Plow drivers make big gains on mountain corridor highways after massive snowstorm in Colorado

Plow drivers made big gains Friday on Interstate 70 as well as Highway 285 heading into the mountains. Much of the pavement was dry as the sun set, although rough patches of ice remained in a few spots.

Homeowners emerged from their burrow-like homes to clear walks and driveways. Reports of well over 3 feet were common at higher elevations. Abandoned vehicles were collected or left. In some places, snow tossed by plows buried them further. 

A semi sat parked on Highway 40 on the west side of Evergreen where the driver said GPS had taken him during the storm. The road unplowed yet, there was nowhere to go. 

Locals know the quiet stretch of 40 between El Rancho and Beaver Brook is less of a priority, especially with construction work supposedly closing it to all but residents, but it didn't work that way during the storm. 

"Later after 70, they come down here and do this. They didn't come down here at all. They haven't been here," said one resident.

Nearby Ruby Ranch was unplowed as well. "Well we couldn't even get up that road so what I did is I had to go get my dog, so I hiked up the road and brought my snowboard and I snowboarded down," said Dimitri Villanueva.

There are no reports that the storm for all its fury had claimed any lives. High up in Gilpin County one many who got stuck in a vehicle had to be rescued overnight Thursday. But in waist deep snow, it became quite an ordeal for rescuers. 

"Missouri Creek we now call Misery Creek," said Steve Wilson of Alpine Rescue. 

They tried to use snowmobiles to get to the man, but they bogged down quickly. Rescuers on skis were eventually the first to reach the man to help get him out. He was hypothermic and tired and taken from the scene in an ambulance, but expected to survive.

As cleanup got serious people were showing up at the Moore Ace Hardware in Conifer for shovels and snow blowers. They had already sold five snow blowers by Friday afternoon. Eric Haddad was working to put one together.

"Your weather people, they nailed this one," he said.