“There is so much damage. It was difficult to look in any one direction and not see where some assistance was needed,” said Philipps. NRCS began the tour in Lyons focusing on the debris and destruction within the town caused by the St. Vrain River. The group then traveled to Apple Valley which hosts numerous small acreage landowners and then on to an area leading to Estes Park where in both locations the Undersecretary was able to visit and hear firsthand from those impacted including a small acreage landowner as well as a church caretaker who graphically described the damage to the church. “There are no shortage of touching stories and people in need as a result of this flood. It’s one thing to read about them, but to see it in conjunction with those impacted telling you their story moves you even more.” Upon the FS leading the group, they traveled down Left Hand Creek and up Left Hand Canyon, stopping along the way to further detail challenges. Finally the group stopped in what remains of Jamestown; a small community that sits in a narrow canyon along James Creek. Jamestown is widely considered to have been the hardest hit.