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1. Avalanche closes I-70 near Loveland Ski Area Nov. 21; Vail Pass skiers trigger slide Nov. 19

“Deep blue, Alpine” skies and “soft, glittering snow” enticed four skiers to take turns down a north-facing slope near Uneva Peak off Vail Pass Saturday, Nov. 19, but as the second skier carved down the backcountry run, the snow collapsed around him. 

The first skier was standing in the path of the avalanche but was able to move before the debris reached him, and the skier caught in the slide was able to ski out while the remaining two descended an adjacent slope, according to Colorado Avalanche Information Center reports. 

While the avalanche danger in the area was moderate, a 2 out of a scale that goes to 5, officials with the center are warning backcountry recreationists to exercise caution and pay attention to avalanche forecasts since the report issued before the slide discussed “signs of unstable snow and clues” like shooting cracks and a “drummy feel beneath your feet.”

— Andrew Maciejewski

2. Uptown 240 faces foreclosure after more than 3 years of delays and setbacks

After failing to make significant progress since it broke ground in 2019, the Uptown 240 project is on the path to foreclosure.

According to Dillon Town Manager Nathan Johnson, the town recently received notice that JGJP Dillon, LLC, the current lender of the project, filed paperwork to start the foreclosure process.

If requirements to avoid foreclosure aren’t met, the Uptown 240 property — which is currently owned by Danilo Ottoborgo — will be sold at a public auction at 10 a.m. on Feb. 24. As is the process with foreclosures, Ottoborgo is being given a “cure period” where he has the opportunity to pay off any past due debts.

“It has to get to the point of the sale,” Johnson said. “They still have a cure period where they could pay off the current loan. There’s still a process there. We are going to work with whoever it is that owns the property to make sure that the project is built and completed. Whoever that is, we are here waiting, and we want to get this thing going.”

— Cody Jones

3. Snow, heavier traffic expected on I-70 through Colorado’s High Country ahead of Thanksgiving, reports say

Snow is expected to greet last-minute holiday travelers on Interstate 70 through the High Country, and more people are expected to be on the roads this year as Thanksgiving nears. 

About 951,000 Coloradans intend to travel more than 50 miles this year, according to AAA Colorado, which is a 2.8% increase from last year and just 7,000 fewer than Colorado’s record set in 2019. 

The holiday forecast shows the highest rate of travel since the pandemic, according to AAA, with more than 54.6 million Americans seeking flights, hotels and gas to see family on Thursday, Nov. 24. 

“Travel is roaring back from the pandemic,” AAA spokesperson Skyler McKinley said in a statement. “Facing high gas prices, other inflationary pressures and a wobbly economy, travel spending still hit its highest point since the pandemic began. AAA expects busy roads and long lines at the airport, so give yourself extra early and be as flexible as you can with your travel plans.”

— Andrew Maciejewski

4. Key funding windfall secures 135 apartments for Summit County workforce amid ‘housing crisis’

Construction will begin this spring on 135 for-rent apartments available to Summit County workers who require affordable housing thanks to tax credits that will fund low-income units in the project. 

Smith Ranch Apartments will include three, two- to three-story buildings that will house 65 units for low-income earners and 70 units for what officials are calling the “missing middle,” who are people that make more than the low-income threshold but not enough to buy their own home or pay market rate for rentals in Summit County. The apartments will consist of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.

In partnership with the town of Silverthorne, Gorman & Co. received tax credits that will go toward the low-income portion of the project, which will provide units to people making between 30% to 60% of the area median income.

— Andrew Maciejewski

5. Here’s how to spend the week of Thanksgiving in Summit County

Whether spending time with friends or family, there are plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained throughout Thanksgiving week. Those activities included going on an accessible hike, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing and taking an art class.

— Eili Wright