Outdoors – The Durango Herald

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Alaska’s Denali is finally open to guided skiing, and you have a Colorado company to thank

Permit rules were written with the expectation that mountaineers would stay roped, walking uphill and down

DATE: Jul 4, 2022 | CATEGORY: Outdoors

Colorado’s outdoor industry knows it could be more inclusive

The industry acknowledges that there’s a large population that doesn’t feel included

DATE: Jul 1, 2022 | CATEGORY: Sports

Rainbow Gathering picks remote area in Colorado for its angst-inducing 50th annual meeting of tribes

‘Largest non-organization of non-members in the world’ will reprise in Routt National Forest

DATE: Jun 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Outdoors

Purgatory Resort welcomes young pup to ski patrol

Ember, an 8-week-old black Lab, begins avalanche search and rescue dog training

DATE: Apr 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: Outdoors

Fishing gear needs spring cleaning too

A clean and organized vest can make the art of fly fishing go easier

DATE: Apr 1, 2022 | CATEGORY: Sports

Authorities respond to report of avalanche on Berthoud Pass

First responders received a report that two people may have been buried but later determined that no one was caught

DATE: Mar 23, 2022 | CATEGORY: Local News

How Crested Butte’s first-ever extreme skiing contests birthed the freeskiing movement

Pioneering athletes transformed the resort industry with a push for wider skis and steeper terrain

DATE: Mar 17, 2022 | CATEGORY: Outdoors

Colorado appeals court revives river access, right-to-wade debate

Angler Roger Hill is suing a landowner over a right to wade in the Arkansas River, arguing that historic commerce on the river proves navigability, which requires public access

DATE: Feb 14, 2022 | CATEGORY: Local News

Following a historic avalanche season, new tools aim to make backcountry travel safer

Durango-area woman creates rescue sleds that have other backcountry uses

DATE: Jan 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: Outdoors

Family of Colorado avalanche victim drops one lawsuit, targets maker of air bag

Peter Marshall was killed in a January 2019 avalanche while taking a class near Red Mountain Pass

DATE: Dec 21, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

The mudslides that closed I-70 also muddied Hanging Lake’s crystal clear water

Hanging Lake’s pristine waters were spared from major damage last year when the Grizzly Creek fire engulfed the area surrounding the popular tourist destination, leaving only minor damage to...

DATE: Aug 6, 2021 | CATEGORY: Regional News

The Great Sand Dunes ‘are just a big mountain of sand’ and other 1-star national park reviews

Amber Share grew up in awe of national parks. Particularly The Grand Canyon. So when she found a negative review of the national park that said, like “A hole. A very, very large hole,” she w...

DATE: Jul 20, 2021 | CATEGORY: Outdoors

Hundreds attend Candlelight vigil for Cortez police Sgt. Michael Moran

Skyhawks score 41 points off turnovers Monday at Whalen Gymnasium

Snowstorm moves through the areaThe season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

The season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

Photos: Singing with SantaSanta Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Santa Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Snow descends on DurangoForecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

A fall storm that moved into Southwest Colorado Friday morning was expected to dump 6 inches of snow in the Durango area – more than weather forecasters had initially predicted.Snow started falling about 9:15 a.m. Friday and intensified shortly before 11:30 a.m., blanketing parks, vehicles and the hilltops overlooking the city. Roads became slick about 2:30 p.m. As of 4 p.m., the Durango Police Department had responded to six crashes, in addition to a few stranded motorists.U.S. Highway 160 at County Road 44 near Mancos Hill was closed from around 4 p.m. to just after 6 p.m. because a vehicle carrying an “oversized load” had spun out and blocked both the eastbound and westbound lanes, according to Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes.“Right now our officers are able to keep up with the crashes that are coming in,” said Cmdr. Nick Stasi, with the Durango Police Department. “As always with winter weather, we remind drivers to slow down and give extra space for the cars in front.”Snow started accumulating very fast as the day went on, making it “challenging for plow operators to keep up,” according to CDOT.

Southwest Colorado’s five major mountain passes were icy and snowpacked Friday afternoon. But all five remained open as of 4:15 p.m.The Pacific storm favored the southern and central Colorado mountains, said Dave Byers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.“Durango looks like a 70% chance of getting 6 inches or more of snow by the end of tonight (Friday),” Byers said.He expected a half inch to three-quarters of an inch of moisture from the storm, which is up from the one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch that was predicted earlier this week. Meanwhile, the mountains could receive 1 to 2 feet of snow from the storm, he said.“In the last few days, it has really picked up,” Byers said. “The southern mountains are catching the brunt of it.”The snowy weather didn’t stop Liz Ferrill and her family from stopping by Cream Bean Berry for a Unicorn Sundae. “We thought it might be a festive way to celebrate,” said Ferrill, who was visiting from Snowmass, where the first snow occurred in September.For others, the snow provided the impetus they needed to swap out tires or purchase new snow tires. Andre Payne, a sales person at J/P Tire in Durango, said the phone began ringing shortly after 9 a.m. with people wanting to switch to snow tires.“We’ve been pretty busy,” he said.

It is not unusual for drivers to wait until they see the first snow and then want to swap out tires. The tire shop began advising customers to switch to snow tires about three weeks ago. Some people take the advice, other choose to wait.“We can always tell people what to do, but if you're not ready for it then you have to suffer the consequences of waiting two hours or maybe getting in an accident,” Payne said.Byers said Friday’s storm was the result of a southwest flow pulling moisture from Southern California, Arizona and the Gulf of California.As the moisture-laden atmosphere hits the San Juan Mountains, it wrings out the moisture, he said.Temperatures are expected to cool off as the storm makes its way out of the region this weekend. The highs this weekend will be in the upper 30s, and the lows could dip into the single digits, he said.“There’s still a northerly flow that is pulling cold air down out of Canada,” he said.Byers characterized Friday’s storm as a “shoulder storm” between summer and winter, but he said it is a sure sign that a regular track is settling in for Southwest Colorado.“We’re expecting regular storms … from now on, more into that winter pattern,” Byers said.Residents can expect mostly clear conditions through Wednesday, with clouds moving in the following day ahead of another storm that looks “very similar” to Friday’s storm, Byers said.shane@durangoherald.com; mhollinshead@durangoherald.com

Forecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

PHOTOS: Turkey Trot returns to DurangoNearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

Nearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

PHOTOS: Durango faces Lutheran in 3A state football quarterfinalsDemons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

Demons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

PHOTOS: Fort Lewis basketball teams host doubleheaderThe men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62

The men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62

Photos: Durango High School football faces Mead in 3A state playoffsThe Demons won Saturday’s playoff game, 31-27

The Demons won Saturday’s playoff game, 31-27

Photos: Veterans Day Parade

Honoring Veterans on Veterans Day

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Alaska’s Denali is finally open to guided skiing, and you have a Colorado company to thank

Colorado’s outdoor industry knows it could be more inclusive

Rainbow Gathering picks remote area in Colorado for its angst-inducing 50th annual meeting of tribes

Purgatory Resort welcomes young pup to ski patrol

Fishing gear needs spring cleaning too

Authorities respond to report of avalanche on Berthoud Pass

How Crested Butte’s first-ever extreme skiing contests birthed the freeskiing movement

Colorado appeals court revives river access, right-to-wade debate

Following a historic avalanche season, new tools aim to make backcountry travel safer

Family of Colorado avalanche victim drops one lawsuit, targets maker of air bag

The mudslides that closed I-70 also muddied Hanging Lake’s crystal clear water

The Great Sand Dunes ‘are just a big mountain of sand’ and other 1-star national park reviews

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