Colorado Officials Give Timeline on Reopening Road to Wolf Creek Ski Area

Officials and work crews are racing to repair the road to a Colorado ski area that was damaged after heavy rain and flooding hit the southwest corner of the state.

Wolf Creek, a regular early-season contender known for its big snowfall totals, opened for skiing on October 31, but soon after, historic flooding hit the region, washing away roads, triggering mudslides, and forcing Wolf Creek to suspend operations.

“This is a precautionary measure based on recommendations from local and state authorities,” the ski area wrote in a social media post late last month. “Archuleta County has experienced a 100 year flood with record breaking flooding in the San Juan River Basin.”

Between Pagosa and South Fork, a second storm system on November 1 brought “significant destruction” at several new locations, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Wolf Creek sits between the two towns on US 160.

On Tuesday, though, officials expressed hope that the road could open in the coming days.

“Contractors began work to stabilize and restore travel on Wolf Creek Pass only days after the first storm washed out a section of road east of the summit,” said CDOT regional transportation director Julie Constan in a news release. 

“The second round of rain damaged additional sections of road, but we are hopeful the pass will open to motorists, with some safety restrictions, by the end of the week,” she continued.

The reopening plans include one-lane alternating traffic through multiple work zones, weather-dependent. CDOT noted that additional work to stabilize highway shoulders, mitigate rockfall, and install protective barriers still needs to be completed.

CBS reported that Wolf Creek has jumped in to help the effort. 

“We’re using our heavy haul equipment to remove somewhere around 20,000 tons of mud that was blocking both lanes, all three lanes of the road,” Davey Pitcher, CEO of Wolf Creek, told the news outlet.

In the same report, Constan commended their work. 

“It’s been a huge effort, but the ski area has definitely been a part of that,” she said.

The slopes at Wolf Creek, as of now, look great given the time of year. Recent webcam photos show consistent coverage, with more snow expected to arrive this weekend.

The event mirrors intense rainfall that hit Washington ski resorts at the start of last season in December, washing out key access roads and temporarily calling opening days into question. Hardworking crews got the roads open, though, and the mountains still offered skiing throughout the rest of the season.

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