Counties on both sides of Guanella Pass are taking steps to prevent traffic gridlock from engulfing the popular leaf-peeping hotspot as fall foliage season beckons this month.
Citing two rescue operations that were impeded by slow-moving traffic and illegal parking on the pass last fall, officials of Clear Creek and Park counties say there will be extra sheriff’s patrols to enforce no-parking ordinances. Vehicles illegally parked along the roadway will be towed.
“During this time of year, the number of visitors to the Guanella Pass area increases by tens of thousands,” said Park County undersheriff Steve Spodyak. “Last year, on one of the peak weekends, we experienced 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles on Guanella Pass. On one of the peak days, between 1 and 4 p.m., we had over 10,000 vehicles traverse the pass. This is a narrow, two-lane mountain pass, and it’s not capable of handling that type of traffic volume.”
Large no-parking signs have been planted every 50 yards or so along the road near the 11,670-foot summit, where the counties meet. Spodyak said that when cars are parked on the shoulders, it creates a dangerous situation.
“It makes it difficult for emergency vehicles to respond to emergencies,” Spodyak said. “And, it makes a narrow two-lane road into a one-lane road with both directions of traffic trying to utilize it at the same time.”
Last September, there was a rollover accident on the Park County side, six miles up the road from US 285, that called for fire and medical response. The first responder on the scene was a Park County deputy driving up from Bailey. The normal response time from there is 15-20 minutes, Spodyak said, but that day it took 41 minutes. The first ambulance took 55 minutes to reach the scene, more than double how long it normally takes.
“Seconds can be the difference between life and death when someone is experiencing a traumatic injury,” Spodyak said. “Last year could have ended in tragedy. Luckily, it didn’t. This year, we are taking proactive measures to ensure unimpeded emergency access to Guanella Pass at all times.”
Clear Creek County first responders had a similar incident on Sept. 29 when a woman experienced cardiac arrest atop the pass.
“Emergency response was significantly delayed due to illegally parked vehicles,” Clear Creek County Sheriff Matthew Harris said. “We had to use life flight, and we had to transport the person off the mountain. Thankfully, she survived. This year, we decided we needed to get ahead of this.”
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Circle Sept. 20 on your calendar for peak fall colors in Colorado mountainsHarris said nine people have required rescue already this year on Bierstadt, one of Colorado’s busiest fourteeners due to its relatively easy ascent and proximity to Front Range cities.
“Illegal parking and overcrowding on the pass puts people’s lives at risk,” Harris said. “We want everybody to come here and leaf-peep responsibly. We also want you to come on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Take off of work. Play hooky.”
Clear Creek County commissioner Rebecca Lloyd said she was stuck in Interstate 70 gridlock for two hours on a peak leaf-peeping weekend last year.
“Guanella Pass is a treasure,” Lloyd said. “Guanella Pass can be loved to death. As the number of visitors increases, we face challenges with overcrowding, people parking illegally, stopping in traffic lanes to take photos of moose on the side of the road.”
Georgetown, the gateway town to the pass from the north, will implement a traffic management plan for the weekends of Sept. 20-21 and Sept. 27-28 that is designed to mitigate disruption in a town with a year-round population of only 1,200. More than 20,000 people are likely to pass through town daily on those weekends.
“Our goal with this plan is to help keep leaf-peeping traffic out of residential neighborhoods as much as possible, while still making it easy for everyone to enjoy our commercial areas,” town administrator Dennis Durham said. “Visitors who would like to stop and support our local businesses are welcome to do so, and at the same time, traffic will be guided safely and efficiently so those just passing through can enjoy the drive and exit town smoothly.”
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