1 year ago: Rescuers save dog after falling 600 feet off Colorado 14er
A dog fell 600 feet down a steep slope on Torrey's Peak before being rescued by mountain rescuers on the Clear Creek County side. When Zola, a 3-year-old Aussiedoodle, fell off a 14er, her owner wasn't sure how far she'd fallen, where exactly she was, or even if she was alive, but decided to call for help. After 24 rescuers showed up, a seven-person team from a Jefferson County-based volunteer rescue group spent the next eight hours over the Fourth of July weekend trying to find and rescue the dog, who was transported to the trailhead with minor injuries.
— From the July 4, 2023 edition of Summit Daily News
Five years ago: Frisco considers new wetlands protection project in response to homeowner concerns
The City of Frisco is making new plans for a mandatory wetlands mitigation project west of Meadow Creek Park following backlash from homeowners who fear that water diversions will lower their property values. City officials are considering an effort to permanently preserve a roughly 11-acre parcel west of Meadow Creek Park, hoping the move would return the wetlands to their natural state and address nearby residents' concerns. In early 2019, the City of Frisco began the Big Dig project, a massive excavation of 85,000 cubic yards of soil from the lakebed of Dillon Reservoir. As part of the project, the city will destroy roughly 1.03 acres of wetlands and is being asked by the Army Corps of Engineers to restore the wetlands through a two-to-one ratio, or roughly 2.1 acres, of restoration projects.
— Summit Daily News, July 1, 2019
10 years ago: Three family members killed in plane crash at Loveland Ski Resort
On June 30, 2014, a single-engine plane carrying an Ohio family crashed and burst into flames at Loveland Ski Resort. The plane was carrying a husband, who was piloting the plane, his wife, and their 6-year-old son, who were on vacation to Moab, Utah. All three were killed in the crash. The plane took off from Bloomfield Airport at 8:10 AM. According to witnesses, the plane was flying west toward Loveland Pass over Loveland Ski Resort at approximately 8:45 AM. The plane did not gain enough altitude, banked east toward Denver, lost its engine, and crashed near Chair 5 in Loveland Valley, the beginner area at Loveland Ski Resort. The plane burst into flames immediately after crashing. The fire spread to trees above the parking lot at Loveland Valley and was extinguished by the morning of that day.
— Summit Daily News, July 2, 2014
15 years ago: Two injured in helicopter crash near Quandary Peak
Two people were injured when a helicopter crashed near Quandary Peak late in the morning of July 2, 2009. Wreckage from the crash was found approximately 100 yards from an unnamed reservoir about 2.5 miles west of Upper Blue Dam. A boat was called to rescue the injured man. The area is only accessible by helicopter or on foot. The man was transported to St. Anthony's Central Hospital in Denver and the other injured person was treated by members of the Summit County Rescue Squad. The helicopter was transporting supplies to mines in the area when it crashed.
— Summit Daily News, July 3, 2009
30 years ago: Bears steal cookies from Dillon Valley kitchens and swim near marinas at peak summertime
Somewhere near Dillon Valley, a bear with a belly full of chocolate chip cookies is walking around. Freda Ringel's first-floor apartment in Dillon Valley East borders national forest land. On June 28, 1994, she put some freshly baked cookies in a tin, closed the lid, and left the tin on a shelf in her kitchen with the sliding glass door to her room open. At about 6:30 p.m., she heard a noise coming from the kitchen, but since she doesn't live alone, she didn't think much of it. The noise lasted for five to 10 minutes. Ringel walked into the kitchen and saw the bear's tail going back into the woods. Thirty minutes later, the bear returned, and the door was closed. Another bear attracted the attention of dozens of onlookers as it made its way from a parking lot near the Dillon Marina to Dillon Reservoir near the marina for a swim. Local authorities say bear sightings in Summit County are reaching their summer peak.
— Summit Daily News, July 1 and July 6, 1994
125 years ago: Power poles continue to stand around Summit County
For several days poles have been stacked one after the other from Denver to the South Park railroad tracks and are scattered along the railroad tracks between Dillon and Leadville. Within a few days all the wires will be covered and work will commence on installing and stringing the wire. All poles except for about five miles from Argentine Pass east of Montezuma through Dillon to Leadville are now underground. After this line is installed, attention will turn to the telephone line between Breckenridge and Dillon.
— Summit County Journal, July 8, 1899