I have debated doing a Longmont 100 post on the little beach that we like to go to along the St. Vrain Greenway for a while now. My daughter loves it, and it makes a great biking destination on a hot day. My dog also loves to dip his paws in the cold water. But it is just a tiny, rocky area with only a small creek rushing by. It feels crowded if there are more than two families enjoying the clear water. Tyler and I come from opposite coasts, where calling something like this a "beach" would be almost laughable. I decided not to bother with a post about it.
This was us enjoying it last weekend. It was a hot day, and we all looked forward to the upcoming week which was supposed to bring cool, rainy weather. We always look forward to the rain in Colorado. The rain came, and it didn't stop for days. It rained, it poured, it sprinkled, it poured some more. Dams broke. Creeks became rivers. Streets became rivers. Clear mountain streams turned brown and turbulent, stretching hundreds of feet in width.
The rain has stopped for now, but with more expected tonight. The floodwaters have already subsided significantly allowing the city, homeowners, and business owners to deal with the damage left behind. Tyler and I were lucky. We live only blocks from where the above photo was taken, but we are up the hill in Old Town, safe and dry.
I feel heartbroken over the state of things. The people who have lost their homes. The small businesses who may not recover. The wonderful parks and greenways which have been destroyed.
Mostly, what I see on Facebook is optimism. Businesses giving the thumbs up that things aren't quite
as bad as they could have been. Our awesome breweries being first in line to volunteer and to set up flood relief funds. From what I have seen, the city has done a great job handling this disaster. Here is hoping that things continue to improve. Let's see some of that Colorado sunshine.
Golden Ponds, pre-flood
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