Summit Up

Good morning and welcome to Summit Up, the world's only daily column buying a bridge.

We don't have anywhere to put it. We don't really need a bridge (but, honestly, when has that stopped anyone's shopping urges). And, fortunately, we probably won't have to worry about it, in reality, because the salary afforded to daily column writers really doesn't leave much room for frills like, well, bridges.

But there it is, advertised in our very own paper (somewhere - we know because the advertising department tipped us off to this), is a bridge for sale. Apparently the county commissioners in Washington County (that's down on the plains, just east of Brush and Fort Morgan, for those scrambling to look at a map of Colorado) have a bridge that they don't need anymore.

Now, we don't know how you A) decide you don't need a bridge anymore (we'd like to assume it's because they're going to put a new one in place, but remember, this is government we're talking about) and 4) how in the heck you think you're going to sell it. It's not like a car you can write a check for and drive off the lot.

Anyway, the ad says "said bridge has been declared to be surplus county property." It's a steel, one-laner, built around 1918. It's 47 feet long, too.

In reading this, it occurred to us that Summit Up Land doesn't have any really cool bridges. (Faithful reader John P., who works for the county's road and bridge department would never let us get away with telling you we don't have any bridges; we're just saying we don't have any Golden Gates or Triboroughs.)

We don't know if John, or anybody else out there has the wherewithal to put in a bid (they're due May 11), but we'd be happy to root them on if they did (and, of course, write cynical columns if they did buy it and found out there's nowhere around here to put it).

But in the spirit of economic development, which seems to be a hot topic lately, maybe this is something we should all think about. Then when Hollywood decides to put Clint Eastwood in another movie about rural county bridges, they can film it here and the tourists will flock to town, throwing their money at us. And we can all look back and laugh, and say it all started with that Washington County bridge that we bought and didn't even need.

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This definitely is an Angel Alert!! Angel Alert!!

Trip e-mailed us this story of yet another do-gooder in Summit Up Land. On Saturday, going on 11 p.m., "an elderly couple rang the front bell at the Allaire Timbers Inn. Tired, frustrated and lost, they told innkeeper Jack Gumph that they'd been driving around Breckenridge for over an hour looking for their reserved hotel room.

"They at first thought they were booked at the Allaire Timbers Inn (which they were not), or the 'Breckenridge Hotel,' then became completely confused as to their destination. Jack brought them inside the Inn and helped them determine that they were looking for Grand Timber Lodge. Jack then gave them a map with written directions and tried to explain to them verbally how to reach the Grand Timber Lodge.

"When it became apparent they were too tired and confused to find their way on their own, and despite the fact that Jack was working at his own lodging business, he grabbed his car keys and led them through town in his car to the front door of the Grand Timber Lodge."

Some people are so good they plain make us feel bad.

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Congrats! to Sarah Blincoe, daughter of Kristi and George in Dillon. Sarah not only made the academic honor roll at Colorado Timberline Academy in Durango, she made high honors and student of the academic term. Keep it up, Sarah.

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We hope you have your Friday shoes on, ladies and gentlemen. We do. If you need a pair, just send your size to summitup@summitdaily.com, fax at (970) 668-0755 or just tell us about the bunions they give you on the voicemail at (970) 668-3998, ext. 237.

We're out looking for a place to put a bridge ...