1 year ago: Colorado releases first 5 wolves as reintroduction gets underway

Paws are on the ground. Three years after voters approved a plan to reintroduce gray wolves in Colorado, the state completed its first release on Dec. 18, 2023, in a remote forest in Grand County, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

“Whether you love wolves or whether you hate wolves, wolves are truly now a part of Colorado,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a news conference after the release, which included five wolves. “We know there will be challenges ahead, but we will learn to coexist as we always have.”

Polis, along with about 45 people, attended the release, which was documented on video by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

5 years ago: Project brings almost 200 affordable housing units to Keystone

The Village at Wintergreen in Keystone is officially open to Vail Resorts seasonal employees and will continue to open more units throughout the winter and spring to Summit County employees. The multibuilding development is located at 280 Antlers Gulch Road, Keystone, and features community amenities like internet, community laundry facilities, a playground and dog park, a community garden and bus services. The project and associated affordable rent prices were developed via a collaboration between the Summit Board of County Commissioners, Vail Resorts and the developer, Gorman & Co. Representatives of the three groups gathered Dec. 12, 2019, to discuss the development. 

— From the Dec. 16, 2019, edition of the Summit Daily News 

10 years ago: Breckenridge Ski Resort celebrates 30 years of snowboarding

While it wasn’t the first to adopt snowboarding (that honor belonging to the now-defunct Berthoud Pass Ski Area), Breckenridge Ski Resort was the first major Colorado resort to allow snowboarders on its slopes, which it did in 1984. At the time boarders were allowed to ride only on days with at least 4 inches of snow. Not long after, in 1986, Breckenridge hosted its first major boarding event, the 1986 World Snowboarding Championships.

— From the Dec. 21, 2014, edition of the Summit Daily News 

15 years ago: No criminal charges filed in hashish explosion near Breckenridge

The identities of two people severly burned in a Dec. 13, 2009, explosion still haven’t been released, but the Summit County Sheriff’s Office says they likey won’t face criminal charges. Sheriff’s deputies and members of Red, White and Blue Fire Department were sent to an area just outside Breckenridge in response to a house fire at about 2:30 a.m. Responders observed bloody footprints in the snow, and windows, window frames, insulation and other debris scattered around the house. A man and a woman were severely burned in the explosion, and a roommate brought them to the hospital in Frisco, after which they were transferred to University of Colorado Hospital in Denver. The explosion likely happened because one of the residents was trying to make hashish through a process using butane, which boils at room temperature.

— From the Dec. 15, 2009, edition of the Summit Daily News 

30 years ago: Summit County residents work to establish Habitat for Humanity chapter

Terry Lindsey said he hopes other Summit County residents will get involved in helping establish a local Habitat for Humanity chapter. An estimated 1,676 people who work in Summit County live outside its boundaries, and Lindsey hopes to help making homes more available for the local workforce. Lindsey and about seven other residents have been meeting regularly to try to determine how to establish a chapter in the area. Their goal is to “completely organize in a chapter in six months,” Lindsey said.

— From the Dec. 15, 1994, edition of the Summit Daily News 

125 years ago: Frisco man escapes from avalanche above Tenmile Canyon

Frisco resident Henry Recen attempted to climb the side of a mountain in the Tenmile Canyon on Dec. 13, 1899, and was caught in a large snowslide near the crest. The slide was about 200 feet wide and left Recen under 2 feet of snow on the valley floor. He reports that he was able to wriggle and paw a hand to the surface a little over 30 minutes after the slide, which gave him enough fresh air to free himself with only minor injuries.

— From the Dec. 23, 1899, edition of the Summit County Journal