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Top 5 most-read stories last week: 2 popular Summit County restaurants pass the torch, how CJ Mueller’s speed skiing career led him to the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and a house fire in Silverthorne

CJ Mueller flies down a ski run in Les Arcs, France, in 1987. Mueller pushed the boundaries of the sport of skiing by being the first person to top 130 mph. He will will officially be inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame on March 25 at the hall of fame’s induction ceremony at Big Sky Resort in Montana.
CJ Mueller/Courtesy photo

Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com in the past week.

1. After decades of local ownership, two Summit County restaurants are passing the torch

A passing of the torch is underway at two Summit County restaurants that for decades have been owned and operated by locals.

After running Mi Casa Restaurant and Cantina for about 41 years, Alexandra Storm and Dick Carleton sold the popular Breckenridge location on Thursday, Dec. 8, to a team of local businesspeople.



And, Doug Pierce, the longtime owner of Arapahoe Cafe and Pub in Dillon, said he is taking a step back from the restaurant as his daughter, Bonnie Lehman, and her husband, Noah, plan to take over day-to-day operations.

— Ryan Spencer



2. Avalanche at Steamboat Resort buried ski patroller, highlights avalanche risk in Colorado

A member of Steamboat Ski Resort’s avalanche mitigation team was caught and buried in a slide in a closed section of terrain on Tuesday, Dec. 6, highlighting how dangerous avalanche conditions are in Colorado’s northern mountains right now.

Other members of the avalanche team were able to quickly locate and dig out the ski patroller that was caught, according to Loryn Duke, director of communications for Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp.

While avalanches are less common in Ski Town, USA, because Steamboat Resort’s terrain is largely below tree line, a mixture of early season and new snow has led to an unstable snowpack locally. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center labeled conditions around the Yampa Valley as “considerable” on Wednesday, Dec. 7 and they were “high” the day of the slide.

— Steamboat Pilot & Today

3. House fire sparks in Silverthorne on Saturday, Dec. 10

No one was injured in an early morning fire that destroyed a home under construction in Silverthorne’s Eagles Nest neighborhood Saturday, Dec. 10, according to Summit Fire & EMS.

Firefighters were called 1265 Golden Eagle Road a few minutes before 6:30 a.m. and arrived 13 minutes later to find the home fully engulfed in flames, Summit Fire spokesperson Steve Lipsher said. For nearly two hours, about 25 firefighters battled the blaze in “brutally cold conditions,” Lipsher said.

Firefighters were able to prevent wind-swept embers from spreading the fire to a home to the north and heat from spreading it to a house to the south, according to Lipsher. Two medic units, who were cross-trained as firefighters, and five engine companies responded, he said.

— Ryan Spencer

4. Silverthorne Police Department makes an arrest related to the graffiti painted around town

The Silverthorne Police Department says it has identified the person allegedly responsible for “KURE” graffiti popping up in town over the past few months.

An 18-year-old has been charged with defacing property and tampering with a motor vehicle, both misdemeanors, in relation to the graffiti with that moniker, the police department said in a news release Thursday, Dec. 8.

Additional charges from other towns where the graffiti appeared are expected to be added to the case, according to Silverthorne police.

— Ryan Spencer

5. Breckenridge local legend and original “ski bum” CJ Mueller blazes his way into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame

How fast have you skied or snowboarded down a mountain slope? For your average skier or snowboarder, most don’t surpass more than 40 to 45 mph, but Breckneridge local CJ Mueller was known for going three times this speed during his speed skiing career. 

John “CJ” Mueller — who has lived in Summit County since the fall of 1970 — has always had a deep love for skiing. After stringing together feats like 240-day ski seasons, Mueller got into the sport of speed skiing sort of on a whim.

It was in the 1980s and early ‘90s that Mueller had some of the best performances of his career. While in Les Arcs, France in 1987, Mueller became the first skier to exceed 130 mph.

Mueller will officially be inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame on March 25 at the hall of fame’s induction ceremony at Big Sky Resort in Montana. 

— Cody Jones


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