It's amazing how quickly things can change! Last weekend, I went on the longest and most rewarding ride I'd ever made, going up to Hwy 36 then down into Lyons to do the "Fruit Loops." I wish I'd stopped to take pictures because now the "Fruit Loops" are under water, the road I used to get there is destroyed, and the town I went to--the first time getting to another city--has been evacuated. So many people have been left wondering what to do next, it's just devastating to think about as we watch the news each night and see the images of the houses and cars under water. A week ago, everything was fine and carrying on as usual when I stopped in Lyons to refill my water bottle. The rain started that evening. It was refreshing. Then it continued. And continued. It wasn't anything that seemed that unusual until schools and county offices were closed on Thursday due to rising waters. It was just rain! Then the fullness of the problems revealed themselves as roads began to get closed.
Now, the water is receding and revealing the level of devastation. Homes lost and badly damaged, bridges over rivers out, businesses damaged. It's truly a mess. To the focus of my blog, a city engineer has stated what I feared: the St. Vrain Greenway is a loss. It's very sad to see the chunks of 20 to 50 feet of sidewalk that just stop and bridges that lead to no where. One area had such devastation that the paved path is hanging out over the rushing river and the bridge is half-gone. Having to rebuild bridges and roads is obviously and necessarily first priority, but at this level of damage, it makes it uncertain when the greenway will be addressed for repair since it's not so much fixing it as much as it is completely rebuilding the entire system. I feel selfish that it's one of my concerns, but it's something I (and my family) have grown to look forward to! Of course, just over two years ago, I didn't even know that path was there, but now it's just one more thing the flood destroyed in our town. The St. Vrain Greenway was described as the jewel of Longmont's recreational paths, and now it's not there. The irony is that the thing that made it so beautiful is why it's gone: the St. Vrain River that it followed! Now I have to figure out a new way to take the family for our weekend ride as we bemoan the last time we went being the last time we went. At least for now. They're calling it a 500-year-event (so, what, .5% chance of it happening?). I could've lived without ever having to live through it! I was a baby when the Big Thompson flooded in 1976, and now I've seen it do it again and a whole lot more.
For the road cycling, much of my routes were also damaged and/or are closed, so I need to figure out how to get a good ride in still...I've come too far to give up on it now. I've come to love cycling so much that it's hard to imagine not doing it anymore. But it's going to be a challenge. But beyond the flood, I continue to struggle with a sinus infection, so that'll be my excuse for not right now so that there is still hope to get back out next weekend....
On the bright side, I've lost about five pounds in the last month. Between being back to work and the activity it brings, getting a couple nice long rides in, and watching my caloric intake, I've managed to get back on the right path. I was down to 171 two years ago but then put back on a few pounds last year, so now it's time to surpass that and keep it that way (though my wife would say to shut up and move on since it was never more than 8 pounds that I re-gained)!
