By Shannon Lukens.
With rainy weather comes closures at the burn scar in Glenwood Canyon. It’s because of Flash Flood Warnings. It’s happened last night, and a lot last summer. That means traffic could be re-routed through Rifle and Rio Blanco County, into Moffat County and Craig, through Steamboat and Routt County back to I-70.
That’s the reason last year’s 4th of July Parade in Steamboat Springs was held on Yampa Street instead of Lincoln Ave. This year’s parade was again on Yampa Street. Steamboat Springs Chamber Marketing Director Laura Soard says, “The primary reason was the recommendation from CDOT to refrain from closing Hwy 40 this summer due to the ongoing maintenance and instability of the Glenwood Canyon.” Soard says the Steamboat Chamber advocated for going back to Lincoln, but, “City Council voted to have the parade on Yampa again this year. They voted to not make it a permanent change so it could go back to Lincoln in the future.”
Rainbow Family members will be packing up and heading out from northwest Routt County in the next few days. The Forest Service says some will be staying for a few weeks to help with cleanup at the unauthorized gathering in the National Forest. The forest service says the vehicle count on the 4th of July was 10,000 cars parked up in the meadows at the gathering site.
The Washington Post did a story on the gathering this past weekend called, “The Rainbow Family comes to Colorado, bringing peace, love, and anxiety.
- July 4 report from the U.S. Forest Service
- Event Location Map
- US Forest Service Website for the Rainbow Gathering
The Vaccine Mobile Bus is in the Walmart parking lot in Craig, until 6 p.m. today. This is for any of the COVID vaccines, which are all free. You don’t need ID or insurance. Just stop on by.
Cleanup of the Yampa River is this Saturday. This includes 15 stretches of the Yampa from Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area to the Steamboat KOA Campground past Yampa River State Park, and in Craig. John Husband is with the Northwest Colorado Chapter of the Parrotheads who is arranging the work in Craig.
“People in the Yampa Valley like to enjoy the river a lot, and recreate on it, tubing, floating along the river and that sort of thing. We need to keep it cleaned up so everybody can enjoy it and we leave it in shape for the next people.”
If you want to help in Craig, meet at 9 a.m. Saturday at Pebble Beach by the golf course.
In Steamboat, clean-up is being organized by Friends of the Yampa and the City of Steamboat Springs. They’d love your help. Check in at 9 a.m. Saturday morning at Little Toots Park in downtown Steamboat. At noon, come back for lunch and a clean-up celebration. Sign up to help in the Steamboat Springs area.
Downtown Craig is the site of Homemade Homegrown this Saturday. There is a Home Brew contest and Craft Beer Tasting with breweries from Craig, Meeker, and Steamboat. Find out more about participating from KS Kreations in downtown Craig.
The Emerald Mountain Epic is Aug. 6-7, where 1000 cyclists will be riding on Emerald Mountain. Volunteers are needed, if you can help out. There are perks for the volunteers who have guaranteed entry in 2023. Sign up through the race website.
And finally… Zipper Merge. Use both lanes until the merge point.
For the KRAI Time, Temp, and Weather Hotline, call 970-824-1918.