Re: Snow and the Silverton Branch

The snowslides tend to occur is established areas. The worst places were north of Elk Park. I believe the "Snow Tunnel" was at a location that became known as "Snowshed Slide" after a shed was erected there. The lowest snow slides I can find in my trusty copy of "Cinders & Smoke" (still by far the best guide book ever written about the Silverton Branch) were Hunt and Needleton Slides just south of MP 483, a mile or so down the canyon from Needleton Tank. At one time Hunt Slide was such a problem, the RR built an new mainline around the slide closer to the river, leaving the original main intact. Later the "bypass" was removed.