Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com from July 26 to Aug. 1.

1. Motherloaded Tavern, beloved fixture on Breckenridge Main Street, says goodbye after 20 years

Walk through the doors of The Motherloaded Tavern in downtown Breckenridge and it’s hard to know where to look first.

Posters of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley compete for wall space with family photographs, vintage guitars and knickknacks collected from antique malls and loyal customers. Behind the bar, old license plates frame a mounted jackalope head. Suspended from the ceiling, an oversized Coors Light sign depicts an angry bear wielding a keg. Near the front entrance sits an armadillo figurine that, after years of collecting dust, once survived a trip through the restaurant dishwasher.

To owner Chmurny “Chmurn” Cain, the objects represent the fun, carefree and sometimes chaotic spirit of the Main Street restaurant and bar. But the decor isn’t why people fell in love with Motherloaded.

“It doesn’t matter where we are — this is just the shell,” Cain said, gesturing around the dining room. “This is the house. It’s the family inside that makes it work.”

— Allison Moore

2. Suspected human remains, illegal camping, Quandary Peak rescue and more in Summit County sheriff’s log

Last week, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office issued a summons to a man using a charcoal grill, helped rescue an injured hiker on Quandary Peak and extinguished a “fireball.”

The following incidents occurred between Monday, July 13, and Sunday, July 19.

A bat slapped a sleeping man in the face with its wing July 14, waking him up. He trapped the bat in a bucket for the night, and the next morning, animal control officers collected the bat and sent it off for testing. Three days later, results showed the bat was negative for rabies.

Deputies received a report of a potential plume of smoke near Buffalo Mountain on July 14, seen from Dillon. They responded and investigated, finding that the plume was a dust cloud created by road sweeping operations at a construction site. They found no fire conditions.

In Wildernest, a resident reported July 14 that their neighbor was using a charcoal grill during Stage 2 fire restrictions. A deputy responded, finding that the grill had hot embers and had been used recently. The home’s occupant admitted to using the grill but said he did not know it was a fire restriction violation. The deputy issued him a summons to court.

— Kyle McCabe

3. A major development changing Breckenridge and the ski resort is taking shape. Here’s where things stand.

Two homesites atop Peak 8 have shattered Summit County residential land sale records, fetching more than $14 million per acre. The transactions mark another watershed moment in a wide-reaching Breckenridge Grand Vacations project that is set to transform residential living in town and by Breckenridge Ski Resort. 

Just over a year after Breckenridge Grand Vacations brought its Victory Ridge homesites to market, buyers have purchased 11 of the 14 luxury lots above the Timber Trail neighborhood atop Peak 8. The homes will be in an area confined by the Snowflake lift and Trygve’s Trail, a ski run off of the Rip’s Ride lift. Victory Ridge alone has generated more than $85 million in sales at an average of $7.7 million per parcel, which range from two-thirds to just over an acre. 

Combined with nearby luxury townhomes and high-end projects transforming Breckenridge’s landscape, Breckenridge Grand Vacations sales have approached $200 million over the past year. 

— Allison Moore

4. Community clashes with U.S. Forest Service over proposed development at Colorado mountain lake

A steady soundtrack of honking horns and cheers accompanied several dozen community members Thursday evening as they gathered along Lundgren Boulevard in Gypsum, waving neon yellow signs and protesting the U.S. Forest Service’s development proposals for Sweetwater Lake. 

Less than 300 feet away, staff from the White River National Forest were hosting an open house at the Gypsum Town Hall to answer questions and share the development options for the buildings and recreation amenities proposed in its draft environmental impact statement. The Forest Service is accepting written public comments on the draft through Sept. 23. 

Sweetwater Lake is a small, 846-acre site nestled into a remote corner of Garfield County — accessible via Eagle County 11.7 miles west of Colorado River Road — offering limited options for horseback riding, fishing, hiking and camping.

— Ali Longwell

5. Colorado readies for Aug. 1 implementation of semiautomatic firearms law 

Starting Aug. 1, Coloradans will face new requirements when purchasing certain semiautomatic firearms. 

The new law was created by legislators last year and established new training and permit requirements for anyone purchasing certain semiautomatic firearms, including AK- and AR-style rifles. 

Under the new law, individuals interested in buying a specified semiautomatic firearm must first complete an online application, which will be sent to their local county sheriff’s office. Colorado Parks and Wildlife — which was tasked with building some of the law’s administrative and training elements — opened up the application on July 27. 

— Ali Longwell