Martin Acres and Table Mesa after the rain finally stopped

With a hint of blue sky to motivate me and 3 days worth of pent-up energy to propel me, I set out walking around Martin Acres and up to Table Mesa.

The internet was alive with rumor, reporting and questions about the damage from overnight flooding and since the water levels seemed to be receding, it was time for first hand information.

For you... A look through my eyes.

Residents on my street did their very best to channel water away from the house...

During a time of panic and desperation, resourcefulness was key.  This might look unconventional, but it actually functioned quite effectively from what I could tell.

Well... it might have to be reinforced again!  Our 500 year flood of 2013 destroyed the existing creek bed and "natural flow" meant it went everywhere... including uphill on the bike path and out onto Martin Drive.

  

The playground at Martin Park has been washed clean!  While it feels like you are walking at the beach with all that wet sand, it is otherwise completely unscathed.  

Martin Park, has never looked greener!  :-)

From here I watched a little more blue sky creep into view overhead, aware that the clouds still hung low over the Flatirons and more rain was expected.

And then I reached Table Mesa...

The roads, while much of the water is gone, are still very wet, covered in mud, sand and debris.

The manhole covers are sandbagged.  Water spews up from under them at an alarming rate, keeping the traffic on alert.

The bike path beside the underpass is still unusable and somewhat dangerous, but it's not as bad as yesterday.   :-)  I watched passerby pull out their camera phones and capture the torrent with photos and movies. This will be the most well documented flood EVER!

Chatting briefly with this woman and her golden retriever, I leaned she was an evacuee from Marshall.  Staying with friends and thankful for a safe place to stay with her dog, they were both grateful for a break in the weather and the first chance in 3 days for a good walk.

A fitting work of art near the underpass.  The artist clearly knew something ahead of time.

Everywhere I went there was yellow "Do not Cross" tape.  Most of it had be washed away by debris and flood waters.

On the bright side, how many days in my lifetime am I going to have the chance to walk up the middle of a busy street like Table Mesa (without getting squished by cars) or witness the reflection of the Flatirons right here in the middle?  Amid the chaos, destruction, and grief, it's nice to get another perspective too.  I'm happy to report I found beauty and smiles after the flood too.

Up at the intersection of Table Mesa and Lehigh St, Bear Creek had broken from its usual channel. The water, which is almost non-existent at this time of year, took branches, mud and boulders with it, as it rampaged across the road.  This was a well trafficked intersection, a major connection between the neighborhood and the rest of Boulder, so no time was wasted in getting it open again. It took these 5 construction vehicles half a day to scrape the road clean.  They put all that debris in a big truck and simply took it way.  Where does it all get dumped?

I took a wander through Bear Creek Park, thinking I might get a good view down the river from the bridge that connects the park to Bear Creek Elementary School.  As I rounded the corner I was met with a couple of orange cones and a "Do Not Enter" sign laying on the ground.  My side of the bridge had fallen into the river!  The bank under it had been washed out by the river and all its debris.

Yep, it's going to take a little time to get back to normal.

And Still It Rains!?

On Monday September 9th I posted a picture of a severe rain storm delivering heaving rain to my back yard in Martin Acres, Boulder.  I honestly thought it would be done in a half hour or so... As is customary here.

No.  Boulder is flooding!

Seventy-two hours later, the rain is still going.  My yard is saturated and with every increase in intensity, the water pools.  My new grass is clumped and drowning and my garage, with the little water that is getting under door, is now a place where worms go to die.

I have ventured out just twice in the last 24 hours.  The first resulted in my harrowing drive back from Longmont - but at least I got back!  The second was this morning.  It's just not fun to discover you are ill prepared for staying home... That the cupboards are bare and you need to go shopping. :-(

My drive through Martin Acres this morning was a journey of wonderment.  Families played in water coursing down the road, kids threw sticks into angry creeks-turned-rivers and almost everyone had a camera phone in hand.  

Like a slow moving train wreck, it was hard not look as Mother Nature pounded us in submission. But, every hour the water got higher, the damage got worse and the novelty turned misery.

This is what the underpass looked like at Martin Park on Martin Drive.  There will be no cyclists racing down here any time soon.  The creek was so full that it was washing over the concrete wall.

Sometimes, the rain subsides a bit... And the water level with it.  But it's short lived.  Without fail it picks up again and the torrential downpour brings the water levels up again, perhaps even higher.

I have spent a good part of the day monitoring the MANAlist - Martin Acres Neighborhood Association listserve.  It breaks my heart to hear the issues that folks are dealing with.  It inspires me to see a collection of wet, tired and stressed people pulling together.  Helping with info, equipment, kind words and offers of dry places to stay.  Here are some of the hundreds of messages that were posted today: 

One reason for the subsiding of the creek water recently was that Chris Kelly and a lot of volunteers were making a dam at the Martin Park at Martin. Chris had to leave and then the dam breached. As of half an hour ago there were people gathering to fill bags with sand and place them.

If you want to help, be prepared for cold and wet conditions. Expect to get completely soaked and be working in knee deep water on soft mud at times. The crowd is great folks, truly great.

They can use shovels and kitchen bags. If you've got a snow blade that'll help a lot. Otherwise don't bother with your car. If you've got a head lamp that will be helpful.

How do I stop the gas from flowing to my hot water pilot light in the basement since the water is over a foot in the basement? Help!

Western Disposal is not picking up in Martin Acres tomorrow.
Please leave your carts where they will not float away.
Best wishes.  

My ex just called -- he and his family were sitting in their garden-level apartment on Thunderbird across from the park & ride when the door burst open and water started pouring in.  It's now chest-high in there (or was when they all got out).  They're on a higher floor at present, but I'm hoping they can get up the hill to stay with us here at Martin & Table Mesa -- does anyone know if that route is traversable before I tell them to try to walk up, or any other thoughts/suggestions?

The water is coming into the basement through the toilet.
Any suggestions on how to block the toilet fountain?
Corner 41st and martin - it's happening to me and the house next door.

The risk to life today and tomorrow are probably as follows:
1.  Cardio failure

2.  long term pulmonary duress

3.  pneumonia from not keeping your head and feet dry

4.  long term onset pneumonia from mold....start venting you house NOW from the highest point of air egress

5.  not hugging each other enough

6.  not reassuring our innocent children enough with the chips are down

7.  eating too much ice cream during the deluge

8.  not eating enough ice cream during the deluge

9.  whining  (leave all that to me)
99.00117  drowning

A little known fact:  more Americans died in industrial accidents during WWII than in combat = stay put, it will be over in a while.

I am on Martin Dr and the water is up to the house now.  It is still best to just stay put.  I have not heard anything about leaving.  There is no way to walk or drive at this point.

Be wary of storm chasers looking to take advantage of desperation for immediate service......they will be knocking on doors with a smile.

Hire only verifiable local firms

The "very low risk" is surrounding my house and there are waterfalls into the basement at the back windows. The pump's running. Don't know how much good it's doing though.

So far we are dry here on 32nd and Ash.  I know some of you are not as fortunate.  We have three unused bedrooms and plenty of other space if anyone needs a place to stay.

Anyone have a wet vac we could borrow for an hour or so? We lent ours to my sister-in-law and now with Broadway being closed, we can't get to her. We're on 42nd and Table Mesa. Basement is starting to truly fill.

I drove to Home Depot in Littleton as they still have sump pumps. I don't know anything about the different models. This a new word for me. I was recommended a model for $69 which can be submerged. There are 2 more left plus other ones at all different prices. I can hang out here for another 10-15 minutes. Call me  if you want me to buy one for you!

I have a couple spare rooms should anyone need a dry place to stay for tonight.

We have a new creek (name that new Boulder creek contest?) flowing across our backyard - between Ingram Ct and Hamilton Ct.

My insurance agent called and asked not how I was, but how my house was doing.

I told him that I installed a French drain on the high hazard side of my house (south side) this winter and  my basement is as dry as my sense of humor.

I know folks are evacuating. I saw them walking around with pillows.
Dry basement 3 dry beds, 4 spots on couches.  I can come get you.
Let me know;

See what a wonderful neighborhood Martin Acres is? 

I'm blessed, truly blessed, to be surrounded by good, nay - GREAT people!

Sleep well everyone.  Tomorrow is going to be another long day.

Flooding in Boulder

Boulder is under siege!
The slow moving storm(s) that has been delivering inches of rain over the last 48 hours is now holding the residents at ransom.

As of a few hours ago, the Boulder landscape was saturated.  Water is falling from the sky faster that it seems to run off... or it simply has nowhere left to go.

On top of it all, the mountains are also getting heavy rain and the deluge is making its way down the canyons and creeks in flash-flood fashion.  The land that was scorched by wild fires last year is high risk for erosion and mudslides in this weather.  In fact the 4-mile Canyon burn zone is currently being evacuated, with 911 calls going out to residents, telling them this is a life threatening event and they must move to higher ground, immediately.

As for me... Well, I just used my second best judgement to drive home from Longmont to Boulder. What should have been a 20 minute drive, was an hour.  I did my best to avoid all the road closures that have occurred, but got stuck between Cherryvale Rd and 76th St, on South Boulder Rd, just as it was overcome with water and the police closed it.  Yes, I was the Lexus going backwards up South Boulder Road.  But at least I wasn't the car stalled out and stuck in the river on the road!

Safely back in Martin Acres, I have not dared to look in my crawl space.  In all probability, there is some water in there.  I have shut off the furnace circuit breaker and will further investigate when there is a point to it.  :-)  According to my neighbors on the MANA list, I would be in good company if I did have some water infiltration.

No.  I'm not in the high or moderate flood risk area.  Check out the Boulder Flood Plain map.

Trust me when I tell you, I drove along roads that were in the low risk area tonight... and they were under water.

Please be careful.  There is a reason I am falling asleep to the sound of sirens tonight.

Plane Pull at DIA for Special Olympics Colorado

August 10th was the inaugural Plane Pull fundraiser for the Special Olympics Colorado at DIA.
Funds raised will provide year round training and athletic competition to more than 13,000 athletes with intellectual disability.

Signature Flight Support hosted the event.  Teams of 25 paid the $1250 entrance fee, then raced against the clock and each other to pull a Boeing 757 twelve feet.

It was well organized, entertaining and family friendly.  The weather could not have been more perfect!

This is what a 757 looks like.  Can a team of 25 people really pull it?

 

Yes!

   

Did they get best dressed team?  They deserved to!

Another one of the 11 Jeppesen teams!

The event was well staffed with volunteers

Every team posed for the team pic prior to plane pulling

Jeppesen's Digital Domination

Woohoo!  Jeppesen Bulldog!

If you want to learn more about Special Olympics Colorado or wish to make donation, click here.

Bucker: Turning my world upsidedown!

The gift that keeps giving.  Memories created, friendships cemented.

My birthday was in July and I was delighted to be given a "ride in a Bucker" this year.  
Pilot friends of mine, Gail and Doedo are the proud owners/parents of this open-cockpit biplane.  And this is the story of my first open-cockpit airplane outing.  But there is more... Aerobatics and a smoke machine awaited me.

All I needed to do was get my flying kit on and get in.
Easier said than done!

Step 1:
Put on the flight suit.  It has pockets for keeping little things like your phone and camera safe when inverted.  No-one wants to be hit in the head or in the flight instruments by a wayward camera and no-one wants to be searching a farmer's field for a new-ish Galaxy S4 that fell to its death!

Step 2:
Learn the ways of the parachute.  Practice putting on the parachute and buckling it up correctly, then take it off and lay it nicely on the seat in the plane.  There is no way you can simultaneously wear it and climb into the aircraft, so the idea is to climb into the parachute as you climb into the plane!

 

Step3:
Climb onto the wing and into the front seat (passenger seat), into the parachute.  Then buckle into the 'chute and secure the equally complex seat belt around the both of you.  There is no wriggle room.

Step 4:
Goggles!  Yes, I have waited all my life to look like this, with good reason.

Step 5:
Almost dressed, but one last thing...
The aviator's headset is also a cool flying hat!  It must be fitted over a ponytail that is low and loose, then secured under the chin.  Loosing a borrowed headset in flight is also poor form!

Now... time to fly!
I was in good hands.  Gail, from the seat behind me, expertly taxied us out and did run-up.

Gail, behind me

My view... the prop and the fuel gauge

You must remember that she can't actually see in front of her ... I couldn't even see in front of me and I was in front of Gail.  Very impressive, especially as we begin the roll for take-off.

At this point, my camera is safely stowed in one of those pockets I mentioned earlier.  And if it wasn't for Mark, on the ground at the airport, I wouldn't have these great shots.

 

 

Gail and I flew north and began the fun stuff.  Barrel rolls and loops... and something that had "cuban" in the name.  Forgive me, my brain (and stomach) got a tad scrambled that day and I forget the details.

However, I have not forgotten the smiles, the smell of the smoke, the feeling of weightlessness and the view of the ground from upside-down.   Even better ... I didn't need to use that parachute!


Thanks Mark and Gail for an amazing birthday gift.  :-)