Winner of Summit Rotary Club Ice Melt Contest Announced

I've always wondered why Dillon Reservoir was built, and I recently got an answer to that question.

You see, we in the Colorado high country sometimes go a little stir crazy when we can't ski.

So we diligently set up diversions so we don't dilly dally, from guessing when the snow will first show on certain peaks around our towns to guessing when a fully loaded barrel might drop through the surface of an icy reservoir as the icy surface melts.

In Dillon, the Summit Rotary Club runs the competition. And Dillon Reservoir has been melting as we speak, so to speak.

It's simple. Whoever guesses the nearest point in time to the submergement of said barrel wins both cash and bragging rights for a year.

Well, apparently, the current competition has ended. The barrel fell into Dillon Reservoir at 11:11 am and 7 seconds on Thursday, May 2.

The Rotary Club of Summit County announced that Richard Johnston won the grand prize of $4,000. Cassidy Bargell and Janet Eickelman were awarded second ($2,000) and third ($1,000) place, respectively.

I did not place.

You'll note that number? $200,000?

You can make a lot of money submerging barrels in Dillon Reservoir.

"Rotary Club of Summit County thanked those who participated in and sponsored the contest, including Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Denver Water, Alpine Bank and iFurnish," reported the Summit Daily . "The contest was made possible by the collaboration of Summit Gold of Frisco, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Panera and the Dillon Marina."

Well, I for one am going into training for next year.

I'm currently running wind drifts, or whatever that term is, while going through the Old Farmer's Almanac for historical melting records.

I also plan to visit the Dillon Reservoir Submerged Barrel Hall of Fame (watch out; that link is a bit rusty) in Canton, OH this summer for both inspiration and ideas.

See you out there!