In Review

Red Stallion Ark And Grill

July 31, 1967

"Wow, I just can't believe this shit!!"

"Shut the hell up. Let's just survive this. OK?"

With a deep gasp seeing a ten inch rainbow trout in a hole in the road we were on. Sometime just a dead one on the pavement. This is why I came here, to fish. Ironic!

Then "Hey, you guys wantin to get out? Got room for three more.".

Wow, after climbing down and up the same switchbacks we so enjoyed descending Saturday, civilization at last. "Yeah. Some of us floated away but here "we" are." A stupid statement. A silent pall fell on all. "Uh, forgive the shell-shocked rant." No one is good at this, only afraid to make it worse, so "Shut the hell up works. OK?"

Now you've got to hear this thing from the start.

Colorado in 1976, #1 mecca for music, art, hiking, skiing, camping, new anything, ground zero, plus mountains. Who has that?

Twenty-five and unstoppable, we left Estes Park and went down Devil's Gulch Road. Two steep switchbacks straight down Little Thompson Canyon. I'm from Kansas. A canyon? Oh yeah. Down, I get it.

After several days of heavy rain no red flag on what "down" means to a tourist. When does a tourist become an expert in 24 hours. Seeing things, feeling things, not believing, and then realizing things. Much growing up in a short time.

We started the Saturday nite in Colorado at an established venue, 1970's style. Food, beer, music, smell of pine air till sunrise. Sleep in the van.

Earlier Saturday we met 2 hikers that saw a great band at "The Stallion" Friday nite. This Saturday nite in Glen Haven turned out much different than advertised!

We pulled onto a switchback in the road curving down then leveling out. "Red Stallion Restaurant." Eight cars and vans, seventeen people. Rain  persisted all day. Doesn't stop tourists when on a weekend vacation. Three days of rain, no warning, no changes in plans. Now I see why they came up with the weather channel. But, only got three days here, weather be damned!

Got there 8:30 or so, still some light deep in this canyon. Ordered drinks and food. Band is in the lower level getting ready to start, so is the cigarette machine. I grab my Marlboros and start back up when, what the..... I'm being followed by an ovation guitar case. Floating? What? The band soon followed.

The Little Thompson had risen enough to reach the wall of the building. Then boom! That lower wall caved in below the new level of rushing water.  They say "No one really saw it happen". Band was busy preparing for their 9:00 start. Just as I was half way up the stairs is when the wall must have broken.

Our food arrived just after I came upstairs. Then the light went out. I said to the poor waitress "We're not hungry any more. Sorry." She was shaking. It was terrible for the young staff. Most younger than us.

The river, normally 50 yards or so away, was overwhelmed as was any low area. It's getting darker outside, deep canyons get dark quickly. A surge of  water broke all the windows as it rushed in on the kitchen side of the building.  Then water rose slowly in the place. Soon we stood on our table by the huge stone fireplace. It's big enough for two if we need to go up for air. Nobody else thought of that, thankfully. Everyone was at their own table. Fireplace was mine. Mantel was 20 some feet by 6 feet, huge, just right for a Santa Claus exit.

We saw a few cars float down the road, frantically flashing their lights in panic.

Debris continually hit the kitchen end of the building. We were opposite side. By now chin high water and we're standing on our table. The debris formed a delta of sorts, splitting the flow, spreading it out, lowering the water level in the building.