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Colorado - Mon. 11/09/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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FOUR CORNERS REPORT: ROADS CLOSED, TRAVEL TO/FROM PAGOSA SPRINGS DIFFICULT
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The flooding across the Four Corners region came as more than 20 trillion gallons of rain fell on the Southwest in a two-week period, according to calculations by former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue. Scientists say that extraordinary precipitation may be linked to a supercharged El Niño, the natural warming cycle in the Pacific Ocean that is making heavy rains more common across the region. The San Juan surged to 16.8 feet, just shy of the 17.8-foot record set in 1911. The Animas River, which snakes through Durango, rose from about 4.5 feet on Sunday morning to a peak of almost 9 feet on Monday morning, with the flow rate exploding from 1,290 cubic feet per second to 13,000 cubic feet per second.
Archuleta County officials estimated the flood damaged more than 800 structures, including some 540 homes, and said the recovery could take years. The result of the damaging flooding was massive destruction and impairment of roads and highways in the Four Corners. Drivers and southern Colorado residents should expect two main highways to remain closed for an extended period of time after back-to-back floods damaged or destroyed parts of the roadways earlier this week, state transportation officials said Thursday.
These are among the closures:
- Colorado 151 is closed south of Chimney Rock
- Two stretches of US 160, both east and west of Pagosa Springs, were closed as of Saturday, according to the Colorado Dept. of Transportation. The agency has not provided a timeline for when the roads will reopen.
- The only way in and out of Pagosa Springs is via U.S. 84, which will route drivers through New Mexico, significantly increasing travel times. That highway was also damaged in the floods, and two areas were being repaired and stabilized, CDOT officials said. Drivers will encounter flagging personnel, or temporary light signals guiding traffic.
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DENVER PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT WILL USE AI TO EXPEDITE REVIEWS
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Last week, the city of Denver Community Planning and Development and the Denver Permitting Office unveiled the StartSmart: Application Intake Assistant tool this morning, with a new website and full capabilities for residential and commercial permit applications as well as site development plans. The artificial intelligence tool is designed to decrease time spent on permitting intake and was developed after staff and customers both cited the need for more clarity with the city's submittal requirements as well as the need to improve the quality of initial applications. The goal is for customers to benefit from the tool because they won't have to waste days waiting for city staff to have time to review their application only to discover a missing signature or other minor technicality that needs to be addressed before a review actually takes place.
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LEGENDARY AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER COMING TO COLORADO
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For more than 50 years, Wisconsin has been the location of North America’s largest cross-country ski marathon and the third-largest Nordic ski race in the world, the American Birkebeiner. In 2027, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation will partner with Snø Racing and YMCA of the Rockies to launch Birkie West at Snow Mountain Ranch. The inaugural event will include youth competitions, demos, an expo and competitive 21-kilometer and 42-kilometer skate races. The first Birkie West will feature skate skiing only, with 21K and 42K courses on Saturday, Jan. 23. The 42K will use a looped course, similar to the format of the ranch’s 50K Stampede race. Organizers hope to attract about 500 racers in the first year (the American Birkebeiner has 12,000 annually) but see room to grow well beyond that. The goal is to make the event about more than competition, with youth races, equipment demonstrations and an expo bringing together racers, recreational skiers and families.
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LOVELAND & COPPER MOUNTAIN BOTH OPENED OVER THE WEEKEND
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As ski areas across the state scrambled to open for the 2026-27 ski season, with warm nights limiting snowmaking and natural snowfall varying from 2 inches to 8 inches, Loveland Ski Area, which is a traditionally an early-opening area, started running lifts on Saturday, Nov. 7 and will continue to operate Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Loveland, which has roots dating back to the 1930s, offered $60 lift tickets to celebrate 60 years of snowmaking there.
On Sunday, after cancelling its scheduled opening on Friday, Copper Mountain Resort opened. American Eagle lift in Center Village began running at 9 a.m. Sunday, offering access to intermediate terrain using Rhapsody, Fair Play and Main Vein trails. There will also be a hike-to terrain park at the top of the American Eagle lift. Now, with the resort open for the season, Copper Mountain is looking forward to hosting a World Cup event later this month. The Stifel Copper Cup from Nov. 28-29 will have free concerts and celebrations. Festivities kick off Friday, Nov. 27. The resort’s annual Snowsation event has been rescheduled to Saturday, Dec. 5. It will bring free live music and entertainment to Eagle’s Landing in Center Village. Toyota U.S. Grand Prix will also return to Copper Mountain from Dec. 17–20, featuring the world’s best halfpipe skiers and snowboarders.
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WESTERN COLORADO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PROVIDES $82,500 IN GRANTS
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The Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) on Friday, Nov. 6, awarded a total of $82,500 in grants to 13 outdoor and nature projects through its CORE (Conservation, Outdoor Recreation and Environment) Giving Circle.
Grant recipients are:
- Aspen Valley Land Trust, for Silt River Preserve habitat restoration
- Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies, for dust-on-snow and hydroclimate monitoring
- Colorado Canyons Association, for the Canyon Club
- Colorado Pheasants and Quail Forever, for Snyder Wildfire restoration
- D51 Foundation, for Mesa County Valley School District 51’s Outdoor Wilderness Lab (OWL)
- EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum, for environmental and outdoor education for Spanish-speaking families
- National Forest Foundation, for a Lands End Observatory infrastructure update
- Partners Youth Mentoring of Delta, Montrose and Ouray, for Adventure Partners
- RiversEdge West, for the River Stewardship and Education Program
- Riverside Education Centers, for Seeds to Summits: Planting Opportunities for Outdoor Student RECreation
- Colorado Mesa University’s Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center, for the Colorado Water Fellows Program
- Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition, for the Neighborhood Ambassador Program
- Western Slope Conservation Center, for The Next 25 Years of River Watch
The CORE Giving Circle has been active since 2019, bringing together donors who care about the region’s lands and waters to invest in grants for projects focused on conservation, restoration, recreation and environmental stewardship.
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MESA COUNTY WOMEN’S GIVING CLUB GIVES OUT ITS MILLIONTH DOLLAR
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It began 12 years ago when eight women in Mesa County decided to fund a philanthropic giving program by meeting together and each donating $100 per meeting and then selecting a local nonprofit to give a donation. Now, there are more than 300 members of the Women’s Giving Club, and they meet four times a year, with each club member still contributing $100 per meeting. At each meeting, each member nominates an eligible local nonprofit and then three nominations are blindly drawn, and each nominator gives a two-minute presentation on the importance and financial need of the nonprofit they picked. Then for each selected nominee, up to three members can make a one-minute speech in support.
A vote is taken with each member voting for one of the three. The winner is announced and presented with a check. On Monday, Nov. 2, when the Mesa County Women’s Giving Club met and presented a check to Foster Alumni Mentors (FAM), as well a ceremonial check representing its millionth dollar donated by the club. To learn more about the Mesa County Women’s Giving Club, visit gjgivingclub.org.
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MONTROSE COMMUNITY DINNERS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS FOR THANKSGIVING
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Montrose Community Dinners will provide a free Thanksgiving Day dinner, which will be the 32nd year there has been a community dinner on Thanksgiving Day in Montrose. With just three weeks to go Montrose Community Dinners is seeking volunteers, especially those who can help with tear down and clean up after the meal…and, of course, donations are needed. Bobbie Kuns, president of the Montrose Community Dinners, said the organization will provide some 4,000 meals at a cost of $40,000 to put on the free dinner. Community Dinners usually needs about 400 volunteers to do prep work starting the weekend before Thanksgiving; to serve meals at Friendship Hall; take care of pies, drinks, recycling, table busing, entertainment, clean up, delivery driving and more.
People can volunteer as individuals, or as part of families, private groups, businesses, churches...all are welcome. People can check out volunteer positions and commit to them at montrosecommunitydinners.com, and those who are so inclined can also make donations online. Donations may also be mailed to Montrose Community Dinners, Inc., P.O. Box 3540, Montrose CO 81402-3540.
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EAGLE WATER & SANITATION TO RAISE RATES TO COVER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
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Last month, the Eagle River Water & Sanitation District’s board of directors approved an increase in the rates for water and wastewater services beginning with the January 2027 billing to cover the upfront costs of upgrading aging critical infrastructure projects. The increases are designed to make the necessary improvements with issuing bonds and increasing the debt load of the district. The district's infrastructure is the sixth largest among the state's water/wastewater providers because of the county's mountainous terrain and assembling of multiple independent systems into one combined regional utility. The majority of that patched-together infrastructure, according to ERWSD officials, is 50 to 60 years old. Next year’s rate increases for typical residential customers, who comprise about 83 percent of the utility’s water users, will be between 7 percent and 10 percent depending on location.
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ECONOMY SHOWS MORE STRENGTH: 165,000 JOBS ADDED, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPS
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The U.S. economy added jobs at a much stronger-than-expected pace in October, while the unemployment rate moved lower as the labor market showed surprising strength. Nonfarm payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 165,000 for the month, compared with the Dow Jones estimate for 59,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The unemployment rate slipped down to 4.1 percent, compared with the forecast for 4.2 percent. In addition to the strong payroll gains for October, prior months were revised up substantially: The August figure moved to 186,000, an upward revision of 53,000, while the September count shifted to 60,000 following an upward revision of 31,000.
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WALL STREET JOURNAL: “THE CLOSEST THING TO THE ALPS” IN THE U.S.
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In its “Mansion Global” section on Nov. 7, the Wall Street Journal has a feature article on Mountain Village in Colorado, citing the statement of Bill Fandel, the founding broker of the Compass Real Estate office in Telluride, who calls Mountain Village "...the closest thing to the Alps without leaving the lower 48. It has the highest concentration of 13- and 14,000-foot peaks in the United States..." The article reads, "Mountain Village, Colorado, has no traffic lights, no chain stores and, most often cited, no lift lines during ski season. It rises above neighboring Telluride by several hundred feet, and a gondola—and the ski resort—connects the two areas." Noting Telluride has a mining background, Mountain Village has always been a resort, created by the owner of the Telluride ski area after traveling to Europe and modeling Mountain Village on European villages.
With only 1,200 permanent residents, Mountain Village has an Aspen-like list of property owners, including:
- Oprah Winfrey
- Jewel
- George Strait
- Tyler Perry
- Hillary Swank
- Kelly Ripa
- Dierks Bentley
- Ralph Lauren owns the 16,000-acre Double RL Ranch just outside town
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MARKET UPDATE - 11/06/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 11/05/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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