OFFICIAL I70 BITCH THREAD....

[The SnowShow]

One thing I think CDOT could do better during a big storm is avy mitigation earlier. For instance, yesterday, they were blasting at 8am by the tunnel, obviously right at the height of skier traffic. Why can't that be done at 6am?

[adrenalated]

^^^ because they blast using manually aimed and fired artillery that requires good visibility to operate safely.

The Gazex system they installed on Stanley Slidepath allows them to perform control work at night. Hopefully they like the system and can find the funding to install it on Bethel, 7 Sisters, etc. which will help them do more control work at off hours.

[simple]

They didn't build the gazex system on Berthoud yet. Delayed for additional funding.

[adrenalated]

Ah, damn. I was thinking that was done for some reason.

Between funding, and getting CDOT and USFS to cooperate, getting Gazex in CO is way more of a fucking hassle than it really should be.

[bean]

^^^ because they blast using manually aimed and fired artillery that requires good visibility to operate safely.

The Gazex system they installed on Stanley Slidepath allows them to perform control work at night. Hopefully they like the system and can find the funding to install it on Bethel, 7 Sisters, etc. which will help them do more control work at off hours.

The Gazex is going in Summer 2015, and for some inexplicable reason, CDOT did not request night blasting in the permit with the USFS because they didn't know if they'd want to do it. So we get to go through 2015/16 with daybreak blasting yet again, and then maybe they'll request the ability to blast at night if they feel like it. And then maybe the USFS will get something turned around at their typical lightning pace after another public comment period in which crazy citizens will once again accuse CDOT of wanting to murder skiers by blasting Stanley at 2am.

[Name Redacted]

The Gazex is going in Summer 2015, and for some inexplicable reason, CDOT did not request night blasting in the permit with the USFS because they didn't know if they'd want to do it. So we get to go through 2015/16 with daybreak blasting yet again, and then maybe they'll request the ability to blast at night if they feel like it. And then maybe the USFS will get something turned around at their typical lightning pace after another public comment period in which crazy citizens will once again accuse CDOT of wanting to murder skiers by blasting Stanley at 2am.

That's quite the conspiracy theory.

Maybe they should just announce the closures ahead of time so people can plan around them.

The other day at the basin, they couldn't plow the main lot until blasting was done, so all the early risers had to park in the upper lot while they finished plowing the lower lot, then all the lazy 10am folks got to park in the lower lot. It kinda sucked, but 19 inches made up for it.

[The SnowShow]

^^^ because they blast using manually aimed and fired artillery that requires good visibility to operate safely.

The Gazex system they installed on Stanley Slidepath allows them to perform control work at night. Hopefully they like the system and can find the funding to install it on Bethel, 7 Sisters, etc. which will help them do more control work at off hours.

So they can't blast at the stroke of dawn or right after? They have to wait till thousands of people are trying to get past the tunnel?

[hatchgreenchile]

So they can't blast at the stroke of dawn or right after? They have to wait till thousands of people are trying to get past the tunnel?

Sorry, but your expectations are out of whack. There are 100+ slide paths on 70, 40 and 6 between Vail and Denver that need to be managed during storms. CDOT isn't going to dangerously blast everything by 630am so the Front Range can maul the back bowls...

[Soups]

Sorry, but your expectations are out of whack. There are 100+ slide paths on 70, 40 and 6 between Vail and Denver that need to be managed during storms. CDOT isn't going to dangerously blast everything by 630am so the Front Range can maul the back bowls...

Not only that but dawn is what 7:15ish right now? A whole 45min earlier.

[Foggy_Goggles]

CDOT has made it pretty clear that it ain't about you or me. The economics had been hashed out on this forum a few times, but basically Mr. day tripper don't mean shit. After the cars got pushed off the road and buried when Stanley slid, the public and the media got up in arms about traveler safety. Since then, you've seen a shift towards a very conservative protocol.

[simple]

So they can't blast at the stroke of dawn or right after? They have to wait till thousands of people are trying to get past the tunnel?

My god you are dense. They did blast it and other slide paths at dawn. Get up earlier and watch for yourself. Nobody at CDOT (or here on TGR) cares you ski at Loveland.

[The SnowShow]

My god you are dense. They did blast it and other slide paths at dawn. Get up earlier and watch for yourself. Nobody at CDOT (or here on TGR) cares you ski at Loveland.

They may have but they also had I70 closed at 8 to do it as well. I wasn't bitching, only saying maybe that would help the traffic problem a bit. I realize they don't care.
Not sure wtf me skiing at Loveland has to do with this, but whatever.

[snoqpass]

^^^ because they blast using manually aimed and fired artillery that requires good visibility to operate safely.

You use math for artillery, you can fire day or night regardless of the target being visible

[adrenalated]

You use math for artillery, you can fire day or night regardless of the target being visible

I wouldn't be so sure that CDOT does math.

[simple]

Recall that two people were seriously hurt using the artillery last year. It was built in 1944 and not guided by lasers or any high tech. Some day maybe drones will do the job.

[Name Redacted]

You use math for artillery, you can fire day or night regardless of the target being visible

It's not a perfect science. How do you know If you hit your mark?

[MakersTeleMark]

Recall that two people were seriously hurt using the artillery last year. It was built in 1944 and not guided by lasers or any high tech. Some day maybe drones will do the job.

Did they ever publish what happened with that incident? It was horrible.

[snoqpass]

Did they ever publish what happened with that incident? It was horrible.

Was that the Avalauncher accident last spring

[MakersTeleMark]

Was that the Avalauncher accident last spring

Yes.

[summit]

Recall that two people were seriously hurt using the artillery last year. It was built in 1944 and not guided by lasers or any high tech. Some day maybe drones will do the job.

Avalaunchers were not around in 1944.

[fastfred]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here

usually things dont always work out as planned so my guess is you blast an avalanche path and maybe only 70% of the path goes and 30% is still hanging there, doubt you can see that hanging shit in the dark and know it needs to be hit again, thats just a random guess

[fastfred]

to the fans of i70 big question

traffic has been a total shit show headed west for day after day now, when all these punters pick up and leave and when they do who knows, pick some dates, with shit weather dialed in for the front range everyone left in denver is headed to the mtns this weekend, but whens it over its gonna be an east bound mess, hopefully its dumping and windy and cdot is doing some road work

[WTF is dat]

to the fans of i70 big question

traffic has been a total shit show headed west for day after day now, when all these punters pick up and leave and when they do who knows, pick some dates, with shit weather dialed in for the front range everyone left in denver is headed to the mtns this weekend, but whens it over its gonna be an east bound mess, hopefully its dumping and windy and cdot is doing some road work

Dude do you just post on this forum hammered all the time ?

What the fuck are you talking about in this post? I seriously have no idea what you are saying in like 50 percent of your posts

[fastfred]

Dude do you just post on this forum hammered all the time ?

What the fuck are you talking about in this post? I seriously have no idea what you are saying in like 50 percent of your posts

had about three drinks in the past 5 or 6 days, so no I'm not hammered, only a casul drinker, just a slow learner or at least thats what they labled me before droping out of high school, have fun sitting in traffic today

[WTF is dat]

had about three drinks in the past 5 or 6 days, so no I'm not hammered, only a casul drinker, just a slow learner or at least thats what they labled me before droping out of high school, have fun sitting in traffic today

No traffic today to speak of. Less than 2 hours breck to Boulder.

And damn breck was fun today