May 24, 2024 |
Photo - Highway 130 - Bigfoot99 file photo
The two scenic byways that traverse the mountains of Carbon County—WY 130 and 70—opened for summer traveling season on Thursday morning.
Crews from Saratoga and Baggs started work on the 23-mile stretch across Battle Pass above Encampment in early May. Multiple rotary plows, snowcats and other heavy equipment were used to clear large drifts of snow.
Wyoming 70 opened shortly after 8:30 Thursday morning. The Snowy Range Road past Lake Marie and Medicine Bow Peak opened about three hours later around 11:30 Thursday morning.
By afternoon, snowfall was reported on both alpine passes.
Drivers are advised to use caution on both roadways. Wyoming 70 tops out at 9,955 feet as it crosses the Continental Divide at Battle Pass. The Snowy Range Scenic Byway, originally a wagon road built in the 1870s, reaches a height of 10,847 feet.
The two scenic routes are great excursions, but caution should be used. Motorists will likely encounter both pedestrians and cyclists on the road.
So be prepared to share the road if you make the trip. And get out of your car and enjoy the scenery from the top of the world.
Stay alert for WYDOT workers, as well. WYDOT maintenance crews may be in the area in the coming weeks to make repairs to items like guardrails or signposts damaged by snow this past winter. Stay alert for workers in the area and be prepared to slow down.
