The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office is using its snowcat to reach inaccessible locations for inspections following heavy snow.
IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. — If you’re hoping to take in the beauty of the Idaho Springs Reservoir right now, you may want to pack an extra pair of dry socks.
The road to the reservoir is buried under multiple feet of heavy snow, with snowshoes or cross-country skis highly recommended.
“It’s really difficult to get to,” said John Kyler, a radio technician for the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office. “Not far from here there was a reported 62 inches of snow.”
Kyler is responsible for helping engineers reach the Idaho Springs Reservoir for a monthly inspection.
“Anyone with a reservoir has to go in about once a month, make sure the dam itself is intact, there’s no leaks, there’s no excessive water loss, and also inspect the spillway,” Kyler said.
Thursday morning, Kyler and a city engineer loaded up into the department’s snowcat and set out on the hour-long journey to the reservoir,
“We’re pretty much floating on top of the snow,” Kyler said.
After a brief inspection, Clifford the snowcat, named after the big red dog, set back home to Idaho Springs.
Clifford has been busy recently, after being used to rescue stranded motorists during the March snowstorm.
“It’s slow, but we certainly can get in and rescue people a lot quicker than it is to go in and move the snow,” Kyler said.
Kyler anticipates they’ll need the snowcat for the reservoir inspection in April, and potentially in May as well this year.
He says it beats having to do the inspection by foot.
As for how long that would take?
“I’m not sure, because I would never try that,” Kyler joked.
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