Durango experiences many stormy mornings, leaving the sidewalks covered in snow, and many students do not notice that by the time they arrive on campus, there are virtually dry sidewalks and snow removal has been taken care of before classes begin.

“If they never notice us, but arrive in the parking lot and walk to class without getting the tops of their shoes wet, then great” said Eric Lipp, a grounds supervisor at Fort Lewis College.  “That means we are doing our job.”

Durango experiences many stormy mornings, leaving the sidewalks covered in snow, and many students do not notice that by the time they arrive on campus, there are virtually dry sidewalks and snow removal has been taken care of before classes begin.

“If they never notice us, but arrive in the parking lot and walk to class without getting the tops of their shoes wet, then great” said Eric Lipp, a grounds supervisor at Fort Lewis College.  “That means we are doing our job.”

A sewage treatment plant makes an unlikely lure for outdoor recreation, but Durango’s ice climbers utilize the runoff from Cascade Village’s wastewater treatment plant.

Clean water from the treatment plant spills over the south rim of Cascade Canyon and covers summer rock climbing routes in a curtain of ice.