Not Situated in an Obvious Evacuation Path
Actually, we ARE situated on an obvious evacuation path - but that's
okay: There are 3 approaches from the east and west, and only 2
approaches from the north and south. Ten approaches to cover to
completely deny access to Summit & Grand counties.
Depending upon the time of year, some of these routes - including the
interstate - may be impassable or ridiculously difficult to negotiate.
Depending on the reason for the evacuation, some of these approach
routes will be impassible already, and will only need monitoring. Any
large scale nuclear attack will eliminate most eastern access routes
together with the majority of those who might want to use them. It all
depends upon the length of lead time (warning) they get. Less than a
full 24 hours and the roads will be hopelessly jammed when the missiles
strike.
About Forest Roads and Trails:
Most of these are unimproved 4x4 trails or footpaths only
accessible during the summer months, and only by using all-terrain
vehicles. While there are ALOT of them, simple 2-3 man LPOP's (listening
post/observation posts) armed with binoculars and radios would be
sufficient to warn of uninvited guests. These are NOT major access
routes and most of them are unknown to the general public.
Eastern Access Routes: (Northern-most to
southern-most)
The entire Eastern boundary of Grand & Summit
counties follows the Continental Divide - the highest point in the
western United States
US Highway 34:
From Estes Park, over Trail Ridge Road (unplowed and closed in winter)
through Milner Pass (10,758 ft. elev.) at the Continental Divide. For
one third to one half of the year, this route is of little or no
consequence as it is impassable. Only open late spring through early
fall, depending on the snow pack. This road leads across the Divide,
through Rocky Mountain National Park, and down into Grand Lake. South,
along the Divide, there are 8 Forest Roads and Trails that may provide
limited and difficult access into the county before reaching US 40.
US Highway 40:
From Empire via I-70/US 6, over Berthoud Pass (11,315 ft. elev.) at the
Continental Divide. This road leads across the Divide and down into
Winter Park. There is only one Forest Road or Trail between US 40 and
I-70 to the south. This is a very difficult trail through Jones Pass at
about 12,000 foot elevation.
Interstate 70/US Highway 6:
The main access route. A normal 1 hour to 1-1/2 hour drive to Denver
during the off season can become a 2-5 hour ordeal during weather events
or over the holidays. In panic mode (evacuations) it is presumed that
road rage and accidents would completely halt traffic at any number of
difficult passages east of the Continental Divide. At the Divide there
are two possible routes - through the Eisenhower Tunnels, or over
Loveland Pass (11,992 ft. elev.). Both I-70 and US 6 eventually lead to
Silverthorne. I-70 directly, US 6 passing through Keystone and Dillon
first.
Eisenhower Tunnel & Loveland Pass:
The Eisenhower Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel located on Interstate 70
approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Denver, Colorado. The
tunnel was built under the Continental Divide, and at a maximum
elevation of 11,158 feet it is the highest vehicular tunnel in the
world. It is also the longest tunnel built under the Interstate highway
program and one of the last major pieces of the system to be completed.
Its full official name is the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel (EJMT);
the westbound bore is named after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
(for whom the Interstate system is also named), the eastbound bore after
Edwin C. Johnson, a former governor and U.S. Senator from Colorado.
The tunnel is a two-bore tunnel with each bore approximately 1.7 miles
(2.7 km) long. Construction of the westbound bore was started on March
15, 1968 and finished on March 8, 1973. The eastbound bore was started
on August 18, 1975 and completed on December 21, 1979. From 1973-79 the
westbound bore carried a single lane of traffic in each direction. The
total construction cost of the project was $108 million. In 2002, over
ten million vehicles passed through the tunnel, many of them driving
between the Denver area and popular skiing locations west of the
Continental Divide. The eastern end of the tunnel is under and
surrounded by the Loveland ski area.
Trucks that cannot safely pass through the tunnel (trucks over 13' 6"
(4.1m) in height and trucks carrying hazardous materials), and bicycles
and pedestrians, must take the long and steep climb and descent of US 6
across Loveland Pass. Aside from that, the tunnel has replaced the pass.
Despite being much less formidable than the old route, the approach to
the tunnel on both sides is steep (up to 7% in places), and runaway
truck ramps are available for truckers who lose control. The tunnel's
ascent/descent can also be dangerous in winter.
There are 5 Forest Roads and Trails between US 6 and SH 9. Boreas Pass
(11,482 ft. elev.) is semi-improved and very navigable from Como, just
off of US 285. The rest are unimproved and very difficult trails.
Western Access Routes: (Northern-most to
southern-most)
The Gore and Ten Mile Ranges form the basic
boundaries along the western edge of Grand and Summit Counties. The
peaks along these ranges average about 13,000 feet with passes from
9,400 to over 11,000 feet.
US Highway 40:
From Steamboat Springs, through the Routt National Forest and over both
Rabbit Ears Pass (9,426 ft. elev.) and Muddy Pass ((8,772 ft. elev.),
then proceeding southeast into Kremmling. US 40 actually enters Grand
county before Rabbit Ears Pass - where it exits the county briefly and
returns through Muddy Pass at the meeting point of the Gore and Rabbit
Ears Ranges. There are a number of Forest Roads and Trails (10) here
which may need to be monitored (if access restrictions are desired or
enforced) from US 40 in the north stretching south to State Highway 134,
over the Gore Range. There are also about 14 Forest Roads and Trails
crossing over the Rabbit Ears Range between Rabbit Ears Pass and State
Highway 125.
State Highway 134:
From Oak Creek (Population in July 2007: 808), Toponas (unincorporated),
and Bond (unincorporated) through the Routt National Forest and over the
Gore Range through Gore Pass (9,527 ft. elev.), eventually meandering to
US 40 north of Kremmling. Oak Creek, Tonopas and Bond are all on State
Highway 131 north of Wolcott (unincorporated) between Eagle and Edwards,
on Interstate 70 (west of Vail). This road (SH 134) will need to be
closely monitored for eastbound traffic off of the I-70 corridor.
Interstate 70/US Highway 6:
The main access route into the counties enters Summit county at Vail
Pass (10,666 ft. elev.) just east of Copper Mountain. Easily blocked
(especially in winter) and defended with plenty of bridges capable of
being destroyed. A two-lane access road from Copper to the pass can be
barricaded and defended, yet still supply westbound egress.
Northern Access Routes: (Eastern-most to
Western-most)
The Rabbit Ears Range forms the northern
boundary of Grand County and is also a part of the Continental Divide -
the highest point in Western America.
State Highway 125:
From Walden (Population in July 2007: 605) through sparsely populated
BLM lands and the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, enters Grand county
over the Rabbit Ears Range through Willow Creek Pass (9,621 ft. elev.).
It then travels south through the Arapaho National Forest to US 40 just
2 miles or so west of Granby. There are about 14 Forest Roads and Trails
crossing over the Rabbit Ears Range between Rabbit Ears Pass (US 40) and
State Highway 125 and an additional 9 Forest Roads and Trails to the
east, until reaching US 34.
State Highway 9/US Highway 40:
Highway 9 basically ends in Grand county where it joins US 40 at
Kremmling. US 40 enters Grand county from Steamboat Springs, through the
Routt National Forest and over both Rabbit Ears Pass (9,426 ft. elev.)
and Muddy Pass ((8,772 ft. elev.), then proceeding southeast into
Kremmling. US 40 actually enters the northwestern border of Grand county
(at the meeting point of the Gore and Rabbit Ears Ranges) before Rabbit
Ears Pass - where it exits the county briefly and then returns through
Muddy Pass. There are a number of Forest Roads and Trails (10) here
which may need to be monitored (if access restrictions are desired or
enforced) from US 40 in the north stretching south to State Highway 134,
over the Gore Range. There are also about 14 Forest Roads and Trails
crossing over the Rabbit Ears Range between Rabbit Ears Pass and State
Highway 125.
Southern Access Routes: (Eastern-most to
Western-most)
Most of the southern boundary of Summit county follows the Continental
Divide - the highest point in Western America. The small section not
formed by the Divide is between the Ten Mile and Gore Ranges. Average
elevation is around 12,000 feet. The Divide essentially forms the entire
southern border, as it continues just south of the Summit border before
popping back up to anchor the southwestern corner of the county.
State Highway 9:
Highway 9 enters Summit county from Fairplay (Population in July 2007:
664) at US Highway 285. From there it travels north through Alma
(Unincorporated) before reaching the Summit county border at Hoosier
Pass (11,541 ft. elev.) There are only 4 treacherous trails between
Highway 9 and Highway 91 to the west - the only other southern access
point into the county.
State Highway 91:
Highway 91 arrives from Leadville, to the south west, after crossing the
Continental Divide through Fremont Pass (11,318 ft. elev.) and then
continues north until reaching Ten Mile Creek which it parallels into
Copper Mountain at Interstate 70. There are 2 extremely difficult trails
and 1 improved road (Shrine Pass Rd) between SH 91 and I-70 to the
north.
The Criteria List - How the 2 Counties
Stack Up (follow links to detailed information)
Membership Goals:
Our target goals for voting age self-reliant survivalist members:
Grand County: 13,406 population x 15% = 2,011 members
Summit County: 28,296 population x 15% = 4,245 members
Total voting age members wanted: 6,256,
although half that would make a BIG difference to the counties.
If you already live in Summit or Grand Counties,
contact MEG to let us know!
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Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572
