By Shannon Lukens.
No change in the recount for Tina Peters. She was one of the Republicans in the primary race for Secretary of State. She lost. Peters paid $255,912.33 for a statewide recount. The recount tallies for Moffat, Routt, and Rio Blanco counties were exactly the same as the original count.
Bikers are poaching the closed trails at the Steamboat Ski Area. They’re going past closed signs and around netting to access the closed bike trails. Loryn Duke with the ski area says safety is the biggest concern.
“It’s unsafe for the trails to be ridden because they have not been maintained. It’s unsafe that people might be working on the trails and that a poacher could encounter something in their way at any time. And it’s unsafe for the construction crew. So it’s absolutely a safety issue that these trails are closed. And that’s why it is really disheartening for these closures to be disregarded.
The bike trails on the mountain have been closed because of construction of the new gondola, helicopters have been working in the area, and trail maintenance is being done to make the bike trails better when they do reopen. Duke says that if the poaching of the closed bike trails continues, they may have to involve Steamboat Police to issue citations, or the violator’s winter access could be impacted.
The poster for this year’s Yampa Valley Crane Festival was designed this year by Valarie Dilldine of Craig. She is 14 years old and will be a 9th grader at Moffat County High School. Valarie also wins $100. The 11th annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival starts Aug. 31 with events in Steamboat Springs, Hayden, and Craig. The complete festival schedule is available at https://coloradocranes.org/festival-schedule/. Direct questions to info@coloradocranes.org.
Moffat County Balloon Festival has fun all day long at Loudy-Simpson Park on Saturday. First, balloons are launching each morning at 6:30 a.m. so get there early on Saturday, and Sunday. Here’s Randy Looper.
“It’s a family event. It’s a different experience, talking to the pilots. It’s different than any other Balloon Festival they go to because the crowd is right there with you.”
There are food vendors, Arts & Crafts, Bingo, the Rubber Ducky Race, and the Flying Colors 5K Fun Run Walk Saturday morning. It’s hosted by Memorial Regional Health to benefit the local Home Health and Hospice program. That starts at 7 a.m. The Cardboard Boat Regatta is at 1:30 in the pond at the park. Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. Who will sink and who will swim? Over 100 cars and semi-trucks will be on display with the Colorado Cruisers. Bands start at noon with the Glow at Dusk behind the band when it gets dark.
“So the Balloon Glow is actually going to start while the band is still playing because with the field behind the stage, you can watch the band as it is finishing up and watch the balloons as they light up in the dark behind you and it’s an amazing sight.”
The balloon festival is all free, at Loudy-Simpson Park in Craig.
The Honey Stinger Emerald Mountain Epic is this weekend on Emerald Mountain in Steamboat. Avoid the trails there. The mountain bike race is Saturday (7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the trail marathon and half marathon are Sunday (7 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Click here to volunteer.
There is a Women’s Rights Rally on the lawn of the historic Routt County Courthouse Saturday. It’s from noon to 3 p.m. It is being organized by Steamboat Springs High School Senior Olivia Hale.
The Steamboat Sailors football team is having a car wash fundraiser. It’s from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Mountain View Carwash. That’s at 1739 Lincoln Avenue, on the west side of town.
And finally… Zipper Merge in the construction zone along Hwy 40 in Steamboat. Use both lanes until the merge point.
For the KRAI Time, Temp, and Weather Hotline, call 970-824-1918.