Tabernash, Colorado: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:39, 3 April 2025

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Tabernash is an unincorporated town, a post office, and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Grand County, Colorado, United States. The Tabernash post office has the ZIP Code 80478.<ref name=ZIPcode/> At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Tabernash CDP was 401.<ref name="Census 2020" />

History

The Tabernash Post Office has been in operation since 1905.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The community has the name of a Ute Indian.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1984 airplane crash

On August 10, 1984, a Cessna L-19 Bird Dog (registration Template:Airreg, piloted by 36-year-old James Jeb Caddell, crashed in the Arapaho National Forest near Tabernash while it was en route from Granby to Jeffco Airport. Despite the efforts of a search party, the two men could not be located at first, partly because the plane had flipped over and landed on its Emergency Locator Transmitter, destroying it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The wreckage was found by backpackers three years later on August 23, 1987.

A 6½ minute video shot from a VHS camcorder mounted on the instrument panel was found at the site. The heavily damaged tape, some of it hanging from tree branches, was recovered and repaired by Colorado deputy sheriff Dale Wood. Subsequent analysis of the footage revealed that the pilot had not taken into account the density altitude conditions that existed on the day of the flight. The aircraft was unable to climb away from steadily rising terrain. In an attempt to return to the departure airfield, the pneumatic stall warning of the airplane sounded three times during a turn to the right. The pilot could be heard yelling "Damn, hang on Ronnie!" to his one backseat passenger, 36-year-old Ronald Hugh Wilmond, three seconds before impacting the terrain and trees.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:ASN accident</ref>

The Caddells had put a 20-year moratorium (via the FAA) on the release of the film to the general public with the only stipulation that it (at the FAA's request to the Caddells) be shown only to flight instructors at conventions and workshops. The moratorium eventually expired and was not renewed, and thus the footage became part of the public domain. The video is now viewable on YouTube.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Geography

Tabernash is located in the valley of the Fraser River. U.S. Route 40 passes through the community, leading northwest Template:Convert to Granby and southeast Template:Convert to Winter Park.

The Tabernash CDP has an area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name=CO_CDP_2020/>

Climate

This climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tabernash has a subarctic climate, abbreviated "Dfc" on climate maps.<ref>Climate summary for Tabernash, Colorado</ref>