On Saturday, dozens if not hundreds of cars lined Loveland Pass so people could get their turns in while downhill operations at ski areas are closed across the state.
The area is a popular spot for people to hike or hitchhike to the top before skiing down. Parker the Snow Dog, the mayor of Georgetown and Loveland Ski Area’s mascot, posted a video of all the cars, many of which were parked illegally, and called out people for not social distancing. The video has since garnered more than 62,400 views, 579 likes and 174 retweets.
Come on folks. Letap be smart. This is not social distancing.
— Mayor Parker The Snow Dog (@officialsnowdog)
At one point in the video, Parker’s owner slows down to call out to some skiers grabbing their equipment out of the trunk.
“You know you’re parked right in an avalanche path, right?” he calls out.
“Yeah, it’s all good,” the skier responds.
The video has sparked intense debate. Some people are calling the video unfair, saying there is plenty of open space for social distancing. Others argue that the backcountry may be clear, but not the gas stations, restrooms or parking areas potentially used by skiers.
This isn’t entirely fair. I was amongst this today and we were not near another soul. Valley lot was wide open and I was parked near no one. Being outside isn’t banned yet so don’t make us out to be bad guys when we’re still respecting others and all rules in place.
— Tara Nichols (@taradactyl02)
In reality there are hundreds of cars, with people driving up with friends and family. As reasonable as it may seem, many of these cars are stopping for gas and restrooms and snacks. They are picking up and dropping off friends who went with them. Could be worse but not ideal
— Eric Hand (@ericchand)
https://twitter.com/jed212xbox/status/1241595618725855233
Gov. Jared Polis has encouraged people to go outside to avoid cabin fever. Some parks are seeing record visitation. Rocky Mountain National Park, and have closed due to the outbreak. San Juan and San Miguel counties have closed their backcountry areas to non-locals.
