James+(Mac)+Warfield's+Page

media type="file" key="I Believe in Bypassing Traffic on I-70.mp3" width="240" height="20"


 * I Believe in Bypassing Traffic on I-70,** //b////y Mac Warfield//

I Believe in bypassing traffic on I-70. On Sunday afternoon I made this extraordinary feat possible. Rarely do I feel invigorated watching the traffic form and knowing that I won’t be stuck in it. It was a truly fantastic experience that I highly recommend to anyone who has the chance to do it. Warm and complacent I glanced outside my freckled icy window and I thought back to a time when driving was the easy part. A time when I could leave the ski area at my convenience not having to worry over hours of traffic ahead of me. My only concern would be how I was going to manage another ski adventure the next day, giving myself the chance to shred finely maintained groomers and float on freshly fallen powder.

When did such a time of minimal traffic exist? Why do people run into traffic on I-70 to begin with? Have the traffic conditions gotten worse with time? Well if you don’t know I-70 is Colorado’s premiere interstate highway that runs right through the heart of the state. The road itself is a major feat in engineering achievement starting from the formation of the Eisenhower tunnel, which made a treacherous journey across the staggering Rocky Mountains possible. I-70 really is the only highway available of size and safety that connects vacation goers, skiers, trucks, campers, and commuters from Denver to Utah, Western Colorado and many winter vacation getaways. With only two lanes available, what seems like enough space for every traveler has become too little. As the population of Colorado increases, and more people find themselves searching and yearning for a day of extreme skiing, traffic congestion on I-70 occurs without failure.

Bypassing traffic brought me back to fond moments in my childhood. Only 7 years ago, before midterm exams and a healthy dose of higher education I was in eighth grade and residing in Boulder. My father and I were living our dream. A dream to ski often and effortlessly in large part due to every amazing ski area you could ever want only an hour and a half away. New York was our home for our whole life, yet our passion and hope to live and ski in the Rockies compelled my family to buy a house in Boulder, and move away from New York for over a year. The 2002 to 2003 winter season provided I-70 drivers with far less traffic than there is today. With less people and less need to use the mountain highway, my father and I could drive, carve in the snow and return home with unforgettable memories. My memories of that simple time in my life were never followed by the words I often say today “the skiing was great, but the traffic made things unbearable.”

Bypassing traffic on Sunday by taking a different road from Steamboat other than Colorado’s premiere highway ignited memories of a favorite time in my life. This recent experience makes me believe in the power of reliving one’s past, and youthful passion, reaffirming my belief in bypassing traffic on I-70.

//My name is Mac Warfield and I am a junior at the University of Colorado at Boulder majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. I race for the USCSA University of Colorado Club Ski Team and being part of the team and spending a lot of time travelling by car in Colorado inspired me greatly to write this essay. I love to ski and travel, and although traffic and travelling can be stressful and long I recomend to everyone living in Colorado and elsewhere to take advantage of such a becautiful state and all the outdoor recreation activities it has to offer.//