

However, as stories about the family and the family business grew, so did the volumes in the series, which now number seven.

To understand the children’s books, you have to understand the family, the business and the long-time friends and co-workers, according to Doyle.

The central character, "Pop Pop," is based on the author's husband, Chris, while the company’s 30-year mechanic is depicted as the "Super Mechanic". 

Other family-inspired characters include "Ringie Ring," based on the daughter who answers the office phones, and "Auntie," a laptop character representing the author’s daughter-in-law.

Doyle’s name in the book is: Yia Yia (the Greek word for grandmother).

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Guanella Pass in Clear Creek County is set to open at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 16th. Opening ceremony at 10:00 a.m. at Strousse Park in Georgetown

Friday:

Devils Gate Mushroom Georgetown 7:00 p.m. April 17 at Georgetown Community Center, 613 Sixth St. “Colorado’s Enduring Fascination with Fungi" presented by Alex Merryman, Clear Creek resident, local expert & member of the Colorado Mycological Society.”

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