Frozen water pipes and everything...

The magnitude and full impact of the flood created a domino affect that went on for weeks.

The sidewalks stayed frozen for days

Not only did we have to remove our skirting and relocate, but our water pipes froze one last time.  It was all our poor water filter housing could handle and it cracked in two pieces.

I ordered a replacement and that lasted all of a month before cracking again.  This time, I went to Home Depot determined to either rip the whole thing out or replace the housing with something cheaper.  I found it!  A household water filter that cost $20 with all the trimmings instead of $45 for just the bottom portion.

We also decided that when the weather went below 10 degrees, we would shut off the fresh water and empty the pipes so it wouldn't and bust something again.

Well, my mom came to visit and in my rush to get out the door, I couldn't figure which way to turn the bathroom sink off.   I hoped for the best and left.  When Bill and I got back that evening, water was gushing out from under our front door.  Literally pouring out by the gallons.  Evidently, I guessed wrong.


After shutting the water off (I couldn't figure out why someone hadn't spotted it and shut it off for us.  They had done so in the past over something very stupid...), we mopped up everything we could.  But the sub flooring was wet and mushy for days.  We were scared that there had been permanent damage.  Luckily, they dried out and became as solid as ever (though not as flat...).  Thankfully, we came out fine and survived that mishap.

Then, the water filter broke again, this time it cracked at the top where it's screwed into the lines.  I used the replacement I had and fixed it up good. 

Creek flooded right to our doorstep.

How I longed for growing green things and mild weather to replace the cold...

One last bit of impact we had from the extremely cold temperatures in February.  It got so cold that our fridge stopped working.  The coolant in the back couldn't function correctly. It took about a week of good weather before it started up again.

In the end though, spring came and brought new life and fresh hope!

Flooding at twenty degrees below zero...

The bottom layer of water oozed out of cracks in the ice. 

There had been a series of deep cold spells that caused the creek to freeze over quickly, but still had water flowing underneath.  A couple days before it flooded, Bill and I were coming back from our nightly walk.  In the silence, I heard the creek cracking and it reminded me of Laura Ingall's story about crossing the mighty Mississippi right before the ice cracked and became unsafe.  It sounded like deep settling.

The first challenge we faced this winter included Clear Creek freezing over and eventually flooding right before Christmas.


Then the next day, I watched water ooze up from the cracks and flow downstream.  Because the water froze so fast, it froze all the way up to the banks and began overflowing onto the sidewalk.  It had no other place to go except wide.  It crept down the creek in slow, lapping movements, looking for the low places.

Flood froze neighbors rig to ground

Several of us kept an eye on the creek, watching the water ebb and flow, creeping over the sidewalk.

Late that Friday night, I saw flashlights bobbing through the closed curtains.  I knew that it spelled trouble.  I called for Bill and he put his boots on and headed
outside.  Then, gradually myself and Jessica, our oldest, joined him.  The creek was overflowing the sidewalk and into different RV spots.

Look at the cord frozen in the water!

It was so cold, that the outside temperature hovered around ten degrees below zero. The water was even colder.  One of Bill's coworkers had seen our RV lifestyle and been inspired by it.  She sold her house and bought a beautiful travel trailer with nice skirting.  But she had no truck to pull it.  Unfortunately, her spot was the lowest along the creek and the water was a good three inches high and climbing.  Although it was late and most people sleeping, several men came out and helped her hitch up the trailer to a borrowed truck.  We helped yank the frozen stakes out of the rock-hard ground and remove the stiff skirting.  They pulled her rig forward ten feet to get it out of the water.  We made the painful decision to move our rig forward ten feet (skirting still attached) just in case. 

A couple news stations sent camera men to video everything.  When a man shoves a camera and bright light in your face around midnight and you are freezing down to your core,  you shouldn't feel obligated to be diplomatic in your responses.  I know I wasn't...

We woke up the next morning to find that the water had come to within a foot of our rig.  You can see the red-neck skirting in the picture on the right.

We made the decision to bug out of there that day because officials were talking about evacuating folks in case of a flood.   We came over to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds and set up shop.

That night, an ice dam broke in Idaho Spring and set hundreds of gallons of water gushing down the creek.  Thankfully, the water diverted away from the campgrounds and for a few weeks carved a new path until the ice melted enough to handle the flow.  The ice froze all the way up to a foot bridge and from bank to bank.

 We stayed at the Fairgrounds for two weeks, even celebrating Christmas there. 

Clear Creek flooded and froze winter 2013

Wintering at Clear Creek in 2013

 Going into the winter, we knew deep in our gut that it would be brutal.  We had planned (or hoped that it would happen) on being in Houston for the winter.  But, alas it was was not to be due to internal politics (that never happens...). 

 With much trepidation and faith that we would survive, Clear Creek RV Park became our semi-permanent abode until May 2014.

Right away, we knew it would different from any other winter we'd ever experienced.  The flooding that occurred in September (while the kids and I were in Indiana) only happened once in a century. 

Notwithstanding the very small space we now inhabited as an active family of five (~250 square feet), the outside temperatures fluctuated into the very cold rapidly.  We combated that by creating red-neck skirting using inch-thick styrofoam and white duct tape.  I regretted the ghetto look, but was grateful for the ten degree increase internally.  We first connected to an electric only spot and then were able to move to a full hook-up.  That meant removing and re taping the skirting.  Very tedious.

 Our spot backed right up to the creek.  It was a beautiful spot.   And not much foot traffic behind us due to the cold temperatures. 

We figured that we could handle November, December and probably January.  But getting through February would be our challenge.

The skirting and a heat lamp underneath helped keep the floor warm.  We properly winterized our water hose and kept two electric heaters running at all times. One in the front and one near our bedroom.  We maintained an ambient internal temperature of 65 degrees during the day and about 55 to 60 at night.  With layers of blankets and bundled up in warm pjs, our family did just fine. We frequented the rec center next door and tried to get the kids outside playing with the rv neighbor kids as often as possible.  We made several good friends!

Bill wearing his X Wing costume in the Golden parade!

The creek froze over by Thanksgiving and we settled into surviving (and hopefully thriving) through the winter.  We had the kids involved with Awanas and by December, Bill had started a pilot program creating training videos and other digital media related stuff for his work.  This was his big chance to create a position within the governmental department he worked for doing the stuff he was most passionate about.  We were very excited about this opportunity and about the places (hint, hint) that it could take us.

Little did we know about the extreme challenges that were ahead...

Merry Christmas to All

We are nestled back in Clear Creek RV park for the winter.  Our trailer backs up to the creek and if the joggers along the trail are very lucky, they can see us eating lunch through our living room window...


Once fall passed, we were left with brown everywhere.  Brown mountains. Dead brown trees with exposed squirrel nests.  Muddy brown banks along the creek.  And piles of dried brown leaves rustling in the whistling wind that blows hard through the valley.  The wind, piercing and cold --take-your-breath-away cold.


We spent Christmas Eve with Bill's family: brunch at 11 and then we opened presents.  Jessica wasn't feeling well all day, so she participated as much as she could.  But by the Christmas Eve service, she just wanted to curl up and sleep.  We went to their church at 2 and enjoyed some carols and the nativity story.  After which, we went to my mother-in-law's house for the evening.  We watched silly tv shows and helped her make a cake. 

But for Christmas, we got a glorious blanket of white laid down to cover all the brown.  Soft flakes falling in the night, twinkling against our headlights as we drove home on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning.  Three inches of snow.  Frozen kitchen sink. Three impatient children who waited patiently for three hours until dad finally woke up.

In the meantime, I had to wash dishes by importing water from the bathroom sink and heat it up in my new electric water kettle. Then made apple and pear cinnamon pancakes for breakfast. 

Clear Creek Campground

As much as I enjoyed the Jefferson County Fairgrounds RV park, the Clear Creek Campground has always been our gold standard for Denver RV parks.  Conveniently located in downtown Golden and situated along Clear Creek, this small city-run park is cozy and inviting.

After two weeks at the fairgrounds, we were ready for something a little more permanent --or at least as much as you can be in an RV...  So early on a Friday morning at the beginning of November, we settled our accounts and moved.  At first, they had electric only sites available and I had made sure to empty all the tanks and fill the fresh water before leaving the fairgrounds.

A couple days later, a spot opened up with full hookups.  Fortunately, all we had to do was pull forward and back her in with neighborly RVer guiding Bill.  We connected the shore power and dump hose.  Fresh water was another whole challenge.


Oh, Happy Day!  We are here until May!