John Scarffe, Peak to Peak. At 12:01 a.m. on April 11, 2020, the Clear Creek County Board of Health Order #20-02 went into effect closing county roads in Clear Creek to non-county residents. Per Clear Creek County Undersheriff Bruce Snelling, this order does not prohibit Gilpin residents from obtaining essential services in Clear Creek and Idaho Springs such as groceries, gas, and pharmacy items.

Similar to the Gilpin County Public Health Order, the Clear Creek Order is being issued to limit the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic including without limitation preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Clear Creek County and protecting the health, safety and welfare of Clear Creek County residents, Clear Creek County public safety responders, and the public generally. For details of the Clear Creek County Public Health Order, visit their website at: co.clear-creek.co.us. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, April 14, Clear Creek County reported 11 cases of the virus, while 7,491 cases of the virus have been reported in Colorado. Cases have been reported in 56 counties in Colorado, and 39,580 people have been tested, public health officials confirmed, with 1,566 people hospitalized, and 329 deaths confirmed with 78 outbreaks at residential and non-hospital health care facilities. 

Boulder County reported 293 cases. Gilpin County reported its first case, and Jefferson County reported 809 cases. Nationwide, more than 350,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 10,000 related deaths in the United States have been reported as of March 31, 2020.

As more states and municipalities have been issuing stay-at-home directives, a record 10 million Americans have filed for unemployment during the past two weeks. The unemployment rate jumped from a historic low of 3.5 percent in February to 4.4 percent in March, and some experts predict it now stands at around 13 percent. 

In an attempt to lessen the impact of containing the coronavirus, President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion economic stimulus bill. The bill, which will provide financial relief for families and businesses, has also calmed some investors after a historic sell-off on Wall Street.

Still, the economic devastation wrought by the efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus will likely be felt long after the pandemic ends. To identify the places a COVID-19 recession will likely hit hardest, 24/7 Wall St. created an index comprising three measures: employment in highly exposed industries, COVID-19 infection rates, and population density.

Gilpin County, Colorado, total population of 5,924, scored number one in the nation as to be the hardest hit, with a workforce in high-risk industries at 82.2 percent and January 2020 unemployment rate 2.3 percent. According to the report, located just outside of Denver, Gilpin County, Colorado, is known for its scenic beauty and casinos. 

Its economy will likely be decimated by efforts to contain the coronavirus as more than 80 percent of all workers in the area are employed in leisure and hospitality. The entire state has been under a stay-at-home order, issued by Gov. Jared Polis, since March 26, and tourism nationwide has effectively stopped. 

Clear Creek County ranked 13 as most susceptible to the virus with a workforce in high-risk industries at 37.4 percent and an unemployment rate at 2.3 percent, total population of 9,379. In Clear Creek County, Colorado, tourism is an economic pillar, according to the report.

The county is located in the Denver metropolitan area and is notable for its scenic beauty. More than 35 percent of the 3,100 people working in the county work in the leisure and hospitality industry. As non-essential travel has effectively ground to a halt in the United States, many of those jobs in the county are at stake.

In addition to the economic threat, a relatively large share of county residents are at elevated risk of serious illness and death from coronavirus. The death rates from COVID-19 have been significantly higher among older Americans, and in Clear Creek County, 18.9 percent of the population are 65 and older, compared to 15.2 percent of Americans nationwide.

Also, due to the virus, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland (ARP) will begin the orderly closure of developed recreation sites and campgrounds as early as March 26, 2020, to protect public health and safety and align with state and local measures already in place to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Closures will be in place through April 30, 2020, at which point they will be reevaluated. 

At this time, all restrooms, including those at trailheads on the Forests and Grassland will be closed. Picnic areas and day use areas that are typically open this time of year will also be closing. The warming huts at both Berthoud Pass and Brainard Lake are already closed. The East Shore Trailhead is also closing.

Campgrounds currently open, Dowdy Lake and Ansel Watrous Campgrounds, will close and those scheduled to open before April 30 will be delayed in opening. The Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout is also closed. Reservation holders will be notified via email or cell phone text message of any changes affecting their reservation, and they will receive a full refund.

This is a fluid situation and a full up-to-date list of closed areas is available online at www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/recreation. USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region officials are temporarily discouraging continued recreational use on the national forests and grasslands. The ARP has moved to virtual services. Visit www.fs.usda.gov/arp and access forest maps at www.fs.fed.us/ivm. If you need immediate assistance, please call 970-295-6700.

In the Nederland area, parking violations and crowding remain a problem, especially in the Eldora and Brainard Lake areas. Parking will be strictly enforced with fines at Hessie, Mud Lake, and Rabbit Mountain. Deputies will be on site and turn vehicles around. Please find less crowded areas close to home.

In an effort to address trail crowding, this past weekend, April 11 to 12, rangers were posted in the following locations: Eldora/Hessie Area – two deputies assigned to this area and the road was closed at the juncture of 130 (Eldora Rd) and 140 (Ski Road) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Once the safe parking along the road was full, no additional cars were allowed up the road. Hikers could park at the High School and walk in, but cars were not be allowed. Mud Lake – Ranger turned cars away when the parking area was full. Rangers also monitored Caribou, which is closed, to make sure the public isn’t walking into the area.

Brainard Lake – Messaging included that parking at Brainard is limited to the parking lot; additional patrol presence will enforce parking on the road. 

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Department received congratulations for their work.

“Thank you to our County Commissioners and Sheriff who listened to the many voices of concern over trailhead increased crowding at Hessie,” according to a letter. “As a trial this weekend, a Deputy is stationed at Eldora road and Shelf road. 

“A deputy stated that they are monitoring trailhead parking and limiting to 30 cars. Once trailhead parking is full, they are telling hikers that they may park at NHS and hike to the trailhead but not drive in to park. Eldora residents are of course allowed to leave and return home.”

For emergency funds assistance in the Nederland area, contact Mountain Resource Liaison Kristi Venditti at 720-422-7813, kristi@efaa.org, and Canyon Cares of Coal Creek Canyon at 720-515-1129 or canyoncares.org@gmail.com.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is planning reconstruction of Highway 72 between Plainview Road (MM12.3) and Pinecliffe. The project is expected to run 195 days with completion sometime in 2020. Construction will occur Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(Originally published in the April 16, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)