Drivers trying to navigate a high-elevation mountain pass in southwestern Colorado got stuck and the authorities are fed up.
officials posted bulletins this week on X, the social media site formerly called Twitter, warning that can be dangerous and remains closed due to snow. Sheriff officials also warned drivers that anybody attempting to navigate the pass will be on their own. “We may not be able to reach you if you have an emergency up there, so be prepared to abandon your vehicle, be stranded, or be seriously injured and inconvenienced.”
On Monday, an SUV got stuck on the pass, lining up more than a dozen other vehicles behind it, officials said.
According to one of the posts, officials believe motorists drove up to the pass and dug out deep snow to drive it and then posted on social media that the pass was unofficially open. However, the pass remains officially closed because mitigation work, including removing rocks that can lead to rockslides, still needs to be done.
Black Bear Pass runs from Telluride to Colorado 550 (Red Mountain Pass) across terrain managed by the U.S. Forest Service, reaching an elevation of 12,840 feet above sea level.
Some people have it together and know what they're doing, but some who venture up there are complete ass clowns. We may not be able to reach you if you have an emergency up there, so be prepared to abandon your vehicle, be stranded, or be seriously injured and inconvenienced.”
— San Miguel Sheriff (@SheriffAlert)
