If there’s one thing that Coloradans and visitors to the state share, it’s the sometimes crazy experience of driving on Interstate 70 between Denver and the mountains. So those who frequent the winding highway have assuredly come across the i70Things Instagram page, whether to check road conditions or have a few laughs at the expense of fellow motorists.
Denver’s Alejandro Brown started the wildly popular Instagram account in December 2019 while sitting in traffic on the interstate and watching the winter madness from the passenger seat – Priuses spinning out, semi-trucks jackknifing, and the like.
But as the account grew to 11,000 followers in its first year, Brown realized he had a platform with which he could do more than entertain. That’s when he decided to start disseminating educational and safety information to drivers along the I-70 corridor.
Today, the account boasts more than 400,000 followers who not only like and share i70things content but also contribute to it.
“I wanted to be able to provide an outlet for people to not only share what they’ve seen, but also check it out before they go to the mountains or before they come home,” Brown said. “It’s a real community thing, not me just telling people ‘This is what’s happening’ and not being able to back it up with a photo or a video.”
Brown is no novice social media influencer. Since graduating from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2018, he’s worked primarily in the start-up industry managing marketing budgets for new companies. The 28-year-old also founded a couple of his own start-ups, though they ultimately failed. (“You learn a lot from failure,” he said.)
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Brown found himself with extra downtime since his clients paused their spending. He focused on trying to grow i70things organically, and with much of the population stuck at home, engagement skyrocketed.
Part of that Brown attributes to the relatability of the subject matter – after all, everyone has had a less than ideal commute on I-70 or seen something weird, like a Lamborghini with a ski rack, motorcyclists sitting on their snowboards, bighorn sheep in the right lane, snowball fights when traffic stops at the Eisenhower tunnel, or semis on fire. Lots of semis on fire.
But the wildfires that broke out across the state in 2020 also created interest. Like many people, Brown watched from home as the Cameron Peak Fire, Pine Gulch Fire and Cal-Wood Fire engulfed acres of land. He figured if people were traveling, they should have up-to-date information and began sharing user-generated images and videos of the blazes alongside data about containment and road closures.
Soon, news stations were calling Brown to verify incidents that happened along the I-70 corridor that he could back up with crowdsourced pictures and video.
Since then, Brown has become an advocate on a mission to empower drivers, especially during the treacherous winter months. He’s taken on the mantle of spreading awareness about Colorado’s traction law, making mandates about tire and chain requirements accessible to laymen and tourists in hopes of making the roads safer for all.
“For some, that’s a no-brainer, but to others, it’s something they’re not familiar with,” Brown said. “Say you’re from Florida, where it’s sunny and doesn’t really snow, why would you know?”
Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Inzeo said he’s never seen another influencer evangelize the traction law quite like Brown. That makes him an optimal partner for the agency, especially since Brown has cultivated an audience that relies heavily on I-70.
CDOT first reached out to Brown to help spread the news about its new COtrip website and app, which provides up-to-date traffic and road condition information for travelers throughout the state. The agency has since leveraged the account to promote its Bustang and Snowstang services, and spread safety information about driving during the snowy months through its Winter Wise campaign.
The account “provides some color and examples that come from people’s lived experience instead of us as a government agency telling people this is important,” Inzeo said. “There’s always value with that kind of validation.”
As a Boston native and lifelong skier who grew up racing in the sport, Brown was almost destined to spend an inordinate amount of time on I-70. He manages the Instagram page as a full-time gig now, supported by revenue from sponsored content, merchandise sales and in-person events.
The initiative has also allowed him to work on other passion projects, including one called Slide Thru Sessions, an event series that aims to bring more people of color to the slopes.
Once a month, Red Bull, CDOT, i70things, and SkiNoir5280 organize a trip that brings snow sport newcomers to the mountains. They load up on gear for free from a community gear locker and take the Bustang to a local resort that offers free lift tickets and lessons.
To date, Slide Thru Sessions has hosted more than 500 attendees. The next event is on Jan. 13 at Eldora Mountain Ski Resort.
For Brown, whose father is Black and whose mother is Spanish, the mission is personal.
“There’s so much more to skiing than sliding on snow, right? It’s making memories with friends,”
Brown said, adding many first-timers end up buying passes in future seasons. “That’s awesome for me to see because it means we’re doing something right and there was a need for programming like this.”
As for the future, Brown hopes i70things will continue to be a valuable resource and beacon of lightheartedness for locals. He also hopes it will help spread empathy among drivers.
“We all get frustrated, but it’s how we deal with that. A funny outlet like this can help, especially when we’re stuck and the highway’s shut down,” Brown said. “It’s important for people to be understanding because sometimes it is an accident and it is kind of severe. Put yourself in their shoes, have some empathy. It’s another day for you skiing or snowboarding, but it could be more serious in nature for someone else.”