Visitors are common in our town. Situated along the Front Range with plains to the east and mountains rising suddenly to the west, Golden is divided by Clear Creek gushing out of the mountains and sheltered from the Denver metro area by two mesas to the east. On the west side, big Lookout Mountain has long loomed over Golden, Denver and the plains, drawing tourists from all over, and boasting the giant lit letter “M” for the Colorado School of Mines.

The school also attracts visitors, including the sports teams that bus in with their attendant fans who wander from the stadium a block west of our house to downtown just to the east. Of course, the college is an internationally-recognized school with students from pretty much everywhere in the world — many of whom find our quaint western town an attractive cultural experience.

But the big tourist attractor is the Molson Coors Brewery on the east edge of town, between the two massive mesas. Visitors flood the town, tour the brewery and visit the Coors hospitality room for a free sip of the suds. Many visitors also stop in Golden on their way to the mountain gambling towns up Clear Creek. And, of course, we are a favorite place to stop on your way into the Rockies.

Despite the traffic, our town remains relatively small, comfortable and scenic. The abrupt edge of the foothills creates a favorite north-south migration corridor for various kinds of birds, so we often see different types moving seasonally north and south or east and west between higher and lower elevations.

In addition to our resident animals like squirrels, rabbits, raccoons and foxes, other critters are occasionally drawn into town. Deer and elk periodically show up to enjoy the residential lawns for dining and relaxation, and we’ve also had moose visit. Mountain lions and coyotes have been reported on the mesas, and a wandering bear is not too rare.

Just this week, a bear was found in our neighbor’s back yard. Their dog chased it and nipped it in the butt (the neighborhood was awakened by the owner’s screams calling her dog out of harm’s way.) The bear clambered over the fence but was startled by a trash truck, then sought safety in one of the big trees a couple of houses down from ours, where it remained quite comfortably for most of the day. Local police and wildlife officials established a cordon to protect the bear from too much citizen curiosity.

Although concerned about the safety of the bear and the possibility of pet/bear interactions, the locals seemed to relish the close experience of the bear. Neighbors who were home during the day came out to take photos and had to be managed by the officials. Streets meeting at the corner where the bear was treed were closed and the sparse foot and auto traffic rerouted. Gawkers were shooed off and the bear was generally left alone.

After hanging around (literally) for hours, the bear climbed down. Once it was on the ground, the officers herded it gently on its way back into the foothills.

As visitors go, the bear was not a big issue. Although some streets were blocked, the bear didn’t use up resident parking spots. It didn’t leave trash on the lawns (I can’t speak to what it left in the woods,) or make a lot of noise. Frankly, it was far less disruptive than a routine football game or fraternity event.

Perhaps we’ll invite it back sometime.