Torrey lies just 37 miles from Boulder over Highway 12, but when the mountain route was closed, the trip required more than 200 miles by way of Panguitch. Before the Boulder Mountain section of Highway 12 was paved, snow and mud closed the dirt road from late November until late May, and even in summer travel over Boulder Mountain could be a bone-rattling adventure. In 1977, this stretch was the only remaining unpaved section of Highway 12, and that year the Utah Department of Transportation began preparing it for paving. Eight years later, in 1985, nearby residents and highway officials gathered on Boulder Mountain to celebrate completion of the pavement. Clemn Church, State of Utah Transportation Commissioner, played an instrumental role in obtaining funding and approval for the project. The paving brought year-round access to Boulder Mountain's scenery and natural resources and changed communities along Highway 12 by easing rural life and drawing visitors from around the world, making tourism a central part of local economies.