HIHX UPDATE:
Chris and I have always tried to be as transparent as possible with everything HIH. We decided a few weeks ago that June 1st would be our decision day. That's two weeks away and as of today, Colorado is still very restricted. Businesses are opening, but VERY limited. Businesses that opened but did not adhere to the super strict rules were immediately closed by order of the health department. Many counties are under different regulations and Governor Polis declared a restriction that we are not allowed to recreate more than 10-miles from home. The likelihood of us being able to put 300 people together in July is slim, but we have not lost all hope. However, Sheriff Conrad has been issuing tickets to any non-locals in San Juan county. He isn't playing with the "10-miles from home" rule. This is obviously causing some heated debates between locals and visitors. We're fortunate to have such good relationships with the decision makers of San Juan County that they invite us to board meetings and feed us inside info as soon as they get it. That's how big of an impact HIH has made on that county. That is a reflection of all the HIH attendees over the years. We're their favorite group and we hear that often.
Silverton wants us there. In fact, they NEED us there. They've been hit with fires and avalanches for the past two years and many businesses may not make it without HIH and Hard Rock 100 (running race). The Durango-Silverton train is not allowed to run and may not run at all this year. I spoke with DeAnne Gallegos yesterday and she said many businesses will not make it even if we have HIH. The lack of tourism has already put them under. She has already made the difficult decision to close her shop (The Chocolate Dog) in hopes of reopening next year.
Regardless of where you stand politically or what your opinion is of this pandemic, we will abide by state and local orders and nothing else. If we do have to cancel and your plan is to still come to Colorado, be sure to check all local restrictions. The San Juan County sheriffs department isn't playing around. Most trails in SJ County have signs and barricades up. Up until just a few days ago, Greene St in Silverton was closed to everyone but residents. If you ignore the signs and drive into town, they're gonna issue a ticket. If you're traveling from another state, it'll be pretty obvious that you're more than 10-miles from home. Locals can't even camp in many areas of the state right now.
June 1st is still the date, but the reality is that it doesn't look good as of today. We still have our permits, our event insurance is still active, we have the location, most Silverton businesses want us there, but we still need approval from the state and the county to gather 300+ people, and how likely is that with the event just 60 days away? It is what it is. Stick with us. If we're able to hold the event, there will undoubtedly be some changes and restrictions. Understand that we are only hosting the event if we can do it legally, safely and at capacity.
Fingers crossed. Stay healthy and safe. We hope to see you in Silverton.
Colorado Travel & COVID-19 | Colorado.com
