Giving Back

Lead runners at UROC nearing Frisco, 9/28/13.

Lead runners at UROC nearing Frisco, 9/28/13.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives we neglect to see what else is going on around us. I’m definitely guilty of this oh so often, but this weekend I was able to step back and focus on helping out a few friends in need.

Jason running the long paved road section over Vail Pass, at least the scenery was nice, 9/28/13.

Jason running the long paved road section over Vail Pass, at least the scenery was nice, 9/28/13.

On Saturday 9/28 I awoke early for a drive to Summit County to crew my friend Jason as he ran the UROC 100km from Breckenridge to Vail. I got into Frisco (20km) early and was able to snag a cold morning run (28F!) on the course to cheer on the lead runners. Jason started out strongly, cruising through Frisco and CopperMountain, but as he approached VailPass his knee started to bug him a little bit. He pushed on through Vail pass, but somewhere along the 12miles of bike path he lost his lunch, and his stomach wouldn’t be the same. As Jason ran toward Minturn, I snuck in another run, this time through the golden aspens along Cross Creek. It felt great to be up in the high country again, running without pain. I met up with Kate and Jason’s wife Meggan in Minturn, and we all awaited Jason’s arrival, which came at 8:45pm. His stomach had settled a little, but he wasn’t eating much, but could still mix in a slow shuffle. We got him changed, and Kate led him back up to the Vail ridgelines and down into Vail. At 16h51min Jason and Kate came cruising out of the darkness off the ski slopes of Vail, and across the finish line of the UROC 100km race, finishing his first 100km race and earning the <17h belt buckle in the process. It was great to be a part of helping Jason achieve this goal and do so with a smile on his face (most of the time). Full UROC photo album available here.

Jason and Kate crossing the finish line at the UROC 100km, just under 17h.

Jason and Kate crossing the finish line at the UROC 100km, just under 17h.

Arriving at Ed's home in Lyons, CO lots of debris and cleanup to be done, 9/29/13.

Arriving at Ed’s home in Lyons, CO lots of debris and cleanup to be done, 9/29/13.

Sunday 9/29 found me in a much different location, LyonsColorado, to help ‘Igloo’ Ed begin the massive job of attempting to clean the flood debris off his property. As we passed through the Army controlled checkpoint we began to see hints of the devastation that awaited us in Lyons. As we rolled through downtown everything looked normal, except the complete absence of electricity. The scene quickly changed as we crossed the Saint Vrain river to the South side of town, mounds of debris were piled against and around houses, new river channels appeared everywhere and numerous structures were bent or broken. As we turned onto Ed’s street we passed by house after house in various states of damage and decay, 6ft high piles of household debris, organic matter and asphalt lined the street. In south Lyons the North and South Saint Vrain rivers collide, draining massive expanses of land upstream, funneling right into town.

Household debris and river debris piled high along what remains of the road, 9/29/13.

Household debris and river debris piled high along what remains of the road, 9/29/13.

We pulled up to Ed’s house and surveyed the scene; a gutted garage, a basement holding 6-12″ of water and tons of rock, mud and organic debris buried the yard, several feet deep at times. As I walked through the rest of the neighborhood I was nearly brought to tears; seeing homes lifted off foundations, 3ft diameter trees nestled against tilting structures, homes filled with 3-4ft of mud and debris, cars flipped upside down, a motorcycle wrapped around a tree, personal belongings waterlogged and destroyed. Many people’s lives were washed away with the raging torrents that peaked several feet above the banks. This neighborhood was the epicenter of the damage, every house was tagged with either an orange sticker (enter at your own risk) or a red sticker (uninhabitable).

Our goal for the day was fairly simple, but monumental at the same time; to dig a drainage ditch from Ed’s house down the street so that he could get the water out of the basement and to remove all the organic debris from the property so it could be picked up a few days later. We set to work on the ditch first, digging about 50-70ft of trench so that as the water was pumped out of the basement it wouldn’t pool near any houses, success. Then came the big task of removing all the organic matter from around the house, garage and property. One of the most astonishing things about the flood was the amount of debris the water moved with it; thousands of tons of silt, seemingly whole forests, full grown trees as big as 3-4ft in diameter, and innumerable other bits of garbage washed down from locations unknown.

House on the right was moved off its foundation, in front of me used to be a driveway. None of these rocks were here a month ago, 9/29/13.

House on the right was moved off its foundation, in front of me used to be a driveway. None of these rocks were here a month ago, 9/29/13.

As we untangled treelimbs, roots, vines and various other matter from Ed’s porch, the description that came up over and over again was, “rats nest”. Things were so tangled and intertwined one could not simply pull them out, so one person cut and lopped away large piles of the debris, while another raked it up and piled it along the street. Once we freed the porch our next duty was the garage; tilted about 10 degrees to the right and filled with 2-3ft of silt and debris. This one proved much trickier, as we continually unearthed large treelimbs that required the chainsaw to break them up before they could be dug out. Chris, Misti and I tag teamed the effort, making good progress. As we were starting to wrap up our task, a few gentlemen from the Salvation Army stopped in to say hello, they offered us cold Gatorade and M&Ms (also sandwiches and water, because there are no services in town), hell yeah! Next time you see someone ringing a bell asking for donations to the Salvation Army, think of this and how the little things they do (and bigger thinks) can make a huge difference for those truly in need.

Chris and Misti starting the cleanup in Ed's garage, the river deposited all the rocks and mud here (and throughout town), 9/29/13.

Chris and Misti starting the cleanup in Ed’s garage, the river deposited all the rocks and mud here (and throughout town), 9/29/13.

Unfortunately since Misti, Chris and I had all only slept around 4hours the night before by early afternoon we were fading and had to wrap it up and head out. We bid Ed farewell, and wished him luck, all pledging to make it back up to help out in some way at a later date. While we’d been successful in moving much of the organic debris off the property and getting the drainage ditch dug, the amount of work remaining is pretty incredible. Several feet of dirt and rock need to be bulldozed off the property, the garage probably needs to be torn down, the basement needs to be dried out and assessed for damage, electrical, sewer, water and gas lines need to be replaced (utility companies), then comes the process of rebuilding everything.

The town of Lyons may never be the same after this disaster, but the strength of the community and of the friends and family supporting it are incredible. Not only were local friends and family assisting in the cleanup, but groups from Missouri, Florida, New York, Kansas and California were out to assist in the massive cleanup effort. I would urge any of you with a free day to find a way to volunteer in one of the disaster zones and help someone try and put the pieces of their life back together, every little bit helps. I know many of my friends were willing to donate countless hours to rebuild the Boulder trails (I as well), but after being apart of the real cleanup effort, I’d urge you to put the resources where they are truly needed, into getting someone back into their home. The Boulder Mudslingers are one good group for those who want to volunteer or I can put you in touch with my friend Ed (email me). All this has made me truly appreciate how lucky I was, and that sometimes we need to unravel ourselves from our own lives and take a good look at what’s going on around us.


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One thought on “Giving Back

  1. Susan Oliver

    Thanks so much for the amazing crew job you did for Jason last weekend. It definitely made a significant difference in his preparation & completion of the race, both mentally & physically. I know it was a major lift for his wife Meggan to know someone else was responsible for important sections of aid & support. As his mother in VA, it was a relief for me to know a strong & experienced ultrarunner was on the trail with him. What a thrill for him to complete this event despite adverse conditions & uncooperative body parts, especially on a course through alpine terrain he knows & loves! His father’s spirit of athletic adventure, perseverance & positive lifestyle live on in him. I hope to meet you in CO soon.

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