Editor’s note: Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com from Sept. 10-16.

1. Driver who got pickup stuck on Colorado 14er is hit with hefty tow bill

The now-infamous driver of a pickup truck that became stuck on a Colorado 14er late last month initially balked when Mountain Recovery, a local tow company, quoted its rates to retrieve the vehicle.

But about a week later, the driver who somewhat inexplicably traversed his GMC Canyon up a hiking trail at Mount Lincoln, a 14,293-foot peak in Park County, on Aug. 27, called Mountain Recovery back. 

After an unsuccessful attempt to recover the truck, the vehicle was still at the top of the mountain, and he decided he needed the tow company’s expertise afterall, Mountain Recovery owner Charlie Stubblefield said.

While Stubblefield did not share the exact costs for the retrieval of the GMC Canyon from atop Mt. Lincoln, he said that off-road recoveries start at $1,600 and can cost much more based on the situation.

— Ryan Spencer

2. Colorado’s mountain town homeowners are tired of being cast as villains in the fight over short-term rentals

Tommy Jefferies has had more than 220 guests this year rent rooms in the four-bedroom home he has converted into a hostel in a neighborhood north of Breckenridge. 

He does all the cleaning and reservation work on top of his gigs as a snowcat driver, ski shop manager and dog walker. The 35-year-old who scraped up just enough to buy the home six years ago calls Airbnb “my full-time job.” 

When Summit County’s new regulations on short-term rentals land next month, Jefferies will be limited to 35 reservations a year. He’s certain he will not make enough to pay his mortgage with a nearly 90% annual reduction in bookings. 

— The Colorado Sun

3. Police use shields, armored vests to approach suspect, arrest him following stand-off in Safeway parking lot in Frisco

Law enforcement deployed chemical munitions to force an armed man from his vehicle, peacefully ending a more than four-hour standoff in a Frisco supermarket parking lot Wednesday morning, Sept. 13.

The standoff began around 7 a.m., when police stopped a black Ram 1500 that was driving erratically in the parking lot outside the Safeway on Colorado Highway 9, according to Frisco Police Chief Tom Wickman.

“We were negotiating with him for hours,” Wickman said. “He was very erratic up and down. He said at one point ‘kill the police.'”

— Summit Daily staff

4. Snow falls across Colorado Rocky Mountains, hitting every ski area in Summit County

White-tipped mountains stoked excitement on Monday, Sept. 11, for the upcoming ski season as Coloradans throughout the high country awoke to some summer snow. 

From Arapahoe Basin to Breckenridge, a dusting of snow fell on every major ski resort in Summit County. After a warm spell, September temperatures finally dipped low enough that a small storm system dropped snow throughout the state’s high peaks overnight, National Weather Service Forecaster Robert Koopmeiners said.

“It’s getting late enough in the season, you get up to a high enough elevation and you’re going to get snow,” Koopmeiners said. “It’s that time of year. It’s September, right? One would expect that.”

— Ryan Spencer

5. Airbnb names this Colorado town as the most popular family summer destination in the state

Summer means a lot of things for families, and for many it means vacation time in a short-term rental. Recently, Airbnb named Granby as the top destination for families this summer.

Family trips increased in popularity towards the beginning of 2023 in comparison to 2022. Families are specifically booking Airbnb homes that offer two or three rooms while traveling.

Short-term rentals are defined as nightly or weekly rental of dwellings where people stay less than 30 consecutive days. These short-term rentals are subject to lodging tax. This includes vacation rental hosting sites like Airbnb, Vrbo and Trip Advisor.

— Sky-Hi News