When I moved to Colorado one of the first things I noticed, other than the smell, was a strangely named river. The sign posted by the bridge said, Cache la Poudre River, and I thought "How do you say that?" I asked a friend and when they pronounced it to me, "Cash-la-Pooter" I started cracking up! Pooter? Seriously? That's what Pumba from the Lion King was known for. I found out it was French for "hidden powder" and legend has it that the French hid barrels of gunpowder along the river. At that same time I also thought Poudre was a cool name for a dog and obviously followed through on that one a few years later.
During my 10 years here I've grown to love the Poudre River and the Poudre River Trail. Many of my professional development classes have been held at the
Poudre Learning Center and I've traveled hundreds of miles on the
Poudre Trail that runs from downtown Greeley to Windsor. I love watching the water level in the river rise and fall as snow melts in the mountains, where the river originates, in the spring and warm August temperatures stifle us on the Front Range. This spring we've had an exceptional year in terms of moisture, as a large snow pack melting coupled with heavy spring rains caused flooding along the Poudre that many who have lived here for years have not seen. The vegetation along the river and the trail is beautiful because of all the moisture, with native grasses flourishing and large cottonwoods along the way. When you ride the trail in the evenings the cool air near the river is refreshing and makes up for the swarms of nasty mosquitoes and gnats that sometimes end up in your mouth. Sometimes the occasional goathead (aka puncture vine) can reek havoc on bike tires and your patience, but the safety and beauty of the trail makes it one of my favorite pastimes.
A side note on puncture vine some of you might find interesting... If you've never stepped on a puncture vine thorn consider yourself lucky. They are so sharp and hard, almost like a nail, they can flatten tires and cause a nasty wound if you step on one. When we expanded west and constructed the transcontinental railroad, buffalo herds crossing and standing on the track were a huge problem. Apparently puncture vine, which was probably introduced into the US through contaminated sheep wool, was someone's solution to the buffalo problem. Someone thought if they planted this along the tracks it would keep animals off the tracks. Hmmmm...they failed to take into account that ungulates have hard hooves that are not affected by the thorn. I wish I could find the source where I read this information but that's escaped me for now.
Back to the trail. I went for a bike ride today from the Poudre Learning Center to the Bungalow coffee shop and back. I didn't know what I'd find, since there were rumors the trail was flooded and damaged in parts. I set out and did end up riding through some water, but overall it wasn't too bad. The river level was still high and a large cottonwood tree was down near the Kodak plant. I saw many "chariots" being pulled by bikes and can't wait until Shannon is big enough to go for rides on the trail.
After I got back to the Poudre Learning Center I decided to ride some hill repeats in an adjacent neighborhood. When I got to the top of the hill I noticed a new lake to the north. Here is a picture of the swollen river and the reason the section of trail that runs from the Learning Center to Island Grove is closed. Too bad because this is the most beautiful part of the trail and where I'll often race squirrels and herron as I ride.
Some of the homes near the river flooded and even though they are valued at $500,000-$750,000, I don't feel sorry for the owners who were featured on the local news when their basements were filled with a foot of water. Why would you build a home worth that much on a floodplain?
If you live in Greeley or visit anytime, let me know if you want to go for a ride on the trail. Many of my bike partners have abandoned me (Stefan, Amy, and Kathy to name a few) and I'm always up for a ride.
