A love poem from my husband to Williams Canyon and a reminder to me of why I am here with this guy. As all know, things are a bit damp in Colorado right now. The last monsoon flood around mid September blew the records, especially up north around Longmont and Boulder. This was one of three events that we experienced here in the south of Colorado Springs. Our flooding was complicated by the huge fire of Waldo Canyon last summer. It left the soil cooked and full of ash; it became so dry this summer that it was not able to absorb water. My favorite place here is Williams Canyon. It is a gem of limestone walls, ridden with caves, with sandstone caps higher above. As with most things in Colorado Springs, everything that could have been developed in the earlier years was. John Wesly Powell proposed two parks in this part of the Rockies, one north at Long’s Peak, and one south at Pikes Peak. (The Ute Indians name was Tewa, or Mountain of the Sun. I kinda like that better than naming after the hapless explorer..) At any rate, Palmer and Penrose blew that idea off cause there was gold and real estate in them there hills. Rocky Mountain National Park came to being only after long and bitter fights. Cave of the Winds is perched on a cliff top above the canyon. A major tourist pop stand, $35 to get in, and the ownership of the lower canyon ceded to them. As is the wont, the narrow canyon had a tourist road constructed thru it,. The management of the Cave grudgelingy allowed hikers to go up the road to access the upper Canyon, after signing, of course, a liability release. From the point where the tourist road hit the canyon bottom, the rest was in Forest Service. Flood the first. A wall of black gunk water came chugging down several drainages, knocked down houses and rolled cars down Highway 24. Williams Canyon was ankle to knee deep is goo. There was the first wave of burnt trees, loose boulders, and general erosion to the tourist road down the canyon. Still pretty walkable, work around the cuts to the banks. Flood the second. More of the same. The pothole swimming bathtubs on the upper waterfalls have filled in with sand and gravel. Getting access to the upper trail that goes between Williams and Waldo is scorched earth. I take bags of grass seeds and walk where I can. I go down the ridge to the Cave of the Winds parking lot, get my ass chewed out for trespassing, and down to the car. About a 5 hour walk, I have some French students with me for the views. The scrub oak and butter and eggs are doing well, and I can see where I sowed the grass seeds greening around the shelter of rocks and tree stumps. (btw, all native species). Come down with t shirts black with soot. Another walk to the waterfalls with some friends, not too difficult. More and more of the bones of the canyon as the water takes out the road fill and masonry walls. Flood the third. Hmmm. The Canyon has lost all of the fill that might have been a trail in the lower part. Wall to wall water. I put on my Chaco sandals, tighten them up, get my hiking poles, and start working my way up. The water has lost the muddy hue, and is crystal clear. Rocks have been rolled down (big rocks) to create 2 to 4 foot waterfalls. Ledges that had been buried under road fill are revealing a way to walk around some of the more narley narrows. Culverts are exposed, and will certainly wash down the next flood. Inch along the canyon wall, facing in. Hiking poles give stability, if not grace, as the water swirls mid thigh, crossing after crossing. 30 or more. I only get about half way to the cliffs and waterfalls. When the rains stop, the water will leave, and the Canyon will return to its dry normal. Other ways of walking up will reveal themselves, but for now, I am heady with the delight of such abundance of water. The movement of the water is reflecting the light on the limestone walls above. Late blooming flowers are blessing the moisture. My favorite apple tree is an island between two channels, but is thriving with the water. Piles of rocks and logs are as simple and as profound as a Haku by Basho or Issi. Ravens and some falcons are playing in the thermals of the walls, giving sight to me of the invisible universe of the air. My feet are getting numb from the cold. I have some coffee and nuts to eat. bill
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 21:38:15 +0000
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