Tucker Gulch, the "Back Way" into Golden!

The other day I noticed that if I went up the hill behind the house where I am staying, I could go over the hill and down the other side.  So I did.  I discovered Tucker Gulch!  (Obviously I wasn’t the first as there is a lovely broad concrete walkway bordering the stream whose edges have been weed-whacked.)  The day I found it (without camera), I turned upstream for my first exploration.  After about 4/10^ths of a mile mostly uphill, I came to a street across which was a lovely park.  On my walk back, I caught up to an older woman who told me that I could walk all the way into town if I had gone downstream instead of up.

So, on Saturday, when I wanted to walk into town, I took “Tucker Gulch Trail.”  How much more wonderful than walking a heavily traffic-ed street!  [This post was originally going to be the walk into town along that street as I had stopped and taken a picture at each intersection on the way in and the way back to show the steepness.  But the gulch trail is so much better!]

Tucker Gulch Trail at First Street.

I joined the trail just under the 1^st Street Bridge, downhill from Ford Street.  The brook is a joyously babbling little thing at this time of year, but probably carries much more water in the spring.  The walk stays above the water and is used by pedestrians, dog walkers, children walkers, and bikers.  Bikers coming on you from behind will usually clang a bell or say “On your left!” to let you know they are there and are planning to overtake you.  Bikers coming on you from the front will greet you with words – or just a smile or nod – depending on their fitness level and the level of the terrain.  Everyone is quite friendly and cheerful!

Stream from "Bridge."

The trail crosses the water in a few places, allowing lovely views up and down the brook.

The brook babbles pleasantly as you can imagine from looking at all the rocks in the streambed.  (Maybe on another trip, I’ll see about taking a movie with some sound as well!)

Babbling Brook of Tucker Gulch.

 

 

526, 527, 528

Eventually we do get to town where the waterway is contained between concrete abutments.  The creek bed is wide – probably to accommodate spring melts and it steps down as if there were locks.  Just now, the bit of water coming down spreads out and meanders across the concrete, creating really interesting algae and weed formations.

It runs along this beautiful old building – Coors U.S.A. Chemical & Scientific Porcelain.  The other side of the building is labeled “Coors Tek” and in one of the drive-in areas you can see stacks of curved tiles like roofing tiles.  I had assumed it had something to do with the brewery business – that the tiles were perhaps part of some sort of filtering system.  Now it looks like it is a totally separate business.

Coors U.S.A. Chemical & Scientific Porcelain Building.

Otherwise known as "Coors Tek - Amazing Solutions."

 I peeled off from Tucker Gulch when I got to 10^th Street as I wanted to go to the farmer’s market.  There are free horse-drawn carriage rides – I haven’t done that yet as there have been lines waiting and the horses look tired to me.

Horses Taking a Rest.

The market itself is set up in the parking lot of the community center with loads of food booths many of which offer samples.  One produce stall gives you a smallish plastic bag (about ½ the size of a plastic grocery bag) for $10 that you can fill.  You get to select anything from their display for you bag – no set quantities of anything.  Others have pint or quart boxes of specific items, or piles that are probably priced by the item or by weight.  I only got a strawberry smoothie to sip as I didn’t want to carry things back up the gulch.  It is a family (including dog) place and activity.

I sat beside Clear Creek to sip my smoothie and was soon joined by several families whose children played at the edge of the water, tossing in stones or soaking their feet.

Clear Creek Behind the Library.

Then I followed Clear Creek back to where it meets Tucker Gulch just before the Coors brewery.  I passed the fish which are high and dry now, but in the spring were under water.  I love the details on the fish – there are 3 of them – and in the background you can see the outlet of a slide from the park above the water level.

Fish Sculpture Along (and sometimes in!) Clear Creek.

There is a little park where Tucker Gulch meets Clear Creek.  The pieces of tree are enormous!

Tree Base with Camera Case for Size Comparison.

More Bits from the Same Tree (I think...).

The actual confluence of the two streams is fenced off and marked private property.  I am guessing it is part of the Coors brewery.  Their beer used to be made from Clear Creek water.  I don’t know if it still is as I haven’t taken the brewery tour yet!  (But the presence of Canada geese just above the brewery, to say nothing of the people tubing down Clear Creek in the heart of town suggest otherwise!)

Confluence of Tucker Gulch and Clear Creek.  Coors Brewery in the Background.