1. The Eisenhower Tunnel transformed transportation in Colorado, but now it needs serious upgrades

In 1968, the town of Vail was in its infancy at the base of a small new ski resort. Breckenridge, an old mining town next to another new ski mountain, was still a tiny enclave with dusty streets. Reaching either outpost in Colorado’s sparsely populated central mountains often meant a white-knuckled drive on twisty ribbons of road over treacherous passes.

Then the tunnels came. The construction of the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels was a feat of transportation engineering and human toil the likes of which the state had never seen. It took 11 years to build the tunnel’s two bores, and their impact has been felt ever since on Colorado’s world-renowned ski slopes, in its robust tourism industry and in fast-growing mountain towns near Interstate 70, including Vail and Breckenridge.

But as the westbound bore nears 50 years old, the dual tunnels are in need of serious repairs and upgrades.

— The Denver Post

2. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area to limit passes next winter

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area will limit the number of lift tickets sold each day and cap its number of season passes next winter to 10% fewer than were sold for the 2020-21 season.

A-Basin Chief Operating Officer Alan Henceroth made the announcement in a blog post March 12, describing the decision as the next “major step to preserve the culture and vibe” of Summit County’s oldest ski area.

— Antonio Olivero

3. Puppy rescue helps Frisco family find silver linings in a tough year

Michele Knight only had two hours to prepare for the delivery.

As they drove from Golden with a pregnant foster dog in the back of the car, a friend helped build a whelping box out of cardboard to get ready. They arrived home in Frisco at 4 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, and at 6 p.m., the puppies were born.

But something was wrong. The mother kept licking four of her pups, and Michele could tell she was getting distressed. Michele’s 10-year-old-son, Ethan, began rubbing the sides of the puppies, but it wasn’t enough. He then gave the dogs mouth-to-mouth and resuscitated three of the four nonresponsive puppies in the 13-dog litter.

— Jefferson Geiger

4. In an unusual move for the ski industry, Arapahoe Basin works to reduce skier numbers

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of skiers on the mountain is bucking ski industry trends.

While some Colorado ski areas have opted to partner with Alterra Mountain Co. or Vail Resorts and open their mountains to unlimited skiing and riding for Epic or Ikon passholders, A-Basin has taken steps back from the mega pass trend over the past two seasons.

Epic passholders had unlimited access to A-Basin for years as part of a partnership with Vail Resorts on various passes since 1998. Then in February 2019, A-Basin announced it would ditch the Epic Pass.

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

5. Breckenridge to include timeshares, fractional ownership in code updates addressing amenity clubs

The Breckenridge Town Council has been working on code amendments to help regulate day-use amenity clubs in town, and officials determined restrictions for day uses at timeshare and fractional-ownership properties should get an update, as well.

Officials raised questions about amenity clubs while considering the East Peak 8 development last year, noting that day-use visitors can create additional traffic, parking problems and other impacts on the town.

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

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