I rode along with Colorado Department of Transportation's emergency crews at the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels along Interstate 70. At 11,200 feet elevation, these tunnels are the highest point on the U.S. Interstate system and the highest mountain tunnels in North America.

Located about 60 miles west of Denver, the facility lies entirely within the Arapaho National Forest and is divided by two counties: Clear Creek County at the East Portal and Summit County at the West Portal. The tunnel and the Continental Divide also separate two watersheds: Water on the west side flows toward the Pacific Ocean and water on the east side flows toward the Atlantic Ocean. Annual snowfall in the area averages 315 inches (26 feet) from November through April.