Your source for news in Hot Springs County

Team work in WRC

Mother Nature offered up some much needed moisture last week on Friday and Saturday.

The Owl Creek area received a full inch of measurable moisture, with 5 inches coming from wet snow and the rest from rain.

On Saturday evening, a section of loose rocks fell in Wind River Canyon, closing the roadway to travelers. The rocks were cleaned up in fairly short order and the road was fully reopened later that night.

It was an inconvenience for those who had to wait to continue on their way, but a bus load of Powell High School soccer players didn’t want to wait.

The team of Panther boys and their coach were a little hesitant to get out of the bus fearing more rocks would be coming down.

They made a plan and had people watching in case more rocks started coming down. They also devised an “escape plan” for where they would run should more rocks come loose from the canyon wall. 

The team worked well together and moved enough rocks in under ten minutes so that their bus, a semi and other vehicles could fit through a gap next to the guard rail.

Prior to all the rocks being cleared from the road, emergency personnel were able to guide one way traffic through the small opening.

The efforts of the teenagers got them and a few others on down the road and to their destination a little faster than if they had waited for WYDOT to respond and clear the roadway. Most have praised their efforts, while a few question the safety of their actions.

For some in our community, Saturday’s rock slide brought back memories of other times the road and railroad tracks in WRC have been closed due to rock and mud slides.

One of the longest closures and most memorial in recent history was in May of 2015 (see photo on this page).

The road through Winder River Canyon was closed from Sunday through Wednesday after nearly a week of heavy rain.

The damage and cost of cleanup was significant and the road being closed for that long was more than a slight inconvenience to some.

The railroad tracks were covered in mud in several places from slides on that side of the canyon wall.

As we look back on Saturday’s rock slide, remember it could have been much worse.

As we move into May, while we continue to hope for more moisture, let’s hope it comes in moderation.

 

Reader Comments(0)