Summer 1964

When the streets were originally plotted in the downtown area their location was more of a concern than how level they were or where the water would go after a good storm.  Back then the residents would either wade through the mud or take an alternate, dryer route.  As Aspen became “civilized” the city fathers were quick to put in a good sewer and water system.  The main streets were surfaced or paved while the side streets remained pretty much as they had been for decades.  By the mid-1960’s there were still many streets that remained unpaved or were without any sort of drainage system to remove the water from the summer rains or the spring run-off from the hills above.

At the time, we were living at Garmisch and Hopkins, just across the street from Paepcke Park.  I remember in 1964 Aspen went through a very wet summer with one rain storm right after another.  That year things would just get dried out only to be drenched once again.  At the time neither Garmisch nor Hopkins were paved, and there were no storm drains.  The lowest spot in our neighborhood was on Garmisch, next to Main Street, as well as out into Paepcke Park.  That year the water would collect in that location covering the street with three feet of water at the deepest part.  One third of the park was also flooded.  With the rains still falling the puddle looked more like a pond or lake. 

All the kids in the neighborhood showed up to play in the water.  We watched with amazement as a person approached in their car and attempted to cross the expanse of water.  With the exception of a few trucks most had to be pushed or pulled out of the abyss.  The water stayed for about a week before draining off naturally, all the while the kids played in the muddy waters until summoned home for dinner each day.

The following year the city hired my father to add a storm drain to the intersection and re-contour Garmisch to eliminate the low spot and make the intersection a little more gradual when turning on or off Main Street.  For the kids, we were sorry to see the improvements as they called them.  Over time all of the streets were paved, storm drains were added and the steep approaches to Main Street from the side streets were filled in.  Luckily enough, the following summer the Smuggler Lodge, next door to our house, added a swimming pool and we were allowed to use it in exchange for my father helping to maintain it.  But, it was still not the same as the giant mud puddle we all enjoyed the previous year.