So much snow in Girdwood, so little space
Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:42 pm
by Jason Moore
Friday, Jan. 5, 2007
Girdwood, Alaska - With about five feet of snow on the ground, the community of Girdwood is having problems determining where to put it all. It's being piled high and is burying fire hydrants and making city streets look more like canyons.
The snow concerns are not confined to Girdwood, as it gets deeper as you get closer to Prince William Sound.
Marilyn Williams is serving up ham and egg muffins at the Portage Glacier Lodge. The lodge is open, although it's hard to tell since the snow piles cover most of the lodge. Williams figures about 12 feet of snow has fallen so far this winter.
"It has been non-stop snow. Just about the time I get a three foot drop of snow in the back and the front unloaded and moved out of the way, and you go to bed saying ‘Aha!' And then you wake up and it's middle of the night horizontal white and you can't see across the road," she said.
It's been a battle for Department of Transportation crews to keep up with it all.
"It's been non-stop running the equipment and keep the roads going," said DOT crew member Dallas Pitzer.
There was no skimping on horsepower today.
The monster snow-blower joined a road grader blasting snow off the Alyeska Highway leading into Girdwood.
"Some of the snow piles are getting high enough now that kids standing on top of one could probably reach up and touch some of the power lines with a ski pole if they tried," said Girdwood Fire Department Chief Bill Chadwick.
On some of the snow piles though, kids wouldn't need a ski pole and wouldn't have to reach very far.
But there are other problems for Chadwick, with more than half of the community's fire hydrants still buried. Chadwick says he hopes to have them all cleared by late next week.
Finally, a glimpse of sunshine today in Girdwood and Portage Valley, and a chance to dig out and wait for the next snowfall. It will take more than this to close the Portage Glacier Lodge.
"Sometimes not anyone gets in until 12:30 p.m. but we're open because we say we're open," Williams said.
Chadwick said he also is concerned about warmer weather or rain, which would add extra weight to the snow load on many roofs. The weather, however, calls for continued cold temperatures.
Photo's and a video at http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=5899659
Friday, Jan. 5, 2007
Girdwood, Alaska - With about five feet of snow on the ground, the community of Girdwood is having problems determining where to put it all. It's being piled high and is burying fire hydrants and making city streets look more like canyons.
The snow concerns are not confined to Girdwood, as it gets deeper as you get closer to Prince William Sound.
Marilyn Williams is serving up ham and egg muffins at the Portage Glacier Lodge. The lodge is open, although it's hard to tell since the snow piles cover most of the lodge. Williams figures about 12 feet of snow has fallen so far this winter.
"It has been non-stop snow. Just about the time I get a three foot drop of snow in the back and the front unloaded and moved out of the way, and you go to bed saying ‘Aha!' And then you wake up and it's middle of the night horizontal white and you can't see across the road," she said.
It's been a battle for Department of Transportation crews to keep up with it all.
"It's been non-stop running the equipment and keep the roads going," said DOT crew member Dallas Pitzer.
There was no skimping on horsepower today.
The monster snow-blower joined a road grader blasting snow off the Alyeska Highway leading into Girdwood.
"Some of the snow piles are getting high enough now that kids standing on top of one could probably reach up and touch some of the power lines with a ski pole if they tried," said Girdwood Fire Department Chief Bill Chadwick.
On some of the snow piles though, kids wouldn't need a ski pole and wouldn't have to reach very far.
But there are other problems for Chadwick, with more than half of the community's fire hydrants still buried. Chadwick says he hopes to have them all cleared by late next week.
Finally, a glimpse of sunshine today in Girdwood and Portage Valley, and a chance to dig out and wait for the next snowfall. It will take more than this to close the Portage Glacier Lodge.
"Sometimes not anyone gets in until 12:30 p.m. but we're open because we say we're open," Williams said.
Chadwick said he also is concerned about warmer weather or rain, which would add extra weight to the snow load on many roofs. The weather, however, calls for continued cold temperatures.
Photo's and a video at http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=5899659
