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This week in history: Discussions around reopening Rollins Pass and night skiing at Winter Park Resort

A trestle on Rollins Pass shows serious erosion damage, one of several concerns shared by those who worry about the impact of reopening the route over the pass. Grand County commissioners discussed possibilities for reopening the pass during a Jan. 28, 2020, meeting.
Kate and B. Travis Wright/Courtesy photo

1 year ago: Grand County’s animal shelter to potentially relocate near Kaibab Park

The Grand County Animal Control and Shelter is one step closer to having a new location. The current location of the shelter is on Granby Sanitation District land. The shelter’s lease is set to expire in December 2025 because of the district’s expansion. The Granby Board of Trustees discussed a proposed location for the shelter, which is between the ballfields and overpass in Kaibab Park, at its Jan. 9, 2024, meeting. The volunteer-run Grand County Pet Pals is the supporting arm of the shelter. During the meeting, Pet Pals board member Diana Farabaugh said the proposed piece of land was good for their purposes. (The town of Granby later approved a contract to sell the land for this purpose.)

— From the Jan. 26, 2024, edition of the Sky-Hi News

5 years ago: County revisits discussions about reopening Rollins Pass

Despite the Needle’s Eye Tunnel at the top of Rollins Pass being closed to traffic for 30 years, the area sees thousands of visitors annually, which has prompted conversations in Grand County about reopening the road. However, a presentation to the Grand County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28, 2020, suggested there may be other ways to encourage recreation and stimulate the economy without reopening the route between Winter Park and Boulder. A few suggestions included increasing law enforcement on the pass, improving signage for visitors, encouraging responsible tourism and designating parts of the area as historic preservation sites, including sites with Native American heritage.



— From the Jan. 31, 2020, edition of the Sky-Hi News

10 years ago: Winter Park Resort considers night skiing

As Steamboat Resort’s new nighttime skiing operation is being hailed as a success, Winter Park Resort, which is operated by the same company Intrawest, is beginning to explore options for installing its own nighttime skiing operation. While installing lights at Winter Park Resort could provide a unique experience to residents and guests to the area, the process of deciding whether to install lights on the slopes of Winter Park Resort is still in its infancy and depends on a number of factors, according to Steve Hurlbert, spokesperson for Winter Park Resort.



— From the Jan. 31, 2014, edition of the Sky-Hi News

This image of Lloyd “Barney” McLean was printed in the Jan. 31, 1935, Middle Park Times after he won the Class B ski jump championship in Canton, South Dakota, Jan. 27, 1935.
Middle Park Times archive

90 years ago: Hot Sulphur Springs man wins national ski championship

Outclassing his nearest competitor by 20 points, Hot Sulphur Springs’ Lloyd “Barney” McLean dominated the Class B jumping at the national tournament in Canton, South Dakota, Jan. 27, 1935. Between 7,000 and 9,000 spectators attended the event as McLean made jumps of 164 and 162 feet for a total of 204.55 points. He came home Jan. 30 with a beautiful gold medal and a prize of $50 in scrip, good anywhere in the United States.

— From the Jan. 31, 1935, edition of Middle Park Times

110 years ago: New national park established from Boulder, Grand, Larimer counties

Rocky Mountain National Park was established with the stroke of a pen by President Woodrow Wilson Jan. 26, 1915. The area withdrawn for the park comprises about 229,062 acres, lying within the counties of Grand, Larimer and Boulder. The area is rough and mountainous, has high peaks and deep canyons within its boundaries, and very little use has hitherto been been made of this land. Its scenic value is perhaps greater than for any other purpose — the added weight in advertising purposes of a national park will perhaps bring a much larger influx of tourists to Grand Lake and the added income will affect the prosperity of the people of the entire county.

— From the Jan. 29, 1915, edition of Middle Park Times

Sky-Hi News is working to digitize Grand County newspaper archives and make them available to the public for free. Support the project at SkyHiNews.com/donate.

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