Wild Times in Boulder

All sorts of fun and games going on in Boulder -  I awoke this morning to hear about a shooting involving police officers (not another elk, but a young man).  It seems that there was a dispute very early this morning between a cab driver and his fare.  The driver called the police because the passenger, after refusing to pay, began to threaten him.  Just before the police arrived, the passenger exited the car (through the window), and started to walk away.  When the police officers yelled at the man to stop, he ran away - going two blocks to his apartment building.  He barricaded himself within his apartment for over two hours, and neighbors were evacuated. Then the young man appeared to point a gun through a window.  Police officers opened fire and wounded the man.  He was taken out, and EMTs attended him.  A man who saw the wounded man being treated said that the wounded man did not seem to comprehend what had been happening - he couldn't understand or remember what had led to that point in time.  The observer said he thought the man was "very inebriated."  The intersection at 11 Street and College Avenue is currently closed while the police continue their investigation.
  With the rains of the past week and the past several days of high temperatures, we are expecting more flooding.  The Cache le Poudre River is more than one foot above flood stage, and Boulder Creek, which runs past my apartment, is barely staying within its banks.  At this time of year, Boulder Creek usually has a flow rate of of 80,000 to 110, 000 cubic feet of water per minute; the Creek is running at 800,000 to 850,000 cubic feet per minute.  Boulder Creek has been closed to all tubing, rafting, floatation devices, canoes, etc. from Barker Reservoir (on the east side of Nederland) all the way to the Erie city limits.  Kayaking is permitted; but people are urged to use extreme caution due to the enormous rate at which the waters are flowing.  Tickets resulting in fines will be given out to those breaking the law.
    I spent yesterday afternoon and evening watching the next-to-last and last episodes of Vikings again. I thoroughly enjoyed the bath scene with Kings Aelle and Ecbert, Prince Aethelwulf, and the Bishop.  I also enjoyed seeing Floki tell King Horik that he did not betray the Gods, nor Ragnar - "... only you, King Horik."  And, wonder of wonders, my sister actually watched the final episode with me...  I was completely amazed.
   All of the town of Collbran is now under eminent evacuation orders.  It is believed that the lake forming in the mudslide above the town could break through at any minute, and completely bury the town.  Currently, a memorial service for the three men lost last Sunday is scheduled to take place this Sunday.
  And, yesterday, on the witness stand, ex-Boulder police officer Brent Curnow stated that he did not believe that he had broken the law on the morning of 1 January 2013, when he drove from home to pick up and butcher the elk (Big Boy, aka Edward the Elk) that fellow officer Sam Carter had shot while on duty.  When asked about his guilty plea deal on his charges, he stated that his attorney had suggested he agree with them, because his attorney felt that he'd be found guilty at trial.  Sam Carter's attorney still states that his client is "not guilty of anything."

Mountain Rescue, Mudslide, and Elk Trial

The massive mudslide in Mesa County, Colorado is still in an unstable condition.  The three missing men are no longer being searched for.  Small slides continue at irregular intervals.  Some of the residents of the small town of Collbran have been told to be ready to evacuate immediately, and small ranchers have been trucking their horses, cattle, and other livestock to safer areas.  A grand piano was seen being loaded into a moving van yesterday...  A lake of standing water is forming at the foot of Grand Mesa, which is where the slide originated and the lake is expected to break through the mud-formed wall and cause another large mudslide.  Geologists and engineers have determined that the second, largest mudslide was moving around 170 miles per hour Sunday afternoon, when he three local men went up Salt Creek to find what had caused the water to stop running in their irrigation ditches.  My heart goes out to the two families who lost loved ones - and to those who might still lose their homes and livelihoods to further slides.
   A  19-year-old man from Quebec, Canada decided to go mountain climbing with a friend Tuesday.  The young man had no mountain climbing experience, and went along with his friend to climb the east face of Long's Peak in the Rocky Mountain National Park.  Wearing light-weight slacks, T-shirts, and sneakers, and carrying a backpack with snacks and water, the guys made it up to the 13,000 foot level.  The Quebec youth became separated from his friend, and called for help on his cell phone, from Broadway Ledge.  A team of 28 people and two helicopters spent almost 24 hours in the search and rescue operation.  A helicopter raised the young man from the ledge, and he was taken by ambulance to the Estes Park Medical Center.  Yesterday morning, with temperatures in the 70s and the sun striking the east face of Long's Peak, the rescuers were fighting falling rocks, falling ice, and melting snow.  he young man says he's feels both "lucky" and "stupid" to have survived the night on the mountain, at 13,000 feet (with temperatures about 30 degrees), wearing summer clothes.  If you are going to climb a mountain, please take along appropriate equipment and survival gear.  I shudder to think about the cost of that rescue.
   Marc Colin, the defense attorney for ex-Boulder police officer Sam Carter, stated yesterday that his client "was not guilty of anything" in the opening statements for Carter's trial, charged with multiple misdemeanor and felony charges in the death of a trophy elk called Big Boy.  Colin stated that Carter as performing his duty as a police officer, to protect the residents of Boulder.  He said that the elk was a menace and danger to society because home-owners in the Mapleton Hill have been feeding the elk during the winter for the past several years.   ....  If you've ever read my blog, and especially my entries about Edward the Elk (aka Big Boy), you know where I stand.  I want Sam Carter to pay heavily for killing a trophy elk out of season - for planning to do so with a friend who has already pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to kill a trophy elk out of season, and to picking up the elk's carcass on the night in question (having called in sick for his night shift work at Boulder Police Department), but being immediately available to pick up the carcass after midnight and take it to his home taxidermy shop.  I believe the friend, Brent Curnow, also received a light sentence for his part in this farce.  or more information, please see:  http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_25850065/boulder-elk-jury-seated-sam-carter