Lincoln Station to County Line Station

Blue skies. 91 degrees Fahrenheit on my weather meter. Those high, icy, citrus clouds mean that there's moist air moving in up there but down here, it's just hot and humid (33% humidity) and promises to get hotter. Atmospheric pressure is up and down and I don't expect any storms to break the pattern.

But, visually, the day is beautiful and I can focus on that.

These early E/H Line hikes explore Willow Creek. It is a nicely typical stream to explore.

 Notice that the Bluffs seem to curve around something...like a chunk has been gouged out in the middle. That's because a chunk has, indeed, been gouged out in the middle. Willow Creek did most of that.

Remember that most of these streams, in the past, were much larger. Willow Creek was, perhaps, not a huge stream. The pictures you'll see show a fairly narrow valley, much smaller than, for instance, Little Dry Creek Valley, despite the fact that it runs a longer course.

Typically, a stream begins it's journey at a steep gradient that gradually gets shallower the further it runs. The amount of water it carries also tends to increase and it's power to erode downward into the earth decreases, although it's sluggish meanders broaden it's valley as it continues it's course.

Willow Creek isn't long enough to get out of it's steep, wild section before it joins with Little Dry Creek. There, it takes the other streams name and becomes Little Dry Creek as it runs down to the South Platte River in Englewood.

Of the two creeks, Willow is more variable and more likely to flood, partially because the aquifers that feed it are more productive. Most of their volumes are contributed by runoff and Willow has a longer run to pick up storm water.

The area around Lincoln Station is affluent and much landscaped, but landscaping isn't just about artistry as this sign explains. This area collects storm water and provides a porous surface which also acts as a filter to trap contaminants.

As usual, Lone Tree, a suburb of Denver, being a desert town, likes it's water features. If you want to see a waterfall in the Metro area, water features are your only options. This one is at the Lone Tree Golf Club.

This is a golf course so the landscape has been modified, but it does give an idea of how narrow and shallow the valley excavated by Willow Creek is.

On one hand, golf courses require a lot of water to maintain, pamper invasive lawn grasses, and sink a lot of agricultural chemicals into the ground, but they do manage the water they use and water fowl such as these egrets and ducks, like it.

Here is another shot of the valley back toward the headwaters.

After Lone Tree Golf Club, the creek flows through Sweetwater Park and the Park Meadows shopping district. Here it finds less managed, and softer land to cut into. Also, it has picked up water from Cook's  Creek and other sources. There are some interesting banks cut into muddy sandstones and sandy mudstones of the Dawson and Arapahoe formations.

I was pleased to see the tunnel under C470, the main bypass around Denver. The air in it is about 20 degrees cooler than the air outside.

There are some interesting stalactites hanging from a crack in the ceiling (Remember. If it's from the Ceiling, it's a stalaCtite. If it's from the Ground, it's a stalaGmite.) 

I suspect that these "cave formations" are made from gypsum redeposited from water percolating through  the sheetrock of the walls.

I really have to watch my hydration in this weather and, as I neared County Line Station, I really needed to cool off and get something to drink so I stopped at Tropical Smoothie Cafe for a large Watermelon Mojo Smoothie and a rest in the shade. Here's a view of the Rockies (and the top of my drink cup).

I took my time and felt much better when I walked the last short stretch to the station.

County Line Station is at the edge of the huge Park Meadows shopping area. The light rail and I-25 is on the other side of that wall.

In addition to a packed, sprawling parking lot, the station has some nice views of the surrounding countryside.

This hike brings me to very familiar territory. Little Dry Creek is the only stream in my neighborhood large enough to have a name but the southern ridge of Little Dry Creek valley is the northern ridge of Willow Creek. The next neighborhood to the South is Willow Creek covenant community and I will explore that on the next hike.