Car navigating a turn on the iconic Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, the highest paved road in North America.
CBS
Reservations to visit the iconic peak in the final days before the closure quickly booked up, as first-timers and longtime Mount Blue Sky lovers alike ascended the peak over Labor Day weekend.
“It’s been on our list to bike up here, and we realized this is the last weekend for like a year,” said Shelby Ahrendt, who biked up the byway with Garret Fox to visit the peak for the first time. The pair live in Golden and moved to Colorado a year ago.
“End of the season, it’s one of our favorite mountains to go to. Figured we’d get one last trip up here before it closes for almost a year and a half,” said Michael Dokovna, who visited the peak with his wife Julie, their two young children, and their dog.
The Dokovna family says a visit to the peak was part of what inspired them to move to Colorado from the East Coast years ago.
“We came out here on a trip when this was Mount Evans, and that brought us out here, just the gorgeous views,” said Dokovna.
“It’s a decent grade. We were prepared. We were definitely in the lowest gear for a while, but it was manageable,” said Ahrendt of the cycling trip up.
On a sunny Sunday, visitors took in the view from Mount Blue Sky a final time before the road closes.
“We walked to the observatory deck, and we really enjoyed climbing the rocks and playing with them, and enjoyed the views,” said Julie Dokovna.
The byway uses a timed entry system to disperse traffic and reduce impacts on the environment.
“We came last weekend and this weekend as well, so we were fortunate enough to grab some reservations and make it up here,” said Dokovna.
Nearly 50,000 cars have booked a time to visit the peak this year, and the toll is noticeable.
“There’s a rough section down by this lake. Up here near the top, there’s some asphalt falling off the side. It gets a little narrow, a little hard to bike right near the edge as the cars are passing,” said Ahrendt.
“It’s bad. I mean, I remember a few years ago there used to be a couple of other pullouts where you could pull aside above the lake, and those pieces are completely gone. I certainly wouldn’t trust parking on some of those edges,” said Dokovna.
Tuesday, the run-down road will close, and a more than 20-month construction project will begin.
“We were hoping for maybe some guardrails. If they could put in some safety rails on the side of the road, it would make me a lot more comfortable at least,” said Fox.
The project will repair 0.7 miles of the byway near the Summit Lake Parking Lot. Work includes building a rock embankment, reconstructing the road, and improving drainage.
“I think it’s great that they’re gonna close it and repair the sections that need to be repaired,” said Dokovna.
The Forest Service says the work will improve public safety, restore natural water processes, and reduce impacts on the alpine ecosystem.
“I think it’s a great idea. It’s kind of a bummer we’re not gonna be able to do this next summer, but they have to do it sometime,” said Fox.
“It’ll be a great improvement once it’s done, so we’re excited for that,” said Dokovna.
The road closure will span from the gate near the Forest Service welcome station to the summit parking area. The scenic byway is expected to reopen on Memorial Day weekend of 2026.
Pedestrians will still be able to visit the Mount Blue Sky summit via hiking trail.
Popular destinations in the area will remain open, including Echo Lake Park, Echo Lake Campground, Chicago Lakes Trail, Captain Mountain Trail, Chief Mountain Trail, Resthouse Meadows Trail, and Bierstadt Trailhead.
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Publish date : 2024-09-02 01:25:00
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