Decided to take a run up to Estes Park today to see how things are progressing, in the canyon accesses as well as in town. Looks like things are shaping up for a good season up there.
US34 through the Big Thompson Canyon - Aside from some delays in the Upper Narrows area to the Colorado Cherry Co store, the canyon is getting better. That delay situation is expected to continue through May as CDOT will be stabilizing some of the river area, the channel and banks to prevent problems in the future. Delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected and pilot cars are used for a stretch that was about 1.5 miles. The roadway itself is fine, CDOT did a great job in the recovery efforts, no problems with narrowing of the roadway; some areas that had guard rails now have concrete barriers, but the road width is not impacted. My guess is it will be ready to go by Memorial Day.
The Glen Haven Rd - Sad to say, it's still in need of much work and is not recommended for RV/Trailer travel; not that it was a good route up before the flood. It's years away from returning to a viable route up.
The Town of Estes Park - Is ready for the season!! One would be hard pressed to see the flood damage in town itself and that's a good thing; they've worked very hard just in the past few months since the last time I was up there. Snows are melted in town and up to Moraine Park CG, but the loops for Moraine Park remain closed for the season. Looking forward to the opening!
Took a drive up to Bear Lake, the road is great! The construction is complete, no delays this summer due to that. But I'd still recommend the shuttles just because of the crowds, especially on weekends. The snow? That's another matter. There's not been a lot of melt off since I was last up there, and getting in to Bear Lake itself was a challenge due to drifts and wind. If we have a gradual melt off, it will likely be late June or July before most of it is gone. Hopefully we won't have a rapid melt off, as that results in flooding.
US 36 Estes Park to Lyons - Still not recommended for RV/Trailer travel. 2 major construction areas to be aware of. One is at the Big Elk Meadows intersection, where there's some blasting and rock movement going on. That area was about 1.5 to 2 miles, with 30 minute delays not uncommon, and there's going to be some night closures during the week, from 10pm to 5am M-F, and will continue through May.
The other area was about 5 miles up from Lyons, in the vicinity of where Shelley's Cottages used to be -- severely damaged by the floods. I was shocked by the devastation in that area, even greater than in the Glen Haven area. A 2-3 mile stretch, again with 30+ minute delays, one lane road, rough dirt roadway, some narrowing and pilot cars also needed. There's a LOT of heavy equipment in that area working hard, and they will also be closing down for overnight work, through May. I don't see how that area is going to be open to general travel by Memorial Day, but CDOT has been known to surprise!
Lots of snow still in the higher elevations -- some of the biggest snows in a long time up there. Won't be long till they start working on getting Trail Ridge Rd open for the season! Can't wait for that!
Don't let the inconveniences of getting there keep you from getting there! Estes and RMNP are still a very viable and vital summer destination.
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