Travelers brave heavy Colorado snow, traffic to enjoy Georgetown Christmas Market

Some areas in Colorado's high country have received over 20" of snow during this most recent storm, but many people chose to brave the weather to celebrate the holidays.

It was a cold, snowy and windy day in Georgetown on Saturday, the perfect recipe for treacherous roads. Terry and Brenda say despite that, the weather did have its positives.

"It's gorgeous. The snow is gorgeous," said Brenda.

They spent part of their day at the Georgetown Christmas Market with one thing on their mind.

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire," said Brenda.

Unfortunately, they missed their chance to get some because by the time they got to the Market, the booth was closed.

"We were disappointed they were here for two hours earlier today," said Terry.

They made the trek to Georgetown from Colorado Springs, and they would have arrived earlier, but they got caught in traffic from a jackknifed semi-truck on I-70 right at the Georgetown exit.

"It took us about forty-five minutes to get the last three miles," said Terry.

I-70 was closed most of the day Saturday. Colorado State Patrol hasn't disclosed a cause for the wreck, only that "the driver was cited," and "there was some snow, but unknown if that was a factor." They also confirmed part of the reason for the closure was a hazmat leak.

Daniel Valdez was also driving a big rig on I-70 on Saturday and warned that the roads are very bad.

"They're pretty extreme right now. Very slow," said Valdez.

This isn't his first snowstorm. He says he's been driving trucks for almost 20 years. So, he knew he needed to get chains on his tires on Saturday.

"I locked them up, and I'll get going," said Valdez.

He urged others to drive safely if they're heading through the high country during a snowstorm because it makes his job a lot easier.

"Just be careful. Respect the road signs and all the weather alerts and drive slow," said Valdez.

Brenda and Terry didn't have to worry about driving on Saturday night.

"We got a hotel room here, the Georgetown Mountain Inn, and plan on getting a little bit of pizza," said Terry.

But when they head home Sunday, they hope a new day will bring better luck.

"We suffered to get here. Hopefully, we won't suffer to leave," said Terry.