It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Glenwood United Order Marker gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Glenwood, UT is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Emily and I (Nolan) are very grateful you all gave us the opportunity to work here. We had excellent experiences with management, caregivers, and our clients. We are thankful for your patience with our schedules and experience. We have learned a lot from being here, and we hope that our experiences from being here can be for our future benefit. We’d recommend working at ABC to our friends because of the great experiences we’ve had her. Emily and Nolan”
“I have used this company for a few of my residents. They take such good care of their clients and do such a good job at taking the time with each and every one of them. They go above and beyond for their clients. I’d definitely recommend them!”
“I can’t say enough about Always Best Care. Henry and his staff was there from the start to help me find a sitter. I was in a position where I needed immediate help and they came through. His staff was caring and responsible. They helped me through a very difficult time.”
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“I work with Always Best Care and it's been an amazing experience for me. I have learned so much about not only our patients we help, but the compassionate hard working people that are behind it all. I'm so grateful to work with such a caring, kind and helpful company they really do treat you like family❤. Not only are they giving back each day to patients who need them they are kind and caring to their employees as well. I love working for this company!”
“Amazing staff! I am so glad to have found Always Best Care, it is a blessing. I live 300 miles away from my elderly parents and cannot always travel, it’s comforting to know that my parents are in great hands and that I don’t have to worry about them. The staff is well trained and the management goes above and beyond to meet your needs. I think of them as angels in disguise!”
“I’m so glad we found Always Best Care to help our family take care of my grandpa! They have been amazing to work with. It’s such a relief to find a company that has open communication and cares about their clients and the clients family, too!”
“I have used the services of Always Best Care since Sept. 2021. I have been very pleased with the attentive care they have given my husband. They have been flexible, accommodating, and gone the extra mile helping with my husband's needs. As an example, I was away for the day and I was called by the caregiver that my husband was not doing well. I came home and we decided to take him to the emergency room. The caregiver came with us and stayed at the hospital for hours. He was released with the medication he needed for his recovery and she helped bring him home and get him settled before she left. This was way into the night and passed her normal working hours. One of my requests before hiring on a Senior Service was that the caregivers enjoyed their job and enjoyed working with challenging patients. I use their service six days a week and every caregiver has been kind, compassionate, and hard working. I really have been pleased.”
“Always Best Care is amazing! All of the caregivers are professional and provide the best care. I have tried multiple different agencies in the area for help with my grandmother and none have been as attentive and helpful as ABC”
“Great staff. Working around my schedule and always there when I need them.”
“Always best care has the most genuine team I’ve ever seen. They go above and beyond providing amazing care for the elderly with the help of trustworthy caregivers! They work as a team which makes the environment of there company so unique. Thank you always best care you have been amazing.”
“Always best care has the most genuine team I’ve ever seen. They go above and beyond providing amazing care for the elderly with the help of trustworthy caregivers! They work as a team which makes the environment of there company so unique. Thank you always best care you have been amazing.”
“They really care about their clients and staff, fast turnaround and superb care”
“The owners and staff at Always Best Care are so professional and friendly! With aging parents, it’s so nice to have the staff here to step in and help with caring for them. They are able to set everything up so quickly and provide the care when we need it! We are so happy we found out about them!!”
“The staff are exceptional and truly have their patients best interest in mind. Grateful to have found a company that will care for my loved ones in a way I would myself. Thank you!!!”
“Always Best Care Senior Services have organized and caring faculty and staff. They genuinely care for their clients and want to help them in the best way possible. We are so happy with the services they provide.”
“Great place to work. They are very helpful and also fast to respond to any questions that I have. Thank you ABC!”
“I'm so happy to have Always Best Care as a resource for us when we need more help with our aging parents. The office staff and owners are very professional and kind and they seem to be extremely careful in hiring staff that reflect the same values. I feel safe in trusting the caregivers. It's a huge relief to know that we have someone else who can help fill in when we can't be there or our parents just need more help than we can give.”
“Great to work with, caring, compassionate and willing to work with different situations! They take time to understand needs to accommodate the best way to help! They are trustworthy, dependable and a business you can count on!!????”
“The caregivers and staff at Always Best Care of St George are top notch. I highly recommend them for in home senior care services!”
“I'm so happy to have Always Best Care as a resource for us when we need more help with our aging parents. The office staff and owners are very professional and kind and they seem to be extremely careful in hiring staff that reflect the same values. I feel safe in trusting the caregivers. It's a huge relief to know that we have someone else who can help fill in when we can't be there or our parents just need more help than we can give.”
“Friendly and knowledgeable staff!”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Glenwood Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Juicy Lucy's Steakhouse or visit Frontier Historical Museum, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Glenwood, UT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Glenwood, UT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Glenwood, UT 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
In an effort to enhance fishing and boost native fish populations, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stocks a variety of fish species throughout Utah every year. In 2022, the DWR again proactively changed its fish stocking to help more fish survive during the ongoing drought.The DWR stocked 8,269,311 fish into 711 local water bodies this year — a total of 1,140,682 pounds of fish! That was a slight decrease from the 9.6 million fish stocked in 2021 and roughly the same amount stocked in 2020. In 2019, the DWR began stockin...
In an effort to enhance fishing and boost native fish populations, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stocks a variety of fish species throughout Utah every year. In 2022, the DWR again proactively changed its fish stocking to help more fish survive during the ongoing drought.
The DWR stocked 8,269,311 fish into 711 local water bodies this year — a total of 1,140,682 pounds of fish! That was a slight decrease from the 9.6 million fish stocked in 2021 and roughly the same amount stocked in 2020. In 2019, the DWR began stocking fewer, but larger, fish to increase their survival rate. The DWR made a few more adjustments to fish stocking in Utah the last two years due to ongoing drought conditions.
Drought impacts fish by reducing the amount of water available in lakes, reservoirs and streams throughout the state. Smaller amounts of water heat more quickly and warm to higher temperatures. Warm water holds less oxygen than cold water, and the combination of high temperatures and low oxygen can stress fish, causing poor growth, disease and sometimes death. In an effort to help increase the survival rates of fish that were stocked this year, the DWR stocked fewer fish in water bodies with low water levels and reallocated some fish to water bodies not impacted by drought.
The DWR is also making other proactive fish stocking changes related to drought, including evaluating the fish species that are stocked at drought-impacted water bodies — this may include stocking more warmwater fish species at certain water bodies. The DWR has also changed the timing of when certain fish species are stocked to help minimize warm water impacts on them.
The practice of stocking fish in the Beehive State goes back more than 150 years, as fish were first formally stocked in Utah in 1871. At that time, fish were transported from other states by train and were stocked into lakes along the train route. In 1897, Utah opened its first hatcheries and started raising trout locally.
“These original hatcheries were really impounded streams where we put fry that we got from the federal government,” DWR Aquatic Section Assistant Chief Craig Schaugaard said. “We opened our first traditional fish hatchery — where we produced our own eggs and used raceways like we have today — in Murray in 1899.”
Over time, the DWR expanded its fish hatchery operations. There are now 13 facilities across Utah. The bulk of the fish stocked in 2022 — approximately 1.10 million pounds of the total 1.14 million pounds — came from these DWR hatcheries. The remaining fish were transported from various hatcheries across the U.S.
“Our hatcheries are important because they provide the majority of the fish we stock in the state,” Schaugaard said. “Stocking is a crucial management tool that we use to provide Utahns with the numbers and species of fish they desire. Stocking fish helps ensure that the public has a great fishing experience. It also helps in the recovery of threatened or endangered fish. June suckers were downlisted from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act because of recovery efforts, including stocking.”
The DWR fish hatcheries produce multiple strains of some species, and some of the fish are sterile (meaning they can’t reproduce). Producing sterile fish is an important management tool that helps control fish populations in various water bodies.
Several Colorado elected officials say federal agencies that approved a plan to run daily crude oil trains from Utah through Glenwood Canyon and Denver shrugged off the potential “downline” impacts and need to take a closer look.Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Congressman Joe Neguse have asked the Environmental Protec...
Several Colorado elected officials say federal agencies that approved a plan to run daily crude oil trains from Utah through Glenwood Canyon and Denver shrugged off the potential “downline” impacts and need to take a closer look.
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Congressman Joe Neguse have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a supplemental review of the Uinta Basin Railway project to more carefully consider the risks to Colorado communities and the environment, including water and the climate.
Several western Colorado cities and counties are lending their support to a consolidated lawsuit by environmental organizations and Eagle County. They contend the environmental analysis of the rail project, which is being pursued by seven eastern Utah counties, is flawed because it glosses over the potential impacts of running as many as five trains carrying up to 350,000 barrels of waxy crude a day through Colorado.
The destination would be refineries on the Gulf Coast.
“I think they looked only at the risk to Utah and that’s why we’ve been pushing the Biden administration for an additional, comprehensive review to consider, among other things, the environmental risk to Colorado,” Bennet said in an interview.
The federal Surface Transportation Board wrote the Environmental Impact Statement for the project that will build an 88-mile line in Utah to connect the Uinta Basin to the national rail network. The EIS was approved in 2021.
The U.S. Forest Service issued permits in 2022 to build on roadless national forest land.
Critics of the public-private project question the plan by the project’s organizers to seek $2 billion in tax-exempt private activity bonds to finance construction. Sen. John Hickenlooper has joined Bennet and Neguse in asking Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to consider the risks of approving the bonds.
A major focus of opponents is the potential damage to the Colorado River if the train derails.
“The train derailment in East Palestine (Ohio) lays bare just how dangerous moving hazardous materials by rail can be for the environment and the communities they pass through,” Bennet said.
Several cars of a freight train derailed Feb. 3 on the edge of East Palestine, near the Pennsylvania state line. Eleven of the cars were carrying hazardous material and toxic chemicals were released in a fire.
A derailment along the Colorado River could be catastrophic for the water supply relied on by 40 million people in the West, including 30 Indian tribes, Bennet said.
Western Colorado communities fear the fallout if train cars carrying the oil went off the tracks and into the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon along Interstate 70, affecting the state’s vital east-west corridor.
The threat of closures of I-70 has grown in the aftermath of wildfires because there’s no or little vegetation in spots to stop the torrents of water and mud rushing down the canyon’s steep slopes during heavy rains.
Glenwood Springs’ economy is driven by tourism and outdoor recreation, such as rafting and fly fishing, and having access to the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers is crucial, said Mayor Jonathan Godes.
“If something happens with a derailment in the canyon that would just devastate our community, our economy,” Godes said. “The canyon is a very fragile place.”
Glenwood Springs is one the cities that have filed an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit against the Uinta Basin project.
Ted Zukoski, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the environmental groups suing to set aside the plan, said the trains would be nearly 2 miles long. They will travel through Glenwood and Gore canyons, along the Colorado and Fraser rivers, through the Moffat Tunnel, into the upper Boulder County watershed and Denver.
Besides insufficient focus on the risks to water supplies, opponents say the assessment of the project’s contribution to climate change is inadequate.
“There’s a lot of talk about the Willow (oil) project in Alaska, what a carbon bomb that is,” Zukoski said. “That’s 180,000 barrels per day. This is almost twice that at the top end, 350,000 barrels per day.”
Gov. Jared Polis shares a number of the communities’ concerns about the proposal and continues to monitor the situation and assess the state’s role, spokesman Conor Cahill said in an email.
“Recent events underscore the impacts that rail accidents can have on our communities and the environment, especially those involving hazardous materials,” KC Becker, the EPA regional administrator in Denver, said in a statement. “If the Uinta Basin railway line moves forward, EPA will ensure that the proposed development meets all applicable environmental requirements.”
The EPA didn’t issue permits for the railway, but provided recommendations and comments as part of its responsibilities under the federal Clean Air Act.
There is no need for more review of the Uinta Basin project, which has won federal approval, said Keith Heaton, the executive director of the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition. The group represents the seven Utah counties leading the proposal.
The project’s private participants are Drexel Hamilton Infrastructure Partners and the Rio Grande Pacific Corp.
“We obtained the necessary permits. The rail line will be wholly and entirely in the state of Utah,” Heaton said.
But the impacts won’t stop at the Utah state line, critics counter. The lawsuit seeking to overturn approval of the railway says the environmental review ignores potential impacts outside Utah “by erroneously labeling them mere ‘downline’ effects, rather than direct or indirect impacts of the Board’s Decision.”
The EIS by the Surface Transportation Board acknowledges the risk of an increase in derailments, saying the line will experience roughly one new accident per year of a loaded crude oil train.
“Yet, while the Board purported to analyze and mitigate a broad spectrum of risks in Utah (the project study area), including wildfires, soil erosion, landslides, and avalanches, it did not give the I-70 corridor in Colorado the same consideration,” according to the lawsuit.
Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky said freight trains carrying oil from Utah already roll through Glenwood Canyon and onto Denver on the Union Pacific line.
However, the new line in Utah will make it easier for producers to ship more of their oil to market. Heaton said the railway will mean more jobs and revenue for the area.
Unlike other Western Slope communities, Garfield County doesn’t oppose the Uinta Basin project. “We’re pro oil and gas,” Jankovsky said.
There’s always concern about derailments, he added. “But if you start hauling by truck, the canyon is definitely more hazardous to motor vehicles than it is to freight trains.”
Heaton said the plan is to ship the oil in its waxy form. It would have to be heated to send it by pipeline.
The EIS said in the case of a derailment, the waxy crude would be easier than liquid oil to clean up in water. Heaton said it would be like “dropping a birthday candle on a countertop.”
“Just like candles, if your candles come with warning labels that they may cause cancer and organ damage” and persist in the environment for a long time, said Zukoski with the Center for Biological Diversity, referring to data about the crude.
Journey through two days of extraordinary landscapes between Moab, Utah and Denver, Colorado. Vast canyons, inspiring deserts, natural archways and enchanting hoodoos are just a start. Available in SilverLeaf Service, this Rocky Mountaineer rail route is filled with highlights best seen by train, including Ruby Canyon, Mount Garfield and crossing the Continental Divide. If you want to explore more, you can also book one of our ...
Journey through two days of extraordinary landscapes between Moab, Utah and Denver, Colorado. Vast canyons, inspiring deserts, natural archways and enchanting hoodoos are just a start. Available in SilverLeaf Service, this Rocky Mountaineer rail route is filled with highlights best seen by train, including Ruby Canyon, Mount Garfield and crossing the Continental Divide. If you want to explore more, you can also book one of our carefully curated packages, with options to start or end your journey in Las Vegas or Salt Lake City.
All of our packages are available in both directions: you can start or end your journey in Denver, Moab, Las Vegas, or Salt Lake City.
SAVE UP TO $1,000 PER COUPLE
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Rockies to the Red Rocks is available in SilverLeaf Service. Enhance your journey with SilverLeaf Plus, which comes with all the benefits of our exceptional SilverLeaf Service, plus more.
SilverLeaf Plus gives you exclusive access to our lounge car, offering additional space indoors to relax and soak in the scenery, as well as a small viewing area outdoors.
With SilverLeaf Plus, you'll enjoy an elevated dining experience including wine pairings and premium alcoholic beverages available in the lounge car and at your seat.
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Moab | Glenwood Springs | Denver (Or Reverse)
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Salt Lake City | Moab | Glenwood Springs | Denver (Or Reverse)
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Our two-day Rockies to the Red Rocks route winds past ancient rock canyons, through mountain ranges, and alongside rivers as it travels between the red rock formations of Moab and the mile-high city of Denver. To learn more details about this rail route, read our blog.
Questions? Get in touch with our travel experts. We are open every day and can't wait to discuss our gorgeous new route with you.
Immerse yourself in the grandeur of the American Southwest and make the most of your stay by booking optional add-on tours or activities from one of our trusted partners. From exciting rafting adventures down the Colorado river to relaxing scenic motorcoach tours of Arches National Park, there’s something for everyone.
Have you ever skied at Steamboat Springs? Have you walked up that tangle of a trail to the jewel-tone waters of Hanging Lake? Have you cheered in the stands of the sheepdog trials in Meeker?If so, you’ve been to the Western Slope.Or have you?“What is the extent of the Western Slope?” Grand Junction resident Scott Braden wrote into Colorado Wonders. “How far does it go out? What are its boundaries?”Braden also asked about the region’s “official” name: “Is it Wes...
Have you ever skied at Steamboat Springs? Have you walked up that tangle of a trail to the jewel-tone waters of Hanging Lake? Have you cheered in the stands of the sheepdog trials in Meeker?
If so, you’ve been to the Western Slope.
Or have you?
“What is the extent of the Western Slope?” Grand Junction resident Scott Braden wrote into Colorado Wonders. “How far does it go out? What are its boundaries?”
Braden also asked about the region’s “official” name: “Is it Western Slope or West Slope?”
These might feel like cut-and-dry questions for a geography expert like Dara Seidl, associate professor of GIS at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville. But can Seidl say where the borders of the Western Slope truly lie?
“I would love to tell you yes,” she said, with a knowing laugh. “But as a geographer, I would have to tell you no, there is no definitive answer.”
And yes, she’s heard, like you may have, that the boundary line is the Continental Divide, with western Colorado officially being everything to its west.
“I think if we take a really strong physical geography take, then yes,” Seidl said, an asterisk almost audible in her voice.
She and the state demography office agree that while that does make a good shorthand, there’s actually nothing official about what makes the Western Slope the Western Slope.
“I do feel that it's more about the emotional sense,” Seidl said. “And so you want to be a part of a specific community. You take pride in being part of one region or another.”
So we asked you, CPR listeners and readers: Where do you think the Western Slope is?
And you wrote and called in from all over Colorado and beyond — with all sorts of answers.
Ryan Grange of Littleton left us a message saying that, while he knows the Western Slope is huge, when he hears those words, he pictures the Grand Valley, home to Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita.
“It’s the peach orchards and hiking the Monument and the view of the Book Cliffs,” he said. “It’s magical.”
Grand Junction’s Wendy Videlock, poet laureate of the Western Slope, called to say that the designation felt “fairly nebulous,” but that she had always heard it was everything west of Breckenridge.
Many of you, including Dave Fishell and Kent Diemer, both of Grand Junction, felt very strongly that the true border is the Continental Divide, and Centennial’s Roger Boraas left a message adding every single mountain pass the divide runs through, from Buffalo Pass in the north, to Cumbres Pass, in the south.
Aidan Wynn, born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley, called to say he agreed on the Continental Divide as an eastern border but thought the Western Slope stopped way before Utah.
“Out to, probably, like Rifle, maybe Battlement Mesa,” he said.
Others had a much narrower view. Marisa Connors, who lives in Fruita, was one of several people who said that Glenwood Springs felt like the true border “even though the Continental Divide is over in the Silverthorne area.” Elizabeth Tice, from Grand Junction, however, made clear that she did not think Glenwood was part of the Western Slope at all.
Rifle resident Alison Birkenfeld sees the borders as even slimmer.
“New Castle to the Utah border seems fair game for Western Slope?” she wrote on Facebook.
And all the way from Portugal, former Moab resident Franklin Seal wrote with one of the most specific definitions of them all.
“I've always understood it to be the realm west of the actual central Rocky Mountain region wherein the 14ers lie,” he wrote on Facebook. “So, driving west on I-70, Vail is not, but Glenwood Springs is, and Eagle is in the gray area. On 40, Steamboat Springs is a gray area, Craig is on the Western Slope. On 50, Gunnison, yes, but Salida, no. In the south, Pagosa Springs, yes, but further east, no.”
“It’s definitely the ‘Western Slope,’” he said, in a voicemail. “There’s no way it’s the ‘West Slope.’”
There were only a few dissenting opinions on that, including this short and sweet submission:
“This is Ellis calling from Hotchkiss, and it’s the Best Slope.”
Oh, and there’s one more: “Sunset Slope,” which has fallen out of favor over the past century, wrote Alex Finkelstein, who teaches history at Western Colorado University in Gunnison.
As for Braden, who asked the original questions, he sees the Western Slope (and yes, he calls it that) as something beyond the Rocky Mountains.
A place “John Denver maybe didn’t sing about,” he said, “that is much more a province of sagebrush and cowboys and maybe not so much snow and skiing.”
And he’s right — just like everyone who contributed to this piece is. Just like you are. Because it turns out that the only real boundaries of the Western Slope are the ones that live in your heart.
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Editor’s note: This is the introduction to a series by Colorado Newsline on the Uinta Basin Railway project, which would bring up to five 2-mile-long oil trains through Colorado daily.A proposal to build a new short-line railroad in the oil fields of eastern Utah could soon result in a dramatic increase in the amount of hazardous materials being shipped by rail through communities across western and central Colorado.The 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway, backed by a partnership between industry and Utah county governme...
Editor’s note: This is the introduction to a series by Colorado Newsline on the Uinta Basin Railway project, which would bring up to five 2-mile-long oil trains through Colorado daily.
A proposal to build a new short-line railroad in the oil fields of eastern Utah could soon result in a dramatic increase in the amount of hazardous materials being shipped by rail through communities across western and central Colorado.
The 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway, backed by a partnership between industry and Utah county governments, would rank among the largest sustained efforts to transport crude oil by rail ever undertaken in the U.S. It would allow drillers to drastically ramp up production in Utah’s oil-rich Uinta Basin and ship the additional output to refineries on the Gulf Coast. Federal regulators say 90% of the resulting traffic would be routed east on the Union Pacific railroad through the Rocky Mountains and into Denver.
Some of the state’s most scenic, fragile and densely populated areas could soon be traversed by as many as five two-mile-long trains of tanker cars per day, hauling an average daily load of 315,000 barrels of Utah’s waxy crude oil. That would be more crude oil than was transported by rail across the entire U.S. last year, according to federal data — making the Colorado River Valley and parts of the Front Range the nation’s new oil-train superhighway.
While local opposition is mounting, the project has so far received only green lights from President Joe Biden’s administration, most recently in the U.S. Forest Service’s approval of a permit to build the new railway through a protected area in Utah’s Ashley National Forest. Backers of the project, which carries a multibillion-dollar price tag, plan to apply for special tax-exempt infrastructure bonds from the U.S. Department of Transportation, drawing further protests from Colorado officials.
In an analysis, federal regulators sized up the “downline impacts” of the new railway, predicting that a spill of up to 30,000 gallons of oil would occur roughly once every five years. Colorado communities along the potential downline route have called that review “fatally flawed,” arguing that it didn’t do nearly enough to study the risks of spills, fires and other accidents along some of the most precarious stretches of railroad in the country.
This week, The Aspen Times will publish “Down the Line,” a five-part series tracing the eastbound route that Uinta Basin oil trains could soon take through the Colorado River Valley, across the Continental Divide and down the eastern face of the Front Range to the Interstate 25 corridor. The installments will run in full online and in excerpted form in print due to their length.
It’s a route that not only passes through some of Colorado’s most cherished landscapes but also retreads more than a century and a half of the state’s rich railroading history. From the railroad company town of Grand Junction to the Moffat Tunnel, from the Dotsero Cutoff to the Big Ten Curve, Colorado’s only remaining east-west rail line was cobbled together over the course of a decades-long struggle to lay track over snowy mountain passes and along perilous river gorges, uniting its mining boomtowns and establishing a transcontinental competitor to the famed Union Pacific to the north.
Today, the route is just one of many owned and operated by that former rival, making up the eastern half of the Union Pacific’s “Central Corridor” between northern Nevada and Denver. It continues to be shaped by more recent historical forces, from a steep decline in the coal shipments that once made up the bulk of its traffic to a nationwide wave of deregulation, consolidation and investor pressure that has swept over the rail industry since the 1980s.
And amid growing alarm over climate change and progress toward projects like Front Range Passenger Rail, the Uinta Basin Railway exposes two sharply contrasting visions for Colorado’s railroading future — one that imagines a revival of the transit infrastructure that once connected its towns to one another, moving people and consumer goods in more energy-efficient ways, and another that doubles down on the rewards and risks of the global fossil-fuel economy, replacing disappearing coal-train traffic with high volumes of another heavy-industrial commodity.
Fears of the railway’s impact were deepened earlier this year by a dramatic train derailment and chemical fire in East Palestine, Ohio, and a series of similar accidents in recent months. As Newsline was making final preparations to publish this series, a train of tanker cars derailed on the morning of June 16 at Suncor Energy’s Commerce City oil refinery just north of Denver.
A spokesperson for BNSF said that that the train “experienced a minor derailment,” the cause of which is under investigation. The company said that 16 of the 17 derailed tank cars were empty and “no hazardous materials were involved,” but activists say the incident highlights the risk of the Utah project.
“The number and frequency of these derailments are certain to increase dramatically if the Uinta Basin Railway is built,” Ted Zukoski, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which has joined Colorado’s Eagle County in suing to overturn the project’s approval. “And the impacts won’t always be so limited.”
Chase Woodruff covers the environment, the economy and other stories for Colorado Newsline: coloradonewsline.com
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